WBC to Protest Staff Sgt. Ezernack's Memorial Service

Memorial Service for Army Staff Seargent Troy S. Ezernack
Counter-Protest of WBC
Saturday, 10/22/05 *
United Pentecostal Church - Shreveport, LA

OPERATION HERO is spreading word of a planned picket by Westboro Baptist Church
during the memorial service of Army Staff Seargent Troy S. Ezernack.
Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church will be picketing during the
memorial service for Army Staff Sgt. Troy S. Ezernack on Saturday October 22, in Shreveport, LA.
This anti-Troops/anti-war "liberal" hate group will be protesting
from 3pm outside the United Pentecostal Church.
The church is located at; 3001 Merriweather Rd.

*PLEASE NOTE: Date & Time taken from WBC group's website. I have seen no
media confirmation regarding place, time or date as of yet. I will keep everyone updated

OUR HEROES DESERVE YOUR SUPPORT!
American Legion Riders Counter-Protest of WBC
during Staff Sgt. John Doles' Funeral in Oklahoma!
See this thread
The Families of these heroes appreciate your support!
Read this message from a family member Staff Sgt. Doles

BACKGROUND INFO about the church group -
Search on keyword WBC here at FR to uncover a whole lot of info and stories
about their past activities. WARNING: It will make you sick!
Gore Political Ties to "God Hates Fags" Founders Uncovered -
http://www.lcrga.com/archive/200010251159.shtml

FORCE PROTECTION (FP) ADVISORY MESSAGE 05-180

(THREAT TO MILITARY FUNERALS)// REF/A/MSG/CMC/051956Z JUL 05//REF A IS HQ USNORTHCOM FORCE PROTECTION (FP) ADVISORY MESSAGE 05-180 (THREAT TO MILITARY FUNERALS)// RMKS/

1. REQUEST WIDEST DISSEMINATION POSSIBLE TO ALL COMMANDS, UNITS AND PERSONNEL. ENSURE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS FOR ALL DOD PERSONNEL PARTICIPATING IN OR ATTENDING FUNERAL SERVICES FOR MILITARY MEMBERS.

2. USNORTHCOM IS TRANSMITTING THIS FP ADVISORY BASED ON RECENT REPORTS OF PROTEST GROUP ACTIVITIES TO PICKET MILITARY FUNERALS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

2.A. A GROUP FROM WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH (WBC) LOCATED IN TOPEKA, KANSAS HAS PROTESTED OR IS PLANNING TO PICKET AND PROTEST AT PUBLIC FUNERALS OF PERSONNEL KILLED IN THE WAR ON TERRORISM. THIS GROUP HAS REPORTEDLY ANNOUNCED VIA THEIR WEBSITE THAT THEY INTEND TO PROTEST FUNERALS IN ALABAMA, CALIFORNIA, DELAWARE, IOWA, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, KANSAS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, NEW YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, WISCONSIN, AND WEST VIRGINIA.

2.B. THERE IS NO INFORMATION TO INDICATE THAT THIS GROUP PLANS ANY FORM OF VIOLENT ACTIVITY AND THEY ARE NOT KNOWN TO INITIATE PHYSICAL CONTACT. HOWEVER, THIS GROUP DOES EMPLOY PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE TECHNIQUES INTENDED TO PROVOKE A HOSTILE RESPONSE OR OFFENSIVE REACTION FROM OTHERS. THEY WILL EMPLOY WRITTEN AND VERBAL INFLAMMATORY LANGUAGE AGAINST THE DECEASED PERSON, THEIR FAMILY, AND MILITARY PERSONNEL TO ELICIT DESIRED RESPONSES. THIS GROUP WILL THEN FILE A CIVIL ACTION IN AN EFFORT TO REACH A SETTLEMENT IN ORDER TO FUND FUTURE ACTIVITIES.

3. SERVICES AND MILITARY UNITS PERFORMING AND SUPPORTING PUBLIC ACCESSIBLE FUNERAL DETAILS SHOULD:

3.A. ENSURE LOCAL AREA THREAT ASSESSMENTS CONSIDER THIS AS A POTENTIAL THREAT.

3.B. COORDINATE WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT/CIVILIAN AUTHORITIES AT ANY TIME WBC MEMBERS OR SIMILAR ORGANIZATIONS ARE BELIEVED TO BE PROTESTING.

4. ALL DOD PERSONNEL/FAMILY MEMBERS PARTICIPATING IN OR ATTENDING MILITARY FUNERALS SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF THE FOLLOWING:

4.A. SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF REPORTED ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE WBC AND THEIR METHODS.

4.B. DO NOT PERSONALLY ENGAGE PROTESTORS IN ANY WAY; VERBALLY OR PHYSICALLY.

4.C. ALLOW CIVILIAN AUTHORITIES TO ADDRESS ANY INFLAMMATORY SITUATIONS OR EFFORTS TO IMPEDE THE FUNERAL PROCESSIONAL

YesI think loathsome is a mild expression of what these pos's behavior is. Especially in light of what genuine hero and decent man SSGT Ezernack was:

Slain soldier's family 'overwhelmed' by caring
Readers, neighbors, friends pour out love, donations
October 14, 2005

A U.S. flag with scrawled prayers, names and best wishes hangs outside Deborah Hudson's tidy home in Shreveport's Highland neighborhood. Inside, a homemade service flag still bearing a single blue star adorns a wall. Both are sad reminders of a family's loss half a world away.

