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Sgt. Frank Lugo leads a double life. In the United States, he was a successful hedge fund trader with condos in New York and South Beach, Fla. Now he is in an unlikely spot -- Iraq, where he lives in the sprawling slum of Sadr City. "My lifestyle's obviously drastically different back home than it is here," Lugo said. "But there are things that can't be replicated back home that are here. This belief that we're trying to accomplish something that's greater than oneself." Lugo is an Army reservist. At 36, he has re-enlisted four times, swapping fast cars and...

A school district near Austin, TX wants to name a new high school there Vandegrift High School after a fallen Marine who graduated in 1999. He was killed in Iraq serving his country, and the local school board voted to name a new high school after him. This is a great gesture of appreciation. But unfortunately some lunatic leftists are protesting this decision. Please contact the Leander ISD to let them know you support their decision, despite what a vocal, anti-American minority of fringe activists think. Call the school district at 512-434-5000. Fax a letter to them at 512-434-5398. Email...

Fox News is announcing that Tony Snow has died. Heartbreaking news.

Dear Friends, Family and fellow Americans, On this Fourth of July, as we celebrate our Country’s freedoms, I want you all to know about a great American. His story so powerful, Susan and I felt compelled to share it with you on this day in the spirit of those who have also served so honorably, that we may all enjoy the blessings of freedom. His name is Lt Col Allen West and he is running for US Congress. Upon detailed inquiry my wife Susan and I have chosen to support Col. West and we could not be more proud of...

uring the service, as Monsoor's coffin was taken from the hearse to the gravesite, Navy SEALs lined up in two columns. As the coffin passed, video shows each SEAL slapping down the gold Trident from his uniform and deeply embedding it in Monsoor's wooden coffin. The slaps were reportedly heard across the cemetery. The symbolic display moved many, included Bush, who during his speech in April's Medal of Honor ceremony spoke about the incident. "The procession went on nearly half an hour," Bush said. "And when it was all over, the simple wooden coffin had become a gold-plated memorial to...

On this day in 1960, per an executive order by President Dwight Eisenhower, the nation's 50-star flag became official. Especially on the Fourth of July, patriots salute Old Glory -- continued at http://grandoldpartisan.typepad.com/blog/2008/07/mccain-is-a-hero-and-obama-is-a-zero.html

WASHINGTON, June 30, 2008 – The goal of a troop-support group’s new Web-based campaign is simple: tell the troops “thank you” a million times over, starting today. Hire A Hero, which works to connect military job seekers and military-friendly employers, has created the “One Million Thank Yous” campaign to do just that. “We … know that servicemembers are not aware of the tremendous amount of support that exists for them,” said Brac Selph, executive director of Hire A Hero. “We want servicemembers to have a virtual place they can go to remind themselves that what they are doing is...

Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe 'a hero', say African leaders By David Blair, Diplomatic Editor Last Updated: 8:47PM BST 30/06/2008 African leaders gathering for a summit have greeted President Robert Mugabe as a "hero", dashing hopes that Zimbabwe's regime would come under immediate international pressure. President Omar Bongo of Gabon, who has held power for 41 years and won a series of widely criticised elections, gave his public backing for Mr Mugabe as leaders met in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. "He was elected, he took an oath, and he is here with us, so he is President and we cannot...

Throughout the Bush presidency, he toiled in secrecy deep within the White House Until yesterday. There he sat, hunched and scowling, at the witness table in front of the House Judiciary Committee: the bearded, burly form of the chief of staff and alter ego to the vice president -- Cheney's Cheney, if you will -- and the man most responsible for building President Bush's notion of an imperial presidency. David Addington was there under subpoena. And he wasn't happy about it. Could the president ever be justified in breaking the law? "I'm not going to answer a legal opinion on...

TANROW, June 13, 2008 (CWNews.com/LifeSiteNews.com) - A Polish volleyball star who was buried on June 9 is being compared by local Catholics to Blessed Gianna Beretta Molla because of her heroic sacrifice for her unborn child. Agata Mroz, who was originally known for her athletic prowess, was buried in her hometown of Tarnow. Mroz was pregnant with her first child when doctors discovered she had a fatal case of leukemia. After consulting with her husband, Mroz delayed a bone-marrow transplant until after she gave birth to her daughter Liliana on April 4, 2008. Polish fans dubbed the national team...

