Audie Murphy - An American Hero

Audie Leon Murphy was born in Texas on June 20, 1924 and died on May 28, 1971 in an airplane crash near Roanoke, Virginia. In 27 months of combat action, Audie Murphy became the most decorated United States combat soldier of World War II. He received the Metal of Honor, the U.S. military's highest award for valor, along with 32 additional U.S. medals, 5 from France and one from Belgium.

Murphy had a successful movie career, including the extremely popular To Hell and Back (1955), based on his memoir of the same name (1949) and starred in 33 Westerns. Murphy was interred, with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery. Audie Murphy's grave is is the second most-visited grave site, after President John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

Audie Murphy was a true American hero. He grew up on a poor Texas farm, worked hard as a young boy, and enlisted in the army at age 16.

Visit his memorial website at:

http://www.audiemurphy.com/

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

You have heard many times about the "Tomb of the Unknowns" in Washington, D.C., perhaps you've even visited it. But what do you know about the men who honor the tomb by keeping watch over it day and night?

This must take a special kind of person.

1. HOW MANY STEPS DOES THE GUARD TAKE DURING HIS WALK ACROSS THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWNS AND WHY?  21 steps. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.

2. HOW LONG DOES HE HESITATE AFTER HIS ABOUT FACT TO BEGIN HIS RETURN WALK AND WHY?    21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1.

3. WHY ARE HIS GLOVES WET?  His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.

4. DOES HE CARRY HIS RIFLE ON THE SAME SHOULDER ALL THE TIME, AND IF NOT, WHY NOT?  He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path, he executes an about face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.

5. HOW OFTEN ARE THE GUARDS CHANGED?  Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.

6. WHAT ARE THE PHYSICAL TRAITS OF THE GUARD LIMITED TO? For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5'10 and 6'2" tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30".

Other requirements of the Guard:

They must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives. They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform or the tomb in any way.

After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin.

Their shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt. There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror.

The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone nor watch TV. All of duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. A guard must memorize who there are and where they are interred. Among the notables are: President Taft, Joe E. Lewis (the boxer), President John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, (the most decorated soldier of WWII) of Hollywood fame.

Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty.

ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.

I don't know if you saw this in the news but it really impressed me. Funny, our US Senate/House took 2 days off as they couldn't work because of the expected storm.

On the 2003 ABC evening news, it was reported that, because of the dangers from Hurricane Isabelle approaching Washington, D.C., the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They respectfully declined the offer, “No Way, Sir!”

Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a service person.

The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930. We can be very proud of our young men and women in the service no matter where they serve.

God Bless them them all

John Herschel Glenn Jr. - Astronaut

John Herschel Glenn Jr. was born on July 18, 1921 in Cambridge, Ohio. He is an American astronaut, Marine Corps fighter pilot, ordained Presbyterian elder, corporate executive and politician. He was the third American to fly in space and in 1998, at the age of 77, he was the oldest person to fly in space.

Shortly after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Glenn enlisted in the Naval Aviation Cadet Program and became a Marine pilot. He flew 59 combat missions in the South Pacific during World War II. When the Korean conflict began, Glenn asked for combat duty and flew 63 missions. For his total of 149 missions during the two wars, he received many decorations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross six times.

Glenn's experience and skill made him a logical candidate for the astronaut corps being formed during 1958. In 1959, NASA selected him as one of the first seven astronauts in the U.S. space program. On February 20, 1962, atop an Atlas rocket, he rode into space and piloted the Friendship 7 spacecraft around the globe three times, becoming the first American to orbit the earth.

Raised in Cambridge and well as New Concord, Ohio, Glenn married his childhood sweetheart, Anna Margaret Caster. They are the parents of two children, David and Carolyn.

John H. Glenn 1998

John Wayne - American Patriot

Visit the tribute to John Wayne - American Patriot

http://www.jwplace.com/

"I have long been a fan of John Wayne. Through his honesty of living and grace in the face of adversity and criticism as well as all the glory he showed us all that he was truly a man of honor. John Wayne said that his father told him: "Always keep your word, never intentionally insult anyone, and don't go around looking for trouble." I believe he kept his fathers wish all during his life. We all could learn something from this man. I hope you enjoy my tribute to the Duke - actor, patriot, man of honor. " Author unknown

John Wayne had a deep love for his country. This patriotism is reflected throughout his life. John Wayne once said,"Sure I wave the American flag. Do you know a better flag to wave? Sure I love my country with all her faults. I'm not ashamed of that, never have been and never will be."

John Wayne: The mere mention of his name produces images of courage and patriotism.

The life story of John Wayne began in the central Iowa town of Winterset. He was born Marion Robert Morrison on May 26, 1907, the son of Clyde and Mary Brown Morrison.

His father Clyde was a pharmacist who worked on the south side of Winterset's town square. In his youth, Clyde attended nearby Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. John Wayne described his father as “the kindest, most patient man I ever knew.”

Wayne’s mother Mary was of Irish descent, and the Duke said “she was a tiny, vivacious red-headed bundle of energy.”

Wayne's family moved to Palmdale, California and then to Glendale, California in 1911, where his father worked as a pharmacist in a drug store. A local fireman at the firehouse on his route to school in Glendale started calling him "Little Duke", because he never went anywhere without his huge Airedale Terrier dog, Duke. He preferred "Duke" to "Marion" and the name stuck for the rest of his life.

John Wayne won a Best Actor Oscar for True Grit (1969). Wayne was also nominated as the producer of Best Picture for the Alamo one of two films he directed. The other was The Green Berets (1968) , the only major film made during the Vietnam War to support the war.

During the filming of Green Berets, the Degar or Montagnard people of Vietnam's Central Highlands, fierce fighters against communism, bestowed on Wayne a brass bracelet that he wore in the film and all subsequent films.

In 1964, Wayne was diagnosed with lung cancer and underwent successful surgery to remove his entire left lung and four ribs. Wayne announced he had cancer and called on the public to get preventive examinations. Five years later, Wayne was declared cancer-free. After his operation he chewed tobacco and began smoking cigars.

John Wayne died of stomach cancer on June 11, 1979 at the UCLA Medical Center and was interred in the Pacific View Memorial Park cemetery in Corona del Mar.