Showing posts with label war memorial. Show all posts
Showing posts with label war memorial. Show all posts

Monday, August 6, 2018

Vietnam War Memorial Destroyed in Texas

Vietnam veteran memorial destroyed 
KFDM News 
by Cassidy Wood 

August 4th 2018 VIDOR — A Vietnam veteran memorial at Veteran Memorial Park in Vidor has been vandalized.
The monument was pushed on its back, splitting it into two pieces. Vidor Police Department is investigating. go here for video report

Saturday, July 21, 2018

Police make arrest arrest Lt. Michael P. Murphy memorial destroyed...a 14 year old!

Arrest in Vandalism of Monument Honoring MOH Recipient Michael Murphy
Stars and Stripes
By Chad Garland
20 Jul 2018
Michael Murphy's mother was crying early Friday when she called his father to say that the damage felt to her "like they killed Michael all over again."
The Suffolk County Police Department is investigating the recent act of vandalism that took place at Lt. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Park in Lake Ronkonkoma. (SUFFOLK COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT FACEBOOK)
Police arrested a 14-year-old boy and charged him with vandalism on Friday after a memorial to a slain Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient was found smashed to pieces at a Long Island lake.

New York state will pay to replace the stone, inscribed with the image of Lt. Michael P. Murphy and his Medal of Honor, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said earlier in the day. The new stone is expected be nearly impossible to shatter.
Cuomo said in a statement he was "appalled and disgusted" by the vandalism, promising the state would fully fund the replacement.

"I hope this brings comfort to his family and community," the governor said. "The people of this state and this nation owe Lieutenant Murphy a debt of gratitude, and I personally thank him for his service."

Marcus Luttrell, a former Navy SEAL who served with Murphy and wrote about his heroism in his book "Lone Survivor," also donated money for a replacement, said Murphy's father Daniel Murphy, who got the call from the governor's office about a replacement stone on Friday.
read more here

Sunday, July 1, 2018

Iraq War Veteran Built Memorial By Name

Iraq War veteran‘s breathtaking tribute to the fallen: ‘It’s truly amazing’
CBS 6 News
BY GREG MCQUADE
JULY 1, 2018

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- On the banks of Gregory’s Mill Pond, veteran James Howard has found a slice of heaven on earth.
“It's very, very secluded [and] kind of tucked away. That's why I love it,” Howard said. “I roll right down to the lake and take it all in. It's medicinal out here. I think it does that for many people that come visit too.”

The Iraq War veteran, who is one with nature at the pond, enjoys sharing his "happy place" with others.

“Every day I wake up and I’m just thankful,” Howard said.

As a result, twice a month, Howard welcomes veterans from McGuire VA Medical Center as an escape through his non-profit, Veterans and Athletes United.

But Howard always dreamed of building an addition. Not a pool or man cave, but something more meaningful dedicated to those who will never have a chance to visit.

“It was extremely powerful to go down there and see it for the first time,” Howard said.

The new 28-foot Fallen Heroes Memorial has been a dream of Howard's for four years.

The memorial, funded and built by veterans and volunteer groups, honors the 6,941 service members killed in the War on Terror.
read more here

Monday, June 25, 2018

VIETNAM VET ARRESTS MAN WHO STOLE DOG TAGS FROM MEMORIAL

HUDSON VALLEY VIETNAM VET ARRESTS MAN WHO STOLE MILITARY TAGS 
101.5 WPDH 
BOBBY WELBER 
June 25, 2018 

A Hudson Valley man was arrested by a Vietnam veteran for allegedly stealing from a war memorial.

