WELCOME TO   
"THE PATRIOT’S PAGE”

 

 


 


 

The Tuskegee Airmen was a group of primarily African American military pilots (fighter and bomber) and airmen who fought in World War II.
They formed the 
332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Forces
 .
The name also applies to the navigators, bombardiers, mechanics, instructors, crew chiefs, nurses, cooks, and other support personnel. 

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American military aviators in the United States Armed Forces.
During World War II, black Americans in many U.S. states were still subject to the 
Jim Crow laws and the American military was racially segregated,
as was much of the federal government.
The Tuskegee Airmen were subjected to discrimination, both within and outside of the army.


 

 

Tuskegee airman who notched three air-to-air victories in one day dies at 100.


Michigan's Retired Lt. Col. Harry Stewart Jr. Born July 4, 1924 - Passed February 2, 2025
recorded three air-to-air victories in one day as a
World War II Tuskegee Airman and won the first-ever 'Top Gun' contest for military pilots.

 

U.S. Air Force Capt. Alva Temple, 1st Lt. James Harvey, 1st Lt. Harry Stewart and 1st Lt. Halbert Alexander
pose with their 1949 Weapons Meet trophy in May 1949 at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The trophy went missing for 55 years, but is now displayed at the National Museum
of the U.S. Air Force at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

 


 


The Pledge of Allegiance

 

                                         I

      Me, an individual, a committee of one.

                                    Pledge

      Dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self-pity.

                                Allegiance

      My love and my devotion.

                               To the Flag

                                                        [of the]

      Our standard, Old Glory, a symbol of freedom. Wherever she waves, there's respect because your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts freedom is everybody's job.

                                    United

That means that we have all come together.

                                    States

                                                    [of America]
Individual communities that have united into 50 great states. 50 individual communities with pride and dignity and purpose, all divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common purpose, and that's love for country.

                        and to the Republic

                                             For Which It Stands
Republic ... a state in which sovereign power is invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern. And government is the people and it's from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people.

                              One Nation,
                              Under God,

One Nation ... meaning, so blessed by God.

                               Indivisible,

Incapable of being divided.

                             With Liberty

Which is freedom, the right of power to live one's own life, without threats, fear, or some sort of retaliation.

                            And Justice

The principle or qualities of dealing fairly with others.

                                For All

For all ... which means, boys and girls, it's as much your country as it is mine.

                                       
Wouldn't it be a pity if someone said,
 "That is a prayer," 
                        and that would be eliminated from schools, too?"
                         
      by: Red Skelton

 


 

 


 

 IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT'S HARD TO FIND

PLEASE CHECK IT OUT FOR OUR

VETERANS, HOW CAN YOU HELP

 

 

 

 

"Pre-Approval Form for Burial at a National Cemetery"
You can submit a form to the VA for pre-approval to be burial at a National Cemetery.
Note: Understand they are 11 months behind in processing.
The Form 40-1007 is 
here.

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

The iconic photograph was taken in New York City on Aug. 14, 1945
                                                                                                                                                             by Life Magazine photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt.

 

Glenn McDuffie had told the AP he was changing trains in New York when he was told that Japan had surrendered.

'I was so happy. I ran out in the street,' said McDuffie, then 18 and on his way to visit his girlfriend in Brooklyn.

'And then I saw that nurse,' he said. 'She saw me hollering and with a big smile on my face. ... I just went right to her and kissed her.'

'We never spoke a word,' he added. 'Afterward, I just went on the subway across the street and went to Brooklyn.'

 

                           

                            Glenn McDuffie U.S. Navy 1945                  Greta Zimmer Friedman, seen in a 1939 passport photo.

 

  

 

A man who became known for claiming he was the sailor kissing a woman in Times Square
in a famous World War II-era photo taken by a Life magazine.

Glenn was a mail carrier and semi-professional baseball player after he returned from World War II,
Glenn McDuffie's life became more exciting  in 2008 when Houston Police Department
forensic artist Lois Gibson was able to identify him as the young man leaning over the woman in his arms to kiss her.

 

Glenn McDuffie passed away on March 9, 2017 in a nursing home in Dallas at the  aged 86.

 

 

        

Greta Zimmer Friedman told the Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress in 2005
that she headed for Times Square, which wasn't far from her office, to find out for herself.
"Suddenly, I was grabbed by a sailor. It wasn't that much of a kiss. It was more of a jubilant act that he didn't have to go back," she said.
"I found out later he was so happy that he didn't have to go back to the Pacific where they had already been through the war.
"The sailor didn't give Friedman his name, and Friedman, 21 at the time, returned to her office, where her bosses canceled appointments for the rest of the day to celebrate.
Unbeknownst to either the sailor or her, Life photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt snapped a photo of them locking lips,
and published it in the magazine a few weeks later with the simple caption "V-J Day" and no identification of the people in it.

Greta Zimmer Friedman, died on September 8, 2016, at the age of 92. 

 

 

Think of the Joy these two total strangers had coming together in a moment of time in 1945.
Just hearing some Great News that everyone could celebrate no mater what your believe,
 Just putting the Country first.
 

"Just notice the "JOY" that after all these years were still in their Smiles"


Marine Corps Announces It Was

Wrong -- Again

  on Iwo Jima Flag-Raising Photo

17 Oct 2019 Military.com: In this Feb. 23, 1945, file photo, Marines with the 28th Regiment
5th Division, raise the American flag atop Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima, Japan.

Historians have uncovered evidence that another Marine long-believed to be in a famous photo from atop Mount Suribachi during World War II was misidentified
Pfc. Rene A. Gagnon posed for the Marine Corps War Memorial, a bronze statue that sits just outside Washington, D.C., and features 32-foot figures and a 60-foot flagpole.
He was thought to be one of the six Marines captured in the famous photo snapped by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal in February 1945 during the Battle of Iwo Jima.

