I often wish that sub stack gave us different or at least multiple options of response. That is, I love that you keep us informed, I hate almost all of what truth demands that you report. The “almost” is highlighting the work of FEMA and other government response teams. Their heroic efforts in dangerous situations cannot be adequately de…
I often wish that sub stack gave us different or at least multiple options of response. That is, I love that you keep us informed, I hate almost all of what truth demands that you report. The “almost” is highlighting the work of FEMA and other government response teams. Their heroic efforts in dangerous situations cannot be adequately described.
On September 15, 2024, Connie Millard of Missouri died. She had been deployed with MO Taskforce 1, the first FEMA team deployed to the World Trade Center on 9/11. She was a canine specialist in SAR. She and her dog and the rest of their team spent 11 days crawling—literally— through the rubble, seeking survivors at first as the unstable debris trembled and shifted around them, and then later bringing out body parts to help with identification for closure for the victims’ families. Connie and her subsequent dogs (she trained six dogs to live finds and cadaver work at the highest certification in disaster response) went on many more missions, including response to NOLA after hurricane Katrina and CT after hurricane Sandy. There are now only 3 surviving members of the FEMA heroes who were at the WTC.. Take a moment to salute them, please.
RIP, Connie. Thank you for decades of service.
EDIT: Thank you everyone for your support of Connie and through her of all FEMA workers. If you want a larger glimpse of Connie's life and work, go to Facebook and google Missouri Task Force 1, and scroll down to the picture collage. There is one that is just an announcement, but look for the Sept 19th photo collage that starts with noting Connie's name. There are several posts and updates of the current deployment of MOTF-1 to North Carolina in the aftermath of hurricane Helene.
Hey wait a blessed minute; Don’t any of you guys get any sleep? 💤 This was posted at 3:30. Of course if you are on the west coast, it was 12:30.
Brief Observations:
1. When southern white women are interviewed about politics, one can usually predict a MAGA supporter if she is overweight and uses a southern vernacular.
2. Perhaps one of the dirtiest things in the world is a toilet handle especially in public lavatories. I never hand touch them. I wrap toilet paper around them to flush. But what is dirtier than a toilet handle? A MAGA politician especially Don-old slurring-voiced Trump.
3. On a personal level, when men enter a lavatory, to a person, they walk over to the urinals to go pee pee. Their dirty hands then touch what normally would be the most pristine part of their bodies. Not I. I go to the sink and wash my hands first. Think about it. Either way,I would never shake hands with a republican.
Trump pleaded with Russia during the 2016 election to hack the campaign records and emails of Hillary Clinton. On July 27, 2016, he cried:
"Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 missing emails."
On July 15, 2018, the dictator Putin and wannabe dictator Trump sit down for a summit in Helsinki, Finland. No scribes were allowed in the room, but someone has now revealed the conversation.
And so it came to pass that Russia hacked the accounts of Hillary Clinton and democratic operatives. Both Trump and Russia were amply rewarded for this act of treachery. Trump became the first president in history elected by a Russian dictator. And Russia, the longtime enemy of Western democratic tradition, became a new investment partner and mentor to tired old Uncle Sam, who lords over a disquieted tribe of manic-depressive, freedom-loving, patriotic simpletons formerly known as Americans.
Trump: "Vlad, thank you for helping me with the new Trump Moscow Hotel. Everyone thinks that we are exchanging international secrets!"
Putin: "Donald, you dog, you know how to throw them off pony trail. In Moscow, we have Russian mafia to pay off. They demand special favors."
Trump: "It will be a tremendous hotel, unlike anything seen before. Ok Vlad, let's go to the press conference and talk about dismantling NATO. No one will ever guess what this meeting was really about. We're gonna make a lot of money on it."
Trump: “Oh, and Vlad, is that old shower scandal forgotten?”
