Click photo for full sized image.

This weeks photo theme is Crooked, as Tigger so aptly demonstrates!.

Sorry this is late, but our DSL has been down since Wednesday, while much cussing
and discussing has gone on………..

Warrant Officer John W. Hermann (Pictured Right)
7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st MLG

A Marine warrant officer received the Silver Star on July 15 during a short ceremony in Afghanistan. On Feb. 26, 2008, then-Staff Sgt. John W. Hermann, an explosive ordnance disposal technician, accompanied a team with Company B, 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, on a combat reconnaissance patrol through Dahaneh, a village in southern Afghanistan held by Taliban forces.

While on the patrol, the team came under a barrage of fire from rocket-propelled grenades, mortars, machine guns and small-arms fire. Hermann, according to the award citation, jumped out of his vehicle with another Marine and ran toward a group of entrenched fighters.

You can read the rest of Warrant Officer John W. Hermann’s story here.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Who are the Patriot Guard Riders?
There were zero PGR 5 year ago. As of now, there are over 190,000. This growth has not come easy, and it is not perfect. And in case anybody misunderstands, I thought I should make it clear who the PGR are to me.

The PGR is the Hell’s Angel that has held a flag for three hours in honor of a fallen solider.

The PGR is the Christian Motorcyclist Association rider that is standing next to him.

The PGR is the elderly lady with a flag draped over her walker that is standing next to him.

The PGR is the biker that will ride over 300 miles, praying to God to give him strength, so he can make it in time to have the honor of standing the flag line for the wake of a hero…Alone.

The PGR is having 250 bikes show up the next day in a town of 3500 people: Some riding hundreds of miles, staring at 0400…In the rain.

The PGR will be humbled when the color guard comes out to shake his hand for standing there alone, and tell them with confidence there will be more tomorrow.

The PGR is spending hours in a flag line in 90 degree heat, only later to find out the son of the guy standing next to you had committed suicide 6 months after returning from Iraq.

The PGR are the couple that served lunch to 286 bikers, refusing all donations. They are the grandparents of the solider that killed himself.

The PGR is “freebird57” from IL who drives around in his van, loaded with 135 flags and coolers of water and supplies for those standing the line along with him.

The PGR is the Viet Nam vet that was spit on when he returned, or the lady next to him whose brother was in the Battle of Bulge. Or it is 12 year old Taylor Batten, who had her first heart surgery at the age of 6 months. Taylor has had many surgeries in her past and will have many more in her future, which may not be that long. She is now a PFC USMC, and an honorary MI PGR Ride Captain.

The PGR is not a service group, we are not lobbyists. There are many fine organizations that do this work, and we heartily encourage your support.

The PGR is the biker that will ride over 200 miles in rain so bad he can barely see, and rides only by the taillights of those ahead of him, because the protesters will be at the funeral of PO1 Jerry Tharp in Galesburg IL. And he will not only consider it a privilege to have protesters scream in his face, shielding them from the family, but will consider it one of the proudest days of his life. And there are 329 people standing next to him feeling exactly the same way.

The PGR is the rider who could not think of any place he would rather be at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, than to stand at the grave site of a friend’s father, on the anniversary of his passing. A father who earned the Silver Star in Korea for gallantry above and beyond the call of duty: A father whose family had no idea what he had done and the awards he had won, until they went through his belongings after his death.

If you do not fit in anywhere in the above, or you have another agenda, you might reconsider whether you are in the right place. However,if you are with us, it will be my honor to stand with you anytime, anywhere.

And when the organizers of a parade ask how many PGR will be there, I will tell them there might be 100, but I will only guarantee one.

And if there is an Honor Mission for a fallen hero that same day, I will not be there either.

Being a PGR is not fun. It may well be one of the hardest things you will ever do.

You may have the mother of a fallen solider cry on your shoulder, thanking you for being there.

You may have a Marine, who has escorted his buddy from Afghanistan, stand at attention and salute you, with tears streaming down his f ace.

Being a PGR may not be fun, but you will never stand with better people. It may be one of the most rewarding things you will ever do, and without a doubt, it will change your life forever.

