Wednesday Hero

This Week's Hero Was Suggested By Mary Ann

Wednesday Hero was started to put a face to the men and women of the American Armed Forces and what they do for us. Vary rarely has there been a member of a foreign military profiled. In fact, in the two years Wednesday Hero's been going on it's only been done once before. Here's the second.

Lance Corporal Matt Croucher
24 years old from Birmingham, England
40 Commando Royal Marines


L/Cpl Matt Croucher is not only one of the bravest men alive, he's also one of the luckiest men alive. On the morning of February 9, 2008 L/Cpl. and his unit were searching a compound near Sangin in Afghanistan that was suspected of being used to make bombs to be used in attacks on British and Afghan troops. Walking in the darkness among a group of four men, Croucher stepped into a tripwire that pulled the pin from a boobytrap grenade. His patrol commander, Corporal Adam Lesley, remembered Croucher shouting "Grenade!"

As others dived for cover, Croucher did something nobody expected. He lay down on the grenade to smother the blast. Lesley got on the ground, another man got behind a wall, but the last member of the patrol was still standing in the open when the grenade went off.

"My reaction was, 'My God this can't be real'," said Lesley. "Croucher had simply lain back and used his day sack to blunt the force of the explosion. You would expect nine out of 10 people to die in that situation." L/Cpl. Croucher was that 1/10. Not only did he survive, amazingly he only suffered shock from the blast and a bloody nose. He was saved by the special plating inside his Osprey body armor. The backpack he was wearing was thrown more than 30ft by the blast.

"I felt one of the lads giving me a top to toe check. My head was ringing. Blood was streaming from my nose. It took 30 seconds before I realized I was definitely not dead," said L/Cpl. Croucher.

For his actions that day, L/Cpl. Croucher was in line for the Victoria Cross, the highest award for a British Serviceman, but it has yet to be awarded.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

A Shakespeare Contest!

Since today is William Shakespeare's birthday and he would be 444 years old, I thought I would do a little Shakespeare Give-away!

I have a copy of Will In The World How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare by Stephen Greenblatt that I would love to give to a lucky reader!


Here are the rules:

• Leave an answer to this question in the comment section of this post: What would you write on Shakespeare's birthday card?
• The winner will be drawn randomly from my blue and white English teapot.
• The drawing will be Wednesday, 30 April 2008 at 4pm pst.
• If you would like, please feel free to tell me your favorite Shakespeare play, sonnet, poem, or line (and post it, if you want to!), or even favorite Shakespearean Insult!

Good luck!

I hope good luck lies in odd numbers. There is divinity in odd numbers, either in nativity, chance, or death.
-William Shakespeare
The Merry Wives of Windsor. Act v. Sc.

Happy Birthday, Shakespeare!

Today is the great William Shakespeare's birthday and the Feast Day of England's patron Saint, St. George!

Happy Birthday, Shakespeare!

And,

"Cry God for Harry, England and St George!"
William Shakespeare, Henry V, Act 3, Scene 1, l. 31

Wednesday Hero

Click To Enlarge


Cpl. Markbradley Vincze gives students from al-Raqhaa School backpacks in the Monsouri area of Iraq. Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1-76th FA, 4th BCT, 3rd Inf. Div., delivered backpacks, soccer balls and notebooks.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Book Review: The Darcys Give A Ball

Elizabeth Newark's novel The Darcys Give a Ball is subtitled "A gentle joke, Jane Austen style" and it is an amusing little continuation of Jane Austen's novels. While the title focuses on the Darcys (I love the Darcys), the book largely concerns the Collins and their interactions with the Darcys.

As the back of the book says,

Whatever will Mr. Darcy say . . . when his second son falls in love with Mr. Collins's daughter; his first-born, Juliet, is almost lured into an elopement; and Georgiana's timid daughter Lucy becomes the new target of Miss Caroline Bingley's meddling?

