SSGT Matt Maupin, USA arrived home April 25th, 2008, to a wonderful tribute from his community:

Photo Credit: The Associated Press/David Kohl

Procession in Mt. Carmel Rt 32. Photo Credit: The Enquirer/Ernest Coleman

The Patriot Guard stand watch. Photo Credit: The Enquirer/Jeff SwingerThe local paper, The Enquirer (Cincinnati, OH) has more pictures, text and a video of the visitation and other events for Matt and his family here.

Staff Sergeant Matthew Maupin’s remains are coming home to Cincinnati’s Lunken Airport on Saturday, April 26th. The Critical Hour blog has a request for those wishing to honor Matt to line the route to the Union Township Civic Center holding lighted candles. SSGT Maupin was the soldier captured in Iraq in 2004 and was recently found dead. Details of the route for tomorrow, Saturday 4/26/2008 are here. A condolence page to leave a note to Matt’s parents is also available.

SteelJaw Scribe reminds us of the final airlift out of Vietnam in 1975: Operation Frequent Wind in his ongoing excellent “Flight Deck Friday” series.

CDR Salamander’s “Fullbore Friday” chronicles reminds of how one man from Hollywood served his nation well crossing the beaches at Normandy on day one and then further into Europe. The man is Charles Durning.

“Rounds Out!” on Townhall reminds of “Climate Change” with a painting depicting a cooler time in history.

Yid with a Lid presents the speech BhO might have given, had he been at the Reed Sea when Moses parted the waters en route the Promised Land.

Via a “COD.”

Can’t really follow all Lex has to say about Naval Aviation?

Go and read this at The Weekly Standard. A well spoken reporter manages to take you there mentally, without using the usually irritating “navyese.”

Teaser quotes:

[…]
You sit reversed in cold, dark cacophony while the airplane maneuvers for what euphemistically is called a “landing.” The nearest land is 150 miles away. And the plane doesn’t land; its tailhook snags a cable on the carrier deck. The effect is of being strapped to an armchair and dropped backwards off a balcony onto a patio. There is a fleeting moment of unconsciousness. This is a good thing, as is being far from the window, because what happens next is that the COD reels the hooked cable out the entire length of the carrier deck until a big, fat nothing is between you and a plunge in the ocean, should the hook, cable, or pilot’s judgment snap. Then, miraculously, you’re still alive.
[…]
The Theodore Roosevelt and its accompanying cruisers, destroyers, and submarines can blow up most of the military of most of the countries on earth. God has given America a special mission. Russia can barely blow up Chechnya. China can blow up Tibet, maybe, and possibly Taiwan. And the EU can’t blow up Liechtenstein. But the USA can blow up .  .  . gosh, where to start?
[…]
Onboard we met people more distinguished yet, including Captain C.L. Wheeler, commanding officer of the Theodore Roosevelt, Rear Admiral Frank C. Pandolfe, commander of the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group, and Command Master Chief Petty Officer Chris Engles, who–as anyone with experience in or of the Navy knows (my dad was a chief petty officer)–actually runs everything.
[…]

Fun read…PJ paints some hilariously true word pictures for the uninitiated.

Nubs the dog from Iraq and his adopted USMC owner are reunited in San Diego.

From the St Petersburg Times:

Published Saturday, March 22, 2008 10:43 PM

Nubs, a mongrel befriended by a Marine major in Iraq, is petted after arriving in San Diego in February.
[Associated Press]
Nubs, a mongrel befriended by a Marine major in Iraq, is petted after arriving in San Diego in February.
Breaking News Video

SAN DIEGO — A San Diego-based Marine major from St. Pete Beach was reunited on Saturday with one of his closest war buddies, a 2-year-old dog named Nubs.

Nubs greeted Maj. Brian Dennis at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station when the fighter pilot returned from Iraq.