ICYMI: Tom Slade: Let Voters Decide On Governor’s Race
July 19, 2010 by Campaign Staff

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – Former three term Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, Tom Slade, penned a letter to the editor in today’s Florida Times-Union criticizing Bill McCollum’s plan to accept public campaign financing, a program Jeb Bush has called “welfare for politicians.” Some key quotes from the letter follow.

“It has been a rough go for the Republican Party of Florida of late.

“With former Chairman Jim Greer thrown out after charges of fraud and money laundering, and threatening to call Gov. Charlie Crist, Attorney General Bill McCollum, Senate President-designate Mike Haridopolos and Incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon to the witness stand, it could get even uglier.

“That said, even with all of this madness at party headquarters in Tallahassee, the possibility still exists for Republican candidates to win both the governor’s race and the Senate race this November. It may be, however, that they will have to do it on their own.

“As a former chairman, I know you must keep the trust and confidence of voters and donors.

“This trust can only exist if you are committed to play by the rules and if you are willing to let the voters make the decisions. Without those two factors, trust is broken, and the official party apparatus becomes useless.

“There are rumblings now of concern that the insiders in Tallahassee are considering using their already diminished resources to play favorites in the upcoming primary for governor.

This would be very unwise and would create a backlash from Republican voters.

Finally, there is this little issue to deal with.

Many of the Republican donors who have given money to the Republican legislative leaders intended that money to be spent electing Republicans to the Legislature.

I doubt that many donors intended their contributions to be funneled to front groups for use against one of the candidates in the primary for governor.

I would further hazard a guess that Republican candidates for the Legislature are none too happy to see these resources being spent on matters other than their elections.

“It’s crucial at this moment, with the Republican Party of Florida already reeling from scandal, that they not compound their problems by losing the trust of the voters.

Hey, here’s an idea – let the voters decide.”

Read the entire article here:

http://jacksonville.com/opinion/letters-readers/2010-07-17/story/let-voters-decide-governors-race

I have had the privilege to know Nick Bacon, a fierce patriot and a faithful Christian.

Nick had suffered from throat cancer, but the suffering is now at an end.
Nick Bacon was promoted to his final and eternal duty station yesterday morning.
I am convinced that he heard this upon his arrival in heaven.

“His master replied, Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things;
I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”Matt.25;21

Please remember to pray for comfort for Tammy and the kids.

Nick said once “The greatest weapon we have in America is our faith in God and in his Grace and Power. No enemy can destroy our love and devotion to our God and our Country, so how can they expect to win? ”

Photo courtesy of Arkansas military History

Nick Bacon Medal of Honor Recipient

Nick Bacon served in the U.S. Army from 1963 to 1984 and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Richard Nixon for his actions during an August 26, 1968 battle near Tam Ky in Vietnam.

“Bacon distinguished himself while serving as a squad leader with the 1st Platoon, Company B, during an operation west of Tam Ky,” the citation with the Medal read. “When Company B came under fire from an enemy bunker line to the front, S/Sgt. Bacon quickly organized his men and led them forward in an assault.”

The Army said Bacon advanced on a hostile bunker and destroyed it with grenades. “As he did so, several follow soldiers including the1st Platoon leader, were struck by machine gun fire and fell wounded in an exposed position forward of the rest of the platoon.”

Bacon immediately assumed command of the platoon and assaulted the hostile gun position, finally killing the enemy gun crew in a single-handed effort.

After that, the 3rd Platoon also moved to Bacon’s location after its leader was also wounded. “Without hesitation S/Sgt. Bacon took charge of the additional platoon and continued the fight,” the Army said. “In the ensuing action he personally killed 4 more enemy soldiers and silenced an antitank weapon. Under his leadership and example, the members of both platoons accepted his authority without question.”

Continuing to ignore the intense hostile fire, the Army said, he climbed up on the exposed deck of a tank and directed fire into the enemy position while several wounded men were evacuated.

“As a result of S/Sgt. Bacon’s extraordinary efforts, his company was able to move forward, eliminate the enemy positions, and rescue the men trapped to the front. S/Sgt. Bacon’s bravery at the risk of his life was in the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.”

Bacon also received the Distinguished Service Cross, Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars, and Purple Heart.