Category Archives: Freedom

Large numbers of community members in the city of Belding watch history take place Monday at a ground breaking ceremony for the new Freedom Wall and park.

The project has been a passion for citizen and veteran Denny Craycraft since last year, with numerous fundraisers helping it come together.

The Belding City Council approved the site just west of the Pere Marquette Depot earlier this year, and the Michigan State Historic Preservation Offices gave the final approval Friday.

Im on cloud nine right now, said Craycraft after the ceremony. Im so elated, words cant describe it.

He said the goal is to have the Freedom Wall built in time to be revealed at 11 a.m. this Veterans Day. Craycraft added he was very thankful for the buisnesses and builders stepping up to get the project moving as quickly as it has.

Ive never seen so much of an outpour from the community, he said. Now were looking for corporate sponsors.

Belding Mayor Ron Gunderson said he was very pleased with the ceremony and looking forward to seeing it come together month after month.

Im glad to see it moving forward now, said Gunderson.

More here:
Freedom Wall breaks ground in Belding

May 29, 2012 12:19pm

Image Credits: Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo | Chris Pizzello/AP Photo

What do music legend Bob Dylan, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and novelist Toni Morrison have in common? Today they will join the small but elite club of political and cultural icons to receive the nations highest civilian honor: the Medal of Freedom.

This years Medal of Freedom recipients, 13 in all, will come together at the White House this afternoon, where President Obama will honor their accomplishments and present the awards.

The Medal of Freedom recognizes individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace , or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors, according to the White House.

Dylans Like a Rolling Stone and Mr. Tambourine Man, Morrisons Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Beloved, and Albrights efforts to champion democracy, human rights and good governance across the globe are allconsidered accomplishments worthy of this honor.

Previousrecipients include U.S. Sen. John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth; retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens; former Israeli President Shimon Peres and Pat Summitt, the winningest NCAA basketball coach who led the University of Tennessees womens basketball team to more Final Four appearances than any other team.

These extraordinary honorees come from different backgrounds and different walks of life, but each of them has made a lasting contribution to the life of our nation, the president said in a written statement. Theyve challenged us, theyve inspired us, and theyve made the world a better place. I look forward to recognizing them with this award.

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Medals of Freedom for Dylan, Albright

The City of Russellville honored those men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice for freedom Monday in a downtown Memorial Day ceremony across from The Depot.

Chaplain Jeff Cheatham with the River Valley Chapter of Military Officers Association of America asked the crowd to observe a time of reflection this Memorial Day and to remember and pray for those who have fallen, and those who are still serving.

Mayor Bill Eaton recognized and honored all veterans in attendance before introducing guest speaker, Gordon Thornsberry, a veteran and member of Pope County Quorum Court.

Thornsberry recalled his experience on board the notorious flight No. 923 on the Flying Tiger, a Super-Constellation plane, which experienced engine trouble and was forced to ditch in the water.

He said the flight left an Air Force base in New Jersey and experienced a breaking storm in the North Atlantic.

The plane climbed steeply up to avoid the storm and in the process one of the engines on the right side caught on fire and a soldier, in his haste, drowned the left engine with a fire extinguisher and the plane was left with two operating engines.

The plane dropped down into the storm and the pilot had the passengers prepare to ditch by emptying pockets and removing shoes and even the females were asked to remove their hosiery.

Thornsberry was sitting close to the front of the plane, but was asked to move toward the back because at 186 pounds he was considered one of the heavier soldiers.

He sat between a young man from Newport, AR and a stewardess, and prepared as best he could for the crash landing into the sea.

Of the passengers in the planes last six rows, Thornsberry said he was the only survivor.

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Freedom is not free

By KENNETH KNIGHT | The Tampa Tribune Published: May 29, 2012 Updated: May 29, 2012 - 8:44 AM

They are smart and share an appreciation for the Florida Gators, but that is where the similarities end for Freedom High School seniors Crystal Fleming and Chris Tolson.

Fleming, the class valedictorian, is reserved, spiritual and musically talented. The tenacious 17-year-old recently recovered from a serious car accident to begin planning for college and to wed her high school sweetheart.

Tolson, the salutatorian, is a fun-loving prankster who is eager to launch his college experience with some of his "main bros" in tow.

