Wednesday Hero – Capt. Alan B. Rowe

This Weeks Soldier Was Suggested By Jenn

Capt. Alan B. Rowe
35 years old from Hagerman, Idaho
1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center
September 3, 2004

The Perfect Marine. That’s how many describe Capt. Alan B. Rowe. Respected and dedicated to the Corps and still able to be a husband and father.

Rowe, who was on his fourth deployment since joining the Corps in 1985, died with two other Marines, Lance Cpl. Nicholas Wilt, 23, of Tampa, Florida, and 1st Lt. Ronald Winchester, 25, of Rockville Center, N.Y., when a remote-controlled explosive device detonated as they returned to their vehicle after inspecting a bridge in Anbar province, near the Syrian border.

“He was a quiet, humble person and extremely polite,” his widow, Dawn, recalled from their early days of dating. “He was a traditional type of gentleman. My mom was surprised to meet such a … perfect-picture Marine.” “He did a great job balancing a pretty intense Marine Corps career with also being a great husband and father. He worked extremely hard to balance it.” “He was so dedicated to the Marine Corps. He was really driven and believed in what he did. He was a Marine’s Marine. Tall, blond and fit. Kind of the mental image you think of when you think of the Marine Corps.”

A week after his death, Capt. Rowe was posthumously promoted to major. He leaves behind his wife and two children.

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. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by going here.

Wednesday Hero – Tribute to Hero’s Past

Almost a month ago, the Wednesday Hero Blogroll received an email from a reader named Mike Gardner that contained something he had written in honor of this country’s heroes. He asked that it be considered for a future post. It took almost a month, but here is his tribute.

At The Right Time, We Remember

The honor roll goes back farther than we can remember, it contains names we will never know…

I wasn’t there when the American Colonial Army stood winter guard in the snows of Valley Forge wearing bloody rags for boots as they fought for my freedom.

I wasn’t there in the war of 1812.

I wasn’t in the trenches when the German’s seared the lungs of young American men with mustard gas as they fought for my freedom in World War One.

I wasn’t at Pearl Harbor when a single Japanese bomb detonated a million pounds of black powder on the Arizona and instantaneously killed over one thousand American sailors preparing to defend my freedom against the Japanese and the Nazis.

I didn’t see the bullet riddled bodies of the Americans who died defending my freedom in Korea.

I only vaguely remember the nightly news clips of American soldiers as they carried out our government’s orders in the jungles and swamps and tunnels of Vietnam.

I have never been with a family who lost a son or a daughter defending Kuwait, Afghanistan, or Iraq.

I wasn’t there with any of them when they suffered as prisoners of war in any of these wars.

I have never been with a family whose child died in a peace time military training exercise.

Not every one of our veterans saw combat. Some were clerks, cooks, mechanics, machinists. Some served during war time, some served during peace time, some serve in peace today, ready for battle tomorrow. Today they prepare for the ongoing war against terrorists. Some gave their lives, some suffered wounds, some saw things that no human should ever have to see, and many did things that no human should ever have to do. And all gave their daily life, for a period of time, while many more gave their time to work in the industries that sustained our veterans.

Not all of those who have protected my freedom were even in the military. Some of them were the firemen, policemen, and paramedics who risked their lives each day, rushing in where most of us would never tread. Some are the doctors and nurses who treat the wounded, and go home and cry for them. Some of them were “just” passengers on commercial airline flights who, with faith in Christ, calmly chose to fight, and die if necessary, rather than let Flight 93 be used as a weapon against their country and their fellow citizens.

When I tried to join the US Air Force, my application was turned down for medical reasons.

Because others were, and will be there, I am privileged to continue to live in the greatest nation the world has ever known and to enjoy the greatest freedoms that any people have ever known.

The honor roll stretches forward to times, and places, and names we will never know…

And so I thank you, veteran, whoever you are, and wherever you are, whenever your service.

Thank you Vet. Thanks Dad. Today, I remember WHY I am free, and I thank you.

I know that when you were asked, at the right time, like Christ, you gave your life for me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by going here.

Funny forward. State Mottos..

Alabama
Heck Yes, We Have Electricity.

Alaska
11,623 Eskimos Can’t Be Wrong!

Arizona
But It’s A Dry Heat.

Arkansas
Literacy Ain’t Everything.

California
By 30, Our Women Have More Plastic Than Your Honda.

Colorado
If You Don’t Ski, Don’t Bother.

Connecticut
Like Massachusetts,
(Only The Kennedy’s Don’t Own It Yet.)

Delaware
We Really Do Like The Chemicals In Our Water.

Florida
Ask Us About Our Grandkids.

Georgia
We Put The Fun In Fundamentalist Extremism.

Hawaii
Haka Tiki Mou Sha’ami Leeki Toru
(Death To Mainland Scum,Leave Your Money)

Idaho
More Than Just Potatoes…
(Well, Okay, We’re Not, But The Potatoes Sure Are Real Good)

Illinois
Please Don’t Pronounce the “S”

Indiana
2 Billion Years Tidal Wave Free

Iowa
We Do Amazing Things With Corn

Kansas
First Of The Rectangle States

Kentucky
Five Million People; Fifteen Last Names

Louisiana
We’re Not ALL Drunk Cajun Wackos,
(But don’t tell the tourists as that is Our Tourism Campaign.)

Maine
We’re Really Cold, But We Have Cheap Lobster

Maryland
If You Can Dream It, We Can Tax It

Massachusetts
Our Taxes Are Lower Than Sweden’s

Michigan
First Line Of Defense From The Canadians

Minnesota
10,000 Lakes…And 10,000,000,000, 000 Mosquitoes

Mississippi
Come And Feel Better About Your Own State

Missouri
Your Federal Flood Relief Tax Dollars At Work

Montana
Land Of The Big Sky, The Unabomber, Right-wing Crazies, (and Very Little
Else.)

