<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div><span></span></div><div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div><span></span></div><div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span></span></div><div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Courtesy of the December 23, 2013 e</span><span class="s3">dition of the Army Times.</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3"></span> </span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">-------------------------------</span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3"></span> </span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">The following service member died while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) combat operations in Afghanistan, confirmed by the Def</span><span class="s3">ense Department from December 6, </span><span class="s3">2013 through December 12, </span><span class="s3">2013.</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3"><br></span></span></p><p class="s4" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Marine </span>Lance Cpl. Matthew R. Rodriguez, 19, of Fairhaven, Massachusetts; </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">assigned to 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California.</span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">December 6, </span><span class="s3">2013</span><span class="s3"> – December 12, </span><span class="s3">2013</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Killed: 1; </span><span class="s3">Wounded in action: 12</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3"></span> </span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">October 10, 2001 – December 12</span><span class="s3">, </span><span class="s3">2013</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Killed: </span><span class="s3">2,288; </span><span class="s3">Wounded in action: 19,526</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3"></span> </span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">---------------------------------------------------------</span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3"></span> </span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">And the beat goes on . . .</span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3"></span> </span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">“Bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> Home"</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="http://www.tomandrodna.com/Songs/Bring_em_Home.mp3">http://www.tomandrodna.com/Songs/Bring_em_Home.mp3</a></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3"></span> </span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"If you love this land of the free</span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home, bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Bring them back from overseas</span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home, bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3"></span> </span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It will make the politicians sad, I know</span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home, bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">They </span><span class="s3">wanna</span><span class="s3"> tangle with their foe</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home, bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3"></span> </span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">They </span><span class="s3">wanna</span><span class="s3"> test their grand theories</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home, bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">With the blood of you and me</span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home, bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3"></span> </span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Now we'll give no more brave young lives</span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home, bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">For the gleam in someone else's eyes</span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home, bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3"></span> </span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The men will cheer and the boys will shout</span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home, bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Yeah and we will all turn out</span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home, bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3"></span> </span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The church bells will ring with joy</span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home, bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">To welcome our </span><span class="s3">darlin</span><span class="s3">' girls and boys</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home, bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3"></span> </span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We will lift our voice in song</span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home, bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Yeah, when Johnny comes marching home</span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home, bring '</span><span class="s3">em</span><span class="s3"> home."</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3"></span> </span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">---------------------------------------------------------</span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3"></span> </span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Pro patria,</span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3"></span> </span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">SFC, US Army (Retired)</span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3"></span> </span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime."</span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3"></span> </span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">-- Adlai E. Stevenson</span></p><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div></div></div></div></body></html>