HEROES TOO ARE THE FAMILIES OF OUR TROOPS

SOME OF THE PAIN HEROES ARE FEELING
	RESERVED FOR A SPECIAL HERO
~ Marine Staff Sergeant Rick Pummill Ceremony ~ Donald Pummill age 3 touches his fathers casket.

~ Tyler Bobbitt Swisher Ceremony ~ wife Stephanie standing with the couples daughters Ashleigh, 15, and Madison, 7, and a 5-year-old son, Jacob. Mile-long final procession honors Mariemont native.	~ Tyler Bobbitt Swisher Ceremony ~ Captain, United States Marine Corps

~ Major Gregory Stone Ceremony ~ Two Sons, Alex 11 lower left and Joshua 7 far left	~ James Kiehl Ceremony ~

~ Harvey Emmett Parkerson III Ceremony ~ Son Matthew 6 With Mother Lori	Deborah Nealon, mother of Marine Corps Private First Class Jacob Spann, touches his casket following a graveside service in Lewis Center, Ohio. AP Photo

Marine Lance Corporal ~ Jeremiah Kinchen Ceremony ~ James Kinchen of Salcha, Alaska, kneels Tuesday at the casket of his son, Marine Lance Corporal Jeremiah Kinchen, during a funeral service.	Marine Staff Sergeant ~ Richard T. Pummill Ceremony ~ His wife Chantal and her father Paul Raney look on (on the right)

~ Kevin G. Nave Ceremony ~ Son Tony 6 with Teddy Bear	~ Barton Humlhanz 23 Ceremony ~

U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant ~ Jeremy E. Murray Ceremony ~ Ian Murray 5 The Son	~ Aaron Contreras Ceremony ~ Son Taylor - Youngest Son 5

~ Ronald Eric Baum Ceremony ~ Son Ron 10 With Mother Cindi	~ Bryan Kelly Ceremony ~ Mother Joan and Dad Patrick

~ Darren Cunningham Ceremony ~ Kaitlyn, 12, left, and Dean Cunningham, 15, react at the burial of their father at Arlington National Cemetery.	Senator Edward Kennedy, left, consoles Kaitlyn Cunningham, second left, Christine Kaminski, third left, and Dean Cunningham, during the funeral ceremony.

~ US Marine Corporal Jay Gee Meluat ~ Aniee Meluat right holds her 3 year old daughter Mia Cai Meluat while the girl waves goodbye to her father as his casket is lowered into the grave at the Guam Veterans Cemetery.	Marine Staff Sergeant ~ Jason A. Lehto Ceremony ~ Gunnery Sgt. Barry Baker presents an American flag to Michele Lehto, wife of Jason Lehto with his son Nathan 11 sitting next to his mother.

Jordan McDonald 9 cries by his brother's M-16 after a ceremony honoring 15 fallen Marines with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit.	Marine Corporal Cory Spencer weeps during a Service of Remembrance for nine Marines and one Navy corpsman killed in Iraq. Spencer was a close friend of one of the Marines, Lance Corporal Franklin Sweger.

Marine Lance Corporal ~ Brian Montgomery Ceremony ~ One-year-old Alex Montgomery, dressed in a U.S. Marine uniform, attends the funeral of his father, U.S. Marine Lance Cpl Brian Montgomery at the Western Reserve Memorial Gardens in Chesterland, Ohio.	The lei-draped photographs of five troops killed in Iraq — Lance Corporal Jeffery S. Blanton, Lance Corporal Blake Magaoay, Petty Officer Julian Woods, Lance Corporal Brian Medina and Sergeant Rafael Peralta — were on display during a memorial service at Marine Corps Base Hawaii

~ Sergeant Tom Houser ~ Sergeant Joe Houser pauses at the casket of his brother, Sergeant Tom Houser, following funeral services at St. Joseph Cemetery in Council Bluffs, Iowa.	~ Marine Pilot Major John C. Spahr Ceremony ~ Military pilots including Navy Captain Bill Sizemore center and Navy Cmdr Nick Mongillo who served with Marine pilot Major John C Spahr at the Top Gun school in Fallon Nevada bow their heads during memorial service for Spahr.

A Marine Corps honor guard carries the casket of fellow Marine Lance Corporal Chad R Hildebrandt after funeral services at the Maxwell High School gymnasium on Sunday afternoon in Maxwell, N.M.	Marine Second Lieutenant ~ Michael Felsberg Ceremony ~ Arlene (center) and Paul Felsberg attend a memorial service for their son.

~ John Vangyzen IV Ceremony ~ John Vangyzen III tries to find comfort in the Reverend Bob Rust, as his emotions over losing his son, John Vangyzen IV, overtake him.	~ U.S. Marine Lance Corporal Brian Buesing - 20 Ceremony ~ William Buesing III, father holds an American flag given to him by a member of a Marine color guard as he grieves over his son's coffin during funeral services.

