..I don't know if you ever saw it, but I remain touched by the faithful dog that wouldn't leave his Green Beret (SEAL?)"dad" AT ALL in the funeral home. (Flag - draped - coffin) He (the dog) had not seen his master in over 13 months. It did not matter. He was his boy, and he was going nowhere, as he knew who was there under that flag.

edit- found it-- still breaks my heart-- look at that---profound

http://abcnews.go.com/US/slain-navy-seals-devoted-dog-remains-side-funeral/story?id=14378885 

Originally Posted by: dfosterf 

Marine Stands Guard for 8 Hours at Hospital Room of Dying Boy  

12-year-old Cody Green always admired the strength and courage of the U.S. Marines. Last month, it was the Marines admiring the strength and courage of Cody.

To honor his undaunted optimism and long-time struggle with leukemia, during which he beat the cancer into remission three times, the Indiana fifth-grader was made an honorary Marine.

But that wasn't enough for Sergeant Mark Dolfini who took it upon himself to drive over to Riley Hospital for Children where the boy was bed-ridden.

He made the decision to stand guard in his dress uniform at Cody's hospital door all night long, for eight hours straight. It was the night before Cody passed.

I think I have mentioned it before but I will do it again. This reminds me of my Dad. Army not Marine. When my son graduated from Basic everyone in the audience stood as the Grad Class marched off the parade grounds. A lot of them stood there talking. As time passed almost 1/3 of them walked out. More and more left as time passed by.

Not Dad. He stood there as erect as a 70 year old man with cancer could stand. In the heat of July in Columbia, SC. It was near 100 degrees. After about 3-4 minutes I could see his arm quivering so I leaned over and whispered to him, "Dad, the Flag has passed by already. You don't have to keep saluting". He told me he wanted to salute the entire unit. I forget now how many there were I suppose it was more than 1000 men and women.

I reached over and held up the bottom of his arm with both or my hands. More than 10-15 minutes passed by before they all left the field. I could feel it all the way down my arms and into my neck. (Bad vertebrae from a car accident didn't help me none. But then Dad had broken his back in a car accident. Messed his neck and shoulders in 2nd accident. His hip and back again in a 3rd one.) I had jammed my elbows into my chest to support them. I had to shift my weight a few times as my legs were getting tired. I miss that man.

I was in my 40's but I can not imagine standing at attention for an hour little alone 5 hours.

Originally Posted by: wpr 

The boy was 11-year-old Ben Baltz of Valparaiso, Florida. When he was six, Ben was diagnosed with bone cancer in his right leg, his fibula and tibia had to be removed.

Ben walks with a mechanical knee and prosthetic walking leg, which he switches out for a running leg to play sports. On Sunday, Ben competed in the Sea Turtle Kids Triathlon. Ben had completed the 150-yard swim and 4-mile bike ride and half the one-mile run when a screw came loose and his running leg broke in half.

As he lay on the ground Private First Class Matthew Morgan swept the boy up. Surrounded by his fellow Marines, Matthew brought Ben through the rest of the course. Eye witnesses said there was not a dry eye in the crowd. Said his commanding officer,

"(Matthew's) not a very big guy ... he picked that young boy up quick, threw him on his back and ran the rest of the course ... We're pumped. It's great to see what Marines do. They don't leave anybody behind."

More...  

It is just amazing. I bet he wouldn't have put the boy down or given him to one of his buddies for anything.

edit- things like this make it easier to put up with the shit dfoster does. [grin1]

Originally Posted by: wpr 

If you've ever doubted your abilities or stopped yourself from going the extra mile, then you need to meet Ben Baltz.

When he was 6, he was diagnosed with bone cancer (osteosarcoma) and had to have part of his right leg removed. He's now 11 and uses a mechanical knee and prosthetic leg to do everything an able-bodied boy can do: play baseball, soccer, swim, bike, climb trees. In fact, he does more than your average kid; he competes in triathlons!

Last weekend, he was racing in the Sea Turtle Tri in Florida. This meant a 150-yard swim, a 4-mile bike ride and a 1-mile run -- all back to back.

Ben's mom eagerly waited for him at the finish line. But the time went ticking by and she started to worry.

"It was only a mile, I knew he was tired, I was like, 'Where is he, where is he, where is he,'" Kim Baltz tells CNN iReport.

What she didn't know was that about halfway through the run, there had been a problem with his leg; It hooks together with screws and one of them had come loose, so the leg literally broke in half. This isn't the first time it's happened, either. This active boy has managed to break 10, supposedly "indestructible" prosthetic legs (made of carbon fiber, mind you!).

Now, here's where you need to get out your hanky, because it was this moment that had the spectators in tears:

"All of a sudden the announcer just said, 'Ladies and gentlemen, I want you to turn around and look at what's happening on the course' ... Everybody was crying," she says. A group of Marines had lifted the boy and carried him across the finish line.

"It was just very touching that the Marines were there," says his mom. "They picked him up and everybody was cheering and just giving them support and Ben support."

Ben was discouraged and a little embarrassed that he had to be carried but his mom told him he should be proud:

"We want to give him the message that he can do anything, and he has an inspirational story, and he just needs to be thankful that he is able to do it because there are a lot of kids out there that are still fighting cancer. We just want him to get out there and participate in life."

She hopes Ben can be an inspiration to other kids -- especially those facing amputations -- to show them there is life after cancer.

It is just amazing. I bet he wouldn't have put the boy down or given him to one of his buddies for anything.

edit- things like this make it easier to put up with the shit dfoster does. [grin1]

Originally Posted by: wpr