My Personal Heroes

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My Heroes:
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Nickle said:
My Heroes:
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From left to right, SGT William Normandy, died of a Heart Attack in Kuwait.

Next is SGT Kevin Sheehan KIA, Mortars in Iraq.

Next is SGT Alan Beane KIA, Mortars in Iraq.

Next is SGT Jamie Gray KIA, IED in Iraq.

All four of these guys were friends of mine. All were members of my National Guard unit, 1/86 Field Arty.

Sorry for not posting the info before.

http://www.vvavtsc.com/salute.htm
 
Nickle,

My condolences to their Families and your Unit, along with my heartfelt thanks for being so selfless as to pay the ultimate price for all our freedom!

:(
 
My sympathies as well hun. You mentioned them before in another thread I think. Thank you for posting their pictures. I'd like to think that all our boys who've paid the ultimate price are up there waiting for the terrorists. I see them all lined up with grins on their faces, telling each of the little sheet heads, "The virgins couldn't make it, so Allah sent us."
 
Lynne said:
I'd like to think that all our boys who've paid the ultimate price are up there waiting for the terrorists. I see them all lined up with grins on their faces, telling each of the little sheet heads, "The virgins couldn't make it, so Allah sent us."

I was about to make a joke about them being Virginians, not virgins, but I followed the link on Nickle's posting and I somehow just can't bring myself to. Somehow, thinking on these men who willingly and voluntarily went to war for their country makes me at a loss for words.

I guess all I can say is that I have another definition of hero: One who wears the uniform of his (or her) country.

Ross
 
dwarven1 said:
I guess all I can say is that I have another definition of hero: One who wears the uniform of his (or her) country.


As the wife of a soldier who was there when Sgt. Jamie Gray died, I can say that to most of them, they are just doing their duty. To them it's their job, not heroism.

If these men putting their lives on the line to help those that couldn't help themselves does nothing else, I pray that it opens the eyes of some of the people in this country that these soldiers have sworn their lives to protect. I know it has opened my eyes to a lot of things.

Webster's dictionary defines a hero as a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities...there are still some who would believe that what these men are doing aren't achievements or qualities worth being admired. I thank you that you are not one of them.
 
That's what makes them heroes, Mrs. T. They don't think they are. :D Some folks also think it's harder on them for going over there to do their job. Not to make light of what they do in any way, but at least they are doing something. The true unsung heroes to me are folks like you who have to keep the home fires burning. You work, clean house, cook meals...SSDD, while you wait for a letter, email or phone call. 24 hours turns in to a 48 hour day and you count them until the deployment ends. Yup - folks like you, Glenn and Sue, C-pher and his family, Nickle...you are the unsung heroes to me, and you make your serving family member proud.
 
MrsTank said:
dwarven1 said:
I guess all I can say is that I have another definition of hero: One who wears the uniform of his (or her) country.

As the wife of a soldier who was there when Sgt. Jamie Gray died, I can say that to most of them, they are just doing their duty. To them it's their job, not heroism.

And that makes them heroic, to me. Because they're not trying to be a hero, they're just doing a job that needs to be done.

Ross
 
Lynne said:
That's what makes them heroes, Mrs. T. They don't think they are. :D Some folks also think it's harder on them for going over there to do their job. Not to make light of what they do in any way, but at least they are doing something. The true unsung heroes to me are folks like you who have to keep the home fires burning. You work, clean house, cook meals...SSDD, while you wait for a letter, email or phone call. 24 hours turns in to a 48 hour day and you count them until the deployment ends. Yup - folks like you, Glenn and Sue, C-pher and his family, Nickle...you are the unsung heroes to me, and you make your serving family member proud.

You know Lynne, during the sendoff, the General that was there said something to that effect. That he was very happy, as from all of these that he's done around the US, the support for the 181st was the largest group that he's ever seen. I guess that we were about 1500 strong for those boys.

I thank everyone of them that I see for doing what they do. And if I'm in a bar, I'll buy them a beer. Because of these men and women, and the ones before them...I'm able to do and be the person that I am today.

I pains me to see all these other people that want to protest...I don't mind...it's their right. But when they are yelling at the people that fight these wars, they don't seem to understand that the only reason that they ARE protesting is BECAUSE of these men and women.
 
See my sig line. Nickle my sympathies to you, your fellow soldiers and their families. To me everyone one of us that has ever put the uniform on is my hero. Doesn't matter what branch. Those that went before me,with me and after me are all the unsung heroes. Even Alan said this is his job,and that is the way we all looked at it. You know they will never be forgotten. Blue skies soldiers. RIP.
 
Even the LT. Gov. recognized that too at the send off. She actually surprised me with her speach,but I liked the Gen's. better. There were a handful of protesters outside the gate when we were bussed in,they were gone by the time we left though. Must have gotten too hot. Oh well. Now if the Gen,could have waited to leave until After the promotion ceremony,instead of them trying to talk /yell through his helicopter getting ready to take off.
Brought back memories of basic at dix trying to listen to what the DI's were saying/yelling through the 131's landing at Maguire.
 
That's wierd. We didn't see any Protesters when we went through. We even made a comment about it on the bus with some other people.

What we were upset about was the Banner that was at the KoC was gone when we came back. We were on the wrong side of the bus when we left, so we couldn't get a picture. But when we came back, it was gone.
 
Yeah, they had signs of not another Nagaski,Hiroshima,and can't remember the others. There were probably 6-7 of them,and maybe they got discouraged because we were being bussed in. Bummer the sign was down from KofC though. We had to park down at the elementary school.
 
I got more bad news this weekend.

A young Specialist I know was severely wounded in the chest and abdomen. The good news is that his vest stopped several rounds from getting to his vital organs, so, he'll make it. He's by now probably at Landstuhl, Germany, and then on his way home. Holly and Brett, that would be Ben Perez from A Btry, on the Task Force Saber mission. I understand from the news that it happened in Ramadi.
 
I don't think he'll be in Landstuhl all that long. Hopefully nothing too important was hit. I think it was a gut shot and a shoulder, possibly a lung. Not good, but far better than the heart or liver, you usually don't survive those.

I'll try to find his e-mail address somewhere, the nicest thing he'll need is e-mail, since I know his family isn't from up here, he was a College Student, IIRC. Seems like he is originally a Southern Boy, from the upper part, like maybe Virginia or so.
 
On a better note, the guy in the background is also serving in Kuwait. This is my brother-in-law, David, holding the FAL. We showed him a good time while he was home on R&R this spring.

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Ok, this isn't fair!!! You've now made me cry twice in the same week!

I had forgotten you had those pictures!

The mystery photos are Tank and I at the sendoff the first time he left. Wow, that was almost a year and a half ago...it'll be two years Jan. 23rd. My goodness how time flies! Some days it seems that it was only a week ago.

There wasn't a big affair when he left this time. Just his commander, a friend, and me. I think it was a much easier way to see him leave though.
 
Sorry for making you cry, Mrs T, but, I'm sure the pics will bring a smile to your face soon.

And be happy about one thing reference SPC Perez. I haven't heard anything new lately, but, from what I've heard about his wounds, he should be fine eventually. And that is GOOD news.
 
MrsT. We will keep you and yours in our thoughts and prayers. I'll lend you a shoulder if you'd like. C-pher and his wife made me cry at the send off for Alan, and C-phers brother-in-law. I did good up until then.
 
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