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Adm. Jeremiah A. Denton Jr. is a true American hero. The former senator, retired admiral and naval aviator spent almost eight years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam, half of that time in solitary confinement. When forced by his captors to do a television interview in 1966, he blinked the word "torture" in Morse code. He's the kind of man Washington leaders might want to listen to more carefully than the average purveyor of foreign-policy wisdom.

In the heat of an ambush in Afghanistan's most lawless province, a 19-year-old Nebraskan jumped in front of a grenade to shield other Marines in his platoon. Richard Weinmaster was critically wounded by the blast. But the bloodied Cozad native stayed in the fight, firing his machine gun at the enemy position until he collapsed from his wounds. Looking back at the July 8, 2008, engagement, Weinmaster says he was “just doing my job.'' But his bosses in the Marine Corps — and the Secretary of the Navy — felt otherwise. Advertising On Thursday, they awarded the now 20-year-old Weinmaster...

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Just a little more on the book ``Lone Survivor'' by Marcus Luttrell, Navy SEAL. He continues to describe what the military is up against. It gets very discouraging for them to pick up a paper and read about our politicians degrading the military. We all remember the Haditha Marines who were accused of murder. Jack Murtha jumped out front (with Kennedy, Kerry and Reid close behind), and with absolutely no facts, declared them guilty. It got even worse. He called our troops rapists, murderers and uncontrolled criminals. Predictably, the lapdog media loved it and aggressively ran with it. Remember, there...

On July 21 Gustafson was manning the turret of the lead vehicle, a mine resistant ambush protected vehicle, or MRAP, during a four-vehicle mounted patrol riding through the streets of Shewan, Afghanistan. That’s when things got ugly. The patrol came under heavy fire from machine guns as well as rocket-propelled grenades from hidden insurgent positions. One of the RPGs hit Gustafson’s MRAP, piercing its armor, rendering the driver unconscious and partially amputating Gustafson’s right leg. Despite his injuries, Gustafson remained vigilant on his M240B machine gun, locating and accurately firing on several insurgent positions, some as close as 20 meters...

A 21-year-old Eagan man who helped his fellow Marines fight their way out of an ambush in southern Afghanistan despite a serious leg injury received the Navy Cross on Friday, the highest award a Marine is eligible to receive aside from the Medal of Honor. Lance Cpl. Brady A. Gustafson, a machine gunner, was deployed with the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines — the "hardest hit battalion in the Corps" last year, according to the Marine Corps News. At least 20 of the battalion's Marines and sailors were killed in combat in 2008. On July 21, the battalion, based in Twentynine...

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates' decision to award Sgt. Rafael Peralta a Navy Cross instead of a Medal of Honor makes no sense. Either Peralta grabbed a grenade to protect his fellow Marines or he did not. If Peralta grabbed the grenade then he deserves a Medal of Honor. If he did not grab the grenade than there is no reason to award him a Navy Cross. Peralta was born in Mexico and joined the Marines as soon as he received a green card. He subsequently became a U.S. citizen while serving in the Marines. On November 15, 2004, while...

According to the secretary of the Navy, Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta gave his life to save his comrades in the Iraqi city of Fallujah in 2004, grabbing a hostile grenade, pulling it to his body and absorbing the brunt of the blast. President Bush later praised Peralta as a hero. But a decision by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates not to recommend him for the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military honor, stirred an outcry yesterday by his family and Marines whose lives he saved. Peralta instead will be posthumously awarded the second-highest award for valor in combat, the...

Service announces that Sgt. Rafael Peralta will instead get Navy Cross CAMP PENDLETON ---- A Marine nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor and singled out by President Bush for throwing his bullet-riddled body on a grenade to protect fellow Marines in Iraq in 2004 won't be receiving the award, his mother said Wednesday. Rosa Peralta said Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Richard Nantonski informed her Wednesday morning that her son, Sgt. Rafael "Rafa" Peralta, of the Hawaii-based 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, will instead be awarded the Navy Cross. Download the citation Natonski indicated that a committee reviewing the nomination...

