Wednesday Hero

This post was suggested by Michael


Cpt. Joseph O'Callahan  58 years old from Worcester, Mass   Naval Reserve Chaplain Corps, USS Franklin  May 14, 1905 - March 18, 1964
   
 From Cpt. O'Callahan's Medal Of Honor citation: 
 For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as chaplain on board the U.S.S. Franklin when that vessel was fiercely attacked by enemy Japanese aircraft during offensive operations near Kobe, Japan, on 19 March 1945. A valiant and forceful leader, calmly braving the perilous barriers of flame and twisted metal to aid his men and his ship, Lt. Comdr. O'Callahan groped his way through smoke-filled corridors to the shells, rockets, and other armament. With the ship rocked by incessant explosions, with debris and fragments raining down and fires raging in ever-increasing fury, he ministered to the wounded and dying, comforting and encouraging men of all faiths; he organized and led firefighting crews into the blazing inferno on the flight deck; he directed the jettisoning of live ammunition and the flooding of the magazine; he manned a hose to cool hot, armed bombs rolling dangerously on the listing deck, continuing his efforts, despite searing, suffocating smoke which forced men to fall back gasping and imperiled others who replaced them. Serving with courage, fortitude, and deep spiritual strength, Lt. Comdr. O'Callahan.
You can read more about Cpt. O'Callahan  here


 These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so that we may get to enjoy our freedom. For that I am proud to call them Hero.

 Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

 Wounded Warrior Project - Because So Many Have Come Back With Injuries, Seen And Unseen

 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

This post was suggested by Michael

Maj. Charles Watter s 40 years old from Jersey City, New Jersey   Army Chaplain Corps, 173rd Support Battalion  January 17, 1927 - November 19, 1967
 
From Maj. Watters's Medal Of Honor citation: 
 For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Chaplain Watters distinguished himself during an assault in the vicinity of Dak To. Chaplain Watters was moving with one of the companies when it engaged a heavily armed enemy battalion. As the battle raged and the casualties mounted, Chaplain Watters, with complete disregard for his safety, rushed forward to the line of contact. Unarmed and completely exposed, he moved among, as well as in front of the advancing troops, giving aid to the wounded, assisting in their evacuation, giving words of encouragement, and administering the last rites to the dying. When a wounded paratrooper was standing in shock in front of the assaulting forces, Chaplain Watters ran forward, picked the man up on his shoulders and carried him to safety. As the troopers battled to the first enemy entrenchment, Chaplain Watters ran through the intense enemy fire to the front of the entrenchment to aid a fallen comrade. A short time later, the paratroopers pulled back in preparation for a second assault. Chaplain Watters exposed himself to both friendly and enemy fire between the two forces in order to recover two wounded soldiers. Later, when the battalion was forced to pull back into a perimeter, Chaplain Watters noticed that several wounded soldiers were lying outside the newly formed perimeter. Without hesitation and ignoring attempts to restrain him, Chaplain Watters left the perimeter three times in the face of small arms, automatic weapons, and mortar fire to carry and to assist the injured troopers to safety. Satisfied that all of the wounded were inside the perimeter, he began aiding the medics ... applying field bandages to open wounds, obtaining and serving food and water, giving spiritual and mental strength and comfort. During his ministering, he moved out to the perimeter from position to position redistributing food and water, and tending to the needs of his men. Chaplain Watters was giving aid to the wounded when he himself was mortally wounded. Chaplain Watters' unyielding perseverance and selfless devotion to his comrades was in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.
You can read more about Maj. Charles Watters  here 


 These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so that we may get to enjoy our freedom. For that I am proud to call them Hero. 

 Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

 Wounded Warrior Project - Because So Many Have Come Back With Injuries, Seen And Unseen

 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. 

No, You CANNOT send Christmas Cards to "A Recovering Wounded Soldier"..so, how Can I send cards?

Sigh, I've already seen it starting, posts on Facebook and around the web suggesting that we send cards to 'A recovering wounded soldier' at 'Water Reed Army Medical center'.

And you CanNot do that,

A. because 'Walter Reed Army Medical Center' no longer Exists.

The Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC) of 2005 closed both National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) and Walter Reed Army Medical Center culminating in the opening of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda on 15 September 2011 with the dedication ceremony occurring on 10 November 2011. 

WALTER REED NATIONAL MILITARY MEDICAL CENTER



and B . You have Never been able to send cards to just "A Recovering Wounded Soldier'.

This is just a fallacious meme that started years ago, and won't seem to disappear, and it's a huge cause of a great many contributions to dead letter piles....all those cards sent over the years to "a recovering wounded soldier' just ended up being discarded, and never benefitted anyone. Cards had to be specifically addressed to a person, or an organization, in order to be delivered.

So..How Can You Send Cards?

In years past, the American Red Cross had a national program called 'Holiday Mail for Heroes'

BUT, this year (2014) that program is changing...there wil No Longer Be a National Address to send Holiday cards to via the Red Cross

However, as you can see here on the

American Red Cross Holiday Mail for Heroes  link,

 Red Cross chapters across the continental U.S. and Red Cross offices on military installations overseas will take complete control of the program.