Dennis Kucinich is currently on the floor of the House presenting his bill to impeach President George W. Bush. C-SPAN, 8:00 PM 9 Jun 2008.

Joy from rescue of 5 Aggie boaters turns grim when 6th member of capsized boat crew is found dead amid wreckage A day that started with the joyous rescue of five crew members of a Texas A&M University at Galveston sailboat closed with the somber discovery of the sixth sailor's body in the wreckage of the sunken ship. Roger Stone, whose body was recovered by a salvage crew Sunday about 27 miles southeast of Freeport, was called a hero for helping two students escape from below decks seconds before the Cynthia Woods capsized. "I'm sure that's what lost his life,"...

POW, War Hero, President 

WASHINGTON, June 3, 2008 – Medal of Honor recipient Army Spc. Ross A. McGinnis joined a select group of military heroes during a Pentagon ceremony here today. Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England hosted the event that added McGinnis’ name to the roster of other Army Medal of Honor recipients. Army Secretary Pete Geren and Gen. Richard R. Cody, the Army’s vice chief of staff, also attended the event at the library and conference center. Medal of Honor recipients “are our nation’s most-revered heroes,” England said. “And every time a name is added, that individual’s story enriches the significance of...

The Story of PFC Ross A. McGinnis 1st Platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division (attached to 2nd BCT, 2ID) Parents: Tom and Romayne McGinnis Siblings: Becky Gorman and Katie McGinnis Hometown: Knox, Pennsylvania Enlisted: Delayed Entry Program June 14, 2004 at the Pittsburgh MEPS. Completed initial entry training at Fort Benning, Georgia Assignments: 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment (Schweinfurt, Germany) Deployments: Operation Iraqi Freedom Spc. McGinnis’ dedication to duty and love for his fellow Soldiers were embodied in a statement issued by his parents shortly after his death: “Ross did not...

9:50 A.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Welcome to the White House. A week ago on Memorial Day, the flag of the United States flew in half-staff in tribute to those who fell in service to our country. Today we pay special homage to one of those heroes: Private First Class Ross Andrew McGinnis of the U.S. Army. Private McGinnis died in a combat zone in Iraq on December the 4th, 2006 -- and for his heroism that day, he now receives the Medal of Honor. In a few moments, the military aide will read the citation, and the Medal...

WASHINGTON, June 2, 2008 – President Bush presented the Medal of Honor to fallen Army hero Spc. Ross A. McGinnis’ parents during a White House ceremony here today. Video President George W. Bush leads the applause to honor U.S. Army Pfc. Ross A. McGinnis after presenting the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously to his parents, Tom and Romayne McGinnis, of Knox, Pa., June 2, 2008, at the White House. White House photo by Chris Greenberg   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest military distinction; it is given for valor beyond anything...

HIS life blood was ebbing away as four bullets, fired by evil, blasted into his body. As a cop staring death stark in the face, Anthony Mosomillo had one last job. He blasted away with four shots at a cockroach called José Serrano, and hell greeted another lowlife into Satan's lap. Ten years ago, Anthony Mosomillo and partner Miriam Torres went to Serrano's apartment to arrest the career criminal, who had skipped out on two bench warrants. When they found Serrano, the 210-pound weight lifter wrestled Miriam's service pistol away from her and shot Anthony four times, mortally wounding him....

In MemoriamClyde J. McGee September 19, 1930(Beach, MS)— May 11, 2008 (Dallas, TX) BMC, USN Retired from the U.S. Navy after thirty years of service. Laid to rest on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 10:00 A.M. at Restland Memorial Park in Dallas.

In Memoriam Franklin Patric Willeford HN3 USNNAVY CROSSMarch 17, 1943 (Lawton OK) — December 14, 1968 (Quang Nam, Republic of Vietnam) Vietnam Memorial Panel 36W, Row 021 Citation The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Franklin Patric Willeford (3537852), Hospitalman, U.S. Navy, for extraordinary heroism on 14 December 1968 while serving as a Platoon Corpsman in Company C, First Battalion, Fifth Marines, FIRST Marine Division (Reinforced), Fleet Marine Force, in Quang Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam. As Hospitalman Willeford's platoon was participating in a company-sized sweep through an area, the lead element...

