JohnHowerton.com

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with an armed enemy near Baghdad International Airport, Baghdad, Iraq on 4 April 2003. On that day, Sergeant First Class Smith was engaged in the construction of a prisoner of war holding area when his Task Force was violently attacked by a company-sized enemy force. Realizing the vulnerability of over 100 fellow soldiers, Sergeant First Class Smith quickly organized a hasty defense consisting of two platoons of soldiers, one Bradley Fighting Vehicle and three armored personnel carriers. As the fight developed, Sergeant First Class Smith braved hostile enemy fire to personally engage the enemy with hand grenades and anti-tank weapons, and organized the evacuation of three wounded soldiers from an armored personnel carrier struck by a rocket propelled grenade and a 60mm mortar round. Fearing the enemy would overrun their defenses, Sergeant First Class Smith moved under withering enemy fire to man a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on a damaged armored personnel carrier. In total disregard for his own life, he maintained his exposed position in order to engage the attacking enemy force. During this action, he was mortally wounded. His courageous actions helped defeat the enemy attack, and resulted in as many as 50 enemy soldiers killed, while allowing the safe withdrawal of numerous wounded soldiers. Sergeant First Class Smith’s extraordinary heroism and uncommon valor are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the Third Infantry Division “Rock of the Marne,” and the United States Army.

The US Army has a site dedicated to SFC Paul R. Smith (here) .

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Rifle Squad Leader, 4th Platoon, Company K, Third Battalion, Seventh Marines (Reinforced), Regimental Combat Team 7, First Marine Division (Reinforced), on 14 April 2004. Corporal Dunham’s squad was conducting a reconnaissance mission in the town of Karabilah, Iraq, when they heard rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire erupt approximately two kilometers to the west. Corporal Dunham led his Combined Anti-Armor Team towards the engagement to provide fire support to their Battalion Commander’s convoy, which had been ambushed as it was traveling to Camp Husaybah. As Corporal Dunham and his Marines advanced, they quickly began to receive enemy fire. Corporal Dunham ordered his squad to dismount their vehicles and led one of his fire teams on foot several blocks south of the ambushed convoy. Discovering seven Iraqi vehicles in a column attempting to depart, Corporal Dunham and his team stopped the vehicles to search them for weapons. As they approached the vehicles, an insurgent leaped out and attacked Corporal Dunham. Corporal Dunham wrestled the insurgent to the ground and in the ensuing struggle saw the insurgent release a grenade. Corporal Dunham immediately alerted his fellow Marines to the threat. Aware of the imminent danger and without hesitation, Corporal Dunham covered the grenade with his helmet and body, bearing the brunt of the explosion and shielding his Marines from the blast. In an ultimate and selfless act of bravery in which he was mortally wounded, he saved the lives of at least two fellow Marines. By his undaunted courage, intrepid fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty, Corporal Dunham gallantly gave his life for his country, thereby reflecting great credit upon himself and upholding the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

His family has set up a memorial site JasonsMemorial.org

My Apologies to everyone. Due to other commitments, I have been unable to keep posting on a regular basis. Hopefully I will be returning a normal schedule and start posting as before.

Operation Ensuring Christmas was founded for the purpose of bringing a little extra joy to children who have lost a parent in Iraq or Afghanistan after 9/11. For many it will be their first Christmas without a father or a mother.

Christmas is over for this year, but it’s not too late to help.

Give2theTroops is a non-profit organization managed by caring and patriotic volunteers. They ensure that deployed U.S. military service members in all branches of the military are supported with letters and care packages to help boost their morale while wounded or in combat. Absolutely 100% of their proceeds go to the troops.

Begun in 2000 under the auspices of the Intrepid Museum Foundation, and established as an independent not-for-profit organization in 2003, the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund has provided close to $60 million in support for the families of military personnel lost in service to our nation, and for severely wounded military personnel and veterans.

From the WilsonElectronics.com site:

Works great on trucks, RV’s, cars, boats, homes, or almost any other application. No ground plane required – Built-in ground plane allows for use on any surface – metal, fiberglass, wood, etc. 19 inch fiberglass mast raises antenna above obstructions. Mounting options available for any application. Fits standard 3/8 inch x 24 threaded mount.

List Price: $69.95 US

Pros:
Works great mounted on the mirror. Adds about two bars to signal strength. Six months of use as of this posting, show no signs of wear.

Cons:
You will have to get an adaptor to fit your phone, but the are only ten bucks or so and  are usually carried by dealers that sell this antenna. You are wired to the antenna, so not as mobile in the truck as without. (This can be solved with either a bluetooth headset, or a mobile amplifier added to this antenna.)

I use this antenna to boost the strength on my PC5750 mobile internet card. It works the same as a cell phone.

I paid about $40 US on eBay.

Veteran Love and Appreciation Inc., exists to provide direct, essential needs to our severely wounded and disabled men and women who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Their assistance is intended to bridge the gap for these brave men and women as they transition from military service into civilian life.

My Love (yeah, I know it’s mushy) and my enduring gratitude to all our country’s HERO’s!!

American Veteran Search dedicates itself to Locating and Reuniting All Veterans with their Military Buddies, Including Allied Vets from All Wars and All Era’s, Including Family with Service Friends of our POW/MIA’s and our Fallen Warriors.

Today I gave into temptation and joined the crowd so to speak. Instead of focusing on a patriotic theme, I have decided to post reviews and opinions of information technology products. That being new gadgets and computer products. Also I will be posts reviews of trucking related products. The web sightings page was deleted to make way for these two new pages. I hope to make new posts weekly, however no promises made.