The Sheepdogs joined with the Warriors Watch Riders and A Hero’s Welcome to give a local Army hero a well-deserved “Welcome Home” in West Chester on Sunday Dec 12.
Spc James came home from Afghanistan just in time for Christmas. He went to high school in West Chester and has been in the Army since 2006. His wife Elizabeth is expecting their first child. We are forever grateful and proud of his service and sacrifice to our great nation.
Patriots from the Sheepdogs, A Heroes Welcome, and Warriors Watch Riders took time to greet two local Marines returning home from Afghanistan at the Philadelphia Airport yesterday, just in time for Christmas.
The heroes, Lance Corporal Brian and Lance Corporal Ishmar, looked a little tired from their long flight, but were touched to see the Flag Line and smiles from these grateful Americans. They were eager to get home and be reunited with their families and fellow Marines.
In May 2009, the Marines from Bridge Company B Marines deployed to Iraq, when they came home 8 months later, Brian and Ishmar volunteered for a quick turnaround tour to Afghanistan in March 2010.
The Company’s First Sergeant and two officers were also at the airport to meet them. Major Jerry, their Company Commander when they were in Iraq, was glad to welcome them home in time for the holidays.
Brian and Ishmar have earned their rest. We are forever grateful for their courage and sacrifice for our behalf. Enjoy your time with family and friends.
The cover of the program sold at Saturday’s WCU football game. Looks a lot like the statue, the sculptor did a great job.
Here’s Jane’s terrific video of the bagpipers leading the parade into the ceremony, it’s real good, click HERE.
There are several outstanding newspaper articles and videos about Mike Horrocks Day in West Chester on Saturday 9/11.
One article focused on Mike’s relationship with his daughter, it’s excellent.
“It was a quick phone call between father and daughter, with the 9-year-old lamenting that she didn’t want to get out of bed, didn’t want to go to school. But United Airlines co-pilot Mike Horrocks had a way of getting his daughter, Christa, going. After a few kind encouragements, she decided school wouldn’t be so bad. Then came the last words they would ever share: “I love you up to the moon and back,” he told her.”
Christa’s memories of her father seem perpetually locked on the good times surrounding the Labor Day weekend before the attack. The family was boogie-boarding at the New Jersey shore. She was in the fourth grade. The seas were rough. He was gentle.
“He would pull the board forward so I would not get swept under the waves,” she said. “I think that’s a good example of how he was with everything. He just wanted to make sure we were taken care of and were having fun in everything we were doing.”
“Every decision I make, I try to think what he would do,” she said.
Click HERE to read more.
To read the Philadelphia Inquirer articles click HERE and HERE
Here’s a couple videos of the three Marine C-130 planes that did a flyover of the football field right before kickoff.
The first one was taken by Betsy, who attended both our rally and the ceremony with her husband and 3 young children.
Betsy’s Video
DONATIONS AND CONTRIBUTIONS may be still made to the Michael Horrocks Scholarship Fund. The teammates have raised about $150,000 for the endowment. The goal is $500,000.
Checks can be sent to:
West Chester Athletic Dept
PO Box 541
West Chester, PA 19381
(payable to “WCU FOUNDATION” and write “HORROCKS SCHOLARSHIP” on the MEMO line)
For information, email KGraves@WCUFoundation.org or call Kris Graves at the WCU Foundation at 610-436-2557
Yesterday’s “Mike Horrocks Day” at West Chester University was perfection. The hillside and ceremony area was overflowing with people. They expected a few hundred, but there was over 2000 to witness the unveiling of the life-size statue. Special gold “Never Forget Mike Horrocks” T-shirts were everywhere. When they took the cover off the statue, the crowd erupted in applause and there were some gasps of astonishment at how striking and beautiful the statue is.
When Mike Horrocks was the WCU quarterback he was respected and loved by his teammates. In his first start, they were 35-point underdogs against the University of Delaware, but Mike guided them 35-27 upset victory. He kept telling his teammates, “We can do this.” He gave them confidence and kept them calm. A couple years ago his teammates got permission to build a statue. A teammate said, “A plaque under the stands wasn’t going to do. We wanted a statue right next to the field that the players could see and touch.” They took donations and held all kinds of fundraisers, including dinners, golf tournaments and sporting pools. Slowly but surely they inched closer to the goal line and yesterday was the touchdown. The statue was unveiled. A testimony of triumph for these college football players, now grown men. We congratulate them for their ambition and determination to make this history at West Chester.
