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« The Long War Continues | Main | Where are the Americans? »

November 30, 2005

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Every Day Heroes

By Mrs Greyhawk

How often do your hear heroic stories told of our troops... on say CNN or read about them in the New York Times?

Try searching "Hero" in any of the MSM's search window. Try searching "Hero" in Google News or Yahoo news and see what you find.

Can the everyday American (who hasn't been exposed to milblogs) name a single Hero of this war? No. Why? Because in the MSM's eye's, the epitome of a hero is ...a sports figure.

How is it, the headlines are filled with the casualties of our warriors but having none honoring their heroism?
They list them only as a veritable number. And if our warrior should so live thru a ferocious battle committing heroic deeds, they do not even get a mention of their valor.

Why does it take someone like Bruce Wllis to make a hero out of our heroes.

I'm astounded daily by the MSM's representation of our troops.

Here are just a few of our latest heroes, honor them by remembering their names :

Spc. Andrew “Doc” Suchanek

Spc. Suchanek provided immediate life-saving treatment for an Iraqi police officer under heavy enemy fire.

“I didn’t have time to think about it,” said Spc. Andrew “Doc” Suchanek, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. “I just knew I didn’t want that guy to get hurt even worse. I just reacted.”

While on a routine patrol in west Baghdad, Suchanek and other Soldiers of C Company, 1/87 Infantry responded to assist Iraqi Police who had come under fire from automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades. Encountering a critically-wounded police officer, Suchanek began immediate life-saving treatment.

Then a terrorist suddenly fired an RPG at both of them. Without hesitation, Suchanek threw himself on the police officer, shielding him from danger. The grenade exploded harmlessly and Suchanek continued treatment to save the life of the policeman. As his fellow Soldiers secured the area, Suchanek coordinated evacuation for his patient to a local hospital.

Amazing that guys like this can perform life saving treatments under such dangerous conditions without hesitation.

Spc. Dean Levy

Gunner Goes Head-to-Head with a V-Bed, Saves Crew

Called ‘V-beds’ for short, vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, are one of the deadliest weapons in the insurgents’ arsenal – mobile car bombs and tools of terrorism faced by Iraqis, Iraqi security forces and Coalition Forces in their fight against the insurgency.

Last May, Humvee gunner Spc. Dean Levy of Plymouth, Mass. went head-to-head with a V-bed and won - saving the lives of his fellow Humvee crewmen.

... “I waited for his left front tire to swerve onto the median,” Levy said. “At that moment he turned and drove straight at us. I put three to four rounds into the ground in front of him. It was still coming at us, so I put three to four more into the engine block of the vehicle.”

But the vehicle kept coming. Levy raised his 240 Bravo machine gun, fired seven to ten shots through the windshield, and the vehicle exploded - “a huge flame of smoke, body and car parts,” according to Flynn

***

Levy suffered second-degree burns to his face from the explosion, which also melted his goggles and damaged the Humvee.
Vigilance pays off.

Lance Cpl. John T. Shepard

Three-time Iraqi War Veteran Awarded Purple Heart

Lance Cpl. John T. Shepard, a 31-year-old boat mechanic formerly with Small Craft Company, Headquarters Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, and several members of his unit had been conducting a foot patrol through Ramadi’s streets in August when they were ambushed by several insurgents.

“One guy threw a grenade in our direction, and (the blast) threw me back,” explained Shepard, a former University of Georgia student, as he recalled the attack on his unit. “I took shrapnel in the face, lip and leg, and I suffered a concussion. My squad leader was also shot in the face that same day.”

Currently, Shepard, a Marine who has deployed to Iraq three times during his four-year-long enlistment, is recovering from periodic back pains and headaches that he claims are “no big deal.”

No big deal? Apparently the msm agree.

Can't imagine why this next story didn't make the headlines, plenty of blood and gore for the typical news story.

Seaman Nathaniel Leoncio

Corpsman continues to care for Marines after losing leg

It is unadulterated courage in the face of horrifying danger and risk. It is being able to perform under fire while knowing you are probably going to lose a leg. It is taking care of your Marines when everything is on the line. It is duty, courage and love all together. It is what Nathaniel Leoncio showed the Marines of Company L the morning of Oct. 4.

***

“I helped pull Hospitalman Leoncio into the medevac Humvee and personally saw him wince in pain as he rolled over, opened his medical kit and treated (the fourth Platoon commander’s) shrapnel wound,” said Watson. “When he saw that the bleeding had stopped, he gave Cpl. Bellmont and me instructions on how to best care for him. He was calm, alert and responsive the entire way to Ramadi Medical. The only thing he asked for was that someone hold his hand to keep him awake and give him sips of water.”
Unadulterated courage indeed.

This last story is of a fallen warrior from the battle of Fallujah. He was mentioned all over the blogosphere last year. However not so much in the MSM. The anniversary of his death was last week. He was buried a year ago, yesterday.

