HONORING THE FALLEN: After OEF/OIF - August & September 2015

Carter, Top Leaders Honor Victims of Chattanooga Attack

WASHINGTON, August 15, 2015 — The lives of the five “fallen patriots” who were killed as a result of the July 16 attacks in Chattanooga, Tennessee, were “truly exemplary,” Defense Secretary Ash Carter said today during a memorial service in that city.

Carter joined Vice President Joe Biden, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, Navy Adm. Jonathan Greenert, the chief of naval operations, and Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, the current commandant of the Marine Corps who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to become the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other officials at the ceremony.

Those in attendance honored the service of Marines Sgt. Carson Holmquist, Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan, Lance Cpl. Skip Wells, Staff Sgt. David Wyatt and Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Randall Smith, who died from the shooting attack on the Navy Operational Support Center Chattanooga.

Never Forget read more>>>

BIDEN REMARKS: Vice President Joe Biden offers remarks during the memorial service for five slain service members at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga, Tenn., Aug. 15, 2015. Defense Secretary Ash Carter joined Biden for the event, which honored the four Marines and one sailor who died from the July 16 shooting.

DeJa-Vu: “With no shared sacrifices being asked of civilians after Sept. 11", Decades and War From, All Over Again!!

“Why in 2009 were we still using paper?” VA Assistant Secretary Tommy Sowers “When we came in, there was no plan to change that; we’ve been operating on a six month wait for over a decade.” 27 March 2013

Theodore Roosevelt, “A man who is good enough to shed his blood for the country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards.” 1903

“The strength of the armed forces of the United States is as much about its families as it is about its combat capability.” – General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today." - Abraham Lincoln

"To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan" - President Lincoln

Chris Hayes : "If you can run a deficit to go to war, you can run a deficit to take care of the people who fought it" In response to Republican, long ago lost as the party of Lincoln and not just as to us Veterans, opposition to expanding Veterans' benefits on fiscal grounds

Sen. Bernie Sanders told Conservatives: “If you can’t afford to take care of your veterans, than don’t go war. These people are bearing the brunt of what war is about, We have a moral obligation to support them.” February, 26th, 2014

NATO holds ceremony closing Afghan mission Event carried out in secret due to threat of Taliban strikes in Afghan capital, which has been hit by repeated bombings

28 Dec 2014 - NATO has held a ceremony in Kabul formally ending its war in Afghanistan, officials said, after 13 years of conflict and gradual troop withdrawals that have left the country in the grip of worsening conflicts with armed groups. read more>>>

Obama, Hagel Mark End of Operation Enduring Freedom

December 28, 2014 - Obama marks end of combat in Afghanistan

Statement by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Freedom's Sentinel

Memorial at the New JPED facility at Dover Air Force Base, Del..OEF: Afghanistan - Pakistan!! There have been 3,485 coalition deaths -- 2,356 Americans, 41 Australians, 453 Britons, 1 Belgian, 158 Canadians, 10 Czech, 43 Denmark, 25 Netherlands, 9 Estonians, 2 Finn, 86 French, 54 Germans, 7 Hungarian, 48 Italians, 2 Jordan, 3 Latvian, 1 Lithuanian, 10 Norwegians, 40 Poland, 2 Portuguese, 21 Romanians, 1 South Korean, 34 Spaniards, 5 Swedes, 14 Turks, 11 New Zealand, 27 Georgian and 14 NATO/ISAF -- in the war on terror as of November 3 2014, according to a CNN and iCasulties count. Below are the names of the soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors whose deaths have been reported by their country's governments. The troops died in support of the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom or were part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. At least 20,067 U.S. troops had been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon.. In addition to the military deaths, 11 U.S. intelligence operatives have died in Afghanistan.

icasualties.org OEF - Operation Enduring Freedom

CNN Map U.S./Canada and Coalition Afghanistan Casualties

CNN-Iraq/Afghanistan War Casualties

NATO-led Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan "Resolute Support will serve as the bedrock of an enduring partnership" between NATO and Afghanistan, Campbell told an audience of Afghan and international military officers and officials, as well as diplomats and journalists.

Operation Resolute Support

The post-2014 mission in Afghanistan will be known as Operation Resolute Support. Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) Afghanistan will come to an end. The detailed operation plan for Resolute Support was approved by NATO Foreign Ministers at the end of June 2014. The U.S. military component of RSM will be Operation Freedom's Sentinel.

