Sparkimur Friends

"This is me at 21 years old. This is the day I graduated from the Detroit police academy at 4:00pm, went home and took a couple hour nap, woke up at 9:30 that night and reported to my first tour of duty at the 12th Precinct for midnight shift. Look at that smile on my face. I couldn't have been more excited, more proud. Armed with my dad's badge that he wore for 25 years on my chest, one of my mom's sergeant stripe patches in my pocket, my lucky $2.00 bill tucked into my bulletproof vest, a gun I was barely old enough to purchase bullets for on my hip and enough naive courage for a small army, I headed out the door...my mom snapped this photo on my way.
The next 17 years would bring plenty of shed blood, black eyes, torn ligaments, stab wounds, stitches, funerals, a head injury, permanent and irreparable nerve damage, 5 ruptured discs, some charming PTSD and depression issues and a whole lot of heartache. They brought missed Christmases with my family, my absence from friends' birthday get-togethers, pricey concert tickets that were forfeited at the last minute because of a late call and many sleepless nights.
I've laid in wet grass on the freeway for three hours watching a team of burglars and orchestrating their apprehension, I've dodged gunfire while running down a dark alley in the middle of the night chasing a shooting suspect, I've argued with women who were too scared to leave their abusive husbands until they realized they had to or they would end up dead. I've peeled a dead, burned baby from the front of my uniform shirt, I've felt the pride of putting handcuffs on a serial ra**st and I've cried on the chest of and kissed the cheek of my dead friend, coworker and academy classmate even though it was covered in his own dried blood and didn't even look like him from all the bullet holes. I know what a bullet sounds like when it's whizzing past your ear, a few inches away, I know what the sound of a Mother's shrilling scream is like when she finds out her son has been killed in the middle of the street and I know what it's like to have to tell a wife and mother of 3 that her husband was killed in a car accident while on his way home from work.
Smells, pictures, sounds and sights are burned and engrained into our minds...things we can never forget, no matter how hard we try; things that haunt our sleep at night and our thoughts during the day; things that we volunteered to deal with so that you don't have to. Things I don't want my sister, little cousins or YOU to even have to KNOW about.
I never once went to work thinking, "I'm gonna beat someone tonight."; "Hmmm...I think I'm gonna kill someone tonight." I DID, however, go to work every night, knowing that I was going to do the best I could to keep good people safe, even if that meant that I died doing so.
We ALL need to start being more understanding and compassionate toward one another. Violence doesn't cure violence and hate doesn't cure hate. I've seen and experienced both sides of the spectrum since I left the PD and I get it. I truly do. But this all has to stop.
Are cops perfect? No. Are there bad cops? Yes. But please...understand that the vast majority of police are good, loving, well intentioned family people. They have husbands and wives and children and parents and pets and cousins and mortgages and electric bills and lawns that need cutting, just like you. They have hearts and consciences. They aren't robots, they're not machines and they just want to help keep the wolves away from the sheep. I KNOW there's people who don't deserve to wear the badge but they're SO VERY few and far between. It breaks my heart to see all this hatred and anger flying around. All it's doing is encouraging more of the same.
If you've read this far, thank you for listening. I'm not gonna sit here and tell you that if you hate or don't support one side or the other, to unfriend me and never speak to me again...I hope those are the people who come straight TO me. Because I'll be more than happy to hug you and pray or meditate with you. I'll be more than happy to listen to your concerns and let you vent and empathize with your feelings. But then I'll encourage you to help me find a solution to end all this nonsense because if we're not part of the solution, we're part of the problem. Love to all of you. ALL OF YOU. We're all SO much better than this." ❤️✌🏼

Credits goes to the respective owner ~
Follow us

BREAKING NEWS: U.S. Marine Corps Headquarters has issued orders today to Master Gunnery Sergeant S. Claus, recalling him to active duty, with a RNLTD of 24 Dec 2022.

MGySgt. Claus, known to use the alias “Saint Nicholas”, “Kris Kringle”, “Father Christmas”, or simply “Santa”, is a reserve Marine with 1,743 years of service.

He specializes as a tactical operator of the next generation DEC-25B, Cargo Airborne Delivery (CAnDY) Carrier.

The DEC-25B is contractor-modified and fully equipped with Cargo Antlered Navigation Equipment Sensors (CANES).

It has also been retrofitted with eight high-powered, air-cooled Rangifer Tarandus carrot-fed generators.

As a single seat cargo delivery platform, it is capable of vertical delivery of high-value items, take-off and landing without pilot controlled lighting (PCL).

These unique specifications, coupled with the additional Public Affairs skill sets possessed by Master Gunny Claus, classify the entire deployable package as a low-density, high-demand (LD/HD) asset.

Also recalled, were MSgts Dasher and Dancer, GySgts Prancer and V***n, SSgts Comet and Cupid, Cpl. Donner, and PFC Blitzen (recently selected for LCpl.)

PFC Rudolph is also authorized to report for duty; however, he must first successfully complete his Phase II SERE Training, which he has failed three times due to a medical condition related to his nose.

Although the above Marines are on orders for only 24 hours, it is anticipated that they will submit a travel claim for 24,901 miles at .56/mile, using a POV. Suitable Government transportation is not available.

As a special operations unit, each member is granted a high level of uniform flexibility, as well as relaxed grooming standards.

Per diem has been modified to include large quantities of hot cocoa and cookies.

Government travel card use has been authorized.