Captain Sean Patrick Sims

He was willing to make that sacrifice’

Sean served as a platoon leader and executive officer in the 101st Air Mobile Division in Kentucky for about three years before being assigned to Germany. After spending 10 months in Kosovo, his unit was tapped to go to Iraq.

Sean received the Silver Star

Sims planned and executed the task force's main attack against entrenched enemy forces, then held position under constant fire to establish a foothold in northeast Fallujah. He led a 14-hour house-to-house fight, frequently leaving the safety of his Bradley fighting vehicle, then led a fight to seize, then hold Highway 10 against constant enemy counterattack. His company killed more than 40 enemy fighters, destroyed 35 homemade bombs and a dozen weapons caches.

I'm in awe of these warriors every day that I do the Dawn Patrol.

But now I want you to meet another kind of hero, one that is facing a different kind of battle and showing immense bravery... Capt Sims wife.

Heidi Sims

She has been blogging about her new life as a widow and single mother. Her Blog is " Learning to Live". I've been reading her since she started her blog in October. I've hesitated in linking her only because it is a personal struggle she is going thru and I did not want to exploit her grief but she shares with us the experience so many of our fallen families are experiencing, and she does it with grace, courage and honor.


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Posted by Mrs Greyhawk / November 30, 2005 5:43 PM | Permalink

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Four years later we were both in Iraq. On November 29, 2004, he was fresh in country with the famous 69th Infantry; I was almost through my tour with the 2-108th. A roadside bomb took Chriss life that day, along with PFC Wilfredo Urbino, another ... Read More

5 Comments

Greyhawk and Mrs.-

Is there some way that you could move the name of the person (in this case, "person" may be a stretch) to the top of the comments, so that when we see who is posting we can make the choice whether or not we want to read? I try and read comments on your posts, but sometimes am angered by them. In this case, I am always angered, it has become tiresome. I respect this individuals right to free expression, I would simply like to excercise my right to ignore him.

Wow. Just like that. You guys rock.

I will address you only this once and then you will cease to exist to me.

Why not express your opinion where it is appropriate, and where it will have the best chance of spreading your point of view. The subject matter of this particular post is to honor fallen heroes.

Everybody who reads this space knows your opinion of the President, Mr. Kolb. You can repeat yourself all you want. How about doing it by commenting on posts that actually include the president as subject manner? This post is certainly not the place. In short, you should mind your manners. If you have any.

Right on Kevin.

God Bless and God Speed to the heroes that are the subject of this post (an of course all others who care more about others than themselves).

Maybe you could learn something from these gentle souls Wilson/Rebecca/Will Snout. Then again, maybe not...

Heidi truly is a hero. I've been reading and writing her for a little while now. She is a great person. Thank you for mentioning her.

HH6

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March 19, 2010


Dawn Patrol 03/19/2003
[Greyhawk]
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"Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs and various sources around the world."

Mudville was founded in March, 2003. Our efforts to bring the thoughts, words, and deeds of milbloggers to a wider world evolved to become The Dawn Patrol in March, 2005. With today's entry we're going to reset the clock - but not re-write the history - and recreate the world as it was - on a day the world changed...

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(More front pages here.)

Updating... more to follow....

MILBOGS

Andrew Olmsted, 19 Mar 2003, Stateside: It would appear that the liberation of Iraq has begun.

Greyhawk, 18 Mar 2003, Germany: A united world could have, just maybe, brought down Saddam without firing a shot. We will never know. 19 Mar: We'll never know what a united world could have achieved... the UN could not agree on anything, the situation degenerated, and here we are. Status quo was not working. The French were too desperate for oil and trade at any cost. Well-intentioned Americans were led into the streets by Communists (and others) with an agenda. The media distorted the split. Many in America and abroad thought they could manipulate the situation to their personal gain. They miscalculated. The fire is lit.

Pontifx ex Machina, 18 Mar, undisclosed location: Rolling out the gate, the guard gets a quick "hook-em, horns" sign as we weave through the barricades. Then we're off, cruising through the desert in a battered-up SUV. On the eve of war, only one thing passes through our minds: is there going to be any appropriate music on the radio?

Lt Smash, 19 Mar, undisclosed location: Read the President's speech today. The clock is ticking.

Chief Wiggles, 22 Mar, Kuwait: The war started Wednesday morning for us right after the president gave a speech to the American people that lasted about 4 minutes. We were all very anxious for this whole thing to be either over or get it on its way.

Will, 22 Mar, en route: I am going to Baghdad to personally shoot that paper hanging son of a bitch!

Lt Smash 20 Mar, undisclosed location:
From: Public Works Department
To: Saddam Hussein
Subj: BLASTING OPERATIONS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

Sgt Stryker, 20 Mar, Stateside: Iraq to File U.N. Complaint About Attack

Primary Main Objective, 30 Mar, undisclosed location I Dare Kofi to Come Get Me.

