Bronze Stars belonging to members of 1-26 IN 3-1 ID

Fort Hood ceremony honors Blue Spaders Posted On: Friday, Sep. 4 2009 04:56 AM By Amanda Kim Stairrett
Killeen Daily Herald

FORT HOOD – It was a hellish year of fighting in Afghanistan's Kunar Province.

The 1st Infantry Division's 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, saw the toughest year of combat for any U.S. Army battalion since the 10th Mountain Division fought in the Italian Alps during World War II, its commander said.

Lt. Col. Brett Jenkinson brought his battalion – the Blue Spaders – together Thursday to recognize and honor those who stepped up during 12 months in Afghanistan and defined "hero." Battalion soldiers who are getting treatment at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio also attended the ceremony.

The brigade returned to Fort Hood this summer and is preparing to relocate to Fort Knox, Ky.

Jenkinson and the brigade's commander, Col. John Spiszer, handed out 254 Silver Stars, Bronze Star Medals with Valor, Army Commendation Medals with Valor and Purple Hearts Thursday morning and afternoon at Fort Hood's Community Events Center.

What happened Thursday was historical, Jenkinson said.

"I promise you that you are about to witness the awarding of more awards for valor than any unit on active duty today and more valorous awards than you will ever see in one place again during your time in the service and probably in your lifetime," he said to the families and soldiers before him.

The battalion has two pending Valorous Unit Awards. The awards are given to units for gallantry, determination and esprit de corps that goes above and beyond other units in the same conflict, Jenkinson said.

Thursday's ceremony was about sharing the Spader story, he told the soldiers.

"I mostly want to let your families know what happened to you in Afghanistan, to do some proper bragging in front of your families, the ones you all believe won't understand," he added.

The Spaders racked up impressive numbers of awards, but the battalion also paid a heavy price, claiming a dubious honor: It suffered the higher number of wounded and killed troops of any Army or Marine Corps unit last year, Jenkinson said. Twenty soldiers lost their lives and 150 were wounded in more than 500 firefights.

There would have been more deaths were it not for medical advances, daring ground and air evacuations and numerous acts of gallantry by the men who filled the Community Events Center, Jenkinson said.

Combat was intense. Soldiers fired more than 26,000 rounds of artillery and mortars and dropped more than 400 bombs. In the first 45 days in Afghanistan, 90 percent of the Spaders earned Combat Infantry Badges, Jenkinson said.

Some say that bravery is instinctual or reflexive, the lieutenant colonel went on to say, though almost every soldier honored Thursday would admit they had time to think about their actions. That's heroism.

"They had time to stop, to look the other way, to do nothing, to give up," he said. "Yet, they didn't. They took action to save the life of a buddy or to take the life of an enemy."

The brigade's 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment is set to host a similar ceremony Tuesday at Fort Hood.

Contact Amanda Kim Stairrett at astair@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7547.

Soldiers recognized

The 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment handed out 254 awards Thursday. Three Silver Stars with Valor, 36 Bronze Stars with Valor, 117 Army Commendations with Valor and 97 Purple Hearts were given.

Here are a few of those who were awarded:

Capt. Thomas Gearhart, 26

Hometown: Stockton, Calif.

Job during deployment: Rifle platoon leader in Bravo Company

Honors received: Purple Heart Medal and Army Commendation Medal with Valor

What are they? The Purple Heart is given to those who were wounded or killed in action. The Army Commendation Medal with Valor "is awarded for valorous actions in direct contact with an enemy force, but of a lesser degree than required for the award of the Bonze Star," according to information from the Army.

Gearhart was a first lieutenant when leading his platoon back to their combat outpost after a routine patrol on Sept. 6, 2008, when it was attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire.

Gearhart received 30 shrapnel wounds to his left leg and army. His left ring finger was amputated and reattached during two surgeries in Afghanistan and Texas. The lieutenant called his then-fiancée, Lynn, from his hospital bed in Afghanistan to say, "I might lose my ring finger."

The college sweethearts were married Aug. 8 in California. Gearhart proudly wears his wedding band on his left ring finger.

Spc. Philip Wiersema, 22

Hometown: Willow Springs, Mo.

Job during deployment: Mortarman in Headquarters Company, attached to Delta Company

Honors received: Bronze Star Medal with Valor

What is it? Awarded for bravery, the medal is the fourth-highest combat award given by the U.S. Armed Forces, according to information from the Army.

Wiersema just finished a guard shift and was in his room Nov. 1, 2008, when Combat Outpost Seray came under attack by Taliban fighters using mortars, gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades. He threw on his helmet and ran outside, spending the next four hours firing 84 rounds of mortar rounds at the attacking forces. He and his fellow mortarmen's "accurate and responsive fires directly affect the engagement," according to the award narrative.

No U.S. soldiers died during the attack.

"We were just extremely lucky," Wiersema said.

He estimated he fought in 130 separate engagements during his seven months at Seray.

Sgt. Joshua Sheeran, 23

Hometown: Lake Villa, Ill.

Job during deployment: Infantryman in Able Company

Honors received: Bronze Star Medal with Valor

Sheeran was one of the brigade's first soldiers to arrive at Fort Hood in January 2007. The then-specialist was part of a humanitarian mission Jan. 29 to give medical aid to local residents when bullets and rocket fire pinned the patrol in a valley. He ran out of his vehicle and attempted to fire rockets at the attacking forces, according to his award narrative. The weapon misfired shortly before two rocket-propelled detonated six feet away, nearly killing him and his team leader. He dodged fire and drove his disabled vehicle to provide cover for fellow soldiers attempting to launch mortars. He later replaced a machine gunner and fired at the enemy to stop attacks on his six-man patrol.

It was the most intense fight Sheeran has ever been in, he said. He's proud of what he did during the yearlong deployment and will soon head to his next duty station in Hawaii.

