The Changing of the Guard ~ The Final Walk

The Final Walk of the Sergeant of the Guard
at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Sgt. 1st Class Alfred Lanier, Sergeant of the Guard, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,
lays a rose at the Tomb in remembrance of his final walk on June 25.
Sentinels lay roses signifying leaving the Tomb,
and the love they have for the job and the Unknown

Thank you for your service.

Hat Tip to MD Conservative for sharing this story --- http://ci-report.blogspot.com/

June 14 ~ Flag Day

Flag Day ~ June 14

O'er the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave

Fort McHenry

The sight that inspired Francis Scott Key

to write the poem

The Star-Spangled Banner

Iwo Jima - Marine Memorial





The Flag at Arlington House
Arlington National Cemetery





The Flag at the National Archives

The 50 Flags of the States

Washinton Monument

Fredricksburg National Cemetery

The Flag at the Stonewall Jackson Shrine

The site where he died.

Flag at Petersen Gardens in Oregon

Mr. Petersen scoured the desert for rocks and glass and built some incredible stuctures from them. This flag has 48 stars.

World War II Memorial

Flag at Fort Meade Parade Grounds

Flag at Vietnam War Memorial

Pueblo, Colorado

Flag at the Painted Hills

John Day National Monument

Flag at Home

Summer and Winter


Photos from my personal collection and travels

Arlington National Cemetery ~ Chaos and Sorrow

For anyone who has ever been to Arlington National Cemetery, there is a majesty and a sense of walking through legend that you can not capture with a camera.

Most people hop the bus, ride to the 'key points', reflect a bit on those neat guys at the Tomb of the Unknowns, the big house on the hill - the Lee House, and the eternal flame on the Kennedy shrine. A few of us actually walk the roads. We see areas of the Cemetery that are rarely seen. We see the numerous plaques and monuments that are constructed through out the Cemetery - like this POW plaque - that commemorate so many aspects of our history.

We start to feel the numbers of graves... the numbers of men and women who have served our country honorably. And, it doesn't take long before you realize that most who are buried here lived long and productive lives. Those who have fallen in battle are a smaller number, but a number that strikes your heart with profound sorrow and pride, and, for this American, deep gratitude. Wisely, they are buried together.

The last time I was there, they pointed out the section that held the fallen from Vietnam. That was new - the mentioning that is. As the years have faded the remembrances of Vietnam, we can now speak of it. I never stopped thinking about or remembering Vietnam and I knew where the section was. It is a section that I visit each time I go there, for I have someone there. I have been the weepy person standing there.

Now it has been discovered that Arlington National Cemetery has been stricken with shame caused by careless errors. A shame that occurs at every cemetery - whether it is military, public or private. It is caused by carelessness, illiteracy and an attitude of disdain towards both the living and the dead. It happens all of the time and it happens everywhere. It should NEVER happen anywhere. But, it does. The worst part is, short of disinterring each casket and testing the DNA, when do you call it resolved? For cremains, there is no testing. The only path to resolution is to trust those who have proven themselves unworthy.

While Arlington was burying people in the wrong places and tossing urns of cremains into the fill dirt, people were trusting that care was being given to each casket and urn. Lovely people were comforting the family and securing the trust. I believe that they were as naive as the rest of us. I believe that nothing nefarious was going on behind the scenes. I believe that lax attitudes create chaos and it merged into the perfect storm in Arlington.

Arlington National Cemetery is not the largest of our military cemeteries, but it is the best known. It is the shining star. It is the home of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers and the Old Guard - what can be more honorable that that? It is the place we think of when a military burial occurs. It is a place we all believed in.

I have been subjected to a 'misplaced' burial and a 'misplaced' headstone of a family member. To this day, I have no way of knowing if it was correctly resolved --- I had to trust the untrustworthy. As families are worrying and calling to get an answer, knowing that each call brings yet another answer, often conflicting with the last, the pain that sets in is overwhelming. I felt it again, all these years later, just reading about this. My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends who are trying so hard to find resolution. I pray that they get the resolution they are entitled to.



