Grab a tissue before you watch this.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Supreme Court gets papers in Snyder lawsuit against Westboro
Supreme Court gets papers in Snyder lawsuit
By Jessica Gresko - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday May 25, 2010 17:36:54 EDT
WASHINGTON — The father of a Marine killed in Iraq says anti-gay protesters who showed up with inflammatory signs at his son’s funeral in Maryland should not be given blanket protection by the Constitution.
Attorneys for Albert Snyder submitted a 67-page brief Monday in their case now before the U.S. Supreme Court. The attorneys argued that the First Amendment does not fully protect the protesters because they infringed on Snyder’s own rights to peacefully assemble with family and friends for the funeral.
Snyder, a Pennsylvania resident, is challenging the protests held by the fundamentalist Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas. Westboro pastor Fred Phelps and other members — many of them Phelps’ family members — have become well-known for their funeral protests, which they have used to advertise their belief that U.S. Iraq war deaths are punishment for the nation’s tolerance of homosexuality.
read more here
Supreme Court gets papers in Snyder lawsuit
By Jessica Gresko - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday May 25, 2010 17:36:54 EDT
WASHINGTON — The father of a Marine killed in Iraq says anti-gay protesters who showed up with inflammatory signs at his son’s funeral in Maryland should not be given blanket protection by the Constitution.
Attorneys for Albert Snyder submitted a 67-page brief Monday in their case now before the U.S. Supreme Court. The attorneys argued that the First Amendment does not fully protect the protesters because they infringed on Snyder’s own rights to peacefully assemble with family and friends for the funeral.
Snyder, a Pennsylvania resident, is challenging the protests held by the fundamentalist Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas. Westboro pastor Fred Phelps and other members — many of them Phelps’ family members — have become well-known for their funeral protests, which they have used to advertise their belief that U.S. Iraq war deaths are punishment for the nation’s tolerance of homosexuality.
read more here
Supreme Court gets papers in Snyder lawsuit
NC man charged with posing as officer again
NC man charged with posing as officer again
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday May 25, 2010 14:10:08 EDT
WILMINGTON, N.C. — A man who pleaded guilty last year to altering an identification card after he was spotted in the uniform of a three-star Marine general has been charged again with posing as a highly decorated Marine officer.
Sixty-seven-year-old Michael Hamilton of Richlands was charged last week with wearing a Marine colonel’s uniform and three counts of wearing medals, including two Navy Crosses, the second highest award for valor, according to court papers.
Hamilton was photographed wearing the uniform and medals at Jacksonville’s Vietnam Memorial during a military recognition day ceremony last month.
read more here
NC man charged with posing as officer again
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday May 25, 2010 14:10:08 EDT
WILMINGTON, N.C. — A man who pleaded guilty last year to altering an identification card after he was spotted in the uniform of a three-star Marine general has been charged again with posing as a highly decorated Marine officer.
Sixty-seven-year-old Michael Hamilton of Richlands was charged last week with wearing a Marine colonel’s uniform and three counts of wearing medals, including two Navy Crosses, the second highest award for valor, according to court papers.
Hamilton was photographed wearing the uniform and medals at Jacksonville’s Vietnam Memorial during a military recognition day ceremony last month.
read more here
NC man charged with posing as officer again
Community mourns fallen soldier
Community mourns fallen soldier
BY ELIZABETHE HOLLAND
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
05/23/2010
COTTLEVILLE — Church bells tolled and a massive American flag fluttered in the breeze Saturday as motorcyclists in leather vests stood in salute and soldiers in dress blues delivered the casket holding Sgt. Denis Kisseloff's body to an awaiting hearse.
They were among scores of people — nuns, Girls Scouts, Boy Scouts, firefighters and others — who probably didn't know Kisseloff, of St. Charles, but came to pay their respects as his body made its way from his funeral service in St. Charles County to his gravesite in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery
read more here
Community mourns fallen soldier
BY ELIZABETHE HOLLAND
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
05/23/2010
COTTLEVILLE — Church bells tolled and a massive American flag fluttered in the breeze Saturday as motorcyclists in leather vests stood in salute and soldiers in dress blues delivered the casket holding Sgt. Denis Kisseloff's body to an awaiting hearse.
They were among scores of people — nuns, Girls Scouts, Boy Scouts, firefighters and others — who probably didn't know Kisseloff, of St. Charles, but came to pay their respects as his body made its way from his funeral service in St. Charles County to his gravesite in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery
read more here
Community mourns fallen soldier
Feds urged to recover Marines killed in WWII battle
Memorial Day is coming again and it seemed like a good time to bring this up. I am still searching for where my husband's uncle is buried. I came across this. There are many of our fallen buried in other countries and we have a feeling my husband's uncle is one of them. I know several were returned and buried at Arlington.