"We went over there and did a hell of a job," he said.

Capt. Loren Crowe, 26

Hometown: Escondido, Calif.

Job during deployment: Platoon leader in Able Company

Honors received: Silver Star Medal

What is it? The third-highest award given for valor in combat.

Then-1st Lt. Crowe was a freshman with two weeks of experience as a New Yorker at Columbia University when the Sept. 11 attacks occurred. He graduated with a political science degree and began his Army service.

His platoon was returning from a mission Sept. 17, 2008, when it was attacked from all sides by Taliban forces. Crowe watched the three vehicles in front of him get hit with rocket-propelled grenades. The first two vehicles were able to drive away from direct fire, but the third was heavily hit and its gunner, Sgt. Brandon Farley, began aggressively firing back, according to the narrative. Farley was killed shortly after. Crowe directed his driver to ram the third vehicle and push it out of harm's way. He and several soldiers got out of the vehicles and exchanged fire with enemy forces before he ran between several vehicles to relay orders after his radio was knocked out and coordinating return fire. Crowe remained calm and controlled a "horrific ambush" that wounded six and killed one.

"His actions of 17 September 2008 not only prevented further casualties, but killed approximately 20 Anti-Afghan Forces," the narrative reads.

More than 12 valorous awards and seven Purple Hearts were awarded to the men in the two platoons.

"My guys were incredible," he said. "None of us had any business surviving that."

Crowe hopes to attend Stanford Law School next year.

Update: 

Paul Bradshaw reads from a paper his late son 1st Lt. Brian Bradshaw wrote in high school following a memorial service July 14, 2009

http://www.adn.com/slideshows/v-swf/story/864536.html

H/T Troy Stewart.  It is worth the 51 seconds to watch.

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Brian Bradshaw On 25 June 2009 1st Lt. Brian Bradshaw was killed in action in Afghanistan. Brian was born at Madigan Army Medical Center on 8 October 1984 to Paul and Mary Bradshaw. From Steilacoom and Visitation schools, Brian went on to Bellarmine High School and then graduated from Pacific Lutheran University in 2007. His community service started with participation in the March of Dimes and continued with Pierce County Search and Rescue, as leader and counselor at CYO Camps, as well as many other community projects. Love of backcountry sports and activities led him through the ROTC program and into the US Army. Having completed Airborne training, Brian received Infantry Officer training and earned his Ranger qualification at Ft. Benning, GA. His service to his country continued at Fort Richardson, AK and in Afghanistan. His many friends, his love of others, and his sense of humor lead us to a celebration of Brian's life on Sunday afternoon. A Mass of Christian Burial and reception will be held on July 6th at 11 A.M. at Saint John Bosco Church in Lakewood. Brian will be laid to rest at Tahoma National Cemetery. Brian is survived by his parents, Paul and Mary (Gillis) Bradshaw; his brother, Robert Bradshaw; his grandmothers, Nancy Gillis of Hudson, Massachusetts, and Virginia Bradshaw of Parsons, Kansas; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. Preceded in death by his grandfathers, Charles Bradshaw and John Gillis, and his aunt, Cathy Gillis and uncle, John Bradshaw.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/04/AR2009070402024.html

A Life of Worth, Overlooked

Sunday, July 5, 2009

My nephew, Brian Bradshaw, was killed by an explosive device in Afghanistan on June 25, the same day that Michael Jackson died. Mr. Jackson received days of wall-to-wall coverage in the media. Where was the coverage of my nephew or the other soldiers who died that week? There were several of them, and our family crossed paths with the family of another fallen soldier at Dover Air Force Base, where the bodies come "home." Only the media in Brian's hometown and where he was stationed before his deployment covered his death.

I remember Brian as a toddler wandering around in cowboy boots and hat, not seeing the need for any other clothing. He grew into a thoroughly decent person with a wry sense of humor. He loved wolves and history. Most Christmases, I gave him a biography or some analysis of the Civil War. He read such things for pleasure.

He had old-fashioned values and believed that military service was patriotic and that actions counted more than talk. He wasn't much for talking, although he could communicate volumes with a raised eyebrow.

He was a search-and-rescue volunteer, an altar boy, a camp counselor. He carried the hopes and dreams of his parents willingly on his shoulders. What more than that did Michael Jackson do or represent that earned him memorial "shrines," while this soldier's death goes unheralded?

It makes me want to scream.

MARTHA GILLIS

Springfield

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A Soldier Comes Home

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/04/AR2009070402024.html

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

On July 5, The Post published a letter from Martha Gillis of Springfield, whose nephew, Lt. Brian Bradshaw, was killed in Afghanistan on June 25, the day that Michael Jackson died. The letter criticized the extensive media coverage of Jackson's death compared with the brief coverage of Lt. Bradshaw's death. Among the responses was the following letter, written July 9 by an Air National Guard pilot and a fellow member of the crew that flew Lt. Bradshaw's body from a forward base in Afghanistan to Bagram Air Base. Capt. James Adair, one of the plane's pilots, asked the editorial page staff to forward the letter to the Bradshaw family. He and Brian Bradshaw's parents then agreed to publication of these excerpts.

Dear Bradshaw Family,

We were crew members on the C-130 that flew in to pick up Lt. Brian Bradshaw after he was killed. We are Georgia Air National Guardsmen deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom. We support the front-line troops by flying them food, water, fuel, ammunition and just about anything they need to fight. On occasion we have the privilege to begin the final journey home for our fallen troops. Below are the details to the best of our memory about what happened after Brian's death.

