Remember The Fallen

On Wednesday a gunman opened fired at the Kabul International Airport killing 8 U.S. Airmen. The were:

Maj. Philip D. Ambard, 44, of Edmonds, Wash. He was assigned to the 460th Space Communications Squadron, Buckley Air Force Base, Colo.

Maj. Jeffrey O. Ausborn, 41, of Gadsden, Ala. He was assigned to the 99th Flying Training Squadron, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.

Maj. David L. Brodeur, 34, of Auburn, Mass. He was assigned to the 11th Air Force, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

Master Sgt. Tara R. Brown, 33, of Deltona, Fla. She was assigned to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Joint Base Andrews, Md.

Lt. Col. Frank D. Bryant Jr., 37, of Knoxville, Tenn. He was assigned to the 56th Operations Group, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.

Maj. Raymond G. Estelle II, 40, of New Haven, Conn. He was assigned to Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.

Capt. Nathan J. Nylander, 35, of Hockley, Texas. He was assigned to the 25th Operational Weather Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.

Capt. Charles A. Ransom, 31, of Midlothian, Va. He was assigned to the 83rd Network Operations Squadron, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.

Please keep them and their families in your thoughts and prayers.

Thoughts Are With The Tornado Victims In The South

We've all been watching the coverage of the devastating tornado outbreak that hit the Southern states. 250 people, so far, confirmed dead. Beyond sad. Watching all this I can't help but be reminded of May 3, 1999. That was one of the scariest nights of my life. Between 3 & 5pm they started forming near OKC and just blew up. The F5 that formed that night was almost, if not, a mile wide and recorded the strongest winds ever at over 300 mph. Data's still not in for the storms that hit Alabama but the tornado that hit Tuscaloosa may have been even bigger. And that's beyond frightening. Thoughts and prayers go out for the those down South. Let's hope this doesn't happen again any time soon.

Wednesday Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested by Michael

Col. Robert L. Howard
70 years old from Waco, Texas
Army Special Forces MACV-SOG Special Operations Command Korea
July 11, 1939 – December 23, 2009


You learn very quickly that Col. Robert Howard was an amazing man. Wounded 14 times in 54 months of combat. 8 Purple Hearts, 4 Bronze Stars, 2 Distinguished Service Crosses. And the awards go on from there. But it's the three Medal Of Honor nominations for three separate actions within a thirteen month period that stand out.


1st Lt. Robert Howard Receives The Medal Of Honor

You can read more about Col. Robert L. Howard here and here and a tribute page dedicated to him here.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

MCM

Sort of hidden gem. So did anyone figure out what the songs this month had in common? Did anyone even listen to them? :p


Kids In America by Kim Wilde

Missing WWII Airman Identified

U.S. Army Air Forces Tech. Sgt. James G. Maynard, of Ellenwood, Ga., will be buried on April 22 at Arlington National Cemetery. On March 12, 1945, Maynard and five crew members aboard a C-47A Skytrain departed Tanauan Airfield on Leyte, Philippines, on a resupply mission to guerrilla troops. Once cleared for takeoff, there was no further communication between the aircrew and airfield operators. When the aircraft failed to return, a thorough search of an area ten miles on either side of the intended route was initiated. No evidence of the aircraft was found and the six men were presumed killed in action. Their remains were determined to be non-recoverable in 1949.

You can read more here.

Wednesday Hero

Capt. Lawrence Rollo


Capt. Lawrence Rollo cradles a Nigerian baby while visiting with locals during a community relations project at the Light of Dawn Government Junior Secondary School Tomarow as part of Africa Partnership Station (APS) West. APS is an international security cooperation initiative designed to strengthen global maritime partnerships through training and collaborative activities to improve maritime safety and security in Africa.

Information And Photo Courtesy U.S. Navy. Taken by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Darryl Wood

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

April 19, 1995

16 years ago today 168 people lost their lives when the Alfred P. Murrah building in Oklahoma City was attacked by terrorists Timothy McVeigh & Terry Nichols.


