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My column below memorializes some true American heroes whose funerals won’t get wall-to-wall cable coverage. But first I wanted to share an e-mail from reader Noelle, who wrote me yesterday: We spent a nailbiting Sunday wondering if one of the men killed at [Combat Outpost] Zerok in Afghanistan on July 4th was our son. God bless the Casillas and Fairbairn families in this hour of grief over futures that now will never come to pass. The privates who died were mortarmen, the guys who go outside and return fire. I’m sorry about Michael Jackson’s totally wasted life, but he’s not...

WASHINGTON, July 8, 2009 – Bright blue skies above the National Mall today belied the solemnity of the ceremony commemorating the first two American combat casualties of the Vietnam War. U.S. Army Master Sgt. Chester Ovnand and Maj. Dale Buis were the first two U.S. servicemembers killed in the Vietnam War. Their sacrifice was honored in Washington, D.C., Jyly 8, 2009, in a ceremony commemorating the 50th Anniversary of their deaths. DoD photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “On this date 50 years ago, two men lost their lives...

Editors Note - This is reposted from RangerUp (with permission) and was written by Lex McMahon, son of Ed McMahon, pictured below receiving his father's flagHow does a son say goodbye to his father? While this is a profoundly painful question to ponder, in this instance, the answer is really very simple – by honoring my father’s request to be buried and celebrated as a great Marine. To Ed’s millions of fans around the world, he was an entertainment icon who’s brilliant and colorful career spanned some 70 years and included work as a bingo caller in a traveling carnival...

So that you will know "the Rest of the Story": He wanted to be a Marine fighter pilot. The US was building up their military force, but they were not at war yet and the Navy required all its potential Navy and Marine pilots to have two years of college. So Ed started classes at Boston College. When Pearl Harbor was attacked the Army and the Navy both dropped the college requirement and Ed applied to the Marines. His primary flight training was in Dallas and then he went to Pensacola, Florida. He was carrier qualified, which means he knew...

Hi, A MUST SEE And Listen To VIDEO For This 4th of July 2009: GREAT VIDEO TO WATCH FOR THIS 4th OF July 2009 Peace! Dan Iraqs Inconvenient Truth :: Iraq War News Updates9

6/30/2009 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- A former commanding general of the Washington, D.C., National Guard who was killed June 22 in a subway accident along with his wife was remembered in a June 29 ceremony celebrating his life and accomplishments. Retired Maj. Gen. David Wherley and his wife, Ann, a mortgage banker, both 62, were returning from Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where they were learning how to counsel servicemembers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Their Metro train car collided with another train, killing nine people. It was a sudden event that shocked Guard members and civilians alike, and drawing...

(NEW YORK - June 30, 2009) - This week's July 6, 2009, issue of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, on newsstands tomorrow, features Ed Thomas, head football coach at Aplington-Parkersburg (Iowa) High School, with the billing A GOOD MAN DOWN - TRAGEDY IN THE HEARTLAND: THE MURDER OF A BELOVED HIGH SCHOOL COACH. It was Thomas who had led the townspeople of Parkersburg out of the rubble of a tornado last year, showed them how to live a Christian life and brought honor to a football field he mowed himself. What they can't understand is why Thomas was gunned down by a former...

Mary Lou Forbes was a traditional Virginia gentlewoman. Her hint of a Southern accent and her friendly, hospitable and gracious manner were suggestive of the Northern Virginia in which she was born and came of age. That was a smaller, less bustling, but more neighborly place than the sprawling suburbia of today.

BET Awards to highlight Jackson's legacyBy Sandy Cohen ASSOCIATED PRESS updated 12:33 p.m., June 28, 2009 LOS ANGELES -- After three days to process the shock and grief, attendees at the BET Awards -- a show thrown into "total overhaul" by the death of Michael Jackson -- were preparing for what was sure to be a spectacular celebration of the "King of Pop," put on by an dazzling collection of the artists he influenced most. Already an affair of major star wattage, Sunday night's show was thrown under a white-hot spotlight in the wake of Mr. Jackson's death, adding attendees...

