Wednesday Hero 4-17-13

Thanks to Chris at: http://rightwingrightminded.blogspot.com who faithfully puts tons of work into writing these Wednesday Hero posts for us...


Senior Airman Austin Stoker



Senior Airman Austin Stoker replenishes a .50-caliber machine gun after a training mission in Afghanistan in March.

Photo courtesy U.S. Air Force taken by Tech. Sgt. Dennis J. Henry Jr.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy 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 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 4-10-13

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Sgt. Darryl Greenwood



Colonel William Bowers, commanding officer of 6th Marine Corps District, awards the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal to Sgt. Darryl Greenwood, a recruiter from Recruiting Sub Station Germantown, Recruitng Station Nashville, Tenn., after the graduation of Fox Company aboard Parris Island, S.C., April 5, 2013. Greenwood received the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal as an impact award for his outstanding achievement and performance as a recruiter over the past year and for recruiting one of the four honor graduates of Fox Company, Lance Corporal Daniel Horvath. Greenwood's outstanding performance as a recruiter has directly impacted the quality of recruits being shipped to Parris Island each year, helping mold the future our Corps and meeting our Nation’s national security needs.

Photo By: Cpl Gabrielle Bustos

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy 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

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 4-3-13

Thanks to Chris at: http://rightwingrightminded.blogspot.com who faithfully puts tons of work into writing these Wednesday Hero posts for us...


Maj. Gen. Frederick Corbin Blesse
91 years old from Melbourne, FL
August 22, 1921 - October 31, 2012



General Blesse was born in Colon, Panama Canal Zone in 1921. His father was a brigadier general in the Medical Corps of the U.S. Army, retiring in 1953. General Blesse graduated from American High School, Manila, the Philippine Islands in April 1939. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., in June 1945 with a commission as second lieutenant, and a rating as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps.

You can read more on Maj. Gen. Blesse here and here

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy 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

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 3-27-13

Thanks to Chris at: http://rightwingrightminded.blogspot.com who faithfully puts tons of work into writing these Wednesday Hero posts for us...

This post was suggested by Gail

Maj. Thomas C. Griffin
96 years old from Cincinnati, OH
July 10, 1916 - February 26, 2013



Maj. Thomas C. "Tom" Griffin, a B-25 bomber navigator in the audacious Doolittle's Raid attack on mainland Japan during World War II, passed away on February 26. His death at age 96 leaves only four surviving Raiders. Griffin died in a veterans nursing home in northern Kentucky. He was among the 80 original volunteers for the daring April 18, 1942, mission. When they began training, they were told only it would be "extremely hazardous," coming in the aftermath of Japan's devastating attack on Pearl Harbor and a string of other Japanese military successes.
You can read more about Maj. Griffin here

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy 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

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 3-20-13

Thanks to Chris at: http://rightwingrightminded.blogspot.com who faithfully puts tons of work into writing these Wednesday Hero posts for us...

This Post Was Suggested By Michael



Capt. Emil Kapaun 35 years old from Pilsen, Kansas 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry April 20, 1916 - May 23, 1951



Not only is Emil Joseph Kapaun to be awarded the Medal Of Honor on April 11 for his actions while a POW in North Korea in 1951, he's also being considered for Sainthood by the Catholic church. While being held captive he would selflessly help his fellow POW's by giving them his food, raising morale and stealing medicine amongst other things. And because he was a priest he constantly ministered to the dead and dying while performing baptisms, hearing first Confessions, offering Holy Communion and celebrating Mass from an improvised altar set up on the front end of an army jeep. Capt. Kapaun died on May 23, 1951 when he developed a blood clot in his leg, dysentery, and pneumonia.

You can read more about Capt. Kapaun here

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy 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

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 3-13-13

Thanks to Chris at: http://rightwingrightminded.blogspot.com who faithfully puts tons of work into writing these Wednesday Hero posts for us...

This Post Was Suggested By Cindy



2nd Lt. Hyman Markel 88th Division, 351st Infantry Regiment



Hyla Merin grew up without a father and for a long time never knew why. Her mother never spoke about the Army officer who died before Hyla was born. The scraps of information she gathered from other relatives were hazy: 2nd Lt. Hyman Markel was a rabbi's son, brilliant at mathematics, the brave winner of a Purple Heart who died sometime in 1945. Aside from wedding photos of Markel in uniform, Merin never glimpsed him. But on February 17, decades after he won it, Merin received her father's Purple Heart, along with a Silver Star she never knew he'd won and a half-dozen other medals.

You can read more here

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy 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

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 3-6-13

Thanks to Chris at: http://rightwingrightminded.blogspot.com who faithfully puts tons of work into writing these Wednesday Hero posts for us...