We landed using night-vision goggles. Because of the blackout conditions, it seemed as if it was the darkest part of the night. As we turned off the runway to position our plane, we saw what appeared to be hundreds of soldiers from Brian's company standing in formation in the darkness. Once we were parked, members of his unit asked us to shut down our engines. This is not normal operating procedure for that location. We are to keep the aircraft's power on in case of maintenance or concerns about the hostile environment. The plane has an extremely loud self-contained power unit. Again, we were asked whether there was any way to turn that off for the ceremony that was going to take place. We readily complied after one of our crew members was able to find a power cart nearby. Another aircraft that landed after us was asked to do the same. We were able to shut down and keep lighting in the back of the aircraft, which was the only light in the surrounding area. We configured the back of the plane to receive Brian and hurried off to stand in the formation as he was carried aboard.

Brian's whole company had marched to the site with their colors flying prior to our arrival. His platoon lined both sides of our aircraft's ramp while the rest were standing behind them. As the ambulance approached, the formation was called to attention. As Brian passed the formation, members shouted "Present arms" and everyone saluted. The salute was held until he was placed inside the aircraft and then the senior commanders, the sergeant major and the chaplain spoke a few words.

Afterward, we prepared to take off and head back to our base. His death was so sudden that there was no time to complete the paperwork needed to transfer him. We were only given his name, Lt. Brian Bradshaw. With that we accepted the transfer. Members of Brian's unit approached us and thanked us for coming to get him and helping with the ceremony. They explained what happened and how much his loss was felt. Everyone we talked to spoke well of him -- his character, his accomplishments and how well they liked him. Before closing up the back of the aircraft, one of Brian's men, with tears running down his face, said, "That's my platoon leader, please take care of him."

We taxied back on the runway, and, as we began rolling for takeoff, I looked to my right. Brian's platoon had not moved from where they were standing in the darkness. As we rolled past, his men saluted him one more time; their way to honor him one last time as best they could. We will never forget this.

We completed the short flight back to Bagram Air Base. After landing, we began to gather our things. As they carried Brian to the waiting vehicle, the people in the area, unaware of our mission, stopped what they were doing and snapped to attention. Those of us on the aircraft did the same. Four soldiers who had flown back with us lined the ramp once again and saluted as he passed by. We went back to post-flight duties only after he was driven out of sight.

Later that day, there was another ceremony. It was Bagram's way to pay tribute. Senior leadership and other personnel from all branches lined the path that Brian was to take to be placed on the airplane flying him out of Afghanistan. A detail of soldiers, with their weapons, lined either side of the ramp just as his platoon did hours before. A band played as he was carried past the formation and onto the waiting aircraft. Again, men and women stood at attention and saluted as Brian passed by. Another service was performed after he was placed on the aircraft.

For one brief moment, the war stopped to honor Lt. Brian Bradshaw. This is the case for all of the fallen in Afghanistan. It is our way of recognizing the sacrifice and loss of our brothers and sisters in arms. Though there may not have been any media coverage, Brian's death did not go unnoticed. You are not alone with your grief. We mourn Brian's loss and celebrate his life with you. Brian is a true hero, and he will not be forgotten by those who served with him.

We hope knowing the events that happened after Brian's death can provide you some comfort.

Sincerely,

Capt. James Adair

Master Sgt. Paul Riley

GA ANG 774 EAS Deployed

Today was an official and fun day for families of the 6-4 CAV.   They were gathered as a unit, as a family to look back over their year of deployment, and have some fun getting back with family.    Unfortunately, it was 106 degrees.

I will post more pictures as I get them, as I know there are some people out there just waiting.

Dave Cristy Taylor and Aaron Joslin

Joshua Rodriguez and family

Joshua Rodriguez waiting for presentation ceremony

Joshua Rodriguez Bronze Star

Joshua Rodriguez Bronze Star Presentation

Joshua Rodriguez close bronze star

Waiting

Joshua Rodriguez Raider Day

Joshua Rodriguez Raider Day 2

July 5, 2009

KABUL, Afghanistan (July 5, 2009) – International Security Assistance Force officials released photographs of a battle damage assessment following an attack Saturday on a combat outpost in Paktika province.

Militants attacked the outpost with multiple rockets and mortars, at least one of which contained white phosphorous. They also used small-arms fire and a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device.

Afghan National Army and ISAF responded with counter fire, close air support and attack helicopters, killing at least 10 of the attackers and detaining one.

During an assessment of the battle site, ISAF service members recovered three PK machine guns, six AK-47 rifles, four 107 mm rockets, 12 rocket propelled grenades, two rocket launchers, eight hand grenades and handheld radios. Further assessment of the area continues today.

Militants attacked the combat outpost yesterday morning, killing two and wounding eight ISAF service members. Afghan National Army and ISAF responded with counter fire, close air support and attack helicopters, killing nearly two dozen of the attackers and detaining one.

ISAF officials have also made available an audio recording of Orgun district sub-governor, Aziziullah Haya Yai’s radio interview at the Orgun District Center July 4. He says the Afghan National Security Forces and ISAF defeated the insurgents easily. The insurgent attacks seek to place fear in the people of Paktika to keep Afghanistan poor and the people scared to live their life in safety.

The sub-governor added that with the help of the ANSF, the Afghan people can and will fight against the insurgents to make Afghanistan rich and safe.

The event resulted in no civilian casualties.

A handheld radio recovered at scene of militant attack on COP in Eastern Afghanistan July 4

One of two rocket launchers recovered at the scent of a militant attack on COP in Eastern Afghanista

One of two rocket launchers recovered at the scene of a militant attack on a combat outpost in eastern Afghanistan July 4. Militants attacked the outpost, killing two and wounding eight ISAF service members. Afghan National Army and ISAF responded with counter fire, close air support and attack helicopters.

2 One of two rocket launchers recovered at the scent of a militant attack on COP in Eastern Afghanis

One of two rocket launchers recovered at the scene of a militant attack on a combat outpost in eastern Afghanistan July 4. Militants attacked the outpost, killing two and wounding eight ISAF service members. Afghan National Army and ISAF responded with counter fire, close air support and attack helicopters.

