It
was built with 24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center .
It is the fifth in a new class of warship - designed for missions that
include special operations against terrorists. It will carry a crew of 360
sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered ashore by helicopters
and assault craft.
Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry in Amite , LA
to cast the ship's bow section. When it was poured into the molds
on Sept. 9, 2003,
"those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence," recalled Navy
Capt. Kevin Wensing, who was there. "It was aspiritual moment for everybody
there."
Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when the trade center
steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand and the "hair on my neck
stood up." "It had a big meaning to it for all of us," he said. "They
knocked us down. They can't keep us down. We're going to be back."
The ship's motto? "Never Forget"
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
1. How many steps does the guard take during his walk
across the tomb of the Unknowns and! why?
21 steps. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest
honor given any military or foreign dignitary.
2. How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk
and why?
21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1
3. Why are his gloves wet?
His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.
4. Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time and if not,
why not? He carries the rifle on the
shoulder away from the tomb. After his march
across the path, he executes
an about face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.
5. How often are the guards changed? Guards are changed every
thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days
a year.
6. What are the physical traits of the guard limited to? For a person to apply for
guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5'10" and 6' 2" tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30." Other
requirements of the Guard: They must commit
2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the
tomb, and cannot drink any
alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their
lives. They cannot swear in
public for the rest of their lives and cannot
disgrace the uniform
{fighting} or the tomb in any way. After two years, the guard is given a wreath
pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they
served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn. The
guard must obey these rules
for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath
pin. The shoes are specially made
with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold
from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top
of the shoe in order to make
the loud click as they come to a halt. There are no wrinkles, folds
or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty
in front of a full-length
mirror. The first six months of duty a
guard cannot talk to anyone, nor watch TV. All off duty time is spent
studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in
Arlington National Cemetery .
A guard must memorize who they are and
where they are interred. Among the notables are: President Taft, Joe
E. Lewis {the boxer} and Medal
of Honor winner Audie Murphy, {the most decorated
soldier of WWII} of Hollywood fame. Every guard spends five hours
a day getting his uniforms ready for guardduty. ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O
LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM. In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle
was approaching Washington , DC , our US Senate/House
took 2 days off with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC
evening news, it was reported
that because of the dangers from the hurricane,
the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of
the Unknown Soldier were given
permission to suspend the assignment. They respectfully
declined the offer, "No way, Sir!" Soaked to the skin,
marching in the pelting rain
of a tropical storm, they said that guarding
the Tomb was not just an
assignment, it was the highest honor that can be
afforded to a serviceperson.
The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7,
since 1930. God Bless and keep them.
For the Heart and Passion and Pride in our Beloved Country.
With History of Heart and the Birth of Freedom.
We must never forget,......there is pain.
For our spirit must remain free even through adversity.
Freedom must reign.
For all of you who have to make the choices we can never know .
I say Thank You,.. for the courage it takes to show,...
In each and every day what you must face to know,
that today we may loose another soul.
Be brave and true for courage comes from within.
That Freedom reigns and God within.
We must never forget
We thank you for your sleepless nights and the terror of pain.
For Freedom reigns and you fought to gain,.....
For your heart and passion you let Freedom reign.
For the courage and bravery we've come to know.
We must Never Forget,.... another lost soul.
We must never forget....., Freedom!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart and the legacy of...
All who fought in the wars and serve their country in all facets
Kacicki, Kalinowski, Zbierajewski families.
We must never forget.
God
Bless us All
That All that pray for Peace
Thank
you
Halina Kacicki - Angels of Mary
Why Taps
Is Played
I've seen this before, but given I am working on the list
of PA's fallen heroes in the war on terrorism, I thought I'd share it
again.
Why "TAPS" is played..
If any of you have ever been to a military funeral in which taps were
played; this brings out a new meaning of it.
Here is something Every North American should know..
We in the North America have all heard the haunting song, "Taps". It's the
song that gives us that lump in our throats and usually tears in our eyes.
But, do you know the story behind the song? If not, I think you will be
interested to find out about its humble beginnings.
Reportedly, it all began in 1862 during the Civil War, when Union Army
Captain Robert Ellicombe was with his men near Harrison's Landing in
Virginia. The Confederate Army was on the other side of the narrow strip
of land.
During the night, Captain Ellicombe heard the moans of a soldier who lay
severely wounded on the field. Not knowing if it was a Union or
Confederate soldier, the Captain decided to risk his life and bring the
stricken man back for medical attention.