But while Hudson and her family -- mom Frances Ezernack Harrison, three brothers and a handful of other relatives -- are coming to grips with the combat death Sunday in Afghanistan of their family member Army Staff Sgt. Troy Ezernack, folks all around are restoring their faith in humanity.

"Tons of people have been over, bring us food and helping us out," said Hudson, the slain soldier's sister. "We've heard from people as far away as Chicago, and a lot of people Troy went to school with and people we knew in Waskom, (Texas,) people we went to school with and were raised with there. I'm just overwhelmed."

Her Highland home, a modest structure filled with knick-knacks, photographs and many items that honor her brother and his military service, has become the focal point for her grieving widowed mother and other relatives pending her brother's burial a week from now in Arlington National Cemetery.

Troy Ezernack, 39, graduated from Woodlawn High School in 1984 after a childhood that took him from Coushatta to Shreveport then to Waskom. His father, Wilbert Ezernack, was first in the Air Force then worked for Fabsteel in Waskom, so the family traveled. Troy Ezernack attended seminary in Longview, Texas, and became a Baptist minister, serving as a pastor for 11 years in Pennsylvania.

Then, just more than six years go, he pursued a dream he'd had as a teen and followed in his father's military path. He joined the Army and made the cut to become a paratrooper.

Monday morning, two Army officers walked to the family's door and delivered dreaded news. Troy had been killed in combat the previous day, Sunday in Shreveport, Monday Afghan time. His is the first reported combat death of a Shreveporter in Afghanistan.

At first, the family didn't know much about how he had died. Part of the reason, they surmised, was that the operation he was in was ongoing.

Wednesday, the official release went out.

"The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom," it reads. "Staff Sgt. Troy S. Ezernack, 39, of Lancaster, Pa., died in Qalat, Afghanistan, on Oct. 9 of injuries sustained earlier that day when his combat patrol was attacked by enemy forces using a grenade. Ezernack was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, Vicenza, Italy." (Troy Ezernack's widow, Gail, originally is from Pennsylvania, the family said.)

The Times first reported Ezernack's death online Tuesday afternoon and on Page 1A Wednesday. Since then, his family has heard from well-wishers from throughout the city and the remainder of the country.

Ezernack's mother is retired. Her first husband, her children's father, died in 1991. Her second husband also is deceased. Deborah Hudson cleans houses for a living and is a cancer survivor. In Wednesday's Times, they wondered how they would ever manage to get family members to Arlington to say goodbye to their son, brother and uncle.

Shreveport and the nation answered them.

One member of Shreveport's legal community, who has asked to remain anonymous, has offered to fly one family member to and from Washington. The Army provides tickets and accommodations for two family members, including Ezernack's widow, Gail Ezernack, who was at her husband's unit's base in Italy.

"The military has said it will provide two airline tickets and hotel accommodations," said Stacie Humphrey, the soldier's niece by marriage. She's handling the family's Internet responses to offers to help and helped set up an account for the family at AmSouth Bank.

"And the Fisher House said they've got frequent flier miles they're giving to Troy's sister Deborah and brother Paul." She said the family still hopes to find a way to get three other tickets to Washington so all of Troy Ezernack's close family can attend his burial.

She said the family is still trying to contact Troy's first wife, Caroline, who hailed from Oklahoma. They have lost touch with her over the years.

Troy Ezernack's death has shocked people who knew him but never met him.

Houston resident Angel Sherwood sent Ezernack a care package through the family assistance Web site anysoldier.com and never expected to hear back from any of the soldiers who enjoyed her charity. So she was pleasantly surprised when Ezernack sent an e-mail thanking her. They never met but became pen pals. And she learned all about his wife, his little Jack Russell terrier and his deep religious convictions.

"He had such a good character," Sherwood said. "He was so excited about getting to come home at the end of the month. He'd planned on him and his wife traveling all through Europe and visiting castles. He was really looking forward to that."

Ezernack reported he'd been going out on patrol more that usual and wondered whether he'd be able to come home on leave as planned or get extended, she said. "But he never spoke badly about anything, always on the good things. For instance, he could hardly wait to get some pizza, little things like that."

He also knew he had a job to do and planned to do it, Sherwood said. "He said he was in it for the long haul. As long as there was a war, he was going to remain there."

Some of that comes through in a recent e-mail he sent her, along with photos of his squad and a group of Afghan children they befriended.

"I wanted to send you a picture of my squad," he wrote in late July. "They are a great bunch of guys. And most of them have fought in Iraq and now are in (Afghanistan). ... The other picture that I'm sending is with us and a bunch of the children that greet us on every patrol."

One of those squad members called Sherwood to tell her that her friend had died.

"It broke my heart. He was supposed to go home. I think about his wife, Gail, in Italy all alone right now. I can't imagine what she's going through."

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