Washington DC 20307
Finally, I met with Specialist Bruce Dunlap. Bruce is assigned to 1st platoon, A Battery, 1st Battalion 125th Field Artillery Strike out of Combat Support Center Scania.
He was hit by an IED while on a route clearance mission. This particular IED was a “Hezbollah IED,” a type of IED designed to produce an explosively shaped projectile; much like the High-Explosive Anti-Tank rounds on the Abrams Tank. These are particularly nasty, and designed to defeat armored vehicles. They get their name because they first appeared in Israel, attacking the IDF. They are becoming more frequent, despite the fact that the often don’t kill the occupants of the up-armored-HMMWV’s.
Bruce had both arms and legs wrapped from digits to trunk. He was pretty excited about the Valour-IT laptops, and really excited about this post and picture, because as he put it: “I hope the enemy does read your blog. They’ll see me and it’ll be a great big “up yours! You missed, you failed, I’m still here!”
Wounded, bedridden, and still trying to take the fight to the enemy.
Bruce even asked me to publish an essay he wrote about the first time he was hit by an IED. As soon as I get it, you’ll see it here.
His address is
SPC Bruce Dunlap
Ward 57
Walter Reed Amy Medical Center
6900 Georgia Ave. NW
Washington DC 20307
As others have said, Where do we get such men? I am proud to lead them, to stand beside them, to be counted among their ranks.
Lynnette tells me that we can get the laptops for Stephen and Bruce delivered by the 6th. Thank you all for your support during the last fundraiser. As you can see, we put the money to good use, and there’s always a need.
Thank you for your help.
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.
~ Author Unknown
There were 118.82 million U.S. military billets during 1950-2000 (with "billet" defined as one ... Date posted: June 16, 2008
Global U.S. Troop Deployment, 1950-2005
Tim Kane
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Military Losses
The source for the data is a report prepared for Congress,
Military Losses, 1980 thru 2007
Whatever your politics, however you lean, and however you feel about the current administration, this report should open some eyes.
Military losses,1980 through 2007.
As tragic as the loss of any member of the US Armed Forces is, consider the following statistics:
The annual fatalities of military members while actively serving in the armed forces from 1980 through 2006 - by any cause.
1980 .......... 2,392 ( Carter Year )
1981 .......... 2,380 ( Reagan Year)
1984 .......... 1,999 ( Reagan Year)
1988 .......... 1,819 ( Reagan Year)
1989 .......... 1,636 ( George H W Year )
1990 .......... 1,508 ( George H W Year )
1991 .......... 1,787 ( George H W Year )
1992 .......... 1,293 ( George H W Year )
1993 .......... 1,213 ( Clinton Year)
1994 ........... 1,075 ( Clinton Year)
1995 .......... 2,465 ( Clinton Year)
1996 .......... 2,318 ( Clinton Year)
1997 ............ 817 ( Clinton Year)
1998 .......... 2,252 ( Clinton Year)
1999 .......... 1,984 ( Clinton Year)
2000 ...........1,983 ( Clinton Year)
2001 ............ 890 ( George W Year )
2002 .......... 1,007 ( George W Year )
2003 ........... 1,410 ( George W Year )
2004 .......... 1,887 ( George W Year )
2005 ............ 919 ( George W Year )
2006............. 920 ( George W Year )
2007............. 899 ( George W Year )
Clinton years (1993-2000): 14,107 deaths
George W years (2001-2007): 7,932 deaths
If you are surprised when you look at these figures, so was I. These figures mean that the loss from the two latest confl icts in the Middle East are LESS than the loss of military personnel during Bill Clinton 's presidency; when America wasn't even involved in a war! (Unless you include Bosnia or the disgrace of Mogadishu , Somalia when Clinton failed to respond to terrorists; Remember "Blackhawk Down"?)
And, I was even more shocked when I read that in 1980, during the reign of President (Nobel Peace Prize winner) Jimmy Carter, there were 2,392 US military fatalities! >From what? How?