Click For Full Size

I was in the 10th grade. It was, if I'm able to remember correctly, 2nd or 3rd period Algebra. We walk into the classroom and the tv was turned on to the coverage. We just sat there for the entire hour, and the rest of the day for that matter, watching. Of all the coverage the one thing that stuck out for me at the time was the day care that was in the building. Of the 19 children that were killed in the attack, 15 of them were in the day care center. The attack in OKC doesn't get as much coverage as the September 11, 2001 attack, but please remember them today.


Click For Full Size

MCM

Is this song actually about what the rumors say it's about? I don't know. Good song either way.


(I Just) Died In Your Arms Tonight by Cutting Crew

Operation GIve A Hug

I was sent and email a few days ago with a link to Operation Give A Hug in it and I've been meaning to share it and, well, I'm finally getting around to it. Operation Give A Hug is an awesome group that gives dolls to children with deployed parents to help them cope. Head over and check them out.

Missing WWII Airman Identified

Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Martin P. Murray, 21, of Lowell, Mass., will be buried on April 16 in Marshfield, Mass. Murray, along with 11 other crew members, took off on Oct. 27, 1943, in their B-24D Liberator from an airfield near Port Moresby, New Guinea. Allied plans were being formulated to mount an attack on the Japanese redoubt at Rabaul, New Britain. The crew’s assigned area of reconnaissance was the nearby shipping lanes in the Bismarck Sea. But during their mission, they were radioed to land at a friendly air strip nearby due to poor weather conditions. The last radio transmission from the crew did not indicate their location. Multiple search missions in the following weeks did not locate the aircraft.

You can read more here.

Wednesday Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Steve

Lt. Col. Charles L. Brown
86 years old from Miami, Florida
October 24, 1922 - November 24, 2008


For extraordinary heroism in military operations in WWII he was awarded the Air Force Cross our nations award for valor second only to the Medal of Honor. He flew 29 combat missions as a B-17 pilot. His many other military decorations included the Purple Heart for wounds received in combat. Upon being offered a position with the United States Department of State he took early retirement from the Air Force and continued to serve his nation as a senior Foreign Service Officer spending six years in Southeast Asia as Inspector-In- Charge, Agency for International Development, U.S. Dept. of State

Sadly couldn't find too much information on Lt. Col. Brown. The best source was his obituary.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Remains Of Korean War POW Identified

The remains of Cpl. John W. Lutz have been identified and he will be laid to rest, with full military honors, on April 13. You can read more here.

MCM

This song comes on at the club and you know the party's only just getting started.


Last Night A DJ Saved My Life by In Deep

What New Tone?

Dump Trash On Sen. Boehner's Residence

War On Women

Bombing Innocent Civilians

Yea New Tone.

Wednesday Hero: Marvin Hume

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Cindy

Marvin Hume
89 years old
Cape May, New Jersey


89-year-old Marvin Hume loves his country and the Men and Women who fight for it. Every evening, between Memorial Day and mid-October, for the last 38 years Mr. Hume, a Navy vet himself, has held a ceremony in New Jersey where he raises a flag that has been draped over a the casket of a veteran.

You can read the rest of the story here.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

TAPS

TAPS.org

TAPS is the 24/7 tragedy assistance resource for ANYONE who has suffered the loss of a military loved one, regardless of the relationship to the deceased or the circumstance of the death.

Head over and check them out. And if you know someone who's struggling with a loss let them know about this organization.

MCM

I ♥ The 80's. Ah, the 80's. That magical decade when fashion was questionable, our president was a leader and the music was totally bitchin'. This is my third month long tribute to the greatest decade. Sadly, they don't make music like this anymore. There's just no mistaking these songs for anything other than awesome 80's pop. Now, all the songs this month have something in common. Most won't get it but there may be one or two cool ones will. BackTrax USA.


Dance Hall Days by Wang Chung