It Was a Good Year

 

 

BLESS THE LORD AT ALL TIMES

 

 

 

IT WAS A GOOD YEAR BECAUSE TIME IS PRECIOUS.

 

 

 

12 * 12 * 12

Veterans Honored in South Mississippi, Across US

MOSS POINT -- Veterans in Moss Point, Gautier, Pascagoula and the rest of South Mississippi and the nation were honored this week in celebration of Veterans Day on Nov. 11, which was observed officially on Monday, Nov. 12.

BILOXI -- The 34th annual Salute to the Military takes place at 6 p.m. today at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center on U.S. 90.

Guests include the Honorable Michael Donley, secretary of the U.S. Air Force, Sen. Roger Wicker, Rep. Steven Palazzo and more.

Tickets are $60 for civilianas and retired military, $50 for uniformed military. Reserved tables of 10 are available for $600 for civilians, and $500 for uniformed military.

Contact 228-6074-0014 for more information.

Honor Flight to be at Zonta Festival

PASCAGOULA -- Mississippi Gulf Coast Honor Flight will be at the Zonta  Arts and Crafts Festival in the downtown area on Saturday, Oct. 6, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

 

Honor Flight will be accepting donations for next flight.

 

"Come by and see us and make a donation and let us thank you with a t-shirt, yard sign, bumper sticker, bracelet or lapel pin to show your pride in being a proud supporter," said Jennifer P. Walton, secretary. 

 

Jennifer Walton may be reached at 251-709-7378.  

Orientation Set for Gulf Coast Honor Flight 4 to D.C.

WOOLMARKET -- Orientation for the fourth Mississippi Gulf Coast Honor Flight has been set for Saturday, Aug. 25, at the Joppa Shrine Temple.

A pancake breakfast will be served for everyone involved.

Volunteers are asked to arrive between 6:30 and 7 a.m. for set-up. Guardians and veterans should arrive by 8 a.m.

Information may be obtained from Jennifer Presley Walton, secretary for Honor Flight, at 251-709-7378.

Orientation Planned for Fourth Honor Flight to D.C.

PASCAGOULA -- Orientation for the fourth Mississippi Gulf Coast Honor Flight has been set for 8 a.m. Aug. 25 at the Joppa Shrine Center in Woolmarket.

Honor Flight organizers are looking for volunteers to help "make the day go smoothly for our guardians and veterans," said Jennifer Walton, Honor Flight secretary.

She said medical team also needs medical volunteers to assist in evaluations of the prospective veterans.

The fourth Honor Flight has been set for Sept. 25, and the WWII veterans will leave from the Gulfport International Airport.

Walton may be contacted at jpresley31@hotmail.com, or 251-709-7378.

PASCAGOULA - According to WLOX TV 13, a change of command was held this morning at the Coast Guard station on Singing River Island.

Pascagoula Coast Guard Cutter Changing Hands

WLOX TV 13/Thursday, June 07, 2012

The cutter Decisive's command was turned over from Cmdr. Mark Walsh to Cmdr. Teri Jordan. The Decisive, a 210-foot-long vessel, has been in service since 1968 and stationed in Pascagoula since 1998, according to reporter Doug Walker.

The vessel has been involved in the seizure of more than 125 tons of cocaine during the ship's travels of the Gulf Coast, the report at wlox.com said.

Crowds Gather for Commissioning of USS Mississippi

A cannon salute breaks the air during the June 2 commissioning of the USS Mississippi nuclear attack submarine at the Port of Pascagoula. More than 7,500 people attended the ceremony, which was delayed about 30 minutes to accommodate the tremendous crowd at the event.

Rocky Wood, Ron Elias and John Codella set up equipment for residents at Pascagoula River Park to hear the broacast of today's commissioning of the USS Mississippi. Good eyes, binoculars, long-lens cameras and video closeups made the viewing from Pascagoula River's east bank possible. Residents listened to WPMP 1580, and two other radio stations also broadcast the ceremony.