I think that these figures indicate that many members of our Media and our politicians will pick and choose the information on which they report. Of course we all know that they present only those 'facts' which support their agenda-driven reporting. But why do so many of them march in lock-step to twist the truth? Where do so many of them get their agenda? Obviously there is one shared agenda. Could it be from the most powerful Democratic family of the decade?
Do you want further proof? Consider the latest census of Americans. It shows the following FACTS about the distribution of American citizens,by race:
European descent (White).................69.12%
Hispanic.................................................12.5%
Black .................... .................................12.3%
Asian................. ...................................... 3.7%
Native American....................................1.0%
Other.......................................................2.6%
Many media lead us to feel the military death ratio is off balanced compared to the distribution by race in America . Here are the fatalities by RACE over the past three years in Iraqi Freedom.
Do the comparison yourself.
European descent (white) ............74.31%
Hispanic..........................................10..74%
Black ............................................... 9.67%
Asian....................... ......................... 1.81%
Native American.............................. 1.09%
Other................................................ 0.33%
I was surprised again. Our mainstream media continues to spin these figures (for political gain). Nothing more. It's all about politics.
I hope that during the time between now and November, intelligent Americans can decipher: the facts from the spin, the spinners from the leaders, those who seek even more power from those that seek justice, and the dividers from the uniter's.
Over the next months let's be good listeners and see and hear who tries to divide our nation; and who wants to unite our nation. Who wants to control how our money is spent and who wants our money spent the way we would spend it. Who seeks power and who seeks justice? Who spins the facts and who is genuine.
(These statistics are published by Congressional Research Service, and they may be confirmed by anyone at: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL32492..pdf)
"History does not entrust the care of freedom to the weak or timid." - Dwight D. Eisenhower
Helen Bailey, CIC
Territory Sales Consultant
Allstate/Encompass/Deerbrook
725 Marlin Street
Bayou Vista, TX 77563
713-876-9512 Cell
877-278-0562 Fax
The soldiers that never came home
. The American Cemetery at Aisne-Marne , France . A total of 2289 of our military dead.
2. The American Cemetery at Ardennes , Belgium . A total of 5329 of our dead.
3. The American Cemetery at Brittany, France . A total of 4410 of our military dead.
4. Brookwood , England American Cemetery. A total of 468 of our dead.
5. Cambridge , England . 3812 of our military dead.
6. Epinal , France American Cemetery. A total of 5525 of our Military dead.
7. Flanders Field , Belgium . A total of 368 of our military.
8. Florence , Italy . A total of 4402 of our military dead.
9. Henri-Chapelle , Belgium . A total of 7992 of our military dead
10. Lorraine , France . A total of 10,489 of our military dead.
11. Luxembourg , Luxembourg . A total of 5076 of our military dead.
12. Meuse-Argonne. A total of 14246 of our military dead.
13. Netherlands , Netherlands . A total of 8301 of our military dead.
14. Normandy , France . A total of 9387 of our military dead.
15. Oise-Aisne , France . A total of 6012 of our military dead.
16. Rhone , France . A total of 861 of our military dead.
17. Sicily , Italy . A total of 7861 of our military dead.
18. Somme , France . A total of 1844 of our military dead.
19. St. Mihiel , France . A total of 4153 of our military dead.
20. Suresnes , France . a total of 1541 of our military dead.
THE COUNT IS 104,366
A POW story from John McCain
In addition to paying tribute to the nation's servicemen, he told a poignant story about a fellow POW who sewed the image of an American flag on the inside of his uniform, despite having already received beatings for such an offense. "He wasn't doing it for himself. He was doing it for his country and our ability to pledge our allegiance to our flag and country," he recalled
.
Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you; Jesus Christ and the American GI.
One died for your soul; the other for your freedom
Motorcycle caravan stops in Monroe
Riders participate in 'Run For The Wall'
By Johnny Gunter � jgunter@thenewsstar.com � May 19, 2009
More than 400 motorcyclist participating in the "Run For The Wall" roared off Interstate 20 and into the north parking lot of the Monroe Civic Center in impressive style Monday morning to recognize the country's POWs and MIAs, as well as those who made the ultimate sacrifice while service to their country.
