3 Ocak 2013 Perşembe

WWII Veteran 'Madder than hell'

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'Madder than hell': WWII veteran's medals are stolen
24 December 2012 - San Diego County sheriff’s detectives are looking for the suspect or suspects responsible for stealing several World War II medals from a veteran's home in Vista, Calif.

According to detectives, the war medals were stolen during a residential burglary, and they were the only item taken from the home.

The medals have no real monetary value, detectives said, but they do hold great sentimental value to the owner, a World War II Marine veteran who earned them while fighting in the war.

The veteran – 88-year-old Clyde Kellogg – was wounded in combat and spent almost an entire year in the hospital recovering from his injuries.

Kellogg told NBC 7 that his medals, including a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart, mean everything to him. They remind him of his days as a soldier – and the friends he lost along the way. read more>>>


Chuck Hagel and 'The Wall'

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A WINTER OF DISCONTENT
December 20, 2012 - Washington, D.C. winters can mirror what many view to be characteristics of the city itself – cold and awful. The winter of 1981 was a textbook example of wintertime in D.C., in more ways than one. The fate of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was being decided in the halls of Congress and the Reagan Administration. A flurry of activities was orchestrated by well-funded opposition to Maya Lin’s design for The Wall. Her design was criticized as being too modernistic; referred to as the Black Gash of Shame and even compared to the Ovens of Dachau.

The National Security Council even got engaged; a syndicated columnist wrote that the design had been selected by a person with “ties to the American Communist Party.” Dozens of Congressman demanded that the groundbreaking permit be withdrawn and that the design be scrapped. There were editorials on both sides of the debate, and even Sixty Minutes got involved. Even though we had support from powerful groups like the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion, plans for the Memorial were about to be declared dead on arrival, the victims of politics and disinformation.

snip

Chuck Hagel was a prime target for the opposition. He was the talented second-in-command at the Veterans image-1 Administration, a decorated Vietnam War veteran and a highly respected appointee in the Reagan Administration. He was told that he should join the team opposing Lin’s design. If he did not join the opposition, he would be out of work. Friends at the White House would see to it that he would be fired. Most people would have caved. Hagel did not.

There are a few examples of stunning courage in Washington. Most are unheralded, this was one. Hagel said, “I serve at the pleasure of the President. If he fires me for supporting a design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, so be it.

Hagel never got fired. The opponents left, probably dazed at the outcome. Hagel went on to serve President Reagan in other capacities throughout the Presidency, and eventually, Nancy Reagan joined the National Sponsoring Committee for The Wall. A compromise was reached with the opposition, and in March 1982 we hosted an emotional groundbreaking. Hagel was a speaker. read more>>>


Pentagon's first Rose Parade float Honors Korean War Vets {UpDated}

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The Rose Parade float “Freedom Is Not Free” by the Korean War Commemoration Committee is seen in Pasadena during the final judging of floats on Monday, Dec 31, 2012 prior to the kick off of the 124th Rose Parade on New Year's Day. The Defense Department for the first time will put a float in Pasadena's Tournament of Roses, one of the most watched parades, to commemorate the veterans from a conflict that still casts a shadow over the world. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

Float remembers U.S. vets of 'forgotten war' in Korea
January 1, 2013 - Byoung Baek flew out from Rochester, N.Y., on Christmas Day for the Rose Parade. But she didn't come for the weather or the revelry or the spectacle.

She traveled to Pasadena to pay a debt she has owed for 60 years.

Baek was a youngster in South Korea when American troops helped preserve her fledgling nation's sovereignty by repelling communist-backed invaders from North Korea.The Korean American community helps decorate the float in honor of veterans' sacrifices in the 1950s conflict.

The war would last three years, from 1950 to 1953. Baek and other Koreans, children during the war, would spend decades steeped in its legacy.

"Our parents always talked about it," recalled Baek, 65, a registered nurse who moved to America 40 years ago. "They appreciated the [veterans'] sacrifice, their dedication to fight for our freedom." read more>>>

The Department of Defense Korean War Commemoration Committee's 60th Anniversary float passed crowds on Orange Grove Boulevard during the 124th annual Rose Parade in Pasadena Jan. 1 2013

And also joining the Rose Bowl Parade

Concept art of the monument. Via JBMF, Inc. - The monument, which will feature a human handler and four dog breeds famous for their service work, is yet to be unveiled. We'll get a look at the real statue at the Rose Parade.
Rose Parade float represents military dog monument
Decades of service by canines will be honored as four handlers and their dogs, representing the Air Force, Army and Marines, ride the float. The memorial is slated for completion in San Antonio by October 2013.