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Michael



This week Wednesday Hero is honoring eight Men who were awarded the Medal Of Honor during the Battle of Peleliu, a bloody fight that took place between September - November of 1944 in which nearly 2,000 Marines and Soldiers were killed and another 8,000+ were wounded or went missing. The eight MOH recipients were:

Corporal Lewis K. Bausell, 1st Battalion 5th Marines
Private First Class Arthur J. Jackson, 3rd Battalion 7th Marines
Private First Class Richard E. Kraus, 8th Amphibian Tractor Battalion
Private First Class John D. New, 2nd Battalion 7th Marines
Private First Class Wesley Phelps, 3rd Battalion 7th Marines
Captain Everett P. Pope, USMC, 1st Battalion 1st Marines
Private First Class Charles H. Roan, 2nd Battalion 7th Marines
First Lieutenant Carlton R. Rouh, 1st Battalion 5th Marines

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy 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

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 2-27-13

Thanks to Chris at: http://rightwingrightminded.blogspot.com who faithfully puts tons of work into writing these Wednesday Hero posts for us...

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Cindy

I sat for three days trying to figure out how to write this post and I couldn't figure out how to do it right. The Buffalo Soldiers are such an important part of not only military history, but American history as well. So how do you condense 85 years of history into a couple of paragraphs and not skip over something important? They were the first all Black military regiment. They played a role in every war from the Civil War to the Korean. They gave rise to the Park Rangers and the Tuskegee Airmen. And they've had 23 men be awarded the Medal Of Honor. While not a forgotten part of history, the Buffalo Soldiers are certainly a part of it that doesn't get the recognition it deserves.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy 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

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 2-20-13

Thanks to Chris at: http://rightwingrightminded.blogspot.com who faithfully puts tons of work into writing these Wednesday Hero posts for us...

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Michael




First Class Elmer Charles Bigelow 24 years old from Hebron, Illinois USS Fletcher (DD-445) July 12, 1920 - February 15, 1945



The Son of German immigrants, Elmer Bigelow joined the U.S. Navy in 1942 and was assigned to the U.S.S. Fletcher in 1943. In 1945 Watertender Second Glass was killed when his boat was hit by enemy fire which ignited several powder cases. With little regard for his own safety, Bigelow rushed below with two fire extinguishers to put out the fires before they could cause anymore damage. In doing so he forwent the breathing apparatus that would have saved his life because it would have taken too much time to put on. He was able to extinguish the fires but his lungs were seared and he succumbed to his injuries the following day. For his heroics that day, Watertender Second Glass Elmer Bigelow was posthumously awarded the rank of Watertender First Class, the Medal Of Honor and in 1957 a destroyer, USS Bigelow (DD-942), was named in his honor.

You can read more about Elmer Bigelow here

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy 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

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 2-13-13

Thanks to Chris at: http://rightwingrightminded.blogspot.com who faithfully puts tons of work into writing these Wednesday Hero posts for us...


Cpl. Alvin Krumrey 91 years old from Tulsa, Oklahoma


Alvin Krumrey didn't think much about his military dog tags that he had lost over 70 years ago. That is until they were found in a coin store in the Solomon Islands.
You can read more about Alvin Krumrey here
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy 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

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 2-6-13

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Maj. Gen. Glenn M. Walters



Maj. Gen. Glenn M. Walters, commanding general of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, pilots a KC-130J Hercules in southwestern Afghanistan in 2011, when he commanded 2nd MAW (Forward). Walters assumed command of 2nd MAW in May 2012, just two months after returning from Afghanistan. "Instead of employing the wing in combat, now I'm preparing Marines for combat," Walters said. "It's the continuum of who we are as Marines, answering the call to do our nation's defense wherever we're called."

Photo taken by Staff Sgt. James R. Richardson courtesy U.S. Marines

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy 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

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 1-30-13

Thanks to Chris at: http://rightwingrightminded.blogspot.com who faithfully puts tons of work into writing these Wednesday Hero posts for us...

This Post Was Suggested By Michael


MstSgt. Raul Perez Benavidez 63 years old from El Campo, Texas Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observations Group August 5, 1935 – November 29, 1998



Raul (Roy) Benavidez has one of the most amazing stories. Injured in combat and declared to never walk again after stepping on a landmine. Not only did he walk again but he was able to get back to the battlefield where he was declared dead only to come back from 37 separate bayonet, bullet and shrapnel wounds to be awarded the Medal Of Honor.



You can read more on this hero's amazing story here

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy 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

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 1-23-13

Thanks to Chris at: http://rightwingrightminded.blogspot.com who faithfully puts tons of work into writing these Wednesday Hero posts for us...



Gen. Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr. 78 years old from Tampa, Florida August 22, 1934 - December 27, 2012



On December 27 we lost 4-Star General Norman Schwarzkopf. Younger people may not really know who he was, but those of us 30 and older will remember him during the Gulf War. And rather than try and condense his life and career into a small post, which is impossible by the way, I've found a couple of links that do a much better job telling the story of this hero.

You can read more here and here

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy 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

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 1-9-13

Thanks to Chris at: http://rightwingrightminded.blogspot.com who faithfully puts tons of work into writing these Wednesday Hero posts for us...


