Posted on 05/22/2006 4:43:24 PM PDT by SandRat
ARLINGTON, Va. (Army News Service, May 19, 2006) – The spotlight will be on 14 National Guard members and spouses whose lives have been profoundly affected by the war on terrorism when the Guard is honored in Washington Memorial Day weekend.
They will be special guests when the Public Broadcasting System pays tribute to the Guard, as well as to the pilots who flew with the Army Air Corps during World War II, during the annual National Memorial Day Concert on May 28 from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.
The 90-minute program will begin at 8 p.m. and will be broadcast on National Public Radio and to U.S. military personnel overseas on the American Forces Radio and Television Network.
The Guard members and their spouses will also be present to view the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington May 29. It will also be the first national event honoring returning troops from Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
Fifty-four Army National Guard Soldiers and 54 Air National Guard Airmen, one of each from every state and U.S. territory with Guard forces, have been selected to march in the parade that will begin at noon.
“Each of these events is meant to recognize all of the National Guard men and women and their families across the nation,” said LTG H Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau. “Many of you will participate in similar events in your hometowns. As you march, stand tall and walk proud. Know that we honor the sacrifices and commitments you have made.”
Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna, two acclaimed actors who have dedicated themselves to veterans’ causes, will be the new co-hosts for the May 28 concert. The event will also include appearances by retired Gen. Colin Powell, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; country music stars Lee Ann Womack and Big & Rich; actors Dianne Wiest and Charles Durning; actor and singer John Schneider; opera singer Frederica Von Stade; tenor Daniel Rodriguez; and the National Symphony Orchestra.
“Memorial Day is a day to remember patriotic sacrifices. These sacrifices have been made by many, whether they are the Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen who served at home or abroad or the family members and employers who served and sacrificed at home,” stated Blum in a Memorial Day letter to every Guard member.
“Many of you are OIF/OEF veterans. Some of you helped save citizens’ lives in the wake of Hurricane Katrina,” he added. “All of you are heroes to your nation.”
The 14 National Guard representatives will be Sgt. Charity Witmer and Sgt. Rachel Witmer from the Wisconsin Army National Guard; Army Guard Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin Remington and retired Sgt. Brandon Erickson from North Dakota; Pennsylvania Army Guard Staff Sgt. Scot Sage; Staff Sgt. Georgia Powell, Tech Sgt. Elizabeth Shapiro and Master Sgt. Belinda Defoor from the Pennsylvania Air Guard’s 193rd Special Operations Wing.
Also, Army Guard Soldiers’ widows Lisa Vance from West Virginia, Stephanie Wendorf from Colorado, Jamie Russell from Mississippi, Sharon Engledrum from New York; retired Army Guard 1st Sgt. Scott Ostrom from Pennsylvania; the father of Staff Sgt. Ryan Ostrom who was killed in Iraq in August 2005; and retired Army Guard Spc. Adam McLain from Montana.
All have unique and moving stories about how the war has affected their lives. For example:
Sergeants Charity and Rachel Witmer are the sisters of Spc. Michelle Witmer, the National Guard’s first female Soldier to ever be killed in action. She was serving in Iraq with the Wisconsin Army Guard’s 32nd Military Police Company when she died April 9, 2004, after her Humvee was ambushed. Michelle was Charity’s twin sister, and Michelle was serving with Rachel in Iraq when she was killed.
Command Sgt. Maj. Remington, a Special Forces Soldier, helped get two wounded Soldiers from the North Dakota Army Guard’s 957th Engineer Company out of the enemy kill zone in Iraq in July 2003. Sgt. Erickson was one of them. Remington was the company’s first sergeant at the time
Staff Sgt. Powell, Tech Sgt. Shapiro and Master Sgt. Defoor, from the Pennsylvania Air Guard’s special operations wing, were all credited with gaining critical information about the location of Saddam Hussein after treating injured Iraqi civilians and saving their lives. The Iraqis in turn risked their own lives to inform coalition forces about Hussein’s whereabouts, leading to the Iraqi president’s capture in December 2003.
Stephanie Wendorf is the widow of the first National Guard Soldier killed in action during the Global War on Terrorism. He was Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Romero with the Colorado Army Guard’s Company B, 5th Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group. He was 30 when he was killed in Afghanistan April 15, 2002.
(Editor’s note: Bob Haskell writes for the National Guard Bureau.)
NATIONAL GUARD PING
{quote}The spotlight will be on 14 National Guard members and spouses whose lives have been profoundly affected by the war on terrorism when the Guard is honored in Washington Memorial Day weekend.{unquote}
God Bless the National Guard!
BTTT
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.