Nebraska
Ask About Our State Motto Contest

Nevada
Hookers and Poker!

New Hampshire
Go Away And Leave Us Alone

New Jersey
You Want A ##$%##! Motto?
I Got Yer ##$%##! Motto
Right here!

New Mexico
Lizards Make Excellent Pets

New York
You Have The Right To Remain Silent,
You Have The Right
To An Attorney…

North Carolina
Tobacco Is A Vegetable

North Dakota
We Really Are One Of The 50 States!

Ohio
At Least We’re Not Michigan

Oklahoma
Like The Play, But No Singing

Oregon
Spotted Owl…It’s What’s For Dinner

Pennsylvania
Cook With Coal

Rhode Island
We’re Not REALLY An Island

South Carolina
Remember The Civil War?
(We Didn’t Actually Surrender)

South Dakota
Closer Than North Dakota

Tennessee
The Edyoocashun State

Texas
Sí, Hablo Ingles

Utah
Our Jesus Is Better Than Your Jesus

Vermont
Yep

Virginia
Who Says Government Stiffs And Slackjaw Yokels Don’t Mix?

Washington
We have more rain than you do

Washington, D.C.
Wanna Be Mayor ?
(Crack sales a plus)

West Virginia
One Big Happy Family…Really!

Wisconsin
Come Cut The Cheese

Wyoming
Where Men Are Men… And The Sheep Are Scared

Spells that really work..

Saw this and thought it was funny..

Spells That Really Work!

Spell to Get Measles
1. Find someone who has measles.
2. Lick them.

Spell to Turn Day Into Night
1) Stand facing a large tree or wall.
2) Close eyes tightly.
3) Keeping eyes closed, run straight ahead as fast as you can.

Spell to Breathe Under-Water
1) Attach concrete block to your feet.
2) Jump into water.
3) Breathe normally and sing the tune to “Flipper”.
4) Takes about 5 minutes for lungs to adjust.

Spell to Commune With Pink Elephants
1) Pour glass of vodka or alcoholic drink of choice.
2) Drink.
3) Repeat steps 1-3.

Spell to Attract Lightning
1) Cover yourself in metal: jewellery, chains, golf clubs,
nails, nuts & bolts, hub-caps, etc.
2) Go out into a thunderstorm and hold a long TV antenna high
in the air.
3) Wait.

Spell to Stop a Runny Nose
1. Get two cotton balls.
2. Shove one up each nostril.
3. Tape them there.

Spell to Make a Person fall in Love with You
1. Call person at least thirty times a day.
2. Park outside their house and shut your headlights off.
3. Leave sweet tokens on doorstep (i.e.-roses without petals,
a nice headless Barbie doll…)
4. Follow them everywhere they go–careful, they’ll try to
lose you!
5. Don’t worry if they get that silly restraining order, that
means the spell is working!

Spell to Make Your Computer Fast
1. Open Window.
2. Throw Computer out window. (If the computer hit ground
really fast, the spell worked.)

Spell to Save on Gas
1. Cut holes in floorboards of car.
2. Remove shoes.
3. While still seated, pedal feet really fast.
4. Scream “Yabba Dabba Do!”
Optional: Invite passengers to join in the fun!

A Spell to Go to the Bathroom
1) Drink so much water that you think you will burst.
2) Drink another glass anyway.
3) Wait ten minutes, then guzzle a can of Pepsi.
4) Repeat step 3 as often as desired to increase the spell’s
effect.

Alternate Spell to Go to the Bathroom
1. Eat a bushel of prunes.
2. Take a dose of Exlax.
3. Wait. Stay close to the bathroom!

Wednesday Hero – Cpl. Jennifer Parcell

This Weeks Soldier Was Suggested By SJ Reidhead

Cpl. Jennifer Parcell
20 years old from Bel Air, Maryland
Combat Logistics Regiment 3, 3rd Marine Logistics Group,
III Marine Expeditionary Force
February 7, 2007

Cpl. Jennifer Parcell was petite, but one learned quickly that underestimating her was foolish.

“She was an absolute firecracker,” Master Sgt. Jerry Widner said. “Just a go-getting machine.”

Her relentless can-do attitude led her to volunteer for Iraq. And then to volunteer for the Lioness Program, which provides female Marines for searches of Iraqi women to respect Muslim cultural mores.

Parcell was killed Feb. 7 in Anbar province when a woman she was searching blew herself up with a suicide vest. Parcell had started doing the searches a week before and was three weeks from going home.

You can read the rest of Cpl. Jennifer Parcell’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. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by going here.

Quote of the Day

If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance.

~George Bernard Shaw~

hat tip: The Median Sib and Thursday Thirteen

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American Idol’s Kellie Pickler

Kellie Pickler was voted off American Idol during last year’s season. She didn’t win the contest, but like so many other years the runners-up become more famous than the winners.

Kellie Pickler was a very attractive contestant last year. She was bubbly and had an innocent, small town girl act that was a tad over the top. She was funny and fun. I saw her doing a show on the red carpet one time. I don’t remember what show it was, but she was doing a commentary on the celebrities as they walked the red carpet into the event. She was hilarious and entertaining. I continued watching it just because she was fun to watch.

It looks like hollywood decided that Kellie was talented and marketable too. It looks like handlers have gotten ahold of her. She has changed from the carefree funny girl with a Dolly Parton-Type voice into …. I’m not sure what she’s turned into. It seems to me that she is making an effort to exude the persona that came naturally just a year ago.

The very characteristics that were charming, endearing and made people like her are being ‘handled’ out of her.

It’s really too bad.

Kellie Picker before and after ….

Hat Tip: The Median Sib and Blue Star Chronicles.

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