Heroes...Alive and Dead

[Ryan Ruck]

Medal Of Honor Campaign Continues For Sergeant Who Saved Troops

December 7, 2014


Army Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn Cashe died of burns three weeks after he rushed into a burning vehicle to rescue six soldiers in 2005

If he had known in 2005 what he knows today, Brig. Gen. Gary Brito would have nominated Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn Cashe for the Medal of Honor.

Brito knew in 2005 that Cashe, his uniform soaked with fuel, had plunged into a burning vehicle in Iraq on Oct. 17, 2005, to rescue soldiers who were on fire. But only months later did Brito, Cashe's battalion commander, learn the full details of Cashe's courage that day outside the city of Samarra.

Cashe rescued six badly burned soldiers while under enemy small-arms fire. His own uniform caught fire, engulfing him in flames. Even with second- and-third degree burns over three-fourths of his body, Cashe continue to pull soldiers out of a vehicle set ablaze when a roadside bomb ruptured a fuel tank.

Before all of those details emerged, Cashe was awarded a Silver Star, the military's third-highest award for valor, after Brito nominated him. But soon after learning more about Cashe's actions, Brito mounted an unusual Medal of Honor campaign that has continued for more than seven years.

If the latest batch of sworn statements submitted to the Army by Brito is successful, Cashe will become the first African American among 16 service members awarded the nation's highest medal for valor for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan. Cashe, 35, died of his burns three weeks after the bomb attack. Seven of the 16 medals have been awarded posthumously.

"You don't often find truly selfless sacrifice where someone put his soldiers' welfare before his own," Brito said. "Sgt. Cashe was horribly wounded and continued to fight to save his men."

Acts of heroism in combat typically play out in a matter of seconds or minutes. But honoring those actions with a Medal of Honor often takes years — and sometimes decades — as emerging details and conflicting accounts are evaluated.

In Cashe's case, the soldiers he rescued were unable to provide accounts of his heroism because they were hospitalized in critical condition. Other details were lost in the turmoil of a war zone.

"The true impact of what he did that evening was not immediately known because of the chaos of the moment," Maj. Gen. Joseph Taluto, one of Cashe's commanders, wrote to the Army in support of Cashe's Medal of Honor nomination.

The Senior Army Decorations Board does not comment on Medal of Honor nominations, an Army spokeswoman said, noting that vetting such nominations takes considerable time, "with intense scrutiny every step of the way." There is no timetable for a decision.

Earlier this month, a Civil War soldier, Lt. Alonzo Cushing, was awarded a Medal of Honor by President Obama 151 years after his heroics. The president approves Medal of Honor awards after recommendations are sent up the chain of command by the decorations board.

Nine years after the Iraq bomb attack, retired Sgt. Gary Mills has no doubt that Cashe deserves the Medal of Honor. Mills was inside the stricken Bradley fighting vehicle that day. He was on fire, his hands so badly burned that he couldn't open the rear troop door to free himself and other soldiers trapped inside the flaming vehicle.

Someone opened the door from outside, Mills recalls. A powerful hand grabbed him and yanked him to safety. He later learned that the man who had rescued him was Cashe, who seconds later crawled into the vehicle to haul out the platoon's critically burned medic while on fire himself.

"Sgt. Cashe saved my life," Mills said. "With all the ammo inside that vehicle, and all those flames, we'd have all been dead in another minute or two."

Four of the six soldiers rescued later died of their wounds at a hospital. An Afghan interpreter riding in the Bradley died during the bomb attack. Cashe refused to be loaded onto a medical evacuation helicopter until all the other wounded men had been flown.

A citation proposing the Medal of Honor for Cashe reads: "SFC Cashe's selfless and gallant actions allowed the loved ones of these brave soldiers to spend precious time by their sides before they succumbed."

Cashe's sister, Kasinal Cashe White, spent three weeks at her brother's bedside at a military hospital in Texas as doctors treated his extensive burns. She knew nothing of his actions during the bomb attack until a nurse asked her, "You know your brother's a hero, don't you?"

When Cashe was able to speak, White said, his first words were: "How are my boys?" — his soldiers, she said.

Then he began weeping, she said. He told her: "I couldn't get to them fast enough."

Cashe died Nov. 8, 2005.

"My little brother lived by the code that you never leave your soldiers behind," White said. "That wasn't just something from a movie. He lived it."

White says her family hopes Cashe is awarded the medal while his mother, who is 89, is still alive.

White, Mills and Brito are part of a sustained seven-year effort to honor Cashe. They have been joined by Cashe's fellow soldiers, his commanders, two high-ranking generals and a retired drill sergeant who never met Cashe but has mounted a public campaign to draw attention to the sergeant's valor.

"This is a story that needs to be told," said Harry Conner, 62, the former drill sergeant, who runs a Facebook page, "SFC Alwyn Cashe Deserves the Medal of Honor," that has 3,700 members.