December 28, 2012 - In a cavernous warehouse on a recent weekday, Rose Parade volunteers were busy painting and clipping flowers as they rushed to complete their float in time for New Year's Day festivities. But all activity paused when the star of the decorated stage arrived.

With a Marine corporal in tow, Lucca, a German shepherd-Malinois mix, hopped curiously toward a group of excited children. Her head dipped from the weight of her body, no longer supported by her amputated left leg.

It's been nine months since Lucca lost her paw to a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. A veteran of three combat deployments, she is one of thousands of U.S. military working dogs trained to sniff out booby traps, deliver messages and track enemies. She has led more than 200 missions, with no Marine ever injured under her patrol. read more>>>

Canines with Courage - Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc.'s float moves through Orange Grove Boulevard during the 124th annual Rose Parade in Pasadena Jan. 1, 2013

Army Sgt. First Class Eric Pazz, who was riding in the front of the Canines with Courage Float, surprised his wife Miriam Pazz and son Eric during the 124th annual Rose Parade in Pasadena Jan. 1, 2013. Not long before this the network had givin a short interview with Mrs. Pazz who had been flown out to Pasadena for the Parade and was still suffering, as she noted, from jet lag.

January 1, 2013 - Army soldier reunites with wife, child at the 2013 Rose Parade
The youngster ran across the street into his father’s arms as he recognized his dad and everyone was moved by the moment.

The wonderful reunion was part of the Natural Balance Pet Foods float. Miriam Pazz thought she won a contest to watch the parade with her son, but what she didn’t know is her husband would be there too. The soldier is a decorated military man who currently is serving in Afghanistan, but has also been to Iraq. read more>>>

'Freedom is Free' when a Country doesn't Sacrifice for their Wars and the Results Of!!
How does a Country HONOR It's Fallen, by Their Own 'Sacrifice' in Taking Care of the Brothers and Sisters They Served With!!


Kabul Afghanistan: Sandy Hook Flag Raising Ceremony

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While most of the Country gives little thought to the continuing conflict in Afghanistan, winding down as those serving want it to, especially those that cheered on the abandoning of those main missions, as those sent try to accomplish at least some of, for even sending the military into that region with the drum beats pointed at Iraq, they don't forget who and what they serve.

Even as those served still have yet to demand they sacrifice, especially their representatives even Rep Jeff Miller (FL), chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, votes no on fiscal cliff bill so his extremely wealthy shouldn't have to sacrifice as they profited off the no bid contracts and decade plus war defense spending, as these military personal and their families have.

These military personal, the well regulated and trained citizens militia, take time to Honor the so very young, their teachers and school administrators fallen of the Sandy Hook School mass killing!

01.2.2013 - National Guardsmen in Kabul, Afghanistan held a flag raising ceremony to honor those who lost their lives at Sandy Hook Elementary School.


Agent Orange Cleanup: Hope and Optimism in Vietnam

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Planned Agent Orange cleanup met with optimism in Vietnam
The U.S. will begin work in 2013 cleaning up the Agent Orange storage site in the central Vietnamese port city of Da Nang. (Photo courtesy Richard Nyberg, USAID)

HANOI, Vietnam — January 1st, 2013 - Nguyen Thuy Linh, 8, concentrated on the page in front of her. On it, her teacher had outlined the numbers 1 through 10 in short dashes, and Linh was painstakingly tracing over them with the blue marker clutched in her hand.

As she completed each number she said it out loud in Vietnamese. "Bon," she announced as she finished the number 4 and starts on five. "Nam."

This is good progress for the young student at the Vietnamese Friendship Village in Hanoi, Vietnam. When she first arrived a short time ago, she spoke in noises and grunts instead of words. Now she's learned a few simple phrases and greetings.

"We're helping her to communicate very slowly," said her teacher, Nguyen Thi Oanh, speaking through an interpreter. "It's challenging because she cannot pay attention for long."

Officials at the Vietnam Friendship Village believe Linh's disabilities, and the disabilities of all the young people they serve, were caused by Agent Orange. During the Vietnam War, 20 million gallons of the herbicide were used by the U.S. military to defoliate acres upon of acres of jungle and destroy crops. read more>>>


2 Ocak 2013 Çarşamba

How many veterans are dying and what are they dying from?

