Department Readies Pandemic Flu Guidebook for Civilians

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

May 29, 2007 – The Defense Department is preparing a pandemic flu guide for civilian managers and rank-and-file employees, a senior official said. The Defense Department released its Pandemic Influenza Implementation Plan in April, Patricia S. Bradshaw, deputy undersecretary of defense for civilian personnel policy, said May 25 in an interview with the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service.

The department's plan is part of the president's initiative to prepare the nation for a potential mass outbreak of deadly flu virus.

"And now, we're going to top that off with a DoD civilian human resources guide with a target audience of managers and employees," Bradshaw said.

She said the guide will outline specific things that managers, supervisors and employees need to do to prepare themselves for a possible flu pandemic or any other type of crisis. It's to be issued within the next four to six weeks, she said, and will be available on the Defense Department's pandemic flu Web site, fhp.osd.mil/aiWatchboard.

Pandemic flu is a fast-spreading human flu that causes a global outbreak, or pandemic, of serious illness that could sicken or kill hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of people, according to the U.S. government's pandemic flu Web site. For example, the 1918 flu epidemic killed more than half a million Americans.

Any challenges inherent in preparing the department's roughly 600,000 civilian employees for a possible flu epidemic or other crisis aren't dissimilar to those faced by the private-sector work force, Bradshaw noted.

"I think the challenges are not unlike any (other) work force," Bradshaw explained. "If we have a crisis such as a pandemic, the real challenge here is maximizing social distancing as the preferred technique to employ, because it's a contagious disease."
Increased shift work, phone usage, teleconferencing and working from home are among the options DoD could employ to continue operations in the event a flu pandemic reaches the United States, Bradshaw said.

"You're trying to figure out how to keep people safe and well and, at the same time continue the operations of the department," Bradshaw said. "And so, we'll really be looking at ways to do that."

Federal government guidance to state and local authorities has recommended the launch of pandemic flu preparedness exercises, she said.

"You can test to see where your gaps are and (where) your potential problems would be," Bradshaw explained, noting the federal government and the military already have conducted some exercises with civilian authorities.

The Defense Department plans to continue to provide work and pay to its civilian employees during a potential pandemic flu crisis, Bradshaw said. Again, the focus will be on employing social distancing to minimize potential devastating effects during a pandemic, she said.

"We're going to tell you, 'Please, don't come to work,'" Bradshaw said. Such a practice, she said, minimizes the spread of disease during a pandemic.

Additionally, Defense Department civilian managers need to determine how they'll continue performing their organization's core functions during a pandemic, Bradshaw said.

"What are the mission-essential functions that absolutely need to be done?" Bradshaw asked, especially tasks that can be accomplished online from home.

"The managers really need to think through what kind of work can be done away from the work site," she said. "Our goal is to ensure that our employees, to the maximum extent possible, can continue to work during such a pandemic."

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Navy Secretary Names New Combat Logistics Ship

Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter has announced his decision to name the Navy's newest underway replenishment vessel, the USNS Amelia Earhart (T-AKE 6). The name honors Amelia Mary Earhart for her courage, vision, and groundbreaking achievements, both in aviation and for women.

Amelia Earhart's name became a household word in 1932 when she became the first woman--and second person--to fly solo across the Atlantic, on the fifth anniversary of Charles Lindbergh's feat, flying a Lockheed Vega from Harbor Grace, Newfoundland to Londonderry, Ireland. That year, she received the Distinguished Flying Cross from the Congress, the Cross of Knight of the Legion of Honor from the French government, and the Gold Medal of the National Geographic Society from President Herbert Hoover.

In January 1935 Earhart became the first person to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean from Honolulu to Oakland, Calif. Later that year she soloed from Los Angeles to Mexico City and back to Newark, N.J. In July 1936 she took delivery of a Lockheed 10E "Electra," financed by Purdue University, and started planning her round-the-world flight.

The primary goal of the T-AKE program is to provide effective fleet underway replenishment capability at the lowest life cycle cost. To meet that goal, the ship will be designed and constructed to commercial specifications and standards and certified/classed by the American Bureau of Shipping, U.S. Coast Guard, and other regulatory bodies. All of the new ships will be operated by the Military Sealift Command. They are being built in San Diego by General Dynamics NASSCO.

For more biographical information on Amelia Earhart please click on the following link, http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq3-1.htm.

