http://www.pmimchat.com/forum/ This is a discussion forum powered by vBulletin. To find out about vBulletin, go to http://www.vbulletin.com/ . en Sun, 20 May 2012 10:15:32 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.pmimchat.com/forum/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.pmimchat.com/forum/ http://www.pmimchat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3246&goto=newpost Tue, 15 May 2012 04:41:18 GMT The Department of Defense announced today the death...]]>

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Sgt. Wade D. Wilson, 22, of Normangee, Texas, died May 11 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the 1st Marine Division public affairs office at 760-725-8766.

]]> Memorial Chapel GyBill http://www.pmimchat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3246 http://www.pmimchat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3245&goto=newpost Sat, 12 May 2012 05:10:19 GMT Navajo Code Talkers Association VP dies The Associated Press Posted : Friday May 11, 2012 18:02:31 EDT FARMINGTON, N.M. — Samuel Tso, a Navajo... Navajo Code Talkers Association VP dies

The Associated Press
Posted : Friday May 11, 2012 18:02:31 EDT

FARMINGTON, N.M. — Samuel Tso, a Navajo code talker who campaigned for a Navajo Code Talkers museum and World War II veterans’ center, died Wednesday, the Navajo Nation announced Thursday.

The 89-year-old Lukachukai, Ariz., resident died at San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington, surrounded by family. Tso, who was vice president of the Navajo Code Talkers Association, had been battling cancer, family said.

Born in 1922, Tso enlisted in the Marine Corps at age 17 by claiming to be 21 years old. He was sent to Camp Pendleton in California, where he learned to be a code talker.

After the war, Tso worked toward becoming a teacher at Utah State University and later got his master’s degree at Arizona State University.

Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly ordered the Navajo Nation flag to be flown at half-staff through Monday. He called Tso a “true Navajo warrior.”

“The Navajo Nation has lost another Code Talker and that saddens my heart,” Shelly said in a written statement. “The Code Talkers have brought great pride to our Nation and the loss of Samuel Tso saddens not only myself, his loss saddens the Navajo Nation.”

Family members said Friday they hope to make Tso’s dream of a museum and a veterans center a reality in the wake of his passing.

“When I talked to my dad, I told him I would make his dream a reality,” Yvonne Tso told The Farmington Daily News.

The code talkers took part in every assault the Marines conducted in the Pacific during World War II. They sent thousands of messages without error on Japanese troop movements, battlefield tactics and other communications critical to the war’s outcome.

The United States military used the code talkers in the South Pacific to send encrypted messages, which never were cracked by Japanese adversaries.

Tso watched the original 29 code talkers leave for war while training. He and his unit learned the second version of the code.

“They bounced back between different versions of the code,” said Samuel’s son, Ron Tso.

Family said Samuel Tso loved sharing tales of the code talkers with his family and with audiences nationwide.

Funeral services are pending with Desert View Funeral Home in Shiprock, N.M. ]]> Memorial Chapel GyBill http://www.pmimchat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3245 http://www.pmimchat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3244&goto=newpost Wed, 09 May 2012 17:24:47 GMT Corps identifies Marine found dead at Pendleton Staff report Posted : Tuesday May 8, 2012 19:43:15 EDT OCEANSIDE, Calif. – The Naval Criminal... Corps identifies Marine found dead at Pendleton

Staff report
Posted : Tuesday May 8, 2012 19:43:15 EDT

OCEANSIDE, Calif. – The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is looking into the death of a Marine at Camp Pendleton, the Marine Corps said Tuesday.

Lance Cpl. Michael J. Ronner, 23, was found Monday morning but military police and paramedics were unable to resuscitate him, according to I Marine Expeditionary Force.

“The cause of death is undetermined at this time,” officials said in a statement.