My daughter worked with predominantly men and picked up real quick that some men NEVER shook hands with many men she worked with. She stopped shaking hands all together
Hahahaha. I get more graphic in my stand-up but won’t express it here. Isn’t that something. I’m the only dude that washes first. Then of course I hold out my hand to simulate a handshake with the implication that I don’t wash after going since I had just touched something pristinely clean.
A gentleman was asked why did he wash his hands before toileting. "Didn't your father ever teach you to wash your hands AFTER toileting?" His response, "My father taught me not to piss on my hands."
Oh, too funny Bill.. but don’t those MAGAs just keep getting worse & worse in the garbage lies they are spewing?! What kind of minds keep thinking up this stuff..
Yes they do. Democracy is a fragile system of government. It’s an open society. History teaches that inevitably any nation/state reverts or moves toward authoritarianism. Observing the Chinese system, maybe they have solutions that we lack. They would never have tolerated jan6. Those protesters would have been executed and rightfully so. I rest.
I read her hour as 3:30 so there is a gap somewhere. And that sounds right. You are on central time. How dare I think that everyone lives on the east side.
Thank you Kem for your report on Connie Millard and her K9 partners. These flash reports of real people doing their duties with dedication and loyalty to the people they serve - such a wonderful antidote to the self-serving lies and spins and equivocations offered by politicians safely holed up with their PR minions.
Thank you Romilly… & for catching my eye & slowing me down enough to read about Connie & her dogs which required me to look back and find more …
I’m still disturbed tonite by the ‘debate’ of which I only saw the final 12 minutes… it was NOT a Debate! It was ‘hosted’…? ‘monitored’…?
NOT held to rules of debating… Vance got more oppty to ‘correct’ his behavior and move on to further attacks … to which Walz had been coached to smooth out Vance’s attacking tone & words….
It was AWFUL.. Ruth .. and others in this thread… I’m SO disheartened because Walz is first rate in true debates… he’s honorable and HONEST. He’s ferocious in an intelligent male way through his tone of voice and facial expression … I was deeply relieved not to see more of this ‘show’ … I’m returning to prayer and post carding and quiet talks w open, interested ( and often confused) youngsters about this process we refer to as an ELECTION CAMPAIGN. Keep on talking , writing, raising your own flags to be seen/heard/ and educating
I did like the way the monitors kept trying to bring them back to topic. It seemed to me they formed the questions in a manner that stated something that which had two answers. Both parties seem to have trouble staying on track. I almost died when Vance gives his bibliography. Notice , he went to college-not Yale -that might turn off some of the trumpers. Obfuscation on whether Vance would certify the election if trump lost. Red Flag.
Thank you KEM for informing us of the sacrifices made by the FEMA team at the World Trade Center. That team as well as those who have responded to other disasters, are unsung heroes.
Mary, yes, isn't it weird that we spend so much time paying attention to Trump's and Vance's lies and rants while letting Republicans denigrate the heroes who make such a difference in our lives even if we don't identify or even thank them. It's their job, after all, right? With that logic, I am wondering if lying, cheating, and denigrating is the Trump-Vance-Republican Party's job. Well, I didn't hire them and do wish I could ditch them, but a lot of folks prefer to believe lies and hatred rather than the faith they claim to hold. That is beyond sad and scary.
Genuine heroes, who labor or sacrifice for the rights and safety of others merit far more attention and celebration in our society, for our own good even more than theirs.
Thank you, KEM for your work in remembering Connie. We had s/heros here in Ohio back then from our Task Force One. Most went on to other work, like Connie, and their daily police and fire, and FEMA jobs. I’m literally crying, because here we are talking about the antithesis of them. The fat, old, big pores clown who dupes and disrespects so many. Let’s all, PLEASE, work to save humankind from these monsters our parents thought they had defeated and banished via WW II.
Write postcards, get going door to door if able. Spread the hope and joy of Kamala Harris, Tim Walz, and our beloved American Democracy. Remember FDR-We have nothing to fear, but fear itself!
Tears and sadness, yes, Paula. I'm a former Ohioan living in NC and am writing postcards for Sherrod Brown (as well as activities and postcards here in NC). Doing something constructive and reading the many comments of such decent, hopeful members of this community help dry my tears. Thank you.
Maureen, my heart goes out to you and other friends in NC. Especially a shout out to a friend in Asheville. So much to do. We just have to keep up the hard work and make sure Harris and Walz win.
Genuine thoughtfulness and prayer in the sense of being honest about one's own heart seem to me a good thing. Dumping the responsibilities that one should reasonably share and actively respond to is not. I am not a church-goer, but recall that the "Great Commandment" of Christians ( the part right wing Christians don't talk about) involves loving ones neighbor; and Jesus made plain that he was not just talking about the people one favors, nor just of "thoughts and prayers" in a insulating, passive way. Samaritans were considered enemies of Jesus's audience; yet who was the identified good neighbor? Not the "pious" passive people who ignored suffering. It was the Samaritan would gave active aid. All that is left of our understanding of Jesus points to that. Jesus preached love, and yet somehow the most media-visible "Christians" advocate greed, hatred and violence. It is just weird and unhelpful to include that in the same breath.
Bill Lee (TN governor) suggested that his people fast and pray. Didn't call for help until much later. Of, course Biden gets blamed for not sending aid sooner.
I believe it was in September that the number of NYFD deaths from post 9/11 syndrome exceeded those who died in the immediate response. I have friends who have trained SAR dogs for years, at least two of their animals perished in the 9/11 aftermath.
Connie was a hero. May her memory be a blessing, and may her work live on long after.
Oh, Kem, thank you for telling us about Connie Millard from Missouri and her very special dogs. I had forgotten about the crawling through rubble part of their heroic work in New York City, in a completely different state. May her family and friends find some comfort during a tender time that I think must be lasting forever for them.
Agree, KEM. Interesting that a longtime acquaintance who was a former police officer recently asked me to find a market for two pieces of stone salvaged from North Tower and South Tower. The pieces were imbedded in a glass casing resembling the towers with data inscribed on the front of each. He has grown old now and wants to sell them before he dies. He asked me for help and my advice is to consigned them to an auction house with part of the proceeds to go to the victims fund. Or donate them to a museum.
I just posted my first comment, and was amazed to see that somebody else named Kem is already posting. Since our's is such an unusual name, I'm wondering who you are. I am Kem Phillips from Cavendish Vermont. Thanks
I completely agree, KEM. When I read one like Heather's email of today, I hesitate to hit the 'like' button. Even though I'm appreciative of the information, I definitely don't like the contents...in fact I'm enraged and anxious. It would be good if there was an "appreciation" option along with the 'like.'
Once again we are faced with the eternal human contradiction - that in the face of natural or and even some manmade catastrophes, we are able to surmount so many of our trivial human squabbles and understand that pulling together does us far more benefit and gives us far more moral power than all the rest of the time we spend tearing ourselves apart.
Truth. Connie was the most extraordinary animal trainer I have ever met, and I am immersed in the world of dog training myself. Not just dogs--See the update I posted above for directions to a photo collage that pictures many of the diverse animals Connie cared for.
I often wish that sub stack gave us different or at least multiple options of response. That is, I love that you keep us informed, I hate almost all of what truth demands that you report. The “almost” is highlighting the work of FEMA and other government response teams. Their heroic efforts in dangerous situations cannot be adequately described.
On September 15, 2024, Connie Millard of Missouri died. She had been deployed with MO Taskforce 1, the first FEMA team deployed to the World Trade Center on 9/11. She was a canine specialist in SAR. She and her dog and the rest of their team spent 11 days crawling—literally— through the rubble, seeking survivors at first as the unstable debris trembled and shifted around them, and then later bringing out body parts to help with identification for closure for the victims’ families. Connie and her subsequent dogs (she trained six dogs to live finds and cadaver work at the highest certification in disaster response) went on many more missions, including response to NOLA after hurricane Katrina and CT after hurricane Sandy. There are now only 3 surviving members of the FEMA heroes who were at the WTC.. Take a moment to salute them, please.
RIP, Connie. Thank you for decades of service.
EDIT: Thank you everyone for your support of Connie and through her of all FEMA workers. If you want a larger glimpse of Connie's life and work, go to Facebook and google Missouri Task Force 1, and scroll down to the picture collage. There is one that is just an announcement, but look for the Sept 19th photo collage that starts with noting Connie's name. There are several posts and updates of the current deployment of MOTF-1 to North Carolina in the aftermath of hurricane Helene.
And thank you KEM for highlighting the efforts of an unsung hero and her canine assistants.
Hey wait a blessed minute; Don’t any of you guys get any sleep? 💤 This was posted at 3:30. Of course if you are on the west coast, it was 12:30.
Brief Observations:
1. When southern white women are interviewed about politics, one can usually predict a MAGA supporter if she is overweight and uses a southern vernacular.
2. Perhaps one of the dirtiest things in the world is a toilet handle especially in public lavatories. I never hand touch them. I wrap toilet paper around them to flush. But what is dirtier than a toilet handle? A MAGA politician especially Don-old slurring-voiced Trump.
3. On a personal level, when men enter a lavatory, to a person, they walk over to the urinals to go pee pee. Their dirty hands then touch what normally would be the most pristine part of their bodies. Not I. I go to the sink and wash my hands first. Think about it. Either way,I would never shake hands with a republican.
(From 'Donald's Vanity Tantrums)
Trump is Clean as a Toilet Handle
Trump pleaded with Russia during the 2016 election to hack the campaign records and emails of Hillary Clinton. On July 27, 2016, he cried:
"Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 missing emails."
On July 15, 2018, the dictator Putin and wannabe dictator Trump sit down for a summit in Helsinki, Finland. No scribes were allowed in the room, but someone has now revealed the conversation.
And so it came to pass that Russia hacked the accounts of Hillary Clinton and democratic operatives. Both Trump and Russia were amply rewarded for this act of treachery. Trump became the first president in history elected by a Russian dictator. And Russia, the longtime enemy of Western democratic tradition, became a new investment partner and mentor to tired old Uncle Sam, who lords over a disquieted tribe of manic-depressive, freedom-loving, patriotic simpletons formerly known as Americans.
Trump: "Vlad, thank you for helping me with the new Trump Moscow Hotel. Everyone thinks that we are exchanging international secrets!"
Putin: "Donald, you dog, you know how to throw them off pony trail. In Moscow, we have Russian mafia to pay off. They demand special favors."
Trump: "It will be a tremendous hotel, unlike anything seen before. Ok Vlad, let's go to the press conference and talk about dismantling NATO. No one will ever guess what this meeting was really about. We're gonna make a lot of money on it."
Trump: “Oh, and Vlad, is that old shower scandal forgotten?”
Putin: “Da.”
Trump: “Good, it was pissing me off.”
Toilet handles are cleaner. Toilet brush comes to mind, but maybe that's not woke.
I stand corrected.
Who spilled the beans about Helsinki?
I’m sworn to secrecy. And I carry lot secrets. Or they wouldn’t be secret.
Nobody told
Ha!
My daughter worked with predominantly men and picked up real quick that some men NEVER shook hands with many men she worked with. She stopped shaking hands all together
Hahahaha. I get more graphic in my stand-up but won’t express it here. Isn’t that something. I’m the only dude that washes first. Then of course I hold out my hand to simulate a handshake with the implication that I don’t wash after going since I had just touched something pristinely clean.
A gentleman was asked why did he wash his hands before toileting. "Didn't your father ever teach you to wash your hands AFTER toileting?" His response, "My father taught me not to piss on my hands."
Oh, too funny Bill.. but don’t those MAGAs just keep getting worse & worse in the garbage lies they are spewing?! What kind of minds keep thinking up this stuff..
Yes they do. Democracy is a fragile system of government. It’s an open society. History teaches that inevitably any nation/state reverts or moves toward authoritarianism. Observing the Chinese system, maybe they have solutions that we lack. They would never have tolerated jan6. Those protesters would have been executed and rightfully so. I rest.
Scarey ones.
I’m in the Colorado mountains. It was only 1:30 here when I read Heather’s latest letter.
I read her hour as 3:30 so there is a gap somewhere. And that sounds right. You are on central time. How dare I think that everyone lives on the east side.
Hey Bill……Colorado Mountains are in the mountain time zone, not central! Cheers.
Hilarious…..
Why thank you.
LOL
There is a cute baby Yoda meme. Yoda is making an awful, disgusted face. Me when I hear the toilet flush and don't hear any water running.
Thank you Kem for your report on Connie Millard and her K9 partners. These flash reports of real people doing their duties with dedication and loyalty to the people they serve - such a wonderful antidote to the self-serving lies and spins and equivocations offered by politicians safely holed up with their PR minions.
Thank you Romilly… & for catching my eye & slowing me down enough to read about Connie & her dogs which required me to look back and find more …
I’m still disturbed tonite by the ‘debate’ of which I only saw the final 12 minutes… it was NOT a Debate! It was ‘hosted’…? ‘monitored’…?
NOT held to rules of debating… Vance got more oppty to ‘correct’ his behavior and move on to further attacks … to which Walz had been coached to smooth out Vance’s attacking tone & words….
It was AWFUL.. Ruth .. and others in this thread… I’m SO disheartened because Walz is first rate in true debates… he’s honorable and HONEST. He’s ferocious in an intelligent male way through his tone of voice and facial expression … I was deeply relieved not to see more of this ‘show’ … I’m returning to prayer and post carding and quiet talks w open, interested ( and often confused) youngsters about this process we refer to as an ELECTION CAMPAIGN. Keep on talking , writing, raising your own flags to be seen/heard/ and educating
I did like the way the monitors kept trying to bring them back to topic. It seemed to me they formed the questions in a manner that stated something that which had two answers. Both parties seem to have trouble staying on track. I almost died when Vance gives his bibliography. Notice , he went to college-not Yale -that might turn off some of the trumpers. Obfuscation on whether Vance would certify the election if trump lost. Red Flag.
Thank you KEM for informing us of the sacrifices made by the FEMA team at the World Trade Center. That team as well as those who have responded to other disasters, are unsung heroes.
True heroes generally are unsung because they don't seek praise.
Fake heroes seek nothing else.
Mary, yes, isn't it weird that we spend so much time paying attention to Trump's and Vance's lies and rants while letting Republicans denigrate the heroes who make such a difference in our lives even if we don't identify or even thank them. It's their job, after all, right? With that logic, I am wondering if lying, cheating, and denigrating is the Trump-Vance-Republican Party's job. Well, I didn't hire them and do wish I could ditch them, but a lot of folks prefer to believe lies and hatred rather than the faith they claim to hold. That is beyond sad and scary.
Genuine heroes, who labor or sacrifice for the rights and safety of others merit far more attention and celebration in our society, for our own good even more than theirs.
We wring our hands while their lies hit home in the places that count in our ridiculous election system
Thank you, KEM for your work in remembering Connie. We had s/heros here in Ohio back then from our Task Force One. Most went on to other work, like Connie, and their daily police and fire, and FEMA jobs. I’m literally crying, because here we are talking about the antithesis of them. The fat, old, big pores clown who dupes and disrespects so many. Let’s all, PLEASE, work to save humankind from these monsters our parents thought they had defeated and banished via WW II.
