A serious post here. This past holiday event, Independence Day, got me to think a different way than I ever have before. I want to open your eyes as well. Everyone needs to be aware, and considerate, and think about it some.
July 4 every year our nation celebrates our Independence Day with BBQ and beer and fireworks. If nothing else, Fireworks is the one thing almost everyone participates in. The cities spend lots of money and put on great fireworks shows. It's beautiful to watch them light up the sky.
Something we need to realize is, the fireworks are loud. They make loud BOOM noises. The noises sounds like guns and bombs going off if you might be living in another country that you hear that noise often. For me, it sounds like fireworks. For the one I love, it gave him flashbacks to the war he has been fighting since he joined the Army in 2002. I never thought about the affects our fireworks, our normal traditions on American Soil affect our military men and woman. I looked into it a little, and found this article: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/4th-july-fireworks-nightmare-shell-shocked-war-veterans/story?id=19554318#.UdmXZ9iXuSo
Once I realized that the noises I was taking for granted, enjoying, made him feel the way it did, it put the fireworks in a whole new perspective. I was no longer enjoying this beautiful site, yet having my own 'flashbacks' of what it might be like for our men and women who are in the middle of this 10-year war and what they may be dealing with. As someone who will never go to war, I will never fully understand, but this can put it in some perspective...
On President's Day, most businesses were closed. State, government, and banks all closed. I work for a bank. While our actual bank was closed, all 650 employees that work for my bank did not get to have a day off. Instead, we had an all-day meeting, that occurs every other year on President's Day. It's a way for employees to socialize, meet people we wouldn't normally get a chance to meet, and learn some new stuff. This year's event was titled "Improving Lives". We had 3 guest speakers: One lady from a vendor we contract with to talk about our 401K benefits we might be eligible for, as well as better ways to save/budget our money. Another guest speaker was another lady who talked to us about managing our time. Learning how to organize our time on-and off the clock. How to help prioritize so we can get the maximum time out of enjoying life as possible. The other guest speaker is the one that had the most meaning. He made many people tear up (of course, not me. I'm tough :P ) His talk was to teach people the beautiful way of looking at life, "Adapt and Overcome". Most people have plans for their future, their dreams, wants and desires. Often, our plans are interrupted by the unexpected. We have to learn to accept what is thrown at us and learn to go with it. Don't let it bring you down because what you originally thought you wanted is now unachievable.
Do you watch Dancing with the Stars? Our guest speaker won on Dancing with the Stars recently. HE also is an actor. Starred in an episode of Army Wives as a Soldier with PTSD and war wounds. He also began what was supposed to be a 3-month stint on All My Children as a soldier who came home with war wounds as well. His 3-month stint turned into a 3 year role. In 2002, this man joined the US Army. Do you recognize him?
Probably not in this picture. J. R. Martinez his his name. He is an American Hero. An Iraqi War Veteran. Recipient of the Purple Heart. just 7 months after joining the Army, he was driving a Hum-vee that ran over an IED. The 3 people in his vehicle with him were ejected, and walked away with minor scratches. J.R. became trapped in the car, which had exploded. Two of his SGTs' pulled him out, and he suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns on nearly 1/2 of his body. He has an amazing outlook on life, even though his dreams were shattered and his plans were drastically changed. You may recognize him better from his more recent images:
J.R. is a beautiful person, inside and out. I was so honored to meet an American Hero.
If you know me, you know that I have a huge heart for the military. I've always backed them and supported in any way that I know how. I have a lot of friends that have, or are currently, deployed right now fighting, so that I don't have to. and for that, I am always thankful for their sacrifices.
On May 11, 2012, a Marine, Sgt. Wade Wilson of Leona, Tx was Killed in Action in Afghanistan. Leona is not too far from here. I never met him, but it doesn't mean this is any less heartbreaking to me. He was 24 years old. this past Friday, May 18, his body was flown into a nearby city, and then transported to Centerville, Tx for his funeral, that would be on May 19th. Many people gathered at the airport he was flown into, and caravanned up to Centerville. My city, along with a few others en route to his destination, gathered in honor of him. Our police, along with the fire department, blocked off one of the overpasses above the major highway that Sgt. Wilson would be transported through, and there, people gathered with American flags to cheer, or mourn, his homecoming. In all honesty, I wish we did this for EVERY military, EVERY time they came home, not just when they lay down their life. The caravan definitely brought tears to my eyes, to see the number of police, motorcyclists, and just cars in general driving the road with Sgt. Wilson. Paying their respects the best we know how. I was driving the opposite direction they were, so I had a descent view of what was going on.