The riders, many of them carrying a passenger, then walked across the Rev. Lea Joyner Boulevard for a short ceremony in front of the Korean and Vietnam war memorials at Monroe City Hall.
Ninety-year-old John Miles of Monroe, a World War II veteran, said the sight of the motorcycles coming off I-20 and "Amazing Grace" being played on the bagpipes, "sends a chill down my spine. This is just really impressive."
Holly Thomas of Phoenix, who has relatives in Metairie, has participated in the ride from California for the last five years.
She said Monroe is one of the group's favorite stops. "The food is great, and the hospitality phenomenal," she said of the meal they ate Sunday night at the Shriners Temple.
Monroe serves as the midway stop for the event, which is in its 21st year. The ride started May 13 on the West Coast and ends Sunday � the day before Memorial Day � in Washington, D.C. at the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Wall. More riders join along the route.
Led by an escort of state troopers and police, the group left Monroe after the ceremony to attend events in Mississippi.
"It means so much to us that you have chosen Monroe as one of your stops," Monroe Mayor James Mayo said. "We're not going to forget the POWs, the MIAs or the KIAs (killed in action)." The crowd applauded. Mayo also proclaimed Monday "Run For The Wall" Day in recognition of all soldiers.
The southern route coordinator for the Run For The Wall, Grey "Pied Piper" Smith, told riders "we've been gifted" and the group hollered their approval with more applause.
Veteran Carl Hinkle, 73, of North Carolina, travels each year to California on his cycle and then makes the return trip to Washington, D.C. "I'll continue to do this as long as I'm healthy and can do it," said the veteran of Korea and two tours of Vietnam.
Local National Guard Sgt. Matthew Spillers talked about the sacrifice made by soldiers in the name of freedom. Spillers said people should remind their government that soldiers remain unaccounted for and should not be forgotten. He said more than 88,000 U.S. soldiers have been recorded missing since World War II.
"There are a lot of families who carry a void in their hearts every day," Spillers said. "You are not forgotten.
Soldiers recount deadly attack on Afghanistan outpost
By Steve Mraz, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Saturday, July 19, 2008
Ben Bloker / Stripes
Spc. Tyler Stafford, 23, a soldier from Company C, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), recounts the hours-long fight that killed nine of his comrades as he recuperates at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.
Ben Bloker / Stripes
Sgt. Jacob Walker, 29, recuperating at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, was wounded in Wanat, Afghanistan, when the forward operating base came under attack early Sunday morning.
Spc. Tyler Stafford and Sgt. Jacob Walker talk about the attack.
Everything was on fire. The trucks. The bazaar. The grass.
It looked surreal. It looked like a movie.
That was what Spc. Tyler Stafford remembered thinking as he stepped onto the medical evacuation helicopter. The 23-year-old soldier would have been loaded onto the bird, but the poncho that was hastily employed as his stretcher broke. His body speckled with grenade and RPG shrapnel, the Vicenza, Italy, infantryman walked the last few feet to the waiting Black Hawk.
That was Sunday morning in eastern Afghanistan’s Kunar province. At a forward operating base — maybe as big as a football field — established just a few days prior.
Outnumbered but not outgunned, a platoon-plus element of soldiers with 2nd Platoon, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team accompanied by Afghan soldiers engaged in a fistfight of a firefight.
After maybe two hours of intense combat, some of the soldiers’ guns seized up because they expelled so many rounds so quickly. Insurgent bullets and dozens of rocket-propelled grenades filled the air. So many RPGs were fired at the soldiers that they wondered how the insurgents had so many.
That was July 13. That was when Stafford was blown out of a fighting position by an RPG, survived a grenade blast and had the tail of an RPG strike his helmet.
That was the day nine Chosen Company soldiers died.
It was just days before the unit was scheduled to leave the base.
The first RPG and machine gun fire came at dawn, strategically striking the forward operating base’s mortar pit. The insurgents next sighted their RPGs on the tow truck inside the combat outpost, taking it out. That was around 4:30 a.m.
