Afghanistan: Face of War

 

 

 

Pfc. Cody Towse was killed at the age of twenty-one by an improvised device in Sanjaray, Afghanistan. He died while attempting to save one of his fellow soldiers. As the Army medic rushed to help the wounded a second blast went off and took his young life. He had previously received a 'medic ribbon' for saving another life.

Towse was fulfilling a lifelong dream of being a military medic. He graduated from Salem High School and love the music of the Beatles and Johnny Cash. Towse was an avid reader. He is survived by his parents and two brothers and a sister.

Prince Harry Visits Wounded Warriors At Walter Reed And At Games In Colorado

 

 

Princess Diana would have been so proud of her son Prince Harry as he made his way across America this week. The Prince was especially moving as he visited the wounded warriors at Walter Reed Hospital and then at the 'Wounded Warrior'  games in Colorado this weekend.

As someone who has served in Afghanistan, the Prince seems to have a special empathy for these service members who were badly injured in Iraq or Afghanistan.  Like his mother, Prince Harry reminds us of those who we need to remember.  

Here is Prince Harry at Walter Reed and at the games.

Afghanistan: Faces of War

 

 

Spc. Brandon Joseph Prescott was just twenty-four when he was killed by an improvised explosive device in Maiwand District, Afghanistan. The native of Bend, Oregon was one of five soldiers killed in the blast. OregonLive.com reports on the young soldier.

Prescott was the younger in the family's first set of twin boys, born in West Covina, Calif., said his older brother, Aaron. The second set of twins, Jake and Josh, now 23, arrived soon after.

Prescott grew up in Dana Point, Calif., and graduated from Dana Hills High School in 2006. Two years later, their mother moved the brothers to Bend, where he took classes at Central Oregon Community College. Their father, Joseph Prescott, lives in Montgomery, Texas; their mother, Tracey Prescott has returned to Dana Point.

She said her son volunteered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and took part in a firefighting academy before joining the Army in 2010 in Portland.

Prescott was due to return home in September. However, he signed up for another three years when he discovered he would have to leave his unit behind, Aaron Prescott said.

The older twin said he spoke to Prescott on the phone about four hours before he was killed. The soldier said he loved and missed his family He is survived by his mother, father and three brothers.

"He was a hero and an inspiration for all of us," Aaron Prescott said. "Before he left for Afghanistan, he told us that if he died, he wanted us to be proud of him and hold our heads up because we know he was doing something he loved."

Tracey Prescott described Prescott as a selfless, humble man who loved his family and the beach.

Afghanistan: Faces of War

 

 

United States Air Force Staff Sgt. Daniel N. Fannin was killed in Afghanistan outside the Kandahar Airfield. The thirty year old airman was married to Sonya Fannin for several years. He was a native of Morehead, Kentucky and loved camping and fishing. He graduated from Rowan County High School in 2001.

The Sgt. had been in the Air Force for twelve years and this was his third tour in Afghanistan. He was an air surveillance technician on E-3 AWACS aircraft.

His family said in a statement, " Daniel always had a smile and kind words, and had a heart of gold."

Afghanistan: Faces of War

 

 

Spc. Delfin Santos was killed in Zabul, Afghanistan at the age of twenty-four. Santos was on his second deployment to that nation. The soldier had been in the military six years. S

antos was killed when he was on his way to deliver school books for the Afghanistan children.

His father was a Prisoner of War in World War II and was part of the Bataan Death March. His body will be flown to the Philippines to be buried next to his father. Spc. Santos was from San Jose, California.

Santos was the youngest of seventeen children. This is the Christmas greeting he sent to his sixteen siblings.

PHOTOJOURNALISM: The Pulitzer Prize Winning Photograph Of 2013

 

 

Photographer Javier Manzano

One photograph wins the 'Oscar' for photographs each year and it is awarded by the Pulitzer Prize committee. This year the winner was Javier Manzano (above) and it is a beauty. Here is the photograph that won this year's Pulitzer Prize for "Feature Photography" He is the first freelance photographer to win the prize in seventeen years.

National Geographic reports:

In Manzano's award-winning image above, two rebel soldiers wait on the frontlines in Aleppo, Syria (map). Light streams in from the dozens of bullet holes that litter the walls of their makeshift sniper's nest and yet, as the men point a rifle out of a face-size gap, their focus appears unwavering despite their precarious surroundings.

According to Judy Walgren, director of photography for The San Francisco Chronicle and co-chair of the jury for this year's awards, Manzano's image "perfectly illustrates the ability of a photographer to step back and see beauty when destruction is all around."

See more of Manzano's work by clicking here......

Afghanistan: Faces of War

 

 

 

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jarett Yoder was only 26 years old when he was killed in Afghanistan. He was an piloting a AH-64 Apache Helicopter that crashed. Yoder attended Oley Valley High School in Oley, Pennsylvania (near Reading). Afterwards, he went to Reading Community College.

Yoder joined the military in 2005. He had previously served a tour of duty in Iraq in 2008 in the Infantry. He learned to become a pilot of Apache helicopters in 2010.

He had just married his wife Heather.

Afghanistan: Faces of War

 

 

 

Air Force Academy graduate Capt. James Steel was killed in Eastern Afghanistan. The F-16 pilot was twenty-nine years old. The Tampa, Florida native was following in his father's footsteps by joining the Air Force. Major General Robert Steel and his wife Dee had five children and four of them entered the Air Force. This includes Capt. Steel's twin brother Jonathan.

Daily Kos quoted Captain Steel's father about his family:

James and Jonathan, who are our first set of twins, both went to the academy, one year apart. James is ahead of Jonathan by one year, who is at Laughlin finishing up his undergraduate pilot training. Their younger brother, Christopher, graduated the academy as well and is going to medical school at the Uniform Services University in Bethesda, Md. Out of our youngest set of twins, Paul is in basic training wanting to be a (joint terminal attack controller). And our oldest son, Bob, is in the process of applying for an officer training school slot.

LIFE Magazine Covers From The Vietnam War

 

For many Americans, especially in the early years of the Vietnam War, LIFE Magazine was their major source of news. The first cover story on the war was October 27, 1961. From that point on there were over two dozen cover stories. One of the most powerful and most talked about was the week they printed all the pictures of those killed in one week in the war.

In many ways, the Vietnam War was the last one where photojournalists were the media stars.

Here are some of those covers.

You can see all of them by clicking here.....

Do Americans Want To Intervene In North Korea Crisis?

 

 

 

Korean War by David Douglas Duncan

With everyone in the world wondering what in the hell the North Korean leader is thinking, what are Americans thoughts on the crisis? Gallup Polling asked that question and here are the results:

-If North Korea attacks South Korea, 55% of American believe that United States military forces should be used to protect the southern nation. Only 34% are opposed to U.S. military action.

-Americans are evenly split if such military action in Korea will be necessary in the next six months - 43% says it will be needed and 44% says it won't be needed.

-An amazing 28% believe North Korea could some how attack the United States in the next six months.

-About a third of Americans are following the crisis very closely and over another third are following it closely.

-If you just take those that are following the crisis closely, a whopping 66% believe we should intervene with troops if North Korea invades South Korea.