VIDEO: Iran Protest Tribute (Michael Jackson)"They don't really care about us"

Michael Jackson's spirit lives on inside a Filipino jail. Tourists flocked to the prison in Cebu, south of Manila, Saturday for an elaborate tribute performed by hundreds of inmates in orange prison garb who became an Internet sensation in 2007 for their jailhouse "Thriller" performance.

In 1972, when the movie "Ben" premiered and sent that falsetto voice of little Michael Jackson soaring across movie screens, the joy inside black America was palpable. It wasn't just that the song raced to No. 1 on the charts, it was that it flowed from the magic of film. And black America, long kept away from mainstream movies, kept a close eye on -- and a keen interest in -- the world of Tinseltown. Little Michael had come upon this particular movie only 18 years after the collapse of legal segregation in the United States. And many of the...

Farrah Fawcett. Say her name and there's a good chance millions of Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan wannabes will scratch their heads and mutter: "What's the big deal?" I'm here to enlighten them.

'Baracklyn' tribute to ObamaJune 24, 2009 NEW YORK - NEARLY an hour before the gates to KeySpan Park even opened on Tuesday, the line stretched for two streets. Fans waited for the prized possession: a Barack Obama bobblehead. For one night, minor league baseball's Brooklyn Cyclones renamed themselves the Baracklyn Cyclones, in tribute to the new president. And tickets cost no more than US$16 (S$23.30), cheaper than nosebleed seats at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field. Steve Fischer bought US$5 seats when they were sold in January as an 'Economic Stimulus Package.' With the bobbleheads going to only the first 2,500...

RALEIGH, N.C. — One of the most polarizing political figures in North Carolina history remains that way for some almost a year after his death. The state's General Assembly honored the late U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms on Tuesday, with a joint resolution and speeches praising the conservative Republican's integrity, honesty and patriotism. But in a rare move for such occasions, more than two dozen lawmakers boycotted the vote to honor Helms. Most were black Democrats like Sen. Floyd McKissick of Durham County, who said Helms opposed civil rights for blacks too long and too hard for him to forget. The...

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Efrem Zimbalist Jr. finally got his badge. The actor who portrayed cool and canny Inspector Lewis Erskine on the TV series "The F.B.I." was named an honorary special agent Monday — the FBI's highest civilian honor.

"You are about to embark upon the great crusade toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you...I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle." - GEN of the Army Dwight Eisenhower. Today is the 65th anniversary of D-Day. Why is this such a big deal? Well, I am certain you know the history of it and how it was a major victory in preventing the Nazis from taking over the world. Beyond that, though, is the personal stories. After writing about the military - and covering...

I was at the Rotunda at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, June 3, for the dedication of the statue to President Ronald Reagan. I was there because Bill Clark was there. Judge Clark, as readers of my material know, was Reagan’s closest and most important adviser. Clark is 77 years old. His wife, Joan, died a few weeks ago. He was invited to the ceremony by the good folks at the Reagan Presidential Foundation. He made a rare trip to Washington, flying from San Francisco late the previous night, in a wheelchair. Clark sat in the front row, where he...

A Few of FR's Finest November 11, 2001 So many people have written me since my original Veteran's Day Tribute, asking how they, or a loved one, could be included in that tribute. Since I could no longer add the photos to the body of the thread, I have been including them here as I receive enough to make another collage. I think there's never been a better nor more appropriate time to keep the faces of our own Veterans and Active Military in front of FReepers--every day! That's why I wanted to do yet another Daily Thread .....ABOUT...

WASHINGTON, May 22, 2009 – More than 3,000 servicemembers officially kicked off the Memorial Day commemoration last evening as they placed more than 250,000 miniature flags at every grave at Arlington National Cemetery. Airman Jacob Proffer, a member of the 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. “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,” he said....

