Military Monday - Addendum

It is perhaps fitting that shortly after posting my "Military Monday" tribute I received a text message from a dear friend telling me to turn on the news because Osama bin Laden was killed in an operation ordered by President Obama and carried out by our brave U.S. Special Forces.  

It is perhaps not appropriate to hold the death of someone, of anyone, in such a joyful light, but after almost 10 years of world-wide sorrow and pain caused by a truly evil person it is certainly a natural reaction.  

My 5 year old son, Daniel, emerged from his peaceful sleep to ask for a glass of water as I began typing this.  I could not help but hold him a little tighter knowing that the world is a better place tonight for us all and I teared up like the squishy, emotional momma that I am.

I have seen comments posted on Facebook and around news sites politicising and or insulting our President for this, and all I can say is shame on everyone that says such things!  Regardless of who is in office and whether you support him or not, our nation had a tremendous night in the war on terror.  A night that we will be able to tell our children and grandchildren about.  A moment that we will most likely remember for the rest of our lives.  Why fill it with such hatred?  Such animosity?  Instead, just say, 

"To all of the people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 and to all of our servicemen and women who lost their lives to bring to justice the mastermind behind their murders, I pay you homage.  We will never forget."

God bless our wonderful nation this night and always.

Military Monday - Central Texas Casualties 2004

Faces of the departed - 2004

Roll Call 

SPC Clarence Adams III

BG Charles B Allen

SPC Robert R Arsiage

SPC Travis A Babbitt

SFC Henry A Bacon

SPC Ronald W Baker

1LT Christopher W Barnett

SFC Michael Battles Sr.

SPC Beau R Beaulieu

SGT Michael L Boatright

SSG Elvis Bourdon

SSG Stacey C Brandon

SPC Richard L Brown

SPC Joshua I Bunch

CPL Juan C Cabralbanuelos

SGT Pablo A Calderon

SPC Ervin Caradine Jr

SPC Adolfo C Carballo

SSG Edward W Carman 

SPC Ahmed A Cason

SPC Jason K Chappell

SGT Yihiyh L Chen

CPT Todd Christmas

CWO Douglas V Clapp

SGT Russell L Collier

CWO Lawrence "Shane" Colton

PFC Kevin A Cuming

SSG Darren J Cunningham

SPC Danny B Daniels II

SPC Shawn M Davies

PFC Ervin Dervishi

SPC Chad H Drake

PVT Jeremy L Drexler

SSG Joe L Dunigan Jr

SPC Blain M Ebert

SGT Adam W Estep

CWO Mark W Evans

SSG Donald B Farmer

SGT James D Faulkner

CPT Arthur L Felder

CWO Wesley C Fortenberry

CWO David H Gardner

SPC Israel Garza

SFC Todd Gibbs

1LT James M Goins

SGT Tommy L Gray

SGT Jose Guereca Jr

SSG Huy S Hagy Jr

SPC Jeremy M Heines

SGT Jack Taft Hennessy

SFC Gregory B Hicks

SPC Stephen D Hiller

PFC Melissa J Hobart

PFC Christopher E Hudson

PFC Leslie D Jackson

SPC Justin W Johnson

SPC Rodney A Jones

CPL Forest J Jostes

CW3 Patrick W Kordsmeier

PFC Bradley G Kritzer

SFC William W Labadie Jr

SPC Tracy L Laramore

SSG Rene Ledesma

SPC James E Marshall

SPC Jacob D Martir

SPC Ryan M McCauley

PFC Holly J McGeogh

SPC Michael A McGlothin

SPC Kenneth A Melton

SGT Barry K Meza

SGT Eliu A Miersandoval

SFC Troy "Leon" Miranda

PFC Anthony W Monroe

COL James Moore

PFC Michael A Mora

SGT Gerardo Moreno

SPC Jaime Moreno

SPC Craig L Nelson

SGT Joseph M Nolan

SSG Nathaniel J Nyren

SPC Charles B Odums II

SPC Justin B Onwordi

PFC Cody J Orr

SSG Billy J Orton

SGT Pamela G Osbourne

SPC Gabriel T Palacios

CPT Eric T Paliwoda

PFC James D Parker

SSG Abraham D Pena-Medina

SSG Gregory Pennington V

CPT Dennis L Pintor

SPC Larry E Polley Jr

PFC David L Potter

SGT James W Price

LCPL Louis W Qualls

PVT Carson J Ramsey***

SGT Edmond L Randle Jr

SPC Jeremy F Regnier

SPC Jose A Rivera-Serrano

SGT Thomas C Rosenbaum

SGT Randy S Rosenberg

SPC Marco D Ross

PFC Brandon R Sapp

SPC Jeremiah W Schmunk

PFC Sean M Schneider

SPC Casey Sheehan

SGT Honathan B Shields

PFC Harry N Shondee Jr

SGT Michael A Smith

SGT Skipper Soram

PFC William R Strange

SPC William R Sturges Jr

SGT Carl Thomas

SSG Kendall Thomas

SSG Robert C Thornton Jr

SSG Roger C Turner Jr

1SG Ernest E Utt

SPC Josiah H Vandertulip

SPC Jose A Velez

SPC Michael S Weger

SGT Raymond White

PVT Justin R Yoemans

SPC Mark Anthony Zapata

May our Soldiers come home soon.

***I was contacted by a friend/family member of Carson J. Ramsey's and was informed that he had been promoted to Specialist (SPC) before he was Killed In Action.  It is unfortunate that this was not caught prior to it being placed on the memorial and I'm sure he is not the only one with incorrect information, but I also agree with Nichole that this brave Soldier should be remembered properly.  There is a big different between the ranks of Private and Specialist.  May we all keep these brave men and women that served our country in our hearts, minds, and may we never forget their sacrifice.