Additional information about this class of ship is available by clicking on the following link, the http://www.news.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4400&tid=500&ct=4.

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Navy to Christen Guided Missile Destroyer Truxtun

The Navy will christen the newest Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer, Truxtun, Saturday, June 2, 2007, during a 10 a.m. CDT ceremony at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, Pascagoula, Miss.

Designated hull number DDG 103, the new destroyer honors Commodore Thomas Truxtun (1755-1822) who embarked upon a seafaring career at age 12. When the U.S. Navy was organized, he was selected as one of its first six captains on June 4, 1798. He was assigned command of the USS Constellation, one of the new frigates, and he put to sea to prosecute the undeclared naval war with revolutionary France. On Feb. 9, 1799, Truxtun scored the first of his two most famous victories. After an hour's fight, Constellation battered the French warship L'Insurgente into submission in one of the most illustrious battles of the quasi-war with France. Truxtun retired from the Navy as a commodore and has had five previous ships carry his name: a brig launched in 1842, a destroyer with the hull number DD 14, a destroyer with the hull number DD 229, a high speed transport with the hull number APD 98 (initially designated a destroyer escort with the hull number DE 282), and a nuclear-powered frigate (DLGN) later re-designated a cruiser with the hull number CGN 35.

Rep. Gene Taylor of Mississippi will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Carol Leigh Roelker and Susan Scott Martin, descendants of the ship's namesake, will serve as sponsors of the ship. In accordance with Navy tradition, they will break a bottle of champagne across the ship's bow and christen the ship in the name of Truxtun.

Truxtun is the 53rd of 62 Arleigh Burke class destroyers. This multi-mission ship can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection, in support of the National Military Strategy. Truxtun will be capable of fighting air, surface, and subsurface battles simultaneously and contains a myriad of offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime defense needs well into the 21st century.

Cdr. Timothy R. Weber, a native of Decatur, Ga., will become the first commanding officer of the ship and will lead the crew of 276 officers and enlisted personnel. The 9,200-ton Truxtun is being built by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, Ingalls Operations, Pascagoula, Miss. The ship is 510 feet in length, has a waterline beam of 59 feet, and a navigational draft of 31 feet. Four gas turbine engines will power the ship to speeds in excess of 30 knots.

For more information on Arleigh Burke class destroyers, visit http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4200&tid=900&ct=4.

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U.S. Ambassador: Iran's Actions Must Match Words

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

May 29, 2007 – Iranian delegates advocated a peaceful and secure Iraq during a weekend meeting, but Iran's actions on the ground aren't in synch with its stated policies and principles, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker told reporters yesterday. Crocker said Iraq, Iran and the United States all expressed a common goal for Iraq during yesterday's meeting in Baghdad, hosted by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

"There was pretty good congruence right down the line -- support for a secure, stable, democratic, federal Iraq, in control of its own security (and) at peace with its neighbors," Crocker said.

All three delegations also expressed support for Maliki and his government, he said.

But Crocker said Iran's actions -- the fact that it supports anti-Iraqi militias and insurgents and provides them arms and explosives -- are "at cross-purposes" with its words. He said the United States has solid evidence linking these Iranian-supplied weapons to attacks that have killed Iraqi and coalition troops, as well as innocent Iraqi civilians.

Crocker said the Iranians didn't respond directly to these challenges, instead reiterating their broad statement of support for the Iraqi government. They also called for a "trilateral mechanism" for the three countries to work through to coordinate on security matters.

While not dismissing the trilateral concept outright, Crocker said he made it clear that yesterday's meeting was aimed at concrete concerns and actions, not more meetings.

"We ... made it clear from the American point of view that this is about actions, not just principles, and I laid out before the Iranians a number of our direct specific concerns about their behavior in Iraq," Crocker said. "What we need to see is Iranian actions on the ground come into harmony with their stated principles."

During the talks, Iranian officials called the coalition an occupying force in Iraq and said it has not done enough to train and equip Iraqi security forces.

"We, of course, responded on both points, making clear that the coalition forces are here at the Iraqi government's invitation and under Security Council authorities, and that we have put literally billions of dollars into training and equipping an increasingly capable set of Iraqi security forces," Crocker said.

Crocker described the four-hour meeting as "business-like."

