Wednesday Hero

Spc. Brian K. Baker
27 years old from West Seneca, New York
2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry)
November 07, 2004


Near his hometown, the flag flew at half-staff outside the East Concord Volunteer Fire Department where Baker had been a junior firefighter. He joined the Army shortly after graduating from Springville-Griffith Institute in 1996 with the goal of making it his career, friends said.

"You might say it was his calling," said Lori Ploetz, a longtime family friend. "He was great at what he did. He was respected by his peers."

Spc. Brian Baker was killed when a vehicle-borne IED detonated near his security patrol in Baghdad. He leaves behind his parents, his wife, Amy, and two daughters who were born after his death.

All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.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.

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Soldier's precious belongings found inside a foreclosed home

At least some things in life work out sometimes, and I am happy that it did for this soldier.

By Jeff McShan / 11 News

HOUSTON -- For two years, realtor Kim Stacy has been looking for Army Sgt. Armando Carbajal. This is because she has some of his most precious belongings.

Video

Soldier's precious belongings found inside a foreclosed home
March 9, 2009 View larger E-mail Clip More Video “I want to return these items to him, but I haven’t been able to find him after looking for two years,” said Stacy.

Stacy has two large boxes filled with Carbajal’s belongings, including his Army uniform, jewelry, and even pictures from his wedding.

She discovered the boxes inside a foreclosed home in 2007.

A management company took over the home and hired Stacy to put it on the market. That’s when she went inside and found all of the sergeant’s stuff. She says she didn’t have the heart to throw it away.

Instead, Stacy began to look for him.

“I tried to find him. I called the Army and I called the recruiting office in Rosenberg,” said Stacy.

Digging through one box, our 11 news reporter found a copy of an old driver’s license that revealed his hometown of Alice, Texas.

11 News called Alice High School, and in 15 minutes, the school’s receptionist had found him.

Carbajal said he spent time in Iraq, and then he was shipped off to Korea.

He said the loan for his house was an adjustable rate mortgage, and like so many other Americans, the interest rate jumped too high for him and his wife to handle.

Back then, it was a sad time for the sergeant. But now that he knows someone had finally found his cherished possessions, he’s smiling.

“I am really glad she saved my stuff. Twice, when I went to Houston, I went to the house and knocked on the door and nobody answered,” said Carbajal.

Carbajal said he was never able to get in contact with anybody.

It took Stacy two years to track him down, but he’s thankful she never gave up the search.

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SEAL lost eye, but teammates never lost nerve

Nothing more to say about this Hero.

By Gidget Fuentes - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Mar 9, 2009 9:10:18 EDT

CORONADO, Calif. — The story floated around this naval amphibious base last year: An instructor of SEAL candidates yanked out his prosthetic right eye, presumably while lashing out at tired-out candidates suffering from the chilly Pacific surf.

The sun’s rays would reflect the SEAL trident symbol etched onto the surface of the eye. The effect of the trident coming alive, in a way, unnerved quite a few first-phase students who hoped to earn themselves the famous pin.

The story was no tall tale. The Trident eye belongs to retired Special Warfare Operator 1st Class (SEAL) Mark Robbins, who lost his eye in combat in Iraq.

“[The students] didn’t want to look me in the eye. It’s intimidating,” he said. “I tried to use it as a motivational tool, a reason to stop thinking of themselves, maybe to think as a team.”

A bullet went through Robbins’ skull during a battle between a close-knit SEAL team and well-armed insurgents in a farming area near Habbaniyah, Iraq, on April 2, 2007. That day, Robbins’ teammates thought he was dead. Even after a medevac helicopter took him to a military trauma team, they feared that since the bullet cut through his head, he would not live to see another day.

The events that led to the loss of his eye remain fuzzy. “I remember what people tell me,” Robbins said, speaking by telephone from Chicago. Details relayed by his teammates from SEAL Team 5 have helped paint the picture of what happened that day, events that earned one of the SEALs the nation’s third-highest combat award for valor.