The whole day was great. The unique bond that develops between players was front and center. These guys epitomize the word “teammate”. It was 25 years ago that they all played together and about 40 of them were onhand to see this “team effort” through. They came from all over and they reunited to bring “the best of them” to the field where they practiced, sweated, played, and grew close together. As teammate John Minnino said, “We’ve been reminiscing and this field was like heaven to us.” They were all smiling, feeling warm inside about their amazing accomplishment and gift to their beloved football team and alma mater.
The special bond forged in the military was evident too. The Marines from Mike’s North Carolina squadron were present to show the pride, excellence, honor and loyalty that the Marines have for each other. “Leave no man behind” is the Marine Corps motto and they did their part to bring Mike home. The Commander spoke about the different missions the squadron conducts on a 24/7 – 365 schedule, including humanitarian and special operations in total darkness requiring nightvision goggles. He said, “These were the kinds of missions that Mike flew in the Marines.”
The bond of commercial airline pilots was there too. Many fellow United Airline Pilots were present.
The Horrocks family were truly touched by the tremendous outpour of support from the community. The huge, overflow crowd were all there to let the Horrocks know how much they love them. The Washington Memorial Pipe Band and the Brian Boru Pipes & Drums set the mood with festive bagpipe music that filled the air.
The speeches were terrific, WCU President Greg Weisenstein set the tone by declaring just how magnificent the statue looked and how fitting and important it will be to the students and athletes that come to WCU, inspiring them to “be great”.
The highlight of the day was when Mike’s daughter Christa spoke. She is 18 now, a freshman at a college in South Carolina. An athlete herself, she’s there on a track scholarship. Christa really helped flesh out her father, she said, “He’s not a hero because of how he died, he’s a hero because of how he lived.”
She told stories of how she and her dad would often watch the movie “Sandlot” (sports movie) and there’s a quote in the movie that was a favorite of her dad, “Remember kid, there’s heroes and there’s legends. Heroes get remembered but legends never die.” Christa said she didn’t get the significance of this quote father’s when she was little, watching the movie craddled in his arms, but she gets it now. She thanked everyone for sharing the stories of her father with her, “Your stories keep his legend alive and help to clear away the fog that occurs to memories and bring him clear into my mind again.”
She began her speech by turning towards all the current football players sitting on the hill, “Let me start by saying ‘Go Rams’ ”
She told us how her father loved playing football at West Chester, how much it was always a big part of him. She challenged the crowd saying, “What will your legend be?” At her side at the podium was her 15-year old brother Mick, both of them were wearing special purple #14 football jerseys with “Horrocks” on the back. Christa’s speech lasted about 10 minutes and every word of it was great. She did an outstanding job of representing the family and giving us some personal insights into who her father was. You could hear a pin drop as she spoke and all through the crowd were smiles, moist eyes and lumps in throats. She was standing next to the statue of her father and you could tell that his arm was around her, holding her again, with great pride.
The WCU Marching Band was outstanding as usual. They played hits like “Stars and Stripes” and the Marine Corps Anthem and God Bless America. Teammate Paul Isenberg read the plaque on the front of the statue. The words were written by Mike’s teammates and Paul was very moved as he read it for the crowd.
The Daily Local has 2 outstanding articles, with pictures and a one-minute video. Click HERE and HERE.
The statue is part of the university now and the players, students, professors, and staff will take ownership of it. As the team ran onto the field for their first homegame of the season, they all touched the statue. May it inspire them to greatness on the field, in the classroom, and beyond.
Previous Daily Local News stories are HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE.
WWII Vet Frank passed away suddenly last Saturday Jul 31. There was a lot more to Frank than many of us knew.
His obituary appeared in today’s Daily Local Newspaper.
Francis J. ‘Frank’ McDermott of West Chester
Francis J. “Frank” McDermott, 84 of West Chester, passed away July 31, 2010.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Jane McDermott (McKniff), with whom he shared 53 years of marriage.
Born in Philadelphia, April 10, 1926, he was the son of the late Francis A. McDermott and Anna Mahon McDermott.