On Wednesday, 73-year-old Dennis McGuire, a part-time security officer for the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office, was alerted by a witness that a man stole a set of commemorative military dog tags from the war memorial located in front of the Ulster County Office Building on Fair Street in Kingston. McGuire and another officer found 29-year-old Jeris B. Lincoln wearing the stolen dog tags on Fair Street, police say. He was charged with petit larceny.
read more here

Friday, April 20, 2018

Vietnam Veteran Carries Memorial of Lost Lives

Vietnam vet’s tattoo honors lost comrades
Ocala Star Banner
By Andy Fillmore / Correspondent
Posted Apr 20, 2018

Collie said he has post traumatic stress disorder and continues to have flashbacks about horrific sights in the war, from Vietnamese children wired with hand grenades approaching American troops to “eight hour snakes” that hung from trees in the jungle and caused death within eight hours if you were bitten. He said sometimes even smells have been known to trigger PTSD, like a match bringing back memories of the scent of gunpowder.
“The tattoo is a memorial to my brothers and sisters who never came home,” said John Collie.

Vietnam War veteran John Collie carries an ever-present reminder of his lost comrades.

Collie, 66, has a tattoo that covers his back and depicts four Vietnam-era Huey helicopters, a POW camp tower, a silhouette of a prisoner of war and sharpened cane poles piercing a suspended skull. Flowing tattooed script across his shoulder blades reads “Land of the Free, Because of the Brave.”

“The tattoo is a memorial to my brothers and sisters who never came home,” said Collie, adding that the “masterpiece” was done by artist Brian Adams and took four hours to complete in one sitting

Collie served with the 173rd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army in the Vietnam War for 18 months after boot camp in 1971. He said he left most of his military connected papers and decorations for his service at the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall when the memorial was on display in St. Petersburg.
read more here

Sunday, April 15, 2018

Blue Jacket Park Honors Female Sailors

Statue of female sailor at Blue Jacket Park honors Navy legacy, women who served at sea
On Saturday, a bronze statue of a woman in a Navy uniform was unveiled at Blue Jacket Park in Baldwin Park, a community with more than 4,600 homes that sprouted after the 1,900-acre Naval Training Center was shuttered in the 1990s.
The statue, named the Blue Jacket Recruit — a Navy term for an enlisted sailor, honors the 188,000 female recruits whose graduation from the nation’s first coed boot camp proved they were not only as ready as men but also willing and able to serve their country.
read more from Orlando Sentinel here

Sunday, February 4, 2018

War Memorial Only Scuba Divers Can See

Underwater memorial dedicated to veterans to be constructed near Dunedin Beach
WFLA NBC 8 News
By Jenn Holloway
Published: February 2, 2018

As a man who has more than 3,000 dives under his “weight belt,” Dr. Mathews says he looks forward to teaching veterans dealing with PTSD, physical injuries and more how to scuba dive, then eventually taking them down to see the memorial in person.
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – It’s the first of its kind in the world right here in the Tampa Bay area! An underwater memorial dedicated to our U.S. veterans is expected to bring in scuba divers from around the world.

In 1999, Dr. Heyward Mathews created the very successful Veterans Fishing Reef 10 miles west of Dunedin Beach. But his second sea floor project honoring veterans isn’t to attract marine life. He hopes these massive memorials will attract scuba enthusiasts.

“These statues are actually six foot tall and they weigh 1300 pounds,” said Dr. Matthews.

The goal is to have 24 military figures set in a 100 foot circle with a center monument representing each of the five U.S. Armed Forces.
read more here

Friday, December 29, 2017

Oklahoma City Vietnam Veterans Memorial Founded Passed Away

Founder of Oklahoma’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial dies two days before Christmas
KOCO 5 News
Paul Folger
December 29, 2017

“He realized there was no place for Vietnam veterans to feel welcome,” Mullings’ son, Jamey McCLaine Mullings, said.
OKLAHOMA CITY — It was a sad day for Vietnam veterans in Oklahoma. The founder and creator of the Vietnam Veteran's Wall has died.

Family and friends said goodbye Thursday to James Michael Mullings, remembering him for the honor he gave to our heroes who served.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial sits just beyond our state capitol. It was created by Mullings, who served in Vietnam himself. The 71-year-old died just two days before Christmas, which was also his birthday. But the legacy of this wall is one everyone can visit.

