Ceremony in NLR to honor war dead

Taken from:
Amy Schlesing
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

93 Arkansans killed over 8 years

The Iraq War kicked off eight years ago this week and was quickly followed by Arkansas' first wartime death.
The anniversary of that death will be marked Saturday with a ceremony at the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery also honoring all of the state's casualties over the years in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Navy Corpsman Michael Vann Johnson Jr. was treating a wounded Marine in the initial push into Iraq when shrapnel from a grenade pierced his head and killed him on March 25, 2003.

As of Friday, 93 Arkansans have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, Of those 72 died in Iraq and 21 in Afghanistan. The majority of those deaths - 75 - were the result of enemy fire. There also have been 17 noncombat deaths and one from friendly fire.

Cpl Loren Buffalo, 20, of Mountain Pine was the latest victim. He died March 9 in Afghanistan and was buried Friday in the State Veterans Cemetery.

Today there are several hundred Arkansans from Little Rock Air Force Base, the Navy Reserve in North Little Rock, the Army Reserve ad the Arkansas National Guard still serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait.

The Michael Vann Johnson Jr. American Legion Post 74 will host the annual ceremony Saturday.

Post 74 in North Little Rock was named in honor of Johnson when it began in 2004.

The memorial service will begin at 11 a.m. at the State Veterans Cemetery at 1501 W. Maryland Ave. in North Little Rock. The name of each Arkansan killed in Iraq and Afghanistan will be read. Pvt. William Long, 25, of Conway also will be memorialized. He was killed in 2009 in a shooting at a Little Rock recruiting office.

This year's speakers at the event will include Col. David Kasberg, commander of the 19th Operations Group at Little Rock Air Force Base.

I would like to believe that there is some healing taking place at ceremonies like this, said R. D. Kinsey commander of Post 74. "I have that list of casualties. And I carry it with me everywhere I go."


Today would have been Loren's 21 birthday. It will be a very hard day for his mom A.J. and brother Legend along with the rest of his family and friends. Please take a moment to send prayers of peace and strength for them today.

I ask all of our fellow Arkansans to try to attend this ceremony Saturday and show these families that their Heroes will never be forgotten.

Happy Birthday Buff, We love and miss you.


I love you Scout

God Bless,
Cav Mom

RIP Son Squared

Spec Loren Miles Buffalo

March 23 1990 - March 9 2011

Our hearts are broken and our minds are full of questions as to why this has happened, Loren was killed yesterday in an IED incident in Afghanastan.

If I live to be 100 yrs old I never want to hear the pain and anguish that I heard when I answered the phone call from my seester....

I never want to see the haunted look in the eyes of another person that I saw when I got to her house and met her in the drive....

I never want to have to say I don't know when asked the question why...

To know Loren or Buff or what ever name he had picked for himself that day

(me: son squared who the hell is Chuck Lingo?

Loren: oh mom squared that is my porn name.

BWAAAAHAAAAHAAA)

That conversation was part of one of the last facebook chats we had a
few weeks ago.

He could make you laugh, cry or want to throttle him all within the first 10 minutes of being in the same space as him.

He loved life, music, horses, his Country and most of all his mom, his brother and his friends. To Buff everyone became family.

To his mom all I can say is I am always here, no matter what time, what day or what minute.

To his brother Legend: He loved you very much and will always be watching over you.

To his friends: You all know just how lucky you were to have him in your life

and to

Buff, Loren and even Chuck Lingo:

I love you son squared. Rest in Peace, Enter the gates to Fiddlers Green, find a shady spot you have earned it, and know that you are an American Hero who will never be forgotten and will always be loved.

On the 8th day God created the Cavalry and all of Hell stood at attention

If you ain't Cav you ain't Shit

I am honored to have been your Mom Squared even if it ended way to soon

HOOAH

Love

Cav Mom

I love you Scout

PFC Kristopher Runyon

Late last week I received a friends request from a Cavalry mom named Angela Frye.

After reading some of her post I knew that I wanted to feature her Scout Kristopher on my blog so I sent her a request and asked her to tell me a little about her son.

Here is her reply

PFC Kristopher Runyon

2/1 AD 1/1 Cav Alpha Troop 2nd Platoon Bravo Section

Kristopher is 24 yrs old from Uriah, AL. by way of Gretna, LA

Kristopher enjoys audio books and some of his favorites are:

The Rachel Morgan Series by Kim Harrison

The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowlings

&

The Dark Elf Series by RA Salvatore

He loves horror and comedy DVD's with Zombieland being one of his favorites.

Some of his favorite snacks are"

Doritos, Choc Chip cookies and any girlscout cookies.