He proudly served in the U.S. Army 70th Tank Battalion in the European Theater during World War II.
He was a dedicated member of the Chester County Victory Movement http://americansheepdogs.com/
Frank received a Bachelor of Science degree from St. Joseph’s University. He began his teaching career at St. Elizabeth’s High School and retired in 1988 after 33 years of teaching high school in Delaware. He coached football, basketball, and directed the theater program.
He was a lifelong, avid fisherman.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by sisters, Rita of Cherry Hill, N.J., Anne Clark (Bob) of Bowie, Md., and Marie of Madison, Wis.; proud father of sons, Frank of Athens, Ohio, Paul (Pam) of Tucson, Ariz., and John (Mary Jane) of Landenberg; daughters, Marianne (Ken Cattell) of Downingtown, Kathy of Mystic Island, N.J., and Sue (Tom Hitchner) of Mullica Hill, N.J.; and by nine grandchildren and one great grandchild.
He was predeceased by his sister, Helen McBride; and brother, Joseph.
Relatives and friends are invited to his Funeral Mass at noon Thursday, Aug. 5, at St. Agnes Church, 233 W. Gay St., West Chester, PA 19380. Interment is private. Visitation will be held from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 5 at the DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home Inc., 410 N. Church St., West Chester, PA 19380, 610-696-1181, www.DellaFH.com.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Frank’s memory may be made to the St. Martins Ministries, Benedictine Sisters, 14259 Benedictine Lane, Ridgley, MD 21660.
I have very tough and sad news to relay. Our WWII vet, Frank McDermott, passed away yesterday afternoon (Saturday 7/31) at the hospital. Frank was probably our most loyal and most beloved sheepdog. For over 2 years he never missed a rally, even on the coldest days, in freezing rain or wind, he would show up on his scooter and take his spot on the corner.
Frank loved the troops, past and present, and would often get misty-eyed talking about the ones that didn’t come home. He always had 2 American flags on his scooter and he loved to hold the bright yellow “God Bless Our Troops” sign. Last Saturday, 7/24, Frank was very upbeat, his surgery was a few days away and he was ready to face danger once again. His daughter, Mary Ann was at the rally and took a lot of pictures of her dad doing what he loved to do.
Despite not having his legs, we all looked at Frank as a giant man. He stood head and shoulders above most of us in so many ways. Always positive, always smiling and friendly to all who said hello. I can never remember Frank ever being in a bad mood. He was a most humble man too. He was very gracious and modest when a stranger would thank him for his service during WWII.
On the coldest days, I would say, “Frank are you sure you can be here today?” And his answer was soft and clear, “This is the least I can do for our boys.” He never complained about anything, ever. We talk about honor and dignity and quiet strength and Frank exemplified all those qualities every week for us. Humility was his trademark. Always good-natured. He truly loved his country and our rallies became a major part of his life.
Frank’s best friend at our rallies is Nick. Nick likes to wear a military uniform in honor of the troops. Nick always brought Frank a coffee and would stand right next to Frank at every rally. They were inseparable. Very close friends. I was talking with Nick yesterday and he said, “I loved Frank, I loved our conversations. Frank gave me a lot of good advice.”
Yesterday Nick brought a card to the rally and we all signed it. All of us were anticipating Frank to recover and return to his favorite spot on the corner. Nick took the card to Frank’s house and left the card on the door.
I believe he was 83 years old. His wife Mickey is making arrangements and when I find out about the viewing and services, I will let everyone know.
Ironically, Frank’s great-grandson was born yesterday, in the same hospital, just 3 floors below. He was born a couple hours before Frank passed. His name is Jonas, he will be forever linked to his great-grandpa, an American hero.
Our heartfelt condolences go to his family.
Frank was truly a great man and loved all of us. As Nick said, “I know he’s in heaven.”
This is the statue located on Ft Dix. Its called “The Ultimate Weapon” – an Army Infantryman running towards the enemy.
One of the benefits of being retired military is being able to visit military bases. I spent a few days hanging out with our troops last week.