For the people who are annoyed that I pointed out that it happens everywhere - the day you think that a fallen soldier or old vet is ranked by which cemetery he is buried in, we have truly lost our ethos - our fundamental values and concerns for one another. You can find military headstones in every cemetery in this country and in many foreign countries. I will never try to judge the young widow standing over a grave in Spokane or a mother standing over a grave in Idaho as being less in pain than those standing in Arlington. I am grateful to each of them - those who fell while serving and those who lived a long life after serving - where ever they are buried.

My concern is that we consistently bury them with the honor they deserve.

Memorial Day 2010

Memorial Day
commemorates U.S. soldiers who died while in military service.

No, it isn't about putting flowers on Aunt Sarah's grave --- though people do it. Our local cemeteries look like they got smacked by the plastic flower fairy.

No, it isn't about thanking living members of our military, though you will see feeble and mostly insincere attempts at that.

No, it isn't about remembering veterans, living and dead, though this is what normally happens. That, friends, is called Veteran's Day.

No, it isn't about the National Guard NASCAR, as their PAO keeps telling people.

And, NO, there should never be a greeting of "Happy Memorial Day"

Across the country today, cemeteries are covered in plastic flowers on graves of people who may never have known someone who served. The Boy Scouts, VFW and other organizations have placed flags on the graves of the people who were veterans. The local cemeteries are full of flags.

In most cemeteries, the graves that Memorial Day are about are just a few in the many.

Over the years I have written much about Memorial Day. Some day, I may even tell my most significant Memorial Day story, but this is not the year.

I have written about FLAGS IN at Arlington

I have written about Punchbowl National Cemetery where I spent every Memorial Day of my youth.

I have written about the Gold Star and the Blue Star

I have written about the Poppies

I have written about the American Cemeteries Abroad

I have shared Ben Stein's amazing speech "They Did God's Work"

I have written much about Rolling Thunder - you'll have to search for that one - or you can click on the tag Memorial Day and see all of my posts.

I have written about the fallen - told their stories.

We have lost friends and neighbors over the years. People who stepped forward and said, "Send Me" --- they are missed everyday, but especially today we think of them.... those we knew and those we did not.

On this solemn day - think of those who gave their lives for us, for this idea of America - think of those they left behind who hurt everyday, but especially today.

May They Walk with God - May We Ever Remember

Forty-five-year-old; Sgt. Maj. Robert J. Cottle, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, pays tribute to one of his fallen Marines on March 8, 2010 at South Station, Helmand province, Afghanistan.

A little more than two weeks later, Cottle, a seven-year active-duty veteran and high-ranking SWAT officer for the Los Angeles Police Department, was struck by a roadside bomb killing him and 19 year old Marine Lance Cpl. Rick Centanni.

Photo by Marine Corps 1st Lt. Joshua Diddams
I Marine Expeditionary Force (Fwd)
Date: 03.08.2010
Location: South Station, AF

As we approach Memorial Day,
we must never forget that good men and women
are still giving their lives in defense of our nation.

If you didn't read the caption of this photo, you missed the point....

Dogs of War

Military Spouse Appreciation Day

Military Spouse

Appreciation

Day

Ben Stein, a television personality and writer, wrote this for an Army newsletter, The Strykers, out of Ft. Lewis, Washington. It was addressed to one of the wives of the soldiers. I wrote to him and asked for permission to share it, and he told me to share it as often as I can. On, Military Spouse Appreciation Day, I share it with all of the military spouses - thank you all.

Dear Karen,

I have a great life. I have a wife I adore, a son who is a lazy teenager but I adore him, too. We live in a house with two dogs and four cats. We live in peace. We can worship as we please. We can say what we want. We can walk the streets in safety. We can vote. We can work wherever we want and buy whatever we want. When we sleep, we sleep in peace. When we wake up, it is to the sounds of birds.

All of this, every bit of it, is thanks to your husband, his brave fellow soldiers, and to the wives who keep the home fires burning while the soldiers are away protecting my family and 140 million other families. They protect Republicans and Democrats, Christians, Jews, Muslims and atheists. They protect white, black, yellow, brown and everyone in between. They protect gays and straights, rich and poor.

