We were first here to visit the military memorial placed here by Contra Costa Blue Star Moms for US Army Captain John Hallett, III and US Air Force Senior Airman Jonathan A. Vega Yelner, both De La Salle High School graduates.
We were second here to recognize, honor, respect, remember, and grieve at the sacrifice of GIs for here is a memorial for those military who wrote a blank check to the United States of America for up to and including their life. For I heard young voices softly saying: when you go home, tell them of us and that for your tomorrows, we gave our today.
Captain Hallett, graduate of liberal arts public school US Military Academy, and his wife Lisa, had two boys, and a third child on the way when he deployed to Afghanistan in 2009. He was killed two weeks later, 25 August 2009, while on mercy mission. He never saw his daughter.
I "live life like I want to so that I am not one of those guys who says, 'Dam I wish I did that.'" and "We are the forgotten. Doing the unthinkable. For the ungrateful." wrote Jonathan Yelner on his MySpace page. Yelner was proud of his Jewish and Puerto Rican heritage. At the top of his page is his statement: "Puerto Rican heartthrob is living each day like my last. Cause it might be."
When Yelner achieved the rare rank of Eagle Scout in 2002, for his speech he chose the Shakespeare quote: "Be not afraid of greatness."
After six years of US Air Force Service, Yelner died 29 April 2008, age 24, in a roadside bomb explosion after he had volunteered for Afghanistan to help local residents by improving their infrastructure, build new roads and buildings and set up water supplies.
All Veterans and military memorials commemorate that highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one's country. GIs and Veterans answered the call. Isaiah 6:8 ESV: And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." For GI's Serve not because they hate what is in front of 'em, but because they love what is behind 'em.
De La Salle High School has taken pledge To Leave No Veteran or Active Duty Behind. 7 November 2021, the De La Salle Collegiate community dedicated their Wall of Military Honor to recognize alumni from De La Salle and St. Joseph's High School who have Served and are actively Serving in US Armed Forces.
Centerpiece of their Military Wall is a picture of US Army Lieutenant Robert L. Poxon, Class of 1965, who died in Viet Nam in 1969. He posthumously received Medal of Honor in 1972, which Medal is displayed here.
February is Black History Month. Today 6 February, in 2015 to come home from war as an Honorably Discharged Veteran only to then be killed by police sworn to serve and protect.
James Howard Allen was a 74-year-old black US Army Veteran who had just had heart surgery. A relative of Allen requested police do a Welfare Check of Allen.
Gastonia, North Carolina 2-year police officer Joshua Lefevers arrived at the home of Allen and broke into Allen's home from the back door just after midnight Sunday morning 6 February 2015. Police Chief Robert Helton said officers were concerned Allen was inside and 'in need of emergency assistance.'
Police officer Lefevers immediately shot and killed Allen in Allen's home.
Chief Helton says, "The gun was pointed in the direction of the officers, and a shot was fired that fatally wounded him." The gun wasn't even pointed at the officers!?!
Did the police ever stop to remember they'd been called for a Welfare Check of a 74-year-old who had just had heart surgery? Apparently not. Did police ever consider a senior was hard of hearing? Apparently not. What about the fact that Allen's home was broken into by police at midnight?
Allen's devastated sister, Mary Battle, told WSOC-TV she cruelly learned about her brother's violent death as she listened to her local news channel while preparing for worship on Sunday morning. The police couldn't even be bother to first notify Allen's family members!?!
Battle contends, "I think that he probably thought somebody was breaking in his house or robbing him of something. There should have been a better way to handle this. Something else could have been done. I'm so mad; I'm hurt. I'm hurt."
Mary's husband, Robert agrees, and thinks that his brother-in-law's reaction to seeing an unexpected intruder breaking into his home at midnight was a natural one, telling WSOC-TV: "He probably woke up, someone's breaking in on me so when you're by yourself you try to protect yourself."
Allen's friend, Otis Thompson, told the news station that the response police met with should have been reasonably expected by the police. "You kick the man's door in. He's disoriented and he's in his own house, privacy of his own home; my first reaction would be to grab a gun, too."
Inexplicably, an "investigation determined police officer Lefevers acted appropriately; was not at fault." read more