Lest We Forget…Taking Zac: UPDATED

Why do we mourn our fallen heroes?

In the words of Harry S. Truman,

Lest We Forget

“Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid . They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices.”

A1C Zac Cuddeback was shot in the head by an Islamofascist in Germany last week. Yesterday he made his final return home to O'Fallon, Illinois.  He will be laid to eternal rest today, March 12, 2011. Officiating will be Father Bill Hitpas, who also baptized Zac just 21 years ago at St. Nicholas’s church.

He was welcomed home last evening in a procession that made it’s way from nearby Scott Air Force Base to Zac’s uncle’s house in O’Fallon. The processional route was lined with 1000 flags  provided by the VFW and placed by local townspeople.

Also lining the route as Zac came home were his airmen colleagues from the Air Force Base, a local Boy Scout Troop, and hundreds of people who just wanted to turn out to express their condolences and to offer a small thanks to Zac. Instead, to their surprise, Zac’s family thanked them for coming. These are the kind of people you’re likely to find in fly over country.

The somber military procession began  at the Air Force base and rolled slowly through town. It was headed up by fire and emergency trucks from surrounding towns and over 200 Patriot Guard Riders who  have made it their mission to accompany fallen heroes to their final resting place, and to shelter and protect the family from the likes of viral protestors from Westboro Baptist church.

Patriot Guard Riders and first responders

    

Earlier last week people, churches, businesses and schools all over town honored Zac in any way they could. To some people it might seem a perfunctory gesture and even inconsequential, especially in comparison to the sacrifice made by Zac. But imagine if Zac were your son, brother, grandson, husband, nephew or friend. You would feel otherwise. You would feel the small gesture was quite profound. And you would be grateful.

Because you would know that sometimes simply recognizing great sacrifice is all we can do.

Also in advance of yesterday’s funeral cortege, airmen and locals turned out to plant flags along the entire funeral route.

They began in the cornfields outside of town,

continued into town:

and through the suburban style neighborhoods

     

to the home of Zac’s uncle, where he laid last night.

 

If you’ve seen Taking Chance, the story of Lt. Col. Michael Strobl’s mission as a military escort accompanying the body of a fallen Marine home to his family in Wyoming, you might better understand the sense of honor and dignity that overwhelms everyone involved in delivering a fallen soldier home.

There is nothing inauthentic in this journey. People turn out simply to bow their heads and thank the selfless soldier who gave his own life to protect our values and way of life. You form the natural sort of bond that we do with our guardians. It is not one that can be manufactured of - or from - cheap emotions. Rather, it is an indelible linkage to something in our life that’s good and true.  It is at once simple and profound: a bond that requires no words to explain why we fight, and why we must.

Lest we forget.

UPDATED WITH NEW PHOTOS:

New photos filed by “Boots on the Ground” from today’s funeral for American hero A1C Zac Cuddeback. No words required. (and yes, Westboro slugs did show up, but were contained by townspeople and Patriot Guards so as not to disrupt the memorial)

Rest in Peace Brave Airman

Photos via Boots on the Ground

Cross posted on MOTUS: Michelle Obama’s Mirror

Linked By: Larwyn’s Linx on Doug Ross@Journal 

and  Cynical Synapse

Charlie Sheen: the American President

Darn. I forgot all about yesterday’s “Shut-up and Sing” post. I guess it was because this week’s subject has been covered ad nauseam for the past two weeks -and I’ll bet you’re  as sick of him as I am. But then, that is rather the whole point of “Shut-up and Sing” day, isn’t it?

Oh well, there’s no way I’m going to be winning on this one, so in lieu of any further commentary on the-actor-formerly-known-as-Martin-Sheen’s-son,  -

let me just say this:

Shut-up.

Keep drinking that tiger blood, Adonis, and maybe you, too, can be president some day. Little man.

Burglar calls 911 to report violation of his civil right to shower in your home

Dateline: Portland, Oregon. Monday March 7, 2011.

Timothy Chapek has just broken into a house, when the homeowner shows up unexpectedly. Pandemonium ensues, right?

What? Are you not paying attention? We’re in Portland, people. The city that practically invented slackers.  Home of the first U.S. medical marijuana cafe. It’s easier to pick up a nickel bag  than a quart of milk. “Laid back” is not a motto here, it’s a mandate.

I’ll let Greg Gutfeld take it from here in How Guns Work:

Last night, In Portland, Oregon, a man named Timothy James Chapek called 911. The reason: He was terrified, and in distress. He thought he was going to die, and rightly so. After all, he had an unkempt beard.