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Department of Veterans Affairs to track how veterans die
Dec. 22, 2012 - More than two months after the American-Statesman detailed how hundreds of Texas veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan have died since coming home — and the government’s failure to adequately track them — the Department of Veterans Affairs said it will launch a mortality study that will seek similar information for veterans nationwide.

While the VA has periodically studied suicide among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, it has done far less to understand other causes of death, including drug overdose. A six-month Statesman investigation found that nearly as many Texas veterans had died after taking prescription medicine as have committed suicide.

Using autopsy results, toxicology reports, inquests and accident reports from more than 50 agencies throughout the state, the Statesman determined the causes of death for 266 Texas veterans who served in operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and were receiving Department of Veterans Affairs disability benefits when they died. It was the first time a comprehensive view of how recent Texas veterans are dying has been produced.

snip

The study could serve as a foundation, on a national scale, for evaluating services that veterans currently receive. VA officials wouldn’t respond to questions about how the study will be used. read more>>>


PTSD Research Quarterly (RQ)

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The National Center for PTSD produces the PTSD Research Quarterly (RQ) newsletter.

Each RQ contains a review article written by guest experts on a specific topic related to PTSD.

The article has a selective bibliography with abstracts and a supplementary list of annotated citations.

A review of research articles from commemorative journal issues on the 10 year anniversary of 9/11, including the potential effects of the attacks on children. Some data presented may be relevant to the tragic school shooting in CT and other horrific events that have scarred individuals directly connected to the victims and entire communities throughout the world.

Our thoughts are with those affected by the Connecticut school shooting. In response to this tragedy please also see:

Resources for Survivors and the Public

Resources for Providers: Responding to Violence

* * * * *

Trauma: A Guide to the 10-year Retrospectives of the September 11th Terrorist Attacks

Complementary and Alternative Treatments for PTSD

Moral Injury in Veterans of War


WWII Veteran 'Madder than hell'

To contact us Click HERE

'Madder than hell': WWII veteran's medals are stolen
24 December 2012 - San Diego County sheriff’s detectives are looking for the suspect or suspects responsible for stealing several World War II medals from a veteran's home in Vista, Calif.

According to detectives, the war medals were stolen during a residential burglary, and they were the only item taken from the home.

The medals have no real monetary value, detectives said, but they do hold great sentimental value to the owner, a World War II Marine veteran who earned them while fighting in the war.

The veteran – 88-year-old Clyde Kellogg – was wounded in combat and spent almost an entire year in the hospital recovering from his injuries.

Kellogg told NBC 7 that his medals, including a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart, mean everything to him. They remind him of his days as a soldier – and the friends he lost along the way. read more>>>


Chuck Hagel and 'The Wall'

To contact us Click HERE

A WINTER OF DISCONTENT
December 20, 2012 - Washington, D.C. winters can mirror what many view to be characteristics of the city itself – cold and awful. The winter of 1981 was a textbook example of wintertime in D.C., in more ways than one. The fate of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was being decided in the halls of Congress and the Reagan Administration. A flurry of activities was orchestrated by well-funded opposition to Maya Lin’s design for The Wall. Her design was criticized as being too modernistic; referred to as the Black Gash of Shame and even compared to the Ovens of Dachau.

The National Security Council even got engaged; a syndicated columnist wrote that the design had been selected by a person with “ties to the American Communist Party.” Dozens of Congressman demanded that the groundbreaking permit be withdrawn and that the design be scrapped. There were editorials on both sides of the debate, and even Sixty Minutes got involved. Even though we had support from powerful groups like the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion, plans for the Memorial were about to be declared dead on arrival, the victims of politics and disinformation.

snip

Chuck Hagel was a prime target for the opposition. He was the talented second-in-command at the Veterans image-1 Administration, a decorated Vietnam War veteran and a highly respected appointee in the Reagan Administration. He was told that he should join the team opposing Lin’s design. If he did not join the opposition, he would be out of work. Friends at the White House would see to it that he would be fired. Most people would have caved. Hagel did not.

There are a few examples of stunning courage in Washington. Most are unheralded, this was one. Hagel said, “I serve at the pleasure of the President. If he fires me for supporting a design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, so be it.