The U.S. Coast Guard had a continuous patrol at the Port of Pascagoula on the west bank of the Pascagoula River during the ceremony to commission the 377-foot-long nuclear attack submarine USS Mississippi, the ninth of the Virginia class. The 7,800 ton vessel arrived at the port May 25 to much fanfare and several thousand people at Pascagoula River Park.

Residents came early for the ceremony that started about a half hour late because of a back-up in traffic. The commission ceremony lasted more than 90 minutes, including numerous military and local and state officials including Gov. Phil Bryant and former Gov. Ray Mabus, secretary of the Navy, who commissioned the vessel.

Ruth Bellman, right, and her family attended the ceremony. She, her daughter Arleen Schaefer and her husband Jack Schaefer and their Michael Schaefer found a wall spot during the morning heat that reached 81 degrees by the time the ceremony ended.

Ruth Bellman, 83, said, "I haven't been to a commissioning before. I thought this would be a good time to come since this is the (USS) Mississippi."

Ray Campbell of Moss Point and Annie Magee of Mobile said they attend a number of military and community events, such as ship christenings at Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyard. "I just enjoy coming out to celebrations," he said. "Most times we go over to the west bank, but we didn't do that this time."

The crowd at Pascagoula River Park today place hands over hearts for the Pledge of Allegiance during today's ceremony for the $2 billion nuclear attack submarine, which was later manned and "brought to life." The submarine was built by General Dynamics Electric Boat shipyard in Groton, Conn., and a partnership with Huntington Ingalls Industries in New Port News, Va.

The 377-foot long USS Mississippi submarine was draped in red, white and blue at the Port of Pascagoula for its June 2 commissioning.

Police detectives Lamar Underwood and Kim Stevens blend make themselves blend into the crowd while working their shift for the commissioning of the USS Mississippi this Saturday.

The crew of the USS Mississippi take their place atop the $2 billion submarine. The submarine is scheduled to leave Pascagoula on Monday, returning to Port Canaveral, Fla., where it will remain until it receives a homeport.

The more than 7,500 residents who attended the ceremony on the west bank of the Pascagoula River were invited to spend time with the crew, local and state officials, and military personnel following the commissioning. Some 400 family members of the submarine's crew attended the ceremony this Saturday morning. The USS Mississippi is the fifth ship to carry the state's name.

Norvel Wants All to Remember Vietnam

Vietnam veteran Paul Norvel set up a display on Friday, May 25, at the Pascagoula Library in honor of Memorial Day, which he does every year.

2. Table for Missing in Action/Prisoners of War in Vietnam and other American wars.

USS Mississippi Comes to Pascagoula Port

PASCAGOULA -- Angie Guy of Hurley and her family were too late for the celebration with the crowd who had gathered at Pascagoula River Park to see the USS Mississippi arrive at the Port of Pascagoula on Friday. The submarine had arrived more than an hour earlier than expected.

Still, she and her daughter, Carrie Allred of Columbia, Miss., were happy to see the sea ship docked across the river. "I was very excited to see this," said Guy.

"We brought my grandchildren to see this," said Guy, who said their attendance was for posterity. They picked up some posters provided by sponsoring corporations and photographs of the submarine.

"This is history," the grandmother said. "They are fixing to commission this USS Mississippi. It can go and be a hero. This is a once in a lifetime thing for me."

Allred had brought her children and those of her brother in Pascagoula to see the underwater ship --Logan Allred, Sawyer Allred, Hunter Guy and Fisher Guy. Angie Guy said she really hated they missed the arrival of the submarine.

"We found out this morning they were doing this and we decided to come down," said Carrie Allred.

Memorial Day Celebrations, Observations

Dotsie Fountain with Harold Jones VFW Post 2132 displays buddy poppies given to residents visiting Wayne Lee's Grocery and Market in Pascagoula today. Fountain said the poppies were free but donations were accepted to help with veterans. Sunday marks Memorial Day, when the country remembers military personnel who died in American wars and conflicts.

Dotsie Fountain said, "We can't do nothing overseas, we are doing it here. She and others, including 12-year-olds Breeauna Young and K'Leigh Young, spent Friday at Wayne Lee's Grocery in Pascagoula giving out buddy poppies to help raise money for veterans in honor of Memorial Day.

Jane Smith, Jason Achee and Shay Smith spent Friday morning at Pascagoula River Park waiting the arrival of the USS Mississippi submarine at the Port of Pascagoula. "It was a great experience," said Jane Smith. The arrival of the submarine, built at Huntington Ingalls Industries, was one of many activities this Memorial Day weekend.

Honor Flight Veteran Sends "Thank You" Letter

We received a very sweet and sincere letter from one of our veterans, Leroy
Worsham, from the April flight. I wanted to share as this makes our efforts ALL
worth it! Thank you for everyone's continued support!!! -- Jen Walton, Honor Flight

I would like to thank each and every one of the honor flight team for giving us WWII veterans the trip to Washington. It was an unbelievable experience for us veterans.
When I got home somebody asked me to tell them about it and I told them I could describe it by using five words – Awesome – Interesting – And Highly Emotional.

It was awesome to me for the way it was all planned. Your group did a fantastic job of planning this all out and it went off like clockwork. There was no wasted time anywhere. Those of your team that went with us did an exceptionally good job of bossing us around. But that’s what it
takes when there is a big bunch of old men like we were.

It was interesting in that I was able to see some things that I have never seen before. There was so much to look at it made it hard for us to take it all in. You could spend weeks in Washington and not be able to see it all. Your group picked out the things that you thought us World War II veteran would be the most interested in and showed them to us. I am not able to say that one thing interested me more than anything else because it all interested me.

Now I come to the last one – Highly Emotional.
The older I get, the more emotional I have become. And this to me was an emotional trip. Three things got really close to me. The first was the WWII Memorial. I knew from the very start that it was going to be hard on me so I told my guardian that I would like to be by myself as I went through the memorial. He respected my wish and stayed a little piece away from me, but I noticed that he kept me in his sight all the time. I did real good until I stood in front of the wall with all the gold stars embedded in it. Those stars made me think of all the friends that I had who did not make it through the war. We had 101 from my home county that did not make it home and I knew almost every one of them. Standing there and thinking about them was not
easy but it’s part of life.

The second time was at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I was up on the balcony where I could look over the changing of the guard. There was a large crowd there and I was standing behind a group of children until one of them noticed me and made them move and let me get to the
front where I had a better view.

As I stood there I could count about 90 veterans in wheelchairs. This got to me and I knew as I watched the changing of the guards that I would never make it through the laying of the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I did not want those children to see an old man
break down, so I went around to the back of the building where I would be by
myself. It’s a good thing I did.

The third time was when we got back to Gulfport and saw the crowd there to meet us. As we came off the plane and saw all those people lined up on both sides of where we had to walk was a very emotional time for me.

Mail call was very special but I did not realize just how special it was until the next day when I sat down by myself and read all the letters that were sent to me. I was particularly impressed with all
the letters from the school children. I did not know any of them and they did not know me but they all thanked us for what we did the World War II. I have written to each of these children and thanked them for writing to us veterans. They deserved an answer.

Your organization is doing a tremendous job of honoring the veterans of World War II. I really do not think that we deserve it because we just happened to be the gentlemen when World War II came along. We saw our duty to protect our nation and 16 million of us responded to the call.
The bad part is that it cost us the lives of 400,000 Americans. There are the ones that I think are heroes.

Again let me thank all of you who made this time possible. I am 93 years old and do not have much time left but during the time I do have left I will remember this trip and what it meant to me.

I would appreciate it if you would someway communicate my thanks to all the people connected with the Mississippi Gulf Coast Honor Flight organization. You are a great group of people doing a remarkable job of something that is not easy to do.

Yours,
Leroy Worsham

Honor Flights Concentrate on WWII Vets, Possible Exceptions

PASCAGOULA -- MS Gulf Coast Honor Flight has received questions about our intentions to fly Korean veterans currently, or in the near future, according to Jen Walton, secretary.

She said the organization has developed an official statement on the issue with the intention to avoid misleading or confusing the public.

The official statement says, "MS Gulf Coast Honor Flight's mission is to fly ONLY WWII veterans at this time. We will, however, make exceptions for terminally-ill veterans.
"In the event we decide in the future to move forward to Korean veterans, we will publicize it at that time. If any Korean veteran would like to send in an application, in the chance we do take them, they are welcome to fill out an application and mark it KOREAN at the top. However, there are no promises of this occurring in the near future, if at all.' Thank you for your support."

Jennifer Walton, secretary for MS Gulf Coast Honor Flight, may be reached at 251-709-7378 or
jpresley31@hotmail.com

Jackson County Sheriff Honors Fallen Officers

Frederick J. Gaston III

ESCATAWPA -- Sheriff Mike Byrd and the Jackson County Sheriff's Department will serve as host for a ceremony honoring police officers and sheriff's deputies who have died during the line of duty.

The ceremony is one of several held in South Mississippi this week and across the United States during National Police Week 2012, from May 13 to 19.

Gulfport police held the first ceremony this week to honor their eight officers who have died in the line of duty. The ceremony was conducted on the steps of the city's Public Safety Center, named in honor of patrol officer Robert J. Curry, who was killed while working a funeral procession in August 2008.

Jackson County's Deputy , a former Gulfport officer, was killed during an armed robbery just prior to Curry in early August 2008. Frederick Gaston III had served as interim police chief in Moss Point before joining the Jackson County Sheriff's Department in June 2008.

Gaston's brother, Fred "Ish" Gaston was an officer with the Moss Point Police Department when he died suddenly of a heart attack during 2011.

Byrd's son, Micheal, died in 2006 during an early morning accident when he tried to avoid a vehicle in traffic, lost control and fell off his police motorcycle and was run over by a dump truck.

Cerermonies for the Fallen Officer's Memorial will be conducted at 2 p.m. at Serene Gardens in Escatawpa.

Frederick Gaston III

http://www.policeone.com/officer-down/1723323/

AG, Police Chiefs to Honor Fallen with Candlelight Vigil

Jackson, MS -- Attorney General Jim Hood joins the Mississippi Chiefs of Police in hosting the second annual “Mississippi Fallen Law Enforcement Officer’s Candlelight Vigil.”

The event will be held on Thursday, May 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Statewide Fallen Officers Memorial between the Sillers and Gartin Justice buildings off High Street in downtown
Jackson.

“This ceremony is just one small way we can pay tribute to our state’s law enforcement officers who gave the ultimate sacrifice trying to make our communities safer, ” said Attorney General Hood. “They gave us more than we can ever give b

(Artwork from statuesculptures.com)

ack, and we will continue to honor them for doing so.”

The candlelight vigil coincides with National Police Week scheduled for May 13-19, 2012.

“The event is open to the public with a special invitation to all family and friends of any law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty while protecting citizens of Mississippi,” said Ken Winter, executive director of the Mississippi Chiefs of Police Association.

This event marks only the second time that a statewide candlelight memorial has been held to honor our fallen heroes at the new memorial that pays tribute to officers at the local and state levels. This year will be especially poignant following the recent in-the-line-of-duty death of
Detective Mike Walter of the Pearl Police Department.

Members of the public, and family and friends of any Mississippi law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty are invited to join officers from the Mississippi Chiefs of Police Association, the Mississippi Sheriffs Association, the Mississippi Highway Patrol, the Mississippi Wildlife and Fisheries Department, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office at the event.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The second of two services for Master Sgt. Scott E. Pruitt was held today at Arlington National Cemetery.

Pruitt Honored During Afghan Service

The Mississippi Press/Monday, May 08, 2012

Pruitt, a 1992 graduate of Gautier High School, was killed April 28 during combat operations in Nimruz Province in Afghanistan. Pruitt, 38, served with the First Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Today's early afternoon memorial service at Arlington followed the Monday evening service held in Afghanistan. Military officials released a video of the service.