It is hard when we lose our heroes and today we lost a member of the Greatest Generation who was one of our first WWII veterans to go on their Honor Flight. Today, at 101 years young, we lost WWII U.S. Army D-Day Paratrooper Tom Rice. 🇺🇸

He often told the story about how Honor Flight San Diego had changed his life. In his words, he was "sitting in his recliner after his wife passed and just getting skinnier and skinnier. Then one day his angel (HFSD volunteer Donna Hester) called him to ask if he wanted to go on his Honor Flight." He went in 2012, and for the last 10 years Tom had a new spring in his step and a new purpose. He could be found speaking to organizations and children's classes about his service, he was very involved in all our events, joined us for outreach to find his military brothers and sisters, and helped us raise the funds to send more veterans on their Honor Flight.

For those who didn't know Tom, in WWII, he served in the 101st Airborne Division, parachuting into Normandy on D-Day. He served with Charlie Company, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. His first experience in combat was parachuting into the dark flak-filled skies above Normandy—dropped at 160 mph as the pilots of his C-47 tried to evade the enemy fire.

Three months later, he parachuted into Holland and fought in Bastogne, where he was severely wounded. Nothing could keep him from joining back with his unit, though. He returned just in time for the capture of Hitler’s Eagles Nest and seeing the war’s end.

Post war, Tom completed his degree at San Diego State University and went on to teach in the local community.

He was able to return to Normandy for the 75th anniversary of D-Day and jumped to commemorate the event. Then, he jumped on to the beaches of Coronado for his 100th birthday. We were there to watch his jump and to help celebrate his birthday. Today he took his final jump. He was deeply loved by all of us with Honor Flight San Diego and he will be missed by all who knew him. He was a charismatic, charming, funny, humble American hero who saved us all and he will never be forgotten.

He and his wife loved us as much as we loved him. She has requested that in lieu of flowers, his friends, family, and supporters can send a donation to Honor Flight San Diego in Tom's memory. For anyone wishing to donate, you can donate here through Facebook or, you can go to our website at: www.honorflightsandiego.org

We ❤️ you Tom and may you Rest in Peace!

"Airborne - ALL THE WAY!"

May we pause to remember the sacrifice of those who paid the great price for our freedom. We will never forget.

Today we give a big shout out and a big THANK YOU to The Thursday Club Juniors who are hosting a gala for us on Saturday, April 23rd. Proceeds from this event will help to get our senior veterans on THEIR Honor Flight at no cost to them. 🇺🇸

They are offering a special way to help us meet our mission by "Honoring a Hero." They will put a picture and information about a veteran on the big screen to run during the event. They are also working to have framed pictures of these special veterans displayed at the event as well.

Several of their members have chosen to honor grandparents and other family members through this sponsorship. The cost is $250 and since they are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the donation can be tax-deductible.

To do this, please enter your veteran's info here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf0Xy0hM7Berr3kGI2p3U4L-8bDGPmhIhazz7qo_hFyzEHCNQ/viewform

Then click here to donate or send a check: https://www.thethursdayclub.org/donations/

Here's info about the gala:
https://www.thethursdayclub.org/2022honorflight/

We could not continue to give our veterans their Tour of Honor without community support. So THANK YOU!

Please share this with your networks!

Our WineBlock lip & teeth balm makes the perfect stocking stuffer for all the wine lovers on your list. 🎄🍷🍷😁



🎁 ❤️🎁

BREAKING NEWS: U.S. Marine Corps Headquarters has issued orders today to Master Gunnery Sergeant S. Claus, recalling him to active duty, with a RNLTD of 24 Dec 2021.

MGySgt. Claus, known to use the alias “Saint Nicholas”, “Kris Kringle”, “Father Christmas”, or simply “Santa”, is a reserve Marine with 1,743 years of service.

He specializes as a tactical operator of the next generation DEC-25B, Cargo Airborne Delivery (CAnDY) Carrier.

The DEC-25B is contractor-modified and fully equipped with Cargo Antlered Navigation Equipment Sensors (CANES).

It has also been retrofitted with eight high-powered, air-cooled Rangifer Tarandus carrot-fed generators.

As a single seat cargo delivery platform, it is capable of vertical delivery of high-value items, take-off and landing without pilot controlled lighting (PCL).

These unique specifications, coupled with the additional Public Affairs skill sets possessed by Master Gunny Claus, classify the entire deployable package as a low-density, high-demand (LD/HD) asset.

Also recalled, were MSgts Dasher and Dancer, GySgts Prancer and V***n, SSgts Comet and Cupid, Cpl. Donner, and PFC Blitzen (recently selected for LCpl.)

PFC Rudolph is also authorized to report for duty; however, he must first successfully complete his Phase II SERE Training, which he has failed three times due to a medical condition related to his nose.

Although the above Marines are on orders for only 24 hours, it is anticipated that they will submit a travel claim for 24,901 miles at .56/mile, using a POV. Suitable Government transportation is not available.

As a special operations unit, each member is granted a high level of uniform flexibility, as well as relaxed grooming standards.

Per diem has been modified to include large quantities of hot cocoa and cookies.

Government travel card use has been authorized.

Nation's oldest WWII veteran celebrates 112th birthday Lawrence Brooks served in the U.S. Army after being drafted in 1940.

Regional Honor Flight Hubs

The Honor Flight Network wishes ALL our mothers a very special day today. Wherever you are - enjoy your day. We say Thank you for being you!

The Honor Flight Network announced David A. Smith, founder of Honor Flight San Diego, as Chair of its Board of Directors. “I am very honored to be selected as President and Chairman,” said Smith. “My first priority is to get our hubs flying again—when it is safe to do so—and get our nation’s heroes on their Honor Flight.”

As Board Chair, he will lead the Board’s newly elected officers and two new members:
• Brian Ziegler, Madison, Wis., Vice Chair
• Paula Nelson, Hartford, Wis., Secretary
• Frank Kimler, Walden, N.Y., Treasurer
• John McCaskill, Washington, D.C., Member-elect
• Matthew Shuman, Arlington, Va., Member-elect

Read our news story on our website: https://www.honorflight.org/in-the-news.html