But more important, Chapak had broken into a house, and was there, in the bathroom taking a shower – when the homeowner returned. The homeowner asked Chapek what he was doing, and Chapek responded by locking himself in the john, and calling 911.

The reason? He told the 911 operator: he thought the owner, a woman, had a gun. Yep, he sought the help of law enforcement because he feared an armed lady who he just tried to rob.

The homeowner also called the cops, but the real story is the change in behavior, whenever a gun enters the picture. If someone thinks – and fears – that you have a gun, he becomes wonderfully compliant.

He called the cops. She called the cops. Nobody called the ACLU. Good to know: even slackers have standards.

The Cynical Fox News Viewer

 

From WaPo today:

With Monday's announcement that the Obama administration will resume military tribunals at Gitmo… Administration officials had some 'splainin' to do.

And so they assembled some top-notch lawyers from across the executive branch and held a conference call Monday afternoon with reporters. The ground rules required that the officials not be identified, which is appropriate given their Orwellian assignment. They were to argue that Obama's new detention policy is perfectly consistent with his old detention policy.

Orwellian indeed. A better use for Newspeak would be hard to imagine. Perhaps this explains in part the disturbing phenomenon that New York Times executive editor Bill Keller recently pointed out at a New York Press Club session:

"I think if you're a regular viewer of Fox News, you're among the most cynical people on planet Earth," Keller snarled. "I cannot think of a more cynical slogan than 'Fair and Balanced'.”

Mr. Keller’s tone seems to be dismissive, even derisive, of Fox viewers. He conjures up all of the negative definitions and connotations of “cynicism,” skepticism’s menacing big brother.

Perhaps some Fox viewers are born cynical but the vast majority of cynics are made, not born. Most of us are born optimistic and naive, willing to believe what we are told by trusted people and respected institutions. But as we mature, experience and reality intrude. We grow skeptical of charlatans and weary of liars who seem to grow bolder and more brazen with every cumulative decade. “Fool me once, shame on you”… and all that. Indeed, one man’s cynic is another man’s realist, ten years hence. 

But I wonder: how does Keller think cynics come to distrust and disparage others motives? Does he ever consider that his masthead may be a major contributor?

Does he think that lies and half truths printed as facts in the “newspaper of record” might contribute to people’s cynicism?

That the NYT is a liberal newspaper is undeniable. In 2004, it’s own Public Editor, Daniel Orkent, freely acknowledged that.

He went so far as to concede that while it’s one thing to have a point of view, it’s quite another

“to tell only the side of the story your co-religionists wish to hear. I don't think it's intentional when The Times does this. But negligence doesn't have to be intentional.”

Indeed. When news, culture and science stories convey implicit advocacy for a favored position, you’ve moved beyond the gray area of  journalism, and slipped into the yellow  – where half-truths and outright lies reside. When your readers begin to notice, they no longer trust your claim of  being “non-biased.”In fact, they no longer belief anything printed under your masthead. And yes, their experience may even make them grow cynical of “official mouthpieces.”

While your “urban” reader may remain a devout believer – and reader - your less-urban readers in fly-over will cancel their subscriptions and look elsewhere for information.

But as long as you find the Fox banner “Fair and Balanced” more cynical than the Times claim of “All the news that’s fit to print,” you’ll never get it.

And it’s only fit to print if it fits our template

Ironic, isn’t it? And you can’t get much more urban than irony, can you?

MISSING PERSON ALERT–THIS IS REAL

I just read this at American Digest: PLEASE DUPLICATE AND TRANSMIT ESPECIALLY TO READERS IN THE SEATTLE AREA:

Michelle Malkin reports that her cousin, Marizela Perez is missing in Seattle, WA.

Here’s more info Michelle is trying to spread via Facebook and Q13Fox/KCPQ in Seattle:

Michelle asks:

Seattle-area readers, can you please help get the word out — and if you or anyone you know might know anything about Marizela’s (nickname: “Em-Em”) whereabouts, please get in touch with the Seattle Police Department/UWPD or contacts listed at Facebook link above ASAP.

Marizela, if you are able to let your dad and mom know that you are okay, please contact them. You are so loved.

***

“Lahat ay magiging maayos” is Tagalog for “All will be well.”

May God make it so. Please keep my cousin and her family in your prayers. Thank you.

Please help if you are in the Seattle area and pray for Marizela’s safe return.