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Supporting Troops Never Gets Stale for Girl Scouts

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

May 29, 2007 – Girl Scouts in southern Nevada are preparing to ship more than 11,000 boxes of Thin Mints, Do-Si-Dos, Tagalongs and other Girl Scout cookies to servicemembers overseas. The Scouts' donation was made possible through the generosity of the Girls Scouts of Frontier Council, which donated the cookies. The Nevada Benefits Foundation offered its assistance by coordinating the effort and covering the cost to ship the cookies to servicemembers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Community service is a long-standing tradition in Girl Scouting, allowing girls to learn the value of helping others," Toni Carey, product sales director for the Girl Scouts Frontier Council, said. "Their service and generosity significantly contributes to the quality of life for our servicemen and women."

Through the same collaboration in 2006, troops serving overseas received 4,700 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. They were most welcome, Phil Randazzo, president of Nevada Benefits and its foundation, said, adding he has received several requests for the cookies this year.

Nevada Benefits Foundation is a non-profit organization originally created to support U.S. troops and their families who fight in the war on terror. To date, the foundation has raised more than $942,000 through its rallies, "Defending Freedom" wristbands fundraising, and its Web site.

"They just crave a little taste from home," Randazzo said. "Toni Carey at the Girl Scouts came through again this year, doubling this shipment of Girl Scout cookies, and they should really be proud!"

Randazzo also offered kudos to the Palm Casino Resort, in Las Vegas, for helping to make the shipment possible.

Note: To find out about more individuals, groups and organizations that are helping support the troops, visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil. The Defense Department's America Supports You program directly connects military members to the support of the America people and offers a tool to the general public in their quest to find meaningful ways to support the military community.

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Air Force General: Academy Served as 'Leadership Laboratory'

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

May 29, 2007 – When 17-year-old John Corley joined the U.S. Air Force Academy's Class of 1973, his father had already given him some valuable life lessons to tuck under his belt. The Vietnam War was still raging -- along with anti-war sentiment -- when Corley, now a four-star general serving as Air Force vice chief of staff, entered the academy. But he said he never once considered not following in the footsteps laid by Don Corley, his Army Air Corps pilot father.

"It's not just that my dad was an airman," Corley said. "It's that my dad was an airman and had an exquisite set of leadership qualities that were based on character."

Anyone who spent time at the Corley home was bound to hear Don Corley's life philosophy, encapsulated in a series of slogans: "Good, better, best, never let them rest;" or "A job ain't worth doing if it ain't worth doing right."

"I lived a lifetime of quips from my father," the junior Corley said. "I could sit here and recite 10,000 of those phrases from my father over and over again."

Corley said he started to understand the principles behind his father's ditties when he arrived at the Air Force Academy.

"What they speak to is character (and) character development," he said. "They speak to how you treat other people. They talk about inclusiveness and not exclusiveness. They talk about always doing the right thing at the right time."

In short, his father's sayings extolled the same tenets Corley said he learned at the Air Force Academy and on which he's built a successful 34-year Air Force career.

Corley called the academy "a leadership laboratory" where the cadre exposed him and his fellow cadets to "a set of experiences that you just don't find in other places."

"They also provided challenges," he said. "It was a test ... in terms of your development (and) ... your ability to grow and become a leader of character."

Serving in various leadership positions at the academy -- from guidon bearer to first sergeant to squadron commander -- Corley said he got the opportunity to hone his leadership style.

He said he realized that leadership basically boils down to two basic principles: "One, you have to have a vision of where you want the organization to go, because if you don't know where you want to go, any path will do," he said.

"And the next thing is, you need to build consensus and convince ... the people of an organization to go where it is you want them to go -- and arrive thinking that it was their idea," he said.

Corey said he also learned the importance of being able to make a decision and stick to it, a critical skill he said he's drawn on throughout his career.

As he developed his leadership, Corley said, he came to understand the difference between simply being in command and being a true leader. "People can be issued authority. They can be given a piece of paper that gives them authority. They can command, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are good leaders," he said.

"True leaders recognize that leadership is based on character," he said. "It's not about self. It's about selflessness. It's about service to the nation."

Corley said the Air Force Academy reinforced this lesson, which his father first instilled, and laid a foundation that's served him throughout his career. "I can't count the number of times that the lessons in character that I learned at the academy have applied throughout my life," he said.

"To be a leader, you have to have this thirst, this unquenchable sense of 'How do I make it better, personally and professionally?'" he said. "It all comes down to character, those enduring values of service and integrity and excellence."

