“Taps” is sounded nightly by the U S military to indicate that it is “lights out”. It is played on bugle or trumpet during flag ceremonies and at the conclusion of most military funerals. The tune in its present form was arranged by Union Army Brigadier General Daniel Butterfield.
When "Taps" is sounded at a funeral, it is customary for serving members of the military or veterans to salute. The corresponding gesture for civilians is to place the right hand over the heart.
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.
All is well...Safely rest:
Lt. Col. Benjamin J. Palmer
1st Lt. Demetrius M. Frison
Sgt. Kevin B. Balduf
I Got The News Today (IGTNT) , which began in April of 2004 making it one of the oldest continuous series on Daily Kos, 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.
Since 2003 we have suffered the loss of 4452 American lives and a total of 4770 Coalition Forces in Iraq.
Since 2001 we have suffered the loss of 1581 American lives and a total of 2459 Coalition Forces in Afghanistan.
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Ships of Heaven
~ Blackhawk
Don't cry for me when I'm gone
Keep the faith and be strong
'Cause through it all I've been blessed
I faced my fears
And I've passed the test
So when you look up in the sky
On a sunny day
Imagine me drifting away
I'll be sailing on the ships of heaven
When the tide rolls out for the
Last time
You'll find me sailing on the ships of heaven
Waiting for the day
I come sailing back to you
Remember all the times we had
Some were great and some were sad
But you know that in the end
Our love was stronger then when we began
No unforgiven sins and no regrets
Just the times of our lives that we'll
Never Forget
I'll be sailing on the ships of heaven
When the tide rolls out for the
Last time
You'll find me sailing on the ships of heaven
Waiting for the day
I come sailing back to you
I'll be sailing on the ships of heaven
When the tide rolls out for the
Last time
You'll find me sailing on the ships of heaven
Waiting for the day
I come sailing back to you
When the tide rolls out for the
Last time
You'll find me sailing on the ships of heaven
Waiting for the day
I come sailing back to you
On the ships of heaven
I come sailing back to you...
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Lt. Col. Benjamin J. Palmer, 43, of Modesto, California
Lt. Col. Benjamin J. Palmer, 43, of Modesto, Calif., died May 12 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
This incident is currently under investigation.
Sgt. Balduf was assigned to 8th Communications Battalion, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. ~ DoD News Release
Benjamin Palmer graduated from Modesto's Downey High School in 1986 where he played soprano bugle with the Valley Fever Drum and Bugle Corps and later with the Sacamento Freelancers Drum and Bugle Corps.
Benjamin wanted to enlist in the Marines right after high school so he could play in the Marines’ Drum and Bugle Corps, but decided to finish college first. Palmer earned a bachelor’s degree in humanities from California State University, Sacramento, and a master’s degree in administration from Central Michigan University.
Lt Col Palmer, who has served for more than 20 years in the Marine Corps, served at various bases around the country as well as South Korea in between three tours in Iraq.
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At his change of command ceremony in December, where he served as commanding officer of the air wing's 2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion before deploying to Afghanistan, Palmer was praised by the air wing's top general, Major General Jon M. Davis.
Your efforts in refocusing the battalion from training strictly as a security force to a balanced ground-based air defense and security force posture have produced a well-trained and balanced unit.
Lt Col. Benjamin J. Palmer was just three weeks into a yearlong deployment in Afghanistan when he was killed.
Lt Col Palmer's mother, Linda Palmer said:
He had a strong sense of duty and of helping others, always taking care of his Marines and his family, too. We are going to miss him like crazy.
Palmer’s survivors include his wife, Leafa; children Katie, Jack and Jenna; mother, Linda of New Bern, N.C.; son A.J. of Orlando, Fla.; and brother, Joseph of Pittsburg in the East Bay. Palmer’s father, Richard, a Modesto attorney, died in 1999.
~ Source ~ Source ~ Source
Semper Fi Lt Col. Benjamin J. Palmer
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Many thanks to CalNM for writing this beautiful tribute to 1st Lt Demetrius M. Frison.
1st Lt. Demetrius M. Frison, 26, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania
1st Lt. Frison died May 10 in Khost province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from a roadside bomb explosion. He was an infantry officer assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, based in Fort Knox, Kentucky.
Demetrius Frison grew up on Wyoming Avenue, in Philadelphia where he graduated from Parkway Northwest High School. Demetrius met his best friend and future wife, Mikki, in middle school in Philadelphia, and they eventually became sweethearts.
Demetrius and Mikki went to college together at Millersville University, and in 2008, graduated with bachelor's degrees. The couple married in 2009, and welcomed a baby son, Christopher last November.
Former teachers, professors, family members, and friends recall Demetrius as well-liked and well-spoken, "bright and respectful," with a beautiful smile; "a baby face with a mature personality."
"Demetrius always had the brightest smile you could see on a person.
When he smiled, it lit up the room and made you smile, even if you didn't want to," his friend said.
In an interview with CBS21, his wife called Demetrius "an incredibly loving husband and father .... who embraced his newborn son every chance he got."
