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Feature A Veteran.


It's been a wild and crazy Veterans Day weekend here at Life as I Know It. I had the honor to meet new Hero's, and reflect on the one's I already knew about. Since I hate to see a good party end- I've decided to extend Veterans Day........ UNTIL. THE. END. OF. TIME!

You've read that right. I'm AmeriDan and I have that kind of power. So please leave a comment or send an email about any Veteran you know. They will get their own post. Then be celebrated again on Veterans Day 2007.

I'll still rant and rave and shout and scream and just talk about:

                                        Life As I know It

But there is always room for a Veterans story here.

             To our Veterans, I salute you, and thank you for your
             service to our Country. You are my Hero.

                                                   -AmeriDan   (11/?/06  9:25am)
                                 

 

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Clifford Jones


I don't know who hold's the current title of nicest person in the world. Not since Mr. Jones died. While he was alive, he was the undisputed champion of that title.

Mr. Jones was a Cook aboard a Ship. In his own words, he 
"cooked his way across the pacific". He also cooked his way back.

He was a very sentimental man, but on the very rare occations when he became upset. RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!

(Editors note: no AmeriFamily members were killed, harmed, or even upset during these few and far between rare times).

Mr. Jones came home, and with his beautiful wife "Jimmiy" concieved two wonderful sons. AmeriPaul and AmeriDoyle.

AmeriPaul is no longer with us, and I'll write about him one day.

As for AmeriDoyle- he grew up and became AmeriPop. He married the AmeriSis, and adopted me when I had no where else to go.

So it seems that Mr. Jones not only knew how to cook, he could
also serve up a fine Father. And be the best Grandfather a kid could ask for.

      Clifford Jones, I salute you, and thank you for your
      service to our Country.

                                     -AmeriDan   (11/12/06   11:am)

  
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PFC Moore


Mr. Moore was drafted at the age of 18 and sent from the woods of Mississipi to the jungles of Vietnam. Like most Veterans, Mr. Moore rarely spoke of his service during war.

David Moore was the kind of guy that you wanted to be best friends with only seconds after meeting. He had that special
"something" that can not be discribed. Just stand back and marvel in awe at his presence. He would gladly be your best friend too. Just say hi and you where in. David didn't suffer fools well, but he always had time for friends and family. Thankfully, I was both.

The AmeriSis, who is a much better writer then me, was able to describe him best: 

             He walked to the beat of his own drummer-
             always just outside and away from the rest
             of the world. And to this day, those he left
             behind miss the sound and cadence of those
             drums.

I hear you AmeriSis, and that is the best decription of David that I've seen or heard. But both AmeriSis and AmeriDan know that
you can't discribe David Moore. It would be easier to touch a rainbow.

As far as his service to our Country:

Mr. Moore came back home after spending months in a hospital.
All that his family knew was he had been shot- many times- in his legs. He suffered until the day he died, from Hodgkins Lymphoma.
A direct result of Agent Orange being spread anywhere and 
everywhere he happened to be.

I never saw his suffering. He was always "Super Cool Really Fun 
Guy David" to me.

A little while after he returned home, a letter arrived. A letter about the Bronze Star that he had earned. Even David could not shrug that off. The AmeriFamily can get very persistant if need be.
He opened up and gave his account of why he had a Bronze Star.

I was not there to hear it, so I'll let the AmeriSis quote him:

        It was the Lieutenant's fault. He stood up and got
        himself killed and there we were, surrounded by VC.
        No one else seemed to want to do anything. So I got
        mad and started shooting and screaming at everything
        in sight. After awhile, I got back up and kept on shooting.

(Editor's note: Notice that he only mentioned getting back up. No mention of why he was down in the first place- being shot several
times in his legs.) 

        Until all the VC were gone. Then I got us back to
        the camp.

   David Moore, I salute you, and thank you for your service to
   our Country.

                                 -AmeriDan  (11/12/06  9:00am) 


 
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BM3 Duke


Mr. Duke served aboard the USS Kinkaid during the 1970's. He is a "plank owner" meaning he was part of the ships first crew.

When interviewed for this posting, he claimed "nothing much happened- it was the cold war".

Mr.Duke may be my brother and a heck of a guy, whom I love dearly, but he could not be more wrong on that point.

They don't call the Cold War a "war" for nothing. It is extremly dangerous to be hundred's of miles at sea and packed to the brim with explosives- and looking for a fight. That's what ship's where doing during those days. Looking for a fight.

No one ever wanted to take the USS Kinkaid up on that offer, thanks to people like Mr.Duke being aboard.

 
         BM3 Duke, I salute you, and thank you for your
         service to this country. 
  

                                     -AmeriDan (11/11/06 11:20pm)


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Gunnery Sargent Michail W. Poole


Gunney served in the United States Marine Corps for 22 years. He was a mechanic who worked on both the Huey and Cobra helicopters.

He then spent eight years instructing a new generation of helicopter mechanics in Millington, Tn. He also served as a liaison between the Military and Bell Helicopter Corporation, getting new helicopters ready for "fleet introduction".

You would have to look far and wide to find a case where a helicopter crashed- due to a problem that could have been, or should have been fixed on the ground before take off.

That's not magic, or even good luck. That was Gunney doing his 
job. To this day, his former students continue the job.

          Gunney, I salute you, and thank you for your
          service to our Country.

                            -AmeriDan (11/11/06  11:00am)

NOTE: Gunney recently died from a heart attack. He was my neighbor. I wrote about his death in the post "Rest in Peace Gunney". Several readers have asked that I pass along their condolences to his family, and to let them know you are praying for them. I have done that. They thank you for your prayer's and thoughts.
                  
