Our Fallen Heroes of January 2010

Army Pfc. Scott G. Barnett

January 28, 2010
24, of Concord, Calif.; assigned to the 412th Aviation Support Battalion, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, Katterbach, Germany; died Jan. 28 in Tallil, Iraq, of injuries... [Read More]

Army Sgt. Carlos E. Gill

January 26, 2010
25, of Fayetteville, N.C.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Jan. ... [Read More]

Marine Sgt. David J. Smith

January 26, 2010
25, of Frederick, Md.; assigned to 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died J... [Read More]

Marine Lance Cpl. Zachary D. Smith

January 24, 2010
19, of Hornell, N.Y.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Jan. 24 while suppo... [Read More]

Marine Lance Cpl. Timothy J. Poole

January 24, 2010
22, of Bowling Green, Ky.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; died Jan. 24 whil... [Read More]

Marine Sgt. Daniel M. Angus

January 24, 2010
28, of Thonotosassa, Fla.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Jan. 24 while ... [Read More]

Marine Lance Cpl. Jeremy M. Kane

January 23, 2010
22, of Towson, Md.; assigned to 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Jan.... [Read More]

Navy Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Xin Qi

January 23, 2010
25, of Cordova, Tenn.; assigned to Fourth Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan; died Jan. 23, while supporting combat oper... [Read More]

Army Staff Sgt. Thaddeus S. Montgomery

January 20, 2010
29, of West Yellowstone, Mont.; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Jan. 20 at... [Read More]

Army Pfc. Gifford E. Hurt

January 20, 2010
19, of Yonkers, N.Y.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment, 214th Fires Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Sill, Okla.; died Jan. 20, in Mos... [Read More]

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam K. Ginett

January 19, 2010
29, of Knightdale, N.C.; assigned to the 31st Civil Engineer Squadron, Aviano Air Base, Italy; died Jan. 19 near Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered f... [Read More]

Army Capt. Paul W. Pena

January 19, 2010
27, of San Marcos, Texas; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Jan. 1... [Read More]

Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael P. Shannon

January 17, 2010
52, of Canadensis, Pa.; assigned to Headquarters, 7th Army and U.S. Army Europe, Heidelberg, Germany; died Jan. 17 in Kabul, Afghanistan, of a heart attack.* * ... [Read More]

Army Spc. Robert Donevski

January 16, 2010
19, of Sun City, Ariz.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Jan. 16 in Aba... [Read More]

Marine Sgt. Christopher R. Hrbek

January 14, 2010
25, of Westwood, N.J; assigned to 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Jan. 14 while supp... [Read More]

Army Staff Sgt. Daniel D. Merriweather

January 13, 2010
25, of Collierville Tenn.; assigned to the 118th Military Police Company (Airborne), 503rd Military Police Battalion (Airborne), 16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne), ... [Read More]

Army Pfc. Geoffrey A. Whitsitt

January 13, 2010
21, of Taylors, S.C.; assigned to the 118th Military Police Company (Airborne), 503rd Military Police Battalion (Airborne), 16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne), Fort ... [Read More]

Army Sgt. Lucas T. Beachnaw

January 13, 2010
23, of Lowell, Mich.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Camp Ederle, Italy; died Jan. 13 in Darya Ya, Afghan... [Read More]

Army Spc. Kyle J. Wright

January 13, 2010
22, of Romeoville, Ill.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Jan. 13... [Read More]

Marine Cpl. Jamie R. Lowe

January 11, 2010
21, of Johnsonville, Ill.; assigned to the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan; died Jan. 11 while suppo... [Read More]

Marine Cpl. Nicholas K. Uzenski

January 11, 2010
21, of Tomball, Texas; assigned to the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan; died Jan. 11 while supportin... [Read More]

Marine Staff Sgt. Matthew N. Ingham

January 11, 2010
25, of Altoona, Pa.; assigned to 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan; died Jan. 11 while supporting comb... [Read More]

