Wednesday's Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Beth

PFC Chance Phelps
19 years old from Dubois, Wyoming
3 Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force
April 9, 2004


"I don't think anything can prepare you for two young men standing in the living room telling you your son’s been killed," said Gretchen Mack, mother of PFC Chance Phelps. "It's just surreal. They were crying." The last time she had talked her to son was a few days before his death. "He said, 'Mom, I'm fine.' He sounded great. It was really good to be able to talk to him. It made us feel better."

PFC Phelps was KIA while battling insurgents just outside of Baghdad, Iraq.

Friends recall Phelps as a fun-loving, hard-nosed kid. "He was big but didn't throw his size around to intimidate people", said Jarod Estey. "He was probably the toughest kid I knew growing up in grade school. He was probably the biggest kid, too — well-built and strong. But he was real easy going. He always had a smile on his face."

"He was very in tune politically," said his mother. "He knew what he wanted for this country. ... He told me after 9/11, 'I absolutely have to go. I've got to do something.'" But joining the military isn't anything new for the family. His father, John Phelps, is a Vietnam veteran. And his sister, Kelley, works at the Pentagon and is engaged to an Army sergeant.

"He had an unusual amount of zest," said his mother. "He just possessed this quality that he had to be in the thick of things all the time. He was very, very positive, very funny. ... His main thing in life was making people laugh."

You can read more here.

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's Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Cindy

SSgt. Salvatore Giunta
25 years old from Ceder Rapid, Iowa
173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team


Yesterday, SSgt. Salvatore Giunta became the first living recipient of the Medal Of Honor since the Vietnam War.

From the official citation:

Then-Specialist Salvatore A. Giunta distinguished himself by acts of gallantry at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a rifle team leader with Company B, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry Regiment during combat operations against an armed enemy in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan on October 25, 2007. When an insurgent force ambush split Specialist Giunta’s squad into two groups, he exposed himself to enemy fire to pull a comrade back to cover. Later, while engaging the enemy and attempting to link up with the rest of his squad, Specialist Giunta noticed two insurgents carrying away a fellow soldier. He immediately engaged the enemy, killing one and wounding the other, and provided medical aid to his wounded comrade while the rest of his squad caught up and provided security. His courage and leadership while under extreme enemy fire were integral to his platoon’s ability to defeat an enemy ambush and recover a fellow American paratrooper from enemy hands.”

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's Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Kathi

Capt. George Vujnovich
95 years old from Queens, New York


66 years after he was instrumental in the rescue of almost 500 bomber pilots who had been shot down over Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia, Capt. George Vujnovich was finally awarded the Bronze Star in October.

You can read the rest of Capt. George Vujnovich's story here.

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's Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested And Written By Michael

Lt. Wilson W. Brown
Company F, 21st Ohio Volunteer Infantry
Dec. 25, 1839 - Dec. 26, 1916

Private Wilson W. Brown was part of "The Great Locomotive Chase" or Andrews' Raid. It was a military raid that occurred April 12, 1862, in northern Georgia during the American Civil War. Volunteers from the Union Army commandeered a train and took it northwards toward Chattanooga, Tennessee, doing as much damage as possible to the vital Western & Atlantic Railroad (W&A) from Atlanta, Georgia to Chattanooga as they went, pursued by other locomotives. Because they had cut the telegraph wires, no warning could be sent to Confederate forces along their route. The raiders were eventually captured and some were executed as spies. Some of Andrews' Raiders became the first recipients of the Medal of Honor, including Pvt. Wilson Brown who was able to escape and later promoted to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. His citation read:

"One of the 19 of 22 men (including 2 civilians) who, by direction of Gen. Mitchell (or Buell), penetrated nearly 200 miles south into enemy territory and captured a railroad train at Big Shanty, Ga., in an attempt to destroy the bridges and track between Chattanooga and Atlanta".

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's Hero

GySgt. Carlos Hathcock
May 20, 1942 – February 23, 1999


Carlos Hathcock was a United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills. Hathcock's record and the extraordinary details of the missions he undertook made him a legend in the Marine Corps. His fame as a sniper and his dedication to long distance shooting led him to become a major developer of the United States Marine Corps Sniper training program. He was honored by having a rifle named after him: a variant of the M21 dubbed the Springfield Armory M25 White Feather.

You Can Read More About GySgt. Hathcock Here

You can watch an interview with Gunny Hathcock
Here
Here
and Here

I have to say that it's kind of sad that the best source of info I could find on Gunny Hathcock was on Wikipedia. There should be a lot more sites honoring this man.