3 One of two rocket launchers recovered at the scent of a militant attack on COP in Eastern Afghanis

One of two rocket launchers recovered at the scene of a militant attack on a combat outpost in eastern Afghanistan July 4. Militants attacked the outpost, killing two and wounding eight ISAF service members. Afghan National Army and ISAF responded with counter fire, close air support and attack helicopters.

June 28, 2005, Nineteen American Warriors were killed in the mountainous terrain near Asadabad, Afghanistan.  On the fourth anniversary of their deaths, a lasting memorial was dedicated in the park previously known as Triangle Park near Diamond Head Circle, Oahu, Hawaii.  Placed in the newly renamed Operation Red Wings – Medal of Honor Park, plaques preserve their names and recount the action in which they died. 

The Kahala Community Association and Waialae-Kahala Neighborhood Board joined in supporting City Councilman Charles Djou’s campaign to rename the park, which previously honored Civil War Maj. Gen. Thomas Ruger.   The park was dedicated and renamed Veterans Day, 2008.  At a meeting of the city council, Dennis Gaughan and  Chad Buck, representing SEAL-Naval Special Warfare Foundation-Hawaii; and other Special Armed Force members – Randy West, Kelly LaPorte, and Daniel Rice were introduced.  Councilmember Djou and the Board were thanked for entertaining the proposal to rename the park. From the Foundation’s perspective Operation Red Wing has strong Hawaii connections and recommended the proposed name of “Red Wing – Medal of Honor Park”, or “Operation Red Wing – Medal of Honor Park”.  The Foundation worked closely in the production of the final plaques and the tribute.

The pictures that follow are courtesy of Councilman Djou’s office (Thanks Kenny Amazaki, Leg Aide to Councilman Djou), and Sergeant First Class Thomas Nichols.  SFC Nichols  and family were kind enough to recon the park and secure pictures showing the memorial from just the right perspectives.  ARMY comes through again, Thanks, SFC Nichols.  SFC Nichols says the park is about 2 acres with grass and some trees, near the Diamond Head Lighthouse.   Some of you might recognize SFC Nichols from his excellent blog, http://gojackarmy.blogspot.com/ 

As I receive names of dedication participants, I will update the pictures. 

The center plaque, detailing the battle and events on June 28^th reads:

Operation Red Wings

Afghanistan June 28, 2005

This Park is named in recognition of the substantial Hawaii connection and contribution to Operation red Wings.  On June 28, 2005 Deep behind enemy lines in the remote Hindu Kush of Afghanistan, an elite four-man Navy SEAL team including three SEALs from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was on a reconnaissance mission.  At unforgiving altitudes over 10,000 feet, the SEALs had the vital task of finding Ahmad Shah, a terrorist who grew up in the adjacent mountains to the south.  The SEAL mission was compromised when the team crossed paths with local sheepherders who, after being released as non-combatants by the SEALs, reported their position to the Taliban.

Soon, a fierce firefight erupted between the four SEALs and a much larger Taliban Force.  The enemy had the advantage of higher terrain as they launched a three-sided attack on the seals.  The firefight continued relentlessly as the Taliban militia forced the vastly outnumbered SEAL team deeper into a ravine.

Despite the intensity of the firefight and suffering grave gunshot wounds, Lieutenant Michael Murphy risked his own life to save the lives of this teammates.  Murphy, realizing that calling for support would be impossible from the ravine position, and with complete disregard for his own life, moved into the open to transmit a call to get help for his men.  Away from his position of cover, Murphy was shot again causing him to drop the transmitter.  Purphy picked up the transmitter and completed the call.  Severely wounded, Lt. Murphy returned to his cover position with his men and continued the battle.

An MH-47 Chinook Helicopter, with SEAL team and Army Night Stalker volunteers aboard, was sent in to extract the four embattled SEALs, escorted by heavily armored Army attack helicopters.  Knowing their warrior brothers were badly, shot, surrounded and severely wounded, this rescue team opted to enter the battle by attempting to land in the well-defended and brutally hazardous terrain.  But, as the Chinook raced to the battle, a rocket propelled grenade fatally struck the helicopter, killing all 16 men aboard.

On the ground and nearly out of ammunition, the four SEALs, Murphy, Luttrell, Dietz, and Axelson, continued the fight.  By the end of the two-hour gunfight that careened through the mountains and over the cliffs, Murphy, Axelson, and Dietz had been killed while eliminating an estimated 35 Taliban.  Luttrell, the badly wounded fourth seal, evaded and escaped and was later rescued.

On this fateful day, Naval Special Warfare Forces experienced the single greatest loss of life in its history, as 11 SEALs and 8 ARMY NIGHT STALKERS were killed in action.  Lieutenant Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

We will forever remember June 28, 2005 and the heroic efforts and sacrifices of our Special Operators.  We hold with Reverence the ultimate sacrifice so that others may live in peace and Freedom.

NEVER FORGET

Courtesy office of City Councilman Charles Ojou

Courtesy SFC Thomas Nichols

Courtesy office of City Councilman Charles Djou

Courtesy office of City Councilman Charles Ojou 5

Courtesy office of City Councilman Charles Djou 3

Courtesy SFC Thomas Nichols 2

Courtesy SFC Thomas Nichols 3

Courtesy SFC Thomas Nichols 4

Courtesy office of City Councilman Charles Djou 4

Seal Delivery Vehicle-Team One Group Shot.

IMG_5523

This is just too good not to post.  It seems was a traditional way to celebrate the 4th of July from our founding father's day.

