OUR MILITARY.

RESPECT DUE !..... Ship Naming Ceremony Held for 3 Destroyers

Sep 23, 2013

Navy News| by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Tim D. Godbee

SAN DIEGO -- A naming ceremony was held at Naval Base San Diego for the Arleigh-Burke class guided- missile destroyers USS John Finn (DDG 113), USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) and USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) Sept. 20.

Friends and family attended the ceremony and Lt. Gen. John A Toolan Jr., Marine Expeditionary Force commanding general, gave the keynote address.

Toolan expressed that the three men for which the ships are named, were like anchors within their units and set a high standard for heroism within the services.

"These three men are examples of the service, sacrifice, dedication and the heroism it took to be that anchor from World War II to Vietnam to Iraq," said Toolan. "We're here today to name these destroyers in their honor. These destroyers will be able to conduct a variety of operations, from peace time presence and crisis management, to sea control and power projection."

Georgeann McRaven, sponsor of the USS Ralph Johnson, said she's looking forward to working with and supporting the ship and it's crew as it transforms from raw metal to a war-fighting vessel.

"I will become part of the ship. I'll be kind of like a den mother to the crew," said McRaven. "It will be wonderful when the ship has a crew and will be able to go out to see for the first time. I look forward to it."

Lt. John Finn was the first Medal of Honor recipient of World War II. He was honored for defending his ship from Japanese aircraft for over two hours during the attack on Pearl Harbor despite being shot twice and having numerous shrapnel wounds. He died at the age of 100 in 2010.

Pfc. Ralph Johnson was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in March 1968 after jumping on a hand grenade that was thrown into his fighting hole to save the life of a fellow Marine and to prevent the enemy from penetrating his patrol perimeter.

Sgt. Rafael Peralta was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross after taking critical gunshot wounds and later grabbing live grenade and covering it with his body to save his fellow Marines during a firefight in Fallujah, Iraq, Nov. 2004.
......NEVER FORGET !
 
Battle of Mogadushu (Black Hawk Down) Anniversary  Oct 3-4,1993

"The Battle of Mogadishu, more commonly referred to as Black Hawk Down or, locally, as the Day of the Rangers was part of Operation Gothic Serpent and was fought on 3 and 4 October 1993, in Mogadishu, Somalia, between forces of the United States and Somali militiamen loyal to the self-proclaimed president-to-be Mohamed Farrah Aidid who had support from armed civilian fighters.

"A U.S. Army force in Mogadishu, consisting primarily of U.S. Army Rangers from Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment; C Squadron, 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D), better known as "Delta Force"; as well as Air Force Combat Controllers and Pararescuemen and helicopters from 1st Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, attempted to seize two of Aidid's high-echelon lieutenants during a meeting in the city. Shortly after the assault began, Somali militia and armed civilian fighters managed to shoot down two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. The subsequent rescue operation to secure and recover the crews of both helicopters drew the raid, intended to last no more than an hour, into an overnight standoff in the city. The battle resulted in 18 deaths, 80 wounded, and one helicopter pilot captured among the U.S. raid party and rescue forces. One Pakistani soldier and one Malaysian soldier were killed as part of the rescue forces. American sources estimate between 1,500 and 3,000 Somali casualties, including civilians; SNA forces claim only 315 killed, with 812 wounded."
(Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mogadishu_(1993))

US CASUALITIES:

1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta

- MSG Gary Gordon 33 Killed defending Super Six-Four's crew Medal of Honor, Purple Heart
- SFC Randy Shughart 35 Killed defending Super Six-Four's crew Medal of Honor, Purple Heart
- SSG Daniel Busch 25 Crashed on Super Six-One, mortally wounded defending the downed crew Silver Star, Purple Heart[58]
- SFC Earl Fillmore 28 Killed moving to the first crash site Silver Star, Purple Heart
- MSG Timothy "Griz" Martin 38 Mortally wounded on the Lost Convoy, died while en route to a field hospital in Germany Silver Star, Purple Heart

3rd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment
- CPL Jamie Smith 21 Killed around crash site one Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device and Oak leaf cluster, Purple Heart
- SPC James Cavaco 26 Killed on the Lost Convoy Bronze Star with Valor Device, Purple Heart
- SGT Casey Joyce 24 Killed on the Lost Convoy Bronze Star with Valor Device, Purple Heart
- PFC Richard "Alphabet" Kowalewski 20 Killed on the Lost Convoy by an RPG Bronze Star with Valor Device, Purple Heart
- SGT Dominick Pilla 21 Killed on Struecker's convoy Bronze Star with Valor Device, Purple Heart
- SGT Lorenzo Ruiz 27 Mortally wounded on the Lost Convoy, died en route to a hospital in Germany Bronze Star with Valor Device, Purple Heart

