The soldiers flanked the casket, solemn and precise, and folded the American flag with a yank-and-flip motion. On one knee, a sergeant presented the flag to a grieving mother. Around them, mourners with red eyes and heaving shoulders testified, silently, to the mark Dennis Channel Jr. left on each of them.
Seven soldiers from the Ohio Army National Guard raised their rifles and fired three rounds. A lone bugler sounded taps, a haunting call that wafted over the nearby graves of veterans.
Dennis, known to all as "Bubba," was buried yesterday with full military honors.
He was 12 years old.
The Millersport boy was too young to be a soldier or a veteran, for whom such an honor is generally reserved.
Sgt. Maj. Rebecca Herzog had never led an honor guard at a funeral for anyone out of uniform, except a member of Congress, in 10 years on the job. But Dennis deserved it, the Guard decided.
He was his own kind of warrior. He waged a battle with brain cancer, diagnosed when he was just 5 years old. He was a brave soldier, all agreed, one who changed the world for the better. Dennis died, holding his parents' hands, shortly after 3 a.m. Friday.
Those at his funeral -- relatives, teachers, classmates -- spoke about the way the little boy with the big brown eyes changed them in the short time he had.
In one way, he was an ordinary boy who loved dinosaurs and BMX, and his mom and dad most of all.
But friends and family members also remembered the extraordinary spirit and peace that Dennis possessed, always positive, polite and faithful despite his suffering. He never complained, even though he had to leave school in second grade and endure several rounds of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, said his father, Dennis.
He talked to anyone who would listen about God's goodness, said Paula Clark, his former teacher. "His No. 1 concern was how everybody else was," she said. "I've taught school for 26 years, and never have I encountered anybody who had a soul like he had."
He loved his country and developed a passion for the military from a young age, thanks to his father, a veteran, and relatives of his mother, Shawna.
It was his dream to be an Army chaplain. "He said he used to talk to God," said his father, who wore a dog tag adorned with a photo of his son. "And God wanted him to help people."
An Army battalion based in Fort Campbell, Ky., adopted Dennis, who visited the soldiers. They gave him a uniform and beret.
He made fast friends with soldiers based in central Ohio, too. He earned honorary status as a member of the U.S. Army and as a chaplain for the Ohio National Guard.
His dreams didn't go unfulfilled, said the Rev. Steve Bush, who officiated at Dennis' funeral at Lighthouse Memorial Church in Millersport. "Look at this room. He filled it," Bush said during the service, before an estimated crowd of more than 400. "Most chaplains, most pastors I know, would long for the influence Dennis had over those he loved, and even those he didn't."
Dennis was buried in his uniform and beret, in a casket painted with tanks and helicopters. A pair of combat boots sat nearby. Classmates at Millersport Elementary School signed a picture of an American flag, which sat inside the casket.
Dennis had a profound effect on his peers, Clark said. He taught them how to be strong, and they learned compassion by organizing fundraisers for him. "That class will be extra-special because of that," Clark said. "They know what it is to help people."
Dennis inspired grown-ups, too. A group of veterans from Buckeye Lake saluted his casket at his gravesite.
Col. Andrew Aquino, a military chaplain, presented the boy's parents with a medal for meritorious service from the state of Ohio. "God has really given us a special blessing," he said, "in knowing Bubba."
#3
Ditto to Frank's comments. Wife's brother died @ 11 of brain cancer. His memory haunts her constantly (in a happy way).
There is a special place in Heaven for children such as these.
#4
Friend of mine and her husband were both O-5s when their son was diagnosed. She turned down battalion command (and what many believed was a path to at least one star) to take an assignment that kept them together. He battled for 19 months before finally losing, keeping his spirits up until the end. She retired at that grade - we lost a really outstanding leader and officer that day - then took in a couple relatives whose parents were dysfunctional (to put it mildly) and is putting all that energy and intelligence into restoring those kids' lives.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
12/24/2008 13:46 Comments ||
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#6
What an amazing little boy. One more little gem that makes this world such a fantastic place. The world is poorer today without him in it. Well done, Bubba. Rest easy, little soldier.