Friday August 17, 2001:
WWII Marines Buried at Arlington
Playing "Onward! Christian Soldiers,'' the Marine Band marched Friday along the twisting paths of Arlington National Cemetery to the open grave sites of 13 World War II Marines whose remains had lain nearly 60 years in a mass grave on a South Pacific battlefield.
The full honors ceremony marked the homecoming of 2nd Raider Battalion Marines killed during a 1942 raid on Makin Atoll in the Gilbert Islands.
The battalion destroyed most of its target, a Japanese seaplane base. But, hurriedly departing under fire from hostile aircraft, they were unable to carry away their dead.read more here
It would be a great thing to bring them all home or at least find out where they are.
Feds urged to recover Marines killed in WWII battle
From wire service reports
Posted: 09/15/2009 10:26:27 PM PDT
U.S. Marines hunker down for protection against fierce Japanese fire on the beaches of Tarawa during World War II.
The county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday announced a plan to urge the Department of Defense to recover the bodies of hundreds of Marines killed in the World War II battle of Tarawa, left in temporary graves where they fought and died more than 65 years ago.
The unanimous vote to send a letter to Congressional representatives, seeking legislation and funding for a recovery effort, came in tandem with the presentation of an honorary scroll to Leon Cooper.
Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky asked the board to bestow the honor and proposed the letter.
Cooper is a veteran of the Tarawa campaign and five other Pacific battles, including Iwo Jima. His documentary, "Return to Tarawa: The Leon Cooper Story," narrated by Ed Harris, calls on the U.S. government to honor the memory of the dead who fought on Red Beach in Tarawa.
"Our government has done nothing since 1943 to recover and repatriate these brave Americans who gave their lives in defense of our freedom," Cooper stated.
During 76 hours of combat, 1,106 Marines were killed and 2,200 wounded. Of those killed, 118 were buried at sea, 88 were listed as missing in action and the remainder were buried in temporary graves.
The Department of Defense acknowledges that 25,000 to 30,000 bodies of men "missing in action" are recoverable, but fewer than 100 are brought home each year, Cooper said.
http://www.dailybreeze.com/latestnews/ci_13346176
The 4th Marine Division landed on Saipan 15 June 1944. The severity of this battle was indicated by the 2,000 casualties suffered in the first two days of battle. The Flag was raised on Saipan after 25 grueling and bitter days of combat. The Division sustained 5,981 casualties killed, wounded and missing. This represented 27.6 percent of the Division's strength. The Japanese count was 23,811 known dead and 1,810 prisoners were taken.
http://gyrenesgungho.com/history.htm
Lest We Forget
Op-Ed for Memorial Day: Lest We Forget
Written by Linda Seebeth
Monday, 24 May 2010 09:00
May 20, 2010, Issaquah, Washington (Issaquah Reporter Editorial) - Memorial Day became a national day of remembrance thanks to the efforts of wives and mothers of fallen soldiers. Civil War widows lobbied for years until Memorial Day - originally Decoration Day - was officially proclaimed in 1868.
Those women lost loved ones and didn’t want the rest of the United States to forget the painful costs of war.
Today, just as back then, our veterans and their families primarily carry the enormous burden of war for the rest of society.
Memorial Day is commemorated one day a year, yet many of our fellow Americans live Memorial Day every day of their lives.
This I know, because when I married my husband, in many ways I married Vietnam.
Forty-one years ago, John was a young soldier filled with the idealism of youth. He was a medic and volunteered to fly aboard helicopter ambulances. Unarmed Army medevacs- Dustoff had the highest casualty rate of all aeronautical units in Vietnam.
After nine months of flying rescue missions, John took a hit from an AK-47. Today, he still breathes and speaks from a hole in his neck - a daily reminder of the gunshot wound he received in Vietnam.
Every war causes loss of life and limb. And every war creates disabled veterans with lifelong physical challenges.
While treating the wounded, John saw sights in the chopper’s cargo bay that no one would ever want to see - and no one could easily forget. He doesn’t want to remember the pleading, frightened eyes of grotesquely wounded soldiers or the whimpering of dying Vietnamese children.
But those memories are etched deep inside him. I have learned that war does not always end when the warrior comes home.
He’s not the same Johnny anymore.
go here for more
http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/index.php/veterans-category-articles/1715-linda-seebeth
also on Veterans For Common Sense
Written by Linda Seebeth
Monday, 24 May 2010 09:00
May 20, 2010, Issaquah, Washington (Issaquah Reporter Editorial) - Memorial Day became a national day of remembrance thanks to the efforts of wives and mothers of fallen soldiers. Civil War widows lobbied for years until Memorial Day - originally Decoration Day - was officially proclaimed in 1868.