This was not a haphazard attack. The reportedly 200 insurgents fought from several positions. They aimed to overrun the new base. The U.S. soldiers knew it and fought like hell. They knew their lives were on the line.
"I just hope these guys’ wives and their children understand how courageous their husbands and dads were," said Sgt. Jacob Walker. "They fought like warriors."
The next target was the FOB’s observation post, where nine soldiers were positioned on a tiny hill about 50 to 75 meters from the base. Of those nine, five died, and at least three others — Stafford among them — were wounded.
When the attack began, Stafford grabbed his M-240 machine gun off a north-facing sandbag wall and moved it to an east-facing sandbag wall. Moments later, RPGs struck the north-facing wall, knocking Stafford out of the fighting position and wounding another soldier.
Stafford thought he was on fire so he rolled around, regaining his senses. Nearby, Cpl. Gunnar Zwilling, who later died in the fight, had a stunned look on his face.
Immediately, a grenade exploded by Stafford, blowing him down to a lower terrace at the observation post and knocking his helmet off. Stafford put his helmet back on and noticed how badly he was bleeding.
Cpl. Matthew Phillips was close by, so Stafford called to him for help. Phillips was preparing to throw a grenade and shot a look at Stafford that said, "Give me a second. I gotta go kill these guys first."
This was only about 30 to 60 seconds into the attack.
Kneeling behind a sandbag wall, Phillips pulled the grenade pin, but just after he threw it an RPG exploded at his position. The tail of the RPG smacked Stafford’s helmet. The dust cleared. Phillips was slumped over, his chest on his knees and his hands by his side. Stafford called out to his buddy three or four times, but Phillips never answered or moved.
"When I saw Phillips die, I looked down and was bleeding pretty good, that’s probably the most scared I was at any point," Stafford said. "Then I kinda had to calm myself down and be like, ‘All right, I gotta go try to do my job.’ "
The soldier from Parker, Colo., loaded his 9 mm handgun, crawled up to their fighting position, stuck the pistol over the sandbags and fired.
Stafford saw Zwilling’s M-4 rifle nearby so he loaded it, put it on top of the sandbag and fired. Another couple RPGs struck the sandbag wall Stafford used as cover. Shrapnel pierced his hands.
Stafford low-crawled to another fighting position where Cpl. Jason Bogar, Sgt. Matthew Gobble and Sgt. Ryan Pitts were located. Stafford told Pitts that the insurgents were within grenade-tossing range. That got Pitts’ attention.
With blood running down his face, Pitts threw a grenade and then crawled to the position from where Stafford had just come. Pitts started hucking more grenades.
The firefight intensified. Bullets cut down tree limbs that fell on the soldiers. RPGs constantly exploded.
Back at Stafford’s position, so many bullets were coming in that the soldiers could not poke their heads over their sandbag wall. Bogar stuck an M-249 machine gun above the wall and squeezed off rounds to keep fire on the insurgents. In about five minutes, Bogar fired about 600 rounds, causing the M-249 to seize up from heat.
At another spot on the observation post, Cpl. Jonathan Ayers laid down continuous fire from an M-240 machine gun, despite drawing small-arms and RPG fire from the enemy. Ayers kept firing until he was shot and killed. Cpl. Pruitt Rainey radioed the FOB with a casualty report, calling for help. Of the nine soldiers at the observation post, Ayers and Phillips were dead, Zwilling was unaccounted for, and three were wounded. Additionally, several of the soldiers’ machine guns couldn’t fire because of damage. And they needed more ammo.
Rainey, Bogar and another soldier jumped out of their fighting position with the third soldier of the group launching a shoulder-fired missile.
All this happened within the first 20 minutes of the fight.
Platoon leader 1st Lt. Jonathan Brostrom and Cpl. Jason Hovater arrived at the observation post to reinforce the soldiers. By that time, the insurgents had breached the perimeter of the observation post. Gunfire rang out, and Rainey shouted, "He’s right behind the sandbag."