Ronner, of Sudbury, Mass., enlisted in January 2010 and was a data systems technician assigned to 9th Communication Battalion, I MEF Headquarters Group, at the base, said a MEF spokesman, 2nd Lt. Garth Langley. His military awards included the National Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

MEF officials have not released details about the incident because of the ongoing investigation, Langley said. The North County Times newspaper reported the Marine’s death as a shooting and possible suicide. ]]> Memorial Chapel GyBill http://www.pmimchat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3244 http://www.pmimchat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3243&goto=newpost Mon, 07 May 2012 23:08:28 GMT The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Sgt. John P. Huling, 25, of West... The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Sgt. John P. Huling, 25, of West Chester, Ohio, died May 6 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Huling's death was originally reported by the International Security Assistance Force, which characterized it as the result of gunshot wounds inflicted by an individual wearing an Afghan National Army uniform.

This incident is under investigation.

For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the 1st Marine Logistics Group public affairs office at 760-763-7795. ]]> Memorial Chapel GyBill http://www.pmimchat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3243 http://www.pmimchat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3242&goto=newpost Tue, 01 May 2012 03:08:17 GMT The Department of Defense announced today the death...]]>

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Master Sgt. Scott E. Pruitt, 38, of Gautier, Miss., died April 28 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to I Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the I Marine Expeditionary Force public affairs office at 760-763-7795.

]]> Memorial Chapel GyBill http://www.pmimchat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3242 http://www.pmimchat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3241&goto=newpost Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:32:07 GMT Lance Corporal Philip Michael Bushong, USMC, age 23, Ascended Into the Journey of Everlasting Life, April 21, 2012. Philip was born on July 11, 1988... Lance Corporal Philip Michael Bushong, USMC, age 23, Ascended Into the Journey of Everlasting Life, April 21, 2012. Philip was born on July 11, 1988 in Dana Point, CA, a son of Michael and Clara "Mitzi" (Benedict) Grimley. At age 5 he came to Massachusetts, and was a longtime resident of the New England area. At a time when our country was emerged in horrific acts of terrorism, Philip felt it was his patriotic duty to become part of the solution. Courageously, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 2008. Philip had the honor of being hand chosen to serve in the Marine Color Guard in the 8th & I Barracks, in Washington, D.C. Proud of his position, he had the privilege of being personally a part of President Barrack Obama's Inauguration and being present for several of the inaugural celebrations which followed. In 2010 on his second tour, he was stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina as part of the Second Battalion, Second Marine Regiment. Involving mission deployment, he was an instrumental part of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit. Serving on the USS Batann, and traveling to foreign ports as the Mediterranean , Horn of Africa, and Persian Gulf. Known as the "Point of the Spear" and consciously awaiting action that would occur, Philip courageously took part in the Libyan Crisis. Back Stateside, he would have completed his tour and received his Honorable Discharge, April 26, 2012. Having come from a musically talented family ( both of Philip's parents were musicians) it was natural for Philip to inherit this gift. A guitar virtuoso, he enjoyed all types of rock music, a passion that he shared with his father. In addition to his beloved parents, Philip leaves to forever cherish his memory, his loving brother, Keenan Bushong of Broad Brook; the love of his life, Margaux Blau of Washington D.C.; many uncles, aunts, extended family members, including his fellow brothers of the United States Marine Corps. He was predeceased by his paternal grandparents, Norman and Eileen Bushong; his maternal grandparents, Glen and Clara Benedict ; his paternal aunt, Karen Bushong; and his maternal cousin, Felicia Benedict.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday (May 1) at 11 a.m. in the chapel of Colonial Forastiere Funeral Home, 985 Main St.,(413) 786-2600, Agawam. Friends are asked to arrive at the funeral home for 10:30 a.m. Philip will then be laid to rest with full military honors, in the Massachusetts Veterans' Memorial Cemetery, 1390 Main St., Agawam. Visiting hours in the funeral home will take place on Monday (April 30) from 4-8 p.m. For those who prefer, expressions of sympathy may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, in Memory of Lance Corporal Philip M. Bushong, USMC. Address information will be available at the funeral home. www.forastierefuneralhome.com. ]]> Memorial Chapel GyBill http://www.pmimchat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3241 http://www.pmimchat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3240&goto=newpost Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:25:08 GMT Zachary Wendell McKee, 27, of Ossian passed away Sunday, April 22, 2012. He was born on January 7, 1985 to Mark and Julie (Hammond) McKee. He was a... Zachary Wendell McKee, 27, of Ossian passed away Sunday, April 22, 2012. He was born on January 7, 1985 to Mark and Julie (Hammond) McKee. He was a recent graduate of IPFW after studying Political Science. He served in Iraq and Afghanistan with the U.S. Marine Corps. Surviving family include his parents; siblings, Luke McKee of Ossian, Megan (Alex) Schantz of Bluffton; grandmothers, Betty McKee of Ossian and Vera Hammond of Decatur. He was preceded in passing by his grandfathers, John McKee and Paul Hammond. A funeral service will be 1:00 pm on Saturday, April 28, 2012 at Zion Lutheran Church, 1010 West Monroe Street, Decatur, with visitation two hours prior. Visitation will also be from 12-8 pm on Friday, April 27, 2012 at Elzey-Patterson-Rodak Funeral Home, 120 West Mill St., Ossian. Burial will take place at Decatur Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, memo: Zachary W. McKee. ]]> Memorial Chapel GyBill http://www.pmimchat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3240 http://www.pmimchat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3239&goto=newpost Tue, 24 Apr 2012 04:29:24 GMT The Department of Defense announced today the death...]]>