#11
Would that there were more with his spirit and love of country. At 12 he was far more of a man than many adults will ever be. Godspeed, and give our best to Chesty Puller and Audie Murphy.
Troops at a vehicle checkpoint in western Mexico have detained a beauty queen and seven men along with guns and cash, police say. The eight were stopped on the outskirts of Guadalajara, Mexico's second city, late on Monday night, reportedly following a tip-off.
Laura Zuniga, 23, was crowned Miss Sinaloa in July after her home state. She reportedly told police she had been planning to travel with the men to Bolivia and Colombia "to go shopping".
Regional police director Francisco Alejandro Solorio was quoted by the Associated Press as saying that two SUVs were stopped at the checkpoint. The SUV in which Ms Zuniga was found contained a large stash of weapons, including two AR-15 assault rifles, 38 special handguns, 9mm handguns, nine magazines, 633 cartridges and $53,300 in US currency, he added.
An unnamed police spokesman quoted by Reuters news agency said that security forces had received a tip-off that drug-traffickers were moving through the area on Monday night. "No one expected this young woman to be aboard," the spokesman added.
Ms Zuniga came third in the Nuestra Belleza Mexico pageant in Monterrey in September and was expected to represent Mexico in the 2009 Miss International contest, AP notes.
Lupita Jones, the national director of Nuestra Belleza Mexico, released a statement distancing the organisation from the detainee. She said that Nuestra Belleza knew nothing about "any illicit activity in which she could be involved" and would await the results of the police investigation before making any decision about whether to strip her of her crown.
Posted by: john frum ||
12/24/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
I've seen some pictures of the lady in question. She's eminently seizable.
#2
The SUV in which Ms Zuniga was found contained a large stash of weapons, including two AR-15 assault rifles, 38 special handguns, 9mm handguns, nine magazines, 633 cartridges and $53,300 in US currency.
$ 53,300 shopping trip with Personal Security Detail?
It was a tip from a quick-thinking clerk at a Circuit City store that led authorities to accuse a group of men with planning to kill soldiers on the Army's Fort Dix.
A day after the men were convicted of conspiracy to kill military personnel, Brian Morgenstern is still working at a Circuit City store. But he said Tuesday he's also working toward a new career - influenced by his experience in the case - in law enforcement. He hopes some day to be "fighting crime and terror and all that stuff" by investigating the kind of tips he provided authorities with nearly three years ago.
In January 2006, Morgenstern, now 25, was working at a Circuit City store in Mount Laurel when he was asked to transfer a video to DVD. Some of what he saw on the video alarmed him: A group of men in snow-covered mountains shooting weapons and shouting "Allah akbar!" - Arabic for "God is great." The next day, Morgenstern, who lives in Cherry Hill, called local police who in turn notified the FBI. Morgenstern didn't know it then, but the tip led to a massive investigation involving intense surveillance, paid informants, weapon buys and wiretaps.
More than a year after his tip, in May 2007, Morgenstern woke up to the news that a group of foreign-born Muslim men, most of whom also lived in Cherry Hill, had been accused of plotting to massacre soldiers on Fort Dix, an Army installation about 25 miles east of Philadelphia. Morgenstern said he followed the trial, though not daily, but hasn't decided if he thinks the men are guilty. That's up to the experts, he said.
"I didn't report this tip hoping these people would get arrested," he said Tuesday in his first interview since he went public a few weeks after the men were arrested in May 2007. "I've been waiting for this to end, just so I could move on with my life," he said. "I guess I just feel more relaxed now that it's all over with."
Throughout the case, Morgenstern said he stayed in touch with investigators and that's what inspired him to study criminal justice and computer science when he enrolled in college in January. Before his tip, his interest in criminal justice went little further than watching the television show "Cops," he said. He still works full-time for the electronics retailer - though at a different store now - on top of a full college courseload. He asked that the name of his college and the store he works at now not be named.