"I was basically a leech on the side of America's body, sitting there, sucking blood out, not doing anything productive. Finally, when I joined the Marine Corps, I understood what it was to be an American," said Martinez.

This might seem strange, maybe even sacrilegious, but I am one American who will be happy when this celebration of Veterans Day is over. Don't get me wrong, I am very proud to be a citizen in the same country as our Veterans and current American soldiers. It's only fitting that we have a special day set aside to honor our Nation's Veterans. It's this knot I have in my throat, my blurry eyes, the slight burning on my salt-stained cheeks, and my runny nose which is bothersome. I'm fresh out of tissues and don't feel like running out...

MISSION — Ernesto Gomez entered glory Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2007. He leaves behind his love, Carleen Gomez; beloved sons, Israel and Gabriel Gomez; four grandchildren, many others he cherished, and a tattered Bible. Ernesto Gomez was a highly decorated Marine Vietnam Veteran, awarded the Medal of Valor. His interests were many: motorcycles, stone masonry, prison ministry, golfing (who shot under 100) and cooking. He was an artist, bonsai enthusiast, poet and loved telling everyone about the Lord God his Savior. Services will be at Grimes Funeral Chapels at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2007, with full Marine military honors....

Liberals often like to say that "violence is senseless." That’s wrong. Violence isn't senseless. Senseless violence is senseless. And I should know. Before being awarded the Navy Cross and having the privilege of becoming a Marine, I was a gang member. Sometimes it takes having used violence for both evil as well as good to know that there's a profound moral difference between the two. People often ask me whether I still support the war. I never hesitate when answering: "Absolutely I support completing the mission," I tell them, "Now more than ever"...

CAMP PENDLETON — More than 140,000 Marines have served in Iraq or Afghanistan since the Sept. 11 attacks. Only 18 have received the Navy Cross, second only to the Medal of Honor for combat bravery. On Monday, the family of the 18th recipient, Cpl. Jason S. Clairday, gathered to receive his posthumous award and to hear the young man, who was 21 when he died, remembered as one "who set the standard for others to follow." Clairday was awarded the Navy Cross for leading Marines in storming an insurgent stronghold in Fallouja in December 2004 to support Marines pinned down...

CAMP PENDLETON -- He was only 20 and just a private when killed in battle in Iraq, but a general promised Friday that Lance Cpl. Christopher Adlesperger will live forever in the annals of Marine Corps valor. "He made us all braver," said Maj. Gen. John Paxton after Adlesperger's parents were presented with the Navy Cross, the second-highest honor a Marine can be awarded for combat action. Adlesperger was given the honor posthumously, having been killed in another battle three weeks after his heroics during a firefight in the insurgent-riddled city of Fallujah resulted in the citation. "He showed us...

CAMP PENDLETON — Marine Lance Cpl. Christopher Adlesperger, who was killed during the battle in Fallouja in 2004, has been selected for the Navy Cross, the Marine Corps' second highest medal for combat bravery, the corps announced Monday. The medal recognizes Adlesperger's actions on Nov. 10, 2004, when he saved the lives of innumerable Marines by showing leadership and courage during an assault on a heavily armed insurgent stronghold. In 30 minutes of close combat, Adlesperger killed at least 11 insurgents and protected two squad members who had been wounded, allowing Marines to destroy the site. His squad had been...

On September 13, 2006, at a solemn ceremony at the U.S. Navy’s “Lone Sailor” Memorial in our Nation’s capital, a crowd of 300 friends, family, and warriors gathered to watch and hear the Secretary of the Navy, Donald C. Winter, honor the lives and sacrifices of our two most recent Navy Cross heroes by presenting posthumous medals to the wives of Gunner’s Mate Second Class (Sea, Air and Land (SEAL)) Danny P. Dietz, and Sonar Technician Second Class (SEAL) Matthew G. Axelson, United States Navy. -snip- Petty Officers Dietz and Axelson were part of a four-man Special Reconnaissance ground element...