And none of it could happen with the Army wives, Marine wives, Navy wives, Air Force wives – or husbands – who go to sleep tired and lonely, wake up tired and lonely, and go through the day with a smile on their faces. They feed the kids, put up with the teenagers’ surliness, the bills that never stop piling up, the desperate hours when the plumbing breaks and there is no husband to fix it, and the even more desperate hours after the kids have gone to bed, the dishes have been done, the bills have been paid, and the wives realize that they will be sleeping alone – again, for the 300th night in a row.

The wives keep up the fight even when they have to move every couple of years, even when their checks are late, even when they have to make a whole new set of friends every time they move.

And they keep up the fight to keep the family whole even when they feel a lump of dread every time they turn on the news, every time they switch on the computer, every time the phone rings and every time – worst of all – the doorbell rings. Every one of these events – which might mean a baseball score or a weather forecast or a FedEx man to me and my wife – might mean the news that the man they love, the man they have married for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, is now parted from them forever.

These women will never be on the cover of People. They will never be on the tabloid shows on TV about movie stars. But they are the power and the strength that keep America going. Without them, we are nothing at all. With them, we can do everything.

They are the glue that holds the nations together, stronger than politicians, stronger than talking heads, stronger than al Qaeda.

They deserve all the honor and love a nation can give. They have my prayers, and my wife’s, every morning and every night.


Love, and I do mean love, Ben.

Bad Day to be a Pirate!

03/31/2010 - Members of a U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement detachment and a visit, board, search and seizure team head back to the guided missile destroyer USS Farragut (DDG 99) after disabling a suspected pirate skiff in the Indian Ocean on March 31, 2010. The Farragut is deployed as part of Combined Task Force 151, a multinational task force established to conduct anti-piracy operations in and around the Gulf of Aden. DoD photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Cassandra Thompson, U.S. Navy. (Released)

Wreckage of WWII Helldiver Plane Found in Oregon

The Curtiss Helldiver, despite a reputation for being difficult to handle at low speeds, was responsible for the destruction of more Japanese targets than any other aircraft. It was primarily used to attack Japanese submarines/ The Curtiss SB2C single-engine dive-bomber joined the fleet late in 1943, joining the Douglas Dauntless as the primary attack/bombing planes for the US Navy. The two-man Helldiver had a top speed of 295 mph and good range, making it an essential tool in the far reaches of the Pacific war.

Loggers along the Oregon Coast (between Wheeler and Rockaway) have found the remains of a Helldiver in the forest. Three planes were known to have gone down in the area - 2 in 1945 and 1 in 1948. Logging crews saw a wing, tail section, landing gear and other debris in a heavily wooded area. The debris field was strewn over a 200 yard area.

Munitions experts have searched for any live weapons and JPAC (Joint Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Command) are looking for any possible human remains in the area, as the Helldivers carried a crew of two.

Exercise Puts Oregon's Civil Support Team to the Test for Certification

Oregon Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Ryan Siggins, a survey team member with the 102 Civil Support Team, removes his protective suit after going through the decontamination process at Silverton High School, Silverton, Ore., March 10. Siggins was decontaminated after he entered the high school to search for any potential chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear contaminants as part of a joint external evaluation by U.S. Army North, between local authorities and the 102 Civil Support Team, Oregon National Guard, to certify the CST as an operational unit.

Staff Sgt. Jason Tarpley, Bravo Team survey chief, helps Oregon Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Ryan Siggins into his protective suit.

Lt. Col. Lance Englet, 102 Civil Support Team commander, receives a report from incident commander Rick Lewis, Silverton Chief of Police, and Capt. Ed Grambusch, Training Coordinator for Silverton Fire Department.

Sgt. Joseph Plueard and Oregon Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Ryan Siggins, search a dummy to detect potential chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear contaminants at the scene of a mock school shooting.

A Silverton police officer guards a doorway while other officers talk to a \"victim\" during a 102 Civil Support Team evaluation.