COLORADO SPRINGS -- Cpl. Anthony McDaniel, who lost his legs and left hand in Afghanistan, is competing in the Wounded Warrior Games that began here Tuesday.

First Lady Michelle Obama opened ceremonies at the Air Force Academy and Olympic Training Center, where the games began April 30 and will conclude Saturday, May 5.

Gautier Marine Still in the Game

The Sun Herald/Thursday, May 03, 2012

McDaniel, 23, a graduate of Gautier High in 1992, is competing in the six-day sports contest that is open to wounded, ill and injured military service personnel from the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard. The games, which includes active-duty men and women and veterans, is sponsored by the U.S. Olympic Committee's Paralympic Military Program.

Warrior Games Set to Start

capflyer.com/Friday, May 04, 2012

PEARL, Miss.  -- Attorney Jim Hood has extended his condolences to staff of the Pearl Police Department and family of an investigator who died Tuesday.

"Today we are saddened beyond words that we have lost one of the state's finest," said Hood in a statement Monday from his office. "We mourn this loss with our fellow law enforcement officers and we pray for Detective Walter's family, friends and co-workers. Heaven is welcoming a hero today."

OFFICER DOWN MEMORIAL PAGE

Pearl police investigator  Michael J. "Mike" Walter, 37, died on May Day during a shooting while he and other officers were serving a warrant on a sexual battery suspect, who was killed.

Another officer was shot in the hand and leg and a third officer was injured in the forearm by something other than a gunshot.

Walter, a native of San Diego, and his wife Jeanne have an 11-year-old daughter, Bailey.  He played pitcher in the minor leagues for the Houston Astros from 1993 to 2000. He joined the Pearl Police Department in February 2009.

Master Sgt. Pruitt Remembered, to be Buried at Arlington

Master Sgt. Scott Pruitt and fiancee Trisha Lane

GAUTIER -- Gautier native and former resident Scott E. Pruitt will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery this weekend, a week after he was killed in Afghanistan, according to news reports.

Fallen Marine Scott Pruitt of Gautier Remembered
The Mississippi Press(gulflive.com)/Monday, April 30, 2012

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Scott E. Pruitt, 38, died Saturday, April 28, from an improvised explosive device while conducting combat duties in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He will be buried Saturday, May 8, at the cemetery in Washington, D.C.

Pruitt lived in Murrieta, Calif., and his brother, Paul, who verified funeral arrangements, lives in Santa Monica, Calif.

Sgt. Pruitt was a member of the First Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, Camp Pendleton, Calif., where he was a comptroller chief. His specialty was financial management resource analyst, according to The Mississippi Press.

State Senate Honors Fallen Marine
Sun Herald/Wednesday, May 02, 2012

The full Mississippi Senate on Monday signed Resolution 679 honoring the 1992 Pascagoula High graduate. Pruitt began his military service in 1993 and had won numerous medals, including the Purple Heart and Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the latter three times. He is the father of two children, 9-year-old Jennifer and Jordyn, 4. Sgt. Pruitt and fiancee Trisha Anderson-Lane were to be married in 2013.

Fallen Marine to be Buried at Arlington
Sun Herald/Tuesday, May 01, 2012

LUCEDALE -- Despite a two-hour delay of Honor Flight on Tuesday morning, A.C. Hillman had a good time and really enjoyed the appreciation bestowed on World War II veterans for their military service some 70 years ago. A Korean War veteran also was among the group.

"It was fine, I enjoyed it," said Hillman. "We had some trouble taking off. It cut us short on seeing some things, in walking and seeing some things." Hillman, 91, traveled in a wheelchair with his son, Al, as guardian.

Honor Flight Arrives to Rousing Welcome Home Ceremony
The Mississippi Press/Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Tuesday's departure of the third Mississippi Gulf Coast Honor Flight was delayed when the airplane developed hydraulic problems, said Hillman. He said the flight departed Gulfport at 9 a.m. "on the dot" and arrived in the nation's capital about 11 a.m. "I looked at my watch," he said.