The book is divided into a prologue and 13 chapters of varying lengths, each beginning with an appropriate Jane Austen quote. The first three chapters are sort of visits, by the reader, to Hunsford Parsonage, Longbourn, and Pemeberley. At each place, the reader learns how the lives of the inhabitants have spent the last 25 or so years, their children, thier occupations, and their plans.

Mrs. Darcy and Mrs. Bingley decide to hold a ball at Pemberley, now that their children have reached marrying age. They invite all sorts of characters from other Jane Austen novels (and some of their children) to attend: Brandons, Wentworths, Bertrams, Knightleys, Elliots, Churchills, and more. Miss Caroline Bingley is still trying to make matches. Various young people are meeting and falling in love (to the dismay or happiness of their parents). Much of the first half of the book is dedicated to preparing for and arriving at the ball. The second half of the book takes place at Pemberley and at the ball, where lots of things are happening. It was very interesting to see all the characters again, meet their children, and see which characters would pair up.

The Darcys Give a Ball is a pleasant book and a very quick read. It was enjoyable to "see" many of the familiar JA characters again and "meet" their children. As usual, any number of the children from different novels pair up by the end of the book. Most of the characters remain true to form. Elizabeth Darcy is a rather more snobbish than I would expect her to be, but mellows by the end of the novel. Mr. Darcy, however, is exactly as I would expect him to be after 20+ years of marriage to Elizabeth: a very wonderful man who, though very rich and high in the world, knows how to make everyone feel welcome.

I enjoyed reading The Darcys Give a Ball. Although it wasn't exactly as I would expect Pemberley and my favorite characters to be after years and years, I was happy to read it as "a gentle joke, Jane Austen style," and laugh at and with the characters. If you can't get enough JA adaptations, I recommend you pick up a copy of The Darcys Give a Ball by Elizabeth Newark. It is in stores now.

Book Information: The Darcys Give a Ball by Elizabeth Newark (Sourcebooks Landmark; ISBN: 1-4022-1131-7; $12.95; 176 pages; paperback)

Happy Birthday To Me!

It's my birthday! I'm 27 years old today and I have had a lovely day! This past weekend I unexpectedly got to go chaperone/work another fabulous Search retreat (like I did last year, actually on my birthday---that was the best one ever!) and it was such a blessing. Today I ended up working and they announced my birthday over the PA system (I didn't even hear it). Kids were constantly saying Happy Birthday and giving me hugs. It was so wonderful, almost like last year. I have had so many Happy Birthday e-mails and lots of cards from FOJG people on the birthday list!

I feel so blessed and loved today! Thank God for all the lovely people who took even a minute to say Happy Birthday. I can't believe I am already 27!


It is important to love oneself, so Happy Birthday to me! :)

Thank you to everyone who has said Happy Birthday, given me a hug, thought of me, prayed for me, sent me a card or e-card or e-mail or present! God bless you all!

Wednesday Hero

Maj. Mark E. Rosenberg
32 years old from Miami Lakes, Florida
3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division
April 8, 2008


Mark Rosenberg grew up in South Florida. "All boy," his aunt, Madelyn Rosenberg, remembers. "Very active, but very lovable." As long as she can recall, Maj. Rosenberg wanted a military career like his father, Burton Rosenberg, had.

He attended New Mexico Military Institute and entered the Army in 1996. Later, he met a woman, Julie, and they
married one day after his sister's wedding. He and Julie had two boys, now 3 and 22 months. They settled in Colorado near Fort Carson, where he was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division.

Maj. Rosenberg was on his second tour of duty when the Humvee he was riding in was struck by an IED in Baghdad.

"He would say he's over there to do a job," Madelyn Rosenberg remembered. "He loved what he was doing."

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Bones is Back!

One of my favorite tv shows, Bones, began again tonight at 9pm! I meant to post about it but forgot because we had a guest for dinner and I just taped the show. I watched it just a few minutes ago and it was, as always, hilarious and interesting! I am so glad it is back!

