Another One Bites The Dust…

Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Private David Edwards (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on April 1, 1865, at Five Forks, Virginia. His citation reads:

Capture of flag.

Captain of the Top John Edwards (US Navy) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on August 5, 1864, on board the USS Lackawanna. His citation reads:

As second captain of a gun on board the U.S.S. Lackawanna during successful attacks against Fort Morgan, rebel gunboats and the ram Tennessee in Mobile Bay, on 5 August 1864. Wounded when an enemy shell struck, Edwards refused to go below for aid and, as heavy return fire continued to strike his vessel, took the place of the first captain and carried out his duties during the prolonged action which resulted in the capture of the prize ram Tennessee and in the damaging and destruction of batteries at Fort Morgan.

Sergeant First Class Junior D. Edwards (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on January 2, 1951, near Changbong-ni, Korea. His citation reads:

Sfc. Edwards, Company E, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. When his platoon, while assisting in the defense of a strategic hill, was forced out of its position and came under vicious raking fire from an enemy machine gun set up on adjacent high ground, Sfc. Edwards individually charged the hostile emplacement, throwing grenades as he advanced. The enemy withdrew but returned to deliver devastating fire when he had expended his ammunition. Securing a fresh supply of grenades, he again charged the emplacement, neutralized the weapon and killed the crew, but was forced back by hostile small-arms fire. When the enemy emplaced another machine gun and resumed fire, Sfc. Edwards again renewed his supply of grenades, rushed a third time through a vicious hail of fire, silenced this second gun and annihilated its crew. In this third daring assault he was mortally wounded but his indomitable courage and successful action enabled his platoon to regain and hold the vital strongpoint. Sfc. Edwards' consummate valor and gallant self-sacrifice reflect the utmost glory upon himself and are in keeping with the esteemed traditions of the infantry and military service.


He counted on Maverick to be passive. He counted wrong. And that is why Rat #7 is dead. He trapped the rat in the corner of the fence and killed it. The rat ended up wedged in the fence… I’ll admit I didn’t have a lot of fun getting it out and throwing it into the woods, but Susie was watching me so I had to man-up and do it. Word is Scooby assisted Maverick on this one, but I’m sure it was an accident on his part. He probably had no idea what they were doing… he was just trying to keep up with Maverick. Oh well, at least he tried.


Thankful Thursday

Today I would like to say how thankful I am for my cousin Alan. You will remember, of course, that Alan was my only relative smart enough to follow me to Winthrop. Anyway, the reason I am thankful for Alan is that we are always able to count on him when we need him. You see, there are times like this past weekend when we go out of town. Problem is, when we go out of town we have to leave our dogs at home. Sometimes, if we’re just gone for a day or two, we’re able to get some people to stop by and let them out… but if we’re going to be gone for an extended amount of time, we call Alan. Even though he works crazy hours for a local news station and also works some nights hosting trivia at various places, he still helps us out. He comes and stays at our house and takes care of the dogs as if they were his. I know he treats them well, because they are always happy to see him come and always sad to see him go. It might be hard to people without pets to understand, but it’s GREAT to know we can go out of town and know that the dogs are taken care of. And for the record, I’m also thankful for the people who help us when Alan can’t.

Quote of the Week

Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Lieutenant/Adjutant Nathan H. Edgerton (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on September 29, 1864 at Chapins Farm, Virginia. His citation reads:

Took up the flag after 3 color bearers had been shot down and bore it forward, though himself wounded.

Colonel Merritt Austin Edson (US Marine Corps) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on September 13-14, 1942 on the Solomon Islands. His citation reads:

For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty as Commanding Officer of the 1st Marine Raider Battalion, with Parachute Battalion attached, during action against enemy Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands on the night of 1314 September 1942. After the airfield on Guadalcanal had been seized from the enemy on 8 August, Col. Edson, with a force of 800 men, was assigned to the occupation and defense of a ridge dominating the jungle on either side of the airport. Facing a formidable Japanese attack which, augmented by infiltration, had crashed through our front lines, he, by skillful handling of his troops, successfully withdrew his forward units to a reserve line with minimum casualties. When the enemy, in a subsequent series of violent assaults, engaged our force in desperate hand-to-hand combat with bayonets, rifles, pistols, grenades, and knives, Col. Edson, although continuously exposed to hostile fire throughout the night, personally directed defense of the reserve position against a fanatical foe of greatly superior numbers. By his astute leadership and gallant devotion to duty, he enabled his men, despite severe losses, to cling tenaciously to their position on the vital ridge, thereby retaining command not only of the Guadalcanal airfield, but also of the 1st Division's entire offensive installations in the surrounding area.

Private First Class Daniel R. Edwards (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on July 18, 1918 near Soissons, France. His citation reads:

Reporting for duty from hospital where he had been for several weeks under treatment for numerous and serious wounds and although suffering intense pain from a shattered arm, he crawled alone into an enemy trench for the purpose of capturing or killing enemy soldiers known to be concealed therein. He killed 4 of the men and took the remaining 4 men prisoners; while conducting them to the rear one of the enemy was killed by a high explosive enemy shell which also completely shattered 1 of Pfc. Edwards' legs, causing him to be immediately evacuated to the hospital. The bravery of Pfc. Edwards, now a tradition in his battalion because of his previous gallant acts, again caused the morale of his comrades to be raised to high pitch.


Good news! My friends Danny (yes, that Danny) and Jen made it home ok from their vacation. Seems they got home a few days ago but didn’t think to let me know. That’s fine… it’s not like I was waiting up all night worried sick about them. Anyway, they are back safe and sound and that’s all that matters. For now.

Can anyone read the below quote and not be ready to fight? I doubt it. I know I can’t.


The I’m just sayin… Quote of the Week

We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old. – Winston Churchill