Although they have vastly different personalities and hobnobbed in separate social circles at Freedom, Fleming and Tolson have traveled similar paths to academic success.

Their journeys were etched by self-determination, concentration and a zest for knowledge. They both plan to attend the University of Florida on scholarships this fall.

"I think God blessed me with the ability to excel," Fleming said.

The West Meadows resident will graduate Tuesday with a 6.99 grade point average.

Tolson, 17, of Tampa Palms, who finished with a 6.84 GPA, offered a jovial rationale.

"I have keen eyesight," he quipped. "I'm very popular, so I got all the text messages with what questions were on the tests."

Link:
Freedom High scholars take different paths

WASHINGTON (AP) President Barack Obama will honor a diverse cross-section of political and cultural icons including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, astronaut John Glenn, basketball coach Pat Summitt and rock legend Bob Dylan with the Medal of Freedom at a White House ceremony Tuesday.

The Medal of Freedom is the nation's highest civilian honor. It's presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the national interests of the United States, to world peace or to other significant endeavors.

Other recipients this year include:

Toni Morrison, author of such novels as "Song of Solomon" and "Beloved."

John Paul Stevens, former Supreme Court Justice.

Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts.

Shimon Peres, president of Israel.

John Doar, who handled civil rights cases as assistant attorney general in the 1960s.

William Foege, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who helped lead the effort to eradicate smallpox.

Gordon Hirabayashi, who fought the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II.

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Obama to honor Medal of Freedom recipients

WASHINGTON President Barack Obama will honor a diverse cross-section of political and cultural icons including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, astronaut John Glenn, basketball coach Pat Summitt and rock legend Bob Dylan with the Medal of Freedom at a White House ceremony Tuesday.

The Medal of Freedom is the nation's highest civilian honor. It's presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the national interests of the United States, to world peace or to other significant endeavors.

Other recipients this year include:

Toni Morrison, author of such novels as "Song of Solomon" and "Beloved."

John Paul Stevens, former Supreme Court Justice.

Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts.

Shimon Peres, president of Israel.

John Doar, who handled civil rights cases as assistant attorney general in the 1960s.

William Foege, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who helped lead the effort to eradicate smallpox.

Gordon Hirabayashi, who fought the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II.

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Medal of Freedom for Glenn, Dylan, others

Sometimes, the original sentiment of a holiday can get lost.

In today's case, the true meaning of Memorial Day might get burried in, say, the the excitement of the year's first beach trip, a delectable BBQ or an enticing super sale. There's no shame in enjoying the three-day weekend. But, to make sure to enjoy it for all it's worth, we think it's important to focus on the deeper meanings: freedom and remembrance. Do take a moment this holiday weekend to honor our country.

We've put together a few quotes to help evoke gratefulness for the freedom we are so blessed to have.

What do you do to celebrate our freedom and remember those who fought to honor it?

"Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth." -George Washington

"Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose." -The Wonder Years

"What we have once enjoyed deeply we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us." -Helen Keller

"To live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die." -Thomas Campbell

"Perhaps they are not stars in the sky, but rather openings where our loved ones shine down to let us know they are happy." -Eskimo Legend

"Life is eternal; and love is immortal; and death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight." -Rossiter W. Raymond

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Let Freedom Ring: Inspirational Memorial Day Quotes

SARASOTA NATIONAL CEMETERY -- They trekked with focus and resolve to these emerald fields lined with marble headstones on a fiery hot Sunday afternoon.

Undeterred by the heat, they came, like pilgrims on a mission, carrying flowers, like Bradenton's Geraldine Schule, 80, to place on a grave site, in her case, the grave of her beloved husband, Bradenton's Rodney W. Schule, who had served in the U.S. Navy and Merchant Marine.

They came, like Rich and Mare Muno of Venice, to honor their neighbor, James Orr of the U.S. Air Force, who was laid to rest here on Clark Road two years ago.

They came, like Bradenton's Stefenie Hernandez and 14 others in her family, to lay a wreath during a special Memorial Day moment here in honor of Hernandez's son, Spc. 4 Patrick Lay, who died in Afghanistan on Aug. 11, 2011.