“He felt very, very called to provide a memorial here because most Oklahomans might not have the opportunity to go to Washington D.C.” Teese Mullings, James Mullings’ wife, said.

Mullings worked with leaders from Washington and our state and came up with the memorial because he knew Vietnam veterans needed the place.
read more here

Monday, October 16, 2017

Can't Find Good News? Are You Looking For It?

Editing videos and trying to play catchup, but wanted to share these stories I read earlier today. So many people think that there are no good news stories, but this should prove that if they don't find them, they must not be looking for them.


Florida military monument gives families place to think of relatives


"The monument in the heart of Green Cove Springs will ensure that the memories of people like Coleman will live forever. The $82,000 sculpture was built with money raised from individuals and charitable organizations with no financial assistance from the government."

Soldier's suicide leaves a family with questions 

"The truth is Bauders, 25, killed himself at Al Asad Air Base less than a month after arriving for his first tour in Iraq. Horton believes the way he was memorialized, and the way his death was investigated, reveal that while the military has put an emphasis on combating veteran suicides, it's still struggling to change the cultural stigma around mental health for active soldiers."
95-year-old man skydives in Suffolk, breaks record as oldest diver
"Norwood Thomas set a record Sunday while skydiving. Two days after his 95th birthday, Thomas became the oldest person to jump out of a plane at Skydive Suffolk." #inspirational

Army vet Travis Mills tackles new challenge: reviving another Maine resort

"Now, they’ve set goals for its expansion. They’re acquiring new watercraft for the rental fleet, including pontoon boats, canoes and stand-up paddleboards. They hope to add a playground for children and resources for ice fishing, and eventually open a waterfront restaurant. They’ve also renovated the front office and begun stocking it with concessions such as beer, wine and custom-roasted coffee, as well as a bigger array of fishing tackle." #inspirational

Party in Denham Springs celebrates day Iraq War veteran fought death and won


Ten years ago in combat in Iraq, Vaughn came incredibly close to dying, but didn’t. As remarkable as his survival and recovery were, his Army buddies weren't surprised. "If anybody's going to get shot in the face and live to tell about it, it's going to be Chance ... Vaughn," said Cody Chandler, of Kaufman, Texas, a former comrade in arms who attended the party." #inspirational

Vietnam veteran gets homecoming he's always wanted with Queen City Honor Flight


"There was no race in foxholes, he tells me, only brotherhood. 'When you in combat, it doesn't make any difference if the man beside you is black, white, Hispanic or what. You better have his back and you better have his back. And that's all there is to it.'" #inspirational

For one father, new Global War on Terrorism memorial in Georgia triggers emotions

"John Henderson Sr. paused, then kissed the index finger on his right hand before running the finger across the name, starting with the “Jr.” at the end and working right to left."
"It was like he was going backward — a mental and emotional rewind after more than a dozen years of pain."

Sunday, August 20, 2017

Marine Vietnam Veteran Built A Memorial--In His Yard

A special ceremony for Vietnam veterans: Area man built his own museum, war memorial

Bismark Tribune
Nathan Bowe
Forum News Service
August 19, 2017



Howard Maninga stands beside the veterans memorial he built on his property in rural Ponsford. All new flags will be raised at a ceremony open to all Vietnam veterans on Aug. 26. Nathan Bowe, Forum News Service

PONSFORD, Minn. — Fifty years ago, Howard Maninga of rural Ponsford went to fight in Vietnam as a young Marine. He came back, but he brought Vietnam with him.
“I went into Vietnam in ‘67,” says Maninga, now age 69. “When I got home, I couldn’t get married unless my dad signed off on it — I was too young.”
He fought in the battle of Guay, and spent 10½ months in Vietnam, fighting the Viet Cong, North Vietnamese, and at times, the Chinese, he said. Most of the time, he carried the “The Law,” an M79 shoulder-fired grenade launcher.
“We were sent there to kill people, and that’s what we did,” said Maninga, who grew up near the small southeastern Becker County community of Midway and joined the Marines because he “wanted to be a grunt,” he said.