True American Hero Honored SSgt Vincent Rios, USMC (Ret.), was the Chair of Honor at the Memorial Program on Sunday, May 25, 2008, Lands End, Fort Miley, San Francisco. FReepers Scott and Saundra Hawkins file this first-hand account. Saundra met Vince Rios when they both worked for a federal agency in San Francisco in 1977 and they have remained close friends ever since. “Vince Rios is a true American hero if ever there was one,” says Saundra. Why is Vince Rios a true American Hero? After Sgt. Rios served his first tour of duty in Vietnam, he volunteered to go...

Some people influence their world far beyond the wisdom of their years, far beyond the wisdom of their elders, far beyond the understanding of a nation that barely knows its children have gone to war. In a time when the battle lines are clear for those who have the eyes to see, the bravery, the loyalty, and the strength of these men should knock us to our knees in thanksgiving and humility. In the eternal battle between good and evil, each drop of blood they shed should be sacred to us, and remind us that the blessings we have are...

Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin is catching grief for suggesting John McCain’s family history of military service makes the presumptive Republican presidential nominee unfit to be commander-in-chief. Harkin, who has a history of embellishing his own military record, told Iowa reporters last week that McCain’s background as the son and grandson of Navy admirals creates a “dangerous” situation because he can only view the world through the prism of the military. “He has a hard time thinking beyond that,” Harkin said, according to The Des Moines Register. “I think he’s trapped in that. Everything is looked at from his life experiences,...

BAGHDAD, May 21, 2008 – To cope with the stress of deployments, soldiers try to find different ways to entertain themselves and their comrades. Some play video games, watch movies or use their computers and the Internet. But things like that are usually done while “inside the wire” at a forward operating base or combat outpost. Army Spc. Jackie Moore, a Fox, Ore., native, prepares for a mission at Camp Taji, Iraq, before hitting the road in northern Baghdad. Moore is a vehicle gunner serving with Company B, 64th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division,...

Pat Tillman's mother spoke with Action News Anchor Robbie Timmons today, while on a book tour for "Boots On The Ground By Dusk."

At a ceremony on the eastern shore of Lake Ronkonkoma -- in a Brookhaven Town beach previously named after Murphy, who was awarded the Medal of Honor last September -- Navy Secretary Donald Winter said the keel of the destroyer would be laid in June 2009 at a shipyard in Maine. He said the ship would be commissioned in 2011. Winter said Navy warships have traditionally been named after major historical figures, such as American presidents. He said the naming of the destroyer after Murphy was "an opportunity to recognize this new generation of heroes." This story is based on...

CHICAGO — Chicago police say a man died as he tried to shield his four-year-old daughter from an auto allegedly driven by a man under the influence of a controlled substance. Joseph Richardson was walking his daughter Kaniyah to a McDonald's for burgers late Monday when a car jumped the curb. Police say the 39-year-old Richardson grabbed his daughter just before the car slammed the two into a fence.

May 2) - A Marine sergeant who became a symbol of resilience as he strove to recover from a roadside bomb blast in Iraq that blanketed 97 percent of his body with burns has died, the Defense Department said. He was 22. Sgt. Merlin German died April 11 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, where he was continuing treatment for the injuries he suffered in combat on Feb. 22, 2005, the Pentagon said Thursday. The former turret gunner was dubbed the "Miracle Man" for his determination in facing his wounds, which cost the former saxophone player his fingers...

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- The son of the new Dutch defense chief was killed Friday by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, and the Taliban claimed that they deliberately made him a high-profile victim of their deadly insurgency. Lt. Dennis van Uhm, 23, was one of two Dutch soldiers killed in the explosion 7 miles (12 kilometers) northwest of Camp Holland, the Dutch military base in restive Uruzgan province, spokesman Lt. Gen. Freek Meulman said. Two more soldiers were injured, one critically. Meulman was standing in for Gen. Peter van Uhm, who was installed as defense chief only on Thursday and...

A college lacrosse game was held in honor of Jimmy Regan, who chose to sacrifice his education and future career prospects in order to become an army ranger. (VIDEO)

The house blended into its quiet eastside neighborhood, marked only by a blue star in the window and a small, square sign reading "Welcome Home Tim." Somewhere a vacuum cleaner's rumbling voice broke the sunny afternoon hush. The setting hardly could be more different from the patch of Iraqi desert where Army Specialist Timothy Sazueta stood two weeks ago when an improvised explosive device exploded next to him. "It didn't hit me, initially, that I'd been blown up," said Sazueta, 22, of Lancaster. "I was still standing. You don't go flying" like in the movies. His teammates yelled at Sazueta...

