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Honoring our Troops and Veterans

Southeast Alaska Native Veterans Memorial Day Program Web Album from Tlingit and Haida web site (May26, 2008)

Medic in Alaska Guard earns Bronze Star. Spc. Veronica Alfaro stands next to the light medium tactical vehicle gun truck she was driving on Jan. 15 in Iraq when her convoy was ambushed. Spc. Veronica Alfaro rushed through a blitz of gunfire as she tried to save the lives of two civilian convoy drivers injured in Iraq received the military's fourth-highest combat award this week, according to the Alaska Army National Guard. She is deployed with the Alaska Army National Guard's Bravo Company, 297th Support Battalion, Alaska Army National Guard. (3/26/08)

In Memoriam: 4,000 (3/23/08) ... Forces: U.S. & Coalition/Casualties - Special Reports from CNN.com

Over 29,314 U.S. Wounded (3/24/08) - Wounded Warrior Project ... Bob Woodruff Family Fund ...Operation Band Aid supports wounded soldiers ... Daily Show's Stewart 'Quietly Visiting' Ailing Iraq Soldiers - The Huffington Post.

Sealaska Shareholder Honored by Alaska Territorial Guard - Sealaska shareholder and World War II veteran, Sigurd H. Edwards, 81, was formally honored and discharged from the Alaska Territorial Guard (ATG). Approximately 100 friends, family, civic officials, Tlingit dancers, and military personnel, who arrived in a special military plane, attended the ceremony ... More Alaska Territorial Guard Members serving Since WW2 Receive Official Discharge

Prince Harry returns Home ... Prince Harry in Afghanistan fighting (BBC) ... In Pictures: Prince Harry in Afghanistan (2-28-2008)

Prince Harry with the legendary Ghurkhas who were coming under attack on a daily basis. Indeed, on one occasion when Harry was present five members of a Taleban unit were spotted in "no-man's land" and were attacked - including by Harry using a heavy machine gun. Prince Harry has praised Gurkhas soldiers he has been fighting alongside in Afghanistan. Prince Harry receives Afghan medal - Telegraph (5-6-2008)

Lieutenant Wales and his comrades paraded through Windsor - Telegraph( 5-6-2008)

Prince Harry was also on operations in the Helmand desert with his troop of Household Cavalry and was a Battlefield Air Controller known to all Pilots as Widow Six Seven.

Royal warriors with a service tradition - Telegraph
Prince Harry's favorite Band Towers of London (Video)

USA Cares Reaches to Alaska - (CSRwire) BARROWS, AK - January 22, 2008 - SPC Sanchez, of the Alaska National Guard, returned home to Barrow Alaska from Iraq in November of 2007 where the temperatures, at times, had soared above 120o . His hope was that he, his wife, and his five children would return to a normal life. While he survived Iraq, the Alaskan winter was waiting. Resources - Military One Source ... USA Cares ... VFW Unmet Needs Program

Welcome home to Alaska Col. Michael Garrett and the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division. A welcome home Photos and audio by Bill Roth of ADN - 3500 paratroopers and their families were honored at a welcome home redeployment ceremony at the Sullivan Arena Wednesday December 19, 2007.

Alaskan's generosity earns national honor - An Anchorage man who every year serves hundreds of ice cream sundaes in rural villages as part of the Alaska National Guard's Operation Santa.

Latseen Benson update. - Latseen hand-cycled the 2007 New York City Marathon. Latseen finished first for his Achilles Team, and 18th overall in a field of six dozen cyclists.

ADN Photo Gallery Guard homecoming - Alaska Army National Guardsmen return after a 16-month deployment to Mississippi, Kuwait and Southern Iraq

Staff Sgt. Betty Kaeo said she wants to see something green. Photo courtesy U.S. Army.