After the arrests, the FBI publicly acknowledged and thanked him. Circuit City brass recognized him. Editorial boards praised him. Military personnel, veterans and others even wrote him grateful and congratulatory letters.
Morgenstern said he's tried not to let all the praise inflate his ego. "I still maintain that I'm not a hero in this," he said Tuesday. "I want the world to know that all I did was act upon an instinct. I saw something that wasn't right."
#1
LEOs need good instincts, so maybe he's got a leg up. I wish him well in his new career.
Posted by: Jonathan ||
12/24/2008 8:38 Comments ||
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#2
It will only be a matter of time before today's FBI trains the judgment and willingness to act right out of him and we start to hear Agent Morgenstern assuring us all that their actions are not "terror-related."
Posted by: regular joe ||
12/24/2008 10:07 Comments ||
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#3
I use his name and photo in my Terrorism Awareness courses as the poster-boy illustrating that not only can a patrol officers interrupt the terrorism cycle, but citizens, as well. Yes, we wish him much success.
An attempt to kill a blasphemy accused was foiled after the pistol of the alleged attacker went out of order in the premises of the court here on Tuesday.
Sources said the incident occurred when police were going to produce Waqar Ali Shah, a blasphemy accused, before the additional sessions judge in the city. The sources said the police party, escorting Waqar Ali Shah, overpowered the attacker Mohammad Tahir, a resident of Shahkhail Bandi, Abbottabad and arrested him soon after his pistol failed to go off.
Waqar Ali Shah was arrested on August 21, 2007 after he allegedly confessed before a Jirga that he had uttered alleged sacrilegious remarks. Syed Farman Ali Shah, on behalf of the Jirga members, had lodged the case against Waqar Ali Shah with the city police after the confession.
When contacted, District Police Officer (DPO) Akhtar Hayyat Khan said the attacker, Mohammad Tahir, who was the employee of Military Engineering Service, was arrested under the Pakistan Penal Code 324 and would be produced before the court on Wednesday. The DPO said the police officials, who arrested the attackers, were honoured with certificates and cash.
He said after the incident, the security had been tightened in and around the court premises. Meanwhile, the activists and leaders of the Khatm-e-Nabowat Youth Force (KNYF) said that their organisation was not involved in the incident.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/24/2008 00:00 ||
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Faulty signals at Gulberg Main Boulevard Fountain 1 and several other important crossings are causing traffic jams and accidents.
There have been several traffic jams and accidents at the fountain in the past few days, as the traffic signal there has not been functioning properly. The signal is extremely important, as a large number of motorists use that road daily.
Blame: Tauseef Ahmad, a resident of Johar Town, said a motorist hit his motorcycle on Monday evening, when he was turning toward the Sherpao Bridge from the Main Boulevard, adding that the motorist was coming from Mozang. He said the hit caused only a few bruises, as he had been at a slow speed. He said a traffic warden had been controlling the traffic, but had been unable to stop the vehicle from crossing the intersection. He blamed the faulty traffic signal for the accident. He said the authorities concerned should perform regular maintenance on all traffic signals, especially those located on busy roads.
According to sources at the Traffic Engineering and Transportation Planning Agency (TEPA), there are 113 signals across the city, of these, 9 are permanently out of order, while several others malfunction daily. They said the signal at Jan Mandar Chowk had not been functioning for a long time, adding that the traffic police was delegated the task of ensuring functioning traffic signals several months ago. They said the traffic police lacked the equipment required to maintain functioning traffic signals.
Repair: Chief Traffic Officer Hussain Habib Imtiaz said the traffic police took a maximum of 48 hours to fix a faulty traffic signal, adding that the signal located at the Main Boulevard Fountain 1 went out of order a few days ago as a truck crashed into it. He said the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) had taken the structure to repair it, adding that it would be re-installed by Wednesday evening.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/24/2008 00:00 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
