In the town of Ventura, California a lush, well-manicured hillside patch of green on Main Street just a few blocks east of downtown Ventura has pine, thickets of overgrown junipers and a magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean and Ventura Pier.

The small patch of land is the grave site of a 1860s Army hero awarded the Medal of Honor. Today it is now a popular dog park with dog poop soiling the sacred ground.

Pvt. James Sumner, who was awarded the nation’s highest military honor for gallant actions after a band of Apache Indians kidnapped a settler’s child, died in 1912 and he was buried in what was then St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Most of the flat grave markers have been hauled away, but a few dozen markers still pepper the 7-acre Cemetery Memorial Park that was home to about 3,000 permanent residents.

Retired Marine Sgt. Craig “Gunny” Donor, who served two tours in Vietnam and is a state captain for the Patriot Guard Riders is bent on getting the soldier’s remains moved.

Army records show Sumner was a 28-year-old immigrant from London who led the 1869 chase after the kidnapped child into a remote canyon in the Chiricahua Mountains in southeastern Arizona. There was an ambush and a fierce firefight, but Sumner held off attackers until reinforcements arrived.

President Ulysses S. Grant awarded Sumner the Medal of Honor in 1870. Donor believes the medal is buried with him.

Sumner died in 1912 at age 72. He never married and there are no heirs, Donor said. “I’m trying to get him moved to Bakersfield National Cemetery. He needs to be moved to a place of respect. Cemeteries are solemn places,” said Donor.

But Ventura leaders have so far balked at moving Sumner. “We are treating him pretty darn well, except for the poop,” parks and recreation commissioner Sharon Troll told the Ventura County Star.

The commission voted July 21 to postpone for two months Donor’s request to unearth Sumner. Park commissioners have told Donor they’re committed to a long-delayed effort to commemorate the area pioneers and military dead in the park.

“He has no family, no one else to stand up for him, except for his brothers and sister in arms,” Donor said.

Editor’s note:

Thank God for people like “Gunny” Donor for doing the right thing.

If you wish to express your views to the City Manager of Ventura here is their contact information.

City Hall
501 Poli Street, PO Box 99
Ventura, California 93002-0099
(805) 654-7740
email: citymanager@cityofventura.net

Resource: excerpts from AP

Logar provincial police chief Ghulam Mustafa told Reuters that his captors had probably dumped the body after the sailor died from wounds received in the incident that led to his capture.

“The body was spotted by villagers,” he said.

A U.S. defense official in Washington, speaking on condition of anonymity, earlier also reported the recovery and it comes two days after officials announced they had the remains of the first sailor.

The two U.S. Navy service members went missing on Friday after failing to return in a vehicle they had taken from their compound in Kabul, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said on Saturday.

The alliance had no immediate comment on the latest report.

On Sunday, the Taliban said they were holding prisoner one of the two sailors, who had strayed into territory controlled by the insurgents just south of the capital, and that the other had been killed.

ISAF scrambled helicopters and planes to look for the pair after they went missing, but officials have declined to give anything but scant details since, prompting speculation that the two had been acting outside the chain of command.

Leaflets depicting photos of the men were distributed in Logar province where the two went missing, less than 100 km (60 miles) south of Kabul and announcements on local radio stations offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to a rescue.

On Sunday, a spokesman for the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location that the group’s leadership would decide later on the fate of the second sailor.

Resource: AP

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor and the identity of another sailor listed as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown (DUSTWUN). The announcement resulted from a July 23 incident in Logar province, Afghanistan, while the sailors were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin McNeley, 30, of Wheatridge, Colo., died from wounds sustained from the July 23 incident. Coalition Forces recovered his body July 25 after an extensive search. He was assigned to Assault Craft Unit One (ACU-1), San Diego.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Jarod Newlove, 25, of Renton, Wash., is listed as DUSTWUN from the July 23 incident. Search and recovery efforts are ongoing, and the incident is under investigation.

ENCINITAS – One of two U.S. sailors missing in Afghanistan is the son of an Encinitas deputy fire marshal.

Deputy Fire Marshal George McNeley sent an e-mail to city workers and fire officials today saying his son, Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin McNeley, was killed in action, Encinitas Mayor Dan Dalager told the San Diego Union- Tribune.

The Taliban has claimed they killed a U.S. sailor and kidnapped another on Friday. A massive manhunt has been underway since the sailors went missing.

“People are just pretty much in shock,” Dalager said. “I know our firefighters are already working on some things to help the family.”

George McNeley has worked for the Encinitas Fire Department for five years, Dalager said.

Justin McNeley, was stationed in San Diego before his deployment, but served with a different unit in Afghanistan.

McNeley is believed to have driven into Taliban territory Friday along with Lt. Col. Todd Breasseale.

The two Navy personnel were in the eastern province of Logar, after an armored sport utility vehicle was seen driving into a Taliban-held area. NATO officials were unable to say what they were doing in such a dangerous part of eastern Afghanistan.

The Taliban have said previously that they killed one of the two men in a firefight and captured the other.

Jim Kerr, a Colorado legislator, said the sailor killed was his wife’s nephew, Justin McNeley, 30. He said the family learned of his death Monday. He said McNeley’s mother is in Kingman, Arizona, but declined to give her name.

Kerr told The Denver Post that McNeley, a noncommissioned officer and father of two sons, was due to return to the U.S. in August.

The Taliban have said the captured sailor is in a “safe place” where he will not be found.

In a statement, the NATO-led command said the body was recovered Sunday after an extensive search and that the coalition “holds the captors accountable for the safety and proper treatment of our missing service member.”

Hundreds of fliers, with reprinted photos of the two sailors, have been distributed throughout Logar province where NATO troops were stopping vehicles, searching them and those inside. NATO has offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to the surviving sailor’s location.