Marine Lance Cpl. Jacob A. Meinert

January 10, 2010
20, of Fort Atkinson, Wis.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; died Jan. 10 while suppo... [Read More]

Marine Lance Cpl. Mark D. Juarez

January 09, 2010
23, of San Antonio; assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; died Jan. 9 while supporting com... [Read More]

Army Sgt. 1st Class Jason O. B. Hickman

January 07, 2010
35, of Kingsport, Tenn.; assigned to the Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska; died Jan... [Read More]

Army Pfc. Michael R. Jarrett

January 06, 2010
20, of North Platte, Neb.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, Illesheim, Germany; died Jan. 6 in Balad, Iraq, of in... [Read More]

Army Spc. David A. Croft Jr.

January 05, 2010
22, of Plant City, Fla.; assigned to the 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Jan. 5 in Baghdad o... [Read More]

Army Spc. Brian R. Bowman

January 03, 2010
24, of Crawfordsville, Ind.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Jan. 3 in... [Read More]

Army Pvt. John P. Dion

January 03, 2010
19, of Shattuck, Okla.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Jan. 3 in Asho... [Read More]

Army Sgt. Joshua A. Lengstorf

January 03, 2010
24, of Yoncalla, Ore.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Jan. 3 in Ashoq... [Read More]

Air Force Senior Airman Bradley R. Smith

January 03, 2010
24, of Troy, Ill.; assigned to the 10th Air Support Operations Squadron, Fort Riley, Kan.; died Jan. 3 near Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained while ... [Read More]

Army Spc. Brushaun X. Anderson

January 01, 2010
20, of Columbus, Ga.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died J... [Read More]


As always ; my heart is heavy and as I am adding these fine young men and women , tears are running down my cheecks . I feel so bad for the Families and children of this brave young Warriors ! I keep them in my prayers

The Big Easy is going to the Superbowl

It was a great Football game between the Vikings and the Saints this past Sunday .
We were on pins and needles ( and still are ) and the Super dome was filled with thousands of people that inspired our Team !
Saints Fans waited 43 Years for this ! Needless to say : The French Quarters looked like Mardi Gras ! Wall to wall people !
We are the Champions ! And New Orleans lit firecrackers and partied all night !
It is wonderful to watch people laughing crying and hugging each other , no matter who they where There were no STRANGERS on Bourbon Street ! To see the Happiness in peoples faces , is just delightful . What a great bunch of People , that lifted themselves up , after Katrina , the worst Disaster in American History , and now finally going to the Superbowl . It was almost magical .

We don't just have a great team , we have players that have heart ! They are involved with rebuilding New Orleans and we are so proud of them ! They played their hearts out ! And they are giving so much of themselves to our City ! We love our Saints and people feel good , for the first time in 5 Years ! Katrina robbed many of us , unmerciful , it was very dramatic and People of New Orleans and the whole Gulf Coast have suffered so much since August 29th of 2005 .
But we are stronger now and the Win of the Saints against the Vikings was such a lift from our
" down in the dumps " Depression and sadness !
THANK YOU SAINTS AND GOD BLESS YOU BOYS ! YOU GAVE US THE BEST PRESENT EVER !

Terroristic Attacks on America

So, on Christmas Eve some Nigerien Nut tried to blow one of our Planes up ! Thanks to some alert Passengers they comprehended this weirdo and nothing happened . Come to find out ; he was on a watch list ! But not on the no Fly List ! What is wrong with these Suicide Bombers anyway ? Did their Mother not hold them enough ?
How can you live in this Country get educated and kill Americans ?
Now people that have to fly on a regular base , have to wait in line to be searched , scanned and whatever else they want to do to them .
Why can't we just put an end to all these coming and going of people from other Countries ? Just stop people right now from entering our Country ! At least we have some kind of Control over ; people that hate Americans .
And then the Nut who killed 7 FBI Agents ! My God , what is wrong with our World ?
Has Hate and War won ?
I don't think so, as long as we are not getting like them !