A former Marine sergeant credited with saving five fellow Marines in Iraq was presented the Navy Cross for heroism in combat Friday. Robert J. Mitchell of Iowa was awarded the medal for his actions as a squad leader for Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, during an assault in the city of Fallujah in November 2004. While engaged in an intense gunfight in what then was an insurgent stronghold, five Marines were wounded and became pinned down in a house. Mitchell, 26, charged through enemy AK-47 fire and hand grenade explosions to reach the building. As he approached the house,...

When Fonseca arrived, he saw that Amtrac 2/11 took a direct hit from the enemy, and next to it, five severely hurt Marines, two with partial leg amputations. “No one in here is going to die, we're all going to get home safe...”

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (May 4, 2006) -- Sgt. Maj. Bradley A. Kasal feels he did what any good Marine would’ve done. That includes taking enemy rifle fire on Nov. 14, 2004, absorbing a grenade blast and refusing medical attention inside Fallujah’s “House of Hell” during Operation Al Fajr (New Dawn). For his extraordinary heroism and leadership in Fallujah, Iraq, as the Weapons Company first sergeant for 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Kasal was awarded the Navy Cross during a ceremony here Monday. “The word hero is tossed around pretty loosely these days,” said Maj....

CAMP PENDLETON - He was shot seven times. Then 40 pieces of super-heated shrapnel melted into his flesh. And at three different moments, in nanoseconds laced with adrenaline, confusion, sweat and blood, Marine Corps 1st Sgt. Bradley Kasal took account of his life. Then he decided it would be OK if he died. His decision earned him the Navy Cross on Monday. In November 2004, while serving with Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, Kasal rushed into a house in Fallujah where Marines were trapped in a small room. They were pinned down by Iraqi insurgents firing into the...

CAMP PENDLETON - He was shot seven times. Then 40 pieces of super-heated shrapnel melted into his flesh. And at three different moments, in nanoseconds laced with adrenaline, confusion, sweat and blood, Marine Corps 1st Sgt. Bradley Kasal took account of his life. Then he decided it would be OK if he died. His decision earned him the Navy Cross on Monday. --snip-- Now, after having suffered seven gunshots, Kasal decided to again put his life at risk. He would use all of the available field dressings to help stop the bleeding of a gunshot wound suffered by a fellow...

His name was Gregory Boyington. Some called him "Pappy." He served as a combat pilot in World War II with the 1st Squadron, American Volunteer Group. This squadron was known as the Flying Tigers of China. Boyington later served as a combat pilot for the U.S. Marine Corps. He commanded Marine Fighting Squadron 214. Perhaps you've heard of this squadron. It was called the Black Sheep Squadron and was later featured in a TV series called "Baa Baa, Black Sheep." Boyington shot down 26 Japanese aircraft while serving in the Pacific. He was later shot down and spent 20 months...

Students reject honor to WWII hero Member of Marines not 'sort of person UW wanted to produce' Posted: February 14, 2006 1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2006 WorldNetDaily.com Lt. Col. Gregory "Pappy" Boyington during World War II (Photo: National Archives) The University of Washington's student senate rejected a memorial for alumnus Gregory "Pappy" Boyington of "Black Sheep Squadron" fame amid concerns a military hero who shot down enemy planes was not the right kind of person to represent the school. Student senator Jill Edwards, according to minutes of the student government's meeting last week, said she "didn't believe a member of...

For those of you that don't know, I mentioned a few days back that I was surprised to learn 208 Silver Stars had been awarded in Iraq. Apparently heroism isn't newsworthy enough for most of the MSM. So in an effort to change that, I've embarked on a bit of a personal crusade called "Project Hero", where I will highlight the heroism of some of our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Today we honor a young Marine officer who won the nation's second highest honor for valor in action: the Navy Cross. From 1LT Chontosh's...

