Posts Tagged ‘prayer beads’

That time again, the moon is waning away….and with it, alas, more lives.  Lift a cup in commemoration and commiseration with the loved ones in mourning.

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Patrick A. Malone, 21, of Ocala, Fla., died in Iraq as a result of a non-hostile incident.

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Theophilus K. Ansong, 34, of Bristow, Va., was lost at sea Feb 4 while  assigned to USS San Antonio (LPD 17) as it conducted operations in the Gulf of Aden while supporting the war in Iraq. (No idea why it took the Navy SO long to report this death.)

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Timothy L. Bowles, 24, of Tucson, Ariz.,  died in Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an IED.

U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Archie A. Taylor, 37, of Tomball, Texas, died  as a result of a non-hostile incident in Afghanistan.

The following three U.S. Army men died in Afghanistan as a result of an IED explosion…the same one, I believe, as killed the Air Force sergeant—same date and identical location:

Sgt. Christopher P. Abeyta, 23, of Midlothian, Ill.

Spc. Robert M. Weinger, 24, of Round Lake Beach, Ill.

Spc. Norman L. Cain III, 22, of Oregon, Ill.

U.S. Army Spc. Gary L. Moore, 25, of Del City, Okla., died  in  Iraq, of wounds sustained when an explosive device struck his vehicle.

Cpl Mathew Hopkins, 21, of Australia, died in Afghanistan in hostile small arms fire.

Cpl John Dean, 25, of the United Kingdom, died in Afghanistan in an IED explosion.

Cpl Graeme Stiff, 24, of the United Kingdom, died in Afghanistan in an IED explosion.

That time again, those lost in the wars over the last moon phase….

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Sean D. Diamond, 41, of Dublin, Calif.,  in  Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.  He was from our local Ft. Lewis Army base.

U.S. Army Cpl. Stephen S. Thompson, 23, of Tulsa, Okla., died in Iraq of injuries sustained from a gunshot wound.

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Raymond J. Munden, 35, of Mesquite, Texas, died in Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using indirect fire

U.S. Army National Guard PFC Cwislyn K. Walter, 19, of Honolulu, Hawaii died  in  Kuwait, supporting the war in Iraq,  of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Timothy P. Davis, 28, of Aberdeen, Wash., died in Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.

LCpl Stephen Kingscott, 22, of The United Kingdom died in Afghanistan in an attack using small arms fire.

U.S. Marine Sgt. Daniel L. Hanson, 24 (hometown unknown presently) died in Afghanistan in combat ops involving hostile fire.

Staff Sgt. Jeremy E. Bessa, 26, of Woodridge IL, died in  Afghanistan, when his military vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device followed by small arms fire attack by enemy forces.

Master Sgt. David L. Hurt, 36, of Tucson, AZ, in Afghanistan, from wounds received during the same incident.

Staff Sgt. Mark C. Baum, 32, of Telford, Pa., died  in Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms fire.

Spring is coming.  Gardens and Labyrinths will be demanding time.  Also, projects of sewing and photography.

And winter launched the last guided germ missile, I have a cold and feel crummy.

Therefore, relative silence here will ensue for a while.  But hey, jump into the blogroll because ALL those folks have LOTS to say!  And better than I can say it most of the time.  Beads will be added to the monument as the count demands and I will post the moon phases lists as usual, and perhaps the occasional photo, but substantive wordy things are falling by my personal wayside for a while.

Sorry to be late posting….our router died and we couldn’t keep a connection long enough to get anything real done over the last couple days.

U.S. Army Spc. Peter J. Courcy, 22, of Frisco, Texas. died in Afghanistan of an IED attack

U.S. Army Pfc. Jason R. Watson, 19, of Many, La.  died in Afghanistan of an IED attack

The following four Army personnel were killed in Iraq by an IED:

Lt. Col. Garnet R. Derby, 44, of Missoula, Mont.

Sgt. Joshua A. Ward, 30, of Scottsville, Ky.

Pfc. Albert R. Jex, 23, of Phoenix, Ariz.

Pfc. Jonathan R. Roberge, 22, of Leominster, Mass.

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Marc J. Small, 29, of Collegeville, Pa., died in Afghanistan during an RPG attack.

UK Army Pvt. Ryan Wrathall died in Iraq of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

WO Andrzej Rozmiarek of Poland died in Afghanistan in a vehicular accident.

Cpt. Patrice Sonzogni of France died in Afghanistan in an IED attack.

Marine Darren Smith of the UK died in Aghanistan of small arms fire.