I only began watching this show last spring, but it quickly became one of my all-time favorites, with fantastic, quirky characters, fabulous plots, and excellent writing. David Boreanez and Emily Deschanel as FBI Agent Seeley Booth and Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan, respectively, are superb as the leads and have great chemistry. I wish there were more than 6 5 episodes left this season!


Are you a Bones fan?

Killer High Heels

Ah! I recently bought this pair of Worthington "London" high-heeled peep toes in blue patent at Penney's (and didn't notice until a couple of days later that they are called "London"!!!) and have tried to break them in a bit the last few days.


They are soooooooo tight! I feel like my feet are being bound in the way the Chinese used to make women bind their feet (and probably still do in some places). My poor littlest toes are squished and feel as though they are curled under.

Aren't they pretty, though? I love the blue color and the peep toe. Now if only my little toes could fit comfortably!

What methods do you use to break in new shoes?

Jane Austen, Head Writer

This short essay wonders about what it would be like If Jane Austen Wrote The Office.

Very interesting!

I love The Office

The Office is Back!

After waiting through the dreadful and pointless Writer's Strike, The Office is back tonight! The episode is "Dinner Party" and airs at 9pm on NBC. Michael and Jan invite Jim and Pam, Angela and Andy over for a dinner party and, of course, hilarity insues! I am looking forward to this!

Cutie-pie John Krasinski was on the Rachael Ray Show earlier today and it was an hilarious interview! You can see film over at OfficeTally.


Don't forget to watch!

Wednesday Hero

Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael T. Williams
(Click Image For Full Size)


Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael T. Williams, a kennel master with Task Force Military Police, 1st Battalion, 10th Marines, and his dog "Kitt", search for ordnance and firearms during a route reconnaissance operation through the western Anbar province of Iraq April 1. The dog handlers conduct operations in support of 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion to bring peace and stability to Iraq and its people.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Honoring Michael Monsoor

Today Navy Seal Petty Officer Michael Monsoor, who purposefully jumped onto a grenade to save his comrades, was honored, posthumously, with the Medal of Honor.


I caught the very end of the ceremony on tv today and it was enough to bring me to tears. President Bush presented the Medal of Honor to Mr. & Mrs. Monsoor.


You can see the video at Hot Air.

Michelle Malkin has lots of coverage and links here, including the full text of President Bush's beautiful address. Here is a portion I find especially gripping:

On Saint Michael’s Day — September 29, 2006 — Michael Monsoor would make the ultimate sacrifice. Mike and two teammates had taken position on the outcropping of a rooftop when an insurgent grenade bounced off Mike’s chest and landed on the roof. Mike had a clear chance to escape, but he realized that the other two SEALs did not. In that terrible moment, he had two options — to save himself, or to save his friends. For Mike, this was no choice at all. He threw himself onto the grenade, and absorbed the blast with his body. One of the survivors puts it this way: “Mikey looked death in the face that day and said, ‘You cannot take my brothers. I will go in their stead.’”

Perhaps the greatest tribute to Mike’s life is the way different service members all across the world responded to his death. Army soldiers in Ramadi hosted a memorial service for the valiant man who had fought beside them. Iraqi Army scouts — whom Mike helped train — lowered their flag, and sent it to his parents. Nearly every SEAL on the West Coast turned out for Mike’s funeral in California. As the SEALs filed past the casket, they removed their golden tridents from their uniforms, pressed them onto the walls of the coffin. The procession went on nearly half an hour. And when it was all over, the simple wooden coffin had become a gold-plated memorial to a hero who will never be forgotten.

For his valor, Michael Monsoor becomes the fourth Medal of Honor recipient in the war on terror. Like the three men who came before him, Mike left us far too early. But time will not diminish his legacy. We see his legacy in the SEALs whose lives he saved. We see his legacy in the city of Ramadi, which has gone from one of the most dangerous places in Iraq to one of the most safest. We see his legacy in the family that stands before us filled with grief, but also with everlasting pride.

Mr. and Mrs. Monsoor: America owes you a debt that can never be repaid. This nation will always cherish the memory of your son. We will not let his life go in vain. And this nation will always honor the sacrifice he made. May God comfort you. May God bless America.