Brostrom could be heard shouting about the insurgent as well.
More gunfire and grenade explosions ensued. Back in the fighting position, Gobble fired a few quick rounds. Gobble then looked to where the soldiers were fighting and told Stafford the soldiers were dead. Of the nine soldiers who died in the battle, at least seven fell in fighting at the observation post.
The insurgents then started chucking rocks at Gobble and Stafford’s fighting position, hoping that the soldiers might think the rocks were grenades, causing them to jump from the safety of their fighting hole. One rock hit a tree behind Stafford and landed directly between his legs. He braced himself for an explosion. He then realized it was a rock.
Stafford didn’t have a weapon, and Gobble was low on ammo. Gobble told Stafford they had to get back to the FOB. They didn’t realize that Pitts was still alive in another fighting position at the observation post. Gobble and Stafford crawled out of their fighting hole. Gobble looked again to where the soldiers had been fighting and reconfirmed to Stafford that Brostrom, Rainey, Bogar and others were dead.
Gobble and Stafford low-crawled and ran back to the FOB. Coming into the FOB, Stafford was asked by a sergeant what was going on at the observation post. Stafford told him all the soldiers there were dead. Stafford lay against a wall, and his fellow soldiers put a tourniquet on him.
From the OP, Pitts got on the radio and told his comrades he was alone. At least three soldiers went to the OP to rescue Pitts, but they suffered wounds after encountering RPG and small-arms fire.
At that time, air support arrived in the form of Apache helicopters, A-10s and F-15s, performing bombing and strafing runs.
When the attack began, Walker was on the FOB. He grabbed an M-249 and started shooting toward a mountain spur where he could see some muzzle flashes. Walker put down 600 to 800 rounds of ammunition.
He got down behind the wall he was shooting from to load more ammo and was told they were taking fire from the southwest. He threw the bipod legs of his machine gun on the hood of a nearby Humvee. A 7.62-millimeter caliber bullet struck Walker’s left wrist, knocking him to the ground. A soldier applied a tourniquet to Walker and bandaged him.
Walker and two other wounded soldiers distributed their ammo and grenades and passed messages.
The whole FOB was covered in dust and smoke, looking like something out of an old Western movie.
"I’ve never seen the enemy do anything like that," said Walker, who was medically evacuated off the FOB in one of the first helicopters to arrive. "It’s usually three RPGs, some sporadic fire and then they’re gone … I don’t where they got all those RPGs. That was crazy."
Two hours after the first shots were fired, Stafford made his way — with help — to the medevac helicopter that arrived.
"It was some of the bravest stuff I’ve ever seen in my life, and I will never see it again because those guys," Stafford said, then paused.
"Normal humans wouldn’t do that. You’re not supposed to do that — getting up and firing back when everything around you is popping and whizzing and trees, branches coming down and sandbags exploding and RPGs coming in over your head … It was a fistfight then, and those guys held ’ em off."
Stafford offered a guess as to why his fellow soldiers fought so hard.
"Just hardcoreness I guess," he said. "Just guys kicking ass, basically. Just making sure that we look scary enough that you don’t want to come in and try to get us."
Hero in pink boxers
U.S. defense chief lauds soldier in pink boxers
Reuters
Soldiers from the U.S. Army First Battalion, 26th Infantry take defensive AP � Soldiers from the U.S. Army First Battalion, 26th Infantry take defensive positions at firebase Restrepo �
WASHINGTON � U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday praised an Army soldier in eastern Afghanistan who drew media attention this month after rushing to defend his post from attack while wearing pink boxer shorts and flip-flops.
In fact, Gates said he wants to meet the soldier and shake his hand the next time he visits Afghanistan.
"Any soldier who goes into battle against the Taliban in pink boxers and flip-flops has a special kind of courage," Gates said in remarks prepared for a speech in New York.
"I can only wonder about the impact on the Taliban. Just imagine seeing that: a guy in pink boxers and flip-flops has you in his cross-hairs. What an incredible innovation in psychological warfare," he said.