Meet Brian Chontosh. Churchville-Chili Central School class of 1991. Proud graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology. Husband and about-to-be father. First lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. And a genuine hero. The secretary of the Navy said so yesterday. At 29 Palms in California Brian Chontosh was presented with the Navy Cross, the second highest award for combat bravery the United States can bestow. That's a big deal. But you won't see it on the network news tonight, and all you read in Brian's hometown newspaper was two paragraphs of nothing. Instead, it was more blather about some...

I just wanted to share this with everyone. I'm not sure how old it is, but it made me very proud of our fighting men and women. And very ashamed of the MSM for not mentioning this brave man's accomplishments at all. http://www.wtv-zone.com/Mary/THISWILLMAKEYOUPROUD.HTML

FOLKS, CLICK ON THE LINK IN THE 'SOURCE URL' ABOVE FOR AN UNREPORTED STORY THAT WILL MAKE YOU PROUD. OR JUST CUT AND PASTE:http://www.wtv-zone.com/Mary/THISWILLMAKEYOUPROUD.HTML

Turn on your audio and set back on watch this. This is about a real American hero, Captain Brian Chontosh, USMC. Unfortunately our biased news media doesn't cover items like this.

The following are those heroes of this new generation that have been awarded our nation's highest awards for extraordinary heroism in the War on Terror. Air Force Cross: Jason Dean Cunningham (Killed in Action) Senior Airman, U.S. Air Force Citation: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Title 10, Section 8742, U.S.C., awards the Air Force Cross to Senior Airman Jason D. Cunningham for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force while serving as a pararescueman near the village of Marzak in the Paktia Province of Afghanistan on 4 March 2002. On that proud...

For those of you who might not know, the man on the left is the Commandant of the Marine Corps (Gen. Michael W. Hagee), and he is proud to know the man on the right....... Maybe you'd like to hear about a real American, somebody who honored the uniform he wears. Meet Brian Chontosh. Churchville-Chili Central School class of 1991. Proud graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology. Husband and about-to-be father. First lieutenant (now captain) in the United States Marine Corps. And a genuine hero. The secretary of the Navy said so yesterday. At 29 Palms in Californiam, Brian...

I got the following in an email today and thought that I'd pass it on.This will make you proud! Those of you who might not know, the man on the left is the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and he is proud to know the man on the right. Maybe you'd like to hear about a real American, somebody who honored  the uniform he wears. Meet Brian Chontosh. Churchville-Chili Central School class of 1991. Proud graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology. Husband and about-to-be father. First lieutenant (now Captain) in the United States Marine Corps. And a genuine hero....

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - When his platoon was ambushed in an attack by insurgents in Iraq last year, Marine Sgt. Willie L. Copeland III took charge. He led five Marines out of the heaviest fire, found cover and killed 10 of the enemy in close combat. When his commanding officer fell wounded, Copeland used his body to shield the officer as he administered first aid. For his leadership and dedication to duty, the 26-year-old from Utah on Thursday received the Navy Cross, the Navy's second-highest honor. Seven Marines have received the Navy Cross for Operation Iraqi Freedom through Jan. 10,...

Military officials on Sunday decorated a Marine reserve sergeant who braved a hail of bullets during a street battle in Baghdad and helped four Marines and a civilian to safety. Sgt. Scott C. Montoya, 35, a reservist and scout-sniper with 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, received the Marine Corps' second-highest award for valor, the Navy Cross, from Lt. Gen. Dennis McCarthy, who commands Marine Forces Reserve, during a short ceremony in the courtyard at the Marine Corps Reserve Center, Encino, California. The Orange County sheriff's deputy received the award in front of 200 friends, family members and several officials, including...

Corpsman Awarded Navy Cross Story Number: NNS040812-05 Release Date: 8/12/2004 3:54:00 PM By Raymond L. Applewhite, Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune Public Affairs and Photographer's Mate 1st Class (AW) Eric Schwab, Navy News Service NORTH CAROLINA (NNS) -- Secretary of the Navy Gordon R. England presented the Navy Cross to Hospitalman Luis E. Fonseca Jr. in a ceremony held at Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune, N.C., Aug. 11.