Hagel never got fired. The opponents left, probably dazed at the outcome. Hagel went on to serve President Reagan in other capacities throughout the Presidency, and eventually, Nancy Reagan joined the National Sponsoring Committee for The Wall. A compromise was reached with the opposition, and in March 1982 we hosted an emotional groundbreaking. Hagel was a speaker. read more>>>


Pentagon's first Rose Parade float Honors Korean War Vets {UpDated}

To contact us Click HERE

The Rose Parade float “Freedom Is Not Free” by the Korean War Commemoration Committee is seen in Pasadena during the final judging of floats on Monday, Dec 31, 2012 prior to the kick off of the 124th Rose Parade on New Year's Day. The Defense Department for the first time will put a float in Pasadena's Tournament of Roses, one of the most watched parades, to commemorate the veterans from a conflict that still casts a shadow over the world. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

Float remembers U.S. vets of 'forgotten war' in Korea
January 1, 2013 - Byoung Baek flew out from Rochester, N.Y., on Christmas Day for the Rose Parade. But she didn't come for the weather or the revelry or the spectacle.

She traveled to Pasadena to pay a debt she has owed for 60 years.

Baek was a youngster in South Korea when American troops helped preserve her fledgling nation's sovereignty by repelling communist-backed invaders from North Korea.The Korean American community helps decorate the float in honor of veterans' sacrifices in the 1950s conflict.

The war would last three years, from 1950 to 1953. Baek and other Koreans, children during the war, would spend decades steeped in its legacy.

"Our parents always talked about it," recalled Baek, 65, a registered nurse who moved to America 40 years ago. "They appreciated the [veterans'] sacrifice, their dedication to fight for our freedom." read more>>>

The Department of Defense Korean War Commemoration Committee's 60th Anniversary float passed crowds on Orange Grove Boulevard during the 124th annual Rose Parade in Pasadena Jan. 1 2013

And also joining the Rose Bowl Parade

Concept art of the monument. Via JBMF, Inc. - The monument, which will feature a human handler and four dog breeds famous for their service work, is yet to be unveiled. We'll get a look at the real statue at the Rose Parade.
Rose Parade float represents military dog monument
Decades of service by canines will be honored as four handlers and their dogs, representing the Air Force, Army and Marines, ride the float. The memorial is slated for completion in San Antonio by October 2013.

December 28, 2012 - In a cavernous warehouse on a recent weekday, Rose Parade volunteers were busy painting and clipping flowers as they rushed to complete their float in time for New Year's Day festivities. But all activity paused when the star of the decorated stage arrived.

With a Marine corporal in tow, Lucca, a German shepherd-Malinois mix, hopped curiously toward a group of excited children. Her head dipped from the weight of her body, no longer supported by her amputated left leg.

It's been nine months since Lucca lost her paw to a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. A veteran of three combat deployments, she is one of thousands of U.S. military working dogs trained to sniff out booby traps, deliver messages and track enemies. She has led more than 200 missions, with no Marine ever injured under her patrol. read more>>>

Canines with Courage - Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc.'s float moves through Orange Grove Boulevard during the 124th annual Rose Parade in Pasadena Jan. 1, 2013

Army Sgt. First Class Eric Pazz, who was riding in the front of the Canines with Courage Float, surprised his wife Miriam Pazz and son Eric during the 124th annual Rose Parade in Pasadena Jan. 1, 2013. Not long before this the network had givin a short interview with Mrs. Pazz who had been flown out to Pasadena for the Parade and was still suffering, as she noted, from jet lag.

January 1, 2013 - Army soldier reunites with wife, child at the 2013 Rose Parade
The youngster ran across the street into his father’s arms as he recognized his dad and everyone was moved by the moment.

The wonderful reunion was part of the Natural Balance Pet Foods float. Miriam Pazz thought she won a contest to watch the parade with her son, but what she didn’t know is her husband would be there too. The soldier is a decorated military man who currently is serving in Afghanistan, but has also been to Iraq. read more>>>

'Freedom is Free' when a Country doesn't Sacrifice for their Wars and the Results Of!!
How does a Country HONOR It's Fallen, by Their Own 'Sacrifice' in Taking Care of the Brothers and Sisters They Served With!!


1 Ocak 2013 Salı

White House Holiday Wishes, Call for All to Remember Vets

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Way past time America, can't use United States anymore as we've greatly drifted from that label for the society within these recognized borders, to pony up, your own Sacrifice, a decade plus of not added to the previous decades, for these wars but especially for the results of! These Veterans of and our Veterans of the previous! Deficits, with the congressional rubber stamping, started rising Before 9/11, surplus was quickly depleted, tax cuts came with, and costs are still added to daily!