Those women lost loved ones and didn’t want the rest of the United States to forget the painful costs of war.
Today, just as back then, our veterans and their families primarily carry the enormous burden of war for the rest of society.
Memorial Day is commemorated one day a year, yet many of our fellow Americans live Memorial Day every day of their lives.
This I know, because when I married my husband, in many ways I married Vietnam.
Forty-one years ago, John was a young soldier filled with the idealism of youth. He was a medic and volunteered to fly aboard helicopter ambulances. Unarmed Army medevacs- Dustoff had the highest casualty rate of all aeronautical units in Vietnam.
After nine months of flying rescue missions, John took a hit from an AK-47. Today, he still breathes and speaks from a hole in his neck - a daily reminder of the gunshot wound he received in Vietnam.
Every war causes loss of life and limb. And every war creates disabled veterans with lifelong physical challenges.
While treating the wounded, John saw sights in the chopper’s cargo bay that no one would ever want to see - and no one could easily forget. He doesn’t want to remember the pleading, frightened eyes of grotesquely wounded soldiers or the whimpering of dying Vietnamese children.
But those memories are etched deep inside him. I have learned that war does not always end when the warrior comes home.
He’s not the same Johnny anymore.
go here for more
http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/index.php/veterans-category-articles/1715-linda-seebeth
also on Veterans For Common Sense
VCS Invited to Testify Before Congress
Our pro-veteran advocacy continues to be recognized by Congress
. On Tuesday, June 15, 2010, Veterans for Common Sense will be honored to testify before the House Veterans' Affairs Committee regarding the "State of the Veterans Benefits Administration."
Yes, that means VCS will be offering our suggestions on how to fix the broken and overwhelmed VBA. We support VBA staff who are trying their best under difficult circumstances and burdensome rules.
VCS also hopes help is on the horizon.
We recently asked VA when it would publish final regulations to streamline and modernize PTSD claims. VA replied the agency is still working on new regulations. We hope they come out soon. The longer it takes VA to write new rules based on new scientific evidence, then the longer veterans wait for healthcare and benefits.
For a sample of what we plan to say to Congress about VBA, please visit our new program web site http://www.fixva.org/.
This week's update is mostly about veterans' issues.
Here's a news clip providing an example of why VA urgently needs reform. Journalist Michael Sedon at NorthJersey.com reports on the plight of an Iraq War veteran facing multiple VA challenges. Please read the article and see how VCS is fighting for research and treatment for illnesses related to exposure to depleted uranium, a radioactive toxic waste.
Gulf War veteran and Army Times investigative reporter Kelly Kennedy reveals how PTSD may harm veterans' immune system.
Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), who sits in the important Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, is quoted in by the Fayetteville Observer describing VA as having "a culture of no" when it comes to veterans' benefits.
Even other top government officials recognize VA is held back by old, inadequate technology. In an article by Eliot Van Buskirk for Wired Magazine, President Obama's chief information officer Vivek Kundra says VA poses a challenge to itself and veterans because VA uses such outdated technology.
Tenn. Iraq vet’s statue vandalized again
Tenn. Iraq vet’s statue vandalized again
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday May 25, 2010 10:22:16 EDT
MARTIN, Tenn. — A statue memorializing a Martin soldier has fallen victim to vandals for the second time in two years.
The statue was erected in honor of Dustin Laird, who was killed in 2005 in Iraq only a month before he was scheduled to return home.
In 2008, two people from Martin were convicted of vandalism after confessing to painting a skull over the statue's face and dousing it with red paint to simulate blood.
According to radio station WCMT, the head and arms were broken off over the weekend.
Dustin's father, Billy Laird, plans to replace his son's memorial soon.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/05/ap_statue_vandalized_052510/
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday May 25, 2010 10:22:16 EDT
MARTIN, Tenn. — A statue memorializing a Martin soldier has fallen victim to vandals for the second time in two years.
The statue was erected in honor of Dustin Laird, who was killed in 2005 in Iraq only a month before he was scheduled to return home.
In 2008, two people from Martin were convicted of vandalism after confessing to painting a skull over the statue's face and dousing it with red paint to simulate blood.
According to radio station WCMT, the head and arms were broken off over the weekend.