Operation Freedom's Sentinel - U.S. Wounded In Action: 53

Spc. John M. Dawson, 22, of Whitinsville, Massachusetts, in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when he was attacked by small arms fire while he was on an escort mission. He was assigned to 1st Squadron, 33 Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. April 09, 2015

Petty Officer 3rd Class Devon J. Doyle, 21, of Alamosa, Colorado, died May 16, in Manama, Bahrain, of a non-combat related incident while on liberty. The incident is under investigation. May 18, 2015

Petty Officer 3rd Class Ryan D. Burris, 24, of Lisle, Illinois, died May 21, in Abu Dhabi, UAE, of a non-combat related incident at Zayed Military City. The incident is under investigation. He was temporarily assigned to the Crisis Response Element of Joint Special Operations Task Force-Arabian Peninsula, Special Operations Command Central, U.S. Central Command. May 22, 2015

Sgt. 1st Class Pablo A. Ruiz, 37, of Melbourne, Florida, died May 24, in Bagram, Afghanistan, from a non-combat related incident. May 25, 2015

Krissie K. Davis, 54, of Talladega, Alabama, a member of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) at Anniston, Alabama, and deployed to DLA Disposition Services Bagram as part of the civilian expeditionary workforce, was killed June 8, during an indirect fire attack on Bagram Airbase, Afghanistan. June 09, 2015

Master Sgt. Peter A. McKenna Jr., 35, of Bristol, Rhode Island, 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. In Kabul, Afghanistan, of wounds when he was attacked by enemy small arms fire. 8 August 2015

Capt. Matthew D. Roland, 27, of Lexington, Kentucky. He was assigned to the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Florida. Died of wounds suffered Aug. 26 when the vehicle they were traveling in was attacked near Camp Antonik, Afghanistan. 27 August 2015

Staff Sgt. Forrest B. Sibley, 31, of Pensacola, Florida. He was assigned to the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina. Died of wounds suffered Aug. 26 when the vehicle they were traveling in was attacked near Camp Antonik, Afghanistan. 27 August 2015

Spc. Kyle E. Gilbert, 24, of Buford, Georgia, Assigned to 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York. In Bagram, Afghanistan, in a non-combat related incident. The incident is under investigation. September 22, 2015

'A new chapter': United States shuts down Iraq war Nine years of conflict saw 4,488 Americans killed, 32,230 U.S. wounded and more than $800 billion spent

By the Numbers: 1.5 Million

Iraq Veterans: ‘National Day of Honor’ 19 March

OIF: Iraq, from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn on Sept 1, 2010

December 20 2011 - Ceremony to Retire Iraq Mission Colors on U.S. Soil

There had been 4,804 coalition deaths 4,488 Americans
2 Australians, 1 Azerbaijani, 179 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, 1 Czech, 7 Danes, 2 Dutch, 2 Estonians, 1 Fijian, 5 Georgians, 1 Hungarian, 33 Italians, 1 Kazakh, 1 South Korean, 3 Latvian, 22 Poles, 3 Romanians, 5 Salvadoran, 4 Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, 2 Thai and 18 Ukrainians -- in the war in Iraq as of January 2, 2012, according to a CNN and iCasulties count.
Graphical breakdown of casualties. At least 32,230 U.S. troops had been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon.

icasualties.org Operation Iraqi Freedom

Iraq war ends with a $4 trillion IOU: 15 December 2011 - Veterans’ health care costs to rise sharply over the next 40 years

CNN Map U.S. and Coalition Iraq Casualties

CNN-Iraq/Afghanistan War Casualties

Brown University - Iraq: 10 Years After Costs of War - Research Papers

Costs of War Project

The British Iraq War Inquiry

Click on banner to visit the DoD Special Report page on In-Theater Operations

Back Into Iraq - Lured Back in the Continuing Blowback From the Previous Failed Policies of Quickly Abandoning the Missions and Those Sent to Accomplish After 9/11! That Created the Growth and Spread, and Now This ISIL or Islamic State, the Criminal Terror in That Region and Beyond of Many Groups Following the al Qaeda Terror Mold and even More Extreme:

‘Operation Inherent Resolve’ Pentagon chose the name to "reflect the unwavering resolve and deep commitment of the U.S."