Lt. Marcus Robinson



Lt. Marcus Robinson, Riverine Squadron (RIVRON) 2, instructs small boat maneuvers during a training exercise aboard the amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay (LPD 20). Green Bay is part of the Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group and with the embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (15th MEU) is deployed in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility.

Photo courtesy U.S.Navy taken by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Elizabeth Merriam

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy 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

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 1-2-13

Thanks to Chris at: http://rightwingrightminded.blogspot.com who faithfully puts tons of work into writing these Wednesday Hero posts for us...


Capt. Daniel Inouye 88 years old from Honolulu, Hawaii 442nd Regimental Combat Team June 28, 2010 – December 17, 2012



On December 17 Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii passed away. Before he was a Senator he served in the United States Army from 1941-1946. From '41-'43 he served as a medical volunteer. It wasn't until 1943 when the military dropped it's ban in Japanese serving that Inouye was able to enlist. Within the first year he was promoted to Sergent and later to second lieutenant.

In 1945, Lt. Inouye was seriously injured near San Terenzo, Italy. After being shot in the stomach he proceeded to destroy a machine gun nest. After being informed of his wounds, and refusing treatment, he lead a charge on a second machine gun nest. During an assault on a third nest Lt. Inouye was hit in the arm by a grenade which resulted in the loss of his right arm.

On June 21, 2000 President Clinton awarded Sen. Inouye the Medal Of Honor for his action in 1945:

Second Lieutenant Daniel K. Inouye distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 21 April 1945, in the vicinity of San Terenzo, Italy. While attacking a defended ridge guarding an important road junction, Second Lieutenant Inouye skillfully directed his platoon through a hail of automatic weapon and small arms fire, in a swift enveloping movement that resulted in the capture of an artillery and mortar post and brought his men to within 40 yards of the hostile force. Emplaced in bunkers and rock formations, the enemy halted the advance with crossfire from three machine guns. With complete disregard for his personal safety, Second Lieutenant Inouye crawled up the treacherous slope to within five yards of the nearest machine gun and hurled two grenades, destroying the emplacement. Before the enemy could retaliate, he stood up and neutralized a second machine gun nest. Although wounded by a sniper’s bullet, he continued to engage other hostile positions at close range until an exploding grenade shattered his right arm. Despite the intense pain, he refused evacuation and continued to direct his platoon until enemy resistance was broken and his men were again deployed in defensive positions. In the attack, 25 enemy soldiers were killed and eight others captured. By his gallant, aggressive tactics and by his indomitable leadership, Second Lieutenant Inouye enabled his platoon to advance through formidable resistance, and was instrumental in the capture of the ridge. Second Lieutenant Inouye’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.

You can read more about Sen. Daniel Inouye here

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy 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

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 12-19-12

Thanks to Chris at: http://rightwingrightminded.blogspot.com who faithfully puts tons of work into writing these Wednesday Hero posts for us...


Anthony Seirafi & Ricsi


Marine Corps Police Department Officer Anthony Seirafi, a dog handler with MCPD’s K-9 unit aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow calls out for intruders with his dog, Ricsi, during a training exercise Nov. 9. Handlers train on a daily basis with their dogs to maximize the efficiency of their work aboard the base.

Photo courtesy of U.S. Marines taken by Cpl. T. Allen Bricke

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy 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

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 12-12-12

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This Post Was Suggested By Michael



Seaman 1st Class James R. Ward 20 years old from Springfield, Ohio USS Oklahoma September 10, 1921 - December 7, 1941

This past Friday marked the 71 anniversary of the attack at Pearl Harbor. One of the ships that was destroyed in the attack was the battleship USS Oklahoma. On board the Oklahoma was a young man by he name of James Richard Ward who had only enlisted in the Navy a little more than a year before. When the attack happened, the Oklahoma was hit by three torpedoes and began to list dangerously. It quickly became apparent that she would capsize. The order was given to abandon ship. However, Ward stayed in his turret holding a flashlight so his fellow sailors could escape. He didn't make it out.

For his actions that day, Sea1c Ward was posthumously awarded the Medal Of Honor:

For conspicuous devotion to duty, extraordinary courage and complete disregard of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. When it was seen that the U.S.S. Oklahoma was going to capsize and the order was given to abandon ship, Ward remained in a turret holding a flashlight so the remainder of the turret crew could see to escape, thereby sacrificing his own life.

He was also honored with the destroyer escort USS J. Richard Ward (DE-243) being named after him.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy 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

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 12-5-12

Thanks to Chris at: http://rightwingrightminded.blogspot.com who faithfully puts tons of work into writing these Wednesday Hero posts for us...

Lt. Cmdr. Kenneth Vargas



Lt. Cmdr. Kenneth Vargas, disaster preparedness officer for Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast, dressed in authentic Choctaw clothing, plays a Choctaw flute during a luncheon. The Native American Heritage celebration was hosted by Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit (CBMU) 202 Detachment Jacksonville.

Photo courtesy U.S. Navy taken by Matt Simons

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy 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

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.