"We went to our World War II Memorial.  We walked and saw the Changing of the Guard, and visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, he said.

"The rest of the time we were on the bus. We drove around looking at things," he said. "We saw General Lee's home. We drove by the Lincoln Memorial and the Iwo Jima Memorial" and the Korean War Memorial.

He said they visited the Mississippi column of the World War II Memorial.

67 Years Later, the Homecoming
Sun Herald/Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Hillman said his son also had a good time. "He really enjoyed it. They made us feel real good. All kinds of people met us up there," said the father.

He said the apprecation and special treatment started on the airplane ride to the capital and concluded on with a grand Welcome Home celebration at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport.

"There was a crowd that met us at the airport. They really gave us a welcome home," said Hillman. "There was a crowd of people up there (in Washington, D.C.) that met us. They were telling us how much they appreciated us for what we did."

Pearl Harbor Survivor and Son Make Honor Flight

BEXLEY -- Alderson C. Hillman had expected to get up this morning about 2:30 a.m. to make the drive to Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, some 100 miles from his home in George County.

Hillman, 91, and his son, Al, joined 94 other World War II veterans and 63 more guardians for the third Mississippi Gulf Coast Honor Flight headed to Washington, D.C. The veterans will spend the day touring war memorials dedicated to their service and monuments honoring  those who fought in Korean and Vietnam wars. The veterans also view the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, where they watch a changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Four will participate in a wreath-laying.


Today's trip makes the third flight of veterans from Mississippi to the nation's capital. The flights began in May 2011 and are provided free to veterans through donations from business, public, and community donations.

"I feel good about it," said the senior Hillman. "I think it's quite an honor."

A.C. Hillman, center, speaks during a ceremony dedicating a portion of U.S. 98 in George County in Mr. Hillman's honor on Wednesday at George County Middle School in Lucedale. Hilllman served as a Marine during World War II. Also shown, from left, are Al Hillman and Wayne Brown, Southern District Transportation Commissioner (Harlan Kirgan/Press-Register/December 07, 2011)

Reporter Harlan Kirgan with The Mississippi Press said this trip for Mississippi Gulf Coast Honor Flight includes the largest number of veterans -- 95 -- to make the daylong tour, which has seen 169 veterans attend since they began in May 2011. Today was the first time veterans did not have a police escort from the Joppa Shrine Temple in Woolmarket to Biloxi-Gulfport International Airport.

Ninety veterans had arrived by 5:45 a.m. for the flight, according to Kim Foster, president of Honor Flight. Takeoff was delayed about 40 minutes because of a mechanical problem, according to the Press report. (Visit Mississsippi Press online for updated reports of the day's tour.)

Hillman said, with some humor, that his son, a resource officer with the George County School District, really wanted to go so the father is making the trip to let his son see all the war memorials. 

Al Hillman refutes that, saying his father and his WWII generation don't really think that they did anything all that special. "He's like a lot of WWII veterans. They are very humble about what they did," said his son. "They went and did a job."

"He'll tell you about the good things; he'll tell you the funny things. He won't tell you about the combat," said Al Hillman, who has talked with his father about the battle experiences.

A.C. Hillman said he does speak to history classes at Lucedale area schools. During a ceremony last year at George County Middle School, he was honored for military service that included being among the survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor 70 years ago on Dec. 07, 1941.

About five miles of U.S. 98 was renamed in his honor. "That's something to have a road named after you."

His family also is happy about the road.  "They are all proud they named it after me," said the 91-year-old.

A.G. Hillman, who also is a veteran and a former Lucedale police officer and investigator, said he's proud to serve as a guardian for his father on the Honor Flight. "Who wouldn't be? That's my dad."

The son said he was in tune with his father's military life. "I appreciate it. I appreciate what he did."

The father and son and their World War II companions are expected to return to Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport about 7:40 tonight. A crowd of 3,000 plus is expected to greet the veterans for a grand Welcome Home.

Gulfport Police Honor Fallen Officers