Guard unit on way back to Alaska - Since the 3rd Battalion's arrival in Kuwait, however, its central mission there -- to protect coalition forces -- has expanded in April to providing "around the clock" highway security for convoys driving in southern Iraq. ADN Published: Oct 6, 2007

Alaska Guard troops coming home - Anchorage Daily News Published: October 5, 2007

Gilbert Daney, right, closes a talking circle with a song at the Southcentral Foundation Traditional Healing Clinic in Anchorage, Alaska, Photo Associated Press

Ancient methods supplement health care for Alaska Native veterans - Alaska Native communities are preparing for the return of Alaska Native veterans from service in the Middle East in Oct. The soldiers, who are part of the largest Alaska National Guard deployment since World War II, have been gone for almost a year. The unit represents 81 different communities and more than a half dozen cultures, including Eskimos, Tlingits, Haidas, Aleuts and Athabascans. Some of our Alaska Native veterans returning have already served their first tour in Bagdad, but returned to the Middle East to support family, inlaws and friends on thier first tour.

The Cooday family welcomes back home Black Hawk Crew Chief Erin J. Smith. Erin serviced 2 tours in Iraq and 1 tour in Afghanistan. He returned August 2007 from Afghanistan. Erin's new assignment is New Orleans. Evin and his wife drove down there from Ft. Drum, NY. When they got to Georgia, they ran into a tornado and had to outrun it. Erin's wife is Yemi Rose, his daughter is Maria Ann and son is Camryn Alexander and mother-in-law U.S. Army veteran Val Cooday, Vietnam era veteran from Petersburg (Seet Kah), Alaska. To Contact Erin and Yemisi Rose Smith mrsyemisirose@yahoo.com

Staff Sergeant James C.Haddox, Air Borne division, returned home from Iraq. He was awarded the Purple Heart in March 2006. He was honorably discharged from the Army March 2007. He served 16 monthes in Iraq. He survived two roadside bombing in Mosul & Bagdad. Haddox and his wife live in North Pole, Alaska. His Morther, Martha Ann Saenz, said Haddox's family"is very proud of him for seving his country, and we are very thankful he has returned home in safety."

Click on photos for larger images

Photo Left - Kick save: Juneau University of Alaska Southeast player Larry Cooper takes a leap while guarding Angoon's Stephen Johnson in Wednesday's Intermediate Bracket game. Juneau UAS' Ian Schmitz is on the right. Photo by Michael Penn / Juneau Empire ... .Photo 2nd from left Left - Welcome back: Angoon player Bailey Johnson enters the gym midway through the second half of his team's Intermediate Bracket game against Juneau UAS in the Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Tournament. Johnson flew in Wednesday after serving nine months in Kuwait with the Army National Guard. Photo by Michael Penn / Juneau Empire ... Photo 2nd fom right - Rising to the challenge: Bailey Johnson of Angoon scores two of his game-high 30 points against Kake on Thursday during the Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Tournament. Photo by Brian Wallace / Juneau Empire. ... Photo Right - Bailey Johnson leads a fast break Thursday aginst Kake in I-Bracket in Gold Medal Baskeball Tournment action. Photo by Brian Wallace / Juneau Empire. Bailey Johnson scores 23 for Angoon 79 in finals win over Juneau UAS 69 for the Intermediate Bracket Championship on Saturday.

Article - From one sacrifice to the next ... Angoon soldier goes straight from Kuwait to the hardwood. By EMIL WEST. FOR Juneau Empire.

Master Sergeant Patrick Meegan of the 207th Infantry Unit of the Alaska National Guard awarded the bronze star with valor and the French defense nationale medal. This is his 5th bronze star.

Air Force Staff Sergeant Hallie Coleman Wins Joint Service Achievement Medal ... From Shareholder News

Photo by RICHARD MAUER / Anchorage Daily News
Click on photo to enlarge

Members of the Military Transition Team from Fort Richardson's 4th Brigade who were involved in the Najaf battle include, from left: Capt. Richard Fenner; Master Sgt. Christopher Crawford; Capt. Joe Denning; Lt. Col. Stephen Hughes; Maj. John Reed; Master Sgt. Thomas Ballard; Sgt. 1st Class David Lawson; Sgt. 1st Class Joe Brummell; Sgt. 1st Class Cary Wallum; Capt. Pace Duckenfield; and Master Sgt. Jarrod McNabb. ( February 18, 2007)