Lt. Col. Lance Englet, 102 Civil Support Team Commander, discusses the unit\'s capabilities with incident commander Rick Lewis, Silverton Chief of Police, and Capt. Ed Grambusch, Training Coordinator for Silverton Fire Department.

High school students flee a simulated "attack" during a 102 Civil Support Team evaluation at the Silverton High School auditorium in Silverton, Ore., March 10. The students are members of the Silverton High drama club who portrayed victims as part of a joint external evaluation by U.S. Army North, between local first responders and the 102 Civil Support Team, Oregon National Guard, to certify the CST as an operational unit.
Photos by SGT Eric Rutherford - Oregon National Guard Public Affairs Office

Exercise Puts Oregon's Civil Support Team to the Test for Certification

Oregon National Guard Public Affairs Office

Story by SGT Eric Rutherford

SILVERTON, Ore. – Gunshots rang out and screams echoed through the halls of the local high school.

One student lay bleeding on the floor, while others cower behind seats in the auditorium where moments earlier, several high school seniors had been preparing for an assembly on the morning of March 10.

The seniors unknowingly stumbled upon "Cory," a drop-out plotting revenge on his classmates. When confronted, Cory became enraged and opened fire before hurling a glass jar filled with liquid at the students, filling the room with an overwhelming vapor.

This nightmarish scenario might conjure up memories of other violent real-world incidents, but for the Silverton High School drama department, local responders, and the Oregon National Guard's 102 Civil Support Team, it was a day to work together on a joint exercise aimed at certifying Oregon's CST to be fully functional and operational.

"We evaluate the team every 18 months," said Todd Chance, an exercise specialist with U.S. Army North. "It is required by National Guard Bureau and Congress. During the evaluation we do all of our military training protocols to ensure that they can perform whenever they go into an environment that requires a technically correct response."

As part of the evaluation, students from Silverton High School drama club acted as the "victims." Silverton Police officers, Silverton Fire Department, Woodburn Ambulance, Oregon State Police, North Marion County Communications 9-1-1 Dispatch Center, and Silverton Hospital Network all participated in the training evaluation, to make the scenario more realistic.

"We are called the civil support team because that is exactly what we do," said Capt. Gregory Ramirez, medical operations officer for the CST. "We work with civil authorities to help support the intent of the incident commander."

The incident commander has a set of objectives to meet and we have the resources to help meet those needs, he added.

Some of those needs might be to indentify a substance or use their reach-back capabilities to bring on additional resources, should the team need them, said Ramirez.

In the scenario the group of seniors, injured and suffering from respiratory problems, fled the building to find Silverton police officers who sized up the situation and realized they needed additional assistance. This is when the 102 Civil Support Team was requested.

"They never go in cold," said Conrad Striegl, team chief and evaluator from U.S. Army North. "We do pre-training leading up to this. It should be like another day at the office for them if we do our job right."

Rick Lewis, Silverton chief of police, acted as incident commander during the exercise. He coordinated with Lt. Col. Lance Englet, commander of the 102 Civil Support Team to determine what actions they should take and how best to work with responders and the teams assets.

"As soon as they got on site, they interfaced with Incident Command and let them know what their capabilities are," said Chance, who traveled from Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, to evaluate the team.

The advance party arrived and staged their vehicles in the incident command site and began unloading and inventorying their equipment. Team members conducted a perimeter survey using detection equipment to determine the area affected by Cory's attack. Once the initial survey was complete, the rest of the CST arrived, bringing their mobile laboratory, communications equipment, and decontamination gear.

Chance said the teams can train in sterile environments only so much. The CST needs to be able to train in actual environments to get the most out of the scenario.

"Now we have put it into a realistic scenario where the taxpayer gets their money," Chance said. "They can see these guys responding to an 'if-this-were-to-happen-for-real' event."

The team set up the medical tent, decontamination site, communications equipment and survey gear as though it was a real scenario.

"We train for this," said Englet. "The training reflects different environments that we already respond to ... a school, a house, a garage, an unknown chemical or device that is explosive. This isn't a scenario that is made up. This is something that is based on [other Civil Support Teams'] real-world responses and real world responses that this team has been on."