But now Marine Corps officials say Gagnon, visible only by his helmet, wasn't in that famous photo. It was actually Cpl. Harold P. Keller.

The discovery was made by historians who approached Marine officials after a 2016 change to the historic record of Rosenthal's photo.
Following an investigation into evidence from another set of historians, the Marine Corps then determined that a Navy corpsman,
John Bradley, believed to be in the photo was not. Another man, Pfc. Harold Schultz -- who'd never been publicly linked to the image -- was there instead.

The historians who approached the Marine Corps about Keller "provided a significant amount of new evidence for consideration,
mostly in the form of dozens of previously private photographs," Marine officials said in a Thursday news release about the change.

The switch was first reported Wednesday by NBC News.

The Marine Corps formed a board to consider the new evidence, and even sought help from the FBI as it assessed the new photographs.
Keller is in the backside of the photo, behind other Marines whose backs are turned as they raise the flag.

"As a result of the board's evaluation of the information provided, the Marine Corps accepted the change in the identification of the Marines pictured in the photograph
as necessary in the historical documentation of Rosenthal's photograph," the statement reads.
"The names associated with pictured individuals is the only change resulting from this board."

Among the evidence that proved it was Keller in the photo, according to NBC News, were distinct creases on his helmet,
the positioning of his shirt collar, and the way he carried ammunition.

Dustin Spence, one of the historians who spent years studying the photos and accompanying evidence, told NBC it's important to get history right.

"It's important for the legacy of not only them but their families," Spence told the outlet .

The new identification doesn't mean Gagnon didn't play an important role in Marine Corps history though, the service stressed.
He was directly responsible for getting a larger second flag to the top of Mount Suribachi and returning the first flag for safe keeping.

"Without those efforts," the Marine Corps statement reads, "this historical event might not have been captured, let alone even occurred."

"Regardless of who was in the photograph, each and every Marine who set foot on Iwo Jima, or supported the effort from the sea and air around the island is,
 and always will be, a part of our Corps' cherished history," the statement adds.
"In the words of General David H. Berger, Commandant of the Marine Corps, 'They are all heroes.''

Marine officials said they are grateful for the historians' effort, which allows them to preserve their legacy.

Kay Maurer, Keller's daughter, told NBC she was surprised to learn her dad was in the photograph,
adding that she gets emotional just thinking about it
"It gives you an amazing feeling that I just can't even describe, " she said, "to look up and just think, 'Whoa. That's my dad.''

 

 


 

REMEMBER THIS GREAT PHOTO........IT'S WRONG

 

 

Man in Iwo Jima Flag Photo Was Misidentified, Marine Corps Says:
 

 

A Marine Corps inquiry found that Harold Schultz (Michigan), above,
was one of the six men in the photograph of the flag raising on Iwo Jima.
And it determined that a Navy hospital corpsman, John Bradley, was not in the image.

 

WASHINGTON — An internal investigation by the Marine Corps has concluded that for more than 70 years it wrongly identified one of the men in the iconic photograph of the flag being raised over Iwo Jima during one of the bloodiest battles of World War II.

The inquiry found that a private first class, Harold Schultz, was one of the six men in the photograph, which received a Pulitzer Prize. And it determined that a Navy hospital corpsman, John Bradley, whose son wrote a best-selling book about his father’s role in the flag-raising that was made into a movie directed by Clint Eastwood, was not in the image.

 Mr. Schultz, a mail sorter who died in 1995 at age 70, never publicly acknowledged that he was in the photograph. According to his stepdaughter, he discussed it only once with his family, mentioning it briefly one night during dinner in the early 1990s as they talked about the Iwo Jima battle.

“My mom was distracted and not listening and Harold said, ‘I was one of the flag raisers,’ ” his stepdaughter, Dezreen MacDowell, said in a telephone interview on Wednesday.

“I said, ‘My gosh, Harold, you’re a hero.’ He said, ‘No, I was a Marine.’ ”

“After he said that, it was clear he didn’t want to talk about it,” she said. “He was a very self-effacing Midwestern person. He was already sick, and died two or three years later.”

The investigation was opened in response to questions raised last year by producers working on a documentary, “The Unknown Flag Raiser of Iwo Jima,” to be shown July 3 on the Smithsonian Channel, in what was the latest controversy about the photograph. It was taken on Feb. 23, 1945, by Joseph Rosenthal of The Associated Press as the Marines battled the Japanese on the strategically important island in the Pacific.

Just days later, the image appeared on the front pages of major national newspapers, quickly becoming a symbol of the sacrifices American service members at war were willing to make. Ultimately, 6,800 American service members were killed on the island, and the image became the inspiration for the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Va., which depicts six 32-foot-tall figures in the same positions as the men in the photograph.

 

 

U.S. Marines of the 28th Regiment, 5th Division,
raised the American flag atop Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima, Japan, in 1945.

 

But in 1946, the Marines conducted a similar investigation in response to claims that the service had misidentified one of the flag raisers, concluding that the man in the far right of the photograph was actually Harlon Block, not Henry Hansen. (Both men had died on Iwo Jima.) In the decades since, the Marines and Mr. Rosenthal have fended off accusations that the photograph was staged.

Matthew Morgan, a retired Marine who worked as a producer for the show’s production company, Lucky 8 TV, said it first approached the Marines last year citing evidence that the men in the photograph were misidentified.