~ Ian Zook Ceremony ~ Ian Zook's parents, Mark and Karen, watch their son's casket being placed in his grave as a Marine honor guard salutes.	Marine Lance Corporal ~ Kyle W. Codner Ceremony ~ Classmates of Kyle Codner carry the casket of their friend to its final resting place at the Shelton Cemetery. Codner graduated from Shelton High School in 2003.

It should be noted that this is as difficult for many Soldiers as it is for the immediate families as they consider each other part of a different of family.	~ Joseph M Garmback Jr. Ceremony ~ Mom Marylon and Dad Joseph Sr. (Sunglasses)

~ Lance Corporal Levi T Angell ~ In a moment of reflection Corporal William Rodriguez of Virginia Beach VA kneels and holds the identification tags hanging on the rifle helmet and boots of his dead friend Lance Corporal Levi T Angell during his memorial services.	~ Brad Shuder Ceremony ~ Reverend G. Michael Bugarin, left, accompanies the grieving Shuder family. Brad Shuder, a 2001 graduate of Oak Ridge High School, was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq.

A picture released by the US Marines shows Lance Corporal David R. Dahl saying goodbye to his best friend Lance Corporal Jeremiah E. Savage during a memorial service at camp Hurricane Point, in Iraq.	Marine Corporal ~ Jeffrey Lawrence Ceremony ~ Jeffrey's wife Celeste sits alone. The 22-year-old Marine left behind his 22-year-old wife, Celeste, who is preparing to give birth any day to their first child. The couple planned to name their daughter Cadence Freedom.

Marine Lance Corporal ~ John Lucente Ceremony ~	~ Brian M. McPhillips Ceremony ~ Father David And Mother Julie And Sister Carrie

~ William Whites Ceremony ~ relative devastated and reacts.	~ Joseph Menusa Ceremony ~ Wife Stacy Kisses His Coffin

~ David Fribley ~ Mother Linda carries the flag	~ Charles Kiser ~ Funeral Procession

~ Jesus Suarez del Solar Ceremony ~ Father Fernando leads group with casket.	~ Cody Wentz Ceremony ~ North Dakota Governor Hoeven hugs parents Kenneth & Joyce

Michael Raymond Speer Is Given A Marine Honor Guard.	~ David Fribley Ceremony ~ Honored With A Marine Guard

~ Corporal Robert Marcus Rodriguez Ceremony ~ Amaryllis Hernandez second from right the mother of US Marine is aided with smelling salts.	I WILL BE ADDING TO THIS PAGE FROM NOW UNTIL THIS ENDS. I FEEL THAT THE PEOPLE ON THIS PAGE DESERVE THE RECOGNITION FOR WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THEIR LIVES. IT WILL NOT END FOR THEM. UPDATES FOR SOME OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS WILL BE DONE TOO.

~ Robert Marcus Rodriguez Ceremony ~ Mother Amaryllis Hernandez	U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant ~ Jeremy E. Murray Ceremony ~

~ Mark Evnin Ceremony ~ Mother Mindy Evnin	John Thomas, 83, holds a photo of his grandson, Specialist John Thomas, 33 in Valdosta, Georgia. The younger Thomas, a former Marine, was among eight Georgia National Guardsmen killed recently by roadside bombs in Iraq. (AP Photo/Elliott Minor)

~ Mark Evnin Ceremony ~ Father Michael wipes tears	Marine Lance Corporal ~ Andrew Patten Ceremony ~

~ Jorge Gonzalez Ceremony ~ Wife Jatzy to right	~ Moses Rocha Ceremony ~
~ John R Zsido Ceremony ~ Memorial Service	~ Russell B Rippetoe ~ Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia
~ Moses Rocha ~ Mother Velina Sanchez	~ Jose Gutierrez Ceremony ~
~ Marine Corporal James Lee Moore ~ A photo of Marine Corporal James Lee Moore in Fallujah, Iraq in December is projected on a screen with his casket sitting in front of it during his memorial service Thursday at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Roseburg.	~ Jose Antonio Gutierrez Ceremony ~ Entire Family
Brian Matthew Kennedy - 25 A United States Marine Corps color guard carry the casket of Corporal Brian Matthew Kennedy during funeral services in San Diego, CA	~ Jose Antonio Gutierrez Ceremony ~ One of the first U.S. soldiers to die in Iraq was not an American citizen. He'd come here illegally as a teenager. His name was José Antonio Gutierrez. He was killed on March 21, 2003 by enemy fire while trying to secure Umm Qasr, a port vital for humanitarian aid. He was a 22-year-old Lance Corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps. Engracia Sirina Gutierrez, center, sister of of Lance Cpl. Jose Antonio Gutierrez, fights back tears following his funeral in Lomita, California

A COMMUNITY SAYS GOODBYE TO AN AMERICAN HERO
James Michael Kiehl 22 Army Specialist Comfort, Texas 23-Mar-2003 Near Nasiriyah Hostile - Hostile Fire - Predawn Convoy Ambushed		Photograph to left is James Michael with his wife Jill.
	This is a collection of the photographs that were taken when Specialist Kiehl was honored and laid to rest in his home town.
	When he passed the flags, the crowd fell silent and either put their hands on their hearts or saluted.
	Even the UPS driver made a statement by stopping and putting his hand on his heart.
MANY HEROES ARE LAID TO REST IN THE ARLINGRTON NATIONAL CEMETARY ACROSS THE BRIDGE FROM THE NATIONAL CAPITOL OF WASHINGTON D.C. INCLUDING MANY FROM THE IRAQ CONFLICT.

IF YOU SHOULD EVER GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER AND THEY ARE CHANGING THE GUARDS, YOU WILL WALK AWAY VERY PROUD AND SPEECHLESS.
	TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER AT ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY. FOUR BODIES ARE LAID TO REST IN FRONT OF THE LARGE SARCOPHAGUS. ~ WORLD WAR ONE ~ ~ WORLD WAR TWO ~ ~ KOREAN CONFLICT ~ ~ VIETNAM CONFLICT ~

The Sentinels Creed My dedication to this sacred duty is total and wholehearted. In the responsibility bestowed on me never will I falter. And with dignity and perseverance my standard will remain perfection. Through the years of diligence and praise and the discomfort of the elements, I will walk my tour in humble reverence to the best of my ability. It is he who commands the respect I protect. His bravery that made us so proud. Surrounded by well meaning crowds by day alone in the thoughtful peace of night, this soldier will in honored glory rest under my eternal vigilance.
An honor guard from the United States Marine Corps carries the flag draped coffin of Lance Cpl. Samuel Sharp, Tuesday, May 10, 2005, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Sharp and three other men died 38 years ago on Hill 665 near Khe Sanh, Vietnam, close to the Laos border, in a battle with North Vietnamese troops. The coffins of Petty Officer Malcolm Thomas Miller, 2nd Lt. Heinz Ahlmeyer and Sgt. James Tycz are in the foreground. (AP Photo/Haraz Ghanbari)	A Sentinel is on guard 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.	~ Marine Lance Corporal ~ Christopher J. Dyer Ceremony U.S. Marines honor guard members fire one of three volleys during the funeral of Marine Lance Corporal Christopher J. Dyer, 19, of Evendale, Ohio, at Arlington National Cemetery
Navy comrades file out of Pearl Harbor Memorial Chapel after a service for Petty Officer 3rd Class John D. House.		The pregnant wife of 1st Lt. Doyle M. Hufstedler III, Leslie Hufstedler, second from left, is consoled by family during a graveside ceremony in Abilene, Texas
Surrounded by family members, Corey Shanaberger holds her daughter Grace, 3, during her husband's funeral. Sgt. First Class Wentz "Baron" Shanaberger was killed in Iraq in an ambush, leaving behind his wife and five children.	During a recent hurricane that moved across Arlington National Cemetery, the sentinels were asked if they wanted to stay inside while the hurricane was in the area and they said no that they would always be on duty at their post, no matter what. The remains of the Vietnam Unknown were exhumed May 14, 1998. Based on mitochondrial DNA testing, Department of Defense scientists identified the remains as those of Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie, who was shot down near An Loc, Vietnam, in 1972. Lieutenant Blassie was subsequently reinterred near his family's home in St. Louis, Missouri. Based upon the advancements in remains identification it seems unlikely that body of a truly unknown soldier from the Vietnam war could ever be found, and it has been determined that the crypt will therefore remain empty.	Leslie Hufstedler's husband Doyle died in April, one month before his daughter Gracy was born. Here Leslie and 5-month-old Gracy share a moment at Leslie's parents home in Charlotte, N.C.
	LABELED GARDEN OF STONES
Sabina Lawrence of Medford, N.J., (middle, holding camera) and Tracey Harrington, of Baltimore, at far right, both older sisters of fallen Marine John C. Spahr, stand as Marines salute during the end of memorial service for Spahr and Marine Captain Kelly Hinz, Thursday, May 26, 2005, at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif. Holding flowers are daughters of Tracy Harrington, Grace, 8, front, and Kelly, 7, behind Kelly. Molly Hinz, wife of Kelly Hinz, is woman wearing sun glasses. Hinz and Spahr died earlier this month when their single-seat F/A-18 Hornet jets collided over south-central Iraq, according to information from the family and authorities. (AP Photo/Charlie Neuman, Pool)	Young man in front leads the young man in the back as he has lost his site in Iraq.
CEREMONY FOR RUSSELL B. RIPPETOE	The cortège of Colonel Paul Schreiber during his funeral at Arlington National Cemetery	WASHINGTON MONUMENT CAN BE SEEN FROM THE ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY WHILE A SALUTE IS GIVEN.