Army Specialist Zachary Boyd, 19, of Fort Worth, Texas, rushed from his sleeping quarters on May 11 to join fellow platoon members at a base in Afghanistan's Kunar Province after the unit came under fire from Taliban positions.
A news photographer was on hand to record the image of Boyd standing at a makeshift rampart in helmet, body armor, red T-shirt and boxers emblazoned with the message: "I love NY."
When the image wound up on the front page of the New York Times, Boyd told his parents he might lose his job if President Barack Obama saw him out of uniform.
"I can assure you that Specialist Boyd's job is very safe indeed," Gates said in the speech.
The U.S. defense chief was scheduled to deliver the speech at New York's annual Salute to Freedom dinner in Manhattan.
(Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Will Dunham)
note;
Gotta love this guy! redneck maybe,definitely Mash material,haha
he bought the boxers in New York to fight the Taliban.
they were red New York words that faded on the white,
nothing slowed him down from being by the side
of his soldier brothers,
Not even pink Boxers,
A true hero!
Lest we forget
Your cell phone is in your pocket.
He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.
You talk trash about your 'buddies' that aren't with you.
He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.
You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.
He patrols the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.
You complain about how hot it is
He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow..
You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.
He doesn't get to eat today.
Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.
He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean.
You go to the mall and get your hair redone.
He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.
You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.
He's told he will be held over an extra 2 months.
You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight.
He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.
You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday.
He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.
You roll your eyes as a baby cries.
He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet.
You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.
He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why he is fighting.
You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him.
He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded.
You see only what the media wants you to see.
He sees the broken bodies lying around him.
You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't.
He does exactly what he is told even if it puts his life in danger.
You stay at home and watch TV.
He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat.
You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable.
He tries to sleep but gets woken by mortars and helicopters all night long
A very touching story from a Marine Mom blogged on the News Star World website;
A Walk in my Boots
being a Marine Mom
Onward and ......upward?....life after bootcamp
Posted 5/11/2009 2:25 PM CDT on thenewsstar.com
I thought after boot camp it would all be easy. Boy doesn't the Marine Corp like to surprise you? Well, it was far from an easy breezy time. Shane went on to all kinds of training. One of his most memorable I'm sure was the winter training up in West Virginia mountains in January. They were put through laying in the snow for hours....remaining still and undetected from anyone trying to find them. Minimal food....some MRE's. I'll never forget the one time he got to call, he was so cold his voice couldn't stop shaking, he was absolutely freezing. When I got off the phone I cried and cried, thinking of what my son was going through and knowing he was doing what he had to do to learn to survive in any kind of condition. I remember when he was in the desert out in 29 Palms preparing to deploy to Afghanistan and he ran out of socks and had blisters all over his feet from the boots rubbing his feet, I asked him what happened to the socks I sent him and he said, "Oh, I gave those to my guys because they didn't have any.". That's just the kind of Marine Shane is, always putting his guys first and thinking of them first. He is a squad leader now and has been in Afghanistan since November. They left November 5th. I cried and cried that day, couldn't eat for days. My stomach was in knots, thinking of the danger he was about to be put in, not knowing if my son would make it home alive. It did get easier, and then, worse. Afghanistan is very mountanious, a trecherous terrain. If you have never read the book "Lone Survivor", read it. It's the story of our Navy Seal heroes, the worse loss of Navy Seal lives in their history.
My son was in some hair raising battles in Nov and December but no one was killed. Amazingly, they fought the Taliban in circumstances that would be worthy of a great movie.
One such instance took place on November 18, 2008. My son's platoon of 30 Marines was attacked and ambushed by 250 Taliban fighters. One of their humvees was struck by a rocket propelled grenade, all the Marines made it out alive, one being knocked unconscious. The Taliban had these Marines pinned down behind enemy fire and a battle which lasted 8 hours ensued. The Marines fought and battled until they were able to get their fellow Marines to safety, then fought house to house and trench to trench. Cobra helicopters were called in for air support. Finally the Marines broke through and the Taliban retreated. Over 50 Taliban were killed and there was no loss of any Marines. My son said when they finally got back to the base everyone had heard about the battle and was so thankful they all made it back all the guys were running out there and carrying their packs for them, they had their cots all laid out and ready for them with their mail laying on them. My son said he received 5 packages that day. (I had the compulsive care package disorder..lol) He said it was just like Christmas! I cried when he told me this story. Knowing how bravely they fought...how proud their Marine brothers were of them, and how they fought and did whatever it took to bring their stranded Marine brothers back safely with them.