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Staff Sgt. Joseph H. Frankhauser, 30, of Mason, Texas, died April 22 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the 1st Marine Logistics Group public affairs office at 760-763-7795.

]]> Memorial Chapel GyBill http://www.pmimchat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3239 http://www.pmimchat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3238&goto=newpost Sun, 22 Apr 2012 04:44:28 GMT Watergate figure Charles Colson has died at 80

WASHINGTON (AP) — He was described as the "evil genius" of the Nixon administration, and spent the better part of a year in prison for a Watergate-related conviction. His proclamations following his release that he was a new man, redeemed by his religious faith, were met with more than skepticism by those angered at the abuses he had perpetrated as one of Nixon's hatchet men.

But Charles "Chuck" Colson spent the next 35 years steadfast in his efforts to evangelize to a part of society scorned just as he was. And he became known perhaps just as much for his efforts to minister to prison inmates as for his infamy with Watergate.

Colson died Saturday at age 80. His death was confirmed by Jim Liske, chief executive of the Lansdowne, Va.-based Prison Fellowship Ministries that Colson founded. Liske said the preliminary cause of death was complications from brain surgery Colson had at the end of March. He underwent the surgery to remove a clot after becoming ill March 30 while speaking at a conference.

Colson once famously said he'd walk over his grandmother to get the president elected to a second term. In 1972 The Washington Post called him "one of the most powerful presidential aides, variously described as a troubleshooter and as a 'master of dirty tricks.'"

"I shudder to think of what I'd been if I had not gone to prison," Colson said in 1993. "Lying on the rotten floor of a cell, you know it's not prosperity or pleasure that's important, but the maturing of the soul."

He helped run the Committee to Re-elect the President when it set up an effort to gather intelligence on the Democratic Party. The arrest of the committee's security director, James W. McCord, and four other men burglarizing the Democratic National Committee offices in 1972 set off the scandal that led to Nixon's resignation in August 1974.

But it was actions that preceded the actual Watergate break-in that resulted in Colson's criminal conviction. Colson pleaded guilty to efforts to discredit Pentagon analyst Daniel Ellsberg. It was Ellsberg who had leaked the secret Defense Department study of Vietnam that became known as the Pentagon Papers.

The efforts to discredit Ellsberg included use of Nixon's plumbers — a covert group established to investigate White House leaks — in 1971 to break into the office of Ellsberg's psychiatrist to look for information that could discredit Ellsberg's anti-war efforts.

The Ellsberg burglary was revealed during the course of the Watergate investigation and became an element in the ongoing scandal. Colson pleaded guilty in 1974 to obstruction of justice in connection with attempts to discredit Ellsberg, though charges were dropped that Colson actually played a role in the burglary of Ellsberg's psychiatrist's office. Charges related to the actual Watergate burglary and cover-up were also dropped. He served seven months in prison.