Airstrikes in Iraq and Syria

Operation Inherent Resolve - U.S. Wounded In Action: 5

Cpl. Jordan L. Spears, 21, of Memphis, Indiana, was lost at sea Oct. 1 while conducting flight operations in the North Arabian Gulf. He was initially classified as a non-global war on terrorism casualty. Spears was assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron-163, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California. October 1 2014

Lance Cpl. Sean P. Neal, 19, of Riverside, California, in Baghdad, Iraq, from a non-combat related incident. The incident is under investigation. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force - Crisis Response - Central Command, whose headquarters element deploys from Camp Pendleton, California. October 23 2014

Capt. William H. DuBois, 30, of New Castle, Colorado, died when his F-16 aircraft crashed near a coalition air base in the Middle East. He was assigned to the 77th Fighter Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. December 1 2014

Tech. Sgt. Anthony E. Salazar, 40, of Hermosa Beach, California, at an air base in southwest Asia in a non-combat related incident. The incident is under investigation. He was assigned to the 577th Expeditionary Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force Squadron, 1st Expeditionary Civil Engineer Group, U.S. Air Forces Central Command. April 13, 2015

Pfc. Monterrious T. Daniel, 19, of Griffin, Georgia, died June 12 in Camp Buehring, Kuwait, in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to 68th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 43rd Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado. June 14, 2015

* * * CIA Torture: Read the Senate Intelligence Committee report * * *

In a Democracy: 'Citizens must know what is done in their name'

Pres. Bush: “Prisoners of war must at all times be humanely treated”

Human rights groups call for special prosecutor to investigate CIA torture

22 December 2014 - The ACLU and Human Rights Watch say the offences amount to ‘a vast criminal conspiracy’ and are ‘shocking and corrosive’ to US democracy and credibility read more>>>

* * * Seeds of ISIL Planted By Bush/Cheney and Conservative Congresses * * *

* * * The British Iraq War Inquiry * * * Released will carry private communications between GWBush and TBlair, like this already released: TB said there was a danger the Tories would see this as their chance to get rid of him … Bush said they would make it clear to the Tories that if they moved to get rid of TB "we will get rid of them".

* * * Iraq War Promoted Terrorism Rather Than Reducing It * * * 24 April 2014 - Britain’s involvement in the Iraq War promoted terrorism rather than reducing it and was a “strategic failure”, according to a major new report which estimated the cost of all UK conflicts since the end of the Cold War.
The Royal United Services Institute said the UK could face a bill of nearly £65bn, once the cost of long-term care for injured veterans was factored in, with most of the money was spent on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The study, called Wars in Peace, said both conflicts were largely “strategic failures” for the UK, The Guardian reported."

Facts: Matthew Hoh {former Marine and foreign service officer in Afghanistan}: "We spend a trillion dollars a year on national security in this country."
"And when you add up to the Department of Defense, Department of State, CIA, Veterans Affairs, interest on debt, the number that strikes me the most about how much we're committed financially to these wars and to our current policies is we have spent $250 billion already just on interest payments on the debt we've incurred for the Iraq and Afghan wars." 26 September 2014

Bob Herbert "Losing Our Way" : "And then the staggering costs of these wars, which are borne by the taxpayers. I mean, one of the things that was insane was that, as we're at war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Bush administration cut taxes. This has never been done in American history. The idea of cutting taxes while you're going to war is just crazy. I mean, it's madness." Bill 'Moyers and Company': Restoring an America That Has Lost its Way 10 Oct. 2014

$14 Million An Hour: War Costs Top $1.6 Trillion Since 9/11, Say Congressional Researchers

December 22 2014 - American taxpayers have shelled out roughly $1.6 trillion on war spending since 9/11, according to a new report from Congress’ nonpartisan research arm. That’s roughly $337 million a day -- or nearly a quarter million dollars a minute -- every single day for 13 years. read more>>>

“With no shared sacrifices being asked of civilians after Sept. 11"

Chris Hayes MSNBC: "If you can run a deficit to go to war, you can run a deficit to take care of the people who fought it" In response to Republican opposition to expanding Veterans' benefits on fiscal grounds

Neither of these recent wars have yet been paid for, let alone the results from, including the long ignored or outright denied existence of, till this Administrations Cabinet and Gen Shinseki, only Government branch consistent for the past six years, issues! As well as under deficits most of the, grossly under funded, VA budget is still borrowed thus added, problem creating, costs that shouldn't exist!

"If military action is worth our troops’ blood, it should be worth our treasure, too — not just in the abstract, but in the form of a specific ante by every American." -Andrew Rosenthal 10 Feb. 2013

"We got a huge round of tax cuts in this country a few weeks before9/11. Once 9/11 happened and we invaded Afghanistan, we kept the tax cuts anyway. How did we think we were going to pay for that war? Did we think it was free?"

