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The Joy of Giving: Memorial Day Parade
This weekend I heard TAPS. It had been a few months since I last heard it and I had no idea the emotion would flow. (TAPS: Wordless-Wednesday) But Memorial Day is a day to celebrate the memory of our war veterans and that we did! Getting ready to march in our Community Parade The joy of givingOur decorated ‘Float’ for the parade Two of my boys and their own hero, their dad The Kocsis-crew marched (or strolled) in a parade, showed the boys the joy of giving over receiving (you can’t catch candy in a parade if you are the one throwing it), talked about what Memorial Day is really about with the kids, had…
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Posthumous Silver Star to be presented to the family of U-2 Pilot, Captain Gary Francis Powers on Friday
“Best Father’s Day Present Ever” Capt Gary Powers – See Below for photo creditsWhat does a Silver Star presentation have to do with Father’s Day? To the Power’s family, Friday is a correction to history, a heritage that can be reflected on with pride and a celebration of a father who was a Cold War hero. Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz will present a posthumous decoration to the U-2 pilot who was shot down over the Soviet Union on May 1, 1960. On Wednesday, we spoke with Gary Powers, Jr about the upcoming ceremony and how it had impacted his family during a DoDLive Blogger Roundtable. The…
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Recognizing another Vietnam Hero – Specialist Leslie Sabo earns Posthumous Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor was posthumously awarded by the President of the United States to U.S. Army Specialist Leslie Sabo killed while saving the lives of his friends and fellow soldiers on May 10th, 1970. The Blogger Roundtable spoke with members of his company and platoon to discuss the events which led to Sabo receiving the Medal of Honor – 42 Years after he was killed. They talked about his heroics on that day after they were ambushed in eastern Cambodia. Accepting the award was Sabo’s widow, Rose Mary Sabo-Brown. The Sabos had been married during his short leave from Advanced Infantry Training (AIT) and honeymooned during 30 days of…
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‘Muffins for Mom’ and the Super-Teacher
This morning I had the distinct pleasure of joining my 1st grader in his class room for ‘Muffins for Mom’. A Mother’s Day celebration with his classmates. What an honor! We walked down the hall hand in hand before the school day started. We enjoyed muffins and juice (my juice of choice was coffee), artwork and tic tac toe, smiles and hugs. A mother could not ask for a better way to start the day! Let me tell you about Mrs G, C’s first grade teacher, a beautiful example of a teacher there to help her students shine. Before the first grade year started an acquaintance and I were at the park talking. …
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Mother’s Day Greetings in the Stars and Stripes
When we think about soldiers, sailors, marines, coasties, airmen on Mother’s Day we most often think about the mom sitting back at home hoping their Hero is safe and out of harm’s way. Not often do we think about that Hero thinking of her own children who are back home and missing them to pieces. But it is true. Women comprise 200,888 or 14.3 percent of the DoD Active Duty force. (She Serves, too) I’m sure they could use a message of support this upcoming Mother’s Day! Once again Stars and Stripes is printing messages in their overseas additions for our loved ones! When my husband was in Iraq my…
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Captain Barry Crawford, another American Hero! DoD Blogger Roundtable
Today is a big day for an American hero. Captain Barry Crawford will be receiving the nation’s second highest award for combat valor – the Air Force Cross (each service has an equivalent). In front of friends, his special tactics team members, fellow military personnel and distinguished visitors, Captain Crawford will be recognized for his heroism on the battlefield in Afghanistan. His coolness under fire helped deliver ordnance from the skies to assist his special operations team and Afghan commandos and prevented them from being overrun! The Air Force special tactics officer is credited with saving many Afghan and US soldiers’ lives during that pitched 12 hour battle for control…
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Blogger Friends! and more on Veterans Day this Year
Quest 35 Service ProjectMilitaryAvenue is always looking for new resources for our military community! Last Friday, on Veterans Day, I met some patriots and fellow bloggers who I think you might find interesting and helpful. Enthused, caring and smart, their excitement could be felt during our get together and the project. Hard working too! So they have information to share and stories to tell that just might get you over a hump day or help finish that bathroom project you have been waiting to get started on! First, I am not a real handy DIY (Do it Yourself) guy. Maybe it was all the military moves and short stays at…
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“Life is Not Over When Injured” – One “Heroes at Home” Veteran Shares
He refused their help not once … twice … but three times… before saying yes. Why? “Others needed it more”. … It was a simple announcement on his part but I heard the caring attitude underneath of a medic, taking care of others first had always been part of him, but now he needed some help. Sgt Johnny Agpi was the 1,000th veteran who received help from the Sears Heroes at Home and Rebuilding Together program. After talking to his fellow Army veteran, Tom Aiello about the efforts to rebuild Johnny’s home yesterday I wrote about those helping our veterans, “Heroes at Home Helping Veterans One at a Time”. I…
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“They Helped Me Up” Staff Sergeant Eddie Peoples – DoD Blogger’s Roundtable
Staff Sergeant Eddie PeoplesHow do I start? This story is about one of our own, a hero for wearing his country’s uniform, a “Defender” in his one words and certainly a model for caring! United States Army Staff Sergeant Eddie Peoples came home on leave from Vicenza, Italy with his family to care for and see his ill father who had had a stroke. Stopping in the branch of the Sarasota, Florida Bank of America, he saw a robbery “go down” and elected to get involved! More defending to do and children to protect (two of his own were with him), he described himself as on call 24 hours a…
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Closure
Closure, “A feeling of finality or resolution, especially after a traumatic experience.” I don’t know about you but I’m not necessarily feeling much closure even with Osama Bin Laden’s death. Don’t get me wrong, his death is a victory. His death is a step that needed to happen. His death is a step in this war-on-terror. But is the war-on-terror closed? Are we safe? Is life back to the way it was before 9/11? I’m thinking not. We had a family vacation this past week to Washington DC where we spent a bit of time touring the monuments and memorials around the city. I was still pretty freaked out every time I looked up to see an airplane…