Navy Times interviewed several SEALs involved. Some asked that their names not be used. Here is their account.

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N. Korea warns intercepting 'satellite' will prompt counterstrike

These North Koreans are going to have to be delt with one of these days.


PYONGYANG/BEIJING, March 9 (AP) - (Kyodo)—North Korea warned Monday that any move to intercept what it calls a satellite launch and what other countries suspect may be a missile test-firing would result in a counterstrike against the countries trying to stop it.
"We will retaliate (over) any act of intercepting our satellite for peaceful purposes with prompt counterstrikes by the most powerful military means," the official Korean Central News Agency quoted a spokesman of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army as saying.

If countries such as the United States, Japan or South Korea try to intercept the launch, the North Korean military will carry out "a just retaliatory strike operation not only against all the interceptor means involved but against the strongholds" of the countries, it said.

"Shooting our satellite for peaceful purposes will precisely mean a war," it added.

North Korea earlier announced it is preparing to put a communications satellite into space, but outside observers suspect it may in fact be a test-firing of a long-range ballistic missile.

The United States, Japan and South Korea have said that even if Pyongyang calls the launch a missile test, it would violate existing U.N. Security Council resolutions.

The same North Korean statement said the country's military will cut off communications with its South Korean counterparts during the U.S.- South Korean exercises for the duration of the exercises beginning Monday.

A separate, more rare statement by the KPA's Supreme Command was quoted by the KCNA as saying that its soldiers are under orders to be "fully combat-ready" during U.S.-South Korean military exercises beginning Monday.

The North's armed forces have been ordered to "deal merciless retaliatory blows" should there be any intrusion "into the sky and land and seas of the DPRK even an inch."

DPRK stands for Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.

North Korea has demanded a stop to this month's U.S.-South Korean exercises, and said earlier it cannot guarantee the security of South Korean civilian airplanes flying through its territorial airspace while they are under way.

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Officer shot, suspect killed

One our our Houston Heros was shot last night in the line of duty. My best to him for a speedy recovery.

Michael Paulsen Chronicle
Scene near 9338 East Avenue O where a police officer was shot Thursday night in Houston.

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A Houston police officer remains in critical condition but is expected to survive after being shot in the face while attempting to serve a narcotics warrant at an east Houston residence late Thursday.

In the gunbattle that followed that shooting, a suspect at the home in the 9300 block of East Avenue O was killed after three officers, including the wounded lead officer, opened fire, the Houston Police Department said.

The undercover narcotics officer, Rick Salter, was listed in critical but stable condition after surgery at Ben Taub General Hospital.

The incident is still under investigation, said Chief Harold Hurtt.

At least one gun was found at the residence. The chief did not know if other guns or drugs were found.

Hurtt said the wounded officer is 54 and has been with the department for 28 years. He is married and has two adult children.

On Thursday night, Salter and two other officers approached the house near the Houston Ship Channel about 9:05 p.m. They were dressed in black shirts bearing the word, "POLICE" on them. As they removed burglar bars from a window, they yelled "Police! Search Warrant!" twice, said HPD spokesman John Cannon.

That's when the suspect fired multiple shots at the lead officer, Salter, striking him in the jaw, Cannon said.

All three officers fired at the suspect. He was pronounced dead at the scene, his gun nearby, police said. The body was taken to the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy.

Police later discovered surveillance cameras feeding video to a television at least 55 inches wide inside the home, Cannon said. The recordings will become a part of the investigation.

"We believe he knew exactly what was going on,'' Cannon added, noting that such set-ups are not uncommon in homes where narcotics operations are conducted.

"When suspects see police, they try to get rid of the drugs,'' Cannon said.

The suspect's 5-year-old and 5-month-old sons were in the home at the time of the shooting and were discovered in a back bedroom by officers. They were released to their mother pending further investigation, Cannon said.