Without character, Corley said, leadership falls apart.

"People can have an exquisite data string, a perfect methodology and arrive at a decision, but if it is not founded on the proper values and it isn't underpinned with character, it may not be a decision that any of us would ever want to live with," he said.

"And if we miss that one, it doesn't matter how many informed decisions we make."

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Pace, NASCAR Honor Troops During Race in Charlotte

By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service

May 28, 2007 – Memorial Day is a time when troops remember the oath they took for their country and rededicate themselves to those who have gone before, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told servicemembers, drivers and fans here at NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 yesterday. "Thank you for what you have done and what you are about to do for your country," Marine Gen. Peter Pace told 6,000 soldiers and families from Fort Bragg, N.C., and Fort Campbell, Ky., before the race. "We simply couldn't be doing this without you."

Pace thanked the troops' families for the sacrifices they also make for the country. He said that they are the ones who love the troops and stay behind praying for them while they are in harm's way.

"We know that our families - spouses, kids, moms and dads - are the real strength behind our armed forces," he said. "Families serve this nation as well as any of us in uniform."

The general served as the race's grand marshal and spoke to the crowd of 180,000 at Lowe's Motor Speedway before making a ceremonial lap in the pace car to kick off the event.

"NASCAR has done a wonderful thing this weekend to reach out to the American public and to say thanks to the men and women of the armed forces," Pace said. "It makes a huge difference to American servicemembers to know the American people value our service," Pace said.

The teamwork is similar between NASCAR and the military, Pace said.

"I think that's why there is such an affinity between NASCAR and the armed forces," he noted.

"No one in the armed forces is successful without the men and women to their right and left," he said. "It's that way with NASCAR as well - drivers and crew members have to pull together to be successful."

NASCAR and speedway officials dedicated the weekend's races to the men and women of the armed forces by painting military logos and messages of support for the troops on eight Nextel Cup and two Busch series cars.

For yesterday's race, many of the drivers took the opportunity to show their support for the troops. Dale Earnhardt Jr. covered his car with a military uniform's desert camouflage pattern. Mark Martin drove a yellow and black Army car. Denny Hamlin represented the Marines. Bill Elliott paid tribute to the Air Force. Jimmie Johnson drove the "Power of Pride" Chevrolet. Race winner Casey Mears drove the National Guard/American Heroes car, and Jeff Gordon's car had the Defense Department seal on the hood of his car.

Members of the 82nd Airborne Division Chorus, the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team and the U.S. Army Drill Team performed for cheering crowds. Army helicopters, including Apaches, Blackhawks and Kiowa Warriors, and Air Force F-22s performed flyovers brought the speedway to its feet.

"We have a largely patriotic fan base," said Larry Deas, who is the Dupont racing team manager. "It is a natural fit for NASCAR to salute the military this weekend."

Deas said that the crowd's patriotism is evident when seeing the reverence shown during the playing of the National Anthem and the way race fans display the American flag on their cars, tents and clothing.

During the pre-race driver's meeting, David Hoots, the managing event director for NASCAR, encouraged the drivers to emphasize the importance of the meaning behind the race to their crews.

"When you're on the track with your team before the start of the race, remind your crew that we are here to honor those men and women who've made the ultimate sacrifice," Hoots said. "It's important to show the nation how much we appreciate these folks."
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Bush Honors Fallen Heroes on Memorial Day at Arlington

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

May 28, 2007 – Evoking the memories of citizens who died defending America throughout history and urging a new generation to safeguard freedoms for which previous generations made sacrifices, President Bush commemorated Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery here today. "Today we honor the warriors who fought our nation's enemies, defended the cause of liberty, and gave their lives in the cause of freedom," Bush said to a crowd of more than 5,000 people after laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. "We offer our love and our heartfelt compassion to the families who mourn them. We pray that our country may always prove worthy of the sacrifices they made."

Bush was joined by Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace, members of Congress and military leaders in paying tribute to the nation's fallen. This year was the 139th observance of Memorial Day at Arlington. Military veterans, servicemembers, families and other citizens gathered for the ceremony, which was precluded by a performance from the U.S. Marine Corps Band.

In welcoming the crowd to the ceremony, Pace called today a time to reflect on the "incredible heroes" who have served the nation, and also on the families they left behind. He also pledged that those in uniform today will stay dedicated to defending freedom.