The New Moon is coming.  Usually, each month at that time, I check all the counts for US and Coalition dead in Iraq and Afghanistan and update the prayer/counting beads on the monument at the center of the Labyrinth.  I clean the beads, make sure they are all there—since ravens and crows sometimes steal a small, light strand just for the sparkle.  December is the exception since family Yule keeps us busy.  So January is always a labor of love—but lots more labor than usual.

This year more than ever!  I examined the 5400 beads and brought them inside to wash them.  To my dismay the shell beads and the faux coral strands were deteriorating and fading very badly and I decided to replace them completely.  So, having heard of a super bead store called Shipwreck Beads, we drove down to see if we could afford the necessary thousand or more beads.

I am not a bead-crafter.  But if I was, I would have thought I died and went to a beader’s heaven!  I got beautiful and colorful glass and ceramic beads to replace and repair battered strands.

And I got little ceramic skeletons to use as the counters for each hundred–each “century” of dead troops.  So they are little prayer bead centurions, as in the days of the Roman Empire when a centurion commanded one hundred men.  Not totally unlike a modern day company commander.  So, this weekend, in preparation of next week’s New Moon, every strand was re-strung.  Every battered, stripped glass pearl was replaced and all the shell beads.  I strung the beads in groups of 200 so they would be too heavy for the corvids to steal; and there is a little skeleton counter for each one hundred.  Every tenth bead, like a squad leader on the strands, is bigger or a different kind—this made my keeping count far easier.

The new strands are beautiful and bright, for a beautiful and bright new year.  The older strands that were not replaced are clean and re-organized, but keep most of their original character.  All the beads that have been sent to me by friends have been retained in the strands, usually as that special tenth bead.  Now, I used up almost six pounds of new beads———let us all hope that I don’t need many more!  My hope for the New Year and a new President is an end to all this war!  The re-stringing was completed in time for the Inauguration of a new President and a new era!

That time again.  When I walked the Labyrinth yesterday, with the three most current names, I violated my rule against tears as I poured the libation on the central stone.   Thinking of those families on the holiday that connotes “family” to so many Americans…..with a significant member gone forever, well, yes it broke my hard old heathen heart.

Gunnery Sgt. Marcelo R. Velasco, 40, of Miami, (FL?) -  Marine – Iraq -non-hostile incident

Pvt. Charles Yi Barnett, 19, of Bel Air, Maryland,  Army – Iraq – non-combat incident

Sgt 1st Class Miguel A. Wilson, 36, of Bonham, Texas – Army – Iraq – died while trying to rescue a brother-soldier

1st Lt. William K. Jernigan, 35, of Doraville, Ga. -Army – Iraq – non-combat incident

Capt. Warren A. Frank, 26, of Cincinnati, Ohio, -Marine – Iraq -combat ops

Master Sgt. Anthony Davis, 43, of Deerfield, Fla., died Nov. 24 in Baaj, Iraq, after being shot by an Iraqi Security Force soldier while he was conducting a dismounted humanitarian food drop.

Coalition Dead…all died in Afghanistan:

Lt. Michael Fussel, 25 from Australia

Adjuntant Nicholas Rey, 32, from France

Marine Alexander Lucas, 24, from the United Kingdom

Raise a cup to the fallen, drink deeply for the heroic dead….and think a comfort for the ones left behind in mourning.

Again, not every name will be here as there is a lag in the release as families are found and notified.  My sympathies, as always, to the families and friends.   I fear I must soon string another 100 beads to adorn the monument in memory and counting.

Spc. Adam M. Wenger, 27, of Waterford, Mich. – Army- Iraq – non-combat incident

Staff Sgt. Timothy H. Walker, 38, of Franklin, Tenn., Army – Iraq – IED

Pfc. Theron V. Hobbs, 22, of Albany, Ga., Army – Iraq – vehicular accident

And Coalition soldiers, killed in Afghanistan by a suicide bomber:

Cpl Ruben Alonso Rios, 30, of Spain
WO Garcia Juan Andres Suarez, 41, of Spain

Two British Army men have died as well, in a separate action, but their names are not released yet.

The final image is the one I added just before beginning this project, one hundred mixed beads…glass, shell, stone, ceramic with large shell counters.  Five thousand, four hundred beads for the men and women of American and Coalition forces who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan.  A harvest of grief and memories for their families.  Remember the cost of many American choices are being paid in blood.

One hundred rose beads with spiny oyster and aventurine.

One hundred glass beads with shell counter.

Many folks end up here searching for pictures of the dead, I do not have the wherewithal to post such pictures;  but the following link may help you:

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/