Wednesday Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Mrs Xoke

Sgt. 1st Class Bryan E. Hall
32 years old from Elk Grove, California
1st Battalion, 67th Armored Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division
April 10, 2009


Bryan Hall received three Army commendation medals, as well as good Army achievement, good conduct and war on terrorism medals. But his family didn't learn about them until after his death. "He was such a humble man," said his mother, Betty. "He was a special person, he never boasted about his accomplishments or was arrogant and pompous, he did his job," his sister, Kristi, said. "When he was done with his job, he came home and he was a father, a husband, a son and a brother. He embodied what I think every soldier would want to be."

Sgt. 1st Class Hall was a junior in High School when he signed up for an Army early entry program. After he graduated he attended one year of college before enlisting.

Bryan Hall, and five other soldiers, was killed on April 10, 2009 when a suicide bomber detonated a truck packed with explosives at a police station in Mosul, Iraq. Betty Hall said an Army commander told her that by ordering his soldiers to fire on the suicide bomber's truck, her son probably saved many lives by preventing the attacker from entering the police compound.

You can read more about Sgt. 1st Class Bryan Hall here.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy freedom. For that I am proud to call them Hero.
Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

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.

Pearl Harbor: 70 Years

This Post Was Written By Cindy

Pearl Harbor was originally a shallow embankment called Wai Momi (Pearl Water) or Pu'rloa (long Hill). It was considered the home of the shark goddess, Ka'ahupahua, and her brother, Kahiuka. Tradition says that Keaunui, the legendary chief of the Ewa chiefs is the one w ho created a navigable channel near the present day Pu'uloa saltworks. The estuary known as "Pearl River" was then accessible to shipping. It was never used for large shipping because of the shallow entrance. As whaling and trading began to use the islands as a half-way point in the Pacific, by 1820 the US was looking for a major harbor. It was not until the turn of the century that Pearl Harbor began to be refitted for larger naval vessels. The naval base we know today was formally opened when the dry dock was open to flooding on August 21, 1919.

As early as February 1, 1933, the Navy staged a mock attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. The exercise was a disaster. Even in 1933 it was known that Pearl Harbor's defenses were considered, after the mock attack by Japan, a failure. It makes the events of December 7, 1941 even more heart-wrenching. The War Department knew the attack was coming. They did not know when. They did not realize that Pearl Harbor, which was basically a sitting duck, was to be the location of the attack. It was assumed the attack would come in the Philippines.

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Holiday Recipes

My Mom made these for Thanksgiving and I thought I'd share them in case anyone was looking for something to make for Hanukkah or Christmas. Real simple and pretty damn good.

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Christmas Music Monday

20 Days!
Christmas comes this time each year.



Little Saint Nick by The Beach Boys

Wednesday Hero

Spc. Joseph A. Graves
21 years old from Discovery Bay, California
110th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade
July 26, 2006


Spc. Joseph Graves's dream was to work for the FBI and he saw that joining the Military was a way to help me do that. Joseph Graves enlisted in the Army at 17 and surprised his family when he went to jump school soon afterwards. "This was a kid I could hardly get to ski down a ski slope, because it was too intimidating," said his father, Kevin. "And now he's jumping out of airplanes." Spc. Graves was the lone casualty when his convoy was attacked by insurgents near Baghdad on July 26, 2006.

You can read more about Spc. Graves here

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy freedom. For that I am proud to call them Hero.
Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

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.

Music Monday

One of my favorites. A song I never tire of.


Too Shy by Kajagoogoo

Wednesday Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Kathi


Wreaths Across America has been < a href="http://rightwingrightminded.blogspot.com/2007/12/monday-hero.html">profiled before< /a> and it will probably be profiled again because they are a great organization. For 20 years they have have laid Christmas wreaths on the headstones of our fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery. And this year, for their 20th year, their goal is to lay a wreath on every headstone, all 220,000, and they need our help. Head over to Help Wreaths Across America Cover Arlington and there you can find information on how you can do that. Whether it's via a donation or just getting the word out, anything we can do helps.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy freedom. For that I am proud to call them Hero.
Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

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.