One morning at breakfast, a soldier was next to me in uniform. I asked him where he was from, he said, “Texas”, I said, “I was stationed in Texas for a little while, I loved it.” He smiled and said, “It’s the best country in the world”. I asked him how long he had been in the Army and he said “14 years” and I asked if he was “coming or going” (to or from Iraq/Afghanistan) – he told me he recently returned from Afghanistan and had just arrived at Ft Dix to begin a 3-year tour, training soldiers. I said, “That’s great, you deserve some stateside duty.”
Then he said something that surprised me, he said, “I’d rather be in Afghanistan.” and I said, “Why would you say that? Why would you prefer to be there instead of here?” And he said, “The Kids” and I thought he meant the Afghan children, I said, “Are the Taliban killing the Afghan children?” and he said, “No, I meant ‘the kids’, our young guys.”
His answer gave me a chill. This soldier is 32 years old (he looked very young to me) and he wants to be in Afghanistan so he can lead and guide and watch the backs of our young soldiers, his kids. It just gets to me.
I say all the time, “If you’ve ever been on any kind of sports team, you know what having a teammate is like, you know what team-spirit is. They have your back, you can count on them.” Well, take that feeling of comaraderie and mulitply it by a thousand. That’s the kind of support you get from a fellow soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine. There is no stronger bond. These teammates will give their lives for you. And this 32-year old Army sergeant, proud of his home state of Texas, proved that all over again.
I took pictures of our troops in the gym and at the club. One of them was a Navy officer, a reservist. I asked him what his job was, he said, “I’m a doctor, a surgeon, I’m going to Afghanistan soon.” I said, “Thank you for taking care of our troops.” And he said he would also be able to provide medical services to Afghan troops and do some humanitarian operations on Afghan civilians and children too. It gives you a lump in your throat to know how good and decent our troops are, and how much they care about being good ambassadors of the US.
I could see them training, marching in pairs, through worn paths around fields and woods, carrying large heavy packs on their backs in the middle of these hot days, getting ready to go into harm’s way, where the temperature will be well over 100 degrees every day.
Our troops ARE heroes. OUR TROOPS GIVE UP THEIR TODAYS SO THAT WE CAN ENJOY OUR TOMORROWS.
In Downingtown, PA, on Chestnut St, across from the Victory Brewing Company is a beautiful park, built to memorialize two brothers who died during World War II. All you have to do is read the plaque. It’s speaks more than we can say.
The words on the stone grips your attention.
and slowly you notice the details.
I guess James and Dominic had a pet dog. The dog stands guard at this place of honor for his friends that never came back to play.
He holds a basket of flowers in sorrow and tribute.
This is the ultimate sacrifice made by one of many American families so that the rest of us could enjoy our lives in freedom.
We must not waste it.
This park gives us a chance to sit and reflect on these two boys and their mother and father. It gives us a chance to say a prayer of thanks and remembrance. I left a flag next to the stone. This is an appropriate thing to do. Take time to visit a memorial near you, pay your respects, and decorate it with a flag.
The Sheepdogs helped to welcome home a local soldier. Army 1st Lt John-Paul Snook returned from Afghanistan on Good Friday for some well-deserved leave. He received A Hero’s Welcome at the Phila Airport and got a motorcycle escort from the patriotic bikers of the Warriors Watch Riders.
John-Paul said, “I can’t believe all this was just for me, I wish all our troops could get a welcome home like this.”
Neighbors and his sisters Alice and Christy surround their big brother at the airport.
The Warriors Watch Riders do a great job, they get local and state police to lead the way and keep the escort moving.
The bikers, family, and friends formed a receiving line to greet John-Paul when he arrived at the Philadelphia Airport.
Here’s JP with his grandmother Alice and his grandfather Bob (a West Point graduate).
His proud mother Maureen, his father John, and his brother Walter (a freshman at Princeton, in the Army ROTC, hopes to go to Army Ranger school and infantry).
Special thanks to the West Chester Fire Department for providing their truck and ladder to hang the giant flag.
Lt Snook will be returning to Afghanistan after his 2 weeks leave. We are proud and grateful for his service.
God bless you JP, we sleep in peace because men and women like you are willing to risk everything you have to protect us 24/7.
Here’s the photo of our check presentation on the campus of West Chester University in front of Phillips Memorial Hall. We raised $2000 at our fundraiser at the Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown for the statue of Mike Horrocks which will be dedicated at the WCU Football Stadium on Sept 11, