Halloween Humor

Enjoy the twisted humor at your own expense.

Please be safe… and don’t eat too many goodies!

Wednesday Hero

Marine Lance Cpl. Nicholas R. Anderson
21 years old from Sauk City, Wisconsin

1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division,

III Marine Expeditionary Force
March 13, 2006

Lance Cpl. Nicholas Anderson lost his life after the Humvee he was riding in rolled over as a group of Marines pursued a suspicious vehicle near Jalalabad, Afghanistan. He suffered head injuries in the crash and died as he was being transported to a hospital.

Nicholas Anderson joined the Marines in January 2005 and began a six-month tour of Afghanistan two months ago with the 3rd Marines Weapons Platoon, his father, James Anderson said.

“I just know that he died fighting for what he believed in,” he said. “He wanted to be a Marine and even though it was a major risk he just wanted to go.”

James Anderson said his son, a 2003 Sauk Prairie High School graduate, enjoyed riding his motorcycle, lifting weights, going fishing and hanging out with friends.

He joined the Wisconsin Army National Guard when he was 18, but an injured shoulder forced him to drop out. He then enlisted in the Marines.

“I was very nervous when he first joined the Marines because two words jumped into my head: Afghanistan and Iraq,” his father said. “I just supported him and prayed that it would end before he had to go over.”

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 blog, you can go here.

Wahooooo… I am home!

Well, actually I am at work! But, I am back in Houston. I spent a three day weekend with my parents and several (50 plus) brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Gosh, I missed my soft bed (and my adorable husband)

I made new friends with two of my 3 year old nephews.  I think they were drawn to me because I could relate to them at their level. Three year olds ROCK!

Special hugs out to Crew, who taught me that stuffed animals do not taste good and to Robert, who introduced me to “Wings” his imaginary friend.

If I were ever given the chance to come back as anything that I wanted, I would chose to come back as a three year old!

Oh the satisfaction of stripping down to my undies and running around the house without a care.

The pure joy of stuffing my pockets with the walnuts that I found in the back yard.  

I learned a very valuable lesson from Crew: If you want something; work hard, perservere, and pray that your apponents fold!And a message to Crew’s parents: Hang in there! You definately have the best stories to share with his future wife!

(I have borrowed this picture from Crew’s Mom because I have not unpacked my camera.)

More Friday Good News from the Blogosphere!

From  http://kneedeepinthehooah.blogspot.com/  

KHAN BANI SA’AD, Iraq – Working off a tip from a concerned local citizen, coalition forces discovered a massive weapons cache, Oct. 23, during the raid of a home in Sa’ada village, Iraq. The cache marks the largest discovery of explosively formed penetrators ever found in Iraq at one location.

From Lubbock Marine Parents 

Iraq troop deaths drop sharply in October

 

BAGHDAD — October is on course to record the second consecutive decline in U.S. military and Iraqi civilian deaths and Americans commanders say they know why: the U.S. troop increase and an Iraqi groundswell against al-Qaida and Shiite militia extremists.

From A Soldier’s Mind
As bin Laden Speaks Out, Iraqis Parade Against al-Qaeda

 

The Iraqi people are tired. They’re tired of the death, destruction and fear that has been brought upon them by insurgents who have aligned themselves with al-Qaeda. More and more, they’re standing shoulder to shoulder with American and Coalition Forces to rid their country of this cancer that calls itself al-Qaeda. It’s great to see the people of the region uniting against al-Qaeda and basically thumbing their noses at Osama bin Laden and his thugs. Al-Qaeda made it personal to them, when they assinated one of their own, Sheik Sattar Abu Risha.

And from Yankee Mom

She’s My Hero

Well, it’s official as of this past Friday. My daughter has reenlisted in the Army for four more years. She will be getting transfered to Ft Belvoir here in VA next year.
 BTW~ She is my Hero too!

Good News Friday 10/26/07

Renovations complete; elementary school opens in central Baghdad  
By Sgt. 1st Class Kap Kim
2nd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. PAO
            BAGHDAD – After months of renovations supervised by the Qadisiyah Neighborhood Advisory Council, hundreds of students lined up to attend their school’s grand reopening ceremony at the Al Hamza Elementary School Oct. 22.

            Soldiers from Battery A, 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division and the 422nd Civil Affairs Detachment helped officially open up the school for more than 400 students from kindergarten through sixth grade.

            According to Capt. Donald Cherry, Battery A’s commander, he and his battery visited 12 different schools within Qadisiyah. The head mistress told them that there was a firefight right outside the school grounds where the students were playing. So, one of the first things Cherry asked for was to raise the outside wall to about eight feet.

            “We raised the wall so the playground would be safer for the kids,” the Bolivar, Tenn. native said. “Everything we’ve done is based upon what the head mistress told us she needed.”

            Aside from the wall, contractors also repainted the entire school, added new furniture, put in a new generator and made many other repairs.

            “I’m surprised they got all the work done in three months, and I’m very happy with the work they’ve done,” he added.

            Qadisiyah NAC president, Raied Khaled, and the deputy, Mohammed Jalal, were on hand to cut the ribbon during the ceremony. 
           
           “I am happy that we were able to work with the Coalition Forces in making this school better for the teachers and students,” Khaled told the attendees.
          
           Cherry credited the NAC members for their work on making sure the school was suitable for the children and faculty.
          
           “This would not have been possible without help from the NAC,” Cherry said. “It’s been a great partnership with these great people who care so much about Qadisiyah. This is a beautiful place. I’m glad we could be a part of a beautiful place with great people.”
         
           After the ceremony, the NAC and 3-82 FA Soldiers passed out backpacks for all the children.

A young student holds the ceremonial scissors before the ribbon cutting ceremony, officially re-opening the Al Hamza Elementary School in central Baghdad’s Qadisiyah neighborhood Oct. 22. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kap Kim, 2nd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs)

Bolivar, Tenn., native Capt. Donald Cherry, commander of Battery A, 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, gives a backpack to a student during the Al Hamza Elementary School re-opening in central Baghdad’s Qadisiyah neighborhood Oct. 22. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kap Kim, 2nd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs)

Blackwell, Okla., native Capt. Jesse Wood, project officer for Battery A, 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, helps a student put his backpack on during the Al Hamza Elementary School re-opening in central Baghdad’s Qadisiyah neighborhood Oct. 22. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kap Kim, 2nd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs)