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Original Upload: Andrea Reitthaler Photo Community
Memorial Day ~ Lest We Forget
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On thy grave the rain shall fall
from the eyes of a mighty nation.
Thomas William Parsons
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From these honored dead we take increased devotion
to that cause for which thy gave
the last full measure of devotion …
that we here highly resolve
that these dead
shall not have died in vain.
Abraham Lincoln
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Former BLM Mustang Escorts Fallen Marine To Arlington Cemetery
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His name was Marine Sgt. Trevor Johnson, a young Marine who was killed by a roadside bomb while serving in Afghanistan.
He was a fifth-generation boy from Montana who grew up riding horses, herding cattle and mending fences.
When the young soldier was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia on a cold winter day, a symbol of the fallen soldier’s ranching roots helped to escort him there.
Lonesome, a horse donated to The Old Guard’s caisson platoon from the Montana Bureau of Land Management lead the caisson that carried Johnson’s casket.
Lonesome was born at a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) holding facility in Butte, Montana on Oct.12, 1995. As a young foal, he was freeze marked, a white identity mark that is clearly seen, today.
Lonesome was eventually adopted by Mark Sant, a BLM Archeologist. Sant soon learned that Lonesome was exceptional in many ways. He was smart, strong and had a great personality.
When Mark Sant heard the Old Guard was looking for large black mustangs for their Caisson Platoon, he could think of no greater honor than donating Lonesome to be a part of that prestigious team.
Lonesome, the stunning black mustang of the Caisson Platoon, has since participated in hundreds of funerals as well as the funeral for former President Ronald W. Reagan, and the 55th Inaugural Parade.
Lonesome has turned out to be a wonderful ambassador for the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program as well as a beautiful, well-trained and loved member of the Third Army’s Caisson Platoon.
How the horse came to assist in the interment ceremony for Marine Corps Sgt. Trevor J. Johnson at Arlington took some initiative by Mark Sant. Although he had never met Johnson, he wanted the Marine’s family to have a symbol of the state as they mourned the loss of a loved one so many, many miles from home.
Mark Sant e-mailed the office of Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer to seek help finding Lonesome – the horse Sant had donated to the military several years ago.
An Aide for the Governor contacted the Montana National Guard, which in turn contacted the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, or Old Guard, which assists in burial services at Arlington National Cemetery.
It’s not a request the Old Guard hears often, but one that was easy to oblige, said Major Steven Cole. “It’s stories like this that show the depths of care that all Americans have for their service men and women,” Cole said.
Cole further stated that to his knowledge, Lonesome is the only mustang from Montana.
Lonesome, front left lead horse
Just as Marine Sgt. Trevor took the lead in the battlefield, Lonesome took the lead on that day in Arlington Cemetery.
A Montana-grown horse carried the body of one of Montana’s brave soldiers.
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References:
DC Military
Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
Last Photo: Adam Skoczylas
Baby Miniature Donkey Gets A Pacemaker
Baby Kaya
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For some unknown reason, Kaya, a three-week-old miniature donkey was suffering from episodes of fainting. She was taken to her local veterinarian who performed a complete physical examination.
The vet soon discovered a systolic heart murmur. In addition, he could hear dropped heart beats that he believed were associated with the fainting.
After an electrocardiogram confirmed an abnormal heart rhythm, the veterinarian referred Kaya to the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at UC Davis.
It was there that “Kaya” was seen by both the Large Animal Internal Medicine Department and the Cardiology Department.
They learned that not only was Kaya experiencing fainting episodes, but she was an unusually quiet baby donkey. She never bucked or played like a normal baby.
Upon further examination, the UC Davis veterinarians agreed with the diagnosis made by Kaya’s local vet. Kaya had both heart murmurs and an abnormal heart rhythm.
To understand the causes of these abnormal findings, the UC Davis veterinarians performed both an electrocardiogram (ECG) and an echocardiogram (cardiac ultrasound).
The ECG showed an abnormal rhythm (arrhythmia) consistent with third-degree AV block, which is a failure of the inherent pace-keeping mechanism of the heart.
The ultrasound showed that the mitral, tricuspid and aortic valves were slightly leaky but that the overall structure and size of the heart were normal.
Routine lab work ruled out infection or electrolyte disturbances as the underlying causes of the arrhythmia.
Given these findings, it was suspected that Kaya’s third-degree AV block might be congenital, meaning they were present at birth as a result of hereditary or environmental influences.
It was decided to give Kaya a pacemaker to treat the arrhythmia. However, there were important considerations for Kaya’s health regarding the placement of the pacemaker.
First, given Kaya’s age, it was likely that she would outgrow her pacemaker and that a second surgery would in all probability be required.
Secondly, the placement of the pacemaker was critical. The jugular vein used for the placement of the pacemaker could never be used to administer intravenous medications or to draw blood.
After careful consultation, Kaya was placed under general anesthesia and a pacemaker was installed. The evidence of the pacemaker’s success was seen immediately.
Little Kaya bucked for the first time that same evening!
It was six months later that Kaya returned for a second and larger pacemaker. This surgery and the placement of her second pacemaker was successful.
Kaya is a now a very happy, bouncing donkey !
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Reference:
Horse Report – School of Veterinary Medicine -UC Davis
March 2013
Fire Horses In History: Washington, D.C., circa 1914
“Three-horse team pulling water tower.”
A fire truck racing past the Tea Cup Inn on F Street.
Harris & Ewing.
The 2013 Baby Budweiser Clydesdale Is Named “Hope”
The three-week-old star of Budweiser’s Super Bowl ad now has a name: Hope.
Anheuser-Busch said Tuesday that its contest to find a name for the foal born Jan. 16 at the company’s Clydesdale ranch in mid-Missouri generated more than 60,000 tweets, Facebook comments and other messages.
Hope was one of the more popular names generated through the social media effort.
“We were overwhelmed by the response we got,” Lori Shambro, brand director for Budweiser, said in a statement.
“Many of our fans wanted a name to reflect their optimism and spirit, which the name Hope encapsulates beautifully,” Shambro said.
The foal now weighs 200 pounds and will weigh roughly 2,000 pounds when she is grown, said John Soto, supervisor of Warm Springs Ranch, where Anheuser-Busch raises Clydesdales near Boonville, Mo.
Hope was the second Clydesdale born at Warm Springs Ranch this year.
“This newest member of the Budweiser Clydesdale family was 7 days old on the day this part of the Super Bowl commercial was filmed,” said Jeff Knapper, general manager of Clydesdale operations, in a press release. More than 30 Clydesdales are expected to be born in 2013.
According to Knapper, “A star was truly born on Jan. 16.”
And now she is known as “Hope”.
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ABC News:
For fascinating video and information
Link:
Inside Anheuser-Busch’s Iconic Horse Breeding Operation
Photos: Courtesy of Budweiser