THE HAGUE, Netherlands - The son of the Dutch defense chief was killed Friday by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, and the Taliban claimed they deliberately made the young lieutenant a high-profile target. While the Dutch quickly cast doubt on the Taliban claim, the death underscores the danger high-profile soldiers can face and illustrates a grim reality for families, famous and not, who choose the military life. Lt. Dennis van Uhm, 23, was one of two Dutch soldiers killed in the explosion seven miles northwest of Camp Holland, the Dutch military base in the restive southern province of Uruzgan. Two...

BRAVE FATHER OF FIVE KILLED BY AFGHAN BOMB ONE of the two RAF servicemen killed in Afghanistan was in the war-torn country to build a better future for women, it emerged last night. Senior Aircraftman Gary Thompson, 51, was the proud father of five girls and arrived in the country just six weeks ago with hopes of improving educational opportunities. He had been inspired by his daughters Laurie, 24, Aimee, 22, Jordan, 20, Jade, 17, and Kelly, 16. Speaking before leaving his home in Mapperley, Nottingham, he said: “I have five daughters, three of whom are at university. I want...

4/15/2008 - TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) -- Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines working the Tyndall Air Force Base air show Saturday recently an unexpected surprise that caught many off guard. Hard at work on the flightline in the blazing sun, many troops were stopped by the voice of an 11-year-old girl thanking each military member for his or her service. Along with the "thank-you" came a goodie bag. The little girl handing out the "doses of appreciation" was Bailey Reese, founder and president of Hero Hugs, an organization based on recognizing and appreciating America's troops. Hero Hugs is...

A Marine Corps sergeant from Brentwood prevented a tragedy Sunday, when he pulled an 8-year-old girl from the bottom of an apartment complex swimming pool. Miguel Hinojosa is being heralded by police and fire officials for his quick actions, which they say saved the child's life. Around 2 p.m., dispatchers received a call that a girl who was not breathing had been pulled from the bottom of a pool at an apartment complex at 2400 Shady Willow Lane in Brentwood. East Contra Costa Fire District Battalion Chief Jeff Burris said the pool was crowded, and that he believes the girl's...

THE story of a US soldier who sacrificed his life for his comrades has moved US President George W. Bush to tears. When a grenade bounced off his chest and fell to the floor near his fellow troops, Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor acted out of instinct. His actions didn't stem from a lack of training. His instant reaction was to protect his comrades. PO Monsoor was one of the US military's most highly trained combatants, a navy SEAL. The navy said he committed a selfless act by jumping on the grenade and taking the full force of the...

4/10/2008 - WESTHAMPTON BEACH, N.Y. (AFPN) -- A retired chief master sergeant was awarded the Air Force Cross 40 years after the mission which earned him the Air Force's second-highest honor April 5 here. Nearly 300 members of Chief Master Sgt. Dennis Richardson's former unit attended the ceremony for the flight engineer with the 106th Rescue Wing for 30 years as he was recognized for his actions during a rescue mission in Vietnam March 14, 1968. Twenty-one enlisted Airmen have been awarded the Air Force Cross since its inception. Since the end of the Vietnam War, only three Air Force...

A St. Louis-born U.S. Army colonel was killed in Iraq Sunday, according to his sister, Kathleen King of O’Fallon. Col. Stephen K. Scott, 54, was serving at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad where he was working with Iraqi leaders on weapons intelligence and defense. Scott, who was an avid runner, was in the workout facilities in the green zone when he was killed during a mortar attack, King said. -snip- After basic training, Stephen Scott worked at the Army Aviation and Troop Command facility on Goodfellow Boulevard in St. Louis until it was closed in 1997. He then moved to...

WASHINGTON, April 8, 2008 – President Bush today posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor to Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor, a Navy SEAL whose mortal sacrifice in Iraq saved the lives of two fellow SEALs and several Iraqi soldiers. Video President George W. Bush weeps Tuesday, April 8, 2008 during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House before presenting the Medal of Honor to George and Sally Monsoor for the actions of their son Petty Officer 2nd Class, Michael A. Monsoor, a Navy SEAL, during combat in Iraq. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer...

