Paul Weinmann, a Vietnam veteran and one of my dad’s good friends from the past, challenged me recently, asking if there would be any way The Telegraph could publish a story about Mike Monsoor, a Navy petty officer who was awarded the Medal of Honor.

He died on Sept. 29, 2006, giving his life in Iraq. Monsoor, of Garden Grove, Calif., jumped on a live hand grenade and covered it with his body, saving the lives of a large group of Navy SEALs passing by.

At his funeral, as the six pallbearers removed his casket from the hearse, every time the casket passed a Navy SEAL, the SEAL would remove his gold trident pin and embed it into the top of the wooden casket and salute.

I think we often forget the courageous men and women who have served our country through not only Iraq and Afghanistan, but the previous Persian Gulf War; the Vietnam War; Korean War; World War II; and World War I. Many of those who served are now gone, but today they should be on our minds and, most of all, never should be forgotten.

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Riverjam was a Christian gathering held this past fall at the amphitheater in Alton. Despite rain, about 1,500 people attended. I can’t imagine how many would have been there under better weather conditions. It seemed everyone walked away from Riverjam with a positive experience.

I first met Tammy when she owned TR’s Cafe in Wood River. Since that time, she has grown immensely. I also believe that now she is helping people every day with her ministry in Wood River.

I encourage anyone who hasn’t attended an event at the amphitheater in Alton to do so next year. It is a great place to see bands or a concert and has a lot of potential in my opinion.

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Jerry McIntyre, of Dow, died on Tuesday after battling cancer. He was only 57 years old; too young to die in my opinion.

Jerry left behind quite an impact owning his own construction company and being on several boards, including the Lewis and Clark Community College Board and Jersey County Hospital.

I received notes and comments about him after the story appeared. One that stood out was from Ryan Hanlon, an Alton antive, who is now director of audio visual services at Four Seasons Hotel in St. Louis. “I just wanted to say thanks for the nice article on Jerry McIntyre,” Hanlon said. “I knew him and his family well as his oldest son and I are close friends. Jerry was quite a guy and will be greatly missed.”

Lewis and Clark Community College President Dale Chapman probably put it best from people I talked to by saying Jerry always tried to not be partisan on issues and act in the college’s and student’s interests. I don’t know if you can say any more about a person if they do that in that kind of setting.

The comments that I appreciated most about Jerry were from his wife of 39 years, Rhonda. The couple married when they were very young, but made it work with five children and now seven grandchildren. Apparently, Jerry and Rhonda always had their home open for the children’s friends and their friends.

Rhonda McIntyre described her husband as her “best friend” and a wonderful husband, father and grandfather. If any of us has an aspiration, I think that is what we should all to be remembered as by our spouses.

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I was at the drug store when it opened, and about eight to 10 people already were in line, waiting patiently for their shots.

I think it is important to get the flu vaccine, and I encourage residents to take the time for it.

I am hoping I can get the H1N1 flu vaccine soon. I also encourage residents to keep their hands clean and wash frequently as we move through the flu season.

For those who don’t typically get a seasonal flu shot, I recommend they do so this year with the extreme predictions.

If you have a thought about the flu vaccine, respond to my blog.

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“Roll With Me” was on the ring tone of Crossville, Ala., firefighter Cody Renfroe when he perished in a fire, attempting to save an elderly woman’s life. Firefighters used to ring tone with “Roll With Me” on Renfroe’s cell phone to recover his body in the fire rubble.

The song “Roll With Me” went on to play a big role in Renfroe’s funeral and all the lives of those in the community. Renfroe’s mother, Stanice Gray, said if it hadn’t been for the song and its lyrics, she doesn’t know if she could have stepped foot in the funeral home to be there for her son, because her loss was so painful.

Recently, Crossville had its first Cody Renfroe Celebration of Life Day and Karlas, one of the writers of “Roll With Me” and an East Alton native, was invited to visit.

Many in his position in Nashville probably wouldn’t have made the trip, but not Karlas. Karlas got in his car, grabbed his guitar and suitcase and made the drive. He said he was overwhelmed at what unfolded in the community. When he arrived, 400-500 people were there with “Roll With Me” T-shirts and were in complete silence out of respect.

