acitizensoldier

MSU up to No. 2

2011-11-01T00:50:00.001-07:00

It's often hyperbole to say an athlete or a team has risen to heights unseen. It's not hyperbole when used for the Montana State football team, as long as you are talking about the last 35 years.

Monday, Montana State came in at No. 2 in both the Sports Network Football Championship Subdivision Top 25 and the FCS coaches' poll. The No. 2 poll position is the highest the Bobcats have been ranked during a season since 1976. MSU won the 1984 Division I-AA national title to earn a No. 1 offseason ranking. MSU also won the national title in 1976.

The Bobcats (8-1), winners of eight straight following Saturday's 54-13 victory over Idaho State, collected 19 out of 158 first-place votes in the TSN poll to pile up 3,671 points. North Dakota State is No. 1 in the TSN poll after receiving 133 first-place votes and 3,918 points. MSU got two first-place votes from the FCS coaches and collected 654 points. The Bison received 22 of 28 first-place votes from the coaches, piling up 693 points.

"I think it's exciting, honestly, I do; it's a great compliment to our program and it's very exciting for us and for our fans," said Montana State head coach Rob Ash Monday via cell phone. "More than that, when you are No. 1 or No. 2, if you can hang on, if we can hang on to that, it gives you home-field throughout the playoffs. That's a huge spot to get to. To me, that's the significance of being No. 2.

"But it doesn't make any difference where we are ranked in the middle of the season; the only one that matters is the one at the very end."

Ash made sure to emphasize the fact that the TSN and FCS coaches' polls were separate entities than the NCAA FCS Playoff Selection Committee. High rankings in the TSN, FCS and Gridiron Power Index all play into playoff seeding, but the selection committee makes the final decision.

North Dakota State's No. 1 ranking is the first in school history. The Bison (8-0) defeated the Bobcats 41-17 in Bozeman in the second round of the FCS playoffs last December.

"It's ironic, but it's also telling (that NDSU is No. 1)," Ash said. "We didn't lose to a bad team last year. (NDSU) lost to the eventual national champions (Eastern Washington) in a closely contested overtime game after (NDSU) beat us. They were pretty darn good last year and they obviously made a commitment similar to what we tried to do after last year to try to get better. They are rolling right along. It's pretty ironic because it was that game against those guys that motivated us for this season."

Appalachian State (6-2) is No. 3 in both polls after defeating conference rival and former No. 1 Georgia Southern 24-17 this week. GSU was No. 1 for seven consecutive weeks. The Eagles got four first-place votes to sit at No. 4 in the coaches' poll. GSU is No. 5 in the TSN poll. App State got five first-place TSN votes.

Sam Houston State (8-0), the owner of the nation's longest winning streak at nine games dating to last season, is No. 4 in this week's TSN poll and No. 5 according the to coaches.

Former No. 2 Northern Iowa fell to No. 6 in both polls following a 27-19 loss to North Dakota State Saturday.

After Saturday's 45-10 shellacking of Weber State, the University of Montana is lone Big Sky Conference team aside from MSU ranked in this week's poll. UM (7-2) moved up one spot to No. 11 in the TSN poll and held steady at No. 8 in the coaches' poll. With the win over Weber, UM clinched no worse than a tie for second place in this year's BSC standings.

This week, MSU goes to Weber. Ash said the No. 2 ranking wouldn't get in his players' heads; rather, he thinks it will be motivating.

"This group of guys I don't think will be distracted; if anything it will motivate us to work even harder because now we have latched onto a spot that's really crucial if we can hang on," Ash said.

For the first time in six weeks and just the third time all season, a Montana State player did not garner one of the Big Sky's weekly awards. Every week for the past five has netted the ‘Cats at least one of the awards. Despite last Saturday's thrashing of ISU, no Bobcat was honored this week.

On the offensive side, MSU sophomore running back Cody Kirk was the Bobcat nominee after a 184-yard, four-touchdown performance against ISU. The touchdown total tied a school record. But Kirk's competition for the BSC Offensive Player of the Week award was stiff.

Montana sophomore quarterback Jordan Johnson and Northern Colorado wide receiver Patrick Walker shared this week's award after record-setting days.

Johnson threw for a career-high 299 yards including a school-record six touchdown passes for UM. Johnson threw TD passes of 31, 18, 11, 17, 8 and 25 yards, including five first-half scores as UM built a 38-3 halftime lead. Four of Johnson's touchdown passes were caught by senior wide receiver Jabin Sambrano as Johnson became the first BSC quarterback to throw six touchdown passes since 2007. The sophomore completed 23-of-32 passes total and also ran eight times for 53 yards in earning College Sports Madness and College Sporting News National Player of the Week honors.

Walker set a Big Sky single-game record with 315 receiving yards in UNC's 27-25 loss to North Dakota. Walker caught 10 passes, including touchdowns covering 80 and 88 yards. His receiving yardage surpassed the 22-year-old record set of 299 yards set by Nevada's Treamell Taylor in 1989. Walker also earned Sports Network national player of the week honors.

