Happy Birthday Casey!!!!

Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Seaman John Mack (US Navy) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on March 5-6, 1865, on board the U.S.S. Hendrick Hudson. His citation reads:

As seaman on board the U.S.S. Hendrick Hudson, St. Marks, Fla., 5 and 6 March 1865, Mack served with the Army in charge of Navy howitzers during the attack on St. Marks and, throughout this fierce engagement, made remarkable efforts in assisting transport of the gun. His coolness and determination in courageously standing by his gun while under the fire of the enemy were a credit to the service to which he belonged.

Chief Boatswain’s Mate John MacKenzie (US Navy) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on December 17, 1917, on board the U.S.S. Remlik. His citation reads:

For extraordinary heroism while serving on board the U.S.S. Remlik, on the morning of 17 December 1917, when the Remlik encountered a heavy gale. During this gale, there was a heavy sea running. The depth charge box on the taffrail aft, containing a Sperry depth charge, was washed overboard, the depth charge itself falling inboard and remaining on deck. MacKenzie, on his own initiative, went aft and sat down on the depth charge, as it was impracticable to carry it to safety until the ship was headed up into the sea. In acting as he did, MacKenzie exposed his life and prevented a serious accident to the ship and probable loss of the ship and the entire crew.

Corporal John F. Mackie (US Marine Corps) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on May 15, 1862, on board the U.S.S. Galena. His citation reads:

On board the U.S.S. Galena in the attack on Fort Darling at Drewry's Bluff, James River, on 15 May 1862. As enemy shellfire raked the deck of his ship, Corporal Mackie fearlessly maintained his musket fire against the rifle pits along the shore and, when ordered to fill vacancies at guns caused by men wounded and killed in action, manned the weapon with skill and courage.


Just wanted to take a second to wish my cousin (or, cousin-in-law, I guess) Casey a very Happy Birthday! We hope she has a great day!


The I'm just sayin… Top 421 Books of All-Time Countdown

126 The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by: Michael Lewis  *This book was so good that I didn't see the movie until years after it had come out on DVD.  I didn't think there was any way the movie would hold up against the book (but I have to give it credit, it was a good movie).  This is an amazing story.*

125 Striking Back: The Munich Olympics Massacre and Israel's Deadly Response by: Aaron J. Klein  *This is why I think the US should keep Israel as a friend... Those guys don't forget anything.  I really liked reading this book.*

124 Hank Aaron: And the Home Run That Changed America by: Tom Stanton  *A great book about a great man.*

123 Dr. Dre: The Biography by: Ronin Ro  *A good book about one of the best in the music business.*

122 The Ones Who Hit The Hardest: The Steelers, The Cowboys, The '70s, and the Fight for America's Soul by: Chad Millman and Shawn Coyne  *I think this is another book I got as a gift...*

121 Runnin' Rebel: Shark Tales of "Extra Benefits," Frank Sinatra, and Winning It All by: Jerry Tarkanian and Dan Wetzel  *This book does a good job taking shots at the NCAA... which is always something I love.*
 
120 Bunts: Curt Flood, Camden Yards, Pete Rose and Other Reflections on Baseball by: George F. Will  *George F. Will can flat out write.*

119 The Roosevelts and the Royals: Franklin and Eleanor, The King and Queen of England, and The Friendship That Changed History by: Will Swift  *I've had this book for awhile before I got around to reading it... it was a great look at the relationship between the Roosevelts and the King and Queen of England during WWII.*

118 The Silver Chair by: C.S. Lewis

117 Decision Points by: George W. Bush  *I have gone on record as saying I believe George W. Bush was a good president and was the right guy for that time.  I have also gone on record as saying I think history will be nicer to him than most critics were during his time in office.  I really liked this book because it just focused on the big points of his life and time in office.*

116 Shakedown: Exposing The Real Jesse Jackson by: Kenneth R. Timmerman  *I pretty much believe everything in this book... but that might be because I'm not what some would call a "fan" of Jesse Jackson.*

115 Desecration: Antichrist Takes the Throne by: Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins

114 On Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery by: Robert Poole  *This is a great history of Arlington National Cemetery.*

113 Forever Blue: The True Story of Walter O'Malley, Baseball's Most Controversial Owner, and the Dodgers of Brooklyn and Los Angeles by: Michael D'Antonio  *This had a lot of info in it that I did not know... I'm glad I read it.*

112 Silent Coup: The Removal Of A President by: Len Colodny and Robert Gettlin  *I read this book in high school (for fun).  While their guess at who Deep Throat was has since been proven wrong, it was still a good guess (in my mind).  I have always found Nixon to be an interesting president.  I don't think he gets nearly the credit he should get.  This is the book that got me interested in Nixon.  True story, for my senior quote in my high school yearbook I used a quote from Richard Nixon (or at least part of it).  It's still a quote I like... "Always give your best. Never get discouraged, never be petty.  Always remember, others may hate you... but those who hate you don't win unless you hate them, and then you destroy yourself".