"This man allowed himself to burn to death to save his men," Conner said. "To not award him the Medal of Honor would be a terrible injustice."

Brito, who is still on active duty, says he has spent the last seven years locating soldiers and obtaining sworn statements, which he has included in the latest packet he is submitting to the Army.

One statement is from Lt. Gen. William G. Webster, Cashe's division commander, who wrote: "The pain he suffered must have been unimaginable, and yet he continued to suffer in the name of saving others. I cannot remember a story that is its equal."

Taluto, who also commanded Cashe, wrote: "In all my years of service I have yet to witness or hear of such an act of bravery."

Cashe's family and supporters say they don't know why it has taken so long for the Army to decide on the nomination, but they have not raised Cashe's race as an issue. Brito says he was not even aware that no African American has been awarded the medal in the wars following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

White says she has resisted "pulling out the race card."

"He is not just a black soldier who earned the right to the Medal of Honor," she said. "He's a soldier who happens to be black."

Brito says the decorations board has been "cooperative, responsive and professional." Providing the board with the detailed documentation required has taken years, "maybe too much time on my part," he said.

He wishes he had submitted Cashe for a Medal of Honor from the beginning, Brito said, but he has no regrets.

He was focused at the time on the fragile medical condition of Cashe and other burned soldiers. He said he spent his time keeping their families informed while trying to get his soldiers home safely.

Brito says the long, demanding process has taught him that the Medal of Honor is a singular honor that should be reserved for the rare examples of extraordinary courage personified by Cashe.

For Alwyn Cashe, "the criteria of bravery and gallantry under horrible conditions has been met," Brito said. "I'll respect whatever decision is made."

[Ryan Ruck]

Good Samaritan Speaks Out After Saving Cop In Shootout

April 14, 2015

A Good Samaritan who helped an officer during a shootout with a Miami cabbie told his story of bravery.

William Ramirez is the Good Samaritan who drove a Miami police officer to safety on Tuesday after police said an angry cab driver had opened fire on the officer with an assault rifle near Northwest 4th Avenue and 79th Street.

Ramirez said the suspect started shooting a few feet from him and his car and the officer who tried to pull the suspect over hid and fired back but was outgunned.

“He came out of the car and started shooting,” said Ramirez.

Witnesses reported hearing dozens of gunshots. Ramirez opened a car door, let the officer in and sped away.

Ramirez said he drove the shaken and shaking officer several blocks to safety.

“I helped him because I thought that they were firing at him and how was I not to help him, he’s a cop,” Ramirez said.

A law enforcement source told CBS4 News that the officer has only been on the force for nine months and has a wife and young child. Ramirez said by some miracle neither he nor the officer were hit.

Police Union President Javier Ortiz said Ramirez is a hero.

“The officer’s being shot at with an assault rifle and here comes this civilian who is apparently heading to work and sees that the officer’s in trouble and put his life on the line,” said Ortiz.

Police said the suspect shot an innocent bystander at the first scene before speeding away in the police officer’s car.

North Miami Police reportedly confronted the suspect a short time later. Police said the suspect again shot at police and wounded another bystander before cops shot him.

Now, Ramirez is relieved to be home with his family and grateful that the officer he helped can be with his family too.

“The police officer said, ‘Thanks to God.’ That if it wasn’t for me he would have been dead,” Ramirez said.

The police union said they want city leaders to honor Ramirez at an upcoming city commission meeting for his actions.

As for the suspect, a law enforcement source said the cab driver suspect underwent surgery and is critical but is expected to survive.

CBS4 was also told that the suspect will likely be charged with at least two counts of attempted murder on a law enforcement officer.

Details on the shooting:

Cab Driver With A Rifle Goes On Rampage In Miami

April 14, 2015

Two shootouts involving police, a cop carjacking and a chase ended with a Miami cabbie being taken into custody.

Dramatic cell phone video taken by Hector Cordero from his apartment on Sans Souci Boulevard in North Miami showed officers in a “takedown” of the suspect, as police sirens were blaring. He also took photos of a rifle that police said the suspect used.

“It gave me goose bumps,” said Cordero. “It was very scary. I heard what sounded like firecrackers, pow, pow, pow. he came by our apartment and we looked out and saw him. Then he started shooting at the officer. I ran in the bedroom and I heard four rounds. He was shot and he fell. He was hit four times.”

Miami Fire Rescue said it began when a cab driver got upset at the cab company, located at 199 NW 79th Street, and started breaking things. He then sped off in a taxi.

A police officer in the area spotted him speeding at NW 79th Street and 4th Avenue and moved in to make a traffic stop.

A law enforcement source told CBS4’s Jim DeFede that the officer had only been with the Miami Police Department for the past nine months and had been on patrol alone for just the last three months. He is married with a young child.

“The taxi cab driver exited the vehicle and opened fire on the officer with a high-powered rifle,” said City of Miami Police Officer Frederica Burden.

