On April 15, 2013, Celeste Corcoran went to the Boston Marathon with her husband, Kevin, and daughter, high school senior Sydney, to cheer on Celeste’s sister, Carmen, who was running in her first marathon. The bombs took Celeste’s (47) legs; Sydney (18) suffered near-fatal shrapnel wounds.
Celeste and Sydney get an inspiring visit from the Marines [2:55]
Report by “Johnny Jet” at travel.yahoo.com (bold added by CtH, blogging through tears):
Delta Flight 2255 from Atlanta to Los Angeles seemed to be an ordinary flight with the exception of Candy, who was the most loving flight attendant I’ve ever encountered. Besides using her Southern charm to quickly defuse every situation, she began her welcome announcement by thanking the handful of uniformed soldiers on-board for serving our country. Her poignant message was followed by applause, and it put into perspective that none of us would be able to do what we do without these brave men and women.
But this transcontinental flight turned out to be everything but ordinary. We later learned, when the captain got on the PA system about 45 minutes prior to landing, that we were transporting a fallen soldier. The plane went quiet as he explained that there was a military escort on-board and asked that everyone remain seated for a couple of minutes so the soldiers could get off first. He also warned us not to be alarmed if we see fire trucks since Los Angeles greets their fallen military with a water canon salute. See my video below.
A few minutes after touchdown, we did indeed have a water canon salute, which I’d previously only experienced on happy occasions like inaugural flights. This time, the water glistening on the windowpanes looked like tears.
I was on the left side of the plane and later realized that the family could be seen off to the right, standing with the United States Army Honor Guard. According to Wikipedia, each military branch has its own honor guard, usually military in nature, and is composed of volunteers who are carefully screened. One of the primary roles for honor guards is to provide funeral honors for fallen comrades.
Fallen Soldier on My Delta Flight [:41]
When the jet door opened, another military officer addressed the escort who was standing at attention. He then stepped on the plane and told us passengers “I just addressed the escort. It is a sworn oath to bring home, to the family, the fallen.” He paused and then said, “Today you all did that, you are all escorts, escorts of the heart.” And then thanked us for our time and walked off the plane.
It only got more emotional when I deplaned. There was a large number of passengers, who are normally in a hurry to get home or make a connection, standing by the window to witness something truly moving. To see the Honor Guard and family waiting patiently, while LAX baggage handlers and a military loadmaster removed the flag covered casket first from the cargo hold, was humbling to say the least. I’m not sure if it was the fallen soldier’s mother or wife who I watched slowly walk up to the coffin while a few other family members, wrapped in blankets, stood near with a dozen or so of the Honor Guards standing in salute.
As soon as I saw her reach out to put her hand on her baby’s casket, I walked away.
This ordinary flight became extraordinary and is one that I will never forget.
Thank you to all the military who protect our beautiful country and let us live the lives we are able to lead. Without you we would be nothing.And thank you to the Honor Guard for making sure these fallen soldiers, warriors and heroes are not treated like just any piece of luggage as they used to, but rather with the care and respect they so rightly deserve.
Cpl. Josh Hargis, 24, was wounded in October when a suicide bomber in Afghanistan triggered more than a dozen explosive devices. When the Army ranger’s commanding officer came to his bedside to present him with a Purple Heart, everyone in the room reportedly thought he was unconscious. Then Hargis raised his bandaged hand for what his wife called “the most beautiful salute any person in that room had ever seen. That’s when “grown men began to weep.”
This is so BEYOND OUTRAGEOUS. Please watch the entire video.
Rep Duncan Hunter on Megyn Kelly Calls for Chuck Hagel to Resign He Broke the Sacred Trust [6:21]
Friday, October 11, 2013
Megyn Kelly: “As the president’s approval rating plummets, just hours after insisting that White House action was unnecessary to reinstate the death benefits to grieving military families, President Obama signs a bill doing EXACTLY THAT. This is law makers who say they DID protect these death benefits prior to the government shutdown angrily pressed Pentagon officials for why those benefits were not provided.”
Clips from House Armed Services Committee hearing about this issue follow, after which Megyn Kelly interviews Rep Duncan Hunter who says unequivocally that the decision to deny death benefits was a very deliberate choice made by Dept of Defense for political purposes.
Congress passed a “Pay Our Military” act before the shutdown that SPECIFIED death benefits. The order to NOT pay the families of DEAD SOLDIERS came from very high up.
LAST Saturday, the House passed (400-1) a bill to allow contract chaplains to volunteer without reprisal on military bases during the shut-down.
The Senate refused to take up the bill until late THIS Thursday and only then because voters YAPPED at them all week to get their thumbs out. The bill passed unanimously, so the civilian chaplains who fill in the gaps for soldiers without uniformed chaplains available will have services this week-end.
Take note here, folks.
This bill did not involve any MONEY. It was merely about giving these “non-essential” (and part-time) government employees PERMISSION to tend to their flocks WITHOUT REPRISAL.The law about fines and arrests for furloughed gov’t employees voluntarily doing their jobs anyway dates back to the 19th c. It’s got nothing to do with Obama Democrats.
Obama Democrats were just the schmucks who refused to WAIVE this law for the specific benefit of troops who do not have access to a chaplain of their denomination.
This mostly affects Catholics. About 25% of the military is Catholic, but less than 10% of the military chaplains are priests. I heard stories about Catholics serving in uniform whose scheduled baptisms and weddings were affected by this petty Democrat intransigence.
This video should be on your Must View ASAP list. Please set aside 16 minutes to listen. No need to watch. It’s just a talking head. But do listen. And if you can, get your favorite Obama Apologist to listen too.
Majority Leader Harry Reid Objects to Funding the VA. Again. [16:10]
Republican Senator Cruz: Veterans are an American issue, not a partisan issue. Refusing death benefits is an abomination. Eight bills have come from the House to fund parts of the government. The Democrats have not allowed any of them to come to the floor.
Democrat Senator Reid: Blah blah blah
REID SHORT TRANSLATION: No, I will not allow the Senate to vote on funding death benefits.
LONG TRANSLATION: I’m in charge of the Senate and I’m Obama’s lapdog. So no, we are NOT voting on any “piecemeal” funding of anything, because we want everybody to HURT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE so we can get Obamacare funded without any negotiation whatsoever and never mind that half of all Americans hate it and that Obama Democrats are the ONLY people refusing to fund the Veterans Administration or open the parks or allow chaplains to VOLUNTEER their services on military bases because DEMOCRATS CARE. You can be sure of this because we keep telling you. Also, (with respect to my dear friend and colleague Senator Cruz) REPUBLICANS SUCK.
Democrat Lackeys: We don’t need to vote on your stupid Republican piecemeal bills, because we are happy to vote on complete (with Obamacare) funding.
Republican Senator Cruz: Veterans should not be held hostage by partisan political issues like whether or not we fund Obamacare. Democrats are holding veterans hostage by refusing to even vote on veteran funding and demanding all or nothing funding.
Comments Off on Obama’s DoD informed military “no death benefits” by TWITTER
The Spite House decided a government shut-down meant that extra cops and resources needed to be allocated to Barry-cade the open-air monuments in DC lest expected World War II and Vietnam War Honor Flight veterans get in and … you know … look at them, have pics taken, lay a wreath or two.
But just so we are all Very Clear that Øbama Democrats believe they can shove their thumbs in our eyes whenever and wherever they choose, they’ve given the go-ahead to a planned protest called “Camino Americano: March for Immigration Reform” on the otherwise Barry-caded National Mall.
The event is hosted by several immigration activist groups, plus the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the AFL-CIO, all big contributors to Democrat war chests. About 30 members of Congress are expected to attend the rally, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J.
This is impossible to justify in terms of any “government shutdown.” However, if you assume that Obama and the Democrats regard illegal aliens as their constituents and WWII vets as NOT their constituents, then it makes a kind of sick sense. Emphasis on SICK.
polination.blog 