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Maine Troop Activity Galleries

Wreaths Across America with the Freeport Flag Ladies :

Wreaths Across America with the Freeport Flag Ladies

Updated: Dec 15, 2007 8:41pm PST

Welcome Home, Ben Bartlett : A true American hero! Welcome home and thank you for serving our country. Photos in this gallery were taken by Dee Denning. The following is part of a of a letter written by COnnie Bartlett and sent to family and friends, troop greeters, and legion members. Sept. 5, 2007 - Wednesday morning as we headed home from Portland with Ben, the Maine air was so refreshing and inviting. If only I could have enjoyed it more! Ben and Katie were cold, so up went the windows and out stayed the air! Ben is used to Iraq desert heat, and Katie has spent the summer in N Dakota in hotter weather so Mama had to hold tight in her anticipation of the next fresh breath of cool air! :> :> On the way home we started to get a bit suspicious about some phone calls Dave was getting. It sounded like something was up and the rest of us weren't in on the loop that he was. Long story short, from the exit in Orono off the interstate to the Mobile down the road from our house (maybe 5-6 miles?) in Milford we had a police escort (4-5 vehicles) in honor of our (and I say 'our' in a very broad sense) wounded Marine. Dave grinned, Ben was sort of embarrassed, I cried, and we all knew this was going to be a forever-memory. We made quite a scene for those few miles, and I guess we were all just a little embarrassed since miles of cars pulled over to the side of the road in response to the escort because the police cars not only had their lights flashing but their sirens blaring too. At the appointed destination there was a crowd gathered to welcome us home. One friend started the ball rolling on this just the night before, I believe, and it ended with a welcoming committee of many friends, area Marines, and Maine Troop Greeters. I cried some more, people took pictures, Ben was thanked over and over for his part in keeping our country free; everyone was so kind and gracious. Pictures taken are posted on www.mainetroopgreeters.com . Though Ben was embarrassed at all the attention, I believe this was something he will always cherish, in reality. I know WE will. He doesn't feel he DID ANYTHING to deserve the thanks that he hears over and over, and I understand that. Yet, our United States history would be vastly different if EACH of those individuals who have put their lives on the line for freedom down through the years had made a different decision than they did. So to ALL OF YOU who have sacrificially given of your lives to keep our country free, WE THANK YOU!!! A special United States flag was waiting for us here at home when we got here. It was accompanied by a certificate to 'Dave and Constance Bartlett'. It says, 'This flag was flown on Camp Fallujah in your honor, for your sacrifice while caring for one our our wounded warriors'. Of course, I cried again. :< Sept. 10 is when the process of building extra living space out into our garage area begins. When Ben moved out of his old bedroom in 2006 to go to Marine boot camp, that allowed our Luke to move down from the attic and have his own little bedroom. There just aren't spares around here. So for the moment, Ben is bedded down in our little glassed-in sun porch until we have another room built for him. We had been going to build a laundry room (now part of my kitchen) in this same area anyway, so this has just sped up some plans and added a bit more complexity to it. Family, friends, and church family have humbled and amazed us with funds and hands-on help that will make this room materialize for Ben (and for us) in record time, it appears. We haven't quite figured out how to respond to all the generosity and love properly. For now with many thanx for your part in our special return to Maine, Connie Bartlett for the whole Bartlett clan

Welcome Home, Ben Bartlett

A true American hero! Welcome home and thank you for serving our count ...

Updated: Sep 05, 2007 2:18pm PST

Maine Heroes : PLEASE LEAVE YOUR NAME, RANK AND TOWN WHERE YOU LIVED IN MAINE IN THE COMMENT SECTION FOR YOUR PICTURE. THANK YOU!

Maine Heroes

B Co 3/172nd Inf (Mtn) Homecoming : Photos in this gallery were taken by Dee Denning.

B Co 3/172nd Inf (Mtn) Homecoming

The long road home... :

The long road home...

Major Herbert Joliat :

Major Herbert Joliat

Remembering 9-11 in Freeport : It was a tremendous honor to stand with the Freeport Flag Ladies, JoAnn, Elaine and Carmen, to honor the lives lost on 9-11-01 (we will always remember). Homage was also paid to the rescuers who worked so diligently to save or recover the victims of this tragedy and the very brave men and women of our military defending our country. Every Tuesday since the collapse of the twin towers in 2001, the Flag Ladies have stood on the hill between 8 and 9 AM in remembrance. Photos in this gallery were taken by Dee Denning (1-189) and Cathy Czarnecki (190-222).

Remembering 9-11 in Freeport

It was a tremendous honor to stand with the Freeport Flag Ladies, JoAn ...

Updated: Sep 12, 2007 8:29am PST

Magnificent Maine : MAINE AT HER BEST AS SEEN THROUGH THE LENS OF CHARLES MAPLES.

Magnificent Maine

MAINE AT HER BEST AS SEEN THROUGH THE LENS OF CHARLES MAPLES.

Updated: Sep 20, 2007 4:50pm PST

Life in Maine : All photographs and text contained within this gallery, unless otherwise identified, are the exclusive property of Dee Denning and are protected under United States and international copyright laws. These photographs may not be reproduced, copied, stored, or manipulated without the written permission of Dee Denning or other rightful owner of the photograph. No images are within Public Domain. Use of any image as the basis for another photographic concept or illustration is a violation of copyright.

Life in Maine

Patriot Guard : Members of the Patriot Guard, American Legion Post 200 and Maine Troop Greeters gathered outside Orono High School gymnasium to honor fallen hero, Army SSgt. Eric Shea Ross. Eric was serving his second tour of duty in the Middle East and was assigned to 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, of the 1st Cavalry Division based at Fort Hood, Texas. He was killed February 9th when he entered a booby-trapped building during combat operations in Baqouba, Iraq.

Patriot Guard

Corinna Old Home Days Parade (June 30, 2007) :

Corinna Old Home Days Parade (June 30, 2007)

Updated: Jun 30, 2007 8:24pm PST

Patriots Day at Reeds Brook Middle School : A full day of “Patriotic” activities coinciding with Patriot’s Day was held on Friday, April 13, 2007 at Reeds Brook Middle School in Hampden to honor local veterans. Veterans were treated to a light lunch and were entertained by a bagpiper, student speeches and poems, the school jazz band, the Reeds Brook Chorus and dancers from “Top Hat Dance Studio”. Patriotic documentary was shown between dances. Several students also honored friends and family who are veterans as well as their custodian, Chris Gould, who recently returned from Iraq. Two additional highlights of the day were a couple of live feeds from Iraq and a keynote address from Governor John Baldacci. Our deepest gratitude goes to the students and staff, especially David Hagan, of Reeds Brook Middle School for such a wonderful program.

Patriots Day at Reeds Brook Middle School

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