A crazy man, commuting by VRE train and bicycle, his escapades, wanderings, near misses and any other adventures that comes along.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Link to Anchorage Daily News Homecoming slide show with audio
Monday, November 5, 2007
Close, So Very Very Close!!
Alaska Paratroopers Return From Iraq
Anchorage Daily News
By GEORGE BRYSON
Published: November 5, 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A plane carrying an advance party of about 100 jubilant soldiers from the 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team -- stationed in Iraq for more than a year -- landed on a snow-free tarmac at Elmendorf Air Force Base early this morning.
The arrival of the brigade’s “torch party” -- soldiers who’ll prepare the way for the eventual return of 3,500 Fort Richardson-based troops -- was the first of about 15 planeloads of paratroopers scheduled to land here through mid-December.
Also onboard the chartered Boeing 757 were about 25 aviators from the Alaska Army National Guard, returning home following a six-month deployment in Iraq.
After handing over their weapons in a nearby hangar, the members of the 4th Brigade were bused to a gymnasium at Fort Richardson, where they received a rousing welcome from families and friends.
Beyond a huge banner draped against an elevated boxing ring that proclaimed “Welcome Home, Spartans,” wives and children had plastered the gym with homemade signs:
“To Iraq and back!”
“Thank you, Heroes!”
“Welcome home, Daddy!”
The welcoming throng of about 200 people milled together for a couple of hours, anticipating the return of soldiers who’d initially deployed to Iraq in September and October of 2006. In the meantime, in some cases, baby sons and daughters had been born.
“I’m here to pick up my dad,” read the back of a T-shirt worn by 14-month-old Mason DeToy, who’d learned to walk while Sgt. Joel DeToy was deployed south of Baghdad.
Then at about 2:30 a.m., the buses arrived at the gym and the troops began streaming inside to a loud chorus of whoops and screams. The 9th Army brass band from Fort Wainwright launched into “God Bless America.”
Forming into ranks, the paratroopers were welcomed back to their home base by Col. Hazen Baron, the base chief of staff -- with remarks that were deliberately brief but mindful of the mishaps that sometimes befall bachelor soldiers who’ve been away from a city so long.
“If there is one thing I can tell you now you’re back in Alaska it’s: Be safe! Be safe! Be safe! ... Job well done, gents!”
With that, the troops were released from the ranks and those who were married walked toward their families while children and spouses dashed toward them from the opposite direction. Some of the husbands and wives fell into long, silent embraces.
“It’s the wives who are the real heroes,” said Staff Sgt. Jeff Holman, motioning to his own wife, Tanya -- who during his absence had given birth to a second daughter, 11-month-old Katelyn.
“She’s a helluva woman.”
The 30-hour flight home from the Middle East -- with stops in Germany, Ireland, New York and Minnesota -- was long but welcome, said Sgt. 1st Class Richard Willis of the 725th Support Battalion.
“No dust. No sand. I’m glad to be home,” Willis said.
Anchorage Daily News
By GEORGE BRYSON
Published: November 5, 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A plane carrying an advance party of about 100 jubilant soldiers from the 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team -- stationed in Iraq for more than a year -- landed on a snow-free tarmac at Elmendorf Air Force Base early this morning.
The arrival of the brigade’s “torch party” -- soldiers who’ll prepare the way for the eventual return of 3,500 Fort Richardson-based troops -- was the first of about 15 planeloads of paratroopers scheduled to land here through mid-December.
Also onboard the chartered Boeing 757 were about 25 aviators from the Alaska Army National Guard, returning home following a six-month deployment in Iraq.
After handing over their weapons in a nearby hangar, the members of the 4th Brigade were bused to a gymnasium at Fort Richardson, where they received a rousing welcome from families and friends.
Beyond a huge banner draped against an elevated boxing ring that proclaimed “Welcome Home, Spartans,” wives and children had plastered the gym with homemade signs:
“To Iraq and back!”
“Thank you, Heroes!”
“Welcome home, Daddy!”
The welcoming throng of about 200 people milled together for a couple of hours, anticipating the return of soldiers who’d initially deployed to Iraq in September and October of 2006. In the meantime, in some cases, baby sons and daughters had been born.
“I’m here to pick up my dad,” read the back of a T-shirt worn by 14-month-old Mason DeToy, who’d learned to walk while Sgt. Joel DeToy was deployed south of Baghdad.
Then at about 2:30 a.m., the buses arrived at the gym and the troops began streaming inside to a loud chorus of whoops and screams. The 9th Army brass band from Fort Wainwright launched into “God Bless America.”
Forming into ranks, the paratroopers were welcomed back to their home base by Col. Hazen Baron, the base chief of staff -- with remarks that were deliberately brief but mindful of the mishaps that sometimes befall bachelor soldiers who’ve been away from a city so long.
“If there is one thing I can tell you now you’re back in Alaska it’s: Be safe! Be safe! Be safe! ... Job well done, gents!”
With that, the troops were released from the ranks and those who were married walked toward their families while children and spouses dashed toward them from the opposite direction. Some of the husbands and wives fell into long, silent embraces.