Devastated family members of the dead suspect said the man had no drug ties.

Olivia Aviles said the shootings took place at her sister’s home. She believed her brother-in-law was killed. She said her sister’s husband was at the home with his two young sons when the incident occurred. Aviles said her sister was not at the residence.

Aviles said her brother-in-law did not do drugs. She said she couldn’t understand why police entered the home.

“I don’t understand,” she said repeatedly with tears in her eyes. “I’m her sister; I would know something.”

Aviles’ husband, who declined to give his first name, said his brother-in-law was in the back room of the home playing a Nintendo Wii when the officers entered.

Aviles’ husband, who lives about a block away, said he came to the home after hearing the gunshots. He said he entered the residence and saw two officers standing over the wounded officer.

The family, he said, was immediately rushed from the home by authorities.

The mood was somber late Thursday as investigators continued to canvass the scene. The neighborhood is pocked with boarded-up homes and graffiti.

At Ben Taub, Mayor Bill White and Hurtt joined dozens of officers. Many gathered near the emergency room and waited for news of the wounded officer. Dozens of patrol cars lined the service road near the trauma center.

Doctors met with Salter's wife and updated her on his condition late Thursday, officers said.

"Right now it's still touch and go, but we're pretty optimistic,'' said Gary Blankinship, president of the Houston Police Officers' Union.

As with all officer-involved shootings, the incident is being investigated by HPD's homicide department, Internal Affairs and the Harris County District Attorney's Office.

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Judges: Coach can't bow head while players pray

This is not new, but it is comming to a head.

Court decision affirms school's 'hostility' to religion

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: March 03, 2009
1:29 pm Eastern

© 2009 WorldNetDaily

The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear a case involving a high school football coach's effort to respect his players' tradition of stopping for a moment of prayer prior to games, leaving in place an appeals court decision that essentially mandates a school policy of "hostility," according to a law firm whose members worked on the case.


Coach Marcus Borden huddles with his players

"This [decision] undermines a time-honored tradition that has less to do with religion than it does athletic tradition," said John Whitehead, chief of The Rutherford Institute, which argued the case on behalf of Coach Marcus Borden of East Brunswick High School in New Jersey.

"It's a sad statement on our rights as Americans that schools are no longer bastions of freedom. We've become so politically correct and secularized that religious individuals who seek the same First Amendment rights as others are censored," Whitehead said.

As WND reported, a federal court of appeals concluded the high school coach broke the law routinely when he would bow his head or "take a knee" while his team prayed before games – a school tradition for 25 years.

Borden has defended himself, saying, "We're teaching kids values. There's nothing wrong with being spiritual."

The case originated in 2005 when school officials adopted a policy prohibiting employees and representatives of the school district from taking part in student-led prayer. The school said even bowing a head violated the "separation of church and state."

Nonsense, concluded U.S. District Judge Dennis Cavanaugh, who ruled the following year the district's interpretation was wrong and that school officials were infringing on Borden's right to free speech, freedom of association and academic freedom.

Then officials with Americans United for Separation of Church and State joined the school district's side and argued Borden lacked any constitutional right to expression or academic freedom as a public employee.

A ruling from the 3rd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals agreed with the activists, saying Borden was endorsing religion unconstitutionally.

The Rutherford Institute said the decision was a blow to athletic coaches across the nation, because the rights of coaches to silently bow their heads in respect while student players are offering a pre-game prayer has been called unconstitutional.

The bottom line, Whitehead said, is that the logical interpretation now is that coaches – as well as teachers – have no constitutional rights of liberty, expression or academic freedom in connection with their jobs

The American Football Coaches Association had filed an amicus in support of Borden, declaring that "when the federal courts interpret the Constitution in a way that intrudes into the locker room, invades the player-coach relationship, and undermines a coach's ability to maintain an atmosphere of mutual respect and team unity by showing deference to the prayers of this nation's youth, that concerns the AFCA."