Sgt. Wilson's friends made a few youtube videos of him as well: very touching.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
I’ve decided to do something on occasion, just to remind us to never forget. How soon we forget about the unseen.
Honoring our Heroes is something most of us often don’t think about, or don’t want to think about. I feel like we need to be aware of the statistics and of each person who gave their life for us.
This is my first post on this, so I would like to share a video with you. Seana is an amazing, strong woman, mother to adorable Alston, who lost her husband far too early, like many other women in this country. Josh Gracin dedicated a song to her fallen Hero, Ofren.
So far, in the month of August, statistics show we have lost 70 men and women, and CNN lists the names, and their information on their website here.
There were no KIA’s in Iraq for August.
KIA in Afghanistan:
Spc .Dennis James Jr., Spc. Kevin R. Shumaker, Sgt.Barry John Weston, Sgt. Rezo Beridze, Spc .Douglas Jay Green, Pfc .Alberto Lustre Obod Jr., Spc. Michael Christopher Roberts, Sgt. Devin James Daniels, Sgt. Colby Lee Richmond, Pfc. Brandon Scott Mullins, Pfc. Jesse Wayne Dietrich, Sgt. Andrew Robert Tobin, 1st Lt. Timothy James Steele, Pvt. Matthew Lambert, Pfc. Douglas Leonard Cordo, Cpl. Douglas Grant, Lance Cpl. Travis Michael Nelson, Spc. Dennis Gregory Jensen, Spc. Joshua Michael Seals, 1st Lt.Damon Thomas Leehan, Lt. Camille Levrel, Sgt. Matthew Allen Harmon, Spc. Joseph Andrew VanDreumel, 2nd Lt. Joe Lee Cunningham, Lt. Daniel John Clack, Master Sgt. Charles Levan Price III, Pfc.Rueben Jesus Lopez, Spc.Jordan Matthew Morris, Master Cpl .Facrou Housseini Ali, Sgt. Edward J. Frank II, Spc. Patrick Lewis Lay II, Hospitalman Ryley Gallinger-Long, Spc. Jameel Talib Freeman, Cpl. Nicholas Stephen Ott, Sgt. Alessandro Leonard Plutino, Cpl. Kisan Bahadur Thapa, Sgt. Adan Gonzales Jr., Sgt. Joshua James Robinson, Lance Cpl. Gerardus Jansen, Spc. Spencer Colson Duncan, Sgt. Daniel James Patron, Chief Petty Officer Robert James Reeves, Senior Chief Petty Officer Kraig Michael Kaleolani Vickers, Chief Petty Officer Stephen Matthew Mills, Staff Sgt. Patrick Douglas Hamburger, Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher George Campbell, Chief Warrant Officer 4David R. Carter, Petty Officer 1st Class John Douangdara, Tech. Sgt. Daniel Lee Zerbe, Chief Petty Officer John Weston Faas, Chief Petty OfficerNicholas Heath Null, Tech. Sgt. John William Brown, Senior Chief Petty Officer Thomas Arthur Ratzlaff, Petty Officer 1st Class Jon Thomas Tumilson, Master Chief Petty Officer Louis James Langlais, Staff Sgt. Andrew William Harvell, Petty Officer 2nd Class Nicholas Patrick Spehar, Lt. Cmdr. Jonas B. Kelsall, Petty Officer 1st Class Jesse Daryl Pittman, Petty Officer 1st Class Darrik Carlyle Benson, Chief Petty Officer Matthew David Mason, Chief Warrant Officer Bryan J. Nichols, Petty Officer 1st Class Jared William Day, Petty Officer 1st Class Jason Ray Workman, Petty Officer 1st Class Aaron Carson Vaughn, Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Joseph Strange, Chief Petty Officer Heath Michael Robinson, Chief Petty Officer Brian Robert Bill, Sgt. Alexander James Bennett, Chief Petty Officer Kevin Arthur Houston, Spc. Jinsu Lee, Spc. Mark Jordon Downer, Marine James Robert Wright, Sgt. Daniel David Gurr, Sgt. Anthony Del Mar Peterson, Capt. Waid Charles Ramsey, Pfc. Gil Isaiah Morales Del Valle, Sgt. Barun Rai, Pfc. Cody Glen Baker, Staff Sgt. Kirk Avery Owen, Staff Sgt. Leon Horace Lucas Jr.