The war was 50 years ago, but he said it has never left him. “You can’t put nothing aside — it keeps coming back, like yesterday,” said Maninga. If not for strong family support, especially from his wife, Trudy, he said he would have been dead long ago.
A member of the Marine Corps League North Star Detachment, Maninga also spends a lot of time performing honor guard duties at the funerals of veterans. “We’ve done 370-some funerals,” he said.
read more here

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Wall That Heals Arrived In Wisconsin

'The Wall that Heals'


Vietnam veteran Bob Rich, of Superior, salutes as the Halvor Lines trucks carrying the "The Wall that Heals," a 250-foot replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, as it rolls down East Second Street in Superior on Wednesday morning.
“I lost a lot of friends over there,” Rich said when talking about serving from 1963-68.
go here for more pictures

Monday, July 17, 2017

Marine Veteran Carves Honors For Fallen Brothers

Marine Corps vet travels cross-country delivering unique sculptures
Pieces intended to honor fellow Marines
KSAT News
By Adrian Ortega
July 16, 2017

Marine Corps veteran Anthony Marquez served in the same unit as Lance Cpl. John Felix Farias, who was killed during a deployment to Afghanistan in 2011, along with 16 other Marines in his unit.
Now, Marquez is determined to honor each fallen hero with a wooden sculpture of the battlefield cross. He carefully crafts the boots, rifle and helmet with a chainsaw.

"At times, it seems overwhelming, (like), ‘How am I going to complete all this?’” Marquez said. “But it's just one at a time."

The project is a personal mission fueled by a passion. He takes great pride in honoring those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. The task has taken him across the country, and on Sunday, it brought him to Fort Houston National Cemetery, where rows of markers were lined up like military members standing at attention.
read more here

Saturday, July 15, 2017

Community Dedicates Vietnam Memorial

New Milford dedicates Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Danbury News Times
By Anna Quinn
July 15, 2017
“It finally gives us some closure. It seems that our community and other communities are finally recognizing that we were soldiers and we did the job that we were required to do.” Bob Coppola
Martin Titus, of New Milford, wipes away a tear during the New Milford Veterans Committee dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, set on the Village Green, on Saturday morning, July 15, 2017, in New Milford, Conn. Titus served in the Army from 1969 to 1972
NEW MILFORD—When Bob Coppola returned from his two years serving in the Vietnam War, he tried not to talk about his time in the army.

“I was very careful not to mention my experience, because it would have invoked debates that I didn’t feel I was part of,” he said.

Coppola, a sergeant, said he left his teaching position in Massachusetts after being drafted because it was his duty as an American citizen. But when he and his fellow soldiers came home from the war, they felt far from honored.

For him, and for the other nearly 100 veterans on the Village Green Saturday afternoon, the unveiling of New Milford’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial symbolized a long-awaited recognition for their service.
read more here

Monday, July 10, 2017

Vietnam Memorial "We wanted to do something more."

Funding secured for Vietnam memorial sculpture
Times Record News
Lana Sweeten-Shults
July 9, 2017

The Major Francis Grice Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution always has honored the country's servicemen and servicewomen.
"We as a group have honored Vietnam veterans, usually with a luncheon, but that wasn't honoring all of them," said Shirley King, an artist and a member of the organization. "We wanted to do something more."'

Two years ago, the group's then-regent, Ruth James, came up with the idea of commissioning a statue, King said, to honor all Vietnam veterans.

"Her husband was a Vietnam veteran."

And so started the DAR chapter's efforts to have such a monument built — a project that reached an important milestone recently.