Mr. Morgan said the Marines were initially not interested in looking into the claim. But in January, the production company provided the chief historian of the Marines, Charles Neimeyer, with detailed evidence that laid out the case for mistaken identity.

Other photographs of the men on Iwo Jima that day, along with forensic analysis of them, showed that the gear Mr. Bradley was wearing was different from that worn by the man who was identified as Mr. Bradley in the photograph. Facial recognition technology used on the photographs also showed that the man was not Mr. Bradley.

“Over the years, people have claimed they were in the photo, but there was nothing besides their word to back that up,” Dr. Neimeyer said. “I thought that maybe they are on to something, maybe they are right.”

In March, the commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Robert B. Neller, appointed a retired three-star general to lead a panel of eight active and retired Marine commissioned and noncommissioned officers, including Dr. Neimeyer, to investigate the photograph.

The panel began meeting secretly the next month at Marine offices in Quantico, Va., where it painstakingly examined Mr. Rosenthal’s photograph. After six days, the panel voted unanimously to endorse findings that it was Mr. Schultz, not Mr. Bradley, who had participated in the raising of the flag.

Mr. Bradley’s role that day was at the center of the book “Flags of Our Fathers,” written by his son, James, and Ron Powers, which was published in 2000 and was on the New York Times best-seller list for 46 weeks.

But in May, shortly after it was publicly disclosed that the Marines were investigating the photograph, James Bradley said that he no longer believed that his father, who is deceased, was in the image. He said that his father had participated in an earlier flag-raising and mistakenly believed that it had been the one captured by Mr. Rosenthal. Mr. Bradley declined to participate in the documentary, according to Mr. Morgan.

Mr. Bradley, who did not return an email seeking comment, said in May that he had become convinced of this in 2014, after reading an article in The Omaha World-Herald that told how amateur historians had discovered the incorrect identifications. But he said that it took him a year to examine the evidence in the article because he had been working on a book in Vietnam, and then had become ill.

Days after the photograph was taken in 1945, Mr. Schultz sustained wounds to his arm and stomach, and he was sent home. Several months later, Mr. Schultz, who was originally from Michigan, was discharged from the Marines.

The federal government helped him get a job in Los Angeles as a mail sorter for the Postal Service. He was single until age 60, when he married Ms. MacDowell’s mother, who lived next door in his apartment building and shared a porch. But he never moved in with her and rarely discussed his time in the military, according to Ms. MacDowell.

Why Mr. Schultz apparently never disclosed that he was in the famous picture remains a mystery.

Many Marines who had fought on Iwo Jima suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, but little was known about the condition at the time.

To cope, many Marines simply never talked about their military experience.

One of the other men pictured in the flag-raising, Ira Hayes, had asked men in his unit not to identify him as being in the photograph, but they could not keep it secret.

“I think Hayes and Schultz believed that if they were identified as flag raisers, not a day would go by without them being reminded of combat and being on Iwo Jima,” Dr. Neimeyer said.

On Wednesday, General Neller called Ms. MacDowell to tell her of the findings about her stepfather.

“I’m delighted he has gotten the recognition, but I wish it happened when he was alive,” she said afterward. “He was a kind and gentle man.”

General Neller said in a written statement that “although the Rosenthal image is iconic and significant, to Marines it’s not about the individuals and never has been.”

He added: “Simply stated, our fighting spirit is captured in that frame, and it remains a symbol of the tremendous accomplishments of our corps — what they did together and what they represent remains most important. That doesn’t change.”

The Marines will now alter any places where they refer to the flag raisers, substituting Mr. Schultz’s name for Mr. Bradley.

 

 

 


THINGS TO CHECK OUT

DISCLAIMER:  
TO ALL MY VETERAN HEROES, I POSTED THE FOLLOWING LINKS FREE OF CHARGE TO HELP YOU,
IF YOU FIND
ANY OF THE FOLLOWING LINKS  DO NOT BENEFIT THE VETERANS,
PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I WILL REMOVE THEM.

 


Financial Resources for Veterans and Military Families
CLICK HERE: https://www.madisontrust.com/client-resources/articles/financial-resources-for-veterans-and-military-families/

 


All About Military Wreaths and Veteran Support
CLICK HERE:
https://www.avasflowers.net/all-about-military-wreaths-and-veteran-support

 

Looking for inspiration for your next movie night?
CLICK HERE: https://octaneseating.com/blog/movies-for-vets/

 


Military Service Badges and Pins: Insignia History
CLICK HERE: https://wizardpins.com/blogs/education/military-insignia-history
NOTE: This was posted for Amelia, keep Reading up on History.
(This is posted for the Historical information on this site, and not indorsing any products) 

 

Important Facts About Veterans and Mesothelioma
CLICK HERE: https://www.mesotheliomaguide.com/veterans/

 

                       UNDERSTANDING PTSD AND THE EFFECTS ON SLEEP

               CLICK HERE: https://www.onlinemattressreview.com/understanding-ptsd-and-the-effects-on-sleep/
 

 

CLICK HERE: https://www.bcbhlaw.com/veterans-asbestos/

 

CLICK HERE: https://couponfollow.com/military

 

CLICK HERE: https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/48765/va-accredited-claims-agent-discusses-mesothelioma-claims-world-class-va-care/

 

 

What Veterans Should Know About Sleep       

CLICK HERE: https://www.mattressclarity.com/blog/what-veterans-should-know-about-sleep/

(Thanks Ava, Keep up the Great Work Helping Veterans)

 

 

CLICK HERE: https://www.militarycoinsusa.com/blog/understanding-ptsd-in-military-veterans

UNDERSTANDING PTSD IN MILITARY VETERANS

 

 

Continuing Education Resources for Veterans
CLICK HERE: http://www.accreditedonlinecolleges.org/resources/veteran-continuing-ed/

 

 

CLICK HERE: https://online.maryville.edu/online-bachelors-degrees/psychology/understanding-a-veteran-with-ptsd/

 



CLICK HERE: http://www.anysoldier.com

 

 


    
 



Let every nation know,
whether it wishes us well or ill,
that we shall pay any price,
bear any burden,
meet any hardship,
support any friend,
oppose any foe,
to assure the survival and the success of liberty.

