This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Author: Jonn Lilyea

  • Eddison Hermond; missing National Guardsman found

    Eddison Hermond; missing National Guardsman found

    Fox News reports the sad news that Maryland Guardsman Eddison Hermond’s body has been found in Maryland after he was swept away by raging flood waters;

    Hermond is a sergeant assigned to Camp Fretterd in Reisterstown, Md. He joined the Maryland Army National Guard in 2009 after serving in the Air Force for more than a decade.

    Kate Bowman told the Baltimore Sun that Hermond was trying to pull her to safety when he “washed away.”

    “I could barely see anything and I could barely hear anything,” Bowman, 41, told the newspaper. “He stepped over the ledge to try to get to me, and he was washed away.”

    Bowman said she fled her shop, Clipper’s Canine Café, with her cat through a window because the rainwater flooded the area. The water was waist-high when Hermond spotted her.

    Bowman said the rescue “had nothing to do” with her cat.

    “He was trying to save me,” Bowman said. “He’s a hero.”

  • Phil Haberman booted from US bases in Jordan

    Phil Haberman booted from US bases in Jordan

    When we last talked about Phil “Drager” Haberman, known in some circles as GI Jerk, he was farting around in Houston, Texas telling tall tales to hurricane victims, as if they haven’t suffered enough already. Today we learn that he has been trying to rescue stray animals in Jordan under the auspices of his organization. According to our sources, he would run around trapping dogs and cats, charging 4-500 JD (500 JOD = 705.22 USD) a piece to vaccinate and send animals home.

    Apparently, he has been wandering around Jordan with an expired CAC card, and the military folks got tired of him;

    Maybe this will give him something to do besides send me messages through our Facebook page.

  • Lance Corporal Jimmy Reddington honored at home in Scranton

    Lance Corporal Jimmy Reddington honored at home in Scranton

    Lance Corporal Jimmy Reddington was honored by students at George Bancroft Elementary School in his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, according to Pennsylvania Homepage.

    At the age of 19, Reddington was killed and his friends have now made it their mission to make sure he’s never forgotten.

    Students from George Bancroft Elementary School sang patriotic songs Thursday to honor someone they’ve never met.

    Long before the students were even born, Jimmy Reddington, who used to walk the same halls, was killed in action on March 23, 1967 in the Vietnam War.

    “This is his dogtag. I wear it everyday,” friend Bob Worra said.

    Bob Worra served with Reddington. He now lives in Florida.

    The student service had him emotional.

    “It was beautiful. I got a few tears, just to see the kids, it was worth the trip up from Tampa,” Worra said.

    Reddington was shot and killed at the age of 19 while charging at the enemy.

    His fellow Marines say he was angry because he thought his friend Joe Silvestri had been killed but he had just been knocked unconscious.

    Silvestri attended Thursday’s service.

    Thanks to Sonny’s Mom for the tip.

  • Costa Fotopoulos’ Memorial Day

    Costa Fotopoulos’ Memorial Day

    Costa Fotopoulos, AKA CONSTANTINOS FOTOPOULOS, last known to live in Flushing, New York, born 11/24/1967, was enjoying himself on the social media yesterday. For clarification, there is no record of his service;

  • Atlanta Braves fan steps up

    Atlanta Braves fan steps up

    According to WSB-TV, an Atlanta Braves fan held an umbrella over a JROTC cadet while that student was honoring POWs and MIAs;

    The image was taken during the recognition of the POW-MIA Chair of Honor in the third inning at Suntrust Park. The chair sits empty to help people remember that even though our soldiers who were prisoners of war or declared missing in action are not here, there is still a space for them.

    During the ceremony, a Parkview High School U.S. Marine Corps JROTC member stood next to the chair in the rain. A fan wearing a red raincoat opened his umbrella and held it above the student to protect him from the rain.

    Thanks to Claymore for the tip.

  • Tuesday morning feel good stories

    Tuesday morning feel good stories

    From Worcester, Massachusetts;

    An armed robbery suspect is now in the hospital after being shot by a store clerk in Worcester.

    The suspect tried to rob the “No Name” convenience store Saturday night by threatening a customer with a knife, police said.

    The clerk then shot the suspect, according to police, who then ran out of the store.

    That suspect was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. He faces several charges.

    From Daytona Beach, Florida;

    In a Holly Hill police incident report, Heriberto Feliciano, 28, of Holly Hill, told officers that he was locking up the pizza store for the night when he was attacked by a man wearing a clown mask. Feliciano said he was hit with a wooden post until it broke and then the suspect tried to stab him with a pair of scissors, police said.

    Feliciano suffered injuries to his face and shoulder and his relatives drove him to the hospital, police said.

    Feliciano said that during the attack he was able to reach for his firearm, for which he has a concealed permit, and shot the suspect four to five times at close range, a police report states.

    Feliciano could not be reached Sunday.

    Officers arriving at the business found the suspect suffering from gunshot wounds. A police incident report indicates the suspect was laying in the middle of the parking lot of the business with a clown mask and scissors on the ground near him.

    The suspect, who was unresponsive, was transported to the Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach where he died of his injuries, Aldrich said.

  • Dr Infantry

    Dr Infantry

    Dan sends us a link from the Seattle Times which tells the story of Clinton Foriska which follows him from an infantryman in Iraq to Medical student at Pacific Northwest University.

    He’s set to graduate from the University of Washington Bothell June 10 with a near-perfect GPA. Earlier this month, he was awarded UW Bothell’s Chancellor’s Medal, given to inspirational students who overcome significant obstacles.

    And this fall, he’ll start his first year of medical school at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences, a private four-year school for osteopathic medicine in Yakima. He hopes to work with veterans living in rural areas when he graduates.

    At UW Bothell, Foriska is known for his sense of humor and get-the-work-done approach to college. “Ultimately, he’s a problem-solver,” said Heather Galindo, an instructor of biological sciences at UW Bothell.

    He had stuck to his plan, making top grades through his first two quarters at UW Bothell, when life threw him a new curve: a diagnosis of testicular cancer. Foriska had to withdraw for the fall quarter of 2017 while he underwent surgery and treatment.

    I’ve still got my plan, he said to himself. I could dwell on having cancer, but time doesn’t stop for anyone.

    Foriska returned to classes in winter 2017 and applied for admission to Pacific Northwest University. He was in class one day when his phone rang; it was the director of admissions at Pacific Northwest. In his excitement, he ran out of the class to take the call. When he came back in, he announced to his classmates that he’d just gotten into medical school. Everyone in class was thrilled.

    He calls it “one of the most exciting phone calls that I have ever received.”

    Foriska and his wife, Jamie, whom he met at a Green Lake Starbucks, will move to Yakima this fall with their son, Matthias. His brother Kyle is going to move with them to help the family settle in.

    But before that happens, on June 10, he’ll graduate summa cum laude — with the highest distinction — from the UW Bothell.

    “I feel someone’s watching over me,” he said. “I’m definitely blessed.”

  • Manning Tweets suicide note

    Manning Tweets suicide note

    The traitor formerly known as Bradley Manning tweeted out a suicide note last night;

    That Twitter post was followed by another picture of the intended method of suicide;

    Both tweets disappeared and this popped up on Manning’s feed;

    I’ve given Manning plenty of space, you’re welcome.

    Yep, let’s elect Manning to the Senate.