Sgt. Freddie Cruz told CBS4’s Peter D’Oench that, “A gentleman came out of the rear of the taxi and there was an exchange of gunfire and the officer fired back. At any given moment, there could have been children in the area. And this was a danger to law enforcement.”

A woman passing by the scene was hit and taken to the hospital, according to police.

Broadcastify captured the dramatic moments of police radio transmissions, with one dispatcher saying,

“Shots fired in the area of 4th and 79th. Use caution. I believe the suspect took off in a patrol vehicle. The offender possibly took off in a patrol vehicle.”

“We were just pretty much trying to get everybody to take cover and duck and hide because it must have been at least 30 or 40 shots back to back to back to back,” witness Rachel Ambrose said.

As the officer returned fire and ran for cover, a person driving by in a van shielded the cop with his van. He picked the cop up and drove him to safety.

A law enforcement source identified the good Samaritan as William Martinez and said he was in his mid-40s.

“Our officer returned fire and a good Samaritan provided cover and rescued him while the offender continued to shoot at him with an assault rifle,” said Javier Ortiz, President of the Miami Fraternal Order of Police. “The Fraternal Order of Police wants to thank this good Samaritan for putting his life on the line to save one of our brothers.”

“That good Samaritan is a hero,” said Oriz. “No doubt he is a hero. He helped this officer through thick and thin in a war zone. Some people would just pick up a cell phone and take video but this man helped.”

Ortiz said he would try to see if the Miami City Commission would honor the good Samaritan with a commendation.

Detectives say the cab driver then jumped into the running police cruiser and took off.

During the chase a police car was involved in a fender bender at NW 7th Avenue and 95th Street.

With Miami and North Miami police closing in, the gunman bailed out of the car near Biscayne Boulevard and 95th Street.

The cab driver once again started shooting. During that shootout another innocent woman was hit–as well as the gunman.

The suspect was taken into custody near San Souci Boulevard and NW 115th Road at the Tropicana Apartments.

Chopper4, over the scene, showed paramedics working on him. The gunfire left a bullet hole in the wall of the complex and a bullet also struck a police car there as well.

North Miami Police spokeswoman, Natalie Buissereth, said, “While here the subject made contact with our officer and there was gunfire. Our officer returned fire, neutralizing the subject.”

The suspect was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital.

The law enforcement source told DeFede that the suspect is in critical but stable condition after surgery. It’s expected he will be charged with at least two counts of attempted murder on law enforcement officers.

The two other victims shot did not suffer life-threatening injuries.

[Ryan Ruck]

A Soldier And His Dog Were Killed. Watch What Baggage Handlers Do With Their Caskets.

March 18, 2015



There are a lot of stories about airline baggage handlers mishandling bags and belongings. Fortunately, that’s not the case for the Delta Honor Guard.

The Delta Honor Guard is a group of employees and baggage handlers at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. What they do for Fallen Soldiers is extremely touching.

In the video, they gather on the tarmac and hold a ceremony for a Fallen Soldier and his dog. Check out the people watching from inside the airport terminal. Very, very touching.

Big shout of to Delta for the respect they give to our Fallen Heroes, more airlines should do this.

[Ryan Ruck]

My brother posted this on Facebook and figured I'd share it here.

Unsung Heroes: The Lance Corporal (Now Turned Sheriff) Who Carried 7 Marines Out Of A Deadly Ambush

Running through gunfire, this Marine fought back, carried away the casualties, and drove everyone to safety.

May 7, 2015


SGT Todd Corbin

Exactly 10 years ago today, 32-year-old Marine Corps Reserve Lance Cpl. Todd Corbin hopped into the driver’s seat of a seven-ton truck to join a quick reaction force heading to the rescue of a platoon reportedly under fire near Haditha, Iraq.

Minutes later, the rescue force found itself embroiled in a devastating ambush of its own. A vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated in the middle of the four-vehicle convoy, followed by a volley of rocket-propelled grenades and machine gun fire.

Soon after the May 7, 2005, ambush began, four Marines were dead or fatally wounded, and several more were also hit and exposed to the continuing onslaught. “It was like all hell opened up — fires burning,” Corbin told NBC News.

Corbin, a motor vehicle operator with the 2nd Marine Division, steered his vehicle to block enemy fire from hitting many of the wounded, radioed the battalion for help, then dismounted to retrieve the casualties. He ran through intense enemy fire to his platoon sergeant, threw the wounded man over his shoulder, and carried him to the cover of his truck while firing his weapon with his free hand.

After that, there were plenty more Marines to carry out of harm’s way. The 16-man reaction force had instantly suffered 11 casualties.

Corbin’s citation for the Navy Cross, the second highest award a Marine can receive, explains what happened next:

He re-crossed the kill zone, made his way to his fallen corpsman, bound his wounds and began carrying him. As he began to move, the enemy engaged at close range and Lance Corporal Corbin threw himself on a wounded Marine and shielded him as friendly machine gun fire suppressed the enemy. Organizing Marines to suppress and repel the ambush, he then, on five occasions, ran through enemy fire, recovered dead or wounded personnel, and returned them to his truck.