From AOL Food
by Hanna Raskin

Thomas Jefferson loved the Fourth of July. He reportedly described the holiday to a friend as "the only birthday I ever commemorate," and devoted the very last letter he ever wrote to the topic, exhorting his correspondent to "let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of [our] rights, and an undiminished devotion to them."

Early Americans drank frequently, and the arrival of the Fourth provided them with a conveniently patriotic excuse to drink even more. In 18th century Charleston, bowls of stiff eggnog were fixtures of Independence Day parties -- many of which were well underway before noon. One especially raucous Philadelphia celebration, recounted in historian Len Travers' "Celebrating the Fourth," threatened to spill over into July 5 as attendees, eager to keep filling their punch cups, offered endless toasts to the young country's military heroes.

Food and drink signifying freedom -- whether from sobriety or a hot summer kitchen -- have always played an integral role in July Fourth celebrations. While hamburgers and hot dogs are relatively recent additions to the holiday's culinary canon, a free-spirited, summer-loving streak runs through the history of Independence Day cuisine.

Perhaps the first dish to earn its Fourth of July stripes was a soup that most modern Americans no longer eat on any day of the year. But in the early 1800s, as surely as Christmas meant a goose on the table, Independence Day was celebrated with turtle soup.

Turtle soup was so coveted by Philadelphians that tavern keepers could confidently offer the delicacy for just one hour on the holiday, knowing local eaters would dutifully troop in at the advertised time.

Although turtle soup appears to have been primarily an urban preoccupation, rural Americans shared their city cousins' taste for ice cream, which was served in conjunction with July Fourth festivities as early as 1798.

Ice cream was, of course, a luxury in the pre-electric age, when dessert connoisseurs lacked not just functional coolers to prevent their treats from melting, but the means to make their own ice. Until John Gorrie, a Florida physician who believed he could successfully fight yellow fever if he had an adequate supply of ice, invented an ice maker in 1848, ice-cream lovers were stuck harvesting ice from frozen northern lakes and keeping it packed in sawdust until the summer.

Even after ice cream became a more pedestrian indulgence, it remained the go-to July Fourth snack. In 1938, when New York State Commissioner of Agriculture Charles Baldwin lectured housewives on summer food safety, he briefly drifted into a reverie that had nothing to do with botulism. Sweet, cool milk and homemade sherbert were his "happiest memories of the Fourth of July of childhood," he told the crowd, urging New Yorkers to send away for his office's pamphlet of "snappy milk drink" recipes.

Independence Day weather, reliably hot and and sticky from Mississippi to Maine, helped make ice cream a holiday favorite. Triple-digit temperatures, exacerbated by tightly packed parade- and beach-going crowds, made cool foods a must (which begs the question of why folks were sipping on turtle soup; Perhaps they were just too plastered to care.)

Watermelon, which annually made its first appearance in northern markets right before the holiday, was another popular July Fourth treat.

Back when locavorism wasn't optional, Independence Day menus were largely dictated by availability. Not surprisingly, regionalism reigned, with Southerners feasting on barbecue and brunswick stew, Midwesterners enjoying fried chicken and potato salad and New Englanders devouring salmon.

"Custom decrees that salmon and peas must be served at Fourth of July dinners," a New York Times writer chronicling the Northeastern tradition wrote in 1941. "In earlier times, clans reunited on the Fourth, and meals were of gargantuan proportions. A fish weighing upward of 15 pounds was stuffed, skewered, garnished with bacon and put in a hot oven, there to bake long hours until it turned a golden brown."

Such elaborate preparations had largely disappeared by the 1950s, when convenience items such as the canned salmon endorsed by the Washington Post -- "independence of the kitchen's tyranny should come on Independence Day," columnist Mildred Bundy proclaimed -- and outdoor grilling had become acceptable culinary expressions of good old-fashioned American freedom.

While some holiday recipe writers, apparently desperate to distract young eaters from dangerous Roman candles, continued to spew suggestions for red-white-and-blue Jell-O salads, firecrackeroon cookies and Fourth of July cupcake flags, the no-fuss lineup of hot dogs, hamburgers, ice cream and (in an implicit salute to America's founding fathers) cold beverages was cemented as the national Independence Day meal.

Unlike the anointed foods of Thanksgiving, the now traditional foods of July Fourth are incredibly simple -- leaving eaters free to focus on refreshing their recollections of their rights. Thomas Jefferson would be proud.

Army plaque in memory of the fallen Nighstalkers

2 MH-47D Helicopters, 4 UH-60 Blackhawks, and 2 AH-64D Longbows attempted an extraction rescue mission. While engaged in that rescue mission, 8 SEALs and 8-160th Nightstalkers were killed when their MH-47 helicopter crashed.

* FCC(SEAL/SW) Jacques J. Fontan, 36, of New Orleans, Louisiana
* ITCS(SEAL) Daniel R. Healy, 36, of Exeter, New Hampshire
* Lt. Cmdr. Erik S. Kristensen, 33, of San Diego, California
* ET1(SEAL) Jeffery A. Lucas, 33, of Corbett, Oregon
* Lt. Michael M. McGreevy, Jr., 30, of Portville, New York
* QM2(SEAL) James E. Suh, 28, of Deerfield Beach, Florida
* HM1(SEAL/FMF) Jeffrey S. Taylor, 30, of Midway, West Virginia
* MM2(SEAL) Shane E. Patton, 22, of Boulder City, Nevada

Hollywood Heroes: Boots On the Ground Report

Kicking back listening to Bonnie Tyler belt out “Holding Out For A Hero” made me think of a recent visit to Hollywood where I had the opportunity to speak with a few producers and screenwriters, truly good people all. 

Their big message: military films aren’t working. The country is weary and doesn’t want war films as entertainment. Rather, they say, the good citizens of our nation want to escape with the fictional heroes in movies such as “Transformers,” “X-Men,” and “Spider-Man.” 