Write postcards, get going door to door if able. Spread the hope and joy of Kamala Harris, Tim Walz, and our beloved American Democracy. Remember FDR-We have nothing to fear, but fear itself!
Tears and sadness, yes, Paula. I'm a former Ohioan living in NC and am writing postcards for Sherrod Brown (as well as activities and postcards here in NC). Doing something constructive and reading the many comments of such decent, hopeful members of this community help dry my tears. Thank you.
Maureen, my heart goes out to you and other friends in NC. Especially a shout out to a friend in Asheville. So much to do. We just have to keep up the hard work and make sure Harris and Walz win.
Contrast that career of hard work and service to "thoughts and prayers" and there you have it.
Genuine thoughtfulness and prayer in the sense of being honest about one's own heart seem to me a good thing. Dumping the responsibilities that one should reasonably share and actively respond to is not. I am not a church-goer, but recall that the "Great Commandment" of Christians ( the part right wing Christians don't talk about) involves loving ones neighbor; and Jesus made plain that he was not just talking about the people one favors, nor just of "thoughts and prayers" in a insulating, passive way. Samaritans were considered enemies of Jesus's audience; yet who was the identified good neighbor? Not the "pious" passive people who ignored suffering. It was the Samaritan would gave active aid. All that is left of our understanding of Jesus points to that. Jesus preached love, and yet somehow the most media-visible "Christians" advocate greed, hatred and violence. It is just weird and unhelpful to include that in the same breath.
Bill Lee (TN governor) suggested that his people fast and pray. Didn't call for help until much later. Of, course Biden gets blamed for not sending aid sooner.
I believe it was in September that the number of NYFD deaths from post 9/11 syndrome exceeded those who died in the immediate response. I have friends who have trained SAR dogs for years, at least two of their animals perished in the 9/11 aftermath.
Connie was a hero. May her memory be a blessing, and may her work live on long after.
You tell Connie's story quite well KEM. A hero's story never grows old! Thank you!
Oh, Kem, thank you for telling us about Connie Millard from Missouri and her very special dogs. I had forgotten about the crawling through rubble part of their heroic work in New York City, in a completely different state. May her family and friends find some comfort during a tender time that I think must be lasting forever for them.
Dedicated and people don't always understand what it takes out of you to work in intense work areas like this. May she RIP
Agree, KEM. Interesting that a longtime acquaintance who was a former police officer recently asked me to find a market for two pieces of stone salvaged from North Tower and South Tower. The pieces were imbedded in a glass casing resembling the towers with data inscribed on the front of each. He has grown old now and wants to sell them before he dies. He asked me for help and my advice is to consigned them to an auction house with part of the proceeds to go to the victims fund. Or donate them to a museum.
I just posted my first comment, and was amazed to see that somebody else named Kem is already posting. Since our's is such an unusual name, I'm wondering who you are. I am Kem Phillips from Cavendish Vermont. Thanks
KEM (all caps) are initials--your name is still unique!
I completely agree, KEM. When I read one like Heather's email of today, I hesitate to hit the 'like' button. Even though I'm appreciative of the information, I definitely don't like the contents...in fact I'm enraged and anxious. It would be good if there was an "appreciation" option along with the 'like.'
Once again we are faced with the eternal human contradiction - that in the face of natural or and even some manmade catastrophes, we are able to surmount so many of our trivial human squabbles and understand that pulling together does us far more benefit and gives us far more moral power than all the rest of the time we spend tearing ourselves apart.
Thank you for posting this KEM!
Extraordinary skills required, to train a canine for that work. And so much mutual trust.
Truth. Connie was the most extraordinary animal trainer I have ever met, and I am immersed in the world of dog training myself. Not just dogs--See the update I posted above for directions to a photo collage that pictures many of the diverse animals Connie cared for.
Thank you for sharing Connie's story. Her heroism won't be forgotten.