Once the site was set up and briefings had taken place, the survey team suited up and went into the site to take samples and evaluate the scene. With detection devices loaded onto the small all-terrain utility vehicle, two team members wearing large protective suits went in.

"Ultimately the fire department and the police are going to be the first on scene and its good to have that training and interoperability so they know if there is something that they want more investigation on," said Oregon Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Ryan Siggins, a survey team member.

Siggins meticulously scanned windows and doors outside the building. He and fellow survey team member Sgt. Joseph Plueard, determined if any chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear contaminants were in the "hot-zone."

After the survey was complete, Siggins and Plueard moved to the decontamination site through large shower tents, scrubbing down to ensure they brought nothing hazardous back into the "cold-zone."

Throughout the training, ARNORTH evaluators took notes to ensure the team was meeting the standards.

From the decontamination tent, the survey team moved to the medical evaluation tent where they were examined by the unit's medical officer to ensure they were physically stable after being in the suits for extended periods of time.

After the team finished the survey and briefed the responders, determinations were made on how to go about cleaning the area to restore it for use and allow the community access to the facility again.

"I think we are doing great," said Englet. "The team is fantastic. They are focused, dedicated soldiers and airmen. The real benefit is the fact that we have genuine first responders as part of the exercise."

Englet said many soldiers and airmen may work with these agencies full-time, and be part time citizen soldiers, giving back to their communities at the same time they help it.

"The National Guard is about the community first," said Englet. "We live in these communities ... it is our own back yard."

After the evaluation was complete, the evaluation team was unanimous in recognizing the 102 CST as a well prepared, professional organization, and proficient in all areas evaluated. The evaluation team spoke highly of the 102 Civil Support Team and complimented each section.

"They are doing well," said Striegl, who also provides training support for eight other Civil Support Teams on the West Coast. "The 102 has always been a strong team. The citizens of Oregon are lucky."

With the exercise behind them, the 102 Civil Support Team is ready to respond to real world call-outs. The next big event planned for the team is the scheduled move from their existing location to the new Army Aviation Support Facility in Salem.

U S Navy

SOUTH CHINA SEA (Mar. 02, 2010) - The fleet replenishment oiler USNS Tippecanoe (T-AO 199), center, transfers fuel to the amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), left, and the transport dock ship USS Denver (LPD 9) during underway replenishment. Essex and Denver are part of the forward-deployed Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and are conducting spring patrol to the Western Pacific Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Geronimo Aquino)

Afghan Women Can Succeed in Agriculture

Local Afghan women package harvested saffron as part of the Kentucky Agribusiness Development Team, Task Force Cyclone, Womens' Empowerment Project in Panjshir Province. The Womens' Empowerment Team of the Kentucky ADT educate women on things they can do at home, such as grow saffron and mushrooms and other things to improve their families lives.
Photo by US Army SGT Jo Lisa Ashley, Kentucky ADT Task Force Cyclone

KAPISA PROVINCE, Afghanistan - The Kentucky Army National Guard and Air Guard united in August 2009 to form Kentucky’s first joint Agri-business Development Team.

This specialized unit is made up of service members from different backgrounds throughout the state of Kentucky.

Around 80% of Afghanistan’s populous is connected to the agriculture industry. Since Aug., the ADT has spent their deployment educating the local farmers and government on how to increase productivity, increase their market share and manage natural resources in Parwan, Panjshir, Kapisa and Bamyan provinces.

As a result of their work, the production of potatoes and onion has greatly increased in the Bamyan province.

U.S. Army Lt. Col. William T. Ewing, from Harrisburg, Ky., has a degree in Entomology and has been working with the Agricultural team during his deployment here.

“The Afghan people can grow a lot of crops,” said Ewing. “They are actually producing more than they consume or export, and we are teaching them how to export and store their crops longer.”

With the ADT’s help, pomegranate farmers in the Tagab district of the Kapisa province were able to export their crops to India and Dubai. Because they exported to these countries, they received three times their normal price for the crops.

