SC Youth ChalleNGe Academy helps at risk teens turn their lives around

By Kay B. Day

SC Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Jean Hoefer Toal enters the Women Honor Valor Luncheon. Toal is flanked by cadets from the SC Youth ChalleNGe Academy.As we waited for the program to start, I noticed two long lines of teens standing in uniform. Each of the cadets, as they’re called, appeared sharp and alert, with a facial expression reflective of discipline the military is famous for. I wondered who they were.

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Loss of Medal of Honor hero in Florida a loss for the nation

Updated on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at 12:00PM by Kay B. Day, Editor

by Kay B. Day

Sgt. Leonard B. Keller received the Medal of Honor for heroic actions beyond the call of duty in a battle in the Ap Bac Zone in the Republic of Vietnam on May 2, 1967.Sgt. Leonard B. Keller pulled out of the parking lot of a veterans’ association on Sunday in Milton (Fla.), taking a sharp left turn to hit the highway on his Harley. Something went wrong, and the motorcycle overturned. When Sgt. Keller, 62, died later that day, Florida’s loss spoke to the heart of a nation. Keller belonged to one of the most exclusive and distinguished groups in our country—he was awarded the Medal of Honor. Known colloquially as the Congressional Medal of Honor, the award is the highest military award for valor in combat. Sgt. Keller’s citation gives an idea of what a soldier does to earn the distinction.

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Medal of Honor convention plans underway to honor 'Bravest of the brave'

Lt. Col. Bruce Crandall, Medal of Honor recipient. [Photo U.S. Army](Charleston, S.C.)—Recipients of The Medal of Honor will be up front and center Sept. 29-Oct. 3, 2010 when the Medal of Honor Society holds a national convention in Charleston, South Carolina. The Society website says there are less than 100 living recipients of the medal often described as going to the ‘bravest of the brave.’ Convention Information Committee chairman Maj. W. Thomas Smith, Jr., heads a committee comprised of members of the military, government leaders and media. Committee member Maj. Gen. Paul Vallely said, “Because of where we are in America, honoring our heroes and warriors and paying a great tribute to them is very important—the sacrifice of men and women—the families of these heroes and warriors sometimes go unsung. We need to show that the American people back our armed forces. We do that by paying tribute whenever we can.”

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Video about Medal of Honor recipient top film aired at DNC or RNC

Tuesday night those who watched coverage of the Republican National Convention saw a video dedicated to Petty Officer 2^nd Class Michael A. Monsoor, a Navy Seal who threw himself onto a grenade to save the lives of his fellow Seals. The video is narrated by Emmy award-winning actor Gary Sinise who told media, "Petty Officer Monsoor never led an army or commanded a nation, but he will never be forgotten." If you haven't seen it, watch it now. Monsoor's sacrifice is so great it cannot be described in quantitative terms. The execution of this video is amazing, with art and life in perfect sync to produce a tribute that doesn't veer to maudlin. The video meshed perfectly with Tuesday's theme  of Service, part of the overall convention theme of Country First.