[OneLoyalAmerican]

Prayers for my Coastie bretheran's family.

[OneLoyalAmerican]

ping

[Semper Paratus]

Damn!

[First_Salute]

God Bless

[Chad Fairbanks]

Bump!

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

May God Welcome him Home and Comfort his family and friends.



OneLoyalAmerican : Senior Chief, Damm!

[LibKill]

Semper Paratus (Always Ready).

Hail and Farewell to an American Hero.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Third U.S. death in raid on oil terminals

A third U.S. service member died after attacks on Iraqi oil terminals in the gulf off Basra, the Navy said Sunday. The Coast Guardsman died of wounds he received in the Saturday night attack, in which two sailors also were killed.
The U.S. Navy said the service members died when they were dispatched to board a suspicious vessel -- a small boat known as a dhow -- that approached the Khawr Al Amaya oil terminal.
Lt. Cmdr. Lisa Brackenbury, a Navy spokeswoman in Bahrain, said the vessel blew up as the boarding party approached.

[XHogPilot]

Is this the first USCG combat death since 1960s?

[Arkinsaw]

I had a feeling that the Coast Guard was going to lose someone in this one. We so often forget that the Coast Guardsmen are in harms way also.

[Wneighbor]

Ping. I did not even know that the Coast Guard would be over there! I thought you guys stayed close to home.

[Imal]

That's a long way from our coast for a Coastie to die.

Approaching one of those suicide boats to board it takes courage I will never dream of having.

When I first heard about this, my first thought was "who the hell would be crazy enough to try boarding a boat loaded with explosives and would-be martyrs?" and "what were they thinking?".

No doubt what they were thinking was that the crew and materials on one of these boats might lead us to their origin, and make it possible to prevent future attacks.

I am certain that this sailor, along with all the others on the team, knew exactly what they were getting into. And they did it anyway.

That is the sort of valor and gallantry that Congress should take note of.

A crisp salute to this sailor and his fallen shipmates for service to our nation beyond any call of duty. And tears at the continuing loss of some of the bravest and finest people our nation can produce.

[pbear8]

Sempre Paratus

We're always ready for the call!
We place our trust in Thee
Through howling gale and shot and shell
To win our victory!
"Sempre Paratus" is our guide
Our pledge, our motto too.
We're 'always ready', do or die
Aye, Coast Guard, we fight for you.

Eternal Father, Strong to Save (Coast Guard verse)

Eternal Father, Lord of Hosts,
Watch o'er the men who guard our coasts.
Protect them from the raging sea
And give them light and life and peace
Grant them from Thy Great Throne above
The shield and shelter of Thy Love.

[dandelion]

God bless this faithful Coastie and his family - this is a sad surprise.

We lift them up in prayer...

[Patriot Hooligan]

They all hurt, all these losses hurt. I also served in the United States Coast Guard. Killing isn't exactly what we are trained for, but we can do it... we can do it damn good if we are allowed to. Afterall, we will do whatever is in our power to save anyone. Right now our FREEDOM, COUNTRY and fellow AMERICANS need to be saved. Preseident Bush, today you put the gloves back on... WHY? Who cares what the world thinks of us, everyone already hates us. These fanatics only know one thing. Please let our forces go back into this street fight without the gloves. Let us do what is required and come home. It is the only form of "SHOCK AND AWE" these nut jobs will understand.

God Bless any coalition country who has suffered. Thank you for your strength.

"God have mercy on my enemies, because I won't" General George S. Patton

We have to go out, but we don't have to come back.
UNITED STATES COAST GUARD

[shhrubbery!]

From Long Island News 12:

Son of Northport Village police chief killed in Persian Gulf attack
(04/26/04) NORTHPORT - A Long Island native and son of the Northport Village police chief was killed in action in Iraq. Twenty-four-year-old U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Nathan Bruckenthal was among three servicemen killed in a suicide bombing on Iraqi oil facilities in the Persian Gulf Saturday. Bruckenthal was the son of Northport Village Police Chief Rick Bruckenthal. He had been a resident of Florida where his wife Patricia is three months pregnant with their first child. Bruckenthal is the first Coast Guardsman killed in action since the Vietnam War and the fifth Long Islander killed in the past year in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Share your views

[shhrubbery!]

(I believe this is a picture of Northport Police Chief Ric Bruckenthal, with a portrait of his son Petty Officer Nathan Bruckenthal in lower left corner):

For more of Petty Officer Bruckenthal's story, go here: Virtual Wall of Heroes

[bray]

Prayers for Our Troops