Statue honors Territorial Guard - Local Native artist James Grant was among friends Friday night as he presented his latest work to board members of the Alaska Native Veteran’s Association Chapter 1. The foot-tall, brown wax statue depicts a World War II Alaska Native soldier, rifle in hand, parka and mukluk clad, and body in motion, leaning forward, as if the soldier was plowing through a fierce wind or storm. It passed muster with a crowd who had personal experience as Alaska Native veterans. For more information on the Alaska Native Veterans Association or on how to donate to the project, contact the ANVA, 1006 22nd Ave., Fairbanks AK 99701 or call 452-3344. February 3, 2007

Deaths reinforce resolve of troops said Col. Michael Garrett, The commander of Fort Richardson's airborne brigade serving in Iraq. January 26, 2007 ... Col. Michael Garret and the soldiers thanked all Alaskans for thier support.

One deadly day for Alaskans in Iraq - Eight soldiers from Fort Richardson division died Saturday in bloody fighting across Iraq ... MySpace accounts become online memorials ... January 24, 2007 ... Twenty-one members of the brigade now have died since arriving in Iraq last fall.

Alaska Army National Guard celebrates soldiers - The Alaska Army National Guard recognized soldiers and their spouses today at a ceremony to honor those who have served their country. Anchorage, Alaska. Jan. 21, 2007

Matt Uelese kissed and held his daughter, 4-month-old Caydence, yesterday as 58 Hawaii Army National Guard soldiers gathered with family and friends before boarding buses to get on planes headed for Afghanistan

Isle guardsmen deploy to Afghanistan ... The infantryman with the Hawaii Army National Guard's C Troop, 1st Squadron, 299th Cavalry, was one of 58 soldiers who left the islands to fight in Afghanistan. January 19, 2007

Hawaii Guardsmen posed for a group photo yesterday before heading out on buses. They will be assigned to the 29th Brigade's subordinate unit -- the 1st Battalion, 158th Infantry, belonging to the Arizona Army National Guard -- and will spend the next three months at Fort Bragg in North Carolina training for an Afghan deployment

Lt. Commander Gerald Ford being piped aboard one last time by US Navy Senior Chief Boatswain Mate Carlos Ribott at WW 2 memorial in Washington DC ... (Video 1) ... (Video 2) (MSNBC)

Veterans' totem ascends

'Warrior Pole' carved by Sitka veteran, George Bennett Sr, a Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient. He served as a radio operator in the 25th Infantry Division in Vietnam (1967-1968). Bennett's 6-foot-tall "Warrior Pole," in salute to veterans, was raised Thursday during a noon cultural celebration outside the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall in Juneau, Alaska. A dance group performed and speakers from the Raven and Eagle moieties shared their thoughts.

By KORRY KEEKER (Article)
JUNEAU EMPIRE

Click Photo below to enlarge

Photos by Michael Penn / Juneau Empire

On the rise: Ozzie Sheakley, commander of the Southeast Alaska Native Veterans, lower right, receives help setting a totem, "Warrior Pole," at the Southeast Alaska Native Veterans Memorial.

Adam Beach praised for portrayal of Ira Hayes in "Flags of Our Fathers." Colleagues Praised Native actor Adam Beach portrayal of Ira Hayes, the Pima man who helped raise the American flag. Adam was in the running for an Ocar for Supporting Actor. Alan Arkin, Eddie Murphy, Jackie Earle Haley, Djimon Hounsou and Mark Wahlberg heading into the Ocars for Supporting Actor.

The new veterans among us: women ... The Women Behind the Soldiers (Video) also for the Men behind the Women in the miltary from SaxPlaya86.

AIROS Native Network ... Special Dedications for the Holidays. Send out a special shout out to your loved ones this holiday season. Get us your seasons greetings by December 21st and we'll play them within our live stream during the appropriate holiday (Christmas, Winter Solstice, New Year's Day.). You can e-mail your shout out in mp3 or wav format to airos@unl.edu. You can also call in your message to 402.472.3287 and we'll record it for broadcast.

