Kansas Casualties

The Donovan has been keeping track of our local casualties and posting their stories.

Please keep an eye out at Castle Arrggh for the stories of our local heroes.

Current report: Sgt Roy P. Lewsader, Jr


- May no soldier go unloved

Event and Updates

Soldiers' Angels in the Kansas City/Leavenworth area, the Patriot Guard are confirming a mission Monday, May 14th in Leavenworth for Col. Harrison, late of Ft. Leavenworth, killed Sunday in Afghanistan.

Current information can be found here along with special messages.

Those Missouri Angels near Ft. Leanard Wood, a special ceremonial roll call is being held in Waynesville, MO Friday, May 11th. Click here for info and updates.

Saturday, May 12th, Kansas City Soldiers' Angels will be meeting at American Legion Post 370 for our monthly meeting and to discuss final details for our June 3rd Poker run for the troops: Operation Aces High. We need volunteers so please make sure you join us. When we participate, we show the metro area that this organization is legitimate, dedicated and values our men and women in uniform.


Don't forget, Mother's Day is almost here. How can you support the troops and give your mother a gift worthy of her trials and tribulations with you? You can Drop and Give Her $20.

And don't forget, if you're not a member of Soldiers' Angels, you are always welcome. The more Angels the better we are able to support the troops. Over 35,000 more troops are being called up for Iraq and 4500 in Afghanistan. We need to pull together. We need the help of all of our citizens who believe that serving your nation is an honor and serving those who serve deserves our support.

- May no soldier go unloved

Local Military News: Kansas and Missouri

As a follow up to our "local heroes" post, I thought our Angels would like to know about a Ft. Riley company that is making news internationally and across the internet.

In a two part series, Michael Yon highlights the activities of 1-4 Cavalry out of Ft. Riley, Kansas.

Desires of the Heart I

Gunshots ring out at three in the morning as I write these first sentences. Gunshots, providing muse and meter for this dispatch home to America. Gunshots, three of them. The war is close.

All of the more than one hundred photos in this dispatch were taken in proximity to the three main structures visible in this photo. In the left background, smokestacks bellow columns of soot into the air. In the middle is the Church, amazingly unscathed in the middle of a war zone, and slightly to the right of that, in the background, is a minaret the enemy has used as a fighting position.

This shooting perch appears in numerous photos in the series, and in the photos where it cannot be seen, it’s always close. The 1-4 Cavalry from Fort Riley, Kansas, likely will spend the next year—and probably more—in proximity to the cross, the minaret and the smokestacks.

Read it, see the pictures and learn what our men are doing in al Qanoon to secure Baghdad.

Desires of the Heart II

Our new plan in Iraq involves our soldiers getting out more with the Iraqi people. A first test of its viability comes as a group of soldiers set out to meet their neighbors.

Don't forget, Soldiers' Angels will be talking with some great local heroes on May 4th when we join Bob Calvert and Talking With Heroes in Olathe Kansas.

Hat Tip Blackfive
- May no soldier go unloved

Local Heroes: Kansas and Missouri

I used to complain about the military not making "politics local". In otherwords, you could not find out about your local soldiers without much great effort. Well, sometime last year, they remedied that. Still, I note that the local media hasn't picked up on it. And, I would hazard a guess that a few more "search" capabilities that would allow you to find local soldiers' activities would not be amiss.

So, here I give you our first look at "local heroes" from Kansas City, Kansas, Spc Anthony Tonasket:

CAMP SLAYER – It’s inevitable that some days are forever burnt into our memories, vividly etched into the mind like a slow-motion, high-quality video. For one Soldier March 7 was one of those days.

For Spc. Anthony Tonasket, a mechanic with the 2nd Battalion, 137th Infantry Regiment, 38th Divisional Support Command, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, March 7 is a day that will always live in his memory.

While serving as a gunner on a routine combat patrol around Baghdad, Spc. Anthony Tonasket, a mechanic with the 2nd Battalion, 137th Infantry Regiment, 38th Divisional Support Command, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, an improvised explosive device detonated near the vehicle he was riding in. “The IED was buried in the berm to the left (side of the) road and was detonated not too far away from our location,” said Tonasket, a native of Kansas City, Kan.

The impact and initial blast blew Tonasket’s safety glasses and earplugs off and hit with enough power to force open his individual body armor.

“When it went off, everything went blank,” said Tonasket. “My eyes were open, but all I could see was dirt and dust. At that point, I remember thinking my chest felt light. I thought I had been injured but realized it was because my IBA was open.”

After “coughing his lungs out” from the gases in the air, Tonasket said he collapsed in the turret seat.

“I don’t remember how long I was down, but it could only have been two or three minutes,” he said.

Realizing the next several minutes were critical, Tonasket said he pulled himself together - mentally, physically and emotionally.

“I knew I needed to man my weapon and maintain my sector of fire,” he said.[snip]

“I did what I was trained to do,” Tonasket explained. “I live, eat and work with some of these guys. I may not know them, and they may not know me, but no one was going to be hurt because I didn’t do my job.”

By maintaining his bearing under fire, Tonasket likely prevented his patrol from being subject to a secondary attack and possible casualties, Eaton said.

For his actions, Tonasket was recently awarded the Purple Heart, Combat Action Badge and Army Commendation Medal with a ‘V’ device for Valor.

“Spc. Tonasket is the kind of person that we should all strive to be - totally selfless, hard working and willing to risk everything for the person next to him. I’m a better person for having known him,” concluded Eaton.

Join Soldiers' Angels and help support our heroes.


- May no soldier go unloved

KC Soldiers' Angels Welcome Home 24th Marine

Come out and show your appreciation and support for a unit of 45 Marines returning
to Richards-Gebaur from active duty in Iraq this Saturday evening, April 28th.

The Belton and Raymore Chambers of Commerce are asking you to join us as we welcome these brave soldiers back to our community. We plan to line their path along 155th Street as they return to Richards-Gebaur with cheers and signs of appreciation.
We encourage you to bring signs, flags, etc… -- Complimentary flags will also be available.

We will be closing a section of 155th Street for their arrival and have made
arrangements for parking and transportation to the "Welcome" area. Below are details on how you can participate.

Saturday, April 28th

MARINES' ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL: 6:30 - 7:00 p.m.

Belton Parking and Transportation

Parking Location: Markey Park
Buses will start loading at 6:00 p.m.

Raymore Parking and Transportation

Parking Locations: -Bank Midwest

-Community Bank of Raymore (CBR)

-Raymore City Hall

Buses will start loading at 5:30 p.m. in the CBR Parking Lot Departure at 5:45 p.m.

PLEASE JOIN US AND BE A PART OF SOMETHING BIG!

For more information call:

Belton Chamber: 331-2420 *********Raymore Chamber: 322-0599

Join Soldiers' Angels in welcoming home our wonderful troops. If you can't be there, help Soldiers' Angels continue to support such great men and women by adopting a soldier, sailor, airman or marine or donating to this great organization dedicated to serving our men and women in uniform.



- May no soldier go unloved

Local Military News: Kansas and Missouri

Missouri honored it's veterans on Tuesday, April 10th. A rally supporting the troops was held after the event to honor 50 veterans and 77 Missourians who have died since 2003.

“Supporting Troops - Past, Present and Future” echoed throughout Tuesday's events at the Missouri State Capitol.

The ninth Support Your Troops event wrapped up the day with a somber show of appreciation, including the Boone County Pipes and Drums echoing through the Capitol Rotunda, for the 77 Missouri soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the War on Terror. [snip]

A ceremony in the House Chambers presented more than 50 servicemen from all eras, military branches and components with House Resolution 768 recognizing their service.

And the Missouri Veterans Stories Project was unveiled in the Rotunda.

Past commission leadership, Patriot Guard riders, veterans of all backgrounds, state elected officials and friends and family of lost service members gathered for the various recognition events.

More on the Rally

Fifty-seven veterans, whose service stretched from World War II to the Iraq war, were individually announced and presented with a state proclamation detailing their service during a ceremony in the House chamber. Several House members, including Speaker Rod Jetton, are veterans, and two lawmakers who have served in Iraq received official recognition.

Later Tuesday, the ceremonies continued with a drill performance and an evening rally with speeches by several military and political leaders.

Bercina Garstang, who was standing with a small American flag outside the Capitol on Tuesday, said she had come, in part, to honor her son who is on his third deployment in Iraq.

Garstang said her 21-year-old son enlisted in the Marines out of high school and has been injured several times and has not been home in more than two years.

Veterans "have done so much for our country - we owe them a lot for us having our peace of mind here," she said. "We need to stand behind them."

Garstang, from Chamois, said that since her son went to war, ceremonies to thank veterans have a new meaning.[snip]

Retired Lt. Col. Les Spangler said the recognition in the morning ceremony was a long time in coming for many of the state's veterans, whose service in Korea and Vietnam has only been recognized in recent years.

"It grabs you right by the heart to think the state would stop and give recognition and appreciation," he said.

Spangler, enlisted in 1952 and graduated from officer candidate school in 1954. He served in Europe, Korea and Vietnam with the 82nd Airborne division.

He said that the current environment and controversy surrounding the Iraq war makes it especially important to thank military forces to ensure troops do not think their efforts are being ignored.

"I know what happened to me in Vietnam. When I saw that the government didn't want the war, the media wasn't all that supportive of Vietnam, it trickled down to the people, and I don't want to see that happen," Spangler said.

Wounded soldier among Tuesday's honored veterans

Robert “Weston” Schubert clutched an engagement ring in his right hand as Erica entered his room at Walter Reed Medical Center.

He held it out to slide on her ring finger.

No words needed to be spoken in that solidifying moment between the 23 year olds who have been best friends since age 9 - they couldn't have been spoken.

U.S. Army Spc. Schubert was recovering from an Iraqi sniper's fire, which went through his neck and out his mouth. But he was relieved that Erica and his family were still by his side.[snip]

On convalescence leave, Schubert was able to accept a proclamation at the Capitol on Tuesday as part of the celebration of the Missouri Veterans Commission's 75th anniversary.

Noticeably thin - he has lost 40 pounds since December - and with apparent facial injuries, Schubert's peers of the past and present gave him a round of applause as a record of his service was read aloud.

Yet, Schubert - a recipient of two Purple Hearts - noted it was the older veterans, those who were applauding him, that he admired.

“When they read that a World War II veteran was in the infantry in the German theater, that tells me he's gone through a lot,” Schubert said.

“People look at me like a hero, that's fine. But I look to them as my heroes.”

Generations of Missourians Serve

Families like the Dayringers have shared a military heritage that spans generations and branches.

Joe, Paula, their two sons, his father and his uncle all were honored Tuesday as part of the “A Grateful Nation Remembers” veterans recognition ceremony in the Missouri House Chambers.

The Dayringers were among more than 50 veterans from across the state honored as part of the 75th anniversary celebration of the Missouri Veterans Commission.

Listen to the Lessons of World War I

Ninety years ago this month, another generation of young Americans answered the call to war.

They went willingly, infused with a sense of purpose in a just cause. But they were naïve and enthusiastic and unmindful of the nature of war. Grand adventure awaited them.

The grinding horrors they experienced on the battlefields of France would soon disabuse them of those notions.

But the hard lessons learned by the generation that fought “The war to end all wars” have faded away along with the lives of those who experienced it.

Now, as another April dawns, comes news that of an army of millions mustered in 1917 and 1918 to make the world safe for democracy, only three old men remain.

Who will be left to remember what they did when the last of them passes on?

Well, we in Kansas City have that opportunity thanks to the Liberty Memorial and our National World War I Museum. It’s a chance that we should embrace.

The museum is now being considered to host a commemoration ceremony when the last of the veterans is gone. And starting later this month, the museum is helping to host a series of forums and lectures by noted historians to discuss “The Legacy of the Great War: 90 Years On.”[snip]

Although it seems so long ago, so remote from our own time, we can’t afford to forget the World War I generation.

Jay Winter, one of the participants in the Kansas City presentations, has said you can’t understand our world today without knowing that its roots are firmly planted in the Great War.

From its ashes rose the Nazi movement, the greatest evil to ever blot human history. The Russian revolution and eventually the Cold War were its progeny. And so much of the strife in the Middle East today can be traced to decisions made during the war.

It has become a cliché to say that those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it, but in so many ways that’s true.

Since 1918, humankind has proved that again and again and again

Missouri Mystery from World War II is Cleared

More than 60 years after his disappearance, Staff Sgt. Norman L. Nell finally will be memorialized.

Nell, of Tarkio, Mo., was only 21 when he disappeared in April 1944 during a World War II mission over New Guinea. He was a U.S. Army crewman on a B-24 Liberator, and his plane was altering course in bad weather and disappeared without a trace — until the wreckage was found in 2001.

Remains of the 10 crewmen had never been identified.

Until now.

The U.S. Department of Defense recently announced that remains of the 10 crew members have finally been identified.[snip]

According to the Department of Defense, Nell’s crew had just bombed enemy targets near Hollandia (now called Jayapura) and was returning to the aerodrome at Nadzab, New Guinea. Bad weather forced the aircraft to alter its course, and the crew never returned to friendly lines.

In late 2001, the U.S. Embassy in Papua New Guinea notified the Department of Defense that wreckage of a World War II bomber had been found in Morobe province. That set in motion a chain of events that, over several years, led to this week’s formal identification.

Officials even found Nell’s high school class ring, which will be sent to Schreiner.

Man Posing as a Marine gets 2 Years Probation

A St. Louis man who posed as a Marine and wore military medals not awarded to him was sentenced Tuesday to two years of probation on a federal charge.

Michael Gerald Weilbacher, 48, will also serve 120 hours of community service at a military organization and pay a $3,000 fine. He pleaded guilty Feb. 1.

Weilbacher appeared at the U.S. Marine Corps Ball on Nov. 11 wearing several medals and decorations.

Please help us support our troops. Join Soldiers' Angels and make a difference, be part of history.

- May no soldier go unloved

Local Soldiers: First Female Brig. Gen for Kansas Air National Guard

KANSAS AIR GUARD COLONEL TO BE HONORED APRIL 3 FOR PROMOTION TO BRIGADIER GENERAL RANK
Col. Deborah Rose, vice commander of the Kansas Air National Guard’s 190th Air Refueling Wing, will be pinned as a brigadier general on Tuesday, April 3. The pinning will take place during a special ceremony at 11 a.m. in the Kansas Senate chamber. Rose was confirmed by the Kansas Senate on March 20 by a 40-0 vote.

Other news of the Kansas National Guard.

- May no soldier go unloved

"Papa Guns" Retires After 30 Years

I read this article and was impressed:

The first time he retired from the Marine Corps, Master Gunnery Sgt. Kendall Phelps simply wasn’t ready to go.

But the military declared that the Vietnam veteran had served his time, with his two years of active duty and 28 years in the Marine Corps Reserve. And though his family still jokes that you could see the claw marks where he had hung on to the brick Reserve Center in Topeka, Phelps faced the reality of retirement.

Then came the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Phelps, known affectionately to his fellow Marines as “Papa Guns,” wanted to serve again. “It was just something I had to do,” he says.

He eventually would go, even serving in the same unit as his son. Their story made news worldwide.

Read the rest here.

- May no soldier go unloved
Soldiers' Angels

Local Soldiers in the News: Sgt. James from Chilicothe

Reading the AP news on what's going on with the surge to secure Baghdad, I came across an article quoting a local soldier on the status of clearing operations:

Staff Sgt. Michael James, 32, of Chillicothe, Mo., said the area in northeastern Baghdad had been targeted before but not in such force.

"This is the final clearing. We're trying to hit all the major hotspots. I don't think it has ever been cleared as fully as it will be today," said James, of the 3rd Stryker Brigade, Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

James said he wasn't surprised that the troops did find more as they hunkered down in a so-called Joint Security Station in the area for the night.

"It's never clear. These guys are going to have safe-houses all over the place. Whenever we come into one area, I'm sure they just move on," he said. "Just our presence alone is enough to push the bad guys out. They're not stupid enough to fight an entire battalion, because they will lose."

My question to the angels, is anyone supporting this Stryker Brigade?

Some Iraqis are praying that our soldiers will stop the violence:

"My friends and I who are the old women of the neighborhood went to the soldiers and welcomed them and prayed that God would help them to defeat the terrorists," said Um Sabah of the Mashtaal area in eastern Baghdad. "Although, the presence of army and vehicles is not very comfortable, we welcome it because it is for the sake of Iraq."

There was little if any resistance. Soldiers even teased one young girl about her taste in music after they found her doing homework on a couch, wearing white and pink socks with a poster of Shakira on the wall.

Some people left their doors open as the troops arrived, and little evidence of hostilities turned up other than some pictures of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, an illegal bolt action rifle and a heavyset man watching an insurgent propaganda video that he said had appeared while he was channel surfing.

Shakira? We need to send better music over there! The most important part to recognize in this story is that our soldiers, regardless of claims to the contrary, are more often than not viewed in Iraq as the deliverers of justice and defense. I've never seen a poll regarding it, but I would bet that our forces are more trusted than internal Iraq forces (ie, police, army, etc). That's both good and bad since we need these internal forces of Iraq to be trusted and capable of providing justice and defense for all Iraqis in order for our men and women to come home.

Here's the tell on the operations...

At least 38 Iraqis also were killed or found dead nationwide, including four civilians who died when a parked car bomb struck a predominantly Shiite district in central Baghdad. Only five bullet-riddled bodies were found on the streets of the capital, an unusually low number of apparent victims of so-called sectarian death squads mainly run by Shiite militias that have killed thousands in the past year.

But, it's only quiet now. It is not unusual for the terrorists and militias to lay low as troops move in and continue "kinetic" operations (ie, aggressive patrolling) since there is a higher chance that these opposition forces will be noted, engaged and killed or captured. Once our forces have settled into any sort of routine, the opposition consolidates its intelligence and begins to re-organize around those routines.

Let's hope for the continued quiet and safety of our troops.


- May no soldier go unloved