Wrongful deaths
As he stood watch at Camp Pendleton’s guard shack in San Diego, somebody shot and killed Navy Seaman August Provost (seen in photo), then set the shack on fire to cover up the crime.
Another sailor has been arrested in connection with the homicide. Speculation is that Provost, 29, of Houston, was killed because of his sexual orientation.
If that is true, then Provost’s murder is perhaps more tragic than those killed in combat because he was killed by one of his own, for a reason that just shouldn’t matter.
Meanwhile, we grieve for two Oklahoma service members, both killed violently this month – one in Afghanistan; the other in Tennessee.
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Tony Randolph, 21, of Henryetta, was killed by an IED in Afghanistan.
In Clarksville, Tenn. Army Spc. Brandon Buettner, 24, of Oklahoma City, was shot in the back and killed while trying to rescue a girlfriend from a gang-infested neighborhood.
Buettner was statopmed in Ft. Campbell, Ky. He had just returned in March from serving a year in Afghanistan. Go figure.
Pizza for patriots
The 110-degree temperatures did little to deter nearly 80,000 soldiers from digging into their deep-dish pizzas on the Fourth of July.
A total of 28,000 Uno pizzas were shipped courtesy of DHL Express as part of Operation Pizza Surge, the latest endeavor by Pizzas 4 Patriots (www.pizzas4patriots.com).
The journey started in June (see attached photo) at DHL’s International Gateway at JFK Airport, where 71,000 pounds of pizza and dry ice were loaded onto a 747 cargo plane bound for Bahrain. The pizzas, kept in a constant frozen state, were then routed to nine bases in Iraq and Afghanistan via 19 different flights and various military convoys.
”As the specialists in international serv
ices, DHL was a natural fit to fulfill this mission and deliver thousands of Uno deep-dish pizzas for delivery to U.S. service men and women serving in the Middle East in time for this year’s 4th of July celebrations in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Adrian Watts, Managing Director U.S. Government Sales and Support for DHL Express.
”The work that our service members do on a daily basis is enormously difficult, and the separation from their families often hits hardest on national holidays. This delivery has truly been a blessing for those serving our country, to brighten their day by knowing their sacrifices are appreciated by those back home.”
If there is ever a bright side to war, it is how well-remembered our troops in the sandbox have beeen recognized by corporations, entertainers and, of course, individuals, all of whom are bound to leave someone smiling. Sure, some of the gestures include blatant publicity, but hey, these folks get bragging rights when they go to lengths like this to get all-American pizza to boots on the ground. Bravo Zulu, DHL team!
Drafted at birth: the littlest soldiers
by BJ Gallagher (printed with permission from this guest author)
On this In
dependence Day all across the country, patriotic music is being played, parades march down Main Street USA, speeches are given, and small flags stand silent sentry on military graves, as we pause to honor those courageous patriots who founded our country. Today we also honor the brave men and women who are putting their lives on the line every day, both here and abroad, to protect our freedom and independence.
But there is one more group, often overlooked on patriotic holidays – they are the children of soldiers, airmen, sailors, and marines. We call them “military brats” – they are the children of warriors.
There are millions of military brats today – from the tiniest tykes whose dads and moms are serving overseas in Iraq or other hot spots, as well as at military bases here in the US … to middle-aged Baby Boomers whose dads (and a few moms in those days) fought in WW II, the Korean War, and of course, the Viet Nam War. These military brats were drafted at birth – they had no choice about whether or not they wanted to live a military lifestyle. And they, like their warrior fathers and mo
thers, have paid an enormous price to protect the freedoms and privileges that most of us take for granted.
I a
m one of those military brats. I was born in Orange, California, on the Fourth of July - a symbolic birthday, to be sure. My mom and I sailed to Japan when I was nine months old to join my dad, who was fighting overseas. I didn’t see US soil again until I was almost three years old.
I spent my formative years moving from base to base — from Texas to Montana, from California to Virginia, from Germany to Illinois, from Dover to Puerto Rico. I was at home nowhere – and I was at home everywhere. I learned to make friends quickly, because I knew I would lose them quickly. We were like traveling gypsies, moving from place to place, packing and unpacking … only to do it all over again six months or two years later.
Such a lifestyle has its advantages, of course. I was able to see the world, live in Europe, learn a foreign language at an early age, taste exotic foods and see interesting places that many people only dream of. I had exciting adventures and enjoyed wonderful experiences – all courtesy of the US government.
But there was a price I paid, too – like all military brats. Loneliness, wrenching departures from beloved friends, having to chang
e school umpteen times, and sometimes living in places I didn’t like.
The biggest price I paid, along with the other kids, was enormous anxiety. For you see, Death was always lurking around in the background … but no one ever talked about it. For when you are the child of a warrior, you never know for sure when your daddy (or mommy) is going to be called to fight a battle somewhere … or who might be killed in training exercises or plane crashes, even in peacetime.
My dad was a pilot in the Air Force, and I can’t tell you the number of times I lay in my bed at night, overhearing my mom on the phone in the other room, as she called the control tower to ask what Major Gallagher’s ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) was. I worried, What if my daddy doesn’t come home? What if his plane crashes? When I was eight years old my best friend lost her daddy when his plane crashed into the side of a mountain – and it wasn’t even a war. I knew if it happened to her, it could happen to me, too. It could happen to any of us military brats. We all grow up with a fundamental awareness of the precariousness of life and fearing that our warrior dads and moms could be killed anytime, anywhere.
So this Fourth of July, let us honor not only our founders who declared our independence – let us also honor the brave men and women dedicate their lives to protecting our independence. AND let us not overlook the brave boys and girls who die a thousand little deaths waiting for their daddies and mommies to come home every night. Military brats serve their country, too - they pay a price for our freedom. They are the littlest soldiers – young patriots. Remember them. Thank them. Hug them.
****************************
BJ Gallagher is a Los Angeles author and speaker. Her best-seller is A PEACOCK IN THE LAND OF PENGUINS (Berrett-Koehler; 2001), now in 22 languages worldwide.
Looking for a few (not so) good men
The Oklahoman’s story about a sex ring involving a 19-year-old Fort Sill Marine, a 12-year-old girl and an alleged 33-year-old lesbian is, on the surface, one of those “you just can’t make this stuff up” kind of stories.
Read the story at: http://www.newsok.com/ft.-sill-marine-charged-in-sex-ring-involving-12-year-old-girl/article/3382385?custom_click=lead_story_title
I’m a big believer in due process and innocent unless proven guilty. But I’m sorry to say that even this kind of crazy behavior isn’t all that unusual in the military – an organization that consists of 85 percent males, most of them young, fit and earning a paycheck for the first time in their naïve, short lives.
But then there’s this 33-year-old mother involved, a woman who allegedly initiated a lesbian affair with her 13-year-old son’s classmate. And yes, drugs and alcohol were involved.
It could’ve been boredom, curiosity or just plain stupidity that prompted these characters to “hook up.”. But one thing it isn’t is all that unusual. Along with the crisp salutes, the polished shoes and “yes ma’am, no sir” demeanor are a bunch of red-blooded American males. Does the fact that they’re willing to give their lives for this country excuse their lewd behavior? Certainly not.
Thing is, if Logan Byron Combs, the accused Marine, is found guilty under the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice), he’ll have a lot to think about in the brig, where he’s only entitled to bread and water and some not-so-gentle peer pressure. Semper fi? Not this Marine.