John F. Kennedy

 



Veterans Day 

Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1918. Its purpose: to commemorate the end of World War I. First proclaimed by Congress in 1926, and each year thereafter, Armistice Day became “Veterans Day” in 1954 as a result of legislation signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The name was changed to honor all who served the nation in wars or conflicts. Veterans Day has been observed annually on this date since 1978, except for a brief period when it was celebrated on the fourth Monday of October.




 


    "NEWLY FALLEN HEROES

 

 


                       MICHIGAN'S FALLEN HEROES 
 

 

236 4-Aug-16

Lt. Col. Flando E. Jackson, 45, 

Lansing
  11-Oct-15

Master Sgt. Gregory T. Kuhse, 38,

Kalamazoo
  16-Mar-15 Marine S. Sgt. Andrew C. Seif, 26 Holland
  16-Mar-15 Marine S. Sgt. Trevor P. Blaylock, 29 Lake Orion
  16-Mar-15 Marine S. Sgt. Marcus 'Marc' S. Bawol, 26 Warren
  14-Nov-14

Sgt. 1st Class Michael A. Cathcart, 31

Bay City
  20-Jan-13

Sgt. Mark H. Schoonhoven, 38

Plainwell
  28-Aug-12

Pfc. Shane W. Cantu, 20

Corunna
  16-Aug-12

Petty Officer 2nd Class David J. Warsen, 27

Kentwood
  1-Aug-12

1st Lt. Todd W. Lambka, 25

Fraser
  1-Aug-12

Spc. Kyle B. McClain, 25

Rochester Hills
  29-Jul-12

Gunnery Sgt. Daniel J. Price, 27

Holland
  24-Jul-12

Sgt. Justin M. Hansen, 26

Traverse City
  26-Jun-12

Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Leach, 29

Ferndale
  14-Jun-12

Sgt. Joseph M. Lilly, 25

Flint
  5-Jan-12

Tech. Sgt. Matthew S. Schwartz, 34

Traverse City
  30-Nov-11

Staff Sgt. Vincent J. Bell, 28

Detroit
  21-Nov-11

Pvt. Jackie L. Diener II, 20

Boyne City
  8-Oct-11

Capt. Drew E. Russell, 25

Scotts
  28-Sep-11

Staff Sgt. Nicholas A. Sprovtsoff, 28

Davison
  18-Sep-11

Spc. Chazray C. Clark, 24

Ecorse
  14-Aug-11

Spc. Joseph A. VanDreumel, 32

Grand Rapids
  6-Aug-11

(SEAL) Heath M. Robinson, 34

Detroit
  12-Jul-11

Seaman Aaron D. Ullom, 20

Midland
  5-Jul-11

Staff Sgt. Joshua A. Throckmorton, 28

Battle Creek 
  18-Jun-11

Pfc. Brian J. Backus, 21

Saginaw Township
  4-Jun-11

Pfc. Robert L. Voakes Jr., 21

L'Anse
  23-May-11

Pvt. Thomas C. Allers, 23

Plainwell
  29-Apr-11

Pfc. Robert M. Friese, 21

Chesterfield
  24-Apr-11

Sgt. David P. Day, 26

Gaylord
  23-Apr-11

Lance Cpl. Dominic J. Ciaramitaro, 19

South Lyon
  6-Apr-11

Seaman Benjamin D. Rast, 23

Niles
  27-Feb-11

Sgt. Kristopher J. Gould, 25

Saginaw
  14-Nov-10

Spc. Shane H. Ahmed, 31

Chesterfield
  6-Nov-10

Pfc. Shane M. Reifert, 23

Cottrellville
  4-Oct-10

Spc. Joseph T. Prentler, 20

Fenwick
  1-Oct-10

Sgt. Anthony D. Matteoni, 22

Union City
  17-Sep-10

Spc. Deangelo B. Snow, 22

Saginaw
  15-Sep-10

Senior Airman James A. Hansen, 25

Athens
  8-Aug-10

Pfc. Bradley D. Rappuhn, 24

Grand Ledge
  8-Aug-10

Sgt. Andrew C. Nicol, 23

Eaton
  19-Jul-10

Cpl. Paul J. Miller, 22,

Traverse City
  25-Jun-10

Cpl. Daane A. Deboer, 24

Ludington
  16-Jun-10

Spc. Joseph D. Johnson, 24

Flint
16-Jun-10

Cpl. Jeffrey R. Standfest, 23

St. Clair
  9-Jun-10

1st Lt. Joel C. Gentz, 25

Grass Lake
  30-May-10

Lance Cpl. Anthony A. Dilisio, 20

Macomb
  17-Apr-10

Sgt. Michael K. Ingram Jr., 23

Monroe
  16-Mar-10

Staff Sgt. Richard J. Jordan, 29

Harrison Township
  13-Feb-10

Cpl. Jacob H. Turbett, 21

Canton
  5-Feb-10

Sgt. Dillon B. Foxx, 22

Traverse City
  13-Jan-10

Sgt. Lucas T. Beachnaw, 23,

Lowell
  8-Dec-09

Sgt. Ralph Anthony Webb Frietas, 23

Detroit
  19-Nov-09

Sgt. Daniel Frazier, 25

St. Joseph
  25-Oct-09

Spc. Brandon K. Steffey, 23

Sault Sainte Marie
  3-Oct-09

Spc. Christopher T. Griffin, 24

Kincheloe
  1-Oct-09

Spc.. Paul E. Andersen, 49

Dowagiac
  3-Sep-09

P. Officer 3rd C. Benjamin P. Castiglione, 21

Howell
  29-Aug-09

Pfc. Eric W. Hario, 19

Monroe
  16-Aug-09

Cpl. Nicholas R. Roush, 22

Middleville
  28-Jun-09

Sgt. Timothy A. David, 28

Gladwin
  24-Dec-08 Staff Sgt. Christopher G. Smith, 28 Grand Rapids
  24-Dec-08 Spc. Stephen M. Okray, 21 St. Clair Shores
 

