Blue Stars Support Gold Stars at B.P.O.E. Elks Ceremony

 

SPECIAL to Vegas Community Online, Saturday, May 17^th, 2008, Las Vegas, NV:  Never before in American history has so much been asked of so few by so many – and it is very clear that never before have these few who have risked everything, including their very lives, been ignored by society at-large and left to fare on their own – it’s so sad!  Thankfully, there are a few compassionate, social and civic groups, like the Benevolent Protective Order of the Elks, actively trying to help our military, military families and disabled veterans.

 

KUDOS to the Elks, Lodge #1468 of Las Vegas for a wonderful luncheon and formal ceremony in memory of Nevada’s Fallen – 57 to date.  After the Welcoming remarks, the Presentation of the Colors by Basic High School JROTC, and the Invocation, the History of Memorial and Elks History of Veterans Service were presented.  Then, a solemn Roll Call of Veterans from Nevada was read followed by Lighting of Remembrance Candles and Presentations of the Elks Medals of Valor as symbols of the families sacrifice and our hero’s who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defending Democracy and preserving the peace we all enjoy!  Pete Urdiales, Jr., Nevada South Vice-Chairman, was the emcee and Major Michael Nute, of the Salvation Army ended the ceremony with a benediction.

 

As a society we all should share in the sacrifice of others – especially our soldiers and their families!  It is fundamentally important that we all support one another when going through the grieving process of losing a loved one.  No one should have to grieve alone, isolated and without support from the community at-large.  That’s where the Blue Star Families (military families that have a loved one in harms way) step up – and it is no easy task.  The greatest fear, that the Blue Star Families shares, is the phone call, or knock on the door, with the sad news their loved one has been killed – it is at that moment their status changes forever and they become a member of the Gold Star Families – those who have lost a loved one in the military.  Yet, it is, somehow perfect, no other group would be better prepared emotionally and spiritually to open their arms and offer a hug and a shoulder to weep upon – and the Blue Stars are just a phone call away to be there for the Gold Stars when the sad news hits home.

 

I was moved nearly to tears, and had to muster my mettle to stay focused on honoring the families, respecting their privacy, while trying to take copious notes for this story – it was very difficult indeed.  But, many families were willing to share their thoughts (I am not using their names with quotes out of respect for their privacy).  I had only one question, “What would you like the public at-large to know about your lost loved one and family?”

 

The first to respond was a grieving mother, “I want everyone to know that my son died for all of America, for all Americans and for the Iraqi people – not for a politician, not for a political party – my son did his duty to protect innocent people!”  Then, the father said, “I am so proud of the man my boy became – that’s the one word that covers everything – proud!”  Then, the mother added, “Duty, he was proud to just be doing his duty!”

 

There was no doubt left in my heart and mind, that there was hope for all, and that at least some Americans do understand that no one who actually is willing to put their lives, or the lives of their children or grand-children at risk, none of them really wants to go to war – and yet they are willing to do so when necessary out of a deep devotion to duty.  I wish most Americans better understood the definition of duty and the profound price a few true patriots pay for freedom for all our families.  As I left the event, I remembered how I wondered, some 36 years ago, whether the South Vietnamese understood – and I sat in the parking lot for a while and wondered whether the Iraqi people really care and know how great a price is being paid, out of a simple sense of duty, to give them a once in a lifetime chance to determine their destiny?

 

Individuals, groups and organizations that want to “walk-the-talk” and help out should contact www.bluestarmothers.org or Blue Star Mothers of Southern Nevada, P.O. Box #82042, Las Vegas, NV 89180 or make a call to 677-0706 and speak with Chapter President, Chere’ Pedersen – PLEASE!

 

I’d like to demonstrate minimal due dignity and list some personal information.  It is far more than heartbreaking; it is disrespectful, when the media, or any official, or elected political representatives, only refer to our dead, generally, or numerically.  So, I felt strongly that their names be listed – they are NOT just numbers, they are, in fact, the latest example of Nevada’s best!  The following is an alphabetically listing of all of our honored dead from Nevada, by service branch and rank, followed by their name, age, hometown and date killed (as of Jun ’08) – I pray, may they never, ever be forgotten for their honorable service, selfless sacrifice and dedication to duty in the very face of death!

