He was my HERO. He really loved the ARMY. When he went to be with our Great Father in heaven he was a CWO4, Retired He was a great american. A wonderful father.

My father Wm. C. Schroeder served in the Pacific, during WW II. He was captured off of Corregadore ,PI. and was a P.O.W. of the Japanese for 3yrs 10 months.

During that time he was wounded and tortured.

He was awarded the Purple Heart, 2 Bronze Stars, and THE Silver Star.

He never indulged to me what he did to deserve these medals, I guess he figured, his "Baby Girl" didn't need to know.

All I can say, My father was a TRUE AMERICAN HERO..and his LITTLE GIRL thought he Hung the Moon. RIP Daddy

Regretfully, I have no pictures at this time.

I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl 27 years ago this September she was my first born and I couldn't have been more proud at that moment, She was everything a mother could ask for, A beautiful healthy baby girl with lots of dark hair and BIG beautiful blue eyes. It's instant the LOVE a mother feels for her child the second they hand them to you. You just want to do everything right and hope you don't do anything wrong, you raise them to the best of your ability in hopes that they will continue to make you proud.

I will never forget the day she told me she joined the Army, I was in shock I was scared and I couldn't believe that my beautiful baby girl was now an amazing young woman who wanted to support her country, "I am so proud"

Then she tells me she is being deployed over seas serving for one year, I was so scared and worried and sad and didn't wan't to be away from my baby girl for a whole year that was a long time, I shed a lot of tears and prayed for GOD to take care of her for me and bring her home safe I'm happy to say she came home right before the Holidays. "THANK YOU GOD"

Once again she made me so proud, as she was promoted while over seas and now she is Sergeant Melissa Wittneben. I just wan't her and all of her comrades to know that I am so proud of each and everyone of them and they will always be HERO'S to me and my family.

a personal THANKS to each and every soldier that has and is serving

OUR COUNTRY "GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY'S FOREVER"

Wade Trembath served in Vietnam with the MASH unit on HWY 1 during 1967/1968. He was an only son and the last of his families line, but volunteered to serve because of his love and honor for the United States. He passed away from Lung Cancer/Agent Orange at the young age of 57. His honor and love of country is still proudly followed by his family members who have served and are still serving. The tears shed at the site of our flag and the sound of taps are those of pride and thanks for all who have and are serving this great nation and their families for their sacrifice. Thank You!

When I became a Marine in 1978, it during a phase (which I hope has long ended) in which the Corps wanted WMs (Women Marines) not to appear so "butch." So in boot camp, we were taught how to properly apply make-up, sit with legs demurely together and crossed at the ankle and never got to go to the range, never had a rifle in hand. Our motto was, get this, "To Free a Man to Fight," meaning we were there to take over on the typewriters while the guys went out and confronted the enemy. That's not to say the physical training was easy. It most definitely was not. That's not to say the DIs didn't get in your face. Their jobs were to make you physically and mentally tough and this they did extremely well. Even after all these years, whenever and if necessary, I can very easily pull up the Marine Corps attitude I was taught in boot camp and gut my way through almost anything, Still, I wish, just once, I could have carried a gun like the women on the front lines get to do today. That would've been a blast. But I can't complain. I got to carry that gun when employed by the Washtenaw Sheriff's Department and Michigan Department of Corrections, where I was hired because I was, I am and I always will be a former Marine. By the way, the picture is of my three kids, David, a college graduate, along with Ralph Jr. and Brittany, both of whom will graduate from college in May of this year. All three are as tough and smart as they wanna be. Birthed by two Marines, it was never even possible for them to turn out to be anything else.

A dual-military husband and wife simultaneously received orders; the husband was to deploy while the wife was to be stationed in Quantico, VA where she could not keep the family dog. Perplexed, the couple didn't have many options, but got lucky and eventually met a family that was willing to offer their dog a home until the couple's orders were finished. This real life scenario is what prompted the founders to establish Dogs on Deployment and inspired them to create an organization that would help other military members in similar situations.

Dogs on Deployment was founded by 2ndLt Alisa Sieber-Johnson, USMC, and LT Shawn Johnson, USN. Founded in June 2011, Dogs on Deployment is a non-profit which provides an online resource for deploying military members to search for volunteers who are willing to board their pets while they're away. Many military members are forced to relinquish their pets because of deployments and the scarcity of boarding options. DoD aims to alleviate this by providing a resource to seek help. Since their launch in June 2011, DoD has helped place over twenty pets in DoD Boarder homes and has recruited over 120 volunteer boarders across the United States. DoD operates nationwide and is open for use by all military members during deployments and training exercises.

These military members have shown true commitment to helping others through starting an organization which helps alleviate their stress during the most stressful of times.

I've been out of the Army since 1989. Over time, due to many factors including military experience, my PTSD symptoms grew more and more frequent. I went through a very traumatic time. Toward the end of my habilitation, I was asked to give my opinion about what I experienced as challenges upon discharge with a few other vets. This was to help in the forming of the Veteran's Sanctuary in Allentown, PA. Now, some 4 years later, I was able to help organize and play piano in a trio for a benefit I named "Jazz 4 Veteran's." The program included a free will offering that raised $542.00 for the Sanctuary. This is not to brag but to say moving forward in life after traumatic experiences is possible. It will never be perfect but it's better than it was.

They say a dog is man's best friend, there's a dog in Vero Beach, FL who's living proof.