Oct 2nd, 2006 ... Over 600 of Alaska's 3rd Battalion, 297th Infantry heading for Iraq ... Gen. Craig E. Campbell, adjutant general of the Alaska National Guard, said the nearly 600 soldiers in the 3rd Battalion, 297th Infantry come from 81 different communities in the state, representing more than a half dozen cultures - Eskimos, Tlingits, Haidas, Tsimshians, Aleuts, Athabascans, Alaskans.

Duff W. Mitchell commander of the 3rd Battalion, 297th Infantry, said "Many of our soldiers are descendants of men who served with Muktuk Marston during World War II, and they are very proud of their heritage and roots in Alaska. We are the largest deployment of Alaska guardsman since World War II and one of the largest percentages of Native Americans serving in Iraq. Our unit crest is distinctive in that it is the only Native American crest in the Army today. "

Officials said The 297th is the only activated Army unit with a Native American language motto. The battalion's Southeast Alaska Tlingit motto, Yuh Yek, means: "Be on watch. Ready to fire."

Photo by BILL ROTH / Anchorage Daily News
Click on photo to enlarge

Latseen Benson returned to Alaska for the 26th National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Anchorage, Alaska. He was greeted by relatives and friends along with Tlingit and Haida dancers at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Latseen is attending College.

"I am excited to be able to be a part of the National Veterans Wheelchair Games and compete against other veterans in my home state," said Benson, who skied the Rocky Mountains at the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic earlier this year.

Anchorage, Alaska. -- July 5,2006 -- Latseen Benson, a disabled Army veteran from Washington, D.C., is competing in the 26th National Veterans Wheelchair Games, being held through July 8 in Anchorage, Alaska. With more than 550 athletes from 46 states, Puerto Rico and Great Britain, this is the largest annual wheelchair sports event in the world. Latseen Placed Gold in the following events Archery Para with Recurve Bow, Track - 400 Meters (II, III, IV, V) and Basketball ... NVWG_2006_Gallery

Click Photo below to enlarge		Diane, Latseen and Jessica

Latseen Benson marches in the 4th of July Parade with his wife, Jessica. and mother Diane Benson. Latseen's Dad Tony Vita is holding the American Flag and leading the parade. Over 550 athletes marched with Latseen in Anchorage for the 26th Annual Veterans Wheelchair Games. Photos from NVWG_2006_Gallery ... Honoring Our Troops and Veterans

Flanked by a Native Veterans Honor Guard from Southeast Alaska, Diane Benson, the Democratic nominee for the Alaska's lone U.S. House seat, addresses the delegates at the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention in Anchorage on Oct 27th. Photo by Latseen's Dad Tony Vita.

Click Photo below to enlarge

Childhood photo of Latseen Benson with his mother Diane who worked on the on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. "Latseen" means "strength of mind, body and spirit" in Tlingit.

U.S. Army Specialist Latseen Benson, center on the hand trike, and his wife Jessica Benson, left, both from Fort Campbell, Ky., bike during the two-day 2006 Face of America Bike Ride in Gettysburg, Pa., Saturday, April 29, 2006. Benson was struck by a roadside bomb in Tikrit, north of Baghdad loosing both legs. World T.E.A.M. Sports (The Exceptional Athlete Matters), working with the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and The National Navy Medical Center hosts the ride from Gettysburg to the Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington to honor and assist disabled servicemen and women returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

April 5th, Latseen Benson, a former 101st Airborne Division soldier who lost his legs to an improvised explosive device in Kirkuk, Iraq, last November, said the Winter Sports Clinic gives him an opportunity to live, not just exist. Here he poses with his wife, Jessica Pena. Photo by Donna Miles. ... Wounded Troops, Disabled Vets Conquer Mountains at Sports Clinic ...Latseen Benson blasting down Snowmass Mountain on skis. "It kind of feels like I'm flying," he said. "You become one with nature, but at a much faster rate. It's fabulous."