American Hero - Chris Kyle

Today we honor an American Hero - Chris Kyle.  He tragically died this past weekend.

Chris Kyle was born and raised in Texas.  Following his days in school he became a professional bronco rodeo rider.  But that career ended when he seriously injured his arm.

Thereafter Chris pursued the US Marine Corps.  But in the process of doing so he met a US Navy recruiter, which led him to learned about the Navy SEALs.  He went on to BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL school) and joined the US Navy in 1999.

Chris served on SEAL Team 3 and saw four tours of duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom (the second Iraq war).  He is knows to have become the most lethal sniper in American military history with 160 confirmed kills, out of 255 claimed kills.

He left the US Navy in 2009.  He went on to write a biography, American Sniper, about his time in the US Navy.  He then ran a company which provides private security and security training.  In addition, he worked with a non-profit organization that helps Veterans with a variety of disabilities.

As Chris and a friend were helping a former Marine in his recovery from PTSD, that former Marine allegedly turned a gun on them.  As a result, Chris and his friend died on February 2, 2013.

We have honored many US Military Members.  The history of our US Military is filled with American Heroes.  Chris Kyle was, is and always will be an American Hero.

Today we remember, honor and thank Chris Kyle, and every US Military Member, for your brave service.

Hurricane Sandy: Power Outages UPDATE 2

Jefferson Siegel For New York Daily News

Nearly a week later, the magnitude of Hurricane Sandy is still being felt by millions of Americans.  But thanks to many people - American Heroes, Public Safety Personnel, Police, Fire, EMS, Dispatchers, Active Military and many more First Responders - improvement and recovery is happening!

As of Monday 11/05/12 (right now), here's the number of people still without power...

TOTAL : 1,438,000 ... down from 8,428,000

New Jersey : 780,000

New York : 538,000

West Virginia : 53,000

Connecticut : 35,000

Pennsylvania : 32,000

American History - Tom Clark

We have mentioned many American Heroes:  Active US Military ... Veterans ... Injured Veterans ... Police ... Fire ... EMS ... Dispatchers ... Off-Duty Officers ... and On-Call Firefighters.

This bit of American History is a first-class reminder of US soldiers who have paid the ultimate price.

It was 1985.  Tom Clark was a 31-year old history teacher at Lake Central High School in St John, Indiana.

Lake Central High School had five graduates who were killed in Vietnam.  One of Tom's students wanted to put up a memorial to remember the dead soldiers.

Tom agreed to support the idea, but he wanted it done right.  He asked his students to interview the families of the dead soldiers and get details on their lives.  That way the memorial could include the full stories of who they were.

Since then, for the past 27 years, Tom Clark has put this same project before his students.  At the beginning of the semester he gives his students many files containing information about dead soldiers from Indiana.  The students then piece together the stories of these casualties.

They uncover photos, letters, records, articles, artifacts and telegrams.  They visit and interview the remaining friends and family of the dead servicemen.  And finally they tell the story of each soldier.

These high school students have worked on stories about deceased soldiers from World War II, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.

• They have spoken with former fiancees who did not see their loved one come home

• They have found evidence of great athletes whose potentially stunning careers did not materialize due to the war

• They have turned up medals of war that were never issued, but have fixed that by getting them issued and personally delivering them to the family

• And they have recently faced a family that is still reeling from the April 15th passing of a young serviceman - who was a 32-year old son, dedicated husband and father of a two-year old

Thanks to Tom Clark, these soldiers and their stories are being properly preserved.  And many students are realizing freedom isn't free.

Hometown Heroes - On-Call Firefighters

We have mentioned many American Heroes, including:  Active US Military ... Veterans ... Injured Veterans ... Police ... Fire ... EMS ... Dispatchers ... and Off-Duty Officers.

Today we feature On-call Firefighters.

These folks are not "Career" firefighters.  They typically have regular jobs, albeit with flexible schedules.  They respond to emergency calls as-needed and as-available.  They are often paid a daily rate to be On-call plus an additional rate for responding to calls.

So they have a lot to juggle when you think about their family events, birthday parties, holidays, social events, church activities, etc, etc!

Many times these On-call Firefighters are drawn to the department because previous generations have served the department.  So its sort of in their blood!  Jimmy Wagoner is a good example.  His father has been with the local department for 26 years.

Some times these On-call Firefighters had friends in the department.  Dustin Lucius is a good example.  He's a 30-year old pilot who is married with a newborn child.  He followed his friend, Bobby Maksymowski, into the department.

Other times these On-call Firefighters pursue the department because of the camaraderie it builds.  Chris Cates is a good example.  He joined his local Fire Department as an On-Call Firefighter to "be a part of something."

But none of them would be On-call Firefighters if they didn't love firefighting!