This is an audio Memorial Day tribute by Glenn Beck to our fallen Heroes. Have your kleenex ready. A Memorial Day tribute to our fallen Heroes by Glenn Beck

FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 9:00 pm - Candlelight Vigil, Vietnam Veteran's Memorial, "The Wall" SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2009 9:00 am - 11:00 pm - Thunder Alley Open YOU CAN PURCHASE YOUR RAFFLE TICKETS ON THE ALLEY SUNDAY, MAY 24, 2009 OFFICIAL 22ND ANNIVERSARY OF ROLLING THUNDER® 9:00 am - 11:00 pm- Thunder Alley Open Noon - Rolling Thunder XXII to Washington DC from Pentagon Parking MONDAY, MAY 25, 2009 9:00 am - 5:00 pm - Thunder Alley 3:05 pmRaffle Drawing, Thunder Alley (you need not be present to win)

We need to De-Politicize Cancer ... for Farah. Here's a recent article I wrote for Blog Critics: "I watched Farrah’s Story, knowing full well it would make me sad, and it certainly did do that, but it also was so much more than just another sad celebrity story. It was Farrah’s gift to us - to her generation of Baby Boomer men and women. It was her way of giving us a Paul Harvey-esque “end of the story.” We are left with a wake-up call - the reality that if it can happen to Farrah, it can happen to any...

NESHANIK STATION, N.J., May 18, 2009 – Mike Corrado, the Marine recording artist whose 2005 hit song “On My Watch Tonight” was featured on ABC’s “Extreme Makeover Home Edition” and has become an anthem for servicemembers worldwide, is one of the headliners in Rolling Thunder’s “Saluting the Troops” program in Washington, D.C., May 23. Vietnam Memorial Founder and veterans’ activist Jan Scruggs also will be a featured speaker at the event, which will be held from noon to 5 p.m. at the reflecting pool at the base of the Lincoln Memorial. In addition to Corrado, musical guests include national recording...

LANCASTER [California] - Take 171 high school students, give them roughly four months to plan a tribute in honor of military personnel and veterans, and see how much they can do. If the students are the juniors in teacher Jamie Goodreau's U.S. history class and the seniors in Garret Root's civics classes at Lancaster High School, the answer is quite a bit, thank you very much. The fruits of the teens' efforts will be on full display Saturday for the sixth annual Armed Forces Day event, Pride of the Nation: Honoring a Legacy of Heroes, in the Poppy Pavilion at...

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The Hubble space telescope, the object of NASA's fifth and last servicing mission next week, is a veritable time machine that has revolutionized humankind's vision and comprehension of the universe. Put into orbit at an altitude of 600 kilometers (360 miles) by the shuttle Discovery on April 25, 1990, Hubble has transmitted more than 750,000 spectacular images and streams of data from the ends of the universe, opening a new era in astronomy. But the telescope, the fruit of a collaboration between NASA and the European Space Agency, had a troubled start and did not become operational...

The U.S. cargo ship captain and a crew member who were taken hostage by Somali pirates have been honored at New York's City Hall by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The mayor presented keys to the city to crew member William Rios and Capt. Richard Phillips and joked about Friday's baseball game at the New York Mets' Citi Field. The mayor says he was going to give the men tickets to the game but decided against it because the Mets are playing the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Former Vice Presidential candidate, Jack Kemp passed away this past Monday at the age of 73. He was a great American, and his brand of leadership will be sorely missed. http://conservativebrawler.blogspot.com/2009/05/tribute-to-jack-kemp.html

Jack Kemp was a great player in the world of ideas, with a mind as strong as his arm. His strength and friendship will be missed greatly.

