Fallen Army Journalist Honored at Newseum

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 16, 2011 – Army Staff Sgt. James Hunter is remembered for lots of things. His fellow soldiers will tell you he was a hard worker, selfless and dedicated to his soldiers and their mission. His family will tell you that he loved Kentucky basketball and, above all else, he loved his country.

Today, Hunter was honored for his work as a journalist. He was an Army public affairs noncommissioned officer who was killed by a roadside bomb in June during a foot patrol in Afghanistan. His rifle was slung across his chest, but clutched in his right hand was his camera.

“He was an outstanding NCO and leader,” Army Lt. Col. Larry Porter, public affairs officer for the 101st Airborne Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team, said. Porter was Hunter’s boss at the time of his death. “He was very dedicated to telling the soldiers’ story.”

He and 76 other fallen journalists were memorialized at the Newseum here today in the 2011 rededication ceremony of the Journalist’s Memorial. The memorial honors 2,084 reporters, photographers, editors and broadcasters who died covering the news between 1837 and 2010. Their names are inscribed on the glass panels of the memorial, adjacent to a wall filled with photographs of their faces, some with a short biography. Of those reporters honored today, 59 died in 2010.

Krishna Bharat, founder of Google News, delivered the ceremony’s keynote address, praising the character and drive of journalists for the risks they take to inform the otherwise uninformed public.

“In most cases, [journalists] made the conscious choice … to walk a path that was not paved with gold, but danger, to serve a higher human cost,” Bharat said. “As we look back on the lives lost in the service of journalism, it’s worth remembering that while we cannot predict how and when we die, we can certainly choose how we live.

“The journalists we remember and honor today chose lives full of meaning and purpose,” he added. “They chose to bring news that mattered to people who care to make the world a better place.”

The fact that Hunter was part of the ceremony is a humbling honor, said Army Lt. Col. J. Frank Garcia, an Army public affairs officer who worked closely with Hunter at Fort Campbell, Ky.

“It really is great to see the Newseum honor a soldier journalist,” Garcia said. “[Hunter] was someone who volunteered not only to be a soldier, but to put himself in danger repeatedly just to tell the soldiers’ story [and] to ensure the story of what [soldiers] do all over the world is being told.”

Hunter grew up in South Amherst, Ohio, and enlisted in the Army in September 2003. He served in the 82nd Airborne Division’s 49th Public Affairs Detachment on Fort Bragg, N.C., and deployed with the unit to Iraq in 2006. Following his tour at Fort Bragg, Hunter reported to the 101st Airborne Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team on Fort Campbell, Ky. He deployed to Iraq a second time in 2008. He was only two months into his Afghanistan deployment when he was killed. He was 25.

“I’ll always remember [Hunter] as the guy who always volunteered for the tough assignments,” Garcia said. “He was the kind of guy who wanted to be up front with the troops, living with them and experiencing their experiences and making sure the world knew their stories.”

No Yelling Marine

February 13, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Military-Writers.com, a website listing current, former and active United States Military personnel who have authored books, added Major Wally Adamchik to the list of military personnel who have written books.

“A former director of the F.B.I., the first man to walk on the moon and the greatest hitter to ever play the sport of baseball – what do these men all have in common? They are all leaders, of course. But they are also all former Marines”

Major Wally Adamchik, a former tank commander and helicopter pilot with the United States Marine Corps, is the founder and president of FireStarter Speaking and Consulting, a national leadership development and consulting firm. His new book, No Yelling: The 9 Secrets of Marine Corps Leadership You Must Know to Win in Business, draws upon the real-life experiences of those currently serving in the Marines and those now in the civilian sector to explain how anyone can incorporate the nine essential behaviors of Marine Corps leadership into their daily business life. The book includes more than 100 interviews with current and former Marines, and offers side-by-side comparisons of their application in military and civilian settings.

“The leadership techniques displayed by the United States Marine Corps have proven themselves time and again in battle,” says Adamchik. “These same principles can be applied from the break room to the board room to help anyone excel in business.”

The United States Marine Corps has a long-standing legacy of producing some of the United States’ most renowned leaders. Since 1775, countless governors, senators, astronauts, athletes, entertainers and business executives have served in this elite branch of the United States military. Many of these former Marines have taken the leadership skills learned in the Marines and applied them to their everyday lives. Wally Adamchik is one such former Marine.

In addition to hosting current, former and retired military personnel who have written books, Military-Writers.com is building and extensive web-based directory of military personnel who own businesses.

Navy Writers Added

January 31, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Military-Writers.com, a website listing current, former and active United States Military personnel who have authored books, added two former naval personnel who co-authored a novel.

Leroy E. "Skip" Vogel was born in Bruno, Saskatchewan, Canada, but spent most of his childhood in Nebraska and Minnesota. After graduating from Concordia University, St. Paul, Minnesota, he enrolled at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, where he was awarded the degree of Master of Divinity. He later earned the Master of Sacred Theology degree at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia and pursued doctoral studies at Harvard University. Skip served for 20 years in the United States Navy, and retired as a Captain. He served on major ships of the line, at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and at various Naval Stations in the United States and abroad, including Antarctica. He participated in numerous key missions in Southeast Asia, and was awarded an array of medals and decorations.

His co-author, Jerome "JD" Hamilton made a dual contribution to this novel. He is the persona of its leading character, Lain Byrd. In addition, his diary and "letters home" retained from Navy days were integral to shaping the novel's story line and developing the profiles of the leading characters. JD served as a Yeoman in the Navy for four consecutive Commanding Officers aboard a major ship of the line and completed several deployments to the Mediterranean and South America. Following his service, he completed the Department of Defense Industrial Security Training program and was employed by a large federal contractor in Washington, D.C. He currently resides with his wife and three children in Cabot, Arkansas, where he has established three entrepreneurial businesses. His most recent venture involved developing a new data base locator (http://www.tractorfax.org) involving the agricultural and construction equipment industry. He is currently writing a novel of his own reflective of another aspect of Navy life.

In the 1980s, Skip further pursued his interests in history and religion, writing a book titled History, Harmony, and the Hebrew Kings. He taught courses in religious history, public policy, and politics and American life at Concordia Seminary. Skip and his wife, Gloria, live in retirement in Spring Valley, Minnesota. He has four children and twelve grandchildren.

According to the book description, “Skip Vogel's CONSTANT BEARING - DECREASING RANGE: The Collision of Public Policy and National Defense, is a compelling character-driven story of intrigue, tragedy, honor, and humor within the U.S. Navy as it was undermined by the questionable efforts of American politicians and social engineers as they attempted to integrate low aptitude personnel and criminals into our naval forces, and the unfortunate consequences that resulted from these policies.”

Military-Writers.com now list eight former military personnel and their eleven books.