We respect those who sacrifice and serve

Talking Proud Photo Gallery

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We never give up. On December 5, 1942, a B-25 "The Happy Legend" was lost near Papua, New Guinea, seven souls aboard. They included capt. Richard Grutza, 1Lts. Charles Maggart (pilot) and Wilson Pinkstaff, 2Lts Frank Thompson and William Stocking, Sgt. Aub Lee Atkins, Jr. and Pfc. Antonio Calderon. pacificwrecks.com has a very good summary of the multiple attemptes to recover the crew. From reading this, the Joint Personnel Accounting Center (JPAC) in Hawaii positively identified Sgt. Atkins, Lt. Maggart, and Pfc. Antonio Calderon in September 2008, and they were buried. In this interment, it is my understanding that Lt. Stocking was positively identified and is in one casket. There are many other remains that were found but could not be positively identified that were placed in another casket, and the interment, which occurred on November 127, 2009, was intended to honor the entire crew. Photo credit: PO William Selby, USN.

A solemn salute. Joseph Kovac, a retired sailor and Veterans of Foreign Wars past commander, salutes one of many color guards in the John Basilone Parade in Raritan, N.J., September 27, 2009.

The parade, the largest military parade in the nation, honors Basilone, a Marine gunnery sergeant native to the town, who received a Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross for actions in Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima. He was the only enlisted Marine in WWII to receive both. He held off 3,000 enemy troops at Guadalcanal, for which he received the Medal of Honor. He would later be killed in action on the first day of Iwo Jima, after which he posthumously received the Navy Cross. Photo credit: Sgt. Randall Clinton, USA. (093009)

SSgt. Rich Nastrom, USAF, the crew chief for this F-15 Eagle, salutes his skipper as the latter moves into position to participate in an air exercise. This particular crew is from the Massachusetts Air National Guard's 104tgh Fighter Wing based at Westfield, Massachusetts. I always get goose when I see a photo like this. The part you don't know is that when the crew chief straps his man into the cockpit, he wishes him well, and reminds him that it is the crew chief's name on the side of that aircraft --- "Break my aircraft and I'll kill ya, Sir!", or something like that. Then, when the skipper is ready to go, the crew chief stands at a brace and pops his man a hearty salute, a great sign of respect, a marvelous tradition.

Every year, on Memorial Day, the United States Congress has asked all Americans to stop, wherever they are at 3 p.m. their time, to pause for one minute in an act of national unity. I commend the National Moment of Remembrance website to you. (052109)

"Flags In" Tribute at Arlington. Airman Jacob Proffer, USAF, Air Force Honor Guard, pauses to salute a grave after placing a miniature flag at its base during the “Flags In” tribute at Arlington National Cemetery, May 21, 2009. He said, “When I do this, it makes me take a lot more pride every time I put on my uniform, seeing the measure of sacrifice so many have made.” Photo credit: Donna Miles, Department of Defense. (052209)

There is a time when it is proper to burn an American flag. That is when it is "no longer a fitting emblem for display." In other words, it is time to retire a flag. The preferred method of destruction is to burn the flag. But it is done in a most military solemn ceremony. Some have compared this to a funeral. SrA Amy North, USAF, a color guard member at Misawa Air Base, Japan, salutes an American flag as it burns during a retirement ceremony May 25, 2009. Photo credit: T.D. Flack, Stars and Stripes.

Marines from Recruiting Substation Schaumburg, Marine Corps Recruiting Station Chicago, present the colors at the Chicago Slaughter-Wisconsin Wolfpack Continental Indoor Football league game May 16, 2009, at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates. Photo credit: SSgt. Luis R. Agostini, USMC

"Images of a lost world" - East Germany in photosThe wall dividing East and West Germany fell in 1990, almost 20 years ago. Just after it fell, Caspar David Friedrich, a West Germany photographer, went to visit the East German island of Rügen and took marvelous pictures. I found these photos so remarkable that I want to commend them to you, for two reasons. First, we need to remind ourselves of the heroism of all those Germans forced to live in East Germany. They endured a lot of heartbreak. I respect them for what they endured. Second, as our own country creeps its way to being a socialist state, it's worth seeing what one looked like when run by the Soviets. The gallery of 45 photos is being shown by Der Spiegel. It is accompanied by an article by Karlheinz Jardner. I have excerpted one to attract you to see the others. (050209)

Hundreds of U.S.airmen pay tribute to four Tuskegee Airmen on Joint Base Balad, Iraq, April 24, 2009; from left to right on the lower photo, retired Major George Boyd, retired Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson, former Staff Sgt. Phillip Broome and retired Lt. Col. James Warren. The 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing traces its military lineage back to the Tuskegee Airmen, who were part of the 332nd Fighter Group. The airman are assigned to the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing. The Tuskegee Airmen were all black fliers and officers who served with great distinction in Europe in WWII. They shot down 111 enemy aircraft and destroyed another 150 on the ground. Also, they knocked out more than 600 railroad cars, and sank one destroyer and 40 boats and barges. Their losses included approximately 150 killed in combat or in accidents. Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Dilia Ayala, USAF