Corpsman Awarded Navy Cross Story Number: NNS040812-05 Release Date: 8/12/2004 3:54:00 PM By Raymond L. Applewhite, Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune Public Affairs and Photographer's Mate 1st Class (AW) Eric Schwab, Navy News Service NORTH CAROLINA (NNS) -- Secretary of the Navy Gordon R. England presented the Navy Cross to Hospitalman Luis E. Fonseca Jr. in a ceremony held at Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune, N.C., Aug. 11. Fonseca, a 23-year-old corpsman, was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom March 23, 2003, while serving with Amphibious Assault Vehicle Platoon, Company C, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines,...

11th MEU Marine awarded Navy Cross for legendary day during OIF FORWARD OPERATING BASE HOTEL, Iraq - (July 29, 2004) -- A hero is oftentimes thought to be one who overcomes some great obstacle for the betterment of his fellow man. Such legends flow freely throughout our society, especially in the Marine Corps, and their memories offer motivation to the weakest and strongest. First Sgt. Justin D. Lehew doesn't believe Marines are heroes. "There are heroes in life, but we are not it. We're just Marines," Lehew, company first sergeant, Company C, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 4th Marine...

May 21, 2004, 1:36AM Houston hero always wanted to be a leader Elsik High grad awarded Navy Cross By DALE LEZON Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle On April 4, 2003, U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Perez took charge of a battle in the Iraqi desert and won. He raked enemy positions with rifle fire, led a charge into a trench bristling with Iraqi fighters and obliterated a machine-gun bunker with a rocket. Wounded by gunfire in the back and shoulder, he directed other Marines to shoot at the Iraqi positions. For his heroism, the 23-year-old from Houston was awarded the Navy...

Return to Service Medal IndexReturn to Naval Historical Center homepage The Navy Cross THE YEARS of the "Great War" were not easy ones for the men and women in the naval service. The Herculean task of transporting and escorting the hundreds of thousands of troops of the American Expeditionary Force to Europe, the growing pains of fielding new aviation and submarine elements and the savage fighting of our sailors and Marines on battlefields across France all lay at the feet of the naval service. Along with this came an increase in the size of the naval service to its largest...

Here's something you need to read... I received this story via the Marines All Hands network (via Col. Don Myers). Subject: A Real Hero SOMETHING THAT DIDN'T MAKE THE NEWS Maybe you'd like to hear about a real American, somebody who honored the uniform he wears. Meet Brian Chontosh. Churchville-Chili Central School class of 1991. Proud graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology. Husband and about-to-be father. First lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. And a genuine hero. The secretary of the Navy said so yesterday. At 29 Palms in California Brian Chontosh was presented with the Navy Cross,...

Submitted by: MCB Camp Pendleton Story by: Name: Cpl. Luis R. Agostini Story Identification #: 200453192332 MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.(May 3, 2004) -- Marine Sgt. Marcos A. Martinez received the Navy Cross from the Secretary of the Navy, Honorable Gordon R. England, during a ceremony Monday at 5th Marine Regiment parade deck here. "These brave Marines did good things without notice," said England, "and without the acclaim of crowds. But they got the acclaim of their fellow Marines." Martinez, 22, a Las Cruces, N.M., native, received the naval service's second highest award for extraordinary heroism while serving as...

Maybe you'd like to hear about something other than idiot Reservists and naked Iraqis. Maybe you'd like to hear about a real American, somebody who honored the uniform he wears. Meet Brian Chontosh. Churchville-Chili Central School class of 1991. Proud graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology. Husband and about-to-be father. First lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. And a genuine hero. The secretary of the Navy said so yesterday. At 29 Palms in California Brian Chontosh was presented with the Navy Cross, the second highest award for combat bravery the United States can bestow. That's a big deal....