What really bothers me is that many thousands of these Suicide Bombers have been to our Universities and our Schools . We gave them student loans and helped them to achieve whatever they wanted to achieve .
I feel like we paid them to educate themselves , so they could later beat us with our own Ignorance .
We are way to nice . And turned the other cheek too many times . It is time that Americans stand's up and start profiling ! I am all for it . If it looks like a Duck , and smells like a Duck........
Well you know the rest .

Happy New Year ! Wow , 2010 already ! Hard to believe that another Years has gone by .
I guess as we get older we realize how short Life really is .
Let me reflect about the last Year :
We lost so many people in the Military , fighting in 2 Wars . The Numbers keep climbing and I could just cry when I think about the Families who had another Christmas without their loved one's
Never before did I get so involved with Soldiers and Veterans ! I guess when you live with a Veteran , you realize the aftermath of a War .
But I ask myself sometimes if other people feel the pain like I do , when another Soldier gave his life to his Country . Military Families have sacrificed so much ! They constantly have to move from one Duty Assignment to the next . And nobody asks them if they like it . Military Life is hard and every Soldier knows how hard !
Personally I think we should get them home ! Because let's face it , we are not going to change anything in the Middle east !
I can't help but think of the Soldiers that give Toys to the Children of Iraq . Since that Muslim Soldier shot 13 people in Fort Hood ; I feel that all they do is being kind to a child that will be raised with hate and bitterness and eventually kills an American !
With all this political correctness ; nobody is honest enough to say : " Let's bomb the hell out of them until we are done ! "
Muslims working on Post ? What the hell is wrong with us ? Are we really this trusting ? Do we hold " Freedom of Religion " above the safety of our Soldiers ? Then something is wrong with us because that Massacre of FT. Hood should have never happened !
This is the way I feel .
Anyway , I wish you all a wonderful New Year !

Losing a Child is the hardest thing to deal with

In a couple of days it is Christmas again !
A time to give and show love ; and a time to reflect on the Year 2009 .

For some reason , I feel sad because I had to make some tough choices this Year !
Sometimes I expect to much from other people and it interferes with my life . I had to let 2 of my best Friends go this year ! In a way it feels like crap but it was necessary . I don't want to waste any time that I have left , with people that are just wasting my time .

I don't want to sound like an ass but I am tired of people that take advantage of me or getting so drunk that it is not fun anymore to be with those people ! Life is too short and I am not willing to be around people that I have nothing in common with .

Back to Christmas ; it will be a small one this Year but a spiritual one
We are still grieving over losing Rhonda ! The 4th of July it will be 5 Years

I think about our Military people who are in harms way and it just makes me sad .
So many Families are celebrating Christmas without their loved ones this year .
And it just brakes my heart how many Soldiers have lost their life's .

I wish everybody a Merry Christmas

Lip service no use to military services

There was an article in the Times on Monday about a new Study showing that the 8 Years of warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan were taking an emotional on the children of Service members and that the difficulties increased the longer parents were deployed .
There is no way that the findings of this study should be a surprise to anyone . It just confirms that the children of those being send into combat are among that tiny percentage of the population
that is unfairly shouldering the entire burden of these Wars.
The Idea that fewer then 1 % of Americans are being called on to fight in Afghanistan and Iraq and that we're sending them into combat again it very and again and again.... for three tours four tours, five tours, six tours - is obscene. All decent people should object.
We already knew that in addition to the many thousands who have been killed or physically wounded , hundreds of thousands have returned with very serious psychological wounds : deep depression, post traumatic Stress Syndrome and so on. Other problems are also widespread alcohol and drug abuse, family strife, homelessness.
The new Study by the RAND Corp.was published in the journal Pediatrics. The Children surveyed were found to have higher levels of emotional difficulties then their peers in the general population .
According to the study :
Older youth and girls of all ages reported significantly more school related difficulties with parental deployment . Length of parental deployment and poorer none deployed caregiver mental health were significantly associated with a greater number of challenges for children , both during deployment and deployed parent reintegration .