Portland State defensive back Joel Sisler was the Big Sky's Defensive Player of the Week after returning an interception 23 yards for a touchdown in PSU's 43-26 win over Eastern Washington. Sisler also recorded five tackles and a sack as the Vikings essentially ended EWU's playoff hopes.

PSU kicker Zach Brown made three field goals and totaled 12 points in the Vikings' win. Brown hit a pair of 38-yarders and a 41-yarder. He is now 14-of-15 on field goals this season. The award is the fifth in the junior's career.

Source http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/sports/bobcats/article_e5a965fe-043e-11e1-8d47-001cc4c03286.html

Local Military Families Enjoy a Day at the Gardens

2011-08-09T22:50:00.000-07:00

It was Military Appreciation Day at the Chicago Botanic Garden on Saturday.

Despite the early morning rain, more than 80 local military personnel and their family members spent a memorable day Saturday at the Chicago Botanic Garden during its Military Appreciation Day.

The event in Glencoe was co-sponsored by the Tawani Foundation, an organization which, according to their website, seeks to enhance and promote “the awareness of the importance of the Citizen Soldier through preservation of military history & heritage,” among other things and, The USO of Illinois Discovery Kids.

The military families enjoyed a free day of activities, which included narrated tours on the Grand Tram, admission to the Landmarks of America Model Railroad Garden, all 24 of the garden’s display gardens and the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center. They were also treated to lunch at the McGinley Pavilion.

"The kids' favorite garden was the American Model Railroad Garden. That was the first one we visited this morning and we'll likely return to it before we leave today. We really appreciate the generosity of all the volunteers and organizations who put this together," said Navy veteran Dena Boyd of Highland Park. She attended the event with her boyfriend's three children. Her boyfriend, however, couldn't attend because his ship, the USS Frank Cable is currently deployed overseas.

The keynote speaker for the event was Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford (R) of Pontiac, Illinois. During his remarks, Rutherford praised the veterans for their service and noted that several veterans serve in key positions within his administration, including a staff sergeant from the Illinois Army National Guard who served two tours of duty overseas, a sergeant from the Army Reserves and a retired navy veteran.

Rutherford asked all the children to give him their attention and then proceeded to give out the number to his office at the Capitol in Springfield.

"Whenever you are in Springfield, give me a call and I'll personally arrange a private tour of the state vault which is usually closed to the public," he said. "There's some neat stuff down there such as gold coins, comic books and jewelry. It'll be a great experience."

Noting the incredulous look on the faces of many in the audience, Rutherford repeated the number a second time to make sure they had all written it down. Except for a one-week period last month, the state vault, which can only be accessed through the sub-basement of the Capitol building, has been closed off to the general public for many years. Rutherford opened the vault to the general public in July as part of a campaign to help boost tourism in Springfield as well as to increase awareness of the state's Cash Dash/Unclaimed Property programs which aim to reunite Illinoisans with long lost money or property.

Aside from the veterans, Rutherford’s remarks seemed to resonate with the Chicago Botanic Garden staff as well. An avid conservationist, Rutherford has personally planted more than 16,000 trees and shrubs on his own property to promote reforestation. Assisted by volunteers from the Chicago Botanic Garden, each military family had the opportunity to create and take home a family dish garden.

According to a prepared statement by the Chicago Botanic Garden, these gardens were described as a garden in "... a small, shallow container or dish with each plant representing a family member, including those unable to attend because they are deployed or absent.”

Carole and Ralph Jassen of Northbrook were two of those volunteers. Of the event, Carole Jassen said, "We are just so happy to be doing this today. We appreciate all that the military members have done for us. I really hope they enjoyed the day and we really enjoyed being part of this today." It was the third season that the Jassens served as volunteers at the garden.

Source http://winnetka.patch.com/articles/local-military-families-enjoy-a-day-at-the-gardens-2

WWII soldier receives Bronze Medal – 66 years after heroic rescue

2011-03-31T21:23:00.000-07:00

While under heavy enemy fire around Luxembourg, 19-year-old Private Jean “John” P. Beaugard volunteered to run through an open field to save an injured soldier and carry him back to safety.

And 66 years later, on a Thursday in Doral, the Vero Beach resident was honored for his bravery with the Bronze Star, given by Lt. Gen. Ken Keen at the U.S. Southern Command.

It was a war story Beaugard never told his family – not his four children, five grandchildren, two great grandchildren, or even his wife of 61 years. But when his oldest son Jean, who also goes by John, 59, started to research his father’s time in the military, he discovered the military owed him the medal.

The process to get the award began when Beaugard’s son John took a trip to the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. When he didn’t see his father’s name, he began to dig up records of his father and the 318th Infantry Regiment, to see what he did during the war.

Two years and loads of paperwork later, the military corrected Beaugard’s record with the award of the Bronze Star Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and one additional bronze service star to his campaign medal. Beaugard, 85, only learned of the honor a year ago.

“I’m overwhelmed with this whole thing,” Beaugard said before the ceremony. “I never expected it. I was just one of millions of soldiers.”

