Hey Huntsville, honor your soldier on Saturday!

Courtesy of the Huntsville Times:

Military families will have the chance to honor their soldier at Saturday’s Military Family Day, hosted by the Madison/Marshall County Chapter of the American Red Cross.

The event is designed to help increase awareness of agencies, organizations and faith-based groups in the community that provide support and services to the military and their families. Representatives from area agencies will be on hand to provide information. Families of service members in all branches of the military, including the National Guard, Reserve, recruiters and veterans, are invited.

Throughout the day, families can honor their soldier by creating postcards to send to their soldier.

There will also be carnival activities and refreshments. It will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Max Luther Community Center, 207 Max Luther Drive, in Huntsville.

For information, visit www.redcrossrelief.org or call 536-0084, ext. 311.

Alabama Guard members to receive Alabama Commendation Medal

Remember hearing about the Bama Guard unit who “was in the right place at the right time“? Well, I just read in The Birmingham News that they will be receiving a well-deserved medal. (You can read the full story here.)

Congratulations, 2101st Transportation Company!

Alabama Veterans Service office opens at new location

Posted to The Birmingham News Breaking News blog:

One of two Alabama Veterans Service offices operating in Jefferson County has opened at its new Birmingham location. The Birmingham office opened today at 2121 Reverend Abraham Woods, Jr. Blvd. North. It will be open from from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Friday.

Veterans needing assistance can call the office at (205) 521-7305.

The county’s other veterans assistance office is in Room 105A at the Bessemer Courthouse, 1801 3rd Ave. North.

More than 50,000 veterans and their family members live in Jefferson County.

In the news this weekend

Printed in the Eufaula Tribune this weekend:

Teresa and James Orr recently traveled with their family and friends to Parris Island, S.C. to watch their son, James E. Orr, graduate from the U.S. Marine Corps boot camp.

The graduation was held Friday, Aug. 7. Orr has been at boot camp for the past three month. The Orr’s also got to attend family day on the Thursday before graduation.

“We were so glad to see him on family day,” said Teresa. Though she said they received lost of letters and one phone call from him while he was at Parris Island, seeing her son face to face after three months was a joy for this proud mother.

“We will never forget this incredible memory of our son graduating from the Marine Corps,” she said. “We are very proud of him!”

Many of their friends and relatives also attended the graduation, including Mr. and Mrs. Fred McWaters, James’ sister, Summer Orr, Jaclyn Williams, Shelby Williams, Jada Whitman and Nicole Richardson.

James will leave on Aug. 24 and go to North Carolina for 2 1/2 months to attend infantry school. After school, he will go to California.

Congratulations, James!

Pinson mourns loss of a hero

Our thoughts and prayers go out to PFC VanOsdol’s loved ones:

The Pentagon says a 23-year-old soldier from Pinson, Ala., has been killed in Iraq. The Army says Pfc. William Zachary VanOsdol, died Wednesday at Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy rocket fire struck his quarters.

VanOsdol was a 2005 graduate of Pinson Valley High School and was assigned to the Army’s 172nd Support Battalion, Schweinfurt, Germany.

Fort Rucker soldier risks life to help pregnant wreck victim

Courtesy of Mike, today’s Dothan Eagle features one of our finest:

The seconds before the Saturday night crash come back to Brittany Bragwell like a strobe. It is dark. The light is green. A pickup truck appears in her path. She swerves. The next thing Bragwell remembers is her white Nissan Maxima skidding on its top in the median of Montgomery Highway and John D. Odom Road. She hears the sound of breaking glass.

Suspended upside down, Bragwell moves her arms and legs to make sure they aren’t broken and struggles to free herself from her seat belt, but she can’t. By now, people have stopped at the site of the accident. Bragwell can hear them.

“Fire!” she hears someone say, and can look out her broken window and see feet backing away from the vehicle.

Just a few feet away, the Chevrolet 4×4 pickup also involved in the accident is in flames. All five occupants have gotten out of the vehicle safely. Bragwell’s car is smoking and sparking. Now she is screaming.

Fort Rucker soldier Michael Jordan is three cars behind Bragwell and sees the accident happen. He pulls off the side of the road and runs to the vehicle.

“I’m pregnant,” she tells him.

Unable to open the door, Jordan slides through the broken window and positions himself underneath Bragwell and works the seat belt loose. His rescue training tells him to keep accident victims immobile, but the car is smoking and could burst into flames at any second.

He checks quickly for spinal injury or broken bones as best he can. Satisfied nothing appears broken, he begins to use his body as a sliding board, scooting her out of the vehicle. There is broken glass on the median and pavement and some of it winds up in Jordan’s legs and back.

Finally, Jordan has Bragwell across the highway and out of danger. Rescue personnel are delayed because the initial report sent responders to the intersection of West Main Street and John D. Odom Road. Two from the pickup are taken to Flowers Hospital and are treated and released. Bragwell is taken to Southeast Alabama Medical Center and kept overnight for evaluation. Mother and baby appear fine. Ella Brooke Bragwell is due Sept. 21.

Four days later, Bragwell, 19, is amazed no one was seriously hurt, and thankful Jordan risked injury to himself to free her from the car.

“He was my guardian angel,” Bragwell said.

Jordan said he never hesitated after he saw the accident.

“I just couldn’t see someone lose their life in an accident, even if it meant me risking my life,” said Jordan, a Detroit native who has been at Fort Rucker for about 18 months. “She was very conscious and alert and I couldn’t live with just passing it by. I believe it’s just basic instinct to do something like that.”

Bragwell and Jordan have maintained contact since the accident and Bragwell said the others in the pickup truck have relayed thoughts and prayers for her as well.

Thank you and God bless you, Michael!

B’ham VA Ranks 8th in Country

I noticed that the Birmingham VA site was updated recently:

The Birmingham VA Ranks 8th Among VA Hospitals Across the Country

The Birmingham VA Medical Center has been ranked No. 8 nationally among 153 Veterans Administration hospitals for quality of care and patient satisfaction. This year, the medical center ranked No. 1 in inpatient satisfaction among all VA hospitals. It also ranked No. 1 in clinical quality measures in the VA Southeast Network, which includes Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. The new rankings, released this week, reflect measures taken through June.

That’s great news, way to go!!!

Alabama loses another hero

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Captain Luce’s loved ones:

Yesterday, the Alabama Army National Guard confirmed the death of 27-year-old Captain Ron Luce. Luce was serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

The soldier was serving as Team Commander in Qole Gersdar, Afghanistan when his vehicle was struck by an Improvised Explosive Device. He was assigned to 1st Battalion 20th SFG in Huntsville, AL.

Two other soldiers were killed in the attack including Sergeant First Class Severin W. Summers 43 of Baton Rouge, LA and Sergeant First Class Alejandro Grenado 42, of Tatum, TX.

Funeral Services were held for Luce at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Chapel on Fort Bragg, NC Thursday.

Baldwin County loses a hero

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Lance Corporal Ferrell’s loved ones:

Pam Ferrell says the pain she feels in unimaginable.

“Please pray for us, pray for me, pray for my family”

Pam’s son, Lance Corporal Bruce Ferrell, Junior, was killed Monday fighting the war on terror in Afghanistan. The 21-year old Marine machine-gunner known as “Little Bruce” or “Bubba” … was on foot patrol with his unit when an I.E.D. went off. The blast killed him instantly.

“He wanted to serve his country,” says Pam. “He was proud to be a Marine.”

Pam says tragedy seems to follow the Ferrell family. Her 21-year old daughter was recently killed in a car accident.

“To lose two children within two years…I’m just going to need a lot of prayers from everybody.”

Bruce immediately joined the Marines after he graduated from Baldwin County High School in 2006. He had been overseas since May, serving a seven-month tour of duty. Bruce was recently engaged to be married.

Eufaula mourns loss of a hero

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Sgt. Evans’ loved ones:

A Eufaula native died late last week while serving in Afghanistan. U.S. Army Sgt. Jerry Randall Evans, Jr., 23, died late last week according to his father, Jerry Evans, Sr. His father said he has heard few details about what happened to his son, but apparently he was in a truck that was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED.)

“They got out (of the vehicle) and then shots were fired,” his father said. The family was informed of the incident Friday evening. More on this story will appear in the midweek edition of The Eufaula Tribune, available Tuesday morning.