Corbin risked his life to help his fellow Marines simply because he would expect the same from them if their roles were reversed. “It’s hard to describe,” he told Beliefnet about the heroic action, credited with keeping every Marine alive after the opening salvo. “The way I was raised is you always put yourself out for other people because there is going to come a time when you are down and are going to need someone to help you up. It is the core of my family values.”

By the time Corbin returned to the driver’s seat and pulled away from the ambush site, his truck had three flat tires and a bullet-riddled radiator. But all the wounded were safely inside, on their way to a battalion aid station five miles away.

After returning from his deployment, Corbin returned to his civilian job as a deputy sheriff with the Huron County Sheriff’s Office in Ohio, where he served as a sergeant today.

“After being in Iraq, I take one day at a time,” Corbin told Beliefnet. “I enjoy it to the fullest.”

Goddamn! Amazing job Sergeant!

[Ryan Ruck]

Rancher Bids $60K for Slain Officer’s $12,500 Service Car

May 14, 2015



When he was only 15 years old, Tanner Brownlee lost his dad, a Weld County, Colorado, Sheriff’s deputy.

Sam Brownlee was tragically killed during a shootout in 2010.

On Wednesday, roughly five years later, Brownlee’s service vehicle, a white 2010 Dodge Charger, was put up for auction.

Hoping to keep the car as a way for him and his younger brother to stay connected with their dad, Tanner went to the auction hoping for a miracle. He knew the odds were slim since he had little money to offer.

“Realizing how much this car meant to him, I understand it now, and I want to keep that and hold onto it,” Tanner told KSDK-TV before the auction.

But he didn’t win.

The car instead went to Steve Wells, a wealthy Colorado rancher, who bid $60,000, well over the vehicle’s estimated value of $12,500.

After winning the auction, Wells got up out of his seat, took the keys to car and looked at Tanner.

“Tanner, here’s your car,” he said, placing the keys in his hands.

The amazing gesture left Tanner, now a man, in tears as the room erupted in applause.

Even though Wells overpaid big-time for Brownlee’s former service vehicle, the proceeds will go to a great cause. All the money is set to benefit the Concerns of Police Survivors, or COPS, a group that provides support to the families of slain police officers.

Watch the touching moment below at around the 5:30 mark):

[MinutemanCO]

Now that's an amazing story. Got a little misty eyed, truth be told.

[Ryan Ruck]

Philladelphia Police: Gun Owner Saved Cop From Attack By Kids

February 10, 2016

POLICE ARE crediting a vigilant gun owner with saving the life of an Upper Darby cop Friday after he saw the officer being attacked and surrounded by a large group of teens.

"There were 40 kids. If it wasn't for the good Samaritan stepping forward, he'd have been dead meat," Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said. "There's no doubt they would have attacked him."

About 3 p.m. every weekday, from six to eight township police officers patrol the area near Upper Darby High School as nearly 4,000 kids pour out of the building on Lansdowne Avenue near School Lane.

Most kids and most days are good, Chitwood said.

Friday was not.

That afternoon alone, police responded to three fights in three locations near the school. When the dust settled, eight teens, ages 13 to 17, were charged with crimes, and two officers were injured so severely that it's unclear when they'll be able to return to work, Chitwood said.

The most egregious of the incidents took place on Wayne Avenue near Marshall Road, less than a mile from the high school.

An officer who broke up a fight between two teen boys that had attracted a large crowd at that location was holding one of the combatants at bay when the teen's opponent attacked the officer, Chitwood said.

"As he breaks up the fight, he takes one kid and then the other jumps [on] him. Now he's fighting two of them and he's calling for an assist officer at the same time," Chitwood said. "There's a crowd of 40 or 50 kids watching the fight, and they all move in towards the officer."

That's when the good Samaritan, who lives on the block, came out of his house with a gun in his hand and told the teens to get away from the cop, Chitwood said.

"He had the gun in his hand, but he didn't point it at the kids, he just told them to back off," Chitwood said. "If this guy didn't come out and come to the aid of the officer, this officer would have had significant problems."

The 35-year-old gun owner, who has a concealed-carry permit, kept the group of teens at bay until responding officers arrived, Chitwood said.

Not only did the officer who tried to break up the fight suffer significant hand injuries, Chitwood said, but an officer who responded to the request for backup also suffered a major injury to a leg when he was kicked by one of the teens in the fight.

The two juveniles in that fight each were charged with aggravated assault on police, riot, harassment, and related offenses. They were remanded to the Delaware County juvenile detention facility in Lima, Chitwood said.

Six more youths were arrested for fighting around the same time that day at two other locations near the school, Chitwood said; one was sent to the juvenile detention facility and the other five were released to a parent or guardian. Six of the eight arrested students attend Upper Darby High. The seventh attends Beverly Hills Middle School; the eighth goes to a school in Ridley Township.