WITH THE NATION’S FAUX INTELLIGENTSIA still reeling from “shame-shock-horror,” and the Hounds of the Blathervilles in full cry for Donald Rumsfeld's head on a pike, the likelihood of the picture above being seen on the front pages of the "leading" newspapers, or at the top of the news on any of the network news shows approaches absolute zero. After all, just what is the story here? Why should it be of interest to the Americans these “news organizations” supposedly serve? The story concerns a medal given to a Marine: Marine receives Navy Cross. The marine in question is Capt....

Rochester, N.Y. Marine, receives Navy CrossSubmitted by: MCB Camp PendletonStory Identification Number: 200456162723Story by Cpl. Jeremy Vought MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.(May 6, 2004) -- Marine Capt. Brian R. Chontosh received the Navy Cross Medal from the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, Gen. Michael W. Hagee, during an awards ceremony Thursday at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Training Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif. Three other Marines received medals for valor at the same ceremony. Chontosh, 29, from Rochester, N.Y. , received the naval service's second highest award for extraordinary heroism while serving as Combined Anti-Armor Platoon Commander,...

SOMETHING ELSE THAT DIDN'T MAKE THE NEWS Maybe you’d like to hear about something other than idiot Reservists and naked Iraqis. Maybe you’d like to hear about a real American, somebody who honored the uniform he wears. Meet Brian Chontosh. A genuine hero. MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. May 6, 2004Marine Corps News Marine Capt. Brian R. Chontosh received the Navy Cross Medal from the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, Gen. Michael W. Hagee, during an awards ceremony Thursday at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Training Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif. Three other Marines received medals for...

A 29-year-old Marine from upstate New York received the Navy's second highest award Thursday for charging into enemy trenches during an ambush in Iraq and continuing his attack after depleting his ammunition. Marine Capt. Brian R. Chontosh, of Rochester, N.Y., received the Navy Cross Medal in a ceremony at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Training Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif. The Navy Cross is second only to the Congressional Medal of Honor. "I was just doing my job," said Chontosh, who is married and expecting his first child. "I did the same thing every other Marine would have done." On March...

Maybe you’d like to hear about something other than idiot Reservists and naked Iraqis. Maybe you’d like to hear about a real American, somebody who honored the uniform he wears. Meet Brian Chontosh. Churchville-Chili Central School class of 1991. Proud graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology. Husband and about-to-be father. First lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. And a genuine hero. The secretary of the Navy said so yesterday. At 29 Palms in California Brian Chontosh was presented with the Navy Cross, the second highest award for combat bravery the United States can bestow. That’s a big deal....

Houston Marine receives Navy CrossSubmitted by: MCB Camp PendletonStory Identification Number: 200456172127Story by cpl. Luis Agostini MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (May 6, 2004) -- Marine Pfc. Joseph B. Perez received the Navy Cross Medal from the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, Gen. Michael W. Hagee, during an awards ceremony Thursday at Marine Corps Air-Ground Training Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif. Perez, 23, a Houston, Texas, native, received the naval service's second highest award for extraordinary heroism while serving as a rifleman with Company I, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force,...

San Diego Union-TribuneNovember 1, 2003Coronado SEAL Wins Navy CrossAward for heroism in AfghanistanBy Otto Kreisher, Copley News Service WASHINGTON – A Navy SEAL assigned to the Special Warfare Center in Coronado received the Navy Cross, the nation's second-highest award, this week for heroism during a rescue mission in Afghanistan. Chief Petty Officer Stephen Bass also was one of three special-operations personnel among six service members honored by a prominent national-security support group, underscoring the unprecedented role special-operations forces played in the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts. Bass was cited for "extraordinary heroism" during combat operations in northern Afghanistan as part of...

Posted on Fri, Jul. 12, 2002 Man charged with impersonating NSA official By MATT CAMPBELL The Kansas City Star An Independence man -- already accused of impersonating a naval officer and a Medal of Honor recipient -- on Thursday faced a more serious charge of impersonating a National Security Agency official. A felony count of possessing a fraudulent National Security Agency identification card was added to two misdemeanor charges pending in federal court against Ralph Ervin Crowder. Crowder wore an orange jail outfit Thursday when making his initial appearance before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Maughmer in Kansas City....