"Then, when we started a second simultaneous war in another country, we gave ourselves a second huge round of tax cuts. After that second war started. The wars, I guess, we thought would be free, don`t worry about it, civilians. Go about your business." Rachel Maddow - 23 May 2013

For compiled Veterans Administration, Veterans reports, lack of Sacrifice still by those served and what little their Congressional, and State, Representatives either accomplished or more often Obstruct as to us Veterans, visit my other website. Rather then adding a few to these dedication posts as I have been. Thank You for visiting!!

Still Coming Home, Our Brothers of WWII, Korea and Vietnam - Rest in Peace, You're Finally Home

Airman Missing From World War II Accounted For

August 6, 2015 - U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Stephen V. Biezis of Chicago will be buried Aug. 14, in Arlington National Cemetery. His co-pilot, 1st Lt. James F. Gatlin of Jacksonville, Florida, was buried Jan. 30, in Bushnell, Florida. On Dec. 23, 1944, Biezis and his crew of five were assigned to the 575th Bombardment Squadron, 391st Bombardment Group, 9th Air Force and were deployed to Germany. Biezis was the co-pilot of a B-26C Marauder that crashed after being struck by enemy fire while on a bombing mission against enemy forces near Ahrweiler, Germany. Biezis, Gatlin and three other crew members were reported killed in action. His remains were not recovered during the war. read more>>>

Soldier Missing From Korean War Accounted For

August 10, 2015 - Army Cpl. Nehemiah E. Butler Pocomoke City, Maryland, will be buried today in Arlington National Cemetery. In late December 1950, Butler and elements of Company C, 19th Infantry Regiment (IR), 24th Infantry Division (ID), were deployed near Seoul, South Korea, when their unit was attacked by enemy forces. During the attempt to delay the enemy forces from advancing, Butler was separated from his unit while moving towards a more defensible position. Butler was reported missing Jan. 1, 1951. read more>>>

Airman Missing From World War II Accounted For

August 11, 2015 - Army Air Forces 1st Lt. William P. Cook of Alameda, California; Flight Officer Arthur J. LeFavre of Red Bank, New Jersey; Staff Sgts. Maurice J. Fevold of Chicago, Frank G. Lane Jr. of Cleveland and Ward C. Swalwell Jr. of Chicago; and Sgt. Eric M. Honeyman of Alameda, California, have been accounted for and will be buried with full military honors. Cook was buried Oct. 18, 2014, in Oakland, California. Fevold was buried Oct. 20, 2014, in Ft. Dodge, Iowa, and Lane was buried May 2 in Willoughby, Ohio. Honeyman was buried on June 22 in Trail, British Columbia, Canada. LeFavre will be buried on Aug. 18 in Arlington National Cemetery. The group representing the crew will be buried on Aug. 18 in Arlington National Cemetery. Swalwell will be buried on Aug. 20 in Arlington National Cemetery. read more>>>

Soldier Missing From Vietnam War Accounted For

August 21, 2015 - Army Maj. Dale W. Richardson of Mount Sterling, Illinois, will be buried Aug. 29, in Mountain View, Ark. Richardson was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, and was the passenger aboard an UH-1H Iroquois (Huey) helicopter that was en route to Fire Support Base Katum, South Vietnam, when it was diverted due to bad weather. After flying into Cambodian airspace, the aircraft came under heavy enemy ground fire, causing the pilot to make an emergency landing in Kampong Cham Province, Cambodia. The Huey’s four crewmen and its four passengers survived the landing. One crewman was able to evade being captured by enemy forces and later returned to friendly lines. The other three crewmen and one passenger were captured. Two of the captured crewmen were released by the Vietnamese in 1973, and the remains of the other two captured men were returned to U.S. control in the 1980s and identified. Richardson died at the site of the crash during a fire fight with enemy forces. His remains were not recovered after the fire fight. read more>>>

HONORING THE FALLEN: US Military and Coalition Forces Killed in Action, Iraq & Afghanistan/Pakistan from 2001 to ................. - My Honor Rolls, and more, to Share

National World War II Memorial

National Korean War Memorial

National Vietnam Veterans Memorial - "The Wall"

The Vietnam Women’s Memorial

Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemeteries

Arlington National Cemetery

American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial - Dedicated on Oct 5th 2014