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BruceR, Flit, 19 Mar, Canada: AND SO IT BEGINS. Godspeed, Yanks. Come home safe and soon.

Andrew Olmsted, 20 Mar 2003, Stateside: The most important thing to remember over the next few days is this: the first reports are almost always inaccurate. First reports are generally submitted in the heat of battle before any real analysis can take place. Therefore, they're highly subjective, based on limited information, and rarely hit the mark. So as the first reports of 'surgical strikes' on Iraqi forces come in, it's best to take those reports with a grain of salt...

Iraqi Blogs

Salam Pax, Baghdad: The bombing aould come and go in waves, nothing too heavy and not yet comparable to what was going on in 91. all radio and TV stations are still on and while the air raid began the Iraqi TV was showing patriotic songs and didn't even bother to inform viewers that we are under attack. at the moment they are re-airing yesterday's interview with the minister of interior affairs. THe sounds of the anti-aircarft artillery is still louder than the booms and bangs which means that they are still far from where we live, but the images we saw on Al Arabia news channel showed a building burning near one of my aunts house...

Other Blogs

Andrew Sullivan, The Daily Dish: How much more morally indefensible is appeasement when we also have complete international authority to do what must be done? I think we will look back in the future and not ask, as so many now are, how it was that diplomacy didn't get unanimity on this matter. We will look back and see the moral obtuseness of Chirac and Putin and Schroder and Carter and feel nothing but contempt for them, and their preference for state terror over the responsibilities of the free world. That's why I felt enormous pride tonight in the stand being taken by Blair and Bush. The president's speech was measured, firm, just. Blair's political risks - in order to do what he believes is plainly right - will confirm him in history as a great prime minister, the conscience of his party, and the leader of his country. I say that before this war begins, because the cause is just whatever vicissitudes of conflict await us...

Glenn Reynolds has a ton of links.

Other Opinions

Mark LeVine, Alternet - 'Bush Wins': The Left's Nightmare Scenario: ...With war seemingly imminent, the movement is being forced to fall back on a second scenario, "Everyone Loses," in which the warnings of a protracted and bloody war that destabilizes the Middle East and increases terrorism bear their bitter fruit.

However unpalatable in terms of destroyed lives and infrastructure, this latter scenario would at least quash the Administration's imperial dreams and force the kind of soul searching of United States' policies that is a major goal of the movement. But this outcome is less likely than many assume, and the antiwar movement would be well advised to plan for a third scenario: "Bush Wins."

In this third scenario, the war is over quickly with relatively low U.S. casualties, some sort of mechanism for transitional rule is put in place and President Bush and his policies gain unprecedented power and prestige. From my recent conversations with organizers and their latest pronouncements, it is clear that this possibility has yet to be addressed. Waiting much longer could spell disaster for the antiwar movement...

The social and political forces unleashed by the end of decades of Hussein's murderous rule will not easily be penned in by a US-sponsored show-democracy; but whether these forces use a reopened public sphere or turn to violence to respond to the likely betrayal depends in good measure on how adroitly the world progressive community can lay fast but deep roots in Iraq.

Newpapers

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Updating... more to follow....


(The Dawn Patrol's Archives are here.)



Posted 2:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)


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The Mudville Gazette is the on-line voice of an American warrior and his wife who stands by him. They prefer to see peaceful change render force of arms unnecessary. Until that day they stand fast with those who struggle for freedom, strike for reason, and pray for a better tomorrow.
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  • Household6: Heidi truly is a hero. I've been reading and writing read more
  • rick: Right on Kevin. God Bless and God Speed to the read more
  • Kevin: I will address you only this once and then you read more
  • Kevin: Wow. Just like that. You guys rock. read more
  • Kevin: Greyhawk and Mrs.- Is there some way that you could read more

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The Mudville Gazette is written and produced by Greyhawk. Unless otherwise credited, the opinions expressed are those of the author, and nothing here is to be taken as representing the official position of or endorsement by the United States Department of Defense or any of its subordinate components. Furthermore, I will occasionally use satire or parody herein. The bottom line: it's my house.

I like having visitors to my house. I hope you are entertained. I fight for your right to free speech, and am thrilled when you exercise said rights here. Comments and e-mails are welcome, but all such communication is to be assumed to be 1)the original work of any who initiate said communication and 2)the property of the Mudville Gazette, with free use granted thereto for publication in electronic or written form. If you do NOT wish to have your message posted, write "CONFIDENTIAL" in the subject line of your email.

Original content copyright © 2003 - 2009 by Greyhawk. Fair, not-for-profit use of said material by others is encouraged, as long as acknowledgement and credit is given, to include the url of the original source post. Other arrangements can be made as needed.

Contact: greyhawk at mudvillegazette dot com

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