In the confounding little world of the “millions and millions” of anti-Obama pity party poopers, Darragh Murphy runs the FEC-filed PAC called “P.U.M.A. PAC PEOPLE UNITED MEANS ACTION,” which is not to be confused with the group Will Bowers heads up that’s also called PUMA, but their acronym stands for Party Unity My Ass. Both groups fall under the “coalition” called Just Say No Deal (say it, go ahead!), which is essentially a tepid web link portal with occasional porn-ish Twin Peaks-style graphics scattered about its surface. All of this poorly-organized, politically-naive tomfoolery, led by dumb-as-doorknobs Dems, has one drool-cup-fueled goal: keep Barack Obama from being the 44th president of the United States to punish the DNC for letting him win the primary. That’s basically it.  Confused?  Well, you ought to be.

Darragh, like Will, describes herself as a lifelong Democrat who thinks Obama is an “illegal candidate” and invites others to join her who have been “disheartened, discouraged, or disgusted by the actions and inactions, the divisiveness and discriminations of the Democratic party, the press, the mainstream blogs, and many political leaders.” So I thought it was okay and relevant to ask Darragh what was wrong with the Democratic party and its “many political leaders” in the year 2000 when she donated $500 to John McCain’s primary campaign? Instead of posting a link to the easily and legally accessible FEC filings of her donation (Obamathug invasion of privacy!!!), I decided to ask her about the donation via email Tuesday morning:

D,

Don’t you think it’s somewhat relevant as the founder of Puma PAC to disclose that you donated $500 to McCain’s primary campaign in 2000?  I’m curious as to what was wrong with the Democratic party, Gore or Bradley that year? Any reason why a lifelong Democrat like yourself decided to jump ship eight years ago as well?

Normally I wouldn’t post an email reply without the author’s permission, but Murphy posted her reply in the comments at her Puma PAC blog (thanks Darragh!), so buckle up and activate CAPS LOCK!:

hey thanks for emailing me, and for publishing my personal info on the internet at the same time that you are too cowardly to identify yourself.*

Typical.

Thank you as well for reminding me that I DID EVERYTHING I COULD in 2000 to prevent GEORGE BUSH from becoming the Republican nominee, including donating money to McCain’s campaign and voting for him in the Republican primary here in Massachusetts because I was confident that my hero, AL GORE, would win the primary for the Democrats.

I then went on to vote for Al in November of course. And WE ALL know how THAT turned out.

I am ashamed that you did not also DO EVERYTHING YOU COULD to prevent a disastrously unprepared and empty suit from getting the nomination in 2000. Oh wait, why should I be surprised? That’s exactly what ARE trying to do now in 2008.

Coward.

So “lifelong Democrat” Darragh Murphy not only confirmed that she gave a sizable donation to John McCain in 2000 (and never gave a penny to her “hero” Al Gore), but she also admitted that she voted for McCain in the primaries as well.** Confused?  Well, you ought to be.

If McCain can't handle talking with the words in front of him how is he supposed to deal with Foriegn Leaders. Read on.

LAS VEGAS —Senator John McCain was performing relatively smoothly as he unveiled his energy plan.

He managed to limit the mechanical hand chops and weirdly timed smiles that can often punctuate his speeches. He delivered his lines with an ease that suggested a momentary peace with his longtime nemesis, the teleprompter. (He relied on a belt-and-suspenders approach, with text scrolling down screens to his left and right, and on a big TV set in front of him.)

But when Mr. McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, came to the intended sound bite of his speech — the part about reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil — he hit a slick.

“I have set before the American people an energy plan, the Lex-eegton Project,” Mr. McCain said, drawing a quick breath and correcting himself. “The Lex-ing-ton Proj-ect,” he said slowly. “The Lexington Project,” he repeated. “Remember that name.”

In a town meeting in Cincinnati the next day, Mr. McCain would again slip up on the name of the Massachusetts town, where, he noted, “Americans asserted their independence once before.” He called it “the Lexiggdon Project” and twice tried to fix his error before flipping the name (“Project Lexington”) in subsequent references.

Mr. McCain’s battle of Lexington is part of a struggle he is engaged in every day. A politician who has thrived in the give-and-take settings of campaign buses, late-night TV couches and town meetings, he now is trying to meet the more formal speaking demands of a general election campaign.