Moving forward, local Red Cross offices will collect, sort, and distributing the holiday cards using an events-based approach in their local communities.

You can visit the link above to see how to contact your local Red Cross chapter to see if they are participating.

I'm posting this information because I hope if we spread the word we can

SAVE A CARD AND STOP THE FALSE MEME!

Spread the word, won't you? 

Wednesday Hero

This post was suggested by  SJ

George H. Kirk, Sr.  82 years old  3rd Marine Division   May 25, 1917 - October 28, 1999     George Kirk, Sr. was a Marine and a Navajo Code Talker who passed away in 1999. Recently his uniform was set to go up for auction but thankfully Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly heard about it and was able to get it returned to the tribe.
You can read more about this story  here 

 These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so that we may get to enjoy our freedom. For that I am proud to call them Hero.

 Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

 Wounded Warrior Project - Because So Many Have Come Back With Injuries, Seen And Unseen

 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

This post was suggested by my mother.


Sgt. Maj. Jon Cavaiani   70 years old from Stanford, California   August 2, 1943 - July 29, 2014
   
 When Sergeant Cavaiani and the remaining platoon members could not halt the enemy advance, he ordered his men to escape while he laid down covering fire. As they ran, the citation said, he "recovered a machine gun, stood up, completely exposing himself to the heavy enemy fire directed at him, and began firing the machine gun in a sweeping motion." Most of his men escaped. Sergeant Cavaiani was severely wounded. He told the PBS series "American Valor" that he had "almost 120 shrapnel holes in me, and a couple of bullet holes." He said he had played dead when enemy soldiers took the hill and then hid in the jungle for more than 10 days before he was captured. He spent 23 months as a prisoner of war, much of that time in solitary confinement. He was released in March 1973.
 From Sgt. Maj. Cavaiani's Medal Of Honor citation: S/Sgt. Cavaiani distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in action in the Republic of Vietnam on 4 and 5 June 1971 while serving as a platoon leader to a security platoon providing security for an isolated radio relay site located within enemy-held territory. On the morning of 4 June 1971, the entire camp came under an intense barrage of enemy small arms, automatic weapons, rocket-propelled grenade and mortar fire from a superior size enemy force. S/Sgt. Cavaiani acted with complete disregard for his personal safety as he repeatedly exposed himself to heavy enemy fire in order to move about the camp's perimeter directing the platoon's fire and rallying the platoon in a desperate fight for survival. S/Sgt. Cavaiani also returned heavy suppressive fire upon the assaulting enemy force during this period with a variety of weapons. When the entire platoon was to be evacuated, S/Sgt. Cavaiani unhesitatingly volunteered to remain on the ground and direct the helicopters into the landing zone. S/Sgt. Cavaiani was able to direct the first 3 helicopters in evacuating a major portion of the platoon. Due to intense increase in enemy fire, S/Sgt. Cavaiani was forced to remain at the camp overnight where he calmly directed the remaining platoon members in strengthening their defenses. On the morning of 5 June, a heavy ground fog restricted visibility. The superior size enemy force launched a major ground attack in an attempt to completely annihilate the remaining small force. The enemy force advanced in 2 ranks, first firing a heavy volume of small arms automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenade fire while the second rank continuously threw a steady barrage of hand grenades at the beleaguered force. S/Sgt. Cavaiani returned a heavy barrage of small arms and hand grenade fire on the assaulting enemy force but was unable to slow them down. He ordered the remaining platoon members to attempt to escape while he provided them with cover fire. With one last courageous exertion, S/Sgt. Cavaiani recovered a machine gun, stood up, completely exposing himself to the heavy enemy fire directed at him, and began firing the machine gun in a sweeping motion along the two ranks of advancing enemy soldiers. Through S/Sgt. Cavaiani's valiant efforts with complete disregard for his safety, the majority of the remaining platoon members were able to escape. While inflicting severe losses on the advancing enemy force, S/Sgt. Cavaiani was wounded numerous times. S/Sgt. Cavaiani's conspicuous gallantry, extraordinary heroism and intrepidity at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.
You can read more about Jon Cavaiani  here

 These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so that we may get to enjoy our freedom. For that I am proud to call them Hero.

 Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

 Wounded Warrior Project - Because So Many Have Come Back With Injuries, Seen And Unseen

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

Wreaths Across America Dec.13,2014

National Wreaths Across America day is Saturday, Dec.13,2014

This year is also the 150th anniversary of Arlington National Cemetery.

Wreaths Across America hopes this year to place wreaths on all veteran's graves in Arlington, in honor of that anniversary. But they need each of us to help. You can read more about this at

Arlington Appeal

Wednesday Hero

Admiral Oscar Badger II  68 years old from Washington, D.C . June 26, 1890 - November 30, 1958 
 
During his 41 years of service, Admiral Oscar Badger II saw action in the U.S. occupation of Veracruz as well as both World Wars. He was awarded four Legion of Merit awards, the Navy Cross as well as the Medal Of Honor.
You can read more about Oscar Badger II  here and here 


 These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so that we may get to enjoy our freedom. For that I am proud to call them Hero.

 Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

 Wounded Warrior Project - Because So Many Have Come Back With Injuries, Both Seen And Unseen 

 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.