I Got The News Today (IGTNT) , which began in April of 2004, is one of the oldest continuous series on Daily Kos and provides members of this community a venue to pay their respects to those who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The IGTNT title is a reminder that nearly every day the family of an active duty service member receives the terrible news that their beloved has died.
~ Image Credit to
llbear with gratitude
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Silently, one by one, in the infinite meadows of Heaven,
Blossom the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of the angels.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in Evangeline
Honoring and Remembering:
Staff Sgt. Jesse J. Grindey
Amazing Grace and Taps at Arlington National Cemetery
TAPS
Day is done...Gone the sun
From the lake...
From the hills...
From the sky.
All is well...Safely rest
God is nigh.
Fading light....Dims the sight
And a star....Gems the sky....Gleaming bright
From afar....Drawing night
Falls the night.
Composed By Major General Daniel Butterfield
Staff Sgt. Jesse J. Grindey, 30, of Hazel Green, Wis., died March 12, in Kandahar province, Afghanistan.
Grindey was assigned to 287th Military Police Company, 97th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Riley, Kan. ~ DoD News Release
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Staff Sgt Jesse J. Grindey, 30, or Hazel Green, Wisconsin
Jesse Grindey graduated from South Western High School in 2001. From an early age Jesse wanted to help people by becoming a firefighter or a police officer. He did both. At age 18, Jesse was a volunteer with the Hazel Green Fire Department.
Assistant Fire Chief John Berning said he's known Jesse since he was in grade school.
He was the first to wash the truck after a call, and he stayed until it was done.
He was an ambitious kid. One of the friendliest, nicest kids you'd ever meet. He was always working but he was fun to be around. He was quick with a joke.
Close friend and deputy sheriff for Lafayette County, Mike Gorham said he was always proud of Jesse's passion to be a police officer and serve in the military.
If you talk about someone who has the heart of a lion and really cared about people, you're talking about Jesse Grindey. He's just a phenomenal man.
You try to cultivate that in young people. It's a tragic loss that he's paid a price for the service to his country.
I have a tag line on my email that says, ‘The measure of a man is defined by how he makes the world a better place.' In my opinion, Jesse Grindey was a giant.
SSgt Grindey joined the Army in March of 2002 and was assigned to Fort Riley in 2011. During his career he served all over the world including Japan, Korea and Iraq.
Jesse's mother, Sara said he was home for Christmas this year:
We had a wonderful Christmas. It's the first time we'd been together in 10-years.
His wife, Mary said Jesse was dedicated to his job and sometimes put his troops before his family:
He always put his soldiers first even if I really needed him at home. He's like they really need me. I just got to go.
SSgt Grindey still went out on calls with the fire department whenever he was home in Hazel Green.
It's a sad thing, said John Piddington, Hazel Green Fire Chief. We lost one of our own.
A longtime member of our community,
Oke has a nephew serving in Jesse Grindey's unit. Her nephew has served two tours in Iraq and this is his second in Afghanistan. He told his aunt, Oke just last night:
I've lost count of how many fellow soldiers I've known and lost.
And this is how he signed off from their instant message chat session last night:
Hate to cut this short but got to hit breakfast before they shut down early. Memorial Service today, this is going to suck.
Staff Sgt Jesse J.Grindey's awards include the Army Commendation Medal with five oak leaf clusters, the Army Good Conduct Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Iraqi Campaign Medal with two campaign stars, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon with three stars, the Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon and the Army Service Ribbon.
SSgt Jesse Grindey leaves behind his wife, Mary, a four year old son and a three year old daughter.
No funeral arrangements have been made.
~ Source ~ Source ~ Source
Dignified Transfer Photo Credit: US Air Force photo by Steve Kotecki
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About the IGTNT series:
"I Got the News Today" is a diary series intended to honor, respect, and remind us of the sacrifice of our US troops. Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by Sandy on Signal, noweasels, monkeybiz, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, SisTwo, SpamNunn, TrueBlueMajority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, maggiejean, Kestrel9000, TheFatLadySings, Ekaterin and me, JaxDem. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died, and show our community’s respect for them.
Diaries about the fallen usually appear two days after their names are officially released, which allows time for the IGTNT team to find and tell their stories.
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Any Soldier – (Marine, Sailor, Airman or CoastGuardsman) Provides detailed information on sending care packages or cards and letters to deployed service members.
Books For Soldiers - View requests for and send troops books, DVDs, games and relief supplies.
Fisher House – Provides a “home away from home” for military families to be close to a loved one during hospitalization for an illness, disease or injury.
Homes For Our Troops – Building specially adapted homes for our severely injured veterans at no cost to the veterans.
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans – The VA estimates 107,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. There are ways to get involved or donate at the link.
Netroots for the Troops (NFTT) – This non-profit raises money for the assembly, mailing and delivery of care packages to American military in war zones.
Special Operations Warrior Foundation - Provides full scholarship grants and educational and family counseling to the surviving children of special operations personnel who die in operational or training missions and immediate financial assistance to severely wounded special operations personnel and their families.
USA Together - "It's like craigslist for Wounded Warriors". Brings together injured service members who need assistance as they recover, with the people who want to help them.
Veterans Green Jobs - Helps transition veterans into their communities and find career opportunities in environment sustainable sectors of our economy.
Welcome Back Veterans - Committed to providing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) treatment to our veterans and their families in a public/private partnership
Wounded Warrior Project - Their vision is to foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded warriors in this nation's history.
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Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members mentioned here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.