"We will not let down those who have gone before us," he said. Bush noted that Arlington is home to the remains of many well-known American heroes, as well as hundreds of thousands who served in the Civil War, World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam and other places. Now, the cemetery is receiving a new generation of heroes in the servicemembers who have died in the war on terror.

"Like those who came before them, they did not want war -- but they answered the call when it came," Bush said of the troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. "They believed in something larger than themselves. They fought for our country, and our country unites to mourn them as one."

These troops gave their lives at a time when America is under attack and underestimated, Bush said. However, the sacrifices they made have ensured that America is still a bastion of freedom, and is still producing citizens who are willing to answer the call to duty.

"The greatest memorial to our fallen troops cannot be found in the words we say or the places we gather. The more lasting tribute is all around us -- a country where citizens have the right to worship as they want, to march for what they believe, and to say what they think," Bush said. "These freedoms came at great costs -- and they will survive only as long as there are those willing to step forward to defend them against determined enemies."

The war on terrorism will end one day, as all wars do, Bush acknowledged. The duty of this generation is to ensure that the war's outcome justifies the sacrifices of those who have fought and died, he said.

"From their deaths must come a world where the cruel dreams of tyrants and terrorists are frustrated and foiled -- where our nation is more secure from attack, and where the gift of liberty is secured for millions who have never known it," he said.

It is America's destiny to pursue this future of freedom and liberty, Bush said, and though the journey may be rough, it is the bravery of the men and women in uniform that keeps the country going.

"On this day of memory, we mourn brave citizens who laid their lives down for our freedom," he said. "They lived and died as Americans. May we always honor them. May we always embrace them. And may we always be faithful to who they were and what they fought for."

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Memorial Day Ceremony Celebrates Women's Military Service

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

May 28, 2007 – Women in uniform have performed illustrious service in the U.S. military in the past and they continue to serve with distinction to the present day, a senior Coast Guard officer said here today. “On this Memorial Day, as we remember the men and women who gallantly gave up their lives for this nation, let us also celebrate their legacy," Vice Adm. Vivien S. Crea, vice commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, told about 160 attendees at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial's annual Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.

"Through their ultimate sacrifice they have inspired the very best in those they were with and in generations of those who follow in their lead," said Crea, the ceremony's keynote speaker.

About 15 percent of today's active-duty military members are women, Crea said, noting one in every seven U.S. servicemembers deployed in Iraq today is a woman.

Today's "courageous and selfless military women in all the armed forces serve with distinction alongside their male counterparts throughout this country and around the world in virtually every specialty and theater of operations," she said.

Women's military service "symbolizes the pride, strength, realism and idealism of this great nation," Crea said. "You are our next greatest generation and I thank you on behalf of every man and women in the United States of America."

The WIMSA foundation's president, retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Wilma L. Vaught, was on hand to greet attendees, noting the women's memorial will celebrate its 10th anniversary this fall.

It's a WIMSA tradition, Vaught noted, to have servicewomen or veterans speak at the organization's annual Memorial Day observance.

"This memorial pays tribute, individually and collectively, to all of the women who have served," Vaught said. "And, who better to speak for them than one of them." Another tradition is the tossing of rose petals into the Women's Memorial reflecting pool, she said.

One former and four present-day women servicemembers spoke during the event: former Army Spc. Antoinette V. Scott, Marine Cpl. Ashley A. Mohr, Navy Chief Petty Officer Diane Paddock, Air Force Master Sgt. Lisa D. Crawford, and Coast Guard Lt. Eva J. Van Camp.

Scott, 37, is an Iraq war veteran who was medically retired because of wounds she'd received in November 2003 when an improvised explosive device detonated as she was driving her five-ton truck in Baghdad.

"We are here to honor Memorial Day because we have served in one of the U.S. armed forces or we know someone who has served," Scott, a Washington, D.C., resident, said.

Scott urged her fellow veterans to "look deeper into ourselves, pay tribute to all who have fallen, and most of all make your story the way you definitely want to be remembered."

"I am very proud of all the women I've heard today. I thought they spoke very well," said 92-year-old World War II veteran Ruthanna Maxwell Weber, a Chevy Chase, Md., resident, who attended the event in her dark blue Navy lieutenant's uniform.

WIMSA's Memorial Day observance is "a great opportunity for us to show that women are really there" and contributing throughout today's military, while also honoring their past accomplishments, Weber said.