"There's thousands of kids that walk to and from that school without a problem, but every once in a while you get these wannabe gangsters, and if they want to be gangsters, we'll treat them like gangsters," Chitwood said.

Since Friday, police said, after-school patrols around Upper Darby High have been doubled.

"Our goal is to make sure these kids get home safe," Chitwood said. "I can't emphasize it enough, but the majority of these kids are decent kids."

40 "teens"? Sounds like it's time to pull out the trunk gun with it's 75 round "crowd pleaser".

I wouldn't like wading into that situation armed with just my CCW, even with 2 reloads (they're only 5 rounds each), but I would if the trunk gun wasn't an option.

[Ryan Ruck]

Heroic US Marine Corps Service Dog Awarded Top Medal For War Animals

Lucca becomes the 30th dog in 73 years to receive the Dickin Award after losing a leg while searching for improvised explosives.

April 5, 2016



A heroic U.S. Marine Corps German shepherd that lost a leg sniffing out a roadside bomb in Afghanistan was awarded the world's highest honor for service dogs during a special ceremony Tuesday.

Lucca, who served U.S. troops during more than 400 missions in Iraq and Afghanistan over a six-year span, received the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) Dickin Medal at the Wellington Barracks in London. She is the first Marine Corps dog to receive the medal, considered the top honor for war animals around the world.

Her handler, Gunnery Sgt. Christopher Willingham, told Sky News that it was an "incredible honor" to receive the award from the veterinary charity.

"It is very humbling to be part of this entire process,” he said. “I think more importantly is that Lucca's accomplishments are going to help bring awareness and recognition to all our military working dogs and their handlers.”


Corporal Juan Rodriguez stayed with Lucca during surgery

There were no human casualties during Lucca’s bomb-sniffing patrols. Her career ended in March 2012 when she lost her leg and suffered chest burns from a bombing in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province.

Cpl. Juan Rodriguez, who was her handler at the time, stayed by her side throughout each step of Lucca’s recovery.

"The explosion was huge and I immediately feared the worst for Lucca,” he told The Telegraph. “I ran to her and saw her struggling to get up. I picked her up and ran to the shelter of a nearby tree line, applied a tourniquet to her injured leg and called the medics to collect us.”
Ten days later, after an operation, Lucca was up and walking again.

"Through all of her treatment, and despite the pain she was in, her temperament never changed,” Rodriguez said. “Her fighting spirit was plain to see and I was so proud of how quickly she recovered."

Willingham, who now takes care of Lucca in California, told Sky News that he tries his “best to keep her spoiled in her well-deserved retirement.” He traveled to London to accept the medal Tuesday.

"Lucca's conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty makes her a hugely deserving recipient of the PDSA Dickin Medal,” said Jan McLoughlin, director general of the PDSA. “Her ability and determination to seek out arms and explosives preserved human life amid some of the world's fiercest military conflicts."

Since the medal was introduced in 1943, it has been awarded to dozens of dogs and World War II messenger pigeons, as well as three horses and a cat.

Diesel, a French police dog who was killed in the raid to capture terrorists behind the deadly Nov. 13 Paris attacks, will also posthumously receive the medal this year.

[Malsua]

Dogs are truly God's gift to mankind.

Who hates dogs? Muslims.

I've found that dogs can immediately tell if someone is not trustworthy and female dogs tend to be the best judge from my experience.

[American Patriot]

While I agree with you completely, the little bastard that bit me in the rump in Maryland was an asshole. lol

[Ryan Ruck]

Agreed 100% Mal!

While I agree with you completely, the little bastard that bit me in the rump in Maryland was an asshole. lol

Well, knowing you, you probably did something to deserve it like steal it's biscuit.

[American Patriot]

I might have been hungry.

lol

Actually, he ran toward me playfully and I put my hand down like you do to let a dog sniff at you, and he snapped, I yanked my hand away (so he missed and turned away) and the little fucker bit me in the ass. His female said "Don't try to pet him". I was ready to punch her fucking lights out.

It was plainly OBVIOUS I wasn't going to pet him, and he approached me. A few minutes later she was giving him little treats telling him he was a "Good boy".

A bitch and her dog.

[Ryan Ruck]

[Ryan Ruck]

The CNN headline leaves out the heroes involved, making it seem like the victims got out on their own but read on...

Mother, 3 Children Fall From Burning Building In Incredible Escape

May 3, 2016

The scenario, captured in mobile phone footage, is a mother's nightmare.

On the fourth story of a burning building in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, a woman dangles her baby out the window as smoke billows from two floors below.

Onlookers scream and wave their hands as the 30-year-old mother holds out the terrified infant -- the child's legs kicking furiously -- before dropping her to the crowd.
Another child follows, then another, before the woman herself leaps from the window -- the only escape route.

Remarkably, all survived without injury Saturday, caught safely on blankets in a rescue effort orchestrated by passing U.S. service personnel stationed at nearby Osan Air Base.