The group announced it has raised the $170,000 needed to fund the artwork and landscaping around it. The memorial will be an 11-feet-tall bronze sculpture by Lubbock artist Garland Weeks, a Wichita Falls High School graduate who isn't new to the city's public arts landscape. Another of his works, "Vision of the Future," stands on the grounds of the Kemp Center for the Arts.
read more here

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Angel Fire's Chuck Howe Planning War on Terror Memorial

Veteran planning War on Terror memorial in Angel Fire
KOB 4 News
Morgan Aguilar
July 05, 2017
At his wellness and healing center, Howe wants to create a space for veterans with PTSD along with programs for vets who have experienced sexual trauma while in the military. He'd like to eventually offer programs for first responders too.
ANGEL FIRE, N.M. -- It looks like New Mexico will have a War on Terror memorial long before Washington, D.C. A Vietnam veteran living in Angel Fire is spending his retirement turning a northern New Mexico property into a place for veterans from all over the country.
Chuck Howe has big plans for the site, an 18-acre plot right across from the Vietnam veteran's memorial. He said he plans to build the War on Terror memorial, a wellness and healing center for veterans and a hotel.
"One of the things that we always talk about with any war memorial or museum is how do you keep it relevant in the future? So many of our Vietnam vets are going to be gone, so what's going to keep people coming here?" Howe said.
read more here

Veterans of Three Wars Took Honor Flight for July 4th

Local veterans embark on Fourth of July honor flight to DC
Spectrum News
By Reena Diamante
Tuesday, July 4, 2017
Before they took flight, the World War II, Korean and Vietnam War veterans, could not help but to reflect on their years of service.
AUSTIN, Texas — Each day, there are fewer and fewer veterans of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

For those who are still here, many have yet to see the memorials built in their honor at our nation's capital.

One local group is honoring them with a flight full of thanks.

There was a grand gesture of gratitude on Tuesday at Austin Bergstrom International Airport. Hundreds of people lined the gates inside the departure terminal to show their support for the men and women who risked their lives for America.

“It means everything to me. I can’t believe this is happening.” said Frank Serpas, a World War II veteran. “It makes me feel so good to know that so many people respect the veterans.”

“It brought tears to my eyes,” said Jack Green, another WWII vet. “It’s been a long time.”

More than two dozen veterans took part in an Independence Day Honor Flight to visit the national memorials in Washington, D.C. and watch fireworks. For many, the experience is a trip of a lifetime.
read more here

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

“Protectors of Freedom,” Memorial from WWI to War on Terror

Toms River unveils elaborate monument to veterans
Asbury Park Press
Erik Larsen
Published June 26, 2017
“Over 16 million U.S. service members — 560,000 from New Jersey — answered the call to unconditionally defeat two of the most militarily powerful, hate-filled, racist and fanatical dictatorships the world has ever known,” Smith said.
TOMS RIVER - One hundred years to the day that the first U.S. troops arrived in France after America entered World War I, a monument was dedicated in town Monday honoring a century of service by the men and women who have served in uniform on behalf of the nation.
“Protectors of Freedom,” by local sculptor Brian Hanlon and funded through The Jay and Linda Grunin Foundation, features six service members representing conflicts from World War I to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

Located in Bey Lea Park, the five statues (one includes two figures) depict a World War I “doughboy;” a poncho-clad soldier from the Korean War calling for support on a radio; a wounded World War II soldier being carried from the battlefield by his 21st century counterpart; and a Vietnam War infantryman escorting an Army nurse through hostile territory. Watch the video above to take a tour of the memorial.
read more here

Sunday, June 4, 2017

Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown Memorial

Navy SEAL honored with underwater memorial
Sentinel-Record | Associated Press
By DAVID SHOWERS
Published: June 4, 2017
Fearless Rock - the Adam Brown Underwater Memorial
FEARLESSROCKMEMORIAL/FACEBOOK
MOUNTAIN PINE, Ark. — Adam Brown was said to have lived life with an uncommon resolve, so it's not surprising how the underwater memorial honoring the fallen Navy SEAL found its place at the toe of Blakely Mountain Dam.