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Veteran's Pay Tribute on Vietnam Wall's 25th Anniversary

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

May 28, 2007 – About 2,000 veterans, former and current military personnel, families and other spectators marked the 25th anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial here today during the annual Memorial Day Observance. For a quarter of a century, family members, friends and cohorts have solemnly filed past the memorial commonly known as "The Wall," seeking their loved ones among the 58,000 names of the fallen etched on the black granite panels.

"I think this is place where people feel very comfortable and they really become a part of the memorial by getting closer to it," said Jan C. Scruggs, founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, and today's master of ceremonies.

"It's a good place for events that are patriotic and thoughtful in nature, and I think the spirits of the soldiers on the wall are probably always there for everybody," he said.

Three names were added to the wall recently, he noted, bringing the total to 58,256. Family members read the names of Navy Fireman Apprentice Joseph Gerald Krywicki of Holton, Mich.; Army Sgt. Richard Monroe Pruett of San Diego, Calif.; and Army Spc. Wesley Alvin Stiverson of Monticello, Ill.

"The past is part of the present and part of the future as well," he said, "so when it comes to military service, remembering those who have gone before is a part of honoring those who are serving us today."

Scruggs paid tribute to veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who attended the ceremony to honor their brothers in arms who fought before them. Several young men stood at attention, and family members of Army Sgt. Samuel Floberg lifted him from his wheelchair while the crowd applauded with fervor.

Floberg, a member of the North Dakota National Guard, was wounded in Afghanistan Nov. 23, 2006 during an ambush on his patrol vehicle.

"The fourth (rocket-propelled grenade) went through the door of the Humvee and took out my leg and took out the driver, Cpl. Nathan Goodiron," said Floberg, whose right leg was amputated above his knee.

"The Wall heals," Floberg said, watching Vietnam veterans studying the engraved names on the glassy granite wall. "It's a place that people can come back and just reflect on their heroes, their brothers and sisters."

Veterans groups, including Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, The American Legion, Gold Star Wives, American Gold Star Mothers, Sons and Daughters in Touch, Jewish War Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America and Rolling Thunder, Inc. participated in the ceremony.

One of the Vietnam veterans among the hundreds of thousands of bikers riding in yesterday's Rolling Thunder, said it took a long time for him to visit the wall.

Retired Navy field hospital corpsman Jim Enos, president of the Wilmington, N.C., Rolling Thunder chapter, said he has rumbled to the nation's capital every year since 1996 for Vietnam veterans' motorcycle rally on the National Mall here.

But it took him 10 years, he said, to face familiar names on the memorial wall.

"I did not visit The Wall until last year," Enos said. "There are a lot of names on The Wall that I know, and it took me all those years."

"First time I went to it last year, I had a good cry," he said. "Now I can go to the Wall and I can just - I can handle it."

Joseph M. Lawler, national capital regional director for the National Park Service, co-host of the ceremony along with the Vietnam Memorial Fund, told the audience that few visitors are untouched by the memorial's symbolism.

"It's somewhat ironic how often the mention of walls invokes the immediate thought of separation or barrier," he said. "However, in this case the wall is a connector, a welcomed device, an instrument of unity."

Retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey, this year's keynote speaker, told the audience "there is no single Vietnam war experience." He implored veterans to think back on their unique reflections.

"As we remember all these experiences - and a lot of them are pretty darn positive, and we shouldn't forget that - friendship, trust, courage, intense humor; shared misery done so easily by youth," he said. "But a lot of that's clouded by those of us who could not come home, whose lives were ended so completely in combat."

"The pain is sharp ... there's a sense of permanent loss," he said. "That's why we're here to remember, to pay honor to those memories, to learn and take comfort in their sacrifice."

Teaching the lessons of fallen veterans' example is the most important aspect of preserving their memory, the general said.

"There will be a final day of reckoning," he said. "All of us here will again be reunited with these brave soldiers who we remember. The last time we saw them they were alive, frozen in time with their youth, their optimism."

Alluding to surviving veterans' mortality, including his own, McCaffrey said that everyone who fought in Vietnam will have a final homecoming.

"Then we'll be able to say, 'We have all come home together,'" he said. "God bless all of our 58,000 friends here. God bless you all."

Maj. Gen. Gale S. Pollock, acting Army surgeon general and commander for U.S. Army Medical Command, told audience members it was a privilege to join them in reaffirming a commitment to the men and women in uniform, and to the unknown number of civilians who served during Vietnam and other conflicts.