Everything changed in January. They lost their first Marine brother on January 1st. A few days later, one of Shane's guys, Lcpl Jesse Cassada, 19 from NC was killed during an intense battle. They were going house to house searching for bomb making materials when they were attacked. Surrounded by the Taliban from rooftops and all around. Jesse and two others were on the roof. They were calling fire upon targets to those on the ground. As Jesse was getting down off the roof a random aka 47 spray got him and he was killed. Shane said Jesse fought with such honor, with no regard for his own life or safety, doing whatever he had to do to make sure he directed the fire on target. There have been 9 Marines from the 3/8 Marines killed in Afghanistan since Jan 1. Also, 2 of Shane's Sgts. who taught him everything about bombs and demolition were killed. They were with the Combat Engineer Batallion.
The hardest thing ever was April 8th when Shane's best friend, who he has spent the last 3 years side by side with was killed. I have an alert set on my phone to get any news of Afghanistan and the Marines. I opened the message and saw the name, LCpl Blaise Oleski, and I went numb. I hoped and prayed it wasn't true and ran to the computer to look up any thing I could find. There it was, LCpl Blaise Oleski was killed. Shane has been devestated. To be so young and to have seen such tragedy and to have suffered such loss, I can't even imagine. These Marines are closer than blood. They would lay down their lives in a second for each other. I know my son suffers needless guilt because he feels like there is something he should have been able to do to save Blaise, but I know there wasn't. He said, "I never had a shot, I never saw it coming." My heart was so broken for my son, knowing the pain he was suffering and there was nothing I could do. I could not be there to comfort him or put my arms around him. My heart was broken for Blaise's family. I could not even begin to know the pain his mom and dad were going through, thinking if any thing happened to Shane there is no way I could function, go on with life. I cried every day for the next week. Constantly thinking of Blaise, his family, my son, and knowing what danger my son was in. He said a few days later they were going back out to hit the place where Blaise was killed. I was so worried Shane would want revenge and might do something to put himself in danger. The only contact I have with Shane is through email so I said what I could to give him encouragement and comfort through words. The day they leave Afghanistan I will have such a burden of relief lifted off my heart. I can not wait for the day when I will see my son again. I can't wait to grab him and give him the biggest hug. I will shed tears of joy to have my son safe again. The only way I have survived this 7 month deployment is through the support and encouragement of fellow Marine moms. No one can understand what it's like to be a Marine, unless you are one, and no one can understand what it's like to be a Marine mom....unless you are one. We have this instant bond and tie that can't be put in words. I can find a Marine mom online and start talking to her and I feel as if she is one of my closest dearest friends instantly. I have met many moms through the Marineparents web site and I can't wait to finally meet them in person at the big homecoming. My son emailed today and their departure from that most dangerous place in Afghanistan is immenent....I can't wait. He has been in the most remote, dangerous place in Southern Afghanistan. As he said in his letter in boot camp, "I was born to be a grunt, I wouldn't change it for the world." I know he has been doing what he loves, I know he wouldn't have wanted to be sitting around at some base. He has gone for weeks without even a bath or change of clothes...he has been through the most hellish conditions...trudging through knee deep mud, freezing up in the mountains and snow of Afghanistan, being stranded in a blown up humvee, being caught on foot patrol in blinding sand storms, but I know he is a Marine, it's what he's trained for, it's what he was meant to do. I am so proud, my son has grown up to be my hero.