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's Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By href="http://military.rightpundits.com/2010/10/07/staff-sgt-robert-j-miller-medal-of-honor-recipient-video/">Beth

border="1" alt="SSgt. Robert J.
Miller">SSgt. Robert J. Miller
24 years old from Wheaton, Illinois
Company A, Third Battalion, Third Special Forces Group
January 25, 2008
alt="U.S. Army">

Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller was awarded the Medal of Honor
posthumously in a Pentagon ceremony on Wednesday, October 6, 2010. He
died in Afghanistan saving his fellow soldiers in an act of heroism
that is honored as courage above and beyond the call of duty.

You can read the rest of SSgt. Miller's story href="http://military.rightpundits.com/2010/10/07/staff-sgt-robert-j-miller-medal-of-honor-recipient-video/">here.

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 LivedSIZE>

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 href="http://rightwingrightminded.blogspot.com/2006/08/wednesday-hero-blogroll.html">here.
border="1" alt="Wednesday Hero Logo">

Wednesday's Hero

First Lieutenant Gregory F. Ambrosia
28 years old from Knoxville, Tennessee
2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Parachute Infantry Regiment, 173d Airborne Brigade


The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to First Lieutenant (Infantry) Gregory F. Ambrosia, United States Army, for gallantry in actions while serving as Executive Officer, Company A, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Parachute Infantry Regiment, 173d Airborne Brigade Combat Team, in action in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, in Afghanistan, on 25 - 26 September 2007. First Lieutenant Ambrosia's gallant actions and dedicated devotion to duty, without regard for his own life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army. NARRATIVE TO ACCOMPANY AWARD: On 25 September 2007, Able Company, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry air assaulted into the village of Qowru and conducted a search and attack through the village and surrounding caves in order to disrupt Taliban and Al Qaeda forces in the Watapor Valley. The Company Executive Officer, First Lieutenant Ambrosia air assaulted into OP REDSKINS, one of two company observation posts (OP's) overlooking Qowru, in order to establish a command radio relay station and overwatch the mounted assault element in the valley with 60-mm. indirect fire. Upon occupation, ICOM intercepts informed the OP that the enemy was mobilizing and massing for an attack on both company OP's and the mounted maneuver element in the valley. Immediately upon insertion, the 22 Soldiers of 1st Platoon which assaulted OP REDSKINS linked up and moved towards their position overlooking the valley. There were explosions and shots fired across the valley during the night, but no fires were directed at OP REDSKINS. By morning the OP observed the rest of the Company move into position and begin their search and attack through the valley. A fire team plus-sized element of Anti-Coalition Militia was maneuvering to high ground to the east of the company when they made contact with the position at OP REDSKINS. The first individual that came close to the OP was an enemy scout. The individual was engaged immediately and within minutes several of the ACM fighters engaged the observation post with an intense volume of fire. Without any hesitation, First Lieutenant Ambrosia immediately assessed the situation and reported to the Company Commander who was located down in the valley and by this time under fire as well. He gave the enemy situation and without any concern for his own safety remained in place while exposed to heavy enemy fire from ACM forces advancing on his position to within hand grenade range. He continued directing fires and making critical radio transmissions using both FM and TACSAT communication. His timely and accurate calls for 40-mm. and 81-mm. danger close fire were the only effective defense for the OP. While the rest of the element were throwing hand grenades and engaged in close combat with a flanking ACM force, First Lieutenant Ambrosia held his position under heavy direct fire during the 4 hours of the engagement without deviating from his radio transmissions. He requested fire missions, using three different indirect fire assets and close air support simultaneously. First Lieutenant Ambrosia's strong character gave him the tools he needed to repel the enemy attack. First Lieutenant Ambrosia's indirect fire was able to hold the enemy front, which allowed the rest of the OP to fight back the enemy's attempt to turn their flank. First Lieutenant Ambrosia continued providing covering fire simultaneously as he had to make corrections on the 500 pound bombs dropped all within danger close. He gave the Battalion Commander updates of the enemy and friendly situations as they developed. He continued to hold his position even though he was constantly exposed to close heavy enemy fire. First Lieutenant Ambrosia kept keeping Close Combat Air updated on the enemy's location allowing the AH-64 (Apache) to effectively engage and kill three ACM fighters. Despite constant signal intercepts suggesting advancing and flanking maneuver forces, his ability to continue setting the tactical conditions gave the Non-Commissioned Officers and all junior leaders the ability to maneuver their Paratroopers. First Lieutenant Ambrosia's actions throughout the entire engagement were of the highest degree of valor. He performed honorably while under direct enemy fire and effectively engaged the enemy under the most difficult circumstances. First Lieutenant Ambrosia was a key leader during the battle, providing true leadership to the entire element. Even when events became dire, he kept his demeanor and without hesitation took the fight to the enemy. His actions are the true embodiment of the Infantry Warrior Ethos.