It was the first time the two were together since Dennis’ family and close friends helped raise $3,500 to fly the dog to San Diego about a month ago. Nubs wasn’t allowed to stay on base in Iraq.
[…]

Quite a story of loyalty there.

More background on this story from a Feb 2008 report on ABC News.

Here it comes from the National Heroes Tour:

embedded by Embedded Video

BZ SSGT Bellavia, US Army. Thanks for putting it into words we can grasp. Update 3/22/2008: Better yet, this man isn’t just a writer, he’s a bad ass. He’s a real, 100% certified, no holds barred man of courage, honor and guts. Think John Wayne, but not just on a Hollywood set, but in house fighting in Fallujah. SSG Bellavia has been nominated for the Medal of Honor for his actions there. Here’s the story. And just when will we see the movie out of Hollywood? Not for a long time, but it happened just the same.

Blatantly lifted from the full post on Black Five.

It seems some senior citizens have found a way to help out where they could: Clipping coupons and sending them to families deployed overseas to help stretch their military paychecks:

Elderly enlist as coupon clippers to aid military
Small army of old ladies is determined to do its part in the war on terror

By William Wan
updated 2:29 p.m. ET, Tues., March. 11, 2008

GREENBELT, Md. - Some are frail, their bodies riddled with arthritis. Others are confined to walkers or wheelchairs.

Spread out across the country is a small army of old ladies determined to do their part in the war on terror. Their weapons of choice: scissors and coupons.

They cut out a couple hundred each day, a few thousand a week, and send them to military families in the Middle East and elsewhere overseas, who redeem them at commissaries. It may not seem like much, the ladies say, but every little bit counts.
[…]

Ingenious and very helpful. BZ to these women who would devote their time to save money, and a BZ to the Washington Post for highlighting this work done by these women.

Via SteelJaw Scribe, ABC is looking for a current conflict veteran and family to help out. How about pitch in and pass the word, or, if you know that someone with Iraq/Afghanistan/Arabian Gulf service, then fill out the application.

Click on the flyer to get to the .pdf for more info!

Deadline: March 13th!!!!

Get the word out!

In a very good way.

Her post, describing a discussion with a soldier at the USO is wonderful. Even if it didn’t give me an opportunity make a teaser headline from one of her observations, it’s still another one of those “must read” posts around the blogosphere.

Titled “Investments”, you won’t be disappointed.

Open trackbacks here.

Sea story? I’m going “green” and recycling this post It was part I of a many part serial posting titled “The Value of the Military Skill Set.” I wrote it while trying to encapsulate what it was I, and others working around me, had learned in the service of the country and how that might translate into useful knowledge for a job in the civilian world. Take any shots you want at the writing. Make it better.

Thanks for the inputs in advance.

Update: Link to the Feb 2005 post is fixed….

Update 2/7/2008: I was given a heads up by a reader that Nickeloden work by Linda Ellerbee is strongly suspect and this may be not what it appears to be.

More detailed reading available at BlackFive and Army Wife Toddler Mom.

I’m also going to send this feedback to VAJoe.

Original Post below.

Received via email from the staff @ VAJoe. If you can pitch in and pass the word, you may be able to get the voice of our service member’s kids in front of the public!

VA Joe.com was contacted by Jessie Findlay over at Nickelodeon recently with this announcement. Help spread the word!

“The Nickelodeon news series “Nick News with Linda Ellerbee” is looking for kids of soldiers currently home from deployment who are willing to be interviewed about the readjustment process. We’re looking for a few well-spoken kids around 11 to 15 years old to talk about how life has changed now that Mom/Dad has come home - particularly those dealing with a physical injury, divorce or PTSD. This show will recognize that war affects whole families, acknowledge the sacrifices of American troops and their families - especially their kids, and portray the good feelings that come with being reunited. Filming will be completed by the end of February.

Interested families please contact Coordinating Producer Jessie Findlay at Lucky Duck Productions - 212-463-0029 ext. 153 or jessie@nicknews.com. “

Thank you,
-VAJoe.com