Educating the people on natural resource management has been a key point of the ADT. Irrigation and reforestation advances should greatly improve agricultural production in Afghanistan.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Ray Norris, from Scottsburg, In., assigned to the 123rd Airlift Wing in Louisville, Ky., grew up on a family farm and volunteered to deploy with the ADT.

Norris spent some time in the Yakalong district of the Bamyan province where there is an eroded canal that provides water to about 800 family farms.

“There are not many organizations in this area helping the people,” said Norris. “We are working to get the materials so the people can make repairs themselves.”

The ADT has been working with the Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL), and the Director of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (DAIL) at the provincial levels in the Parwan, Panjshir, Bamyan and Kapisa provinces.

U.S. Army Col. Mike D. Farley, from Corbin, Ky., is the commander of the ADT and is glad to be a part of this important and unique mission.

“We are here to help the people increase the nutritional value in the country and sustain a better and healthier lifestyle,” said Farley.

We are working directly with the MAIL and the DAIL’s, to give them the knowledge to help their people, said Farley.

The ADT has also been working to teach the women of Afghanistan techniques to improve their home life.

U.S. Army Sgt. Jo Lisa Ashley, of Eubank, Ky. is the ADT’s women’s empowerment coordinator for the team.

“Most women here work at home, they take care of their families and the household duties,” said Ashley. “I am working with them on projects that they can do at home to bring in extra income.”

The Afghan government is working side-by-side with Ministry of Women’s Affairs and they are doing a great job about going out and showing that they support these programs for the women, said Ashley.

The ADT will spend about five more months here in Afghanistan before they return home.

- Written by U.S. Army Spc. Charles J. Thompson

-------------------------------------
As my readers know, I am a huge advocate of reviving the agriculture in Afghanistan and Iraq. No country can survive and prosper without the ability to feed its own people. Look at our own economy as we continue to push out agriculture. I am also an advocate for teaching skills and income making opportunities to women. Thanks to the Kentucky ADT for their efforts!

History is Our Stories ~ Fred Morrison and the Frisbee

Fred Morrison
Designer of the 'Pluto Platter' - 'Father of the Frisbee'
1920-2010

Fred Morrison had a rather remarkable life. He took the pass time of throwing pie and cake tins and developed a version in the 1950's that was plastic - the Pluto Platter. Wham-O purchased the Pluto Platter in 1955 and marketed it under the name Frisbee in 1957, launching a toy that is familiar around the globe.

"The world has changed a lot in the past 50 years, but the original purpose of Frisbee has remained constant," Morrison said on the 50th anniversary of his invention in 2007. "Just seeing the smile on a child's face as he or she catches a soaring disc on a summer afternoon in the park, or a grown-up diving headfirst to grab a falling disc, that is what the spirit of the Frisbee is all about."

Fred was a pilot in World War II. He was a fighter-bomber pilot. Shot down while flying a mission over Italy, he spent 48 days as a prisoner of war in the infamous German camp, Stalag 13.

When he first invented the Pluto Platter, he went on the fair circuit to demonstrate and sell the toy... without demonstration, no one knew what it was for. He would also dress up in 'space' attire to draw attention.

On the East Coast, a long standing game had been to flip pie platters made by the Frisbie pie company. Wham-O used the name, changed the spelling and the Pluto Platter became the Frisbee.

Thanks, Fred, for the hours of fun with the Frisbee! I remember a glow in the dark frisbee - we used to charge it in the headlights of the car and then throw it to one another in the park in the dark!

History is Our Stories ~ Charlie Wilson of Texas

Representative Charlie Wilson
The Liberal from Lufkin
1933-2010

If you haven't read and seen Charlie Wilson's War --- you should.
If you are interested in the history of Afghanistan --- you should read and see Charlie Wilson's War.

Charlie Wilson was the Congressman from the 2nd District of Texas from 1973-1996. He was known as "Good Time Charlie" for his excesses as a hard-drinking womanizer. But, he was also a very hard working Congressman and defense hawk. He is best known for the appropriations he secured for the US covert war in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union. The money provided weapons for the Afghans who drove the Soviet Army out their country, contributing to the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union.