Obamas Offer Holiday Wishes, Call for All to Remember Vets
WASHINGTON, Dec. 22, 2012 – During the weekly address from the White House, President Obama and his wife Michelle wished service members, veterans and their families a happy holiday season, and called on all Americans to remember those in harm’s way.

The theme of the president and first lady’s address was reunions. What makes this season so special, Michelle Obama said, is spending time with those we love.

And more military families are getting the chance to do that, the president said. The war in Iraq has ended and the drawdown in Afghanistan continues.

“This week let’s give thanks for our veterans and their families,” the president said. “And let’s say a prayer for all our troops – especially those in Afghanistan – who are spending this holiday overseas, risking their lives to defend the freedoms we hold dear.”

Michelle Obama stressed the role that military families play, saying that when those in uniform

“answer the call to serve, their families serve right along with them. Across this country, military spouses have been raising their families all alone during those long deployments.”

She also noted the sacrifices military kids make.

“Our military families sacrifice so much on our behalf, and Barack and I believe that we should serve them as well as they serve this country,” she said.
read more>>>

Transcript: Weekly Address: The President and First Lady Extend a Holiday Greeting and Thank our Troops for their Service


Ex-Military Dog Has New Mission

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Ex-military dog has new mission in Fayetteville
Meet Brit: Army patrol dog Brit retires to Fayetteville

Dec 24, 2012 - Months after his retirement, a former military working dog is finding new purpose.

Brit, an 8-year-old German shepherd that spent his entire life in the military until being adopted by Mark and Jasmine Russell of Fayetteville earlier this year, has begun making regular trips to Womack Army Medical Center.

Jasmine Russell said the "spoiled pooch" has adjusted well to his new role.

He passed therapy classes with flying colors, she said, and had no trouble with an evaluation needed to roam hospital halls on Fort Bragg.

On Friday, Brit made his third visit to Fort Bragg, where he has been greeted with open arms, Russell said.

"It sounds very goofy, but the boy is a traffic stop," she said. "Everyone stops to say hello or give him a hug."

Russell said Brit is particularly popular among soldiers who served overseas.

On several occasions, those soldiers have broken down in tears while hugging Brit and have thanked him for the service of military working dogs overseas. read more>>>


WWII Veteran 'Madder than hell'

To contact us Click HERE

'Madder than hell': WWII veteran's medals are stolen
24 December 2012 - San Diego County sheriff’s detectives are looking for the suspect or suspects responsible for stealing several World War II medals from a veteran's home in Vista, Calif.

According to detectives, the war medals were stolen during a residential burglary, and they were the only item taken from the home.

The medals have no real monetary value, detectives said, but they do hold great sentimental value to the owner, a World War II Marine veteran who earned them while fighting in the war.

The veteran – 88-year-old Clyde Kellogg – was wounded in combat and spent almost an entire year in the hospital recovering from his injuries.

Kellogg told NBC 7 that his medals, including a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart, mean everything to him. They remind him of his days as a soldier – and the friends he lost along the way. read more>>>


Chuck Hagel and 'The Wall'

To contact us Click HERE

A WINTER OF DISCONTENT
December 20, 2012 - Washington, D.C. winters can mirror what many view to be characteristics of the city itself – cold and awful. The winter of 1981 was a textbook example of wintertime in D.C., in more ways than one. The fate of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was being decided in the halls of Congress and the Reagan Administration. A flurry of activities was orchestrated by well-funded opposition to Maya Lin’s design for The Wall. Her design was criticized as being too modernistic; referred to as the Black Gash of Shame and even compared to the Ovens of Dachau.

The National Security Council even got engaged; a syndicated columnist wrote that the design had been selected by a person with “ties to the American Communist Party.” Dozens of Congressman demanded that the groundbreaking permit be withdrawn and that the design be scrapped. There were editorials on both sides of the debate, and even Sixty Minutes got involved. Even though we had support from powerful groups like the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion, plans for the Memorial were about to be declared dead on arrival, the victims of politics and disinformation.

snip

Chuck Hagel was a prime target for the opposition. He was the talented second-in-command at the Veterans image-1 Administration, a decorated Vietnam War veteran and a highly respected appointee in the Reagan Administration. He was told that he should join the team opposing Lin’s design. If he did not join the opposition, he would be out of work. Friends at the White House would see to it that he would be fired. Most people would have caved. Hagel did not.