 

Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF): Afghanistan

 

Army Cpl. Matthew A. Commons, 21, Boulder City, 4 Mar ‘02; Army Spec. Jason A. Disney, 21, Fallon, 13 Feb ‘02; Army Sgt. David Joseph Drakulich, 22, Reno, 9 Jan ‘08; Nevada Army National Guard C.W.O. John M. Flynn, 36, Sparks, 25 Sept ‘05; Army Sgt. John C. Griffith, 33, Las Vegas, 5 May ‘06; Navy P.O. 2^nd Class Shane E. Patton, 22, Boulder City, 13 Feb ‘02; Army C.W.O. Joshua R. Rodgers, 29, Carson City, 30 May ‘07; Army C.W.O. John D. Smith, 32, Las Vegas, 24 Feb ‘03; Nevada Army National Guard Sgt. Patrick D. Stewart, 34, Las Vegas, 25 Sept ‘05;

 

Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF): Iraq

 

Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Cameron B. Sarno, 43, Las Vegas, 1 Sept ‘03; Marine Lance Cpl. Nicholas H. Anderson, 19, Las Vegas, 12 Nov ‘04; Army Sgt. Kenneth E. Bostic, 21, Hawthorne, 30 Oct ‘06; Marine Lance Cpl. Raul S. Bravo, 21, Elko, 3 Mar ‘07; Army Capt. Joshua T. Byers, 29, Sparks, 23 Jul ‘03; Marine 2^nd Lt. James J. Cathey, 24, Reno, 21 Aug ‘05; Marine Lance Cpl. Donald John Cline, Jr., 21, Sparks, 23 Mar ‘03; Nevada Army National Guard Spec. Anthony S. Cometa, 21, Las Vegas, 16 Jun ‘05; Army PFC. David N. Crombie, 19, Winnemucca, 7 Jun ‘06; Army Staff Sgt. Sean Michael Gaul, 29, Reno, 9 Jan ‘08; Army PFC Daniel F. Guastaferro, 27, Las Vegas, 7 Jan 2005; Marine Cpl. Jesse Jaime, 22, Henderson, 15 Jun ‘05; Army Cpl. Stanley J. Lapinski, 35, Las Vegas, 11 Jun ‘05; Army Cpl. Shawn Thomas Lasswell, Jr., 21, Reno, 23 Apr ‘06; Army Staff Sgt. Emmanuel L. Legaspi, 38, Las Vegas, 7 May ‘06; Marine Lance Cpl. Jeremy Z. Long, 18, Sun Valley, 10 Aug ‘06; Marine PFC John Lukac, 19, 30 Oct ‘04; Army Cpl. Joseph L. Martinez, 21, Las Vegas, 27 Aug ‘05; Army Sgt. Gordon F. Misner, II, 21, Sparks, 22 Feb ‘06; Army PFC Joshua Steven Modging, 22, Las Vegas, 19 June ‘07; Army Pvt. Joshua M. Morberg, 20, Sparks, 27 Dec ‘05; Army Sgt. Eric Wayne Morris, 31, Sparks, 28 Apr ‘05; Army Sgt. Alfred Garcia Paredez, Jr., 32, Las Vegas, 20 Nov ‘07; Marine Lance Cpl. Richard A. Perez, Jr., 19, Henderson, 10 Feb ‘05; Marine 2^nd Lt. Frederick Eben Pokorney, Jr., 31, Tonopah, 23 Mar ‘03; Army Spec. Ignacio Ramirez, 22, Henderson, 9 Aug ‘06; Army 1^st Sgt. Carlos N. Saenz, 46, Las Vegas, 5 May ‘06; Marine Cpl. William I. Salazar, 26, Las Vegas, 15 Oct ‘04;  Army Staff Sgt. Coby G. Schwab, 25, Henderson, 3 May ‘07; Army Sgt. Anthony J. Schober, 23, Reno, 12 May ‘07; Army PFC Thomas C. Siekert, 20, Lovelock, 6 Dec ‘05; Army Sgt. Timothy M. Smith, 25, South Lake Tahoe, 7 Apr ‘08; Army Spec. Teodoro Torres, Jr., 29, Las Vegas, 5 May ‘06; Army Staff Sgt. Michael Lopez Townes, 29, Las Vegas, 16 Sept ‘07; Army PFC Alejandro P. Varela, 19, Fernley, 19 May ‘07; Army Spec. Travis Michael Virgadamo, 19, Las Vegas, 30 Aug ‘07; Army PFC Phillip Brandon Williams, 21, Gardnerville, 9 Oct ‘06…

 

I’m not a “flag burner” – though I do fully support everyone’s 1^st Amendment rights to freedom of expression – the only time I participate in flag burning is when we retire old, tattered, used up flags (and we have a very solemn ceremony for doing so respectfully).

 

But, I’ve been flying my flag at home upside down as a respectful symbol of distress (it is the international symbol of distress used by ships at sea and armies in need of assistance) and, it is also a symbol of dissent – and dissent is, still, the highest form of patriotism!  Finally, after the past 7 (and nearly 8) years now – I could contain my passion no longer.  So, on tax day, April 15^th I decided to show up at an Anti-War rally flying my flag proudly – I wish more would do the same.  Imagine what would happen if lots of people started flying their American Flags upside down in the respectful spirit of distress and dissent?  Maybe, just maybe, then, the politicians would stop pandering to us about being “frustrated” and they’d get the real message that Americans are far more than just frustrated, we are angry and mad as hell and not going to take this anymore!