The scuba divers who wanted to celebrate the life of the Lake Hamilton alumnus after reading "Fearless: The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown" had intended to put the memorial 47 feet below the surface of Lake Ouachita.

"That's where the dam ends, and the lake bed is smooth, it becomes like the surface of the moon," said William Stevens, the founder of the Fearless Rock Underwater Memorial Fund. "In May of 2013 a tornado hit the lake and ruined visibility for the rest of the year. If you dove past 30 feet you'd need a flashlight."

That June, the Fearless Rock divers began scouting shallower depths to put the memorial until they could decide on a final location. On July 23, they tied it on a crate and took it to the lake bed.
read more here

Sunday, May 28, 2017

Memorial Day Lost Meaning to Those Who Simply Enjoy Day Off

Veteran: To many Americans, Memorial Day has lost meaning
FOX 9 News
May 28, 2017
Veterans groups say a growing military-civilian disconnect contributes to a feeling that Memorial Day has been overshadowed. More than 12 percent of the U.S. population served in the armed forces during World War II. That's down to less than one-half of a percent today, guaranteeing more Americans aren't personally acquainted with a soldier, sailor, airman or Marine.
ANNVILLE, Pa. (AP) -- Allison Jaslow heard it more than once as the long holiday weekend approached -- a cheerful "Happy Memorial Day!" from oblivious well-wishers.

The former Army captain and Iraq War veteran had a ready reply, telling them, matter-of-factly, that she considered it a work weekend. Jaslow will be at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday to take part in the annual wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. She'll then visit Section 60, the final resting place of many service members who died in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"You can see it in people's faces that they're a little horrified that they forget this is what the day's about," said Jaslow, 34, who wears a bracelet bearing the name of a fallen comrade. "Culturally, we've kind of lost sight of what the day's supposed to mean."

While millions of Americans celebrate the long Memorial Day weekend as the unofficial start of summer -- think beaches and backyard barbecues, mattress sales and sporting events -- some veterans and loved ones of fallen military members wish the holiday that honors more than 1 million people who died serving their country would command more respect.
"It hurts," Duffy said. For combat veterans and Gold Star families especially, "it hurts that, as a society, we don't truly understand and appreciate what the true meaning of Memorial Day is."
read more here

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Angel Fire Capel Stood Up When No One Else Cared About Vietnam Veterans

Angel Fire chapel honors lives lost in Vietnam
KOB 4 News
Joseph Lynch
May 26, 2017
For some veterans, every day is Memorial Day. Some are haunted by all they've experienced, by who and what they lost. In some wars, they came home as heroes. That was not the case for Vietnam veterans. Many now suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
ANGEL FIRE, N.M. -- U.S. Marine 1st Lt. Victor David Westphal III died in May 1968. After Westphal's death, his parents began the construction of the Vietnam Veterans Peace and Brotherhood Chapel in Angel Fire.

The chapel was built to be an enduring symbol of the tragedy and futility of war, and it has become a place where people come from near and far to look for peace.

Earl Watters came from Rio Rancho. For him, this place is personal.

"Well, the first thing that comes to mind is all those who lost their lives," he said.

Nearly 60,000 servicemen and servicewomen lost their lives fighting in Vietnam. The memorial in Angel Fire was the first of its kind in the country to honor those Americans.

Allan Ford and his family came from Pensacola, Florida to Angel Fire. He remembers those who gave so much, and especially those who gave everything.

"A lot of my buds, Army buds, were all Vietnam veterans," he said. "They got nothing when they got home, so something like this it's very meaningful to them, very meaningful."

The Angel Fire chapel was created 11 years before the memorial in Washington. But surprisingly, it's only been in recent years folks have come to acknowledge that war. All those years ago, Watters remembers coming back with no welcome home at all.
read more here