Come on up. And now George and Sally Monsoor will be here — a Military Aide will read the citation.

The citation is read:

The President of the United States, in the name of the Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor, posthumously, to Master At Arms Second Class, Sea, Air and Land, Michael A. Monsoor, United States Navy. For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Automatic Weapons Gunner for Naval Special Warfare Task Group Arabian Peninsula, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 29 September 2006.

As a member of a combined SEAL and Iraqi Army sniper overwatch element, tasked with providing early warning and stand-off protection from a rooftop in an insurgent-held sector of Ar Ramadi, Iraq, Petty Officer Monsoor distinguished himself by his exceptional bravery in the face of grave danger. In the early morning, insurgents prepared to execute a coordinated attack by reconnoitering the area around the element’s position. Element snipers thwarted the enemy’s initial attempt by eliminating two insurgents. The enemy continued to assault the element, engaging them with a rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire. As enemy activity increased, Petty Officer Monsoor took position with his machine gun between two teammates on an outcropping of the roof. While the SEALs vigilantly watched for enemy activity, an insurgent threw a hand grenade from an unseen location, which bounced off Petty Officer Monsoor’s chest and landed in front of him. Although only he could have escaped the blast, Petty Officer Monsoor chose instead to protect his teammates. Instantly and without regard for his own safety, he threw himself onto the grenade to absorb the force of the explosion with his body, saving the lives of his two teammates. By his undaunted courage, fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of certain death, Petty Officer Monsoor gallantly gave his life for his country, thereby reflecting great credit upon himself and upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

The Navy has a beautiful tribute page to Michael Monsoor, with a schedule of events. April 9, 2008, is a 2pm (EST) Pentagon Presentation, at the Hall of Heroes, followed by a 7pm (EST) U.S. Navy Memorial Medal of Honor Flag Presentation.

The "Summary of Action" is here.
The Official Citation is here.
The Biography is here.
A Gallery of Photographs is here.

And this photo is a reminder of why we love President Bush so very much.

More coverage from Fox News here.

Thank God for Michael Monsoor. May he rest in peace. And may his family know peace and the support of a grateful nation.

RIP Audrey Caroline Smith

This brings tears to my eyes. God bless this family.

Rest in Peace, Audrey Caroline Smith.

Book Review: The Watsons and Emma Watson

A whole new round of Jane Austen-inspired books is coming out this spring, beginning, for me, with a fragment written by Jane Austen and taken in a new direction and "completed" by Joan Aiken, The Watsons and Emma Watson.

According to the Republic of Pemberley website, The Watsons,

was written by Jane Austen about 1803-1805, but was not published until 1871, as part of James Edward Austen-Leigh's Memoir (Jane Austen had left it untitled; the title "The Watsons" was provided by Austen-Leigh). It describes Emma Watson's return, after a long absence, to her family, who are on the lower financial fringes of the "genteel". She attracts the interest of a nobleman (and according to tradition in Jane Austen's family, she was later to receive and refuse an offer of marriage from him, and marry a clergyman). It is not clear why Jane Austen did not continue this fragment . . .

Though the fragment and Aiken's story are contained in one edition, I will "split" them briefly to write about Austen's story and probably spend more time explaining the characters in The Watsons, as they are also used in Emma Watson.

I confess: I had not read The Watsons before reading this edition and Aiken's take on it. It felt very odd to be reading something of Jane Austen's that was not as dear and familiar to me as the six completed novels are.

The Watsons begins with Emma Watson, newly returned to her family home, after living with a beloved aunt for 14 years, and being taken by her eldest sister Elizabeth to a nearby village, where she will stay the night with the Edwards family and attend her first ball. Emma's family is rather poor, her father is often ill, and she doesn't really know any of them, brothers Robert and Sam or sisters Elizabeth, Penelope, and Margaret. After the death of her mother, Emma had been sent to live with an aunt, who taught her fine manners and appreciation for nicer things.

