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Postby iluvk9 » August 12th, 2011, 10:06 am

...to send a thank you to heaven to the 30 US NAVY SEALS that died.

With the 10 Year Anniversary of 9/11 approaching, I continue to be thankful men and women have been fighting for my right to freedom. Seeing their faces and reading their biographies made it that much more personal to me.


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Postby Pit♥bull » August 12th, 2011, 10:40 am

They will not be forgotten :)

Like your signature Joyce. :P
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Postby iluvk9 » August 13th, 2011, 2:53 pm

Men from all over the country; maybe even your state. :( Some were very young.


http://www.defense.gov/releases/release ... seid=14728

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of 30 servicemembers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died Aug. 6 in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed.

The following sailors assigned to an East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit were killed:

Lt. Cmdr. (SEAL) Jonas B. Kelsall, 32, of Shreveport, La.,

Special Warfare Operator Master Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Louis J. Langlais, 44, of Santa Barbara, Calif.,

Special Warfare Operator Senior Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Thomas A. Ratzlaff, 34, of Green Forest, Ark.,

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Senior Chief Petty Officer (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist) Kraig M. Vickers 36, of Kokomo, Hawaii,

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Brian R. Bill, 31, of Stamford, Conn.,

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) John W. Faas, 31, of Minneapolis, Minn.,

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Kevin A. Houston, 35, of West Hyannisport, Mass.,

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Matthew D. Mason, 37, of Kansas City, Mo.,

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Stephen M. Mills, 35, of Fort Worth, Texas,

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Chief Petty Officer (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist/Diver) Nicholas H. Null, 30, of Washington, W.Va.,

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Robert J. Reeves, 32, of Shreveport, La.,

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Heath M. Robinson, 34, of Detroit, Mich.,

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Darrik C. Benson, 28, of Angwin, Calif.

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL/Parachutist) Christopher G. Campbell, 36, of Jacksonville, N.C.,

Information Systems Technician Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist) Jared W. Day, 28, of Taylorsville, Utah,

Master-at-Arms Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist) John Douangdara, 26, of South Sioux City, Neb.,

Cryptologist Technician (Collection) Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist) Michael J. Strange, 25, of Philadelphia, Pa.,

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL/Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist) Jon T. Tumilson, 35, of Rockford, Iowa,

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Aaron C. Vaughn, 30, of Stuart, Fla., and

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Jason R. Workman, 32, of Blanding, Utah.

The following sailors assigned to a West Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit were killed:

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Jesse D. Pittman, 27, of Ukiah, Calif., and

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 2nd Class (SEAL) Nicholas P. Spehar, 24, ofSaint Paul, Minn.

The soldiers killed were:

Chief Warrant Officer David R. Carter, 47, of Centennial, Colo. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), Aurora, Colo.;

Chief Warrant Officer Bryan J. Nichols, 31, of Hays, Kan. He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kan.;

Staff Sgt. Patrick D. Hamburger, 30, of Lincoln, Neb. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), Grand Island, Neb.;

Sgt. Alexander J. Bennett, 24, of Tacoma, Wash. He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kan.; and

Spc. Spencer C. Duncan, 21, of Olathe, Kan. He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kan.

The airmen killed were:

Tech. Sgt. John W. Brown, 33, of Tallahassee, Fla.;

Staff Sgt. Andrew W. Harvell, 26, of Long Beach, Calif.; and

Tech. Sgt. Daniel L. Zerbe, 28, of York, Pa.

All three airmen were assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Field, N.C.
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Postby hugapitbull » August 13th, 2011, 5:23 pm

Their sacrifice, and that of their families, can never be repaid. We are grateful for those who choose to serve so that we all may claim freedom.
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Postby iluvk9 » August 13th, 2011, 9:13 pm

You have such an eloquent way with words, Shanna.
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Postby madremissy » August 14th, 2011, 12:42 am

My condolences to each and every family and my forever thanks to each of these who served our country.
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Postby Hoyden » August 15th, 2011, 1:22 am

This last week has been tough on the guys over there. I have spent about 19 hours on Skype talking to my friends and family as well as a few that just needed someone to listen.

It's heart breaking to hear a young man lament that they are turning into barbarians. I told him that if he wants to come home alive and bring his men home alive, he will do what needs to be done.

I think General George S. Patton, Jr. said it best.

"Let me not mourn for the men who have died fighting,
But rather let me be glad that such heroes have lived."




A SOLDIER'S PRAYER
General George S Patton, Jr.

God of our Father, who by land and sea has ever
Led us on to victory, please continue your inspiring
Guidance in this greatest of our conflicts.

Strengthen my soul so that the weakening instinct of
Self preservation, which besets all of us in battle,
Shall not blind me to my duty to my own manhood, to the
Glory of my calling, and to my responsibility to my
Fellow soldiers.

Grant to our Armed Forces that disciplined valor and
Mutual confidence which insures success in war.
Let me not mourn for the men who have died fighting,
But rather let me be glad that such heroes have lived.

If it be my lot to die, let me do so with courage and honor
In a manner which will bring the greatest harm to the
Enemy, and please, oh Lord, protect and guide those I
Shall leave behind.

Give us victory, Lord.
Moral courage is the most valuable and usually the most absent characteristic in men ~ General George S. Patton, Jr.

She taking all the stars down from her sky to hang them up someplace new, where there's better weather and the sky's a different blue. ~ Autumn Fields
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Postby iluvk9 » August 15th, 2011, 6:41 am

Well stated, Noel. I never heard that quote from Patton...but I like it.
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Postby iluvk9 » August 15th, 2011, 6:57 am

I saw a great documentary on Discovery Channel about the Seals.

Things I didn't know:


They have clothes/gear for every terrain that is beyond amazing.

They always have large amounts of cash in their left pocket, in case they have to buy their way out of a situation.

They are away from home over 250 days a year and sadly, the divorce rate is 90%.

When they were going on the mission to get Bin Laden, they weren't told until they were on the helicopter what their mission was...they were beyond thrilled when they heard.

They used every piece of information they collected to practice at a set up look alike place where Bin Laden could live. Even the door knobs and the way they turned were important to "know" their environment.

When Obama met with Team 6 after they killed the SOB Bin Laden, he was not allowed to know which man shot him. He was told something like: "Assume everyone here pulled the trigger."

Their high tech aircraft, guns and safety instruments are beyond amazing.

They interviewed retired Seals, and every one of them wished they didn't have to retire.
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Postby mnp13 » August 15th, 2011, 9:37 am

That's interesting Joyce... I wonder how much of it is true. lol

A friend of a friend is married to a SEAL, I think I'll send that list to her to see what he will verify. That will be interesting...
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Postby iluvk9 » August 15th, 2011, 9:56 am

mnp13 wrote:That's interesting Joyce... I wonder how much of it is true. lol

A friend of a friend is married to a SEAL, I think I'll send that list to her to see what he will verify. That will be interesting...



It better be true only because it was on Discovery Channel and not The Psychic Channel. :)

They also said the family and wives get briefed like once a year to remind them what they can't and can say in general.
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