5-Nov-08

Spc. Adam M. Wenger, 27 Waterford
  12-Sep-08

Senior Chief Petty Officer John W. Marcum, 34,

Flushing

  12-Sep-08

Chief Petty Officer Jason R. Freiwald, 30

Armada

 

4-Sep-08

Pfc. Bryan R. Thomas, 22

Battle Creek

 

2-Sep-08

Sgt. 1st. Class Gregory A. Rodriguez, 35

Weidman

 

16-Aug-08

Staff Sgt. Kristopher D. Rodgers, 29

Sturgis

 

9-Jul-08

Spec. Byron W. Fouty, 20 (pow/mia)

Walled Lake

 

9-Jul-08

Sgt. 1st Class Steven J. Chevalier, 35

Flint

 

26-Jun-08

Sgt. 1st. Class Matthew L. Hilton, 37

Livonia

 

18-Jun-08

Navy P.O. 1st. Class Ross L. Toles III, 37

Davision

 

23-Apr-08

Pfc. John t. Bishop, 22

Gaylord

 

19-Mar-08

Pfc. Antione V. Robinson, 20

Detroit

 

17-Mar-08

Staff Sgt. Michael D. Elledge, 41 Dexter
  25-Dec-07  

Grosse Pointe Farms

 

Sgt. Peter C. Neesley, 28

 

13-Nov-07

Pfc. Casey P. Mason, 22

Lake

  10-Nov-07 Pfc. Joseph M. Lancour, 21 Swartz Creek
  9-Nov-07 Sgt. Phillip A. Bocks, 28  Troy
 

11-Oct-07

Staff Sgt. Donald L. Munn II, 25 Saint Clairs Shores
    Sgt. Robbie J. Phillips  Onoway 
 

23-Sep-07

Sgt. 1st Class Matthew D. Blaskowski, 27

Levering

 

30-Aug-07

Sgt. 1st Class Daniel E. Scheibner, 40

Muskegon

 

28-Aug-07

Sgt. James S. Collins Jr.,35

Rochester Hills

  19-Aug-07

Sgt. Justin D. Wisniewski, 22, 

Standish
  17-Aug-07

1st Lt. Jonathan W. Edds, 24

White Pigeon
 

14-Aug-07

Ch. War. Off. Christopher C. Johnson, 31

Michigan

 

11-Aug-07

Pfc Jordan E. Goode, 21

Kalamazoo

 

31-Jul-07

Pfc. Charles T. Heinlein Jr., 23

Hemlock

 

 14-Jul-07

Sgt. Christopher D. Kube, 18

Sterling Heights

 

13-Jul-07

Sgt. Allen A. Greka, 29

Alpena

 

5-Jul-07

Pfc. Joseph A. Miracle, 22

Ortonville

  6-Jun-07 Sgt. Matthew Soper, 25 Kalamazoo
  6-Jun-07 Pfc. Shawn D. Gajdos, 25 Grand Rapids
 

3-Jun-07

Pfc. Joshua D, Brown

Troy

 

25-May-07

Pfc. Casey P. Zylman, 22

Coleman

 

19-May-07

Sgt. Justin D. Wisniewski, 22

Standish 

 

14-May-07

Sgt. Thomas G. Wright, 38

Holly

 

12-May-07

Pfc. Daniel W. Courneya, 19

Nashville 

 

23-Apr-07

Army Private First Class Garrett C. Knoll 

Bad Axe 

 

8-Apr-07

Sgt. Todd A. Singleton, 24

Muskegon

 

7-Apr-07

Spc. Levi K. Hoover, 23

Midland

 

6-Apr-07

PO2 Joseph C. Schwedler, 27 Crystal Falls
 

17-Mar-07

Pfc. William N. Davis, 26

Grand Rapids

 

15-Mar-07

Pfc. James L. Arnold, 21

Mattawan
 

28-Feb-07

Pfc. Bufford K. Van Slyke, 22

Bay City

 

19-Feb-07

Pfc. Brett A. Witteveen, 20

Shelby

 

17-Feb-07

Pfc. Justin T. Paton, 24

Alanson

 

7-Feb-07

Pfc. Tarryl B. Hill, 19

Shelby Township

 

25-Jan-07

Cpl. Mark D. Kidd, 26

Milford

 

22-Jan-07

Spc. Brandon L. Stout, 23 

Grand Rapids 

 

20-Jan-07

Lance Cpl. Luis J. Castillo, 20

Lawton 

 

31-Dec-06

PFC Alan Robert Blohm, 21

KawKawlin

 

28-Dec-06

Lance Cpl. Nicholas A. Miller, 20

Silverwood 

 

28-Dec-06

Cpl. Christopher E. Esckelson, 22

Vassar 

 

27-Dec-06

Sgt. Christopher P. Messer, 28

Petersburg

 

