RLTW
NSDQ
Posted on 12/01/2008 2:53:23 PM PST by IDoesntEatChiken
My husband, Art Laguna, was a hero. He was a man of honor -- he kept his word and he valued truth and honesty, and he expected no less from anyone else. His life was spent in service to his country and his family.
Here at home, Art served as a sheriff's reserve deputy. He was a volunteer helicopter pilot and flew medical evacuation missions with the California National Guard out of Sacramento 's Mather Field. He was the father of four and grandfather of six.
Art was proud of his three-decade career with the U.S. Army and the National Guard. He served in Iraq three times and he deployed once to Bosnia. In 1998, he was awarded a medal of valor from the California Department of Corrections for piloting a National Guard helicopter that helped save a California man who'd been stranded by floodwaters on the roof of his car. And last June, the military awarded him the Legion of Merit for exceptional conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. I accepted this most recent honor on his behalf.
And this past week, as our family gathered around the table to give thanks for our blessings, one very important blessing was missing. Art was killed last year in Iraq when the helicopter he was piloting was shot down while assisting a U.S. Embassy convoy that had come under fire in a violent Sunni neighborhood in central Baghdad.
Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/28/AR2008112802283
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
RIP Art, and may the Lord God rest your soul and comfort and keep safe and in the hollow of His Hand all of your loved ones.
Thank you for your service, Art. May you rest in peace at the right hand of God throughout all eternity.
Big Media and the Left have smeared many groups and individuals for no other reason than the groups/people were helping to win the WOT. I’d love to see those critics go to Iraq without proper security. Yeah, right, that’ll never happen.
Of the 5 that died that day - 2 were former team mates and friends. Although Art was assigned to the Little Birds - I did on occasion see him in camp - those guys were the best helo pilots and true US warriors...
“Big Media and the Left have smeared many groups and individuals for no other reason than the groups/people were helping to win the WOT. I’d love to see those critics go to Iraq without proper security. Yeah, right, that’ll never happen.”
Nope. They just want the rest of us to go without proper security. I mean, It’s not like we’re important, or anything...
God bless this world’s private freedom fighters.
May the Lord keep him safe from all harm now. Rest his deserving soul.
Let’s give John the credit!
John.15:13
[13] Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
I made the mistake of reading some of the comments on the WAPO site. Some of them were absolutely cruel. Sometimes, I forget how vitriolic and juvenile the left is.
The men who fought while in the employ of Blackwater are heroes. Period. The only reason that the US finds itself in need of companies like Blackwater is because of the DOD de-funding during the Clinton years.
Sadly, this is another example of Bush’s administration inability to defend itself and lay the blame at the feet of those who are really responsible - The Dummies.
No doubt about that and he served in my neck of the woods out of the old Mather Air Base. I'm so glad we have men like this. Rest in piece, Art, thank you!
Rest In Peace, brave Warrior.
RLTW
NSDQ
John.15:13 [13] Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
How about giving Christ the credit.
Okay.
John wrote what Christ stated.
John 15:13
[13] Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.