As they travel to the ball, Elizabeth tells Emma about their sisters and some of the people she will undoubtedly be meeting at the ball, including the dashing and (possibly) dangerous Tom Musgrave who is "a young man of very good fortune, quite independent, and remarkably agreeable, a universal favourite wherever he goes. Most of the girls hereabouts are in love with him, or have been" (2). Apparently their sister Penelope was hoping he would look her way, but she's a bit troublesome (having encouraged Elizabeth's love to marry elsewhere in the past). Elizabeth hopes Tom dances with Emma, but does not want Emma to fall for him. Also mentioned are the Edwards, whose daughter Sam Watson is hoping to marry, but who might prefer a Captain Hunter; Lord Osborne, his mother, Lady Osborne, his sister, Miss Osborne, and their party, which Emma later learns includes a Mr. Howard, former tutor to Lord Osborne and a clergyman, his sister, Mrs. Blake, and one of her sons, Charles, who is about ten.

At the ball, Emma meets many people, dances, and is admired by the gentlemen. At one point, she shows kindness by dancing with little Charles Blake, when Miss Osborne, who had promised to dance with him goes off with another partner. Emma instantly wins the gratitude of Mrs. Blake, her brother, and the attention of Lord Osborne and Tom Musgrave.

Much of the rest of The Watsons entails Emma's interactions with these characters and her family. Her eldest brother Robert, who is quite stuffy, and his wife Jane (who reminds one of a cross between Fanny Ferrars from S&S and Mrs. Elton from Emma), come for a visit, bringing another sister, Margaret, who appears friendly but is really very petty, dislikes Emma's fine manners (though Emma does not put on airs), and hopes Tom Musgrave will fall in love with her.

The novel fragment ends with Robert and Jane wanting Emma to come for a visit, but Emma would rather stay with her poor father, who is nearing his end.

The Watsons, obviously, cuts off very abruptly, but fortunately for us, Emma Watson by Joan Aiken begins where Jane Austen left off and imagines the fates of Jane's characters. There are many twists and turns, loves and deaths. Emma begins to know her siblings better (which is not always a good thing). Emma becomes friends with Mrs. Blake and has a bit of a crush on Mr. Howard, who might become engaged to Lady Osborne. Her trying sister Penelope shows up married to an older man named Dr. Harding, who is rich, and buys a big local house, which first must be remodeled. This leads to Emma meeting a Captain Fremantle, with whom she feels an instant connection. Tragedy strikes when Emma's father dies. Emma and Elizabeth, who have no income, are to be parceled off to live with their siblings.

The story ends tidily with reunions, marriages, and just rewards. I was quite glad to read it after reading The Watsons because that fragment had no ending. Really, one hardly gets into the story before it abruptly stops. If I hadn't been able to read Emma Watson I would have been quite unsatisified. Aiken did an excellent job of taking Jane Austen's characters and developing them more fully, as characters are often developed in full-length novels. I did not like every twist and turn Aiken introduced, but I was happy with Emma's ending. She deserved nothing less.

I recommend The Watsons and Emma Watson to any Jane Austen fan or anyone who likes an interesting story. It is in bookstores now (and indeed, I saw a copy or two in one last week!) or at Amazon.com. If you read it, do come back and tell us how you liked it!

Book Information: The Watsons and Emma Watson by Jane Austen and Joan Aiken (Sourcebooks Landmark; ISBN: 1-2033-1229-1; $14.95; 256 pages; paperback)

John Krasinski on Conan!

One of my favorite actors, John Krasinski, was on the Conan O'Brien Show Friday night to promote his latest film Leatherheads. It was a very funny interview and here it is, in two parts:




The Office starts again this coming Thursday!

Great JK interview at Entertainment Weekly. And another one at the Guardian (sounds like he's an Anglophile too!---Can he get any cuter???)And another interview at TeenHollywood.com.

Thurday, 10 April, John will be on the Rachael Ray Show!!

RIP Charlton Heston

Charlton Heston, great man, great actor, great American, has died at the age of 84.