I don't know why this has suddenly involved Barack Obama but here is the original article that appeared in the Rocky Mountain News on July 2nd, 2008 at 02:45 p.m.. There is no mention of Obama in the papers or on the News in regards to this story until some reporter asked him about it in Montana yesterday, July 4th.

Hickenlooper 'deceived' by jazz singer's black anthem choice

By Daniel J. Chacon, Rocky Mountain News

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper is changing his tune.

Initially, Hickenlooper soft-pedaled the surprise performance of the "Black National Anthem" by a popular jazz singer who had been tapped to sing the Star-Spangled Banner at his annual State of the City address Tuesday.

But by Wednesday, the mayor belted out some harsh words for the chanteuse.

"The city asked Rene Marie to sing the national anthem at (Tuesday's) State of the City event. She agreed to do so. We expected her to sing the national anthem, and she deceived us," the mayor told reporters at a news conference in front of the City and County Building.

"Her actions show a certain lack of understanding for how strongly our community feels about patriotic symbols and traditions, and certainly overshadowed a day of great importance to our city," Hickenlooper said.

Marie's anthem choice immediately triggered public outrage.

Marie sang the first verse of James Weldon Johnson's Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing, also known as the Black National Anthem, but adapted those lyrics to the tune of the The Star-Spangled Banner.

'Artistic expression' cited

After Tuesday's ceremony, Hickenlooper called Marie to "understand what happened." The mayor said Marie told him that her song "was an artistic expression of her love for her country."

But in interviews with the news media, Marie provided a somewhat different explanation.

Marie said she started working on the song about three years ago after she toured Russia and an interviewer referred to her as an American. She said she was "startled" by that reference and felt like she wasn't an American.

"I struggled with why I felt that way when I came back to United States because I love living in this country," she said, adding that she decided to rewrite some of the patriotic songs she learned as a child, both as a creative outlet and to reflect her black heritage.

Menola Upshaw, president of the Denver branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said Marie erred in failing to make the mayor aware of her song choice.

"If she promised to sing the Star-Spangled Banner, she should have," Upshaw said. "I think she knows the difference between Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing and 'O say can you see.'"

July 1, 2008 - By MATT GOURAS , Associated Press Writer,

(AP) -- Some of the most prized land in the northern Rocky Mountains is being protected from development in a conservation land deal hailed as the largest of its kind in U.S. history.

More than 300,000 acres of critical habitat for threatened and endangered animals, including grizzly bears and lynx, will be transferred to public ownership in a $500 million deal with Plum Creek Timber. A ceremony was held Monday in Kalispell to sign the agreement.

Plum Creek Timber is turning over about a quarter of its Montana holdings in a deal backed by the federal government, which is pitching in $250 million, said U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont.

The land includes huge parcels in the scenic Swan Valley north of Missoula, and near the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area. The Nature Conservancy and The Trust for Public Land said the land will be managed as a working forest with places of harvestable timber.

The deal, which involves the equivalent of 500 square miles, spans a region known as the Crown of the Continent, a place environmentalists say is one of the most intact ecosystems remaining in the country. The government is expected to eventually take ownership of a majority of the land.

In recent years Plum Creek has drawn the ire of environmentalists for selling off its land to private developers, sometimes turning forests into subdivisions. Critics have argued private owners were developing the land too quickly, closing off traditional access for locals and closing down logging.

Conservation groups said they will make sure the land remains open for recreational activities such as hunting and snowmobiling. Timber harvested on the land will still feed lumber mills owned by Plum Creek for at least the next 15 years, according to the arrangement.

MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK, Colo.—Environmentalists and some civic leaders are protesting proposed changes to the federal clean air law that they say will worsen pollution in several Western national parks, including Mesa Verde National Park.

Advocacy groups held news conferences at the southwest Colorado park and three others Wednesday to call on the Bush administration to abandon the change being considered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The EPA has proposed changing the way the impact of a new pollution source on a park is calculated by looking at annual averages, rather than peak periods, of pollution.

"Mesa Verde sits at 7,000 feet, where the air is supposed to be clear and the skies blue, but we're already seeing the effects of ozone and haze because of the intensity of energy development in the Four Corners," said Jodi Foran, president of the League of Women Voters of Montezuma County.

The National Parks Conservation Association, San Juan Citizens Alliance and other groups contend the rule change is meant to make it easier to build coal-fired power plants near parks.

