Tara Thomas, the widow of U.S. Army Green Beret Warrant Officer Shawn Thomas, shared a deeply emotional moment captured in a heartbreaking video. The video was taken in February 2017 at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina. It shows Tara approaching and leaning her head on her husband’s flag-draped coffin after it was unloaded from a plane.
The video went viral after a passenger on the plane, Lisa West Williams, recorded and shared it with Tara’s permission. Tara wanted to raise awareness about the daily struggles faced by military families.
This powerful and poignant video serves as a testament to the sacrifices made by service members and their Gold Star families.
Michael is the Vietnam War. In one precious photo.
A generation of proud young Americans so full of life, promise and hope for the future. Kids who did not make it home…
Proud to be in DC tonight. Honored to be the Grand Marshall for the Memorial Day Parade tomorrow. Here to give Respect and Gratitude to our Fallen. Remember them on #MemorialDay.
All Gave Some, Some Gave All
Today, we honor and remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice wearing the uniform while defending our rights, freedoms and our great nation.
We will always remember and uphold their legacy.
✍️ (U.S. Marine Corps graphic by Lance Cpl. Matthew Morales)
#Marines #USMC #SemperFidelis
On Memorial Day, I remember Delta Force snipers Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart.
During Black Hawk Down, they inserted into a crash site to save pilot Mike Durant.
Both men died after a prolonged gunfight that saved Durant’s life. Both earned the Medal of Honor.
After surviving the beach assaults in Sicily, Salerno and Anzio, on May 23, 1944, T/Sgt. Van T. Barfoot was ordered to lead an assault on German positions near Carano, Italy. He went out alone and crawled to within feet of a German bunker.
He tossed a grenade inside, killing two Germans and wounding three others. He then moved to another bunker nearby and killed two more German soldiers with his Thompson while taking three others prisoner. As he made his way towards a third MG position, the enemy crew decided to just surrender. In all, 17 Germans gave themselves up to him.
In retaliation, the Germans organized a counterattack on his position, sending three tanks toward him.
Barfoot grabbed a bazooka and stood 75 yards in front of the leading tank. His first shot destroyed its tracks. He then killed three of the German tank crew members who had attempted to escape.
The other two tanks, witnessing the destruction, abruptly changed directions, and left the field of battle. Returning to his platoon, he helped carry two wounded U.S. soldiers almost a mile to safety.
For his actions, he received the Medal of Honor and a battlefield commission to 2nd Lt.
He then went on to serve in the Korean War and later in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot. His other military decorations included the Silver Star; 2 awards of the Legion of Merit; the Bronze Star; 3 Purple Hearts, and 11 Air Medals.
Monday evening, I will bid farewell to this timeline. It has been an honor beyond description to pay tribute to some of the greatest warriors our country has ever seen. This young man will carry on the work, God willing.🇺🇸
U.S. Army Corporal Joe Ray Courtney Jr. was killed in action on May 22, 1968 in Binh Duong Province, South Vietnam. Joe was 22 years old & from Reseda, California. Recon Platoon, HHC, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Remember Joe today. Warrior. American Hero.
Do you know what happened in the last 24 hours?
1. Late on Thursday night @FBI agents landed at New York Stewart International Airport with Mohammad al Saadi in handcuffs. Al Saadi, the leader of an Iran-backed Iraqi terror group is allegedly responsible for more than 20 attacks across Europe and Canada and for planning attacks in the U.S..
2. Jose Enrique Martinez Flores, who goes by “Chuqui," the highest ranking Tren de Aragua leader to be extradited to the U.S., also just landed in the U.S. in shackles. Flores allegedly oversaw TdA’s drug trafficking, extortion rackets, prostitution rings and murder operations.
Then, last night, in an operation that makes any fictional representation look amateurish, American operators, working with local Nigerian forces, killed Abu-Bilal-al-Minuki, the second in command for ISIS global operations, a man with the blood of countless innocents on his hands, including many Christians.
This is just one day in the Counterterrorism operations of President @realDonaldTrump.
We salute the intelligence professionals, Law Enforcement Officers, Diplomats, Military operators and support personnel who make these operations possible 24/7.
@WhiteHouse@DeptofWar@TheJusticeDept@StateDept