1st Lt. Frison began his military service in April 2009 and arrived to Fort Knox in October 2010. He deployed to Afghanistan in January. Last month the Army promoted Frison to first lieutenant, right before his 26th birthday.
On May 10, in Khost province, Afghanistan, 1st Lt. Frison's unit had to drive through a hot zone.
Before proceeding with his troops, 1st Lt. Frison went ahead first to check out the area. A roadside IED suddenly exploded, killing him.
1st Lt. Demetrius Frison has been awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart Medal, NATO Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, posthumously, and other awards and decorations including the Parachutist Badge.
Among those 1st Lt. Frison leaves behind are his wife and young son, his infantry troops, and family and friends from Philadelphia.
1st Lt. Demetrius M. Frison is missed.
May He Rest In Peace.
Source Source Source Source Source
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Sgt. Kevin B. Balduf, 27, of Nashville, Tennessee
Sgt. Kevin B. Balduf, 27, of Nashville, Tenn. died May 12 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
This incident is currently under investigation.
Sgt. Balduf was assigned to 8th Communications Battalion, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. ~ DoD News Release
Kevin Balduf was a 2002 graduate of David Lipscomb High School in Nashville where he participated in the Marine Corps Delayed Entry Program.
Kevin's twin brother, Kyle Balduf said his brother was determined to become a Marine from the age of 7 or 8.
He was a Marine's Marine. He was the best of the best. When he joined the Marine Corps, he found his passion. It's what he was born to do.
That he was born to be a Marine was proven when Sgt. Balduf saved the lives of fellow Marines in Afghanistan in 2004 thereby earning a Bronze Star. Kyle relayed the story:
There was an ambush when he was out on patrol. He put himself in a perilous position. When everyone else was running for cover, he returned fire. He called in an air strike. He got the Bronze Star for that.
After returning home Kevin visited his fourth grade teacher, Ms Buirton and admitted to her he had learned something he had been sure at the time was useless -- longitude and latitude. He used what he had learned from her to call in the coordinates that saved lives. This began a regular correspondence with Ms Burton's class, letting the children know why he felt called to become a Marine.
"I want everyone of you to grow up in a place that is free," Kevin wrote to the class in 2005.
A friend of Sgt. Balduf's family wrote the following on a personal blog page which speaks of his family's loving dedication to one another:
One phone call reminded me of the sacrifices that are made on my behalf by people on the other side of the world that give me the freedom to go about my routine each and every day.
I met Kevin only a couple of times briefly when he visited at our church, but was always impressed by his quick smile and his friendly manner with everyone. I’ve had the privilege of knowing his precious grandparents, Charlie and Jo Newsom, through our involvement with Nashville Inner City Ministry and our membership at Inner City Church of Christ and realized very quickly how proud they were of Kevin and his service. Our family has crossed paths with other members of Kevin’s family through church, work and school and they are proof of a truly loving family dedicated to each other. Kevin even used his experiences and positive attitude to reach out and touch elementary school children by corresponding with the class of one of his former teachers.
Just before Kevin's death, the twins had exchanged a final series of emails.
"'I just want you to know I'm proud of you and I love you,'" Kyle said he wrote to Kevin. "He responded on Wednesday. He said that he was at peace with where he was, and that if he ended up dying, he was OK with that; that he was doing what he needed to do," Kyle said.
Kyle Balduf summed up his twin brother's life with these words:
My brother was not some superhuman person. He was an average guy. But he loved in extraordinary ways. He made extraordinary choices. He chose to be loyal. He chose to love people around him. He chose to use his courage.
Maine Senator Olympia Snowe released this statement:
My thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of Sergeant Balduf, who tragically gave his life defending our nation with limitless courage. Indeed, his heroic service to the values we hold most dear, in the most demanding of environments and at such prolonged personal risk and peril, makes words difficult to find. I offer my heartfelt sympathies as we honor the solemn memory of this fallen soldier, who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of us all.
Sgt. Kevin Balduf leaves many family members behind, including his wife, Amy, and two daughters, ages 3 and 5. He will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery and a Memorial Service will be held in Nashville at a date yet to be announced.
~ Source ~ Source ~ Source ~ Source
Semper Fi Sgt. Kevin B. Balduf
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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, roses, SisTwo, SpamNunn, TrueBlueMajority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, maggiejean, racheltracks, Kestrel9000 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.
Fallen service members whose names have been released by the US Department of Defense will usually be diarized two days after the official announcement on the DoD website. This allows the IGTNT team to cover each person more fully, but still in a timely manner.
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POW/MIA: Afghanistan & Iraq
Two U.S. soldiers are currently listed as captured or Duty Status -- Whereabouts Unknown as of December 1, 2009.
Spc. Ahmed K. Altaie 41
and
Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl 23
Never forgotten - please keep good thoughts and prayers for these two men.
On December 8, 2010 new photos were published of Pfc Bowe R. Bergdahl in captivity. The article and images can be seen here.
The father of Bowe R. Bergdahl released this video on May 6, 2011 in which he appeals for the release of his son.
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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.