Georgians KIA in Iraq Part One: Army Spc. Jamaal R. Addison

Army Spc. Jamaal R. Addison Died: March 23, 2003

22, of Roswell, Ga.; assigned to the 507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas; killed in an ambush near Nasiriyah, Iraq.
Specialist Addison's mother, Patricia M. Roberts, set up a foundation in his name "as a means of honoring his service and life. The JAMF's primary focus is to offer opportunities for positive growth and expose youth to the wide options available to them to lead successful lives."

Addison attended Henderson High School from eighth to 10th grade, then went to Lakeside, where he was a member of the Junior ROTC and graduated with a college prep degree. Relatives fondly described Addison as the family's computer guru. His enlistment in the military came as a surprise to his ROTC instructors at Lakeside.

"I had no idea he was going into the Army," said Lt. Col. Sydney Sider, 58, a senior Air Force ROTC instructor at Lakeside High. "The last talk we had was that he was going to college."

But Sider added that Addison had the strength and character to be successful in the military.

"He was a very nice young man ... and a very good student," Sider said. "He was good in ROTC. I just wish I had him a little longer." Spec. Addison was a straight-A student who joined the Army days after graduating from high school to secure a future for his infant son.
He was deployed to Iraq just after his wedding to Tek'la, and they have a seven-year-old son (Jamaal II) and eight-year-old daughter (Christian).

U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-El Paso, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said March 26, 2003 that the 507th Maintenance Company ran into a heavily armed Iraqi combat unit that included two tanks and automatic weapons when it made the wrong turn near An Nasiriyah.

Spec. Addison's stepbrother, Rodney Fisher, was quoted in an LA Times article as saying "I never thought there was a reason to go to war in the first place. This sure as hell doesn't make it any better. This was a good man. He didn't deserve this. This whole thing is nonsense."
It should be noted that Spec. Addison was said to have been fully in favor of the war.

Related: Inspiration

New Series

The Glynn Peace Memorial Day helmet display (which was very well-received, BTW) has inspried me to start a new series. This will actually be my first series, so, yeah. Anyway, I have decided to post at least weekly about one of the service members from Georgia who has been Killed in Action during the war in Iraq. There are, unfortunately, more than a hundred of them, so it will take a while. Look for it soon.

Memorial Day event

Memorial for Georgians Killed in the Iraq War
WHEN: MEMORIAL DAY - May 26, 2008

TIME: Noon - 8 p.m.

WHERE: Casino Pool (southside) in Neptune Park, St. Simons Island

GlynnPeace held its first memorial exhibit at Mary Ross Park in October 2007 (see attached photos). A month later, it was held for 2 days at Hanover Square in downtown Brunswick. The last exhibit was at the State of Change Tour Concert at the Gazebo in Mary Ross Park on April 5, 2008. This event was organized by the GlynnPeace - Youth Division.

The exhibit consists of white stakes and camo helmets with the hometowns of the soldiers. Our first exhibit honored 122 Georgians and in April the count was 127. As of May 18, the count is 129.
* * * * *

The number of U.S. soldiers and contractors killed in Iraq is starting to show up differently at major newspapers and databases. We already know the number of U.S. soldiers and contractors killed and wounded is severely underreported. As are those who have committed suicide both in Iraq and here at home.

Please note that U.S. soldiers and contractors in Iraq number just about the same.

Reluctantly taking the summer off from teaching

Well, for the first time since they hired me at the last minute a few years ago, I am not teaching at the college. My summer class didn't get enough students, so I have more free time, and less money to enjoy it. Anyone need a babysitter? Petsitter? Plasma? Seriously, that damn economic stimulus rebate better show up in my bank account soon!

Happy Mothers Day

Arise then...women of this day!
Arise, all women who have hearts!
Whether your baptism be of water or of tears!
Say firmly:
"We will not have questions answered by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage,
For caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We, the women of one country,
Will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."

From the voice of a devastated Earth a voice goes up with
Our own. It says: "Disarm! Disarm!
The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."
Blood does not wipe out dishonor,
Nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil
At the summons of war,
Let women now leave all that may be left of home
For a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace...
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
But of God -
In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality,
May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient
And the earliest period consistent with its objects,
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions,
The great and general interests of peace.

Julia Ward Howe, Boston 1870
Writer of the Battle Hymn of the Republic and founder of Mothers Day for Peace, with the above proclamation. Let us not forget the true meaning of Mothers Day.

