CHUCK HARDING
Chuck Harding worked at the U.S. State Department, in Washington D.C. as the Deputy Commander for the Diplomatic Security Service. This position placed him in the number two position over 325 armed personnel protecting the main state building in Washington D.C. and state annexes from Virginia to buildings utilized by the National Security Agency in Maryland. Dr. Harding had the unique position of seeing our government from the inside, gaining insightful perspectives. Dr. Harding also held the position as a regional security consultant for a Fortune 500 Company and was the Director of U.S. Operations for an International Risk Management Corporation. Within the tenure of these positions, Dr. Harding was responsible for investigations, security awareness training, threat of violence assessments, physical security analysis and executive protection. Dr. Harding now speaks throughout the United States encouraging people to be informed, involved, and interceding in prayer for our country and the liberty that has been purchased for us at such a high price.
HERSHEL "WOODY" WILLIAMS
Hershel Woodrow "Woody" Williams (born October 2, 1923) is a retired United States Marine who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Battle of Iwo Jima duringWorld War II.
Early years
Born in Fairmont, West Virginia, on October 2, 1923, Williams grew up on a dairy farm in nearby Quiet Dell. He worked a series of odd jobs in the area, including as a truck driver for W.S. Harr Construction Company of Fairmont and as a taxi driver. After being turned away once from the U.S. military for being too short, he successfully enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in Charleston, West Virginia, on May 26, 1943.
World War II service
Williams received his recruit training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California. Upon completion, he was sent to the Camp Elliott training center in San Diego, where he joined the tank training battalion on August 21, 1943. The following month he was transferred to the training center's infantry battalion for instruction as a demolition man and in the use of flamethrowers.
Williams joined the 32nd Replacement Battalion on October 30, 1943, and left for New Caledonia in the southwest Pacific on December 3 aboard the M.S. Weltey Reden. In January 1944, he joined the 3rd Marine Division at Guadalcanal. He was attached to the 1st Battalion, 21st Marines, first to Company C and then to Headquarters Company.
During July and August 1944, he participated in action against the Japanese at Guam, and in October he rejoined Company C.
Medal of Honor action
His next campaign was at Iwo Jima where he distinguished himself with actions "above and beyond the call of duty" — for which he would be awarded the Medal of Honor. Landing on February 21, 1945, Williams, by then a corporal, distinguished himself two days later when American tanks, trying to open a lane for infantry, encountered a network of reinforced concrete pillboxes, buried mines, and black volcanic sands. Williams went forward alone with his 70-pound (32 kg) flamethrower to attempt the reduction of devastating machine gun fire from the unyielding positions.
Covered by only four riflemen, he fought for four hours under terrific enemy small-arms fire and repeatedly returned to his own lines to prepare demolition charges and obtain serviced flame throwers. He returned to the front, frequently to the rear of hostile emplacements, to wipe out one position after another. At one point, a wisp of smoke alerted him to the air vent of a Japanese bunker, and he approached close enough to put the nozzle of his flamethrower through the hole, killing the occupants. On another occasion, he charged enemy riflemen who attempted to stop him with bayonets and destroyed them with a burst of flame from his weapon.
These actions occurred on the same day as the raising of the U.S. flag on the island's Mount Suribachi, although Williams was not able to witness the event. He fought through the remainder of the five-week-long battle and was wounded on March 6, for which he was awarded the Purple Heart.
In September 1945, he returned to the United States, and on the October 1, he joined Marine Corps Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He was presented the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman on October 5, 1945, at the White House.
For more information, please visit www.shadowwolf.org/woody.html.
LEWIS & CLARK FIFE & DRUM CORPS
The Lewis & Clark Fife and Drum Corps was formed in 1992 to honor Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, the explorers who spent five days in Saint Charles, Missouri, in May of 1804 making final preparations for their journey across the Louisiana Territory.
The corps is one of America's few all-youth corps, with members ranging in age from 10-18. The young musicians play replica fifes and rope-tension drums used during the 18th and 19th centuries. Their uniforms are red wool coats and bearskin crested round hats, patterned after those of US Army field musicians of the period 1804-1810.
The Lewis & Clark Fife and Drum Corps was formed in 1992 to honor Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, the explorers who spent five days in Saint Charles, Missouri, in May of 1804 making final preparations for their journey across the Louisiana Territory.
The corps is one of America's few all-youth corps, with members ranging in age from 10-18. The young musicians play replica fifes and rope-tension drums used during the 18th and 19th centuries. Their uniforms are red wool coats and bearskin crested round hats, patterned after those of US Army field musicians of the period 1804-1810.
Learn more about this exciting group at http://www.lcfdc.websiteanimal.com/
LIVE BALD EAGLE DISPLAY
Here are a few facts about our national bird:
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Description |
large; white head, neck and tail; brown-black body; massive yellow bill and feet |
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Sex |
males and females are similar but females are larger |
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Age |
juveniles are mostly dark brown with white blotches underneath and on the wing linings; become more white each molt; gain adult plumage after 4-5 years; immature calls are generally harsher |
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Length |
31-37" |
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Wingspan |
5.8-7.5' |
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Weight |
8-14 lbs. |
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Habitat |
rivers, lakes, coastal areas |
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Status |
seen across most of North America; common in Alaska, parts of Florida and in the Midwest during winter months; common along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers in winter; became endangered in the 70s from pesticides; conservation programs and pesticide banning helped increase populations again |
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Range |
Alaska and Canada to the southern United States |
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Behavior |
monogamous pairs; breed April-August and build a stick nest as high as 150 feet above the ground, usually in a tree or on cliffs near water; renovate and add to their nest each year until it falls; 1 brood with 1-3 dull, whitish eggs; both parents incubate for 34-36 days until semi-altricial chicks hatch asynchronously; chicks leave nest at 10 weeks; large numbers of bald eagles often congregate where food is plentiful, like spawning ruts; will steal food from smaller and weaker osprey; fly low after prey |
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Diet |
carrion, fish, waterfowl, birds, small mammals |
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Vocalization |
sharp, pleading, creaking cackle; "kleek-kik-ik-ik-ik" |
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Other Information |
- The Bald Eagle has been the national symbol of the United States since 1782 |
For more information regarding this display, visit http://www.worldbirdsanctuary.org/
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