Lt. Cmd. Edward Henry “Butch” O’Hare From St. Louis, Missouri Fighting Squadron Three (VF-3) March 13, 1914 – November 26, 1943
From Butch O’Hare’s Medal Of Honor citation:
The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Lieutenant Edward Henry “Butch” O’Hare (NSN: 0-78672), United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in aerial combat, at grave risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, as section leader and pilot of Fighting Squadron Three (VF-3), attached to the U.S.S. LEXINGTON, on 20 February 1942. Having lost the assistance of his teammates, Lieutenant O’Hare interposed his plane between his ship and an advancing enemy formation of nine attacking twin-engine heavy bombers. Without hesitation, alone and unaided, he repeatedly attacked this enemy formation, at close range in the face of intense combined machinegun and cannon fire. Despite this concentrated opposition, Lieutenant O’Hare, by his gallant and courageous action, his extremely skillful marksmanship in making the most of every shot of his limited amount of ammunition, shot down five enemy bombers and severely damaged a sixth before they reached the bomb release point. As a result of his gallant action–one of the most daring, if not the most daring, single action in the history of combat aviation–he undoubtedly saved his carrier from serious damage.
The U.S. Navy’s first Flying Ace. Awarded the Medal Of Honor, Navy Cross, 2 Distinguished Flying Crosses & the Purple Heart. An airport and a Navy destroyer named after him. And a connection to Al Capone.
You can read much more about Lt. Cmd. O’Hare here.
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
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This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
When of the things that Congress does is make National Days. Many special interests lobby for a special National Day. Some National Days include:
Bird Day – January 5th
Toothache Day – February 9th
Holy Experiment Day – March 4th
Eliza Doolittle Day – May 20th
Flitch Day – July 19th
Teddy Bear Day – September 9th
Waiting For the Barbarians Day – November 4th
My favorite is July 7th, National Strawberry Sundae Day. I am going to have a box of chocolate covered strawberries shipped to myself to commemorate that day!
If you are between 18 to 34 there is a 95% chance that you own a cell phone according to new research from Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. If you are a Gen X’er (36-46), than there is a 92% chance you own a cell phone. However, if you are a GI Gen (75+) only 48% own cell phones and 3% own ipods. Interestingly, 3% of the GI Gen also own game consoles. I guess the love their video games!
At least that is what the United States Government is telling American citizens in Egypt. Due to the unrest and unsure nature of the future government, the State Department informed all American citizens this week that they would be wise to leave Egypt.
I my opinion it is just a matter of time before a new government is formed. Hopefully, democracy will rule the day and the new government will be friendly toward the United States and Israel. Only time will tell.
Some job growth was seen in December and the unemployment rate is ow 9.4%. That still means that 14.5 million people are unemployed in the United States. This does not take into account the underemployed (such as those in part time sales jobs or seasonal workers). According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics:
The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons (some-
times referred to as involuntary part-time workers) was essentially
unchanged in December at 8.9 million. These individuals were working
part time because their hours had been cut back or because they were
unable to find a full-time job.
Keith Olbermann aired his last show for MSNBC on Friday. There is some speculation that it had to do with Olbermann’s contribution to Democratic candidates without informing his bosses which is against NBC policy. Olbermann had some of the best ratings for his show Countdown, but there are other hosts that are gaining popularity. Could it be that they were just sick of Olbermann’s temperment and ego?
The Old Spice commercial featuring a really fit man who asked you to compare him to your own man probably inspired many to ask what is the best weight loss pill and how can I get to look like him?
Unfortunately, Daniel Frelich, who ran for Senator in Vermont, thought it would be a great idea to impersonate the Old Spice man. He ran as an independent, but did not take the seat. I wonder if this ad had anything to do with it:
If your only concern these days is how to find the best acne treatment, you are probably a teenager who doesn’t realize that the future might cost them a bit more. I recently read about the CLASS (Community Living Assistance Services and Supports) Act that was added into the Health Care Reform Bill. Those in favor of the bill would have you believe that it will be making money, but this is far from the truth. The CLASS Act provides for long term care assistance.
The CLASS Act is a voluntary health care program that will charge premiums. Low income individuals may pay as little as $5 per month for the premiums. Individuals are enrolled automatically and payments will be deducted right from your paycheck. With an extra effort on your part you can opt out. In the first ten years of the Act, it will look like the government is actually taking in money. But, wait until people start using the benefits. The Act calls for $50 a day payout or $18,250 per year with NO lifetime limit. This could add up quickly. Will it eventually be paying out more than it is taking in?
If this remains as part of health care reform, make sure that you opt out if you don’t want the coverage or you could be paying extra every month.
Maj. Dick Winters
92 years old from Hershey, Pennsylvania
Company E, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division
January 21, 1918 – January 2, 2011
Maj. Richard “Dick” Winters passed away a couple of weeks ago and Beth has written a wonderful piece honoring his service and his life.
Some of the awards Maj. Winters was honored with for his service: Distinguished Service Cross, Bronze Star with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart, Presidential Unit Citation with one Oak Leaf Cluster, American Defense Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 3 service stars and arrow device, World War II Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal, Croix de guerre with palm, French Liberation Medal, Oorlogskruis with palm, Belgian WWII Service Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge with 2 combat stars and the Medal of the City of Eindhoven
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
The law signed by President Obama a few days ago, does not only extend the Bush tax cuts but also includes new business tax cuts. Now might be a good time to start a small business such as a franchise like a vending machine business) or a small mom and pop type operation.
There are about 50 tax breaks in all. Some of these expired in 2009 when lawmakers couldn’t decide how to pay for them. These tax cuts will expire each year unless extended.
When of the things that Congress does is make National Days. Many special interests lobby for a special National Day. Some National Days include: 
At least that is what the United States Government is telling American citizens in Egypt. Due to the unrest and unsure nature of the future government, the State Department informed all American citizens this week that they would be wise to leave Egypt.