'Please just throw the baby!'

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Daniel Raimondo told CNN he was walking to dinner Saturday when he saw clouds of smoke and set off in that direction.

On assessing the scene, he and a colleague discussed how to help and resolved to get some blankets from a nearby store.

They corralled others to help hold the blankets, then tried to persuade the mother to drop her children to safety.

First Sgt. Melanie Scott said the woman was understandably reluctant to let go of her children, ages 1, 3 and 4.

"You could tell she was scared. She didn't want to."

Raimondo said that the "last baby was the most difficult in my eyes, she just wouldn't let her go for some reason."

He said he repeatedly begged the mother: "Please just throw the baby down!"

"I remember her screaming (at) the baby, 'I love you, I love you. ...' Next thing you know she dropped the baby."

'You're alive!'

By this time, the mother had to jump.

"The smoke and the fire was just horrendous," Raimondo said.

"You could barely even see her at that point."

The woman fell more heavily than the children and hit the ground beneath the blanket, but someone had had the foresight to put cushions underneath it, he said.

"We carried her into a safe location into a salon," he said. "I just kept yelling and talking to her, 'You're alive! You're alive!' "

'She flew like Supergirl'

On Monday, the rescued family, who hail from Nigeria, met the people who saved their lives and thanked them.

"I don't know how I would explain my thanks," said the children's father, Prince Enyioko.

"I was so surprised, I see the people gathering here to rescue my family, especially the military."

Raimondo said he sat with the first child to be rescued in the aftermath Saturday and held her while her mother, suffering from smoke inhalation, sat in shock.

"I let her know that she was very brave and she flew like Supergirl. She just smiled," he said.

"It was an emotional experience. The good news is they made it through alive."

[Ryan Ruck]

I guess it really has been that long...

Last Known 9/11 Search-And-Rescue Dog Dies In Texas

June 7, 2016


In this undated photo, search dog Bretagne rests alongside handler Denise Corliss while searching Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks

The last known living search dog who helped recover victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks died in a Houston suburb at age 16.

A statement from the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service says Bretagne (pronounced like Brittany), a Golden Retriever, was euthanized at a veterinary clinic in Cypress. Her handler, Denise Corliss, told Today that Bretagne was suffering from kidney failure.

The Houston Chronicle reported that around two dozen firefighters lined the sidewalk as Bretagne was brought into the veterinarian's office Monday. An American flag was draped over the dog's body as it was carried out.

Bretagne was 2 years old when she and her handler, Denise Corliss, were part of the Texas Task Force 1 sent to the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan after two hijacked airlines brought down the Twin Towers. They spent 10 days at the scene searching rubble for human remains.

The dog and Corliss were also involved in search efforts for Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita, Hurricane Ivan and other disasters, Today.com noted.

Bretagne had lived with Corliss, a volunteer Cy-Fair firefighter, for her entire life. Bretagne retired from active duty at age 9. To celebrate the dog's 16th birthday this past September, Corliss took her to New York, where the pair visited the 9/11 memorial and Bretagne received a special key to the city.


This Sept. 11, 2002, photo shows, K9 Search Specialist Denise Corliss and her search dog Bretagne in Houston, Texas.




Bretagne was given a final salute before being euthanized.

[Malsua]

Dogs are a gift, the rainbow bridge awaits hero.

[Ryan Ruck]

Retired Marine master Sergeant Dies While Saving Drowning Teens

June 9, 2016


Master Sgt. Rodney Buentello

A man credited with saving the lives of two teens, at the cost of his own, was reportedly a Marine Corps veteran and a two-time Purple Heart recipient.

Retired Marine Master Sgt. Rodney Buentello was spending Wednesday afternoon with his family at Bandera City Park, about an hour northwest of San Antonio, when he witnessed the two teens in peril.

The Bandera Marshal's office said that one of the teens was trying to walk across a park dam illegally when she was swept away by rushing water. The other teen went into the water to help her, but he got stuck as well.

Buentello then dove in and managed to save both teens. However, he was dragged under the water and drowned before rescuers could reach him.

Buentello had served as a recruiter in San Antonio and the training chief and class instructor for Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron in Iwakuni, Japan, according to Marine Corps news releases.

Pascual Gonzales with the San Antonio-area school district said Buentello was hired as an instructional assistant at John Jay High School in San Antonio in 2013. He resigned from the school on good terms last month.

Gonzales said Buentello was also a former student at John Jay.

In addition to Beyond being a decorated Marine and educator, Buentello was described as a family man. According to a GoFundMe Page created for his family, Buentello is survived by his wife, Lisa; and three sons.

Friends and family took to social media following Buentello's death to express their condolences and admiration for the Marine vet.

[Ryan Ruck]

Godspeed Chief. Your watch is over...

FDNY Chief Who Died Responding To 9/11 Terror Attack Is Laid To Rest 15 Years Later

June 17, 2016



A heroic New York City firefighter was laid to rest Friday, nearly 15 years after he died responding to the World Trade Center attack on 9/11 and as the country mourns the victims of the latest terror attack on American soil.

Firefighters last saw FDNY Chief Lawrence Stack, 58, assisting an injured businessman as the north tower fell. His funeral was held on Long Island after his family recently found a vial of blood he donated before he was killed, The New York Times reported Friday.

Several thousand firefighters lined the street outside the Long Island church where his funeral Mass was held. New York City's mayor and fire commissioner were among the speakers.

Afterward, the casket bearing the blood vial was placed on top of a ceremonial fire truck, flanked by Stack's firefighter sons.

The strains of bagpipes filled the air as the procession departed for Calverton National Cemetery.

Stack's family had put off the funeral hoping that some trace of him would be identified from what was recovered at Ground Zero, the Times reported.

“Weeks turned into months,” son Michael Stack, a FDNY lieutenant, told the paper. “Months turned into years, Two years turned into five, turned into 10. Now it’s 15.”

A Catholic funeral Mass requires the presence of a deceased's remains and the vial of blood fulfilled that requirement, the Times reported.

Stack donated to a blood bank in 2000 when he added his name to a bone marrow donor registry.

The funeral was held on what would have been his 49th wedding anniversary.

Stack’s widow had suggested a small funeral, but the FDNY wanted the chief to have a funeral with full department honors, befitting a firefighter who dies in the line of duty, the Times reported.

The burial took place at Calverton in recognition of Stack's service in the Navy.

Lt. Stack noted the timing of the Orlando massacre.

“Who knew the war was going to come to us on Sept. 11?” he told the Times. No one knew the war was [coming]. And then we wake up June 12, and find out the war is still here.”

[American Patriot]

This is not strictly a "hero" but, he's gotten his 15 minutes of fame out of this.

He's got balls for posting his picture.

lol


This Guy Stole A TSA Bin To See How Far He Could Carry It Without Security Noticing


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BY MUSTAFA GATOLLARI
JULY 01, 2016 10:02 AM




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To hell with the TSA. Seriously, they charge $160 million for failed body scanners, have a laughably "random" search policy, failed to find a loaded gun in an Atlanta despite their idiotic wait and search policies, not to mention the constant groping of passengers, and the fact that they've failed 95% of breach safety tests should be an indication that they really, really suck at their job.
And because they're making flying worse for everybody while simultaneously providing no proof that they've actually made flying any safer (pilots and law enforcement agencies don't have a high opinion of them either), people sort of hate them.
And look for any opportunity to get back at them for their years of continued crap.

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Dude's got balls for posting a picture of himself on the internet. But then again, this is the TSA we're talking about here, it's not like they'll know how to reverse Google image search someone.

[Ryan Ruck]

Sometimes dogs are heroes to us...

Hero Family Dog Dies Saving The Life Of Little Girl In House Fire By Lying On Top Of Her And Refusing To Move, Preventing Fatal Burns

August 18, 2016

A dog is being credited with saving the life of a little girl who was trapped in a deadly house fire.

Eight-month-old Viviana Claire was inside of her house in the 6800 block of Gough Street around 10:30pm Sunday in Baltimore when her mother, Erika, stepped outside to her car for a minute and when she looked back, the house was engulfed in flames.

'I just heard her crying and I couldn't get to her,' Poremski told WBAL-TV. 'I tried really hard, everyone in the neighborhood tried. They were kicking the doors in and kicking the windows out. I couldn't (get her out). Nobody could.'


Viviana Claire's pooch, Polo, died trying to save the little girl from a house fire and lay over her body, preventing one side of it from being burned


Viviana Claire, above with Polo, was great pals with the pooch, who saved her life in the deadly fire that tragically killed the hero dog


Erika Poremski and her daughter, Viviana Claire, both suffered burns in the fire, Viviana on 20 percent of her body


'(Polo) stayed with her the whole time in the bedroom and wouldn't even come downstairs to get out the door' said mom Erika, who was devastated at the dog's loss, calling him 'my first baby'



Poremski has burned on her face and hands from where she repeatedly tried to go into the house to get her little girl but was beaten back by the raging flames.

Firemen finally were able to get to the little girl, who was inside her bedroom. What they saw there astonished them.

The family dog, Polo, was lying on top of the girl and protecting her with his body.

Pictures of the dog show a small curly-haired black pooch.

Poremski has burned on her face and hands from where she repeatedly tried to go into the house to get her little girl but was beaten back by the raging flames.

Firemen finally were able to get to the little girl, who was inside her bedroom. What they saw there astonished them.

The family dog, Polo, was lying on top of the girl and protecting her with his body.

Pictures of the dog show a small curly-haired black pooch.

'[Polo] stayed with her the whole time in the bedroom and wouldn't even come downstairs to get out the door,' Poremski said, tearfully adding, 'He was my first baby and now I lost him. And I'm just praying I don't lose her. She's all I have and it just happened so fast, I just don't understand it. I just don't know why this stuff happens.'

A family fundraiser at GoFundMe has raised $14,000 in three days. 'Polo died a hero' says the fund.

And sometimes we are the heroes for them...

Boy's Summer Spent Caring For Grandma's Dying Dog

August 15, 2016


Trevor Lilley, 10, devoted his summer to taking care of his nana's dog. Hershey, 4, was dying of cancer.

Rubbing his hand over Hershey’s head, Trevor Lilley adjusted the paws of the chocolate lab laying on his lap.

Hershey looked up at the 10-year-old boy briefly before dropping his head down again.

Hershey was mostly lying on a dog bed at the end of a couch, but Lilley had carefully squirmed beneath the dog to pet his face and shoulders.

Beverley Brown, Trevor's grandmother, watched the two as tears filled her eyes.

In June, Hershey, who had just turned 4, was diagnosed with cancer. Since that time, Brown’s grandson had cared for the dog.

“They gave us some options,” Brown said. “But none of them were good.”

Brown said she had gone on vacation in June and when she returned, the family noticed Hershey had a slight limp. At first, the family vet thought Hershey had torn a ligament, Brown said. But when the dog’s condition continued to deteriorate, additional testing revealed a cancer diagnosis.

“They showed us the X-rays and his whole pelvic bone looked like a sponge,” Brown said. “It was completely full of cancer.”

“It looked like it had dissolved,” Trevor said as he reached for a dog toy.

Brown was told Hershey’s leg could be amputated, but the dog would still require chemotherapy and his diagnosis for survival after the surgery was only eight to 12 months. The family discussed putting the dog to sleep, but the vet did not feel it was time, Brown said.

“We weren’t sure what we were going to do,” she said. “He wouldn’t eat and wouldn’t drink so we just kind of made him hospice.”

Brown, who works as a hospice nurse, said her grandson offered to spend his summer caring for Hershey who required medication 24 hours a day. He told his grandmother he would come to stay at her house while everyone was at work.

“Usually he just sleeps all day,” Trevor said.

But Trevor's return to school this week meant no one could stay at home with Hershey to give him his medicine, help him outside or clean him up after he went to the bathroom.

Seeing the dog struggling with pain, the family said it was time to euthanize Hershey and made special arrangements last Saturday for the procedure.

Sitting in their living room the day before Hershey was put to sleep, Brown and her husband openly grieved for a loss that had yet to occur.

“This dog was a holy terror when we got him,” Brown said. “He chewed everything he could chew.”

Trevor was quick to point out the corners of the coffee table and end tables that showed signs of a nibble or two.

Roland Brown, Trevor's grandfather, listed various items that had found their way into the chocolate lab’s mouth, including a remote starter for a vehicle and a television remote controller.

“He dug up the electric fence,” Trevor said tossing a red ball toward Hershey, who showed no interest in playing.

“The first year got pretty expensive,” Roland Brown said with a laugh as he brushed away at the wetness near his eyes.

“We contemplated getting rid of him,” Beverly Brown said trailing off in silence.


Hershey was on pain medications, his owner said, and had stopped eating before he was put to rest.

Lilley stayed pretty quiet during the discussion and was willing to talk about other family pets, but contributed little to the conversation about Hershey.

Ginny Brancato, founder of RainbowsBridge.com, said Trevor's silence is common for a child of his age.

Brancato, who lives in Florida, started a website for people who have lost a pet in 1998. She now has more than 20 years of offering free online grief support to people of all ages and a website with more than 10,000 pet memorials.

“I looked for someone to help me when I lost my cat FiFi, but there was nowhere to go for pet loss,” she said.

Brancato set up a grief support system that includes forums, chat rooms, tips and advice for those grieving a pet along with memorials to celebrate a pet’s life. She was touched by Trevor's care of his grandmother’s dog.

“People don’t realize how traumatic and confusing death can be to a child,” she said. “He needs permission to work through his grief.”

RainbowsBridge.com offers a number of tips for children coping with pet loss such as encouraging a child to talk freely about a pet and discussing death and dying after the pet’s death.

“It’s final and sometimes kids don’t get that,” Brancato said. “And society makes it harder for little boys to grieve because they are told not to cry. Often the first thing they ask when they do talk, is ‘why?’”

She suggested things like planting a tree in a pet’s honor and donating time at a local shelter as ways to help older children with the grieving process.

Beverly Brown said Trevor did not talk about Hershey’s death until this week.

“Yesterday, he finally asked me for details,” Beverly Brown said on Friday. “He asked me questions about the euthanasia process and how Hershey did. I said, ‘you know Trev, it was very peaceful.’”

Beverly Brown told her grandson how Hershey had licked her in the face right before a serum that ended his life was injected.

“He said, ‘Nana, he was just telling you he loved you and thank you,’” Beverly Brown said. “I told Trev, I felt like that was exactly what he was saying.”