Charlton Heston received the Medal of Freedom from President Bush

My prayers are with his family.

In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen:

R. Subveníte, Sancti Dei, occúrrite, Angeli Dómini, Suscipiéntes ániman ejus, Offeréntes eam in conspéctu Altíssimi. Suscípiat te Christus, qui vocávit te, et in sinum Abrahae Angeli dedúcant te. Suscipiéntes ánimam ejus, Offeréntes eam in conspéctu Altíssimi.
R. Come to his assistance, all you Saints of God: meet him, all you Angels of God: receiving him soul, offering it in the sight of the Most High. May Christ receive you, who hath called you, and may the Angels conduct you to Abraham's bosom. Receiving his soul and offering it in the sight of the Most High.

V. Réquiem aetérnam dona ei, Dómine, et lux perpétua lúceat ei. Offeréntes eam in conspéctu Altìssimi.
V. Eternal rest give to him, Lord: and let perpetual light shine upon him. Offering it in the sight of the Most High.

Kýrie eléison.
Christe eléison.
Kýrie eléison.
[Pater noster (silently)]... Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
[Our Father (silently)].....

V. Et ne nos indúcas in tentatiónem. V. ...and lead us not into temptation.
R. Sed libera nos a malo. R. But deliver us from evil.
V. Réquiem aetérnam dona ei, Dómine. V. Eternal rest give to him, Lord.
R. Et lux perpétua lúceat ei. R. And let perpetual light shine upon him.
V. A porta ìnferi. V. From the gates of Hell.
R. Erue, Dómine, ánimam ejus. R. Deliver him soul, Lord.
V. Réquiescat in pace. V. May he rest in peace.
R. Amen. R. Amen.
V. Dómine, exáudi oratiónem meam. V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. Et clamor meus ad te véniat. R. And let my cry come to Thee.
V. Dóminus vobiscum. V. The Lord be with you.
R. Et cum spiritu tuo. R. And with thy spirit.
Orémus. Tibi Dómine, commendámus ánimam fámuli tui (fámulae tuae) N.____, ut defúnctus (defúncta) saéculo tibi vivat: et quae per fragilitátem humánae conversatiónis peccáta commìsit, tu vénia misericordìssime pietátis abstérge. Per Christum Dóminum nostrum.
Let us pray. To Thee, Lord, we commend the soul of your servant Charlton Heston, that being dead to this world he may live to Thee: and whatever sins he has committed in this life through human frailty, do Thou in Thy most merciful goodness forgive. Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen. R. Amen.

Wednesday Hero

This Weeks Hero Was Suggested By Mary Ann

Spc. Jeffrey Jamaleldine
Company C, 1st Battalion, 77th Armor


"How can I say to my sons, stand up for something, fight for what you think is right, if I don't do anything myself?"

The Jeffrey Jamaleldine that you speak to today is a complete 180 from the Jeffrey Jamaleldine that you would have spoke to in the past. In 1991, Jamaleldin was living in Germany when joined in anti-American protests on Berlin's Kurfürstendamm boulevard during Operation Desert Storm. "That was the way it was back then," he says. He was 15 and "America was simply the enemy." And today, Jeffery Jamaleldine is a wounded veteran of the U.S. Army. On June 6, 2005, after the terror bombing in Madrid, Spain, in the middle of the Iraq war, he showed up at the U.S. Army recruiting office in Little Rock, Arkansas, to enlist. His father, Bashir, told him at the time: "Son, this won't be a picnic."

On June 30, Jamaleldine was on patrol in Ramadi, Iraq. The patrol ahead of him had been ambushed by at least 70 combatants and were now under fire. During the fight, Spc. Jeffrey Jamaleldine was hit in the face by a bullet. In the end, the battle lasted into the next morning and the soldiers were able to stop the enemy from returning to Ramadi.

The article on Spc. Jeffrey Jamaleldine is five pages long, and I simply can not condense it down to only a few paragraphs. You can read the entire story here.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.