After the ousting of the Soviet Union, the US withdrew its support, in spite of Wilson's encouragement to help rebuild. "That caused an enormous amount of real bitterness in Afghanistan and it was probably the catalyst for Taliban movement," Wilson said in a 2001 interview.

Charlie Wilson loved this country and the men and women who served to protect and defend her. He was a staunch supporter of the VA and its hospitals. He was a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in 1956 and served in the Navy from 1956 to 1960.

One of my favorite Charlie Wilson stories:

A Trinity city councilman purposefully poisoned his dog and killed him, when Wilson was 13. Wilson described how he used his hardship driver's license to round up voters from the poor neighborhoods to vote in the councilman's election. Wilson said he told the voters as they got out of the car that he did not want to tell them which way to vote, but the councilman, Charles Hazard, killed his dog. Wilson said he drove 96 voters to the polls, and Hazard lost his reelection by 13 votes. Wilson described that as the day he fell in love with America.

America is a better place because of Charlie Wilson. And, east Texas is a better place because of Charlie Wilson.

Wilson is survived by his wife, Barbara, who he married in 1999, his sister, Sharon Allison, a niece and nephew. He was born in Trinity in 1933. Funeral services are pending.

Rest in Peace, Charlie --- and thank you!

A great interview (8 minutes) http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/10858

Afghan Women Learn to Grow Mushrooms

Women from Laghman province learned how to grow mushrooms using wet straw
in a class hosted by the coalition Female Engagement Team.

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan –Some women from Laghman province learned how to grow mushrooms during a class hosted by the coalition Female Engagement Team this past week.

The Female Engagement Team has been able to develop a more intimate relationship with the Afghan female students. Afghan women have reached out to request a booth at the coalition run Forward Operating Base Bazaar to sell hand-made products. The request was approved to will allow the local Afghan women work in the locan business community.

The FMT is currently organizing classes on tailoring and computer skills for the women.

Korean War Memorial Under Snow

Korean War Memorial, Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010,
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

Snow covers the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, Friday, Feb. 5, 2010.

AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

When you read about or hear stories about the Korean War,
there is always discussion of the sleet, the snow, the bitter cold.
I think the statues look like I think of the Korean War in these pictures.

Previous Korean War Memorial Posts:

Visiting the Korean War Memorial with an Iraq Vet
http://gazingattheflag.blogspot.com/2009/07/visiting-korean-war-memorial.html

Korean War Armistice ~ 56 Years Ago
http://gazingattheflag.blogspot.com/2009/07/korean-war-armistice-53-years-ago.html

Oregon Korean War Memorial
http://gazingattheflag.blogspot.com/2006/09/oregon-korean-war-memorial-with-honor.html

Face of Freedom ~ Capt Scott Smiley Takes Command ~ Blind Warrior Excels

Tiffany Smiley holds her youngest son while watching her husband Capt. Scott M Smiley salute the colors during the U.S. Army Warrior Transition Unit change of command ceremony Feb. 1, at West Point, N.Y.

Capt. Scott M. Smiley speaks briefly as his cadre stand in formation after he accepted command of the U.S. Army Warrior Transition Unit at West Point, N.Y.

Capt. Scott M. Smiley grins while passing the guidon back to 1st Sgt. Deon E. Dabrio during the change of command ceremony Feb. 1, for the U.S. Army Warrior Transition Unit at West Point, N.Y.
Photo Credits: Tommy Gilligan.

WEST POINT, N.Y. (Feb. 1, 2010) -- Soldier, Infantryman, Airborne Ranger, combat diver, mountain climber, skier, triathlete, surfer, husband and father are just a few words to describe Capt. Scotty Smiley.

Now, add company commander to his resume as he became the first blind officer to assume command of a Warrior Transition Unit, Monday.

He became only the second wounded warrior to assume command of a WTU.

During Smiley's last deployment to Iraq in 2005, he was wounded, permanently losing his vision.

After receiving medical attention, Smiley was transferred to the Fort Lewis, Wash., WTU. There he began his recovery and his journey to get back to active-duty status.

The 2003 West Point graduate wanted to get back to doing what he loved and that was serving his country in uniform.