President Bush has presented America's highest military award to the parents of a Navy special operations sailor killed in Iraq two years ago. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns has the story. In September of that year, Monsoor and three SEAL snipers took up a rooftop position during a firefight with insurgents. The Defense Department says a grenade thrown from the street below hit Monsoor in the chest and dropped to the roof. The 25-year-old gunner covered the grenade with his body - saving the lives of his comrades, but suffering wounds that took his life 30 minutes later. President...

While I am sad to report the death of a long-time friend, I can at least be thankful that he died peacefully in his sleep on March 30, 2008. His funeral will be held on April 5, 2008, and his burial in the National Cemetery at Willamette (Portland, Oregon) will be on Tuesday, April 8, 2008. Gordy was a true hero. I think this biographical announcement pretty much tells the story of a courageous young man who, at a very tender age, became a Marine and a hero under circumstances that defied all odds. Bio of Gordon Morgan: Gordon William...

Summary of Action Petty Officer Second Class (SEAL) Michael A. Monsoor For actions on Sept. 29, 2006 Petty Officer Michael A. Monsoor, United States Navy, distinguished himself through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a Combat Advisor and Automatic Weapons Gunner for Naval Special Warfare Task Group Arabian Peninsula in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on 29 September 2006. He displayed great personal courage and exceptional bravery while conducting operations in enemy held territory at Ar Ramadi Iraq. During Operation Kentucky Jumper, a combined Coalition battalion clearance and...

Daredevil who set countless records and helped pioneer the US Space program.

A Royal Marine who threw himself onto an exploding grenade to save the lives of his patrol has been put forward for the UK's highest military honour. Lance Corporal Matt Croucher, 24, a reservist from Birmingham, survived because his rucksack and body armour took the force of the blast. He was part of a reconnaissance troop in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in February, when the incident happened. The Ministry of Defence said he could be considered for the Victoria Cross. Bloodied nose A spokesman said L/Cpl Croucher's comrades had made a citation to their commanding officer and officers were now considering...

SAN DIEGO — To his Navy SEAL buddies, Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor will always be known as "Mikey," a fun-loving 25-year-old guy who had "a little mischievous look on his face." It's a face they'll never forget. On Sept. 29, 2006, while on a mission in Ramadi, Iraq, Monsoor and other members of a Navy SEAL sniper team were within a moment of death. An insurgent had tossed a grenade into their hideout, hitting Monsoor in the chest before bouncing to the floor. In an instant, Monsoor was on the grenade, using his body to shield his...

Maupin's remains found in Iraq THE ENQUIRER E-mail | Print | digg us! | del.icio.us! | Click-2-Listen Sgt. Matt Maupin is dead, the parents of the missing Clermont County soldier said today. Maupin's remain were found in Iraq, nearly four years after he was captured by insurgents, his parents said. An Army general came to Clermont County today to notify them, they said. "Matt is coming home. He's completed his mission," his father, Keith Maupin, said. The Glen Este High School graduate was taken captive on April 9, 2004, when insurgents overran his convoy. He had been driving a supply...

A Royal Marine who threw himself onto an exploding grenade to save the lives of his patrol has been put forward for the UK's highest military honour. Lance Corporal Matt Croucher, 24, a reservist from Birmingham, survived because his rucksack and body armour took the force of the blast. He was part of a reconnaissance troop in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in February, when the incident happened. The Ministry of Defence said he could be considered for the Victoria Cross.

A Royal Marine could receive the highest award for gallantry after he saved the lives of his comrades by throwing himself onto an exploding grenade in Afghanistan, it has been reported. Lance Corporal Matt Croucher amazingly survived the incident despite shrapnel peppering his helmet during the explosion. L/Cpl Croucher's backpack was thrown more than 30ft in the explosion His extraordinary courage, which could lead to a citation for the Victoria Cross, came after a tripwire booby-trap was stepped on during a nighttime mission outside the town of Sangin, Helmand province.

LANCASTER [CA] - The football team at Desert Christian High School rose as one Friday morning, standing at attention to celebrate a Marine alum's return from Iraq and to honor another Desert Christian graduate, an Army soldier killed in action on Easter Sunday. "What is a Knight?" the team shouted in unison. "I am my brother's keeper! I am a warrior! I am a champion!" Each student-athlete was signaling respect, rejoicing and mourning. Rejoicing at the safe return of a former teammate, Marine Lance Cpl. Patrick Lee, who received 50 "care packages" from students at his alma mater while stationed...