The U.S. is implementing ways to provide all veterans with the emotional and physical care and support they have earned, Pollock said. "Let us not forget the importance of talking about these invisible wounds so they can heal and not permanently scar and interfere with our lives," she said.

"As I look out on the crowd," she said, "I smile because I can only imagine how proud our fallen heroes would be to see all of you here today showing your appreciation for their selfless service for our incredible nation and simply saying 'Thanks,' to them for going the distance."

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National Memorial Day Parade Honors Wounded Warriors

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

May 28, 2007 – Seven months ago, on Veterans Day, Army Spc. Jace Badia was carried off the battlefield in Ramadi after an insurgent bomb left him nearly dead -- his left leg gone, his right leg shattered and his right arm and back broken. A testament to the will of today's warriors and the miracles of 21st century combat medicine, Badia today joined a handful of other wounded soldiers being carried down historic Constitution Avenue, just blocks from the nation's Capitol, on the Grand Marshal's float in the National Memorial Day Parade.

With thousands of onlookers cheering, Badia joined eight other wounded warriors and Hollywood star Gary Sinise to lead the parade. Five rode in the lead float and two followed in a Hummer.

"I never in a million years thought I'd even be in a parade," said Badia. "I'm really glad I can be out here and able to show the people that, even though I'm injured, I'm still fighting in spirit."

As his red-white-and-blue float, sporting a golden American eagle, rolled down the 10-block route, Badia said he had one person specifically in mind - his friend and fellow infantryman, Cpl. Eric Palaciosrivera, who was killed by insurgent sniper fire three days after Badia was injured.

"I think about him every day. He was just a really good guy," Badia said.

Badia also said he thinks about "every single serviceman who has served and died for our country."

His message to those still serving is simple.

"Keep fighting. It's for a good cause - freedom," he said.

In its second year, the parade drew more than 150,000 spectators. This year's official estimates are not yet released. The parade included 160 elements, including 20 bands, youth groups, and veterans groups from every conflict since World War I. It is sponsored by the American Veterans Center, in association with the White House Commission on Remembrance.

Badia was joined on the float by Leslie Smith, a former Army National Guard captain. She developed a blood clot while deployed and lost her left leg and sight in her left eye.

Now Smith is trained as a peer visitor at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and is active in encouraging wounded soldiers to get involved in sports programs.

Since losing her leg, Smith has completed four marathons, is a tri-athlete and enjoys kayaking and scuba diving. Most are sports that she didn't turn to until after her injuries, she said.

"It just really turns your life around and makes you want to get out there and do more and challenge yourself," Smith said.

Now, Smith is temporarily assigned to the president's commission on care for America's returning wounded warriors. She said being able to lead the parade is an honor for her and the others.

"It makes you feel very proud of yourself and service," Smith said.

But, she said, it is still the personal demonstrations of gratitude that mean the most for the servicemembers.

"It means the world for the soldiers coming back for anyone on the street ... if they stop and give you a personal thank you," Smith said. "That really seems to touch our hearts because we know that we are fighting for America and America's freedom, and we just hope that everybody knows that we're doing it 100 percent."

Leading the efforts to recruit volunteers to ride in the parade was fellow wounded warrior Army Cpt. D.J. Skelton. He lost his left eye and suffered other injuries while serving as a platoon leader in the second battle for Fallujah in 2004.

Skelton serves as a military advisor to the Deputy Defense Secretary and is helping rewrite policy on how the military manages its wounded servicemembers.

"The ultimate sacrifice is to give one's life. Right under that is this population," he said. "Their life is forever changed. For the rest of their life they will forever be reminded -- every time they look into a mirror -- of the sacrifice they made for their country.

"They truly need truly America's support," Skelton said. "When you look at them, you are forced to be reminded of this amazing group ... who allows us to live in a safe democracy.

Skelton said the appreciation shown to the soldiers demonstrates that their sacrifices were not in vain.

"It means a lot to know that America is still engaged and still cares and still recognizes that we sacrificed for something -- the greater good," Skelton said.

The soldiers serving as Grand Marshal's of the parade were: Army Cpts. D.J. Skelton and (retired) Leslie Smith, Staff Sgt. John Borders, Sgt. Ron Hawthorne, Cpl. John Callahan and Spcs. Jace Badia, Luke Markham and Robert Schubert.

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