my week

I was notified on Tuesday that my brother-in-law, Neal, had lost his long battle with pancreatic cancer. I was notified by my son but Kate didn’t want to disturb my work. Too late for that, I’d already let my mind stray. Neal went peacefully she told me. She prepared him for meeting God and his ancestors in Heaven. Although Neal was heavily sedated in hospice with a full time nurse, the nurse relayed that just before he died, Neal looked upward as if to see something/someone she couldn’t see. He then raised his arms upward. Wow, Neal surely saw the face of God. That brought tears to my eyes.

My dog, Bentley, had surgery in St Louis for a total ear oblation. My son did the transportation. I had credit for 6 months no interest for the fee which is about $2,400. During the prep for surgery, we learned he has moderate heart disease which could affect the amount of anesthesia they give. This will take the pain away but the heart problem may follow in a year or two. He came out of recovery in the evening and my son got a call that things went fine. Hope that when we bring him home, he can rest OK because in addition to having Marley (who is laid back) we are dog sitting for a hyper active Dottie Jack Russell. Dottie pooped in the house within the first half hour.

Wednesday morning I went to a PGR mission for a soldier in Virden, IL. It was real hot and humid. We held a flag line from 8:30 to noon in the shade with a few breaks. This young soldier had 4 children. I just had to drop my own salute to pull my camera out to snap this boy saluting his father's casket coming out of the funeral home. Next to me from the photographer’s position, I stood next to a gold star dad who was in yellow road construction shirt and said he was just passing by and noticed the flags and motorcycles and had to stop and pay his respects. I’d been told Jerry had been lookin’ to see if I was in the crowd. I had just returned from Hardees down the street for a bit of sustenance in all that heat drainage. I squeezed his hand and he welcomed the affection. He told me had not yet gotten the report on his son’s death which has been going on 9 months. I’ve added AmVets volunteer credit hours to our post for Don and myself for supporting this soldier’s funeral.


I finally got my permanent bridge after having ruined a tooth on Thanksgiving Day. I had to have work done little by little and even cross over to another fiscal year for the benefit of insurance.
I learned that the disk needed for my new little motorcycle costs $500 if bought from Yamaha so we are looking for a used part.

Wednesday evening I met with the American Legion riders to discuss our recent poker run. I was pleased to learn that for the youngest chapter in Illinois that our donation to the American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund was twice the other chapters.

Friday through late Sunday I was in St Louis attending the Womens Overseas Service League’s biannual convention. Next will be in AZ in 2013. The convention was very well organized. The same hotel held an Army Career convention and ball and a family reunion as well. That would be me on the far left of this picture with the baldric going the wrong direction cuz I put it on while still on the hanger. Duh! Nobody told me so I changed it during the ceremony. This photo has me wearing it proper after the ceremony with fellow members of the Springfield Unit.

Our soldiers don't have to be on a battlefield to save lives

Face of Defense: Recruiter Saves Life on Dallas Freeway

DENTON, Texas, July 22, 2011 – When Army Staff Sgt. Marcus A. Stone saw cars suddenly braking and swerving ahead of him on Interstate 35 East in Dallas, he knew something bad had just happened on the freeway he was driving on. In the minutes that followed, Stone pulled a victim from a burning vehicle.

Those actions that December day prompted Stone’s commanding officer to nominate him for the Noncommissioned Officers Association of the United States of America Military Vanguard Award, presented annually to recognize acts of heroism.

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Officer Susan Sharp, who was the investigating officer that day for the Farmers Branch Police Department, said Stone gave responders his recruiter business card and left the scene. Only after she compiled the statements from witnesses and drivers involved in the accident, who referred to Stone as “that Army guy,” did she realize how crucial a role Stone played, she said.

“Had Sergeant Stone not extricated [the victim], he would have burned to death within a minute or two,” Sharp said. “Stone didn't just save a life. He was the difference between a group of bystanders seeing a man rescued by one of America's heroic soldiers, versus seeing the man die a horrific death, burning right before their eyes.”

Stone, an Iraq combat veteran, said his Army training played a crucial role in his actions in saving the man that day. The Iraq experience, he explained, helped in that he was much calmer because he had already had enough pressure-packed situations in Iraq.

“It just comes down to being at the right place at the right time,” he said. “I’m just glad that somebody was able to continue their life, and I’m thankful that I was able to help someone in that capacity.”