Mike Eisenfeld, the New Mexico energy coordinator for the San Juan Citizens Alliance, said the news conference was his first visit to Mesa Verde in two years.

"I was shocked. The visibility up there has decreased significantly since I was there last," Eisenfeld said.

He blamed the Four Corners Power Plant and San Juan Generating Station, both coal-fired plants in the area, for worsening air quality. Eisenfeld said he believes pollution would increase if the Desert Rock coal-fired plant is built as planned 45 miles to the south.

Mary Uhl, air quality division bureau chief at the New Mexico Environment Department, warned during a recent meeting in Durango that smog levels in Mesa Verde could exceed federal limits this summer.

Navajo Nation's Dine Power Authority and Houston-based Sithe Global Power want to build the $3 billion Desert Rock plant, which could produce electricity for up to 1.5 million homes in cities across the Southwest.

Under the federal Clean Air Act, national parks and other certain federal lands are considered "Class 1" air-quality zones, meaning they have the highest level of protection. Opponents say the proposed changes would permit more pollution by changing how and when pollution is measured, eliminating shorter-term monitoring periods intended to chart sharp rises.

Environmental groups point to another change that would no longer include some existing pollution sources when considering development of new ones.

Staffers in several EPA regional offices across the country and U.S. senators, include Colorado Democrat Ken Salazar, have criticized the proposals.

Jeff Holmstead, head of the environmental strategies group at Bracewell & Giuliani, the law firm that represents Sithe Global and the Desert Rock project, said environmentalists are focusing on worst-case scenarios. He was in charge of the EPA's air pollution control office when the proposed changes were drafted in 2005.

"What the EPA is saying now is, 'Let's use the appropriate tools, but not raise the highest hurdles we can,'" Holmstead said. "The environmental community wants it to be this way because it gives them leverage; it makes it easier to stop an individual project because otherwise it will foul the air in our national parks. But it's just not true."

2008 Denver Black Arts Festival - “A Vivid View”

July 11-13, 2008 Denver City Park

Parade: starts at 11am.Assembly: at 23rd and York, City Park, at 10 AM.

EVENT DESCRIPTION: The Denver Black Arts Festival 22nd Annual Celebration Parade.  

Dance for Barack Obama at "VIBE" THE BLACK ARTS FESTIVAL PARADE

Do the Cupid Shuffle with Campaign Staff and Volunteers,Learn the shuffle on July 7 or 8 at 999 Bannock St. office, Denver, at 6PM or March alongside the dancers with the Obama Banner

A community awaits our support and celebration as we gather together with harmonies of sound, color, and a living history to proclaim the power and joy of our movement for change. Let's assemble as many volunteers as possible to walk our walk with the promise of Barack, blending our heritages and our hopes with the floats and bands, drum and drill teams, students and leaders, assembled to honor African contributions and traditions. Let's show all that we can boogaloo too, and march with Obama gear and Obama che ers! .... Yes We Can! .... Obama '08!  

More info at http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/44hlf

In the largest re-enlistment ceremony in the history of the U.S. military, 1,215 U.S. troops serving in Iraq marked Independence Day by extending their promise to defend the "land of the free." Here, the service members take their oath at Camp Victory outside Baghdad on Friday.

 BAQOUBA, Iraq (July 4) - It's Staff Sgt. Edgar Covarrubias' second Fourth of July in Iraq. No family barbecue, no fireworks, but Covarrubias says he'll call his mom, wife and kids to share the day anyway.

  Sgt Matthew Fenton, 24, of Little Ferry, N.J., died May 6, 2006 at National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., from wounds received while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al Anbar province, Iraq on April 26. He was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s Inspector and Instructor Staff, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Fort Devens, Mass.

SSG Gavin B. Reinke, 32, of Pueblo, Colo., died in Baghdad, Iraq on May 4, 2006 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his RG-31 Mine Protected Vehicle during combat operations. Reinke was assigned to the 5th Engineer Battalion, 1st Engineer Brigade, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

1SG Bobby Mendez, 38, of Brooklyn, N.Y., died of injuries sustained in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 27, 2006 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations. Mendez was assigned to the 2nd Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Sgt Adam L. Cann, 23, of Davie, FL., was killed in action Jan. 5, 2006 by a suicide bomb attack on an Iraqi police recruitment center in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. He was assigned to Security Battalion, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward). 2005

SFC Shawn C. Dostie, 32, of Granite City, Ill., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Dec. 30, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during patrol operations. Dostie was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

1SG Tobias C. Meister, 30, of Jenks, Okla., died south of Asadabad, Afghanistan on Dec. 28, 2005 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat patrol operations. Meister was assigned to the Army Reserve's 321st Civil Affairs Brigade, San Antonio, Texas.

CPT Raymond D. Hill II, 39, of Turlock, Calif. died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Oct. 29, 2005 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during patrol operations. Captain Hill was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment, Modesto, California

SGT Jennifer M. Hartman, 21, of New Ringgold, Pa., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Sept. 14, 2006 of injuries suffered when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated in the vicinity of a West Baghdad Substation where she was located. Hartman was assigned to the 4th Support Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

SGT Jeremy E. DePottey, 26, of Ironwood, Mich., died on Sept. 11, 2006 in Asadabad, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered in a single vehicle accident. DePottey was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.

SPC Matthew E. Schneider, 23, of Gorham, N.H., died on Aug. 28, 2006 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, from a non-combat related cause. Schneider was assigned to the 141st Signal Battalion, 1st Armored Division, Wiesbaden, Germany.

CPT Jason M. West, 28, of Pittsburg, Pa., died on July 24, 2006 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, when he encountered enemy forces using small arms fire. West was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Friedberg, Germany.

SGT Roger Pena, 29, of San Antonio died in Musa Qulah, Afghanistan, on June 14, 2006 when his convoy came under enemy small arms fire during combat operations. Pena was assigned to the 10th Sustainment Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.

PFC Stephen Snowberger, 18, of Lopez, Pa., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 11, 2006 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat patrol operations. Snowberger was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.

SPC Ronald W. Gebur, 23, of Delavan, Ill., died of injuries sustained in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 13, 2006 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations. Gebur was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

  Sgt. Aron C. Blum, 22, of Tucson, Ariz., died Dec. 28 at Naval Medical Center, San Diego, Calif., of a non-hostile cause after being evacuated from Al Anbar province, Iraq, on Dec. 8. Blum was assigned to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif.

CPT Shawn L. English, 35, of Westerville, Ohio, died Dec. 3, 2006 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations.He was assigned to the 577th Engineer Battalion, 1st Engineer Brigade, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

LCpl Mike Scholl, 21, of Lincoln, Neb., died Nov. 14, 2006 from wounds sustained while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

LCpl Nicholas J. Manoukian, 22, of Lathrup Village, Mich., died Oct. 21, 2006 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Menoukian was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Cpl David M. Unger, 21, of Leavenworth, Kan., died Oct. 18, 2006 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Unger was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Staff Sgt. Ryan E. Haupt, 24, of Phoenix, Ariz., died Oct. 17, 2006 in Baqubah, Iraq, of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Haupt was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

MSG Robb G. Needham, 51, of Vancouver, Wash., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Sept.20, 2006 of injuries suffered when his patrol came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire during combat operations. Needham was assigned to the Army Reserve's 1st Battalion, 356th Regiment (Logistical Support), 4th Brigade, 91st Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.

Hey all,

 The grandkids are working on various projects to send with the care packages we are putting together to send to a few soldiers. I'm trying to tailor these as much as I can so they are useful for anyone. One thing I keep seeing requests for is hair products for African Americans, I'm clueless. Ladies I need some help here.

 Thank you from me and them : )

  SSG Christopher N. Hamlin, 24, of London, Ky., died May 4 in Baghdad, Iraq. He died of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Sgt. Wayne R. Cornell, 26, of Holstein, Neb., died Mar. 20 in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas.

Staff Sgt. William J. Beardsley, 25, of Coon Rapids, Minn., died Feb. 26 in Diwaniyah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Beardsley was assigned to the 260th Quartermaster Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Troop Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

Pfc. Justin T. Paton, 24, of Alanson, Mich., died Feb. 17 in Taramia, Iraq, when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire. Paton was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Maj. Michael L. Mundell, 47, of Brandenburg, Ky., died Jan. 5 in Fallujah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations. Mundell was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 108th Division (Institutional Training), Spartanburg, S.C.

SGT Thomas E. Vandling, 26, of Pittsburgh, Pa., died Jan. 1, 2007 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle while on combat patrol. Vandling was assigned to the 303rd Psychological Operations Company, Oakdale, Pa., a subordinate unit of the U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.

  Sgt. Ronald L. Coffelt, 36, of Fair Oaks, Calif., died July 19 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 503rd Military Police Battalion, 16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne), XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

Master Sgt. Randy J. Gillespie, 44, of Coaldale, Colo., died July 9, in Herat, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered during small arms fire outside of Camp Stone. He was assigned to the 56th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.

Lance Cpl. Juan M. Garcia Schill, 20, of Grants Pass, Ore., died July 2 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

Staff Sgt. Michael L. Ruoff Jr., 31, of Yosemite, Calif. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany. He died July 1 in Ta'meem, Iraq, of wounds sustained from enemy small arms fire.

Pfc. Justin A. Verdeja, 20, of La Puente, Calif., died June 5 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his unit was attacked by insurgents using small arms fire. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

Spc. Alexandre A. Alexeev, 23, of Wilmington, Calif., died May 28 in Abu Sayda, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Lance Cpl. Jeffrey D. Walker, 21, of Macon, Ga., died May 14 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

US soldiers in Iraq mark Fourth of July with focus on work, thoughts of home

MAYA ALLERUZZO
AP News

Jul 04, 2008 12:25 EST

It's Staff Sgt. Edgar Covarrubias' second Fourth of July in Iraq. No family barbecue, no fireworks, but Covarrubias says he'll call his mom, wife and kids to share the day anyway.

Across Iraq, America's Independence Day was a normal work day for most U.S. troops. But the military threw in a taste of home at larger bases with ribs, corn on the cob and red, white and blue cake.

The holiday is even leaner at smaller outposts closer to the violence, where it comes with a can of meat, some cookies and a job not yet done.

"We are not going to stop our operations to celebrate the Fourth of July," said Sgt. Mark Johnson, 26, at a small joint U.S.-Iraqi outpost in the city of Iskandariyah, some 30 miles south of Baghdad.

"Nothing special is planned for today and that's OK because we didn't expect anything," added the 3rd Infantry Division soldier from Waterport, N.Y.

He heads home later this month on his mid-tour break to be with his girlfriend when she gives birth to their first child.

At least things were quiet Friday at the outpost, giving the men who weren't on duty time to watch movies on their laptops and instant message with friends back home.

Pfc. Joe Dwyer carried a young Iraqi boy who was injured during a heavy battle between the U.S. Army's 7th Cavalry Regiment and Iraqi forces near the village of Al Faysaliyah, Iraq, on March 25, 2003. Dwyer died of an apparent overdose at his home in North Carolina on June 29, 2008.

During the first week of the war in Iraq, a Military Times photographer captured the arresting image of Army Spc. Joseph Patrick Dwyer as he raced through a battle zone clutching a tiny Iraqi boy named Ali.

The photo was hailed as a portrait of the heart behind the U.S. military machine, and Doc Dwyer’s concerned face graced the pages of newspapers across the country.

But rather than going on to enjoy the public affection for his act of heroism, he was consumed by the demons of combat stress he could not exorcise. For the medic who cared for the wounds of his combat buddies as they pushed toward Baghdad, the battle for his own health proved too much to bear.

On June 28, Dwyer, 31, died of an accidental overdose in his home in Pinehurst, N.C., after years of struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder. During that time, his marriage fell apart as he spiraled into substance abuse and depression. He found himself constantly struggling with law, even as friends, Veterans Affairs personnel and the Army tried to help him.

“Of course he was looked on as a hero here,” said Capt. Floyd Thomas of the Pinehurst Police Department. Still, “we’ve been dealing with him for over a year.”

The day he died, Dwyer apparently took pills and inhaled the fumes of an aerosol can in an act known as “huffing.” Thomas said Dwyer then called a taxi company for a ride to the hospital. When the driver arrived, “they had a conversation through the door [of Dwyer’s home],” Thomas said, but Dwyer could not let the driver in. The driver asked Dwyer if he should call the police. Dwyer said yes. When the police arrived, they asked him if they should break down the door. He again said yes.

“It was down in one kick,” Thomas said. “They loaded him up onto a gurney, and that’s when he went code.”

Dwyer served in Iraq with 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment as the unit headed into Baghdad at the beginning of the war. As they pushed forward for 21 days in March 2003, only four of those days lacked gunfire, he later told Newsday. The day before Warren Zinn snapped his photo for Military Times, Dwyer’s Humvee had been hit by a rocket.