Military movies may not be working because Hollywood presently refuses to capitalize on the real life heroes in combat everyday. Everyone loves a good hero and for Hollywood to embrace the notion that there might be a valorous man or woman worthy of a feature film may lend creditability to the cause for which they are fighting. And we can’t have that. 

Instead, their latest war films are partisan propaganda as opposed to realistic and balanced. Somewhere between the screenplay and the final edit group therapy takes place and movie houses release message films as opposed to realistic action movies. 

Take for example Lions for Lambs and Redacted. 

In Lions for Lambs, two students, the ‘Lambs,’ follow the guidance of a professor to make a difference in the world so they enlist in the Army, only to be left stranded by their chain of command on an Afghan mountaintop as the Taliban execute them. The message? Don’t be a fool and enlist. You will be abandoned. The movie is noticeably absent any true hero as Tom Cruise, Robert Redford and Meryl Streep all pontificate through a collective diatribe. The failing here is that millions of servicemen and women have fought in these wars and their families know that they are true heroes. So a movie that paints their loved ones as misguided sheep rings hollow. 

Redacted is worse and more blunt. It sensationalizes a violent criminal act by a small group of Soldiers. Why did De Palma choose the rape and murder of an Iraqi girl as the focus of his movie, using the tagline, “Truth is the First Casualty of War?” It was a heinous, violent crime, but in no way does De Palma’s movie capture the essence of these wars or the spirit of the American fighting men and women. Again, no heroes, only villains, who happen to be American service personnel. 

It seems to me that the invasion of Iraq has been a watershed. Instead of gems such as Blackhawk Down, We Were Soldiers, Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers, post-Iraq we get political pitch pieces. Hollywood is venting its displeasure with the previous administration’s foreign policy through its films. Yet moviegoers are not so easily fooled and pan the movies that portray the military as bloodthirsty goons or ill-informed morons. 

If really is that simple, and Tyler’s lyrics have it right. We are holding out for a hero-the right kind of hero. We need Hollywood to capture the heroism of our troops. The American people know that their sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, and fathers and mothers are carrying this nation’s rucksack superbly in combat. And everyday there are heroes fighting to deny our enemies the ability to attack our homeland. 

One short example takes me back to January 2007 where a young sergeant displayed the everyday valor of American fighting personnel. 

Tyler’s lyrics were the furthest thing from my mind as my UH-60 Blackhawk’s composite rotor blades cut through the thin air of the Afghan Hindu Kush Mountains. 

“Blackhawk Down”

For two weeks I had been trying to fly from Bagram Air Base, where the joint task force is headquartered, to a remote operating base near the Pakistan border called the Korengal Outpost. My team had been collecting ‘To Any Soldier” letters and boxes for weeks and the holidays were upon us. However, a sudden snowstorm prevented our movement on Christmas Eve and then again on New Year’s Eve. 

But January 5th was a crystal clear day, the winter sun low and bright in the blue sky, perfect for flying…and fighting. So we loaded the Blackhawk and departed early in the morning with the intent of circulating to several small outposts, checking on morale, and ensuring the troops had the equipment they needed, a routine part of senior leader battlefield movement in the 10th Mountain Division. 

As we approached Asadabad Base where we would refuel, the radio crackled with the excited chatter of troops in contact just one valley over. They needed air support quickly. I directed my Apache helicopter escort to provide that support and for my Blackhawk to provide cover as his wingman. After emptying all of their ammunition twice in support of the troops in contact, the aircraft returned, picked up my team and we cruised the remaining 15 minutes to the Korengal Oupost where I would link up with Captain Jim McKnight’s rifle company. 

As we approached for landing, PKM machine gun fire echoed from two or three directions. Jim McKnight was there to greet me as we disembarked, but it was clear that he had other priorities. Soon machinegun fire and rocket propelled grenades were raining down upon our exposed position. The Blackhawk alone took 8 rounds in its cargo door, where we had just been sitting, and the left engine caught on fire. The pilots powered up with the right engine, leaving their crew chief on the ground and yanking his communications cord from his crew helmet. 

As rocket propelled grenades begin to crisscross through the outpost like Roman candles, I told Captain McKnight, “Forget about me, go command your company.” Happy to be unburdened from the task of managing a general in his outpost, he got to work. Meanwhile, we hunkered down and returned fire. As we moved toward the command bunker, I caught out of the corner of my eye a Soldier running down to the command post. This Soldier was shot through his left arm, tying off his tourniquet with his teeth. 

As he wheeled into the bunker, he hooked a radio handset into his helmet strap with his good hand while his wounded arm was bleeding badly. Soon, it was apparent he was going into shock and that his arm was seriously damaged. He began convulsing and a medic approached him, saying, “I need to take a look at that.” 

“Get away from me,” the Sergeant said, bluntly, as he punched numbers into his mortar ballistic computer. The biggest weapon at this firebase was a 120mm mortar that, with the right calculus, could destroy the attackers in quick fashion. This sergeant’s mission was to perform that calculus with the aid of a ballistic computer and then relay the information to the gun crew. Conversely, if he got the math wrong, a misguided round could kill friendly troops or civilians. 

He had an important mission. 

As the sergeant began to shake from the onset of shock, the medic approached again, and a second time the sergeant refused medical care, this time employing an expletive to keep the intruder at bay. 

As enemy machine gun rounds punched through the plywood roof of the bunker and fell to the floor like a Colorado summertime hail storm, the medic approached a third time. Looking up from his ballistic computer the sergeant said, “You can work on me when we get first round down range.” 

That was his compromise, which of course was no compromise at all. This Soldier was going to perform his most vital mission until the last drop of his blood fell into the gathering pool at his feet. 

Finally, a few minutes later the mortar launched the first round, which was impressively accurate. Soon, the mortar crew was melting the tubes, pumping out high explosive, fin stabilized and deadly accurate rounds onto the enemy. 