Crawling on his stomach through the gunfire, the Captain reached the
stricken soldier and began pulling him toward his encampment.
When the Captain finally reached his own lines, he discovered it was
actually a Confederate soldier, but the soldier was dead
The Captain lit a lantern and suddenly caught his breath and went numb
with shock. In the dim light, he saw the face of the soldier. It was his
own son. The boy had been studying music in the South when the war broke
out. Without telling his father, the boy enlisted in the Confederate Army.
The following morning, heartbroken, the father asked permission of his
superiors to give his son a full military burial, despite his enemy
status. His request was only partially granted.
The Captain had asked if he could have a group of Army band members play a
funeral dirge for his son at the funeral. The request was turned down
since the soldier was a Confederate. But, out of respect for the father,
they did say they could give him only one musician.
The Captain chose a bugler. He asked the bugler to play a series of
musical notes he had found on a piece of paper in the pocket of the dead
youth's uniform. This wish was granted.
The haunting melody, we now know as "Taps" used at military funerals was
born.
The words are:
Day is done ... Gone the sun
From the lakes ... From the hills ...
From the sky . All is well.
Safely rest .. God is nigh.
Fading light .. Dims the sight ..
And a star . Gems the sky
Gleaming bright From afar .. Drawing nigh . Falls the
night.
Thanks and praise ... For our days .
Neath the sun ... Neath the stars...
Neath the sky . As we go
This we know .. God is nigh
I, too, have felt the chills while listening to "Taps" but I have never
seen all the words to the song until now. I didn't even know there was
more than one verse. I also never knew the story behind the song and I
didn't know if you had either so I thought I'd pass it along.
I now have an even deeper respect for the song than I did before.
Remember Those Lost and Harmed While Serving Their Country And also those
presently serving in the Armed Forces.
Navy Petty
Officer
Mike Monsoor
PO2
(EOD2)(Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Mike Monsoor, a Navy EOD
Technician, was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor
posthumously for jumping on a grenade in Iraq , giving his life
to save his fellow Seals.
During Mike Monsoor's funeral in San Diego, as his coffin was
being moved from the hearse to the grave site at Ft. Rosecrans
National Cemetery, SEAL's were lined up on both sides of the
pallbearers route forming a column of two's, with the coffin
moving up the center.
As Mike's coffin passed, each SEAL, having removed his gold
Trident from his uniform, slapped it down embedding the Trident
in the wooden coffin.
The slaps were audible from across the cemetery; by the time the
coffin arrived grave side, it looked as though it had a gold
inlay from all the Tridents pinned to it.
This was a fitting send-off for a warrior hero.
God Bless our Troops
(Sent to us by)
Don Clay - Augusta Ga. VA
We the willing, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the
ungrateful. We have done so much, with so little, for so long, we are now
qualified to do anything with nothing.
-Mother Teresa of
Calcutta
The K9 above is Spike, a police K9
He's huge - part Boxer and part BritishBull
Mastiff
and tops the scales at 200 lbs. His handler took the picture. Spike is
running toward me because he knows I have some Milk Bone treats, so
he's slobbering away! I had to duck around a tree just before he got
to me in case he couldn't stop, but he did.
Spike and his handler communicate by sign language and he gave Spike the
signal that meant 'go away but come back and find me'. If he knows you, you're ok, he's a big old lug and
wants to sit in your lap. Enjoys the company of cats.
Thought you'd find this interesting. Talk about animal intelligence andbonding
with humans!
Remember that they can't do a lot of things for themselves and that they
depend on you to make their life a quality life!
You want to support our troops?
Here's
a better idea than wasting money on a car magnet saying "I support
our troops" that they'll never see. Join us in writing letters to
our troops letting them know, they are appreciated by us!
Great
Americans is a movement to celebrate those whose lives offer a positive
example to others. As the first step in the pursuit of this vision,
GreatAmericans.com is dedicated to men and women in uniform who put
their lives at risk to protect our nation at home and abroad. Great
Americans is a celebration of their service, their sacrifice, and their
example to us all.
Prayer for Police Officers
Almighty God we pray to you
In heaven up above
Watch over our dear police officers
And protect them with your love.
Please guide them as they keep us
safe both day and night
And hold them firmly in your care
should danger come their way.
Give them true strength and courage
As they serve til duty's end
And one more thing to ask dear Lord
Protect their family and their friends.
Wounded
Wing
Here's
a better idea than wasting money on a car magnet saying "I support
our troops" that they'll never see. Join us in writing letters to
our troops letting them know, they are appreciated by us!
