Free Republic

In an age when it seems heroes are hard to come by, it’s stirring to see a genuine hero in action. Last August, FRC building manager Leo Johnson was temporarily manning the front desk at our Washington headquarters when a now-confessed terrorist intent on killing everyone in the building entered with a handgun and 100 rounds of ammunition. As he drew his gun, Leo courageously charged the attacker into oncoming gunfire. Even after sustaining a direct hit to his forearm, he subdued the attacker and wrestled the gun away from him. Leo Johnson’s heroism saved countless lives that day. Now...

MIT has identified the police officer killed in the line of duty on Thursday evening as Patrol Officer Sean A. Collier, 26, of Somerville, Mass. Collier had served as a member of the MIT Police since Jan. 9, 2012, following service as a civilian employee with the Somerville Police Department. He was single and a native of Wilmington, Mass. “Sean was one of these guys who really looked at police work as a calling,” said MIT Police Chief John DiFava. “He was born to be a police officer.” Collier was shot Thursday evening following an altercation at the corner of...

Now, he’s flying with the angels. Tom Griffin, one of just five surviving Doolittle Raiders, died Tuesday night in his sleep at the Fort Thomas VA hospital in Kentucky. He navigated one of 16 North American B-25 Mitchell bombers from an aircraft carrier in the middle of the Pacific during the early dark days of World War II to launch a surprise daylight attack on Tokyo, lifting American morale. The longtime Green Township, Ohio, resident was 96. By his own count, Mr. Griffin cheated death eight times during World War II. The first time was when he took off in...

The Republican attorney general's controversial comments in his upcoming tome could come back to haunt him in the Virginia governor's race.Pragmatic Republicans looking to hang onto the governorship in Virginia have been hoping that their nominee, state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, would tailor his outspoken conservative views for a more-moderate Old Dominion electorate.  But based on excerpts released from his new book, Cuccinelli is making no apologies — and comes out swinging hard against all government entitlement programs.According to reports from Politico and The Washington Post, Cuccinelli doesn’t limit his criticism of government programs, but also is skeptical of its...

Houston— Dallas-area police have arrested a suspect in connection with the fatal shooting Saturday of former Navy SEAL and “American Sniper” author Chris Kyle and a second man at a north Texas shooting range

You know that old story about the only thing saving a candidate is to have them pull someone from a burning car? It’s not like Ken Cuccinelli needed the help… but yeah, Cuccinelli really just did this, courtesy of NBC 12. Chenard said he pulled the car up along side of the semi and they saw the back tires of the trailer were engulfed in flames. It was clear the driver was not aware of the problem. Chenard honked his horn to get the driver’s attention and Cuccinelli yelled to the driver out the window and convinced her to pull...

OTTAWA — “Hell yes. Of course. Count on us.” With those words to an endangered U.S. diplomat in November 1979, John Sheardown, then Canada’s top immigration official in Iran, launched what would become known as “the Canadian Caper.” Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/John+Sheardown+player+rescue+diplomats+from+Iran+dead/7761539/story.html#ixzz2GjLJsOx0

Sergeant-Major Stan Hollis, of Middlesbrough was the only soldier awarded a VC at D-Day and is believed to have gunned down 100 German soldiersDuring the early hours of June 6, 1944 - D-Day - lines of scared young soldiers waited in the dark for the order to board the landing craft that would take them into battle on the beaches of northern France. At the last minute they were issued with an unexpected piece of equipment — a condom each! ‘What are these for?’ boomed out the voice of Sergeant-Major Stan Hollis, a hulking power-house of a man from...

When Victoria Soto heard gunfire ricocheting off the normally quiet hallways of Sandy Hook Elementary School, she didn’t run and hide. Instead, the 27-year-old teacher gathered her first-grade class into the closet and bravely placed herself between the young children and Adam Lanza, the heavily-armed shooter.

When Victoria Soto heard gunfire ricocheting off the normally quiet hallways of Sandy Hook Elementary School, she didn’t run and hide. Instead, the 27-year-old teacher gathered her first-grade class into the closet and bravely placed herself between the young children and Adam Lanza, the heavily-armed shooter.

ST. LUCIE COUNTY CANVASSING BOARD ORDERS RETABULATION OF ALL EARLY VOTES IN ALLEN WEST RACE Jason Howerton The St. Lucie County Canvassing Board has ordered the retabulation of all early votes in the highly contested congressional race between Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) and Democrat Patrick Murphy, according to Jeffrey Scott Shapiro, a volunteer lawyer for the West campaign. The board voted 2-1 in favor of recounting the votes. “This retabulation of all early votes as the Supervisor of Elections originally planned is a victory for democracy,” Shapiro told TheBlaze. “This restores some level of trust and public confidence in the...

You’re invited to a Victory Rally with Paul Ryan and the Republican Team! Thursday, October 25, 2012 Doors Open 4:30 PM | Event Begins 6:30 PM Crutchfield Corporation 1 Crutchfield Park in Charlottesville, VA 22911 To RSVP and get your ticket, please visit: www.mittromney.com/VA Or Pick Up Your Free Ticket in Person at the Charlottesville Victory Office: 455 Albemarle Square, Charlottesville, VA 22901 For questions, contact us at: TeamVA@mittromney.com | (757) 279-8253 For Important Campaign Updates: Text (VA) to GOMITT (466488)

Just before midnight on a Sunday, a Miramar couple and their college student daughter were preparing for bed in their home in a gated community. Suddenly, three masked intruders tried to bull their way through the front door. Armed with a handgun, the 55-year-old homeowner opened fire, falling backward to the floor as he pulled the trigger. One of the would-be robbers, hit by several bullets, collapsed on the front porch. The other two ran for their lives. Police called the Sept. 30 shooting justified. The man's 24-year-old daughter said, "My father is a hero. We're just fortunate to be...

When Michael Ferns was racing toward the end zone, the Clairsville (Ohio) St. Clairsville High star had nothing in front of him but green grass and glory. He was seemingly seconds away from scoring his 12th touchdown of the season and wrapping up a victory for St. Clairsville against area rival Richmond (Ohio) Edison High. ...

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A local soldier killed in Afghanistan on Saturday died in a suicide bomb attack, U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young told the Tampa Bay Times on Monday night. Earlier Monday evening, the U.S. Department of Defense issued a news release saying that Army Spc. Brittany B. Gordon died from injuries caused by an improvised explosive device in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The military provided no other details. Contacted by phone later that night, Young, R-Indian Shores, told the Times that military officials had advised him that the IED came from a suicide bomber. "It is not one that was planted as a mine....

COLUMBUS, Ga. – Basil L. Plumley, a renowned career soldier whose exploits as an Army infantryman were portrayed in a book and the movie "We Were Soldiers," has died at 92 -- an age his friends are amazed that he lived to see. Plumley fought in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam and was awarded a medal for making five parachute jumps into combat. The retired command sergeant major died Wednesday...

COLUMBUS, Ga. (AP) — Basil L. Plumley, a renowned career soldier whose exploits as an Army infantryman were portrayed in a book and the movie ‘‘We Were Soldiers,’’ has died at 92 — an age his friends are amazed that he lived to see. Plumley fought in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam and was awarded a medal for making five parachute jumps into combat. The retired command sergeant major died Wednesday. Friends said Plumley, who died in hospice care in west Georgia, never told war stories and was known to hang up on people who called to...

Basil Plumley, veteran of 3 wars, featured in 'We Were Soldiers' movie, dies in Georgia

An heroic soldier from Shropshire, who led a bayonet charge over 90 yards of open ground in Afghanistan under a hail of enemy fire, was today awarded the Military Cross for his bravery.