In another incident, a soldier from San Diego was among those killed Saturday by a roadside bomb attack on their vehicle in Afghanistan.

They are identified as 24-year-old Staff Sgt. Conrad A. Mora of San Diego, Calif.; 23-year-old Sgt. Daniel Lim of Cypress, Calif.; 27-year-old Spc. Joseph A. Bauer, 27, of Cincinnati, Ohio; and 25-year-old Pfc. Andrew L. Hand of Enterprise, Ala.

The four were assigned to 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Fires Brigade at the Army base near Tacoma, Wash.

The Pentagon also released the names Monday of two high-ranking Camp Pendleton-based Marines killed in combat last week in Afghanistan.

Lt. Col. Mario D. Carazo, 41, of Springfield, Ohio, and Maj. James M. Weis, 37, of Toms River, N.J., were killed Thursday in Helmand Province, according to the Department of Defense.

They were members of Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called the servicemen’s deaths “tragic losses for this country.”

“They devoted themselves to serving our nation with honor and integrity, and their selfless sacrifices will never be forgotten,” the governor said.

Resource: sandiego6.com

Proud Participant of Patriot Guard Riders, National Gathering of the Guard 2010.

Week ending Jul 17, 2010 the US Department of Defense released the names of 21 military personnel who died, while serving in the United States armed forces. This past week also marked the passing of two notable veterans; a baseball legend & a WWII Medal of Honor Recipient
.
Welcome viewers. These weekly episodes pay tribute to brave men and women who answered the call of our country and died while supporting our nation’s wars. We focus on the warrior as a human whose lives have impacted families, friends, and our neighbors around the world. Your respectful comments are welcomed and serve as memorial tributes to our fallen soldiers. Political opinions and debates are best suited elsewhere.

We are pleased to participate in the Patriot Guard Riders National Gathering of the Guard 2010 for more details visit http://www.usfallen.org/national-gotg-2010/

Details below.

Fallen Description:

Staff Sgt. Jesse W. Ainsworth, 24, of Dayton, Texas, 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.
Staff Sgt. Christopher J. Antonik, 29, of Crystal Lake, Ill., 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Lt. Vernon J. Baker, 90, of St. Maries, Idaho, and Medal of Honor Recipient, Company C, 370 Regiment, 92nd Infantry Division, WWII
Sgt. Robert W. Crow, 42, of Kansas City, Mo., Missouri National Guard, 203rd Engineer Battalion, Joplin, Mo.
Spc. Joseph W. Dimock II, 21, of Wildwood, Ill, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.
Sgt. Donald R. Edgerton, 33, of Murphy, N.C., 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.
Sgt. Zachary M. Fisher, 24, of Ballwin, Mo. 27th Engineer Battalion (Combat Airborne), 20th Engineer Brigade (Combat), Fort Bragg, N.C.
Spc. Nathaniel D. Garvin, 20, of Radcliff, Ky., 96th Aviation Support Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.
1st Lt. Christopher S. Goeke, 23, of Apple Valley, Minn. 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Spc. Matthew J. Johnson, 21, of Maplewood, Minn. 27th Engineer Battalion (Combat Airborne), 20th Engineer Brigade (Combat), Fort Bragg, N.C.

Pvt. Brandon M. King, 23, of Tallahassee, Fla.; 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

;
Staff Sgt. Shaun M. Mittler, 32, of Austin, Texas, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division , Fort Campbell, Ky.
Spc. Christopher J. Moon, 20, of Tucson, Ariz. 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Spc. Carlos J. Negron, 40, of Fort Meyers, Fla., 426th Forward Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Lance Cpl. Daniel G. Raney, 21, of Pleasant View, Tenn., 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Spc. Jesse D. Reed, 26, of Orefield, Penn. 27th Engineer Battalion (Combat Airborne), 20th Engineer Brigade (Combat), Fort Bragg, N.C.
Lance Cpl. Tyler A. Roads, 20, of Burney, CA. 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.;

Pfc. Anthony W. Simmons, 25, of Tallahassee, Fla., 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

Spc. Chase Stanley, 21, of Napa, Calif. 27th Engineer Battalion (Combat Airborne), 20th Engineer Brigade (Combat), Fort Bragg, N.C.George

Michael Steinbrenner III, 80, Tampa, Florida, Owner and CEO of the New York Yankees, USAF veteran.
Staff Sgt. Christopher T. Stout, 34, of Worthville, Ky. 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

July  16, 2010 (Dallas, TX) Spc. Jerod Heath Osborne, 20, of Royse City, TX, was laid to rest in Rockwall, TX.  After church services concluded the procession made its way to Rest Heaven Cemetery led by local and state police.  Members of the Patriot Guard Riders were on hand to ensure the services were not disrupted.

The interment ceremonies began with a bagpiper leading the hearse to the gravesite.  Once, the majority of the participants gathered around the gravesite, members of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, from Fort Bragg, N.C. performed the military final interment ceremonies.

At the conclusion of the ceremonies, participants offered the family condolences and made their way out of Texas’ scorching summer sun.

Afterward the family stayed behind to witness the casket lowered into the grave. We were blessed to share the moment with the eldest brother SSGT Wau-tash Grillett, who was also serving in Afghanistan. He also was tasked with escorting the remains of his younger brother home.  He shared his thoughts about his brother after the funeral.

On behalf of USFallen.org and its viewers, we wish to extend our sincere gratitude to the Grillett and Osborne families, for allowing us to share in the loss of Our American Hero. We are forever indebted to your dearest Jerod, and the sacrifice he made on our behalf. We pray you find comfort in knowing he will rest in peace, for eternity, among America’s finest who answered her call to duty and did so with valor.