Semper Fi
Wrote by the mother of
LCpl Shane Wilder, Afghanistan
Photo images
Shane on top of Mt Olympus, Afghanistan
LCpl Shane Wilder, Afghanistan
LCpl Shane Wilder, Afghanistan
LCpl Shane Wilder and LCpl Blaise Oleski
....R.I.P Blaise...gone but not forgotten.
LCpl Shane Wilder and LCpl Blaise Oleski
....R.I.P Blaise...gone but not forgotten.
There were 118.82 million U.S. military billets during 1950-2000 (with "billet" defined as one ... Date posted: June 16, 2008
Global U.S. Troop Deployment, 1950-2005
Tim Kane
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
May 24, 2006
Abstract:
This report provides and analyzes the first comprehensive time series data on U.S. troop deployments by year and country, from 1950 to 2005, including the full dataset. On average, 23 percent of all U.S. servicemen were stationed on foreign soil during 1950-2005. Roughly 386,000 troops were stationed overseas in 2005 compared to an average of 535,540 during 1950-2000. Deployments have ranged from a high of 1,082,777 troops in 1968 to a low of 206,002 in 1999. There were 118.82 million U.S. military billets during 1950-2000 (with "billet" defined as one serviceman for one year). Of that total, 27.3 million billets were overseas assignments. Since 1950, 54 countries have hosted at least 1,000 American troops.
The soldiers that fight for us
If you are a surviving family member of an American soldier killed in action,
the first check you get is a $6,000 direct death benefit, half of which is taxable.
Next, you get $1,750 for burial costs. If you are the surviving spouse, you get
$833 a month until you remarry. And there's a payment of $211 per month for each child under 18. When the child hits 18, those payments come to a
screeching halt.
Soldiers put themselves in harms way FOR ALL OF US, and they and their families know the dangers. (Actually, soldiers are put in harms way by politicians and commanding
officers.)
. Every time a pay raise comes up for the military, they usually receive next to
nothing of a raise... Now the green machine is in combat in the Middle East while their families have to survive on food stamps and live in lo w-rent housing.?Make sense?
However, our own US Congress voted themselves a raise. Many of you don't know that they only have to be in Congress one time to receive a pension that is more than $15,000 per month. And most are now equal to being millionaires plus. They do not receive Social Security on retirement because they didn't have to pay into the system. If some of the military people stay in for 20 years and get out as an
E-7, they may receive a pension of $1,000 per month, and the very people who
placed them in harm's way receives a pension of $15,000 per month.
I would like to see our elected officials pick up a weapon and join ranks before they start cutting out benefits and lowering pay for our sons and daughters who are now fighting.
Those who have laid in fox holes, carried guns,marched for hours,
For those who have had cold sleepless nights, endless days of discomfort,
For those who have endured the agony of war for my sake.
Thank you.
For those who have gently kissed a loved one goodbye,
and with a tear looked back for a last time,
For those who have found courage to carry the sword of liberty,
For those who have flown with the eagle,
For those who have landed on foreign soil,
to take freedom to other countries while keeping freedom in ours,
Thank you.
For those who have lost limbs,lifes and loved ones,
For those who have lost friends,sisters ,brothers,
mothers and fathers,
For those who have sacrificed and gave their all for freedom's sake.
Thank you.
For those who have found the courage to stand,
For those who have reached out a hand for their fallen friend.
For those who give freedom to strangers ,and a hope for peace.
For those who sacrifice all they love, and pay the price for freedom.
Thank you.
T
"...this is an open and grateful tribute to the men and women
who serve every day to keep our nation safe."
A Veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard or reserve is
someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to
"The United States of America", for an amount of "up to and
Including my life."
That is honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no
longer understand it.
It is the
VETERAN,
not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.
It is
the VETERAN,
not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.
It is
the VETERAN,
not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.
It is
the VETERAN,
not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.
It is
the VETERAN,
not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is
the VETERAN,
not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.
It is the
VETERAN who
salutes the Flag,
It is
the
VETERAN
who serves
under the Flag,
Prayers for our fallen heroes
and veterans who have passed away
ETERNAL
REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON
THEM.
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