His mission done, the sergeant pushed the ballistic computer across the table to his assistant, handed him the radio, turned to the medic, and said, “Now you can work on me.” 

While it’s not Paul Blart, Mall Cop, there is a good message for Americans in the young Sergeant’s sacrifice. His actions were truly heroic. And the amazing part of this Sergeant’s valor is what came next. 

I was privileged to pin on his Purple Heart (2nd Award), the following day in Bagram after we medically evacuated him out of the Korengal Outpost. The sergeant then was evacuated to Landstuhl, Germany and then finally to Walter Reed Army Medical Center where he spent two months getting reconstructive surgery and healing from the gunshot wound. 

In the interim, the Secretary of Defense extended by 5 months his brigade combat team’s deployment in Afghanistan, making that brigade’s cumulative time deployed 17 months. As soon as this sergeant was released from Walter Reed Army Medical Center he had every right to go on convalescent leave and chill out. He’d earned that after 11 months of combat and a serious battle wound. 

Everyone but perhaps Hollywood knows how this story ends. Our hero scoffed at the notion of taking time off while his buddies were in the thick of it in Afghanistan. 

Of course, he was on the next airplane smoking to Bagram. 

So, we don’t need to hold out for our heroes. They’re there, right in front of us everyday. 

They are holding out for Hollywood’s enormous resources and talent to capture the right heroes doing the right things at the right time. And that’s a timeless story. It’s Hoosiers on the battlefield. Good men and women with solid values placed in difficult circumstances and producing unbelievable results. 

On our behalf. 

Message to Hollywood: Get to work. If you remove the political lens so that you can see the American heroes fighting the good fight, your only issue will be too many good screenplays and packed movie theaters. 

Believe it or not, the America I know is very proud of its men and women in uniform.

http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/ajtata/2009/05/19/real-life-hero-boots-on-the-ground-report-2/#more-138602

Real Life Hero: Boots on the Ground Report #2 — A Tribute to SSG William. E. Vile

I received an email telling me to check out the responses to my Hollywood Heroes column and was overwhelmed and gratified to see so many respond in such a positive fashion. I guess most Soldiers, such as myself, go about our business and don’t expect too much in return. It’s a part of our ethos, as many of you commented, and therefore my aforementioned surprise at the great posts.

Accurate mortar fire lands on Taliban positions thanks to SSG Vile’s Mortar Ballistic Computer Skills

One of the many personal emails I received was from Staff Sergeant William Vile’s former battalion commander. Then-Sergeant Vile is the hero in my first Boots on the Ground Report and I purposely kept his name out of the piece because I remember how embarrassed he was by all of the attention he received from my team and me as we medically evacuated him from the Korengal Outpost to Bagram Airfield Combat Surgical Hospital.

Rocket propelled grenade ‘duds’ into a Hesco barrier at the Korengal Outpost during 5 January attack 

I received the former commander’s email on Wednesday this week. I was in a business meeting when my Blackberry buzzed indicating I had a new message. Noticing the sender and the topic, I scanned the email and the words: 

Sir,

I read your article on-line today about fighting in the Korengal.  I’m sorry to add a poignant piece of news to it:  SSG William E. Vile was killed in action in Kunar Province on 4 May [2009].  He was back as an [Embedded Transition Team member] assigned with 6-4 Cav up near Naray [along the Pakistan border].  His [Afghan National Army combat outpost] was overrun, and SSG Vile was [Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown] for three days.  [The battalion Command Sergeant Major] proudly reported to me that soldiers of 1-32 were called upon to locate and recover SSG Vile’s remains, and that they carried him back to Bagram for his last flight home.

Sir, in the article you mentioned that Vile’s heroics didn’t stop at the end of the fight, that he returned to his unit.  His heroics didn’t stop then, either, I guess. 

SSG Vile will be buried on Thursday in Arlington National Cemetery.  As you might imagine, several alumni of the unit will attend. 

A chill shot up my spine for two reasons. First, of course, this is a man, half my age, that I truly held in the highest esteem. The news of his death in combat struck me to the core. I’m affected by every service member’s death as I’ve officiated over several funerals of Soldiers killed in combat, some who were friends, some who were assigned to me by the Army. It was a privilege in every case and each service required about two days to fully process and emotionally recover from as I engaged grieving family members and friends, presented the flag to the next of kin and personally mourned the loss of a great American. 

But having watched this man in action I had selfishly held out the notion that I had a hero I could call my own and could one day point to him as the Sergeant Major of the Army or some other influential position worthy of his abilities and sacrifice. Indeed, he had already been rapidly promoted to Staff Sergeant as a young man. 

So as the contents of the email registered, I stood, walked out of the room and took about five minutes to myself. I don’t know what the others in the room thought, and I truly didn’t care. 

And that’s when it hit me: 4 May 2009 was the day Andrew Breitbart and I exchanged emails about my joining the Big Hollywood team. After that email exchange, I wrote the article that day, of course oblivious to SSG Vile’s plight in Kunar Province. 

Indeed, as I was writing that first Boots on the Ground report, Staff Sergeant Vile’s new place of duty as an advisor to the Afghan Army in Kunar Province was in mortal combat with Taliban forces. 

The brave men of 1-32nd Infantry, Chosin, from the 10th Mountain Division, SSG Vile’s old unit in which he was serving when he conducted the heroic deeds reported in the last column, heard the news, geared up and buzzed through the Asadabad Valley to find their missing hero. While SSG Vile was not assigned to his old unit on this mission, the Soldiers were living by the Army Warrior Ethos:

Never leave a fallen comrade behind. 

It was purely a coincidence that 1-32 was back in the action in Afghanistan, just as it was purely coincidence that I wrote that blog column on the exact day he went missing. 