Smiley attributes his strength and drive during his recovery to his family, faith and friends.

"It was my wife, my family and friends who were in my hospital room singing songs and reading the Bible that gave me the strength during my recovery," he said. "It was all of this which allowed me to put one foot in front of the other and has allowed me to accomplish everything that I have done to get to where I am today."

The Army Times 2007 Soldier of the Year looked at what had happened to him and made the decision that he was not going down the same path as the character Gary Sinise played in the 1994 movie Forrest Gump.

"The decisions that Lieutenant Dan made after his injuries never came into my mind. I wanted to take care of myself--physically, mentally and spiritually," he said. "I just did not want to give up because of something that negatively happened to me."

He dreamed to return back to active duty, but he knew it was going to be a long and strenuous path. However, it was not anything Smiley was willing to give up on.

"There were some very long dark days, physically and mentally, but I just had to keep pushing on," Smiley said.

He transitioned back to active duty, working at the U.S. Army Accessions Command at Fort Monroe, Va. After being there for some time, Smiley's commander told him he had been selected to go to grad school.

"I thought he was kidding me. I was absolutely shocked," he explained.

"Then they are going to let me go teach--that was awesome," Smiley said with a smile stretching from ear to ear.

He attended Duke University where he received his master's of business administration.

While Smiley was in school, he also cultivated a friendship that had begun during the summer of 2007 with legendary Duke University basketball coach and fellow West Point graduate, Mike Krzyzewski, Class of 1969, before the men's basketball world championships and Olympics.

"When my brigade commander, who was (then a) colonel and is now Brigadier General Brown, asked if I would be interested in speaking to the team, I was taken aback. 'Are you sure you know who you are talking to? Why would the national basketball team want me to talk to them?'" Smiley said.

"The first time I met him, he spoke to the Olympic team in Las Vegas. We were trying to teach the team about selfless service," Krzyzewski said. "They not only heard what Scott had to say, but they truly felt what he had to say."

"When I think of Scotty, I think of ultimate service, especially selfless service," he added.

When Smiley realized why Coach K wanted him to come speak to the team, it made sense to him. "Coach Krzyzewski went and coached here, he understands what sacrifice is all about," Smiley said.

After completing his master's degree, Smiley returned to where it started during the summer of 1999, although in a very different capacity.

Over the past six months, Smiley has been an instructor in the Behavioral Sciences and Leadership Department, teaching a leadership course to third-year cadets.

"His endurable spirit and character are traits that the cadets can just relate to," said Lt. Col. Eric Kail, a BS&L instructor. "He has overcome so much through his attitude and desire to excel in life. Scott is a great teacher."

Even though Smiley will not be physically teaching in the classroom for the duration of his tour as WTU commander, he will be leading by example as he begins this new chapter of his life.

Smiley's former commander while at USAAC and present U.S. Army Chief of Engineers and commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lt. Gen. Robert Van Antwerp, shared his thoughts on this occasion.

"Scott brings a whole new dimension to Soldiering and leadership. When you are around him, you can't help but want to do your best--without complaining--because he gives his best everyday," said Van Antwerp, class of 1972.

About Smiley being the second wounded warrior to hold a command position, Van Antwerp said, "Scotty will be a great commander. He will lead from the front like he has always done. I am proud of him and proud of our Army for giving him this opportunity."

Others like Krzyzewski seconded that notion.

"He may not have the eyes to see, but he sees more things than most leaders could ever see," Krzyzewski said. "His ability to translate that to his unit and the people he has (under his command), he will have the ability to touch many and they will be impacted tremendously."

Smiley now takes command of a company that he himself understands.

"I know what they are going through. I understand the dynamics of the company, how it works and areas of concern that need to be improved," Smiley said.

With only 50 percent of his command on West Point grounds, Smiley will travel from the rocky shorelines of Maine to the rolling hills of Pennsylvania to ensure his troops are being taken care of and doing what they need to do to get better.

"It is now my responsibility to inspire them and to continue to help them get the job done," Smiley said.

With his goals set and with a firm personal understanding of his present and future troops, the new company commander begins his tour, leading from the front like he always has.