And, they came from Tallahassee, in a convoy of black vehicles containing Gov. Rick Scott and his wife, Ann, both of whom walked with the pilgrims, hugging many, including those in the Hernandez family and the Schule family.

Ann and Rick Scott later said they understand the desire many have to be a freedom pilgrim and come to a place like Sarasota National Cemetery on Memorial Day weekend, a time set aside to honor those who gave their lives for their country.

"You can't know what it feels like unless you have lost a family member in the service of his or her country," a humble Scott, the keynote speaker, said during a 45-minute Memorial Day ceremony attended by about 400 under a tent here.

Scott's father was in the 82nd Airborne during World War II and he himself served in the U.S. Navy.

Jets forge an unforgettable moment

At about 1:40 p.m., just after U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Bradenton, was being introduced to speak, four F-16s from the 482nd Fighter Wing at Homestead Air Force base roared in formation over the tent.

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Freedom 'pilgrims' come to honor those who sacrificed

Culture Challenge of the Week: Conscience Coerced

The liberal machine known as the Obama administration continues to accuse the Republican Party and conservatives in general of waging a war on women. Its a nonsense claim, and women arent buying it.

It is, however, a convenient smoke screen blurring the largest assault on religious freedom in decades.

The controversy swirling around the mandate from the Department of Health and Human Services, which forces religious institutions to provide insurance coverage for contraceptives, sterilizations and abortion-causing drugs for their employees, escalated this past week.

This time, its the good guys on the offensive.

In 12 courts, 43 Catholic institutions have filed suit against the Obama administration and its agencies, asserting that the contraceptive mandate violates the religious freedom of faith-based institutions.

In a statement explaining why the University of Notre Dame has joined the lawsuits, the universitys president, the Rev. John I. Jenkins, put the issue simply: The case is about the freedom of a religious organization to live its mission, and its significance goes well beyond any debate about contraceptives.

Dont miss this point: The free-exercise clause is about living our religious beliefs, not just about how we worship. It protects our ability to integrate our faith into what we say and what we do in the public square, not just within our churches, synagogues or mosques.

The Obama administration long has attempted to recast religious freedom as mere freedom to worship. Why? Because to the left, religion (and Judeo-Christian morality) is sort of like secondhand smoke some people like it, but on the whole, it harms society so it must be banned from public spaces and limited to restricted areas (churches, temples and mosques).

The troublesome First Amendment right to free exercise of religion, then, becomes mere freedom of worship. And so, outside of their houses of worship, religious believers would have no right to free exercise and therefore no right of conscientious objection.

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HAGELIN: Religious freedom is real issue of mandate

A train station is where passengers begin a journey, or change direction. For the past year, Freedom Station has been a place where San Diego sailors and Marines with broken bodies start their journey to a new life.

It looks much like many apartment complexes in old San Diego neighborhoods. A handful of cottages circle a courtyard.

But every detail is ready to pass a drill instructors inspection. The grass is military-style neat. There is a white picket fence in front of each door.

And the residents, most in their 20s, arent ordinary. Josue Barron is missing a leg above the knee, and one eye is glass and bears the emblem of his infantry unit 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines. Timothy Read also lost part of a leg, and one wrist bears scars where doctors stitched it back on after a roadside bomb blast.

Barron likes to sit on the small porch of his cottage in the afternoons. Other residents call out greetings as they come home from their doctors appointments.

Being combat wounded, with all these guys here, I felt comfortable. If I was living in any other neighborhood, I wouldnt be able to talk to my neighbors because they have nothing in common with me, said Barron, 22, who lives with his wife and their dog in the small house while waiting for his medical discharge.

Here, we all are transitioning, and we all have our own demons, said David Smith, 23, an injured Marine veteran who was one of Freedom Stations first residents. But were all doing it together, so its easier.

Operated by a grass roots San Diego nonprofit group, Freedom Station officially opened one year ago, on Memorial Day weekend.

Since that time, the quiet complex has been home to 15 injured service members, who were once resident patients at San Diego Naval Medical Center in Balboa Park. An additional 23 are on a waiting list.

Sandy Lehmkuhler was volunteering at the Navy hospital, one of the militarys national centers for amputee care, when she got the idea.

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Next stop for wounded vets: Freedom Station