Bus crash victims and hero soldier tell of rescue from fire, explosions:

Syracuse, NY -- William and Sandy Blair worried as they sat in row 8 of the Farr’s Coach Lines Ltd. tour bus on the side of the New York State Thruway early Friday in Junius Ponds.

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At about 1:20 a.m., the bus pulled back onto the highway. It had just crossed the rough surface of the road’s shoulder when a Matrix Expedited Services truck carrying 14,000 pounds of ball bearing crashed into it.

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At about the same time, Army Sgt. Jacob Perkins, 28, was driving his truck westbound. Perkins was stationed at Fort Drum in the First Squadron 89th Calvary Regiment and had served in Iraq. He was beginning a couple of weeks leave with a long drive to his home in Mountain Grove, Mo.

“It was just a big fireball of a crash. There were two vehicles burning on the side of the road and people were outside, but there weren’t any first responders there,” he said.

Perkins pulled his truck over.

“All of a sudden this guy came running. He ran right onto the bus that was fully engulfed in flames,” Michelle said.

Perkins said he didn’t hesitate. “They kept saying there were still people on the bus, so I didn’t really think about it. I ran in there.”

He helped a couple of people off the bus. “I pushed back farther into the bus to start checking the seats to make sure there was nobody in there. It was on fire. It wasn’t burning me or nothing. There was fire and smoke. When it got overwhelming, I just got off the bus,” Perkins said.

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Michelle approached three state troopers on the side of the road. “My dad’s gone. We don’t know if he’s going to live. We need to get to where he’s going. How can we get there,” she asked.

The troopers said they didn’t know.

“Jacob (Perkins) was standing about 10 feet away. He said ‘I’ll take you anywhere you want to go. Get in my truck’.”

Perkins drove the Blairs to the hospital in Rochester. He gave them his cell phone to call family in Canada.


“I went into the hospital covered in blood, one sock, limping and a sports bra. They had no idea what was going on,” Michelle said.

The Blairs told the hospital what had happened, and said they were looking for William. The hospital told them he wasn’t there. He’d been re-routed to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse.

“We were in tears. We didn’t know what to do,” Michelle said.

Perkins told them “Get in my truck. We’re going to the other hospital. I’ll get you there.”

The sergeant drove 90 minutes back to Syracuse.

“Jacob stayed with us. He refused to leave until we had family here,” Michelle said.

Perkins stayed with the women until Sandy and William’s son arrived from Canada. Then he left.

The Blairs offered him cash in thanks. Perkins refused. Gas money? Nope. Cup of coffee. No thanks.

"He wanted nothing. He said, 'That's what people do for other people'," Michelle said.

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Perkins, reached by cell phone at 10 this morning, was on the side of the road in Ohio where he had stopped to eat. He was still 8 hours from his Missouri home and 5-year-old daughter.

Sounding exhausted, he spoke humbly about his role in Friday’s crash.

“I just think it’s what anybody would have done in that situation. I just happened to be there.”

Major kudos to SSG Stone and SGT Perkins for taking action when they weren't required to do so, and saving lives in the process!

Wounded Vet Fights for Brothers

Mel "Buddy Lee" Dobberteen is paying it forward:

“My life was saved by Soldiers' Angels and Voices of a Grateful Nation.” So begins the story of musician and wounded warrior Mel "Buddy Lee" Dobberteen, who is now giving back to Soldiers’ Angels some of what he has received. “They helped me find a better way,” he says, “they turned me on to songwriting.”

From a benefit concert next week, to a brand new Soldiers’ Angels project for musical wounded warriors beginning today, Buddy is now passionate about helping his fellow veterans.

Buddy will be appearing at Sam's Burger Joint in San Antonio at 8:00 on Wednesday, July 20. Entry is $5 and funds raised will support Soldiers’ Angel Operation Harmony, musical projects for veterans in conjunction with Voices of a Grateful Nation (VoGN) and Yamaha Music and Wellness Institute. “I want you to hear my story, how Soldiers' Angels has affected me,” Buddy says, “so that you can go out and affect others.” In addition, 50% of the profits through the month of August from sales of his new CD, Second Chances will be donated to Soldiers’ Angels.

Even bigger, today kicks off the new songwriting program Buddy has created with Soldiers’ Angels to help wounded veterans. Working with songwriter Dustin Welch (Texas Country/Americana) and Yamaha, Buddy will be providing songwriting and recording opportunities to wounded veterans as both music therapy and career development. Yamaha is also building a recording studio in his house that will be used by program participants to record their newly-written songs.

Read the whole thing.