Right. 

No matter what you believe, no matter what your personal moral guideposts may be, don’t think for a second that this isn’t the Big Guy upstairs at work. I don’t believe in coincidences and, in retrospect, I do believe that God spoke to me on 4 May. I essentially wrote that piece in one sitting without stopping and only going back to do some minor edits. It’s almost as if I was called to write his story before knowing he was killed in action. Perhaps to capture the purity of the event without being clouded by the tumbling emotions that I’m feeling now. 

When I return to Washington, DC I intend to visit SSG Vile’s gravesite and pay my respects to a man who had at least three purple hearts and served at least three combat tours in the last six years. He did so with a humble heart, just wanting to do his piece and take care of his buddies, perhaps advancing American foreign policy a bit as he served. 

While there’s no nexus between pop culture, Hollywood and the military here, I thought it proper to update those of you who read the first column. 

Make no mistake about it, SSG William Vile remains a personal hero to me and it was my privilege to write his story. 

And my departing thought today is that SSG Vile has rightfully ascended to a place where the full measure of his sacrifice is properly rewarded. I pray that he has found the everlasting peace he was trying so hard to accomplish, on our behalf, in this world. 

Stay safe,
AJT

 
Pinning on then-Sergeant William Vile’s Purple Heart (2nd Award) in Bagram, Afghanistan a few minutes before his flight to Landstuhl and Walter Reed

Click on the picture of the donkeys loaded with timber, so you can get a good look at the beasts of burden.   

Soldiers Disrupt Timber Smuggling in Afghan Province By Army Sgt. Amber Robinson Special to American Forces Press Service

KONAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan, June 8, 2009 – Task Force Chosin soldiers from 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, have been making a difference in disrupting timber smuggling in this lush area near the Pakistan border. Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, intercept illegal timber as it is smuggled through the Narang Valley in Afghanistan’s Konar province. Donkeys are the primary way that timber smugglers are able to export the timber without detection over the rough terrain of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Courtesy photo   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Konar has been a route of transit for smuggling goods from the Korengal Valley into Pakistan, an activity that helps to fund enemy operations. “The enemy funds their operations a number of ways,” Army Lt. Col. Mark O’Donnell, Task Force Chosin commander, said. “They smuggle illegal gems, opium and timber.” In the months following the fall of the Taliban, many insurgents fled to Pakistan, where they continue to operate and help to fund insurgency operations in Afghanistan. Various resources that fund weapons for enemy groups operating in Afghanistan are imported across the border. Timber, O’Donnell explained, is used mainly for expensive, ornate furniture produced exclusively in Pakistan. Before the task force arrived, he added, timber smugglers operated with impunity. “Mostly, the units before us did not have the troop strength that we have to combat the problem,” O’Donnell said. Although drug and gem smuggling are lucrative ways for the enemy to fund insurgency, timber smuggling is even more lucrative. Most of the timber comes through the Korengal Valley and is then moved down the Konar River to strategic points. It is picked up by trucks and then moved up the Narang Valley through the mountains into Pakistan. Although the Pakistan border has various checkpoints that monitor traffic, the border is still porous. Trucks carrying the illegal timber can’t move through the checkpoints, so the cargo is loaded onto the backs of donkeys and transported across the rough border terrain. Task Force Chosin’s unmanned surveillance equipment has photographed and recorded the smuggling procedure on various occasions. “We have plenty of footage,” Army Capt. Nathaniel Miller, commander of the task force’s Company D, said. “What we’ve observed is a well-oiled process. These guys have been doing this for awhile and have their routine down to a science. Although the procedure may seem primitive, it works, and more lumber than we can imagine has been smuggled over the border in this way.” Although trucks are used in certain stages of the smuggling, most of the movement is done via the Konar River with pack mules and donkeys. “The wood is put into the river, where smugglers ride it like a raft to strategic pick-up sites,” Miller said. “The wood is only taken a short distance by truck until it is transferred onto donkeys for the last leg of the route into Pakistan.” Task force soldiers have put up strategic outposts to hinder the timber flow, and they have caused much difficulty for smugglers. “The outposts have definitely put a dent in the process,” Miller said. “Smugglers go so far with the wood and realize they can’t move with the same ease. They get to that point and simply dump the timber.” Portions of the Narang Valley have become littered with abandoned illegal timber. The timber usually is confiscated and stored in Asadabad, the largest city near the Narang Valley. Aside from the visible results, other indicators show the task force has slowed the illegal trade, Miller said. “We are also experiencing more focused attacks on our strategic outposts. The enemy is mad that we are putting a stop to this, and are illustrating that through more vicious attacks.” The illegal timber industry has been operational for years, but with smugglers now having Taliban connections, the involvement of NATO International Security Assistance Force troops has been more evident. “We have met with all of our local Afghan leaders, and all are aware of the problem,” O’Donnell said. “It was actually the governor of Konar that brought the blatant timber smuggling activity to our attention once we got here.” As it stands, all money that comes from timber smuggling is spent in Pakistan. The only outcome Afghanistan usually sees from the exploitation of its natural resources is a well-armed and relatively well-funded insurgency, officials said. “If [the Afghan government] can turn this around and capitalize on the industry, it would not only bring more money to the country, but the cutting could be standardized and the resources protected,” O’Donnell said. “Right now, with no regulations, the Korengal’s timber could be in danger of being over-cut.” Although many steps must be taken before the problem is solved, O’Donnell said, the troops of Task Force Chosin will continue to respond when called upon. “Until Afghan officials can get a hold on how to fix this, we’ll fix it the best we know how,” he said, “and that’s with strategic operations. In the future, hopefully, things will be different, but for now we will handle the problem as it is.” (Army Sgt. Amber Robinson serves with the Task Force Spartan public affairs office.)