Tears welled in several family members who came to witness the event. His wife Patricia, 83, fought back tears to simply describe her feelings as “Proud.”

His daughter, Elizabeth, recalled her reactions when she first learned of the story: “You mean he was running out under fire to save someone? What? You didn’t tell me that part, Dad.”

Beaugard was drafted into the army and arrived for duty on Jan. 7, 1945, assigned to a company within the 80th Infantry Division that was part of Gen. George S. Patton’s Third Army.

Beaugard’s company was part of the Battle of the Bulge, known as the largest and bloodiest battle Americans fought during World War II.

The entire 80th Infantry Division captured 212,295 enemy soldiers during the war; Beaugard was among the 17,087 men injured or killed.

There was one moment in combat where a fellow soldier from New Orleans, nicknamed Frenchy, was seriously injured and couldn’t get to safety. Officers asked for volunteers to run through the rain of fire to carry him back.

“There was a lot of fire,” Beaugard recalled. “Nobody stood up right away, but I felt that I should, and I did. I was accompanied by three other men.”

But several weeks after the heroic event, Beaugard had to be hospitalized. Like many other soldiers suffering through the cold and wet conditions, he had to be treated for trench foot, a foot infection that for many leads to amputation. But Beaugard recovered, and he was honorably discharged on July 27, 1945.

“You look at the condition they fought in, cold and wet,’’ Keen said. “You really appreciate what those men went through.”

The New Jersey-native went back to his home state where he started a family and worked for 40 years at Public Service Electric & Gas Co. In 1990, he and his wife retired to Vero Beach.

“Private Beaugard is a shining example of the citizen soldier that was called to war, served, and quietly went about his way to make a great life for himself and his family,” Keen said.

This was the first Bronze Star awarded at the Southern Command’s new facility that opened Dec. 17. A distant family relative – Richard Zimmelman, whose wife Amy is the cousin of Beaugard’s daughter-in-law – works in the finance department at Southern Command. Zimmelman asked if Beaugard could get a proper recognition – or else the medal would simply be sent in the mail.

“I must say, sometimes our army is late in presenting awards,” Keen said during the presentation. “But never let it be said that we do not correct the record, and eventually accomplish the mission, as we’re doing here today.”

When asked what was the best and worst parts of his military experience, Beaugard gave the same answer for both: “Being on the front lines where all the action is.”

Source http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/31/2144085/wwii-soldier-receives-bronze-medal.html

Volunteers Really 'Dig' World War I Military History

2011-03-01T21:43:00.000-08:00

Approximately 13 volunteers began creating a replica of a World War I military trench Feb. 26 near Camp Lincoln's Illinois State Military Museum in Springfield.

The trench, which will be about 7-feet high and 20-feet long when completed, is being built as part of the museum's "Great War Encampment" event March 5 and 6.

The encampment is a historical exhibit that will feature re-enactors using the trench to give visitors a glimpse of what warfare was like during World War I. The event will feature a lecture series and simulated skirmishes and gas attacks.

Lt. Col. Mark Whitlock of Springfield, the Illinois State Military Museum director, said the trench will hopefully be in place for living history groups for years to come.

"We could not get this done without the support of volunteers," said Whitlock. "I'm one of probably two people here getting paid ... Everyone else is a volunteer that just has a passion for military history. They love to help tell the story of the citizen-Soldier and so we hope that we'll have a lot of folks come see the event this weekend."

Whitlock's sons, 12-year-old Ben and 9-year-old Jack, also offered a hand to the construction effort. Ben, a Boy Scout, said he enjoyed the experience.

"It's wet and muddy, but it's really cool making a trench," said Ben.

Ben also said, from his experience, he thought making a trench would have been difficult for Soldiers in World War I and that they probably weren't prepared to do so most of the time.

Don Ferricks, 65, of Athens is an assistant curator of the Illinois State Military Museum and a veteran who followed a four-year tour in the Navy with 23 years of service in the Air National Guard. Ferricks began re-enacting in 1976 to honor his family's military roots, which stretch all the way back to the Civil War.

"[I want to] honor those guys that were called up and went off to war," said Ferricks.

The trench is made entirely of recycled materials from around Camp Lincoln. Whitlock said that constructing the trench this way is authentic as Soldiers would often incorporate materials from nearby farms and the surrounding countryside to improve their trenches.

Roughly 19,000 Soldiers with Illinois' 33rd Infantry Division deployed to France during World War I. The 33rd suffered 1,000 Soldiers killed in action and 5,871 wounded with nine Medal of Honor recipients. The Illinois State Military Museum has one of those medals, which belonged to 1st Sgt. Johannes Anderson. The museum will replicate his award ceremony for visitors during the event March 6.

The trench is part of the museum's "Great War Encampment" that will take place March 5 and 6. The event will display trench war and combat tactics of the first great war of the 20th century.

Source http://readme.readmedia.com/Volunteers-Really-Dig-World-War-I-Military-History/2171971