This is one of the great photos of all time. I just love the looks on these guys' faces. Tom Selleck, 64, appears to have given some sage advice to Marine LCpl. Joshua Michael, and Michael has taken it aboard, well, sort of. Selleck is the spokesman for the Vietnam Memorial Fund's Education Center at the Vietnam Wall project, unveiled at the project level on March 26, 2009. An exhibit of the center will travel throughout the US to garner support. Linda D. Kozaryn has written, "The traveling wall and new exhibit, which includes teddy bears, photographs, letters, baseballs, a motorcycle, combat boots, flags, and medals, soon will be on tour in towns and cities throughout America." The Education Center at the Wall, an underground facility to be built on the Mall, will display some of the 100,000 items that have been placed at the memorial. Thanks Tom. We love ya buddy. With your help, we'll give this project our best effort. (033809)

LAPD Officer Laura Gerritsen touches the casket of Officer Spree DeSha at the funeral, September 18, 2008. DeSha was killed in the collision of a MetroLink commuter train and a Union Pacific Railroad freight train. Following practice for off duty officers riding on the train, Officer Desha was in uniform and in the first passenger car when the accident occurred. Photo Credit: Luis Sinco, Los Angeles Times . Presented by flickr.

In silent repose. Senior Airman Fernando Reyes, Airman First Class Tawny Greer, and Senior Airman Sean Goodwin take a moment after a ceremony. They are all members of the Minto Air Force Base Honor Guard. Photo credit: Senior Airman Joe Rivera, USAF. (022509

Canadian valor takes a high price: Canada is playing a huge role in the war in Afghanistan, fighting hard in the volatile southern regions, and making the most costly of sacrifices. Four Canadians were killed on March 20, 2009 in Kandahar, while five more were wounded.Brig. Gen. Jonathan Vance, the commander of Canadian troops in Afghanistan, said, “Please do not think of this as a failure on the part of any person or of the mission itself. Success in war is costly. We are determined to succeed so that Afghan lives improve, but the insurgents are equally determined to challenge and prevent Afghanistan from flourishing as the nation it so wants to be. Remember, the deaths of these superb Canadians occurred as Canadian Forces were bringing safety to those in peril. Today, they succeeded.” Canada has lost 116 since the war began. Presented by Spiegel Online.

Precision. Respect. A nation honors and mourns. Beneath the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier are the "Catacombs." There, American sentinels are compulsively attentive to detail as they prepare to honor and respect those who have sacrificed so much. Precision and detail. Mirror finish on their shoes. No smudges. Built-up soles force them to lean back so the yellow stripe down their pant leg is vertical. Steel shoes tap the granite plaza. The sentinel glides for 21 steps, faces the tomb for 21 seconds, timed by quietly counting 15 respirations. A "relentless pursuit of perfection." Not a duty. Not a job. An honor. "The American narrative." Drawn from Where Valor Rests, by Rick Atkinson. Photo credit: Technical Sergeant Staci McKee, USAF. May 26, 2008. Memorial Day.

A distinctive fold of respect. An Airman from the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard participates in a flag-folding ceremony during a funeral at Arlington National Cemetery. Photo credit: Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol, USAF

Fair winds, following seas. Flag bearers snap to attention before removing the American flag from the casket of Chief Photographer's Mate Edgar Tiemann during a burial-at-sea ceremony aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD-48). The ceremony included the burial of 13 honorably discharged Sailors and Marines. Photo credit: Mass Communications Specialist Seaman Mandy Hunsucker, USN.

A courageous Italian ally goes home to rest: Primo Maresciallo (First Marshal, warrant officer equivalent) Giovanni Pezzulo, 44, is escorted by Italian soldiers in Kabul, on the way to being flown to Rome's Ciampino military airport, February 14, 2008. He was killed in action near Kabul a day earlier during an enemy ambush, east Kabul. He and his colleagues were distributing food and clothes to the civilian population at the time of the ambush. Photo credit: Italian Armed Forces.

A Red-Letter Salute: Every military pilot values their crew chief. Some will even kneel before them or embrace them with a brand of respect that only comrades of the brotherhood can convey. But, when the crew chief is done, the aircraft is as fit as it can be, every crew chief steps to the side, says it's all yours, and snaps a Red Letter salute of respect and God's speed. And oh yes, included in this spine-chilling salute of respect are the unsaid words, "Take care of my aircraft skipper!" Here you see Spc. Anthony Crawford, Apache crew chief for C/1st "Attack" Battalion", 227th Aviation, 1st Cav Division, "America's First Team," popping his respects to his pilots as they launch off on a combat mission from Camp Taji, September 27, 2007. Photo credit: Spc. Nathan Hoskins, USA, 1st ACB, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs (100607)

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