Pia Pia packs a powerful punch. She senses her owner's moods, can contact ER responders if he's in danger. The service dog is a family member & a diligent worker.

"Get help!" J. Taylor shouted to his 11-lb pug, who ran to a phone on the floor & pressed paws onto the circular button, the press of that button, service dog Pia Pia dialed 911. A huge comfort for the retired Army soldier, who suffers from PTSD & hearing loss. Pia Pia is his 'saving grace.'

"Without her, I couldn't imagine my life. I'd probably be home-bound cause what I suffer. I know if I have any kind of problems, she's there," said Taylor.

When the Vero Beach resident is in a crowd, he may feel panic. Pia Pia buffers & is his companion.

"If I'm out, like in Walmart, I give her a command, & she'll circle around me to keep the people a few feet away from me," Taylor said.

To help with Taylor's hearing loss: "If someone is at the door, she'll find me and tap me, & I follow her," Taylor explained.

If the fire alarm goes off, she'll turn in circles. If he's having a nightmare,she'll lick his face to wake him.

Taylor rescued Pia Pia from Halo Rescue in Sebastian. The Vero Beach-organization "Dogs for Life" taught him how to train her. "She learns something every day, that's what DFL (raising money to build a service dog training facility in Vero Beach, for veterans) has taught us" said Taylor. It's a life he's glad to have with a friend and ally.

Pia Pia has her own room and her own wardrobe of 34 tailored outfits.

WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO READ IS A SPEECH I WROTE AS PART OF A MEMORIAL

SERVICE GIVEN BY THE CITY OF FONTANA, CALIFORNIA ON 09-11-02 TO COMMEM-

ORATE THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THAT TRAGIC DAY TEN YEARS AGO.

I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT AMERICANS CAN TAKE THE DEEPEST TRAGEDY

AND TURN IT INTO THEIR GREATEST TRIUMPH AND I HAVE LONG WISHED THAT

I COULD SPEAK TO THE FAMILIES AND FRIENDS OF THOSE BRAVE AMERICANS

ON FLIGHT NINETY THREE TO TELL THEM . . . . . TO TELL THEM . . . . .

WELL, MAYBE WHEN YOU READ THIS , YOU'LL UNDERSTAND WHAT I WOULD

SAY.

ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS A LITTLE GIRL WHO

FLEW WITH SUPERMAN EVERY WEEKDAY;

RODE WITH THE LONE RANGER EVERY SATURDAY;

AND TALKED WITH GOD EVERY SUNDAY.

SHE GREW UP BELIEVING THAT

RIGHT MAKES MIGHT -

THAT WE SHOULD ALWAYS FIGHT FOR THE UNDERDOG -

AND THAT LOVE CONQUERS ALL . . .

SO WHEN THEY KILLED HER PRESIDENT;

SHE CRIED . . .

BUT SHE STILL BELIEVED.

AND WHEN THEY SENT HER BROTHERS ANS SWEETHEARTS

OFF TO FIGHT A WAR NO ONE UNDERSTOOD;

SHE WONDERED . . .

BUT SHE STILL BELIEVED.

EVEN WHEN SHE LEARNED NEW WORDS LIKE

WATERGATE . . . AND . . . DEEP THROAT;

HER HEART GREW TIRED . . .

BUT SHE STILL BELIEVED.

THE TIME FINALLY CAME WHEN SHE BEGAN TO RAISE A FAMILY OF HER OWN.

SHE TRIED TO TEACH THEM ALL THE THINGS SHE BELIEVED IN.

BUT DRUGS AND HATE CRIMES AND DRIVE BY SHOOTINGS SEEMED TO DROWN OUT

THE SIMPLE WORDS OF HOPE SHE KEPT WHISPERING IN HER CHILDRENS' EARS.

SOMETIMES, SHE FELT LIKE SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO HELD THESE BELIEFS DEAR.

FOR A WHILE, SHE EVEN THOUGHT OF GIVING UP . . .

WONDERING IF SHE WERE A FOOL . . .

SHOULD SHE PUT AWAY HER CHILDISH BELIEFS WITH ALL THE OTHER FAIRY TALES SHE'D OUTGROWN?

AND THEN IT HAPPENED . . . . . .

AN EVIL SO UNSPEAKABLE

SHE HAD TO SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT!

A TRAGEDY SO UNBEARABLE

IT TOOK AN ENTIRE NATION TO BEAR IT!

AND FINALLY . . . . . .

ACTIONS SO COURAGEOUS

IT GAVE HER THE COURAGE TO BELIEVE AGAIN!!!

NOW . . . NOT EVERYTIME . . . BUT OCCASSIONALLY,

WHEN SHE LOOKS UP AND SEES A PLANE OVERHEAD,

SHE'S REMINDED OF THOSE BURNING TOWERS

AND THAT UNDENIABLE THREAT TO HER BELIEFS.

BUT, MOST OF ALL,

SHE IS REMINDED OF THE HEROIC LEGACY LEFT BY FLIGHT NINETY THREE'S

PILOT , CO-PILOT , 5 CREW MEMBERS AND 33 PASSENGERS

WHO SAID WITH THEIR DYING BREATH . . .

WE BELIEVE!!!!!

THANK YOU, FLIGHT NINETY THREE, FOR TURNING THE UNBEARABLE TRAGEDY INTO THE ULTIMATE TRIUMPH!!!

SINCERELY,

RENEE MONG

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