Dustin's father, Billy Laird, plans to replace his son's memorial soon.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/05/ap_statue_vandalized_052510/
Wainwright GI told to remove Facebook video
Wainwright GI told to remove Facebook video
ANCHORAGE, Alaska
An Alaska-based soldier is under investigation for a video on his Facebook page that taunts smiling Iraqi children by asking if they're gay, if they engage in certain sex acts and if they would grow up to be terrorists.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska
An Alaska-based soldier is under investigation for a video on his Facebook page that taunts smiling Iraqi children by asking if they're gay, if they engage in certain sex acts and if they would grow up to be terrorists.
U.S. soldiers focus of criminal investigation
Sources: U.S. soldiers focus of criminal investigation
WASHINGTON — At least 10 U.S. Army soldiers from an already-troubled unit of the 2nd Infantry Division in southern Afghanistan are now the focus of a criminal investigation into allegations they deliberately killed three Afghan civilians, used illegal drugs and conducted other illicit activities, several military sources told CNN.
The soldiers are part of the 5th Stryker Brigade of the 2ID, based out of Fort Lewis, Washington, said the sources, who declined to be identified because the military has not named those under investigation.
The military issued a brief statement last week saying a criminal probe was under way into the allegations of killing, illegal drug use, assault and conspiracy. One military official familiar with the details of the case told CNN the matter was brought to the attention of commanders by at least one other soldier. The killings of the three civilians did not take place in one single incident, the official said.
Those under investigation are members of the same company, the official said. All 10 remain in Afghanistan. One soldier is being held in detention known as "pre-trial confinement." The others have been "put in a position where they can do no harm," the official said. He would offer no other details.
read more here
U.S. soldiers focus of criminal investigation
WASHINGTON — At least 10 U.S. Army soldiers from an already-troubled unit of the 2nd Infantry Division in southern Afghanistan are now the focus of a criminal investigation into allegations they deliberately killed three Afghan civilians, used illegal drugs and conducted other illicit activities, several military sources told CNN.
The soldiers are part of the 5th Stryker Brigade of the 2ID, based out of Fort Lewis, Washington, said the sources, who declined to be identified because the military has not named those under investigation.
The military issued a brief statement last week saying a criminal probe was under way into the allegations of killing, illegal drug use, assault and conspiracy. One military official familiar with the details of the case told CNN the matter was brought to the attention of commanders by at least one other soldier. The killings of the three civilians did not take place in one single incident, the official said.
Those under investigation are members of the same company, the official said. All 10 remain in Afghanistan. One soldier is being held in detention known as "pre-trial confinement." The others have been "put in a position where they can do no harm," the official said. He would offer no other details.
read more here
U.S. soldiers focus of criminal investigation
Community, Soldiers and Red Sox Foundation team up to help veterans
Community, Soldiers and Red Sox Foundation team up to help veterans
May 24, 2010
By John Harlow/USAG-Natick Public Affairs Officer
BOSTON -- On a sunny morning in Boston, more than 2,000 runners gathered on Yawkey Way outside of Fenway Park to run nine kilometers with the finish line being one of the most famous spots in Boston... home plate of Fenway Park.
The Boston Red Sox Foundation hosted the run to raise money supporting The Home Base program which helps veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who are suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI).
The Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr. was on hand to welcome the runners, thank them for what they are doing to help our wounded warriors and congratulate them when they crossed home plate. Casey is very familiar with the area, having graduated from Boston College High School in Dorchester, Mass.
"This run is very important to our servicemembers," said Casey. "We are working to reduce the stigma of asking for help which is half our battle. Once we reduce the stigma, we can help Soldiers recover."
The Red Sox Foundation partners with Massachusetts General Hospital for The Home Base Program. The event on Sunday raised $2.4 million to support research for PTSD and TBI.
read more here
Community, Soldiers and Red Sox Foundation team up to help veterans
May 24, 2010
By John Harlow/USAG-Natick Public Affairs Officer
BOSTON -- On a sunny morning in Boston, more than 2,000 runners gathered on Yawkey Way outside of Fenway Park to run nine kilometers with the finish line being one of the most famous spots in Boston... home plate of Fenway Park.
The Boston Red Sox Foundation hosted the run to raise money supporting The Home Base program which helps veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who are suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI).
The Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr. was on hand to welcome the runners, thank them for what they are doing to help our wounded warriors and congratulate them when they crossed home plate. Casey is very familiar with the area, having graduated from Boston College High School in Dorchester, Mass.
"This run is very important to our servicemembers," said Casey. "We are working to reduce the stigma of asking for help which is half our battle. Once we reduce the stigma, we can help Soldiers recover."
The Red Sox Foundation partners with Massachusetts General Hospital for The Home Base Program. The event on Sunday raised $2.4 million to support research for PTSD and TBI.
read more here
Community, Soldiers and Red Sox Foundation team up to help veterans
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