The veteran strategist traveling with Republican vice presidential candidate Jack Kemp was sneaking a smoke outside the Boeing Field hangar where his candidate held forth in final days of the 1996 campaign. "Whichever way this election goes, I can say that I've been with a winner: The guy is smart as a whip, never discouraged, full of ideas," said Washington, D.C., lawyer John Sears. Sears' words stopped there -- wisely. The parties' rival nominees for president, Bill Clinton and Bob Dole, were famous for beating up on staff. Sears was fired as Ronald Reagan's manager a day after the Gipper's...

Friends of Bennett and Kemp

Jack Kemp passed away this weekend, of cancer at age seventy-three. Former vice-presidential candidate, congressman, and Housing secretary, he was the most improbable and the most important hero of the Reagan Revolution after the Gipper himself. Without Jack’s true-believer’s passion for tax cuts as a remedy for the stagflation of the 1970s, Reagan would not have staked his presidency on an untested and controversial theory. His death should remind us how lucky we were to have leaders like Reagan and Kemp, and a political system that allowed improbable leaders—an ex-actor and a retired quarterback—to appear at providential moments.It was impossible...

There were two big ideas that changed the world in the 1980s: Supply-side economics and a bold strategy for winning the Cold War. One was the handiwork of Jack Kemp, the other of Ronald Reagan. It’s important to understand that the first, introduced into American politics by a then-young Kemp in the 1970s, preceded the second. No look back on the life of Jack Kemp is complete without the recognition that, without Kemp’s success, the Reagan-led peaceful victory in the Cold War could never have happened.

Jack Kemp was always the consummate quarterback. Long after he stopped wearing a helmet and cleats, long after his uniform became a suit and tie, long after his workplace switched from a field and a huddle to a desk and a podium, he remained a leader. You felt compelled to listen to him, to follow him, to believe he was the man with the plan. It had nothing at all to do with what he espoused in a political career that made him a larger national figure than he ever was as a professional football player. And we're talking about...

...as much as I loved the man, Reagan worship does sometimes have the unfortunate side effect of obscuring the accomplishments of other conservative heroes who helped build the so-called "Reagan Revolution". One of those heroes is Jack Kemp...

      May 1, 2009 A Tribute to Margaret Thatcher--30 Years On  by Robin Harris, D. Phil. WebMemo #2419 Thirty years ago, Britain embarked upon a conservative revolution that not only transformed the country but left an indelible and unmistakable impact on the rest of the world. Only two British Prime Ministers--Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher--have by force of personality and power of example done anything like this.In The Gathering Storm, Winston Churchill wrote of his initial thoughts after his election as Prime Minister in May 1940: As I went to bed at about 3 a.m., I was...

Google marks Samuel Morse's birthday with code logo Google is marking the birthday of Samuel Morse by translating its name into dots and dashes for the day. By Matthew Moore 27 Apr 2009 Google regularly releases versions of its logo to mark major world events and anniversaries. [Pic Logo in URL] Visitors to the search engine's home page this morning were met with the code "–. --- --- –. .-.. ." instead of the usual Google logo. The witty doodle is intended to honour Samuel Finley Breese Morse, the inventor of the single wire telegraph, who was born on April...

THE world has rabies and our swooning media de liver headlines about the new Obama family dog. Yeah, the puppy's cute. But must journalists be lapdogs? The week kicked off with gushing media declarations that President Obama had "passed his first test" in a foreign "crisis." Three pirates held an American hostage far too long. It was an embarrassment, not a crisis. Our president was reluctant to authorize deadly force. Against pirates, for God's sake. Then, 24 hours after the Obama White House declared "Mission Accomplished," Somali pirates attacked another US-flagged ship. This time, the pirates used rocket-propelled grenades and...

A very good friend of mine has made a 911 Tribute Motorcycle. He has entered the bike in a contest to have it featured in Ironworks, Magazine. Pierce is a police officer in Stowe, VT and personally built this bike as a tribute to Law Enforcement and those who perished on 911. The fender emblem reads "911 We Must Never Forget." The tank emblem, which is gold leaf, reads the same. Here are some pictures of the motorcycle. Please take the quick moment to follow the link and vote for his bike. He could use the help at this time....

