Angel Flight Homeward Bound

If you have been watching the news, or should I say the news that reports the news, you would see that the beginning of this month has taken its toll on the lives of the men and women who are standing guard over our freedom.

Three of our Armed Forces have suffered losses in just 5 days. These include:

·        Two Marines from the 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion

·        Three AF crew members from the 93rd Air Refueling Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash who were deployed to the Transit Center at Manas and who were flying a KC-135 refueling tanker that went down in Kyrgyzstan

·        And, from our US Army, 8 members have been listed as fallen in these first days of May. This includes Staff Sgt. Michael H. Simpson, 30, of San Antonio, Texas who succumbed to injuries received on April 27th as he was being treated in Landstuhl, Germany.

This is Thirteen Incredible Americans who gave their lives because they believed in our country, our freedom, our American way of life and they wanted to see it continue for their children as well as ours. Thirteen Americans who stepped up to take on the most important job in the US. Thirteen American lives lost in 5 days alone - that we know of.

As we pray for everlasting peace for each of these Heroes of Freedom, as we pray for comfort for the loved ones & friends of these very special Americans and as we pray to give thanks that we still have fellow Americans who will take on this most important job of serving in our Armed Forces, we also say another prayer.

 

We pray that more of our neighbors who are oblivious as to how they are able to live with the freedoms they have, will become aware that their freedom, their American way of life comes at a great cost - and that this very high cost is paid by only those who are dedicated and brave enough to step up and do the job in our Armed Forces and First Responders. And that we who benefit from the service of these few who serve should willingly pay our debt through our support for these Heroes of Freedom and their families.

 

US ARMY

May 1 - 4th Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne)

Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash

Staff Sgt. Michael H. Simpson, 30, of San Antonio, Texas,

in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds sustained on April 27 in Afghanistan

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May 2nd - 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team,

4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

Spc. Trinidad Santiago Jr., 25, of San Diego, Calif., and

Pfc. Charles P. McClure, 21, of Stratford, Okla.

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May 4th - 1st Battalion, 36^thInfantry, 1^stBrigade Combat Team,

1^stArmored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.

1^stLt. Brandon J. Landrum, 26, of Lawton, Okla.

Staff Sgt. Francis G. Phillips IV, 28, of Meridian, N.Y.

Spc. Kevin Cardoza, 19, of Mercedes, Texas

Spc. Thomas P. Murach, 22, of Meridian, Idaho

Spc. Brandon J. Prescott, 24, of Bend, Ore.

 

Fallen May 3rd: US AIR FORCE

93rd Air Refueling Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash /

near Chon-Aryk, Kyrgyzstan, in the crash of a KC-135 aircraft

 

Capt. Mark T. Voss, 27, of Colorado Springs, Colo.

Capt. Victoria A. Pinckney, 27, of Palmdale, Calif.

Tech Sgt. Herman Mackey III, 30, of Bakersfield, Calif

 

Fallen May 4th: USMC

2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion

Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Staff Sgt. Eric D. Christian, 39, of Warwick, N.Y.

Cpl. David M. Sonka, 23, of Parker, Colo.

 

We are forever proud and grateful for your service.

Your families will forever remain in our prayers.

Thank You.