160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment
- SSG William "Wild Bill" Cleveland, Jr. 34 Crew chief on Super Six-Four, killed Silver Star, Bronze Star, Air Medal with Valor Device, Purple Heart
- SSG Thomas "Flipper" Field 25 Crew chief on Super Six-Four, killed Silver Star, Bronze Star, Air Medal with Valor Device, Purple Heart
- CW4 Raymond Frank 45 Super Six-Four's copilot, killed Silver Star, Air Medal with Valor Device, Purple Heart
- CW3 Clifton "Elvis" Wolcott 36 Super Six-One's pilot, died in crash Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star,  Air Medal with Valor Device, Purple Heart
- CW2 Donovan "Bull" Briley 33 Super Six-One's copilot, died in crash Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Air Medal with Valor Device, Purple Heart

2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division
- SGT Cornell Houston 31 Killed on the rescue convoy Bronze Star with Valor Device,
de Fleury Medal, Purple Heart
- PFC James Martin Jr. 23 Killed on the rescue convoy Purple Heart

RIP

Black Hawk Down: Real Footage and Radio Transmissions
 
September 2013 Heroes

We remember these twelve heroes who gave their lives for freedoms cause and the families they left behind.

Staff Sgt. Thomas A. Baysore, Jr., 31, of Milton, Pa
Lt. Cmdr. Landon L. Jones, 35, of Lompoc, Calif.
Chief Warrant Officer Jonathan S. Gibson, 32, of Aurora, Ore.
Staff Sgt. Liam J. Nevins, 32, of Denver, Colo.
Staff Sgt. Timothy R. McGill, 30, of Ramsey, N.J.
Spc. Joshua J. Strickland, 23, of Woodstock, Ga
Spc. James T. Wickliffchacin, 22, of Edmond, Okla.
Sgt. William D. Brown III, 44, of Franklin, N.C.
Staff Sgt. Randall R. Lane, 43, of Indianapolis, Ind
Staff Sgt. Robert E. Thomas Jr., 24, of Fontana, Calif
Staff Sgt. Todd J. Lobraico Jr., 22, of New Fairfield, Conn
Staff Sgt. Joshua J. Bowden, 28, of Villa Rica, Ga

August 2013 Heroes

Staff Sgt. Michael H. Ollis, 24, of Staten Island, N.Y.
Sgt. 1st Class Ricardo D. Young, 34, of Rosston, Ark.
1st Lt. Jason Togi, 24, of Pago Pago, American Samoa
Spc. Kenneth Clifford Alvarez, 23, of Santa Maria, Calif
Pvt. Jonathon Michael Dean Hostetter, 20, of Humphreys, Mo.
Master Sgt. George A. Bannar Jr., 37, of Orange, Va
1st Lt. Timothy G. Santos Jr., 29, of Helena, Ala
Staff Sgt. Octavio Herrera, 26, of Caldwell, Idaho,
Sgt. Jamar A. Hicks, 22, of Little Rock, Ark.
Spc. Keith E. Grace Jr., 26, of Baytown, Texas
Spc. Nickolas S. Welch, 26, of Mill City, Ore

July 2013 Heroes

Spc. Hilda I. Clayton, 22, of Augusta, Ga.
1st Sgt. Tracy L. Stapley, 44, of Clearfield, Utah
Pvt. Errol D.A. Milliard, 18, of Birmingham, Ala
Lance Cpl. Benjamin W. Tuttle, 19, of Gentry, Ark
Staff Sgt. Sonny C. Zimmerman, 25, of Waynesfield, Ohio
Spc. Anthony R. Maddox, 22, of Port Arthur, Texas
1st Lt. Jonam Russell, 25, of Cornville, Ariz.,
Sgt. Stefan M. Smith, 24 of Glennville, Ga., and
Spc. Rob L. Nichols, 24, of Colorado Springs, Colo.
Sgt. Eric T. Lawson, 30, of Stockbridge, Ga.,
Spc. Caryn E. Nouv, 29, of Newport News, Va
 
Those Marines died because they were not allowed to carry weapons. That is like sending an engine company with no hose or a truck company without an aerial. Our government was just as guilty as those who launched the attack. 241 brave men died to make a policy statement. Marines are not defenders, they are attackers. They died because of stupidity from within our government, they died because of devotion to duty.
 
This is located about 70 miles south west of Chicago. I live on the outskirts of Chicago,  in Cicero, and sad to say I did not know it existed. Might wanna reserve that week end in June!
 
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