One by one the townspeople greeted him, first with Cody’s mother, then his grandparents, the Crossville mayor and the rest of the community.

Karlas described it as the most impacting day of his life.

I talked to Sam Anello, one of the firefighters who was on the scene that day. He said the song “Roll With Me” and Karlas have helped them cope with the terrible tragedy. “It helped us out a great deal talking to Tommy Karlas,” he said. “Hopefully, he enjoyed his experience here. We try to treat people here like we would want to be treated.”

I was proud of Tommy Karlas when his song, “Roll With Me” darted to No. 1 on the country charts, but I’m even more so after hearing about his visit and impact of his song to residents of Crossville, Ala.

Karlas is what country music is supposed to be all about - about treating people like they would want to be treated.

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I have always admired the Stevenson family for their work and service with the Quality auto dealership in Alton. I have written some articles through the years about the sons, Dave and Greg, working in the business with their father.

Steve Stevenson was one of a kind, purchasing the Quality dealership in 1958.

He was even in his office on Friday, just before his death on Sunday, so he was able to see his employees one final time.

Two of the key things Steve Stevenson instilled in his children were being honest and keeping a proper reputation. David Stevenson said his dad was “loyal to all his friends and customers and would do anything for his friends and customers.”

It’s not often that a business stays in existence for 50 years these days, but I can only think that part of it is because of Steve Stevenson’s sincerity to people and his honesty.

If you would like to mention something about Steve, send me an e-mail to my blog.

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The first column of my career was about Ted Kennedy in the late 1970s, when he was making his presidential bid. I thought Kennedy had a lot of potential but many flaws back in that time. I did not support him in that presidential bid because of those many character problems.

When he died this week, I reflected on that column and the changes he made in his life since.

I think Kennedy will be remembered for his nearly half a century of work in the Senate for generations to come. His brothers, President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Robert Kennedy, did a lot for the country in their brief times, but unfortunately, their lives were extinguished by assassins way too early.

Thankfully, in our country, if someone makes mistakes, we do allow them to redeem themselves. I think Sen. Kennedy ended up doing just that, working both aisles of the political parties.

What I will remember most about Ted Kennedy is that he always filled in as the patriarch of the Kennedy family after the loss of his father, older brother, then John F. Kennedy and Bobby Kennedy. He was always there for other family members in their times of need.

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If you know a Korean veteran who should be profiled, please e-mail me at dan_brannan@thetelegraph.com. We still have some World War II profiles that are coming and will continue to do those after our change, but we encourage the public to send in Telegraph area Korean veteran profile suggestions.

So far, the response has been slow, so I am hoping this will pick up dramatically in the future. I know there are a lot of Korean War veterans out there with interesting stories to tell.

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I have a story coming in an upcoming issue about his accomplishment. Ryan’s service project for the Eagle award was to construct an oak and glass trophy case for the Alton Athletic Association. He recruited friends and others to help him in constructing the 8-feet by 16-feet case during his senior year. He also raised $2,000 to accomplish the feat.

I encourage others in Scouting to try to achieve the Eagle status. It certainly isn’t an easy task. Only 4 percent of all Scouts make the honor.

If you know of an Eagle Scout, please e-mail me at dan_brannan@thetelegraph.com. I have made a commitment that every time someone earns the Eagle status in the area, we will publish a story and photo about them, so take advantage of that opportunity.

I also congratulate Ryan Huber on his significant accomplishment in receiving his Eagle honor.

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The men who made the trip were Geroge Goeken, Melvin Meierant, Elwood Huskey and Jesse Smith Jr. Goeken is from Alton; Meierant is from Glen Carbon, Huskey and Smith are from Edwardsville.

I am hopeful other World War II veterans are able to make it one one of the Honor Flight trips. For those in our region who are interested, contact Ray Wiedle at (217) 622-1473.

Each of the men said the Honor Flight was a time of reflection for them. The thing that impresses me most about each of the World War II veterans who make the trip is the appreciation they have for the experience.

The men and women involved in World War II deserve the treatment they receive on the Honor Flight and I am appreciative of the Wiedle, the volunteers and donors who make the Honor Flight happen.

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