In its brief requesting a Supreme Court review, the Rutherford Institute warned of the impact of the decision.

"By enjoining Coach Borden from showing respect for his players voluntary prayer acts, the decision … requires public school educators to violate the Establishment Clause by showing disrespect and hostility towards student-initiated religious practices," the brief said.

Prior rulings from at least three other federal court circuits have established that schools cannot show hostility to religion, and even the Supreme Court's prior decisions reflect that belief, the institute argued.

"In Lynch v. Donnelly, this Court recognized that the Establishment Clause 'affirmatively mandates accommodation, not merely tolerance, of all religions, and forbids hostility toward any,'" the Rutherford Institute said.

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Wednesday Hero

Sgt. Stephen Howell


Sgt. Stephen Howell, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific Band percussionist, races a student at Palisades Elementary School in Pearl City, Hawaii during an 11-event circuit course Feb. 20. More than 20 Marines assisted local park volunteers with manning the different events.

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.

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DIVORCE AGREEMENT

THIS IS SO INCREDIBLY WELL PUT AND I CAN HARDLY BELIEVE IT'S BY A YOUNG

PERSON, A STUDENT!!! WHATEVER HE RUNS FOR, I'LL VOTE FOR HIM.

American liberals, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists and
Obama supporters, et al:

We have stuck together since the late 1950's, but the whole of this latest
election process has made me realize that I want a divorce. I know we
tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations,
but sadly, this relationship has run its course. Our two ideological sides
of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right so let's just
end it on friendly terms. We can smile and chalk it up to irreconcilable
differences and go our own way.

Here is a model separation agreement:

Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking
a portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides
can come to a friendly agreement. After that, it should be relatively
easy! Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets
since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes.

We don't like redistributive taxes so you can keep them. You are welcome
to the liberal judges and the ACLU. Since you hate guns and war, we'll
take our firearms, the cops, the NRA and the military. You can keep Oprah,
Michael Moore and Rosie O'Donnell (You are, however, responsible for
finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move all three of them).

We'll keep the capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies,
Wal-Mart and Wall Street. You can have your beloved homeless, homeboys,
hippies and illegal aliens. We'll keep the hot Alaskan hockey moms, greedy
CEO's and rednecks. We'll keep the Bibles and give you NBC and
Hollywood.

You can make nice with Iran and Palestine and we'll retain the right to
invade and hammer places that threaten us. You can have the peaceniks and
war protesters. When our allies or our way of life are under assault,
we'll help provide them security.

We'll keep our Judeo-Christian values.. You are welcome to Islam,
Scientology, Humanism and Shirley McClain. You can also have the U.N., but
we will no longer be paying the bill.

We'll keep the SUVs, pickup trucks and oversized luxury cars. You can take
every Subaru station wagon you can find.

You can give everyone healthcare if you can find any practicing doctors.

We'll continue to believe healthcare is a luxury and not a right.

We'll keep The Battle Hymn of the Republic and the National Anthem. I'm sure
you'll be happy to substitute Imagine, I'd Like to Teach the World to
Sing, Kum Ba Ya or We Are the World.

We'll practice trickle down economics and you can give trickle up poverty
your best shot. Since it often so offends you, we'll keep our history, our
name and our flag.

Would you agree to this? If so, please pass it along to other like minded
liberal and conservative patriots and if you do not agree, just hit
delete. In the spirit of friendly parting, I'll bet you ANWAR which one of
us will need whose help in 15 years.

Sincerely,

John J. Wall

Law Student and an American

P.S. Also, please take Barbara Streisand & Jane Fonda with you.

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Pan Am/Delta pilot involved in shooting

Be aware of Senior Citizens, especially ones that are ex military. Old habits die hard.
Plantation, FL -- Last week police were called to investigate an attempted armed
robbery:

The 71-year-old retired Marine who opened fire on two robbers at a
Plantation, FL, Subway shop late Wednesday, killing one and critically
wounding the other, is described as John Lovell, a former helicopter
pilot for two presidents. He doesn't drink, he doesn't smoke, and he
works out everyday. Mr. Lovell was a man of action Wednesday night.