Before Colson went to prison he became a born-again Christian, but critics said his post-scandal redemption was a ploy to get his sentence reduced. The Boston Globe wrote in 1973, "If Mr. Colson can repent of his sins, there just has to be hope for everyone."

Ellsberg, for his part, said in an interview that Colson never apologized to him and did not respond to several efforts Ellsberg made over the years to get in touch with him. Ellsberg said he still believes that Colson's guilty plea was not a matter of contrition so much as an effort to head off even more serious allegations that Colson had sought to hire thugs to administer a beating against Ellsberg — an allegation that Colson states in his book was believed by prosecutors despite his denial.

"I have no reason to doubt his evangelism," Ellsberg said of Colson. "But I don't think he felt any kind of regret" for what he had done, except remorse that he had been ineffective and got caught.

Colson stayed with his faith after Watergate and went on to win praise — including the prestigious Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion — for his efforts to use it to help others. Colson later called going to prison a "great blessing."

He created the Prison Fellowship Ministries in 1976 to minister to prisoners, ex-prisoners and their families. It runs work-release programs, marriage seminars and classes to help prisoners after they get out. An international offshoot established chapters around the world.

"You can't leave a person in a steel cage and expect something good to come out of him when he is released," Colson said in 2001.

Michael Cromartie, director of the Evangelical Studies Project at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, worked with Colson at Prison Fellowship Ministries. He said he's certain Colson's faith was genuine.

"Before he went off to prison he had a born again evangelical experience, a conversion experience," he said. It produced guffaws in official Washington, Cromartie said, but Colson demonstrated he was serious.

When Colson emerged from prison, "he had a lot of offers to do other things that would have made him a lot of money", but he wanted to serve people who had been "forgotten" in society, Cromartie said.

"I think if he's going to be remembered for anything, he's going to be remembered as a person who had a complete turnaround in his life," he said.

While faith was a large part of Colson's message, he also tackled such topics as prison overpopulation and criticized the death penalty, though he thought it could be justified in rare cases. He said those convicted of nonviolent crimes should be put on community-service projects instead of being locked up.

He wrote more than 20 books, including "Born Again: What Really Happened to the White House Hatchet Man," which was turned into a movie.

"(W)ho was I to moralize, to preach to others?" Colson wrote. "I'd botched it, was one of those who helped bring on Watergate and was in prison to prove it. Yet maybe that very fact ... could give me some insights that would help others."

Royalties from all his books have gone to his ministry program, as did the $1 million Templeton prize, which he won in 1993.

Colson also wrote a syndicated column, and started his daily radio feature, BreakPoint, which airs on more than 1,000 radio networks, according to the PFM Web site.

While he admitted he'd been wrong to do so much of Nixon's dirty work, he remained embittered at one of the sources who'd exposed the wrongdoing. In 2005, when it was revealed that Mark Felt was the infamous "Deep Throat" responsible for the fall of the Nixon administration, Colson was disgusted, having worked so closely with Felt. "He goes out of his life on a very sour note, not as a hero," Colson said.

Colson, a Boston native earned his bachelor's degree from Brown University in 1953 and served as a captain in the Marine Corps from 1953 to 1955. In 1959, he received his doctorate with honors from George Washington University.

He spent several years as an administrative assistant to Massachusetts Sen. Leverett Saltonstall. Nixon made him special counsel in November 1969.

In the mid-1990s Colson teamed up with the Rev. Richard Neuhaus to write "Evangelicals and Catholics Together: The Christian Mission in the Third Millennium," calling for Catholics and evangelicals to unite and accept each other as Christians.

In February 2005, Colson was named one of Time magazine's "25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America."

Time commended Colson for helping to define compassionate conservatism through his campaign for humane prison conditions and called him one of "evangelicalism's more thoughtful public voices."

"After decades of relative abstention, Colson is back in power politics," Time wrote.

Mark Earley, a former Virginia attorney general who became president and chief executive officer of Prison Fellowship Ministries after his failed gubernatorial run in 2001, said the influence of Colson's work in his ministry is a different kind of power from what he had as Nixon's special counsel.

