"When Death comes...."

A most excellent and thought provoking read on Examiner.com

When death comes-celebrity deaths

not what you might expect, given the title......well worth the time to take a look.

Wednesday Hero

Band Of Brothers


Something a little different this week. Instead of profiling a service member, Wednesday Hero will be profiling a movie. Band Of Brothers. It was a miniseries tha aired on HBO in 2001. It follows Maj. Richard Winters, Cpt. Lewis Nixon and the men of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, aka E-Company or Easy Company on their march to Germany. From their training to their battles at Normandy and Bastogne, their liberation of the Kaufering IV concentration camp to their taking of Hitler's Eagle Nest. A great cast and great writing make this one of the best war movies ever made. But it is graphic in visuals and language. And parts of it may be hard to watch, but it is worth it.

What the men of E-Company did will never be forgotten. They are the heroes that helped the cause of freedom.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Wednesday Hero

Pvt. William Long
23 years old from Conway, Arkansas
D Company, 2nd Battalion, 58th Infantry
June 1, 2009


"My brother taught me valuable lessons and made me the man I am today," said Pfc. Triston Long, brother of Pvt. William Long. "My commander said, 'Make your brother one of us.' I will miss my brother with all that I am, and I serve in honor of him."

Pvt. William Long had just completed basic training and was set to ship out on June 8 to his first duty station in Korea when he and Private Second Class Quinton Ezeagwula were shot outside a Little Rock, Arkansas Army-Navy Recruiting Center by Abdul Hakim Mujahid Muhammad. They were in Little Rock to speak to with potential recruits about their experiences.

Pvt. Long's father, Daris Long, a former Marine, wrote a letter to give to him when he shipped out for South Korea. In that letter he wrote, "Your day only ends when you’ve done your duty. You and your brother … are both heroes for having the moral courage to stand up when your country needs you most. You are in my hopes and my thoughts and my prayers. You are my son, you are my hero. I love you. Semper fidelis."

Along with his father and brother, Pvt. William Long is survived by his mother, Janet, who had served in the Navy herself.

All Information Was Found On And Copied From RedState, Sipsey Street Irregulars & Army Times with help from Kathi

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Soldiers Angels Web Surfing

My "this used to be weekly, but now it's just...random" surf of the web for news by,
and about,
Soldiers Angels


Sadly, part of the reason for the recent lack of blogging on my part has been because the
Soldiers Angels Living Legends Team (of which I'm the Co-Leader)
has been far more busy than we would wish to be, supporting the families of our Fallen Heroes.

The Living Legends Team supported the families of 36 Fallen Heroes in the month of May, 25 Fallen in Iraq and 11 Fallen in Afghanistan.

Thus far in the month of June? we have supported the families of 18 Fallen Heroes, 5 Fallen in Iraq and 13 Fallen in Afghanistan. (you can find out more about how the Soldiers Angels Living Legends Team supports those families, by reading about the Team on the main Soldiers Angels website HERE )

One of the things about being a part of this Team in Soldiers Angels that always awes me, is the parents and families of Fallen Heroes who, after being supported by this Team? contact us and ask how to join the Team so they may help support other families of our Fallen Heroes. I am always humbled, by those who choose to 'give back' in the midst of their own grief, and reach out to others.

I thought of them, when I came across this blog Shane and Ryan's Story and a blog post titled
The Parents Who Did Something Grand about why this mother, who has suffered such tragedy, became a member of the Letter Writing Team of Soldiers Angels.

An article on the web from Patricia Walston at the Atlanta Faith and Family Examiner that has a lot to say about supporting the families of our Fallen Heroes and is well worth the read, (and also mentions Soldiers Angels) is
National Guard - Who are they? What are they. - Part Two -Georgia Fallen Heroes

A new Angel at
When I Look At My Life, The Greatest Happiness is My Family's Happiness
weighs in about supporting the Troops with this post Want to be a Soldiers Angel?

Companies also join Soldiers Angels in supporting the Troops, check out this post
Fairytale Brownies Cares by Ellie Perry

And in Arizona? Check out this story Valley company collects golf equipment for the troops


Lastly, for news By an Angel, read this Citizen Journalism story in the Washington Times by a freelance writer who is a member of Soldiers Angels and the USO of metropolitan Washington,D.C.
WWII vets live out their days in care home by Gayle S. Fixler


That's the surf. Until next time.....please consider checking out Soldiers Angels
for the many, many ways you can get involved in supporting our Troops.

Wednesday Hero

Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class (SEAL) Marc A. Lee
28 years old from Hood River, Oregon
Navy SEAL
August 2, 2006


"Marc was amazing. He was my best friend, my love," his widow, Maya, said.

Petty Officer Marc A. Lee joined the Navy in 2001 and became an AO after completing Naval Air Technical Training. Later that year he attempted to complete the grueling BUD/S program but caught pneumonia and had to drop out. He tried again in 2004 and completed the course.

On August 2, 2006, Marc A. Lee became the first SEAL to be killed in combat in Iraq when he was fatally wounded in a firefight in Ramadi, Iraq. The following is from the award citation:

"During the operation, one element member was wounded by enemy fire. The element completed the casualty evacuation, regrouped and returned onto the battlefield to continue the fight. Petty Officer Lee and his SEAL element maneuvered to assault an unidentified enemy position. He, his teammates, Bradley Fighting Vehicles and Abrams tanks engaged enemy positions with suppressive fire from an adjacent building to the north.

"To protect the lives of his teammates, he fearlessly exposed himself to direct enemy fire by engaging the enemy with his machine gun and was mortally wounded in the engagement. His brave actions in the line of fire saved the lives of many of his teammates"

"It was so like Marc to give up his life to save his friends," his mother, Debbie Lee, told the Hood River News. "I am so proud of him. He is my hero."

Petty Officer Lee was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star with combat "V" for his actions in Iraq during his team’s combat tour and the Purple Heart medal.

All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Wednesday Hero

Sgt. Pablo A. Calderon
26 years old from Brooklyn, New York
1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division
November 30, 2004


"He wanted to fight for his country," said his heartbroken younger sister, Lilliana Calderone. "He always wanted to be there."

Pablo Calderon joined the Army in 1997, right out of High School. "He went straight to the army from high school," said his sister. "He wanted to improve himself. He was proud. He loved his country."

Sgt. Calderon was killed when an IED was detonated near his vehicle in Fallujah, Iraq. Also killed in the attack was Sgt. Jose Guereca of Missouri City, Texas.

All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com & NYDailyNews.com

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Soldiers Angels Web Surfing

A 'surf' of the web for news by, and about,
Soldiers Angels

You can tell it's almost summer! As happens every year, we have Angels promoting
Sun Protection Care Packages for our Troops here on The Asberry Family blog
and also here at Beauty 4 Moms (and I'm sure there are more posts out there)
Thank you, Operation Mary Kay !


Found a very nice Book Review by Thomas Anthony Longo of Patti Bader's book
May No Soldier Go Unloved


Welcome! to more Angel blogging at Hudson Valley Soldiers Angels


A military mom, Linda Jewell, blogs Support Our Troops by Praying for Soldier’s Angels
and also Support Our Troops by Modeling Troop Support to Your Children

Nice post here about Soldiers Angels from a blog with the awesomely wonderful name of
Bring the heat,Bring the Stupid

There's an Angel profiled at the UnionLeader.com in the story
Angel to her soldiers by Gretyl Macalaster


and a story about a Canadian member of Soldiers Angels here on The Windsor Star
Walk a thanks for overseas troops by Sharon Hill

That's the surf!