Kristopher loves combatives, reading, playing with his kids, cooking & playing board games especially with family and friends

I asked Angela if there was anything special she would like the blog world to know about her Scout and she sent me this:

Kristopher has a heart of gold and would give the shirt off his back for anyone that needed it. He is an amazing daddy to his daughters Savannah, Sierra, Amanda and Angella. He drives his wife Missy insane at times but, is an amazing husband to her.

He is definately the type of person your Soldier would want at his back because he would not think twice about taking a bullet for a friend, which scares me to death.

He is part of the Houma Nation, Inc. a Native American Tribe in South Louisianna and a Traditional Muscogee Stomp Dancer and member of HVSOSV Tallvhassee Ceremonial Grounds in Atmore, AL at the Poarch Creek Indian Reservation.

He loves life and loves to laugh. Kristopher has 4 brothers Michel, who is a US Navy Veteran, SPC Rick Smith who serves with the Army National Guard 165th MP Co. out of Fairhope, AL and is currently deployed in Afghanistan. Joshua from Pensacola, Fl and Eddie who lives in Spring TX.

Kristopher also has two little sisters Skylar and Monica.

Please keep Kristopher and his family in your daily prayers as this young Hero serves to protect our freedom

Angela ~ thank you for sharing your Scout with us.

God Bless

I love you Scout

Cav Mom

* Kristopher will be added to our goody box list if anyone would like to help with donations, please send me a comment or email.*

PFC Buffalo

There is always more than one way to skin a cat... Not that I would ever really skin a cat but hey I am a Southern Girl and we are expected to say things like that.

When you can not get information concerning a certain Scout for a blog post from that certain Scout know that you can always call his mother. Especially when she is your seester.....

PFC Loren Buffalo aka Buff is my son squared.

He is with Bravo Troop 1/75 Cavalry BCT 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) try saying all of that 3 times fast. LOL

He is stationed at Ft. Campbell KY and is currently somewhere in a sandbox.

Buff is a local boy from Hot Springs and his mother and I became friends on the GO ARMY PARENTS. COM site right after my Scout had graduated from OSUT and Buff was starting. This friendship has moved in to the family catagory and we lovingly refer to each other as seester. We have spent alot of time laughing, hanging out, crying on each others shoulders. I helped introduce her to the Cavalry Mom life and she introduced me to the "Not your playground kickball." (it involves beer, costumes, dogs and more beer)

Buff loves rodeos, Louis L'Amour books, Western movies with Lonesome Dove being his favorite movie ever.

If anyone would like to send cards, goody items or love to Buff send me an email and we will make sure everything gets to him.

Love you son squared.

I love you Scout

Cav Mom

Coming Soon to a Blog Near You

She is blogging twice in one month??? I know it is kinda scaring me too... LOL

Since I am often at a loss on blogging material from Scout I have decided to try a new approach. I will be featuring different Scouts that I have come to know and love and maybe even some I do not know but will love shorty if I can get enough of these wild men to play my reindeer games with me.
If you have a Scout that you would like to see featured here on the old blog please shoot me an email and I will send you a questionaire and picture request. Everything posted will be OPSEC approved only.
I will also be asking for any goody box request and if anyone feels inclined to help with that I can inbox you my address where stuff can be sent. I have several wonderful victims ummm friends that have volunteered to help me pack and mail treats. I will put names in a hat and once a month send out a random goody box so get those names sent in.

I love you Scout

Cav Mom

OMG She has updated.

I really suck at this updating thing but to be honest it is not all my fault.
When I started this blog it was to keep everyone updated on our Scout and how things were going with him, then I found myself involved in things like OPSEC and Iraq and his favorite quote: "Can't really say anything right now mom". So to make myself feel better about my lack of post I will go on the record and say: I blame the Army and I blame the Scout, lol

Our Scout recently reinlisted for another 4 yrs and has decided to continue on in the land of Snow fondly refered to as Ft. Drum. I am not sure if this decision was based on his love of the 1-89 or if it is his new lets see if I can give my mom a heartattack and take up snowboarding hobby but it is what it is.

I know this is not much of an update but when I get the chance to talk with Scout his reply to whats up? normally is Not much. LOL

Have a wonderful weekend

I love you son,

Cav mom

A few wedding pics

Just thought I would share a few more wedding pics from Scout and Kristen's special day

The gorgeous bride and her beautiful attendants
Scout with his best man, brothers and nephew

Our handsome Scout

First dance as man and wife

Have a wonderful Wednesday and please remember there are still many in harms way. Keep them in your prayers.

God Bless,

Cav Mom