"Yet, it wasn't until he lost that power, what most people would call real 'power,' that Chuck began to make a real difference and exercise the only kind of influence that really matters," Earley said on BreakPoint.

"Prison Fellowship is possible only because its founder, Chuck Colson, was forced to personally identify with those people who hold a special place in God's heart: prisoners and their families."

In October 2000, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush restored Colson's civil rights, allowing him to vote, sit on a jury, run for office and practice law. Colson had a home in Naples, Fla., and Bush called him "a great guy ... a great Floridian."

Ultimately, Colson credited the Watergate scandal with enriching his life.

God "used that experience — Watergate — to raise up a ministry that is reaching hundreds of thousands of people," Colson said in the late 1990s. "So I'm probably one of the few guys around that's saying, 'I'm glad for Watergate.'" ]]> Memorial Chapel GyBill http://www.pmimchat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3238 http://www.pmimchat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3237&goto=newpost Sat, 21 Apr 2012 17:12:54 GMT Bradley “Brad” Scott Whiteman, a resident of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, NC, passed away Sunday, April 15, 2012 at the age of 25. Brad was... Bradley “Brad” Scott Whiteman, a resident of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, NC, passed away Sunday, April 15, 2012 at the age of 25. Brad was born on January 30, 1987 in Redondo Beach, CA, the son of Raymond Bradley and Emma Frances (Romo) Whiteman.

While residing with his family in Torrance, CA, Brad began school. He was full of youthful exuberance, which often earned him a front row seat, just beside the teacher, where his energies could be better directed. Brad’s boundless energy supported many after school activities including t-ball, baseball and track, music, socializing and videogames. During the winter months, Brad developed a great love for snowboarding and took countless trips to the ski lodges throughout the years. He moved to Colville in 1998 with his family and continued his education at Westover Academy. Brad also attended public schools for a time in both Colville and in Pennsylvania at McKeesport High School. He returned to Colville to finish his senior year of high school. As he grew, so did his love for snowboarding, music and dancing, video games and technology. Following high school, Brad worked at the Colville Sears before moving to Spokane. While in Spokane, he worked as a waiter at the Denny’s restaurant. Brad’s adventurous spirit then lead him to Milwaukee, WI and while there, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. Graduating from basic training in San Diego, CA he earned the distinguished position of “Company Honor Man”. Brad felt it to be a great honor to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was offered many opportunities and embraced each one with appreciation. He attended Communication Electronics School at Twentynine Palms, California and was currently serving as a Lance Corporal, stationed at the Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point in North Carolina.

Brad was an intelligent young man with great energy and drive. His charismatic character often “ignited the party” when he entered the room. Brad sought to embrace the good in all and inspire those in his presence. His vast knowledge of electronics made him a great student and excellent instructor in the field of technology. He shared his dynamic nature and infectious love for life with family, friends and anyone in his presence.

He is survived by his mother, Emma Romo, Colville, WA; father, Raymond Whiteman, San Marcos, CA; brother, David Whitford, Colville, WA; sisters, Kelli Watts and husband, Alan, Spokane, WA, Alison Whitford, Colville, WA; grandparents, Oscar and Evelyn Romo, Colville, WA, Ray Whiteman, San Marcos, CA, Ruth Birchall, Mc Keesport, PA; uncles, Lee Duke, Newport, WA, Mike Romo, San Diego, CA, Robert Romo, Long Beach, CA, James P. Romo and wife, Holly, Ramona, CA, Joe Whiteman and wife Debbie, Bishopville, MD; aunts, Terri Baker and husband James, PA, Irene Heckenstaller, PA, numerous cousins and extended family.

The funeral service for LCpl Bradley Whiteman will begin at 11:00 a.m., Friday, March 27, 2012 at the St. John’s Episcopal Church, 2000 E. Hawthorne Ave., Colville, WA 99114. The graveside service will follow at the Calvary Cemetery, Colville, WA. Pastor Robert Andrews officiating. Please visit the on-line memorial and sign the guestbook at www.danekasfuneralchapel.com. Danekas Funeral Chapel & Crematory is entrusted with the arrangements. ]]> Memorial Chapel GyBill http://www.pmimchat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3237