Hadn’t noticed until today, but now all five services have their own Together We Served sites up.

Now serving Coasties!

Recap:
Navy
Marines rails ties free

Army
Air Force

Find your old service buddies. really…it works!

Something beyond being “friends.”

It was the every other week opportunity to hang out with history. Being the “junior” one, I made a point to head out, despite the rain, to make sure I wasn’t the one walking in late. Turns out, arriving on time, I was the first one. Sat with coffee as a companion, watching them set up for breakfast, and then they began arriving. I asked the Admiral if he had considered it “below minimums.” he chuckled and about thet time, more showed up.

The USNA Grad who invited me to this set of meetings, the ohter “Shoe” of the group showed, and after shaking hands around, asked where Rut was. Comments “not sure if he’s coming, maybe he met someone at a bar last night. Dick pulled out his cell phone cad called. No answer. Dick looked concerned, then said “I’m heading over there.” One other noted “Maybe my joke about the bar wasn’t appropriate.” We (the group) isn’t a bunch of young, invenerable LTs any more…some not by a lot, but, we can dream. So, the “normal” (only my second meeting) chatter begins, the orders are taken.

My cell rings: “his car is here, I’m headed ot his door. Sat and Friday papers are here. Hang on…going in….no one here. Place is clean as a whistle….oh, crap….” Dick the described some evidence in the bathroom that hings might not be so wonderful. Out the door, asked the security (gated community) guard if there had been any ambulance calls…not that I recall. then he told me he was calling the VA.

Dick walked backn in about the time the breakfasts were arriving, and sai. Yep…he’s at the VA. Drove himself, Dick admitted he had mis-IDed the car, and that the doctors had no idea what was wrong.

Short story, but it’s about reacting to that funny feeling, when your shipmate need your help. Dick was eating, then was headed to the VA for support.

Anyhow, as I drove home, it sunk in. Few would have thought it out of place to pass it off as just sleeping in on a rainy day, but your shipmates know that you make that meeting, or tell them you won’t be there, so they head your way to find you. Change the venue, the story is the same.

That’s what “shipmate” has really meant to me, but this morning, I saw it an action, and I canput words to it.

In memorium:

William J Dimmling was a Senior Vice President Financial Systems with Marsh McLennon Companies. He was one of the 295 employees of this firm who were lost his day, in their offices between the 93rd and 100th floors of the North Tower. сборник картинок эротика

He went by “Bill” and his colleague Harry Carel says Bill always had a smile on his face, no matter what came his way.

47 years old, at the time of his death in the World Trade Center North Building attack. He was a resident of Garden City, NY [ed: corrected]. He is survived by his wife Leslie and sons, Gregory and Nicholas.

He grew up in Queens, NY, attending PS115 and JHS 172, playing sports with his friends and dating. Back then, he went by “Willie.”

Work came early for Bill. His father, who had immigrated to the US from Germany was a butcher. His father died suddenly when he was 18, leaving him as head of his household, having to take care of his mother and his brother Rudy. The article in the NY Times indicates this was the genesis for Bill’s love of life, and optimism, and drive.

He had just completed a joint financial reporting system for Marsh, Inc the week before the attack, a project which he completed by fostering cooperation between executives around the world.

Bob McDade called him friend for 35 years, beginning with their meeting in school in 1966, and he noted Bill welcomed new people into his life and made them feel special.

One of his former employees, Orla Horn, paid this tribute to Bill:

He was a wonderful man – full of energy, vision, commitment and resourcefulness. He was also an extremely kind and caring man – who loved his family more than anything else in the world. He had a happy disposition and always managed to overcome adversity. I’m sure all of these good traits will continue to be felt by his family and friends in the years to come as they’ll always know that Bill made a difference…Our world is a better place because of him.

High praise, indeed. I think we were deprived of the possible friendship of a wonderful man, as his family and friends have been for the past 7 years, and the rest of their lives.

For others memorialized by the Project 2996, click here.

In memorium:

Cortz Ghee was killed on 9/11/2001 at the Pentagon, one of 184 vitims at that attack site. At the time of his death, he was a resident of Reisterstown, MD. Little is on the web, but I can find he has a sibling and at least two nieces. By a stroke of fate, his niece Kim decided to skip out on a dentist appointment on 9/11, that Cortz was due to take her to. How life may have been different for one family, had she gone that day, escorted by her Uncle?

At the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial, there is a bench named in his honor, that of a 54 year old man, at work, supporting the military by his daily work.

One of our citizens who is no longer with us or his family.

RIP, Cortz, and thank you for your service in the defense of the nation.

For others memorialized by the Project 2996, click here.