  Cpl. Joshua C. Blaney, 25, of Matthews, N.C., died Dec. 12 at Forward Operating Base Curry, Afghanistan. He died in Afghanistan from wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade, Camp Ederle, Italy.

Spc. Hugo V. Mendoza, 29, of Glendale, Ariz died of wounds sustained when he came in contact with enemy forces using RPG, machine gun and small arms fire during combat operations on Oct 25, in Korengal Valley, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy.

Sgt. 1st Class Matthew D. Blaskowski, 27, of Levering, Mich., died Sept. 23 in Asadabad, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire during combat operations. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy.

Spc. Thomas L. Hilbert, 20, of Venus, Texas, died Sept. 7 in Mosul, Iraq, from wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations Sept. 6 in Mosul, Iraq. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Regiment, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Maj. Henry S. Ofeciar, 37, of Agana, Guam, died Aug. 27 at Forward Operating Base Naray, Afghanistan, from wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their unit during combat operations in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.

Sgt. Stephen R. Maddies, 41, of Elizabethton, Tenn., died July 31 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered from enemy small arms fire. He was assigned to the 473rd Counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar Platoon, Tennessee Army National Guard, Columbia, Tenn.

Pfc. Juan S. Restrepo, 20, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., died July 22 in Korengal Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy.

On Friday, our country will celebrate July Fourth, or Independence Day.

So fred started thinking about patriotism and what that means. What can kids do to be good citizens, year-round?

Fred decided to chat with a local expert about this: Alison Mansfield, 13.

You might have heard about Alison, who will be an eighth-grader at Summit Middle School this fall. She started a project called “Operation Socks for Our Troops” last year – she collected more than 5,000 pairs of socks and sent them to soldiers in Afghanistan.

“These small things we take for granted … can help. It’s really good for them to know they’re appreciated. They’re protecting our freedom every day,” she says.

She’s doing it again this year, and she needs your help. She’ll have a booth at the Allen County 4-H Fair, if you want to drop off warm socks in adult sizes. She’s also collecting letters, snacks and personal care products, like toothbrushes and soap. She’ll send the items to troops she finds on www.anysoldier.com.

The project involves a lot of time and organization, but Alison plans to keep it going for as long as it’s needed.

“As long as people are willing to donate supplies, I’m willing to take them,” she says. Right now, she organizes the project on her own, with some help from her parents. Maybe someday she’ll turn it into a non-profit organization.

She also plays volleyball and is a member of 4-H. Alison was a semi-finalist for Build-a-Bear’s “Huggable Heroes” contest. And she placed third in the 2007-08 Patriot’s Pen essay contest in which she compared herself to Paul Revere, because “he delivered important supplies to the military and supported them.”

If you want to start your own project to help others, Alison has some advice: Find a cause you really like and follow through. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from others, even by asking for donations of supplies or money. Start small; one letter can go a long way.

“Every little bit can help,” Alison says.

sscarlett@jg.net

Laura J. Gardner | The Journal Gazette

Alison Mansfield sent more than 5,000 pairs of socks to soldiers in Afghanistan.

Here are just a few that have given their life in War.

  Spc. Ryan J. Connolly, 24, of Vacaville, Calif., died June 24 in Khogyani, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle struck a suspected landmine. He was assigned to the 173rd Special Troops Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Bamberg, Germany.

Staff Sgt. Christopher D. Strickland, 25, of Labelle, Fla. died June 25, while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Staff Sgt. Chad A. Caldwell, 24, of Spokane, Wash., died April 30 in Mosul, Iraq, of injuries sustained while conducting dismounted combat operations. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas.

Spc. Keisha M. Morgan, 25, of Washington, D.C., died Feb. 22 in Baghdad, Iraq, of a non-combat related cause. She was assigned to the Division Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
The circumstances are under investigation.

Staff Sgt. Jerald A. Whisenhunt, 32, of Orrick, Mo., died Feb. 8 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

Sgt. Reno S. Lacerna, 44, of Waipahu, Hawaii, died Dec. 31, 2007 in Al Qayyarah, Iraq, of a non-combat related illness. He was assigned to the 87th Corps Support Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

Sgt. Peter C. Neesley, 28, of Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich., died Dec. 25 in Baghdad, Iraq, of an undetermined cause in a non-combat environment. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.