These folks fill an important role in the Public Safety our country enjoys!  A small to mid-size city does not usually have the budget for a fully staffed "Career" department, especially these days :-(

We want to say "THANKS" to all the men and women who fill this tremendous void and serve the public unselfishly.  We know that you love fighting fires and responding to emergencies, but we also know you make many sacrifices to be available as First Responders!

THANK YOU!!

Hero In Action - Rob Verhelst

We have brought you many American Heroes... Injured military vets, Ative military personnel, Police officers, Firefighters, EMTs, Off-duty officers, and more.

This time its Rob Verhelst - a US Air Force veteran and current Madison, WI firefighter.

But Rob has big ambitions beyond fighting fires and responding to medical emergencies.  Rob is a husband, father, motivational speaker, fitness trainer, life coach... and now he's an ambassador for the non-profit organization Code 3 For A Cure.

Code 3 For A Cure helps firefighters diagnosed with cancer, especially those facing financial hardship.  Code 3 For A Cure does this by "providing support, giving encouragement, and sharing experiences."  They also provide financial assistance to firefighters and select non-profit cancer organizations.

So what is Rob doing as an ambassador?  He's raising awareness and money!  Pretty effectively!!

Rob is competing in multiple Ironman Triathlon's.  Don't forget, the Ironman is:

• 2.4 mile swim
• 112 mile bike
• 26.2 mile marathon

But after his 2.4 mile swims and 112 mile bikes, Rob runs the 26.2 mile marathons in full firefighter gear!!  Complete with turnout gear, air tank and fire helmet!!

Seriously!

On his website - www.FiremanRob.com - he says, "Your strength is your passion."

His next event is in a few days... the Ironman World Championship in Kona, HI on October 13, 2012.

Go Rob... for the benefit of Code 3 For A Cure!!

And check out this video of Rob finishing the Ironman Wisconsin on 9/11/11 ... exactly 10 years after Rob went to NYC to personally work at Ground Zero for 8 straight days!

Off-Duty Heroes

You know we love American Heroes!!

Some serve in the US Military.  Some are Veterans.  Others are Police, Fire and EMS personnel.  Still others are Off-duty.  Like Michael Wolff, a police officer in Henderson, NV.

Officer Wolff was simply getting a Starbucks coffee when he walked into an active robbery.  A man behind the counter was emptying out the cash register with a gun in hand.

Wolff was Off-duty, but he showed his badge and his own firearm, and he ordered the robber to stop.  The robber dropped his gun and ran out the front door... err, literally through the door!

The glass broke and lacerated the robber.  But Officer Wolff arrested him and no one was injured.

These American Heroes are amazing!  They accept the risks inherent to showing up for work.  And then they keep serving the public in their own spare time!!

Reminds me of a similar story from last year.  Off-duty LAPD Officer Joe Jarrett took his wife to a restaurant in Hollywood.  He quickly realized a dangerous situation was unfolding in the kitchen - a man with a 10-inch knife was threatening a worker and had her cornered.  Officer Jarrett pulled his firearm and identified himself.  He deescalated the situation and took the man into custody.

Officer Jarrett said, "I honestly think I just did what any LAPD officer, or any law enforcement officer from anywhere would do.  I just did my job."

Another American Hero!!

Habitat For Heroes

If you've been following us for awhile, you know how much we appreciate American Heroes... people like Brad Snyder (US Navy), Randy Regan (NYFD), Kevin Killian (SoCal Police), Melissa Stockwell (US Army), Rob Jones (US Marines) and many more!!

US Military Veterans are American Heroes who make tremendous sacrifices and take on extraordinary risks for the benefit of the American public.  It only makes sense that when their service is complete, these Military Veterans should have a place to call home.

And apparently, the SCV Habitat For Heroes agrees!

Habitat For Heroes is a non-profit organization in the city of Santa Clarita (in north Los Angeles County).  Their goal is to "address the needs of those heroes who have served our nation, and all of us, with courage and honor."  The Habitat For Heroes does this specifically in the area of housing.

According to the Habitat For Heroes, roughly 80,000 US Military Veterans who served after 9/11 are spending more than 50% of their income on housing.  This situation, along with a challenging economy, has created financial hardship for many veterans, especially in the city of Santa Clarita.  Per capita, Santa Clarita has one of highest concentrations of Military Veterans.  Of the city's 250,000 residents, over 10,000 are war veterans.

So Habitat For Heroes recently announced an exciting project, in coordination with the California Department of Veteran Affairs (CalVet).

CalVet will provide $21 million for Habitat For Heroes to develop and build 87 new homes in a village dedicated to veterans.  Local veterans will then be able to apply to purchase one of these affordable homes!

This is a terrific program.  And ought to be a model for other communities to follow!

Veterans Day is coming up... on Nov 11th.  For the independence and freedom we all enjoy, our US Military Veterans deserve to be remembered and honored!!

Check out this AWESOME video about the program...