“It’s the wives who are the real heroes,” said Staff Sgt. Jeff Holman, motioning to his own wife, Tanya -- who during his absence had given birth to a second daughter, 11-month-old Katelyn.
“She’s a helluva woman.”
The 30-hour flight home from the Middle East -- with stops in Germany, Ireland, New York and Minnesota -- was long but welcome, said Sgt. 1st Class Richard Willis of the 725th Support Battalion.
“No dust. No sand. I’m glad to be home,” Willis said.
Maggi's Half Marathon
(click on any image to enlarge)
Maggi ran in the her first 13.1 mile half marathon yesterday. Her goal was 2 hours and her official time was 2:00:13. Great job Mags. Here are the official results.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
832 (overall place) 2:00:13 (chip time) 9:11 (min/mi. ave.) 2:02:36.00 (gun time) 43/115 (F20-24 Div. place) 342/1284 (female overall place)
Sunday, November 4, 2007
My Prayers For You
Lord God, we pray today that we all may come to know you on an intimate basis, not from afar but up close and personal. That we may know and understand the bright future that God has promised for us. We pray for insight into God’s power and the hope he has given us through his spirit, and we pray that all our families will come closer in their walk with you. Dear Lord, open our hearts and vision to behold this incredible truth.
Blessed Lord, you have placed a challenge before this church, a challenge of hopes and dreams, service and expansion. May you guide us in our daily prays, that we may each become apart of the dream before us. Be it small or large, service or contributions; help each of us to focus on our future and grant us the wisdom to be a part of the important work that can be done.
God of love, thank you for first loving us. Help us to know that as we live in you, and focus on you, our love will grow more complete. We trust in your love O Lord. Through our trials and fears, we know your love is stronger than any trouble. Fill us with your love so that all our fears will be cast out and that we can live in confidence and rest in you.
Father we pray today for your continued protection and grace for all of our service men fighting for our freedom around the world. Theirs is a job so easily forgotten. Remind us O Lord that it is the sacrificed of these men and women that have made this county great and a safer place to live.
Blessed Lord, you have placed a challenge before this church, a challenge of hopes and dreams, service and expansion. May you guide us in our daily prays, that we may each become apart of the dream before us. Be it small or large, service or contributions; help each of us to focus on our future and grant us the wisdom to be a part of the important work that can be done.
God of love, thank you for first loving us. Help us to know that as we live in you, and focus on you, our love will grow more complete. We trust in your love O Lord. Through our trials and fears, we know your love is stronger than any trouble. Fill us with your love so that all our fears will be cast out and that we can live in confidence and rest in you.
Father we pray today for your continued protection and grace for all of our service men fighting for our freedom around the world. Theirs is a job so easily forgotten. Remind us O Lord that it is the sacrificed of these men and women that have made this county great and a safer place to live.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Older Than Dirt Quiz:
Count all the ones that you remember not the ones you were told about.
Ratings at the bottom.
1. Blackjack chewing gum
2. Wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water
3. Candy cigarettes
4. Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles
5. Coffee shops or diners with tableside juke boxes
6. Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers
7. Party lines
8. News reels before the movie
9. P.F. Flyers
10. Butch wax
11. Telephone numbers with a word prefix (OLive-6933)
12. Peashooters
13. Howdy Doody
14. 45 RPM records
15. S+H Green Stamps
16. Hi-fi's
17. Metal ice trays with lever
18. Mimeograph paper
19. Blue flashbulb
20. Packards
21. Roller skate keys
22. Cork popguns!
23. Drive-ins
24. Studebakers
25. Wash tub wringers
If you remembered 0-5 = You're still young
If you remembered 6-10 = You are getting older
If you remembered 11-15 = Don't tell your age,
If you remembered 16-25 = You're older than dirt!
Senility Prayer
God grant me...
The senility to forget the people I never liked
The good fortune to run into the ones that I do
And the eyesight to tell the difference.
Ratings at the bottom.
1. Blackjack chewing gum
2. Wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water
3. Candy cigarettes
4. Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles
5. Coffee shops or diners with tableside juke boxes
6. Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers
7. Party lines
8. News reels before the movie
9. P.F. Flyers
10. Butch wax
11. Telephone numbers with a word prefix (OLive-6933)
12. Peashooters
13. Howdy Doody
14. 45 RPM records
15. S+H Green Stamps
16. Hi-fi's
17. Metal ice trays with lever
18. Mimeograph paper
19. Blue flashbulb
20. Packards
21. Roller skate keys
22. Cork popguns!
23. Drive-ins
24. Studebakers
25. Wash tub wringers
If you remembered 0-5 = You're still young
If you remembered 6-10 = You are getting older
If you remembered 11-15 = Don't tell your age,
If you remembered 16-25 = You're older than dirt!
Senility Prayer
God grant me...
The senility to forget the people I never liked
The good fortune to run into the ones that I do
And the eyesight to tell the difference.
Operation Tafaraquoi With Charlie Company 3-509th
It's very hard to tell but Sam said his platoon was involved in this operation from August 2007. It sure gives you an appreciation of what the guys go through over there in Iraq, and how efficiant they are at finding and capturing the bad guys. It's a real shame that the kids have to see "Dad" being taken off in flex-cuffs but they don't think about that do they.
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