Okay y'all

I need more free time. And a computer that actually works at home (not to mention internet). And a pot rack while you're at it. Seriously, I moved almost a month ago, and I still am not settled in. Between the full-time office job, teaching two classes a week, and various other activities, I just have the hardest time getting around to blogging. So sorry for absence. Must get back to real job now. In case I forget, come to the Brunswick Library on Wednesday, March 19 (anniversary of Iraq invasion) to see a free showing of "Why We Fight." I'll try to get around to posting a pdf of the flier. So busy. Head hurts.

Look cool, wear this shirt!

I'm still working on a button. I'll look into it. In the meantime, here's the link to the Glynn Peace Online Store.

GlynnPeace Impeachment Action

This is a picture from Saturday's Impeachment action in the pier village. The response was mixed, but we had several positive responses, mostly from South Carolinians. As a matter of fact, the young man on the left in the photo is from South Carolina, and he decided to join us for the last hour of the demonstration.

Beautiful Lengths

So I finally cut my hair. I just couldn't stand it any longer, so I decided to donate to Beautiful Lengths, since they only require a minimum of eight inches, instead of the ten inches needed by Locks of Love.
Here's my before:

And here's my after:

I'm really loving my new style. Thanks so much to Luck over at Lucky Lucy's for cutting my hair and taking care of the donation for me!

At what temperature does low country boil?

So, I've been busy lately. I'm still determined to post about the events of the last week or so, even if I am a little late. Last Saturday (September 8) I joined other Brunswick readers at the Kick off event for the Big Read. It was a low country boil, and local and national big wigs were there. Cap Fendig made a proclamation on behalf of the county commissioners. Mayor Bryan Thompson made a proclamation on behalf of the city. Superintendent of Schools Michael Bull was there dressed as Catcher in the Rye. I came as the happy Medium from A Wrinkle in Time. The NEA even sent a representative from Washington to little old Brunswick. Please enjoy the following photos:

Local wingnut runs for president.

That's right folks! Glynn County's own Cap Fendig, a bible-thumping former drunk and womanizer is declaring his candidacy for the presidency of the United States of America. It's a shame, really, because he had a certain level of credibility as a county commissioner and businessman, but that's all going out the window now. He obviously thinks he's been called by God. If his view of Christianity turns out to be correct, I happen to think we're all in a lot of trouble. Thanks a lot, Cap! Like Southeast Georgia isn't embarrassed enough by Jack Kingston.

Congratulations Appalachian State!

Biggest upset in college football history today, as Appalachian State beat Michigan. There'll be celebration in Boone tonight. Congratulations Mountaineers. Here's some mountains for ya:

Butterflies are free

These suckers were everywhere in the Cattail Creek Community. That mountain was just lousy with butterflies.

Mountains are pretty!

This is a view from one of the overlooks on the Blue Ridge parkway (the area near Mt. Mitchell, I think). I'm sure you're all (like I have so many readers) wondering, "Where all the political posts at?" Well, since the big political story of the moment involves accusations of interest in sex in a public bathroom, and I have an unfortunate connection to Mayor Robo-potty, I'm staying away from all things political at the moment.

You see the most interesting buildings in Appalachia

Yes, for those of you who were wondering, those rusty signs are advertising Royal Crown Cola.

New Orleans, 2 A.K.

People Get Ready features the best anniversary post I've read. Please read the whole thing. This is just a sample:
"The disaster which happened two years ago was just the leading edge of disasters to come if we don’t respond as a nation like New Orleanians are trying to respond every day to the challenge of the century — the challenge of the millenium — to rebuild our public institutions as ethical, efficient, transparent, democratic, and capable of responding to the crisis of global climate change — as well as the many other multiple crises we confront. "

Cabin Cat

The cabin where I spent my vacation was rented for the whole month of August by my mom and two of her friends. One of those friends brought her cats with her. It was so nice to have kitties around to ease my withdrawal from Fang and Pumpkin. This is a picture of the one I called Lil Bit. She was recently feral and had recently had kittens.

There's no place like . . . Burnsville?

This is one of several murals throughout historic downtown Burnsville, NC, where the folks at First Presbyterian Church certainly made us feel at home.

Wish I were here

I spent the first week of August at a cabin in the Cattail Creek Communtiy outside Burnsville, NC. The above is a picture I took on a walk up North Star Rd. God, it was so much cooler up there.

Arrr!

My pirate name is:

Captain Jenny Bonney

Even though there's no legal rank on a pirate ship, everyone recognizes you're the one in charge. You can be a little bit unpredictable, but a pirate's life is far from full of certainties, so that fits in pretty well. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

HT TPD.
Sorry about the abundance of quiz posts. Very distracted right now, between recent woot off, shirt.woot, semester winding down, and impending vacay.