The air is filled with obsessive self-satisfied rhetoric about supporting the troops , giving them everything they need and not letting them down . But that rhetoric is as hollow as a jazz man's drum because the overwhelming majority of Americans have no desire at all to share in the sacrifices that the service members and their families are making . Most Americans do not want to serve in the war , do not want to give up their precious time to volunteer work that would aid the nation's warriors and their families do not even want to fork over the taxes that are needed to pay for the War.
To say that this is a national disgrace is to wallow in the shallowest understatement. The Nation will always give Lip- service to support for the Troops but for the most part Americans do not really care about the men and women we so blithely ship of to war and the families they leave behind.
written by Bob Hebert ( The New York Times )

Fallen Heroes of December 2009

December 01, 2009

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Marine Lance Cpl. Jonathan A. Taylor, 22, of Jacksonville, Fla.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Dec. 1 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while supporting combat operations. Army Sgt. Kenneth R. Nichols Jr., 28, of Chrisman, Ill.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Dec. 1 in Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit using small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire. December 05, 2009 Army Sgt. Elijah J. Rao, 26, of Lake Oswego, Ore.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 77th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Dec. 5 in Nuristan, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. December 08, 2009 Marine Cpl. Xhacob Latorre, 21, of Waterbury, Conn.; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Dec. 8 of wounds sustained while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Marine Sgt. Ralph Anthony Webb Frietas, 23, of Detroit, Mich.; assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 172, Marine Wing Support Group 17, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan; died Dec. 8 in Baghdad, Iraq, of unknown causes. December 10, 2009 Army Pvt. Jhanner A. Tello, 29, of Los Angeles; assigned to the 3rd Aviation Support Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Dec. 10 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat-related incident. December 11, 2009 Army Pfc. Jaiciae L. Pauley, 29, of Austell, Ga.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died Dec. 11 in Kirkuk, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat-related incident. December 15, 2009 Air Force Tech. Sgt. Anthony C. Campbell Jr., 35, of Florence, Ky.; assigned to the 932nd Civil Engineer Squadron, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.; died Dec. 15 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from the detonation of an improvised explosive device. December 18, 2009 Army Sgt. Albert D. Ware, 27, of Chicago; assigned to the 782nd Combat Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Dec. 18 in the Arghandab River Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. December 20, 2009 Marine Pfc. Serge Kropov, 21, of Hawley, Pa.; assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif.; died Dec. 20 as a result of a non-hostile incident in Helmand province, Afghanistan. December 22, 2009 Marine Lance Cpl. Omar G. Roebuck, 23, of Moreno Valley, Calif.; assigned to 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Dec. 22, as a result of a noncombat-related incident in Helmand province, Afghanistan. December 25, 2009 Army Staff Sgt. David H. Gutierrez, 35, of San Francisco; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Dec. 25 at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his dismounted patrol with an improvised explosive device in Howz-e Madad. December 26, 2009 Army Spc. Jason M. Johnston, 24, of Albion, N.Y.; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Dec. 26 in Arghandab, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. December 29, 2009 Army Staff Sgt. Ronald J. Spino, 45, of Waterbury, Conn.; assigned to the 274th Forward Surgical Team, 44th Medical Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Dec. 29 in Bala Morghab, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when he was shot while unloading supplies. December 31, 2009 Army Staff Sgt. Anton R. Phillips, 31, of Inglewood, Calif.; assigned to G Forward Support Company, 77th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Task Force Wildhorse, Forward Operating Base Methar Lam, Afghanistan; died Dec. 31 at FOB Methar Lam, Afghanistan. My Heart is heavy and I am sorry that so many Heroes have died for our Country . They made the ultimate sacrifice ! My prayers are going out to each and every Family of Fallen Heroes