According to Plantation police, two masked gunmen came into the
Subway at 1949 N. Pine Rd. Just after 11 p.m. There was a lone diner, Mr.
Lovell, who was finishing his meal.. After robbing the cashier, the two
men attempted to shove Mr. Lovell into a bathroom and rob him as well.
They got his money, but then Mr. Lovell pulled his handgun and opened
fire. He shot one of the thieves in the head and chest and the other in
the head.

When police arrived, they found one of the men in the shop, K-9
units found the other in the bushes of a nearby business.. They also
found cash strewn around the front of the sandwich shop according to
Detective Robert Rettig of the Plantation Police Department.

Both men were taken to the Broward General Medical Center , where
one, Donicio Arrindell, 22, of North Lauderdale died. The other,
21-year-old Frederick Gadson of Fort Lauderdale is in critical but stable
condition

A longtime friend of Lovell was not surprised to hear what
happened. The friend said, ''He'd give you the shirt off his back, but
he'd be mad as hell if someone tried to take the shirt off your back..''
Mr. Lovell was a pilot in the Marine Corps, flying former Presidents John
F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. He later worked as a pilot for Pan Am
and Delta.

He is not expected to be charged authorities said. ''He was in
fear for his life,'' Detective Rettig said, "These criminals ought to
realize that most men in their 70's have military backgrounds and aren't
intimidated by idiots."

Something tells me this old Marine wasn't 'in fear for his life',
even though his life was definitely at risk. The only thing he could be
charged with is participating in an unfair fight. One 71 - year young
Marine against two punks. Two head shots and one center body mass shot -
outstanding shooting! That'll teach them not to get between a Marine and
his meal.

Don't you just love a story with a happy ending?

Florida law allows eligible citizens to carry a concealed weapon.
Every state should.

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Small Post Pulls Community Together to Provide “Help for Heroes”

This is what it's all about. These fine Southern Folks know what true values are and taking care of our Vets in need is one.

At just 25 feet long by 55 feet wide, VFW Post 5180 in Seale, Ala., doesn’t exactly grab your attention. Though it’s possible you might overlook the Post physically, it’s nearly impossible to ignore the amazing work they do for veterans and their community.

Post 5180 started “Help for Heroes” in December. Its primary mission is to offer necessary home repairs to veterans in the community.

“We created the program [Help for Heroes] to allow both VFW members and nonmembers to work together to pay back our heroes for the blank checks they wrote our nation,” said Post Commander Mike Craig, founder of “Help for Heroes.”

Led by the first crew called Mule Team 1, the workers have volunteered every second weekend of the month since its inception. They have built porches and ramps, repaired roofs and provided other vital home repairs. Supplied only with donations from members, all of their repairs come free of charge.

“We have many highly skilled workers,” said Craig. “So many actually, that we’re running out of work to keep everyone busy!”

“Help for Heroes” has not only made significant improvements in the lives of those they’ve helped but also in the lives of everyone in town.

“There’s no better way to galvanize a community than by working within that community for the betterment of everyone,” explained Craig. “When you’re a part of something, you take pride in it.”

Post 5180 participates in other programs as well. Over the holidays, they sent over 800 individually addressed cards to troops in Iraq. They also visited Ft. Benning Hospital to deliver gifts to each patient and staff member.

The Post has become a positive fixture in Seale. They put to rest many of the old stereotypes once affiliated with them, a primary goal of Craig when he took over as Commander. Now, they can proudly claim title to the No. 1 Post in Alabama for community service programs.

Their service has impacted their membership. The Post now has 132 life members, an increase of over 150 percent from a year ago.

“We’re a small Post doing big things in Alabama,” concluded Craig.

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