It's very touching. here

Oakland Remembers 4 Fallen Officers By JASON DEAREN and LISA LEFF, Associated Press Writers Friday, March 27, 2009 Thousands of mourners gathered with the families of four police officers gunned down after a traffic stop and ensuing firefight for a joint funeral Friday that drew law enforcement from around the country and world. Officers Mark Dunakin, John Hege, Ervin Romans and Daniel Sakai were remembered for their dedication to their families, friends and a gritty job they loved despite the crummy hours and dangers. The four were killed by a 26-year-old parolee, who also died in the gunfight Saturday, authorities...

Live stream from 11 AM to 1 PM.

ARLINGTON, Va., March 26, 2009 – The United Services Organizations honored members of the U.S. military and those who support them during an event held here last night that recognized selfless service and volunteerism . From left: Army Spc. Brent Hendricks, Air Force Tech. Sgt. Israel Del Toro, Army Sgt. Kurtis Dellicker, and Army Sgt. Jason Shepperly listen as Comedian Al Franken shares a few words about his commitment to the United Service Organization during the USO-Metro 27th Annual Awards dinner at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Arlington, Va., March 25, 2009. The wounded warriors had just presented the...

CFB TRENTON -- The widow of one of four Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan last week almost collapsed from grief yesterday as her husband's flag-draped casket was carried from a military aircraft during a repatriation ceremony at this eastern Ontario military base. As the casket of Master Cpl. Scott Vernelli was brought down the ramp by fellow soldiers, his wife Marcie Lane was so overcome that she had to pass her baby Olivia to a woman beside her. After the casket was placed inside a hearse, Lane composed herself, walked up to the vehicle and offered a crisp military salute....

SILVER'S BRAVERY NOT AN ACTMarch 18, 2009 I wish I could ask Ron Silver what he thinks of the AIG bonuses. He'd have some original take -- maybe propose re-opening the bonuses paid to Franklin Raines and Jamie Gorelick for their yeoman's work running Fannie Mae into the ground and then collecting bonuses of $90 million and $24.7 million, respectively. Or maybe he'd just make a joke. But I can't ask him anymore because Ron died of a rare esophageal cancer last Sunday. So now there is one less person in the world who never chooses his positions to feed...

This moving video, with highlights from the career of actor Ron Silver, who died yesterday, after a long battle with cancer.It was originally created by Jeffers Dodge on November 21, 2007.Ron Silver was recently honored at the Restoration Weekend, sponsored by the David Horowitz Freedom Center. You can now watch this POWERFUL video tribute to Ron Silver on the CONSERVATIVE alternative to YouTube, PopModal.com:Ron Silver in Memoriam - RIP . . Produced/Directed/Edited by Jeffers M. Dodge for the David Horowitz Freedom CenterRuntime: 3m 53s

Gone too soon. 20 deaths from the sports world that shocked us .

Paul Harvey’s death Saturday did not garner major headlines or sustained attention. Matt Drudge had the related story link off his page within about 12 hours of when the news broke. At one level, it’s not at all surprising. The man was 90. Though he soldiered on, he was past his peak. His vocal cord problems in 2001 and his bout with pneumonia in 2008 had America mentally prepared for the inevitable. But those who are unfamiliar with Paul Harvey need to learn about more than his tremendous career success. They need to understand and recognize his significance. Coming within...

Dear Paul Harvey, It’s our turn to wish you a Good Day. We’ve missed you on the radio and have heard that you’re on sick call, and we wanted you to know that you’re in our thoughts and prayers. And you’re in our lives. You’ve been on the air longer than most of us have been alive, and many of us can specifically remember listening to you for most of our lives. When we were little kids, you were on mom and dad’s radio, and now our little kids hear you on mom and dad’s radio. You’re a tradition we...

If you live in Illinois, Oklahoma, maybe even the rest of the country flags should be at half staff. September 4th should be considered Paul Harvey Day.