25-Dec-05


Pfc. Andrew H. Nelson, 19

Saint Johns

 

23-Dec-06

Pvt. Bobby Mejia II

Saginaw

 

23-Dec-06

Pfc. Wilson A. Algrim, 21

Howell

 

23-Dec-06

Spc. Chad J. Vollmer, 24

Grand Rapids

 

23-Dec-06

Sgt. Curtis L. Norris, 28

Dansville 

 

21-Dec-06

Lance Cpl. Ryan J. Burgess, 21

Sanford

 

19-Dec-06

Spc. Andrew P. Daul, 21

Brighton

 

7-Dec-06

Lance Cpl. Brent E. Beeler, 22

Jackson

 

3-Dec-06

Maj. Joseph T. McCloud, 39

Grosse Pointe Park

 

23-Nov-06

Sgt. 1st Class James D. Priestap, 39

 Harwood

 

18-Nov-06

Spc. Bradley N. Shilling, 22

 Stanwood

 

11-Nov-06

Staff Sgt. William S. Jackson II, 29

Saginaw

 

9-Nov-06

Staff Sgt. Gregory W. G. McCoy, 26

Webberville

 

9-Nov-06

Sgt. Bryan K. Burgess, 35

Garden City

  1-Nov-06 Cpl. Gary A. Koehler, 21 Ypsilanti
  1-Nov-06 Lance Cpl. Minhee Kim, 20 Ann Arbor
  29-Oct-06 Lance Cpl. Troy D. Nealey, 24 Eaton Rapids
  21-Oct-06 Lance Cpl. Nicholas J. Manoukian, 22 Lathrup Village
  21-Oct-06 Lance Cpl. Clifford R. Collinsworth, 20 Chelsea
  1-Oct-06 Capt. Justin D. Peterson, 32 Davisburg
  11-Sep-06 Sgt. Jeremy E. DePottey, 26 Ironwood
  2-Sep-06 Sgt. Ralph N. Porras, 36 Merrill
  30-Aug-06 Staff Sgt. Eugene H.E. Alex, 32 Bay City
  22-Aug-06 Chief Petty Officer Paul J. Darga, 34 Lansing
  20-Aug-06 Sgt. Gabriel G. DeRoo, 25 Paw Paw
  17-Aug-06 Army Private Joseph R. Blake,34 Livonia
  9-Aug-06 1st. Sgt. Aaron D. Jagger, 43 Hillsdale
  17-Jul-06 Army Staff Sergeant Michael Dickinson II Battle Creek
  24-Jul-06 Spc. Dennis K. Samson Jr Hesperia
  8-Jul-06 Army Sergeant Al’kaila T. Floyd Grand Rapids
  7-Jul-06 Sgt. Duane J. Dreasky, 31 Novi
  8-Jul-06 Spc. Joseph P. Micks, 22 Rapid River
  26-Jun-06 Staff Sgt. Raymond J. Plouhar, 30 Lake Orion
  20-Jun-06 Lance Cpl. Brandon J. Webb, 20 Swartz Creek
  31-May-06 Army Corporal Alexander J. Kolasa White Lake
  31-May-06 Army Specialist Brock L. Bucklin Caledonia
  25-Apr-06 Army Sergeant 1st Class Richard J. Herrema Hudsonville
  27-Apr-06 Sgt. Matthew A. Webber, 23 Kalamazoo
  13-Apr-06 Spc. Andrew K. Waits, 23 Waterford
  16-Mar-06 Army Corporal Nyle Yates III Lake Odessa
  1-Mar-06 Sgt. Joshua V. Youmans, 26 Flushing
  22-Feb-06 Staff Sgt. Curtis T. Howard II, 32 Ann Arbor
  22-Feb-06 Pfc. Allan A. Morr, 21 Byron
  9-Feb-06 Marine Corporal Ross A. Smith Wyoming
  2-Feb-06 Spc. Walter B. Howard, II, 35 Rochester 
  7-Jan-06 Marine Lance Corporal Jason T. Little,20 Climax
  26-Dec-05 Spc. Dane O. Carver, 20, Freeport
  25-Dec-05
Spc. Anthony O. Cardinal, 20
Muskegon
  11-Dec-05 Marine Corporal David W. Smith Garden City
  8-Dec-05 Sgt. Spencer C. Akers Traverse City
  1-Dec-05 Lance Cpl. Craig N. Watson, 21 Union City 
  1-Dec-05 Lance Cpl. David A. Huhn, 24, Portland 
  21-Nov-05 Pfc. John W. Dearing, 21, Hazel Park 
  14-Nov-05 Master Sgt. Anthony R. C. Yost Flint
  7-Nov-05 Army First Lieutenant Justin S. Smith Lansing
  4-Nov-05 Army Specialist Timothy D. Brown  Cedar Springs
  2-Nov-05 Major Gerald M. Bloomfield  Ypsilanti
  30-Oct-05 Marine Sergeant Michael P. Hodshire  North Adams
  26-Oct-05 Army Staff Sergeant Lewis J. Gentry Detroit
  15-Oct-05 Army Staff Sergeant Vincent E. Summers  South Haven
  7-Oct-05 Private First Class Nicholas J. Greer Monroe
  6-Oct-05 Marine Corp. Nicholas O. Cherava Ontonagon
  31-Aug-05 Capt. Lowell T. Miller, II, 35 Flint 
  30-Aug-05 Army Major Gregory Fester Ada
  21-Aug-05 Staff Sgt. Brian L. Morris, 38 Centreville
  18-Aug-05 Army Spc. Brian K. Derks White Cloud
  5-Aug-05 Army Apc. Adrian J. Butler East Lansing
  16-Jun-05 Marine Lance Corporal Andrew J. Kilpela Fowlerville 
  15-Jun-05 Army Specialist Eric T. Burri  Wyoming
  7-Jun-05 Army Sergeant Charles A. Drier Tuscola
  1-Jun-05 Army Specialist Joshua T. Brazee  Sand Creek
  31-May-05 Army Sergeant Brad A. Wentz  Gladwin
  9-May-05 Army Captain Stephen Frank Haslett
  21-Apr-05 Marine Corporal Michael B. Lindemuth Pellston 
  16-Apr-05 Spec. Randy L. Stevens Swartz Creek
  22-Mar-05 Staff Sgt. Ricky A. Kieffer Ovid
  14-Mar-05 Army Captain Sean Grimes Bloomfield Hills
  25-Feb-05 1st Lieutenant Adam Malson Rochester Hills
  2-Feb-05 Lance Corporal Allan Klein  Clinton Township
  29-Jan-05 Lt. Cmdr. Edward E. Jack Detroit
  28-Dec-04 Staff Sgt. Jason A. Lehto Mount Clemens
  13-Dec-04 Marine Corporal In C. Kim  Warren
  25-Nov-04 Cpl. Gentian Marku Warren
  24-Nov-04 Lance Corporal Michael W. Hanks Gregory
  19-Nov-04 Lance Corporal Justin M. Ellsworth  Mount Pleasant.
  18-Nov-04 Pfc. Dennis Miller Jr. LaSalle
  17-Nov-04 Lance Corporal Justin D. (J.D.) Reppuhn  Hemlock
  20-Oct-04 Pfc. Mark Barbret  Shelby Township
  24-Aug-04 Staff Sgt. Donald N. Davis Saginaw
  12-Aug-04 Spc. Donald R. McCune II Ypsilanti
  27-Jul-04 Pfc. Nicholas "Nick" Blodgett  Wyoming
  23-Jul-04 Sgt. 1st Class David A. Hartman Akron.
  22-Jul-04 Spec. Craig Stuart Frank Lincoln Park
  4-Jun-04 Sgt. Aaron Elandt Port Hope
  1-Jun-04 Pfc. Richard Rosas St. Louis
  21-Apr-04 Spec. Richard Trevithick  Gaines 
  31-Jan-04 Pfc. Holly J. McGeogh Taylor
  7-Jan-04 Staff Sgt. Stephen C. Hattamer Gwinn
  25-Dec-03
Staff Sgt. Thomas W. Christens
Atlantic Mine
  11-Dec-03 Pfc. Jason G. Wright Luzerne
  23-Nov-03 Tech. Sgt. Howard A. Walters Port Huron
  22-Nov-03 Pfc. Damian S. Bushart, 22 Waterford
  8-Nov-03 Staff Sgt. Mark D. Vasquez Port Huron
  24-Oct-03 Spec. Artimus D. Brassfield Flint
  20-Oct-03 Staff Sgt. Paul J. Johnson Calumet
  13-Oct-03 Spec. Donald L. Wheeler Concord,
  14-Sep-03 Sgt. Trevor A. Blumberg Canton
  13-Jul-03 Capt. Paul J. Cassidy Laingsburg
  26-May-03 Staff Sgt. Brett J. Petriken Flint
  3-May-03 Sgt. Sean C. Reynolds East Lansing
  14-Apr-03 Spec. Richard A. Goward Midland
  8-Apr-03 Pfc. Jason M. Meyer Swartz Creek
  8-Apr-03 Staff Sgt. Scott D. Sather Clio
  3-Apr-03 Sgt. Todd J. Robbins Pentwater,
  2-Apr-03 Sgt. Michael F. Pedersen Flint
  26-Mar-03 Maj. Kevin G. Nave Union Lake
  23-Mar-03 Senior Airman Jason Plite Lansing
  2-Oct-02 Sgt. 1st Class Mark Wayne Jackson Glennie