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's Hero

Sgt. 1st Class Brandon McGuire


The early morning April sky dawned clear over Forward Operating Base Iskandaryia, Iraq. Sgt. 1st Class Brandon McGuire, a platoon sergeant with 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment, whose home base was Fort Richardson, Alaska, and his spotter settled in for their third day of looking for insurgents.

"We were observing a stretch of road that had recently been cleared of IEDs (improvised explosive devices)," said McGuire, now first sergeant of Fort Polk's Alpha Troop, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 509th Infantry Regiment.

"The area had also seen a lot of mortar activity. We had several Soldiers killed and severely wounded along that stretch of road by IEDs and mortars."

As the two Soldiers gazed across the expanse between their hiding place - an abandoned shed - and their target area, they noticed a man in local garb sauntering up and down through a series of canals. When he dug into a canal bank and uncovered a mortar tube, McGuire said he knew this was a target.

You can read the rest of Sgt. 1st Class Brandon McGuire's story here.

Photo Courtesy Army.mil

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's Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Lt. Schneider

Cpl. Brian Downard


Brian Downard was 23 years old, a father, a country music fan, and a corporal of Marines. He joined the Marine Corps in July of 2005, and would do two deployments to two different scenic locales. The first was to Iraq, where he served from November of ’06 to April of the following year. While in Iraq, Brian suffered a concussion from an IED strike while patrolling. Undeterred, Brian stayed in the Marines and deployed to Burma in 2008 when Marines and sailors with the Essex Amphibious Readiness Group provided humanitarian assistance operations to aid the cyclone-stricken country. He would eventually leave the service just last July, after four honorable years of service.

One month after separation, he discovered that he had testicular cancer, and a very aggressive strain at that. The cancer spread quickly to his muscles and fatty tissues, and Brian suffered so greatly with the pain that they put him on morphine. He was released from the VA to enjoy his last days with the love from his mom and his 7-year-old son Jesse.

You can read the rest of Cpl. Downard's story here.

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.

Quote Of The Day

Yesterday's Answer: Hermann Hesse


Today's Quote:
TIME TO TAKE ANOTHER BREAK. TO BE CONTINUED

Submissions are welcome, but it means you can't guess on the quote you submitted. If you have a submission, please email it to mrsxoke@gmail.com. Be sure to include your name as you wish it to appear with your submission, a link to your web page or blog, and the name of the person who said or wrote your quote.

Quote Of The Day

Yesterday's Answer: Joseph Conrad


Today's Quote:
"If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn't part of ourselves doesn't disturb us."

Submissions are welcome, but it means you can't guess on the quote you submitted. If you have a submission, please email it to mrsxoke@gmail.com. Be sure to include your name as you wish it to appear with your submission, a link to your web page or blog, and the name of the person who said or wrote your quote.

Quote Of The Day

Yesterday's Answer: Ayn Rand


Today's Quote:
"Being a woman is a terribly difficult task since it consists principally in dealing with men."

Submissions are welcome, but it means you can't guess on the quote you submitted. If you have a submission, please email it to mrsxoke@gmail.com. Be sure to include your name as you wish it to appear with your submission, a link to your web page or blog, and the name of the person who said or wrote your quote.

Quote Of The Day

Yesterday's Answer: Scott Brown


Today's Quote:
"The evil of the world is made possible by nothing but the sanction you give it."

Submissions are welcome, but it means you can't guess on the quote you submitted. If you have a submission, please email it to mrsxoke@gmail.com. Be sure to include your name as you wish it to appear with your submission, a link to your web page or blog, and the name of the person who said or wrote your quote.

Wednesday's Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Mike Golch

Lt. Ronald Markiewicz


The year is 1971. A Lieutenant in the United States Army by the name of Ronald Markiewicz is serving near the Laotian border. He is a helicopter pilot. In March of that year he is sent out to fly two missions. The first one was to resupply a group of Vietnamese Marines and pick up wounded service members. The second mission was to allow troops to recover the crew of a downed helicopter. One both occasions he faces anti-aircraft fire and is wounded each time.

Fast forward to 2010 and Lt. Ronald Markiewicz finally received the Silver Star and a Distinguished Flying Cross. The awards he earned 39 years ago.

All Information Was Found On And Copied From ArmyTimes.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.

Quote Of The Day

Yesterday's Answer: Morgan Freeman


Today's Quote:
"Rarely have elected leaders been so intent on defying the public will."

Submissions are welcome, but it means you can't guess on the quote you submitted. If you have a submission, please email it to mrsxoke@gmail.com. Be sure to include your name as you wish it to appear with your submission, a link to your web page or blog, and the name of the person who said or wrote your quote.