There are a few examples of stunning courage in Washington. Most are unheralded, this was one. Hagel said, “I serve at the pleasure of the President. If he fires me for supporting a design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, so be it.

Hagel never got fired. The opponents left, probably dazed at the outcome. Hagel went on to serve President Reagan in other capacities throughout the Presidency, and eventually, Nancy Reagan joined the National Sponsoring Committee for The Wall. A compromise was reached with the opposition, and in March 1982 we hosted an emotional groundbreaking. Hagel was a speaker. read more>>>


Pentagon's first Rose Parade float Honors Korean War Vets {UpDated}

To contact us Click HERE

The Rose Parade float “Freedom Is Not Free” by the Korean War Commemoration Committee is seen in Pasadena during the final judging of floats on Monday, Dec 31, 2012 prior to the kick off of the 124th Rose Parade on New Year's Day. The Defense Department for the first time will put a float in Pasadena's Tournament of Roses, one of the most watched parades, to commemorate the veterans from a conflict that still casts a shadow over the world. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

Float remembers U.S. vets of 'forgotten war' in Korea
January 1, 2013 - Byoung Baek flew out from Rochester, N.Y., on Christmas Day for the Rose Parade. But she didn't come for the weather or the revelry or the spectacle.

She traveled to Pasadena to pay a debt she has owed for 60 years.

Baek was a youngster in South Korea when American troops helped preserve her fledgling nation's sovereignty by repelling communist-backed invaders from North Korea.The Korean American community helps decorate the float in honor of veterans' sacrifices in the 1950s conflict.

The war would last three years, from 1950 to 1953. Baek and other Koreans, children during the war, would spend decades steeped in its legacy.

"Our parents always talked about it," recalled Baek, 65, a registered nurse who moved to America 40 years ago. "They appreciated the [veterans'] sacrifice, their dedication to fight for our freedom." read more>>>

The Department of Defense Korean War Commemoration Committee's 60th Anniversary float passed crowds on Orange Grove Boulevard during the 124th annual Rose Parade in Pasadena Jan. 1 2013

And also joining the Rose Bowl Parade

Concept art of the monument. Via JBMF, Inc. - The monument, which will feature a human handler and four dog breeds famous for their service work, is yet to be unveiled. We'll get a look at the real statue at the Rose Parade.
Rose Parade float represents military dog monument
Decades of service by canines will be honored as four handlers and their dogs, representing the Air Force, Army and Marines, ride the float. The memorial is slated for completion in San Antonio by October 2013.

December 28, 2012 - In a cavernous warehouse on a recent weekday, Rose Parade volunteers were busy painting and clipping flowers as they rushed to complete their float in time for New Year's Day festivities. But all activity paused when the star of the decorated stage arrived.

With a Marine corporal in tow, Lucca, a German shepherd-Malinois mix, hopped curiously toward a group of excited children. Her head dipped from the weight of her body, no longer supported by her amputated left leg.

It's been nine months since Lucca lost her paw to a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. A veteran of three combat deployments, she is one of thousands of U.S. military working dogs trained to sniff out booby traps, deliver messages and track enemies. She has led more than 200 missions, with no Marine ever injured under her patrol. read more>>>

Canines with Courage - Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc.'s float moves through Orange Grove Boulevard during the 124th annual Rose Parade in Pasadena Jan. 1, 2013

Army Sgt. First Class Eric Pazz, who was riding in the front of the Canines with Courage Float, surprised his wife Miriam Pazz and son Eric during the 124th annual Rose Parade in Pasadena Jan. 1, 2013. Not long before this the network had givin a short interview with Mrs. Pazz who had been flown out to Pasadena for the Parade and was still suffering, as she noted, from jet lag.

January 1, 2013 - Army soldier reunites with wife, child at the 2013 Rose Parade
The youngster ran across the street into his father’s arms as he recognized his dad and everyone was moved by the moment.

The wonderful reunion was part of the Natural Balance Pet Foods float. Miriam Pazz thought she won a contest to watch the parade with her son, but what she didn’t know is her husband would be there too. The soldier is a decorated military man who currently is serving in Afghanistan, but has also been to Iraq. read more>>>

'Freedom is Free' when a Country doesn't Sacrifice for their Wars and the Results Of!!
How does a Country HONOR It's Fallen, by Their Own 'Sacrifice' in Taking Care of the Brothers and Sisters They Served With!!