    1

10-Oct-01

   Operation Enduring Freedom 1st. death

Solon, Maine

 

 


 


Faith is not believing that God can. 
It is knowing that God will.

By Ben Stein




We truly take a lot for granted.
Forget about the Hollywood "stars" and the sports "heroes"...
"Think about the Real Heroes"
 
 

 
 
"No, freedom isn't free."

I watched the flag pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze.

A young Marine saluted it,
And then he stood at ease..

I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil
How many mothers' tears?

How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of Taps one night,
When everything was still,
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.

I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant "Amen,"
When a flag! had draped a coffin.
Of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.

I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea

Of unmarked graves in Arlington.

No, freedom isn't free.

 

 
 
 


Welcome to the Survivor Benefits Home Page.

The Department of Veterans Affairs recently activated a new website aimed directly at surviving spouses of military members who died on active duty and surviving spouses of veterans who died after serving their country. 
Click Here: http://www.vba.va.gov/survivors


 

 

"GREAT INFORMATIONAL SITES"

P.O.W. NETWORK SITE
http://www.pownetwork.org/

 

 

 



 "THE FINAL INSPECTION"
    
The soldier stood and faced God,
 Which must always come to pass.
 He hoped his shoes were shining,
 Just as brightly as his brass.
 
 
"Step forward now, you soldier,
 How shall I deal with you?
 Have you always turned the other cheek?
 To My Church have you been true?"
 
 
The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
 "No, Lord, I guess I ain't.
 Because those of us who carry guns,
 Can't always be a saint.
 
 I've had to work most Sundays,
 And at times my talk was tough.
 And sometimes I've been violent,
 Because the world is awfully rough.
 
 But, I never took a penny,
 That wasn't mine to keep...
 Though I worked a lot of overtime,
 When the bills got just too steep.
    
 And I never passed a cry for help,
 Though at times I shook with fear.
 And sometimes, God, forgive me,
 I've wept unmanly tears.
 
 I know I don't deserve a place,
 Among the people here.
 They never wanted me around,
 Except to calm their fears.
 
 If you've a place for me here, Lord,
 It needn't be so grand.
 I never expected or had too much,
 But if you don't, I'll understand."
 
 There was a silence all around the throne,
 Where the saints had often trod.
 As the soldier waited quietly,
 For the judgment of his God.
 
 "Step forward now, you soldier,
 You've borne your burdens well.
 Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
 You've done your time in Hell."

    
 
~Author Unknown~

 

 

 

"This Mask We Wear"

Look under the mask we soldiers wear,
look under the mask if you dare.
Look under the mask and see behind,
Or are you scared of what you'll find.

We are not beasts nor men of war,
we do not wait to hear deaths door.
We do not relish the death we see,
we only fight by your decree.

You condemn us all as if you knew,
you say your words without a clue.
You dare not look into our eyes,
dying daily under scorching skies.

We serve and watch our brother's fall,
but hear the names you give us all.
Please take a moment look and see,
our fears, our terror, our misery.

We are not heroes from comic books,
we're not all handsome blessed with looks.
We are not fearless men of war,
but merely reapers by deaths door.

You sent us here or so it seems,
and expect our hands to stay so clean.
But in this place we see such sights,
which make your sons change overnight.

You hear of a child just last night killed,
and the fathers heart with hatred filled.
You say god bless please don't feel shame,
if I were he I'd feel the same.

But in our case you blame us quick,
no thought of what has made us sick.
It was not daughter, son or kin,
but one of our brothers our brethren.

We really are a band of brothers,
our mates beside us from one mother.
She guides us through both day and night,
and if we're lucky past the fire fight.

And when a son of hers doth die,
in writhing agony screaming why.
His brothers gathered by his side,
we hold his hand and watch him die.

You have to know just how this felt,
my brother a boy (God how I wept).
He squeezed my hand and kissed it too,
and begged for me to pull him through.

I lied of course and told him sure",
I lied because there was no cure.
I lied to let him die in peace,
I lied to make his pleading cease.

We watched him crying, spewing blood,
we watched him twitching soaked in mud.
We held him tight to let him know,
his brothers were with him time to go.

To go through this but not just then,
but time and time more boys again.
You tend to lose the human code,
and mutate into killing mode.

Are we still human I hear you ask,
it changes daily from task to task.
But picture now what we go through,
now ask yourself the truth, could you?

I am not here to change the bad,
what some do in war is more than sad.
But try to imagine the awful facts,
you can't get close, thank God for that.

Your little boy who went to war,
your little baby to foreign shores.
Please understand we still are here,
but look past our sin and see our tears.

We've seen such horrors done to mates,
we've lain and wept till sleep us takes.
Our nightly dreams of things gone past,
bodies of others torn by blasts.

So when you condemn our brothers now,
Remember please this poem and how -
We've paid for war with blood and sin,
please don't make us pay again.

But if you want to hound us down,
bring us to justice before the crown.
Bear this in mind before you do,
what would you have done if we were you?

I'd not have done it I hear you shout,
they signed the line let's throw them out!
God help you sleep at peace tonight,
and pray you never have to fight.

To close this poem I admit the shame,
the guilt of sin this weight of pain.
I'll live with this my whole life through,
give thanks to God it was not you.

Like soldiers gone in wars before -adieu.

The Sandman

2574-05410-98215
(thanks for the info)


 

Paul Harvey says:

I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue 
somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December. I 
don't agree with Darwin , but I didn't go out and hire a
lawyer when my high school teacher taught his theory 
of evolution.

Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be 
endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer 
before a football game. 

So what's the big deal? It's not like somebody is up there
reading the entire book of Acts. They're just talking to a 
God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the 
players on the field and the fans going home from the game. 

"But it's a Christian prayer," some will argue. 

Yes, and this is the United States of America , a country
own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others
better than 200-to-1. So what would you expect-somebody
chanting Hare Krishna?

If I went to a football game in Jerusalem
I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer. 

If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad
I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer.

If I went to a ping pong match in China
I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha.
And I wouldn't be offended.
It wouldn't bother me one bit. 
When in Rome

"But what about the atheists?" is another argument.
What about them?
Nobody is asking them to be baptized. We're not going to 
pass the collection plate. Just humor us for 30 seconds. If 
that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of ear
plugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand. 
Call your lawyer! 

Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One or
two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do. 
I don't think a short prayer at a football game is
going to shake the world's foundations.
Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other 
cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights. Our 
parents and grandparents taught us to pray before 
eating; to pray before we go to sleep. 

Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Now a 
handful of people and their lawyers are telling us 
to cease praying.

God, help us.

And if that last sentence offends you, 
well ... 

The silent majority has been silent too long. It's time we 
let that one or two who scream loud enough to be heard 
.... that the vast majority don't care what they want. It 
is time the majority rules! It's time we tell them, you don't
have to pray; you don't have to say the pledge of allegiance;
you don't have to believe in God or attend services that 
honor Him. That is your right, and we will honor your 
right. But by golly, you are no longer going to take our
rights away. We are fighting back ... 
WILL WIN!

God bless us one and all ... especially those who denounce
Him. God bless America, despite all her faults. She is still 
the greatest nation of all. 


God bless our service men who are fighting to protect 
our right to pray and worship God.


 





"Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they
protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they
perform for us in our time of need. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our
Lord and Savior. Amen."

 


   

 

 

 

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