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Gene H. Wise

I came to know of Mr. Wise while reading the comments at
"Where are my keys?". Sandra wrote the following:

              My Dad, Gene H. Wise was a B 29 bomber
              pilot in WWII. He survived the war and 
              came home dedicated to serving the Lord.
              He became a Missionary and went to Brazil.

                           You are my hero Dad. 

                                             Sandra Wise

     Mr. Wise, you're my hero too. I salute you, and thank you for
     your service to our Country.


                                       -AmeriDan (11/11/06   9:00am)


NOTE: MadelinesDad's blog "Where are my keys?", and Sandra's blog "A Word to the Wise" are on my blogroll to the right. If you're not reading them you should be. I highly recommend them.


  
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Geno Ackerly


I once flew a plane, with a highly skilled instructor sitting next to me. One of the most scariest events of my life. The take off was the worst part for me. A real life "I'm gonna screw up and we're all gonna die" type moment. While we were flying, I had to worry about the flight path we were taking. Don't even get me started on the whole "altitude" thing. I just knew that the propeller would suddenly stop, or break off and fly away. Somehow we made it back to earth alive.

I knew then that I was destined to be an armchair pilot. I now leave the flying to those who have the "Right Stuff".

People like Tom "Geno" Ackerly. He was the pilot of a B-24 who not only flew, he flew combat missions. A lot of combat missions.

           Mr. Geno Ackerly, I salute you, and thank you
           for you service to our Country.

                                  -AmeriDan  (11/11/06   5:30am)

            
  
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FN Chappell

Paul Chappell was a great man, and a very dear friend. I have a post on the side bar titled "Fire down below" that explains why Paul didn't make it home.

        FN Chappell, I salute you, and thank you for your service
        to our Country. 

                                   -AmeriDan  (11/11/06  4:00am)
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SGT. "Ben"

Sargent "Ben" is still on active duty, so would not be called a Veteran yet. But I'm running this show and want to give a shout out to him.

Sgt. Ben has already done two tours of duty in the War on Terror, he is now on his third. I can't tell you where he's been or is now, but readers of this blog are more than smart enough to figure it out.

So sleep well tonight. Sgt. Ben is on duty.


            SGT "Ben", I salute you, and thank you for
            your service to our Country.

                                      -AmeriDan  (11/11/06  3:30am)


 
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Bud Schleicher


Mr. Frank "Bud" Schleicher had one of the hardest jobs ever. He was a Grunt. When you say "boots on the ground", Bud was the guy who's feet were in them.

Imagine shooting at people while dodging the bullets they're shooting back at you. Imagine taking a bullet right through one of your lung's and being admitted into the "at deaths door" club.

I can't imagine it, and neither can Mr. Schleicher. He doesn't need to..... because he lived it. And live he did.

He also got a cool scar out of the deal, and came home to marry a wonderful woman.

           Bud Schleicher, I salute You, and thank You
           for your service to our Country.

                                   -AmeriDan   (11/11/06  2:50am)  

 
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BT3 Duke


Mr. Duke served aboard the Aircraft Carrier USS Ranger. Entering the Navy as a teenager, and walking off of the Ranger as a Man. 

Mr. Duke now resides in the Memphis Tn. area, and works in a field that helps our Veterans. He also writes for a little known blog titled "Life As I Know It".

         Mr. Duke, I salute You, and thank you for your
         service to our Country.

                                      -AmeriDan (11/11/06   1:50am)
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Spec 4 AmeriMark



AmeriMark offered to release his full name, but only on the condition that he could kill us all after that.

Based on that fact, I've decided to just call him AmeriMark.

He served six years in the Army. Electronic Warfare or something like that. GEEK ALERT!

He was stationed in West Berlin during the disco nightclub bombing. He wasn't there, but over twenty members of his platoon were. No one from his unit died, but they were close enough to have their eardrums ruptured.

They all recieved the Purple Heart Medal.

        AmeriMark, I salute You, and Thank You for your 
        service to our Country.

                          -AmeriDan  (11/11/06  2:00am) 
     
  
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Dr. George Wulff


I work at a hospital, but not in the emergency or patient care areas. I've seen enough to know that being a Doctor or Nurse is a high pressure job. Any day of the week. Any situation.

Now take the Doctor and patient out of the nice and sterile OR, and put them in a tent. Then add bullets and shrapnel to the patient.

Welcome to Dr. George Wulff's world.


         I salute you Dr. Wulff, and thank you for your 
         service to our Country.

                             -AmeriDan  (11/10/06  6:45pm)


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MM1 Jones


Petty Officer First Class Jones served our country for twenty years. 

The United States Navy has command of the water. That is a fact. We own the earth's oceans. Don't even think about challenging us on the high sea's. You will die.

Such dominance is hard to come by. Warships are not easy to operate, and even harder to maintain.

MM1 Jones spent many years keeping that complex equipment running at it's peak. You can't fire back if you can't get there.

Philip Jones made sure that we could get there. He also served aboard the USS Fox CG33, and the USS Brewton FF1086. While those ships were no way near as awesome as THE RANGER!!!!, they were OK.
 
To anyone else who served on the Fox or Brewton- I'm kidding! Just wanted to give a friendly smackdown to AmeriPhil. What can I say, but that that's the way we Veterans are.


       Petty Officer 1st Class Jones, I salute you, and thank
       you for your service to our Country. 


                                -AmeriDan (11/10/06  5:15pm)


 
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1st Lt. Bush

It's Veterans Day here at Life As I Know, so for the next few days, we'll be talking about Veterans. Please see the "Veterans Day" post on the right side of your screen, under Featured Post.

Mr. Bush was a member of the Texas Air National Guard from
1968-1974. He was Jet Fighter Pilot.


          1st Lt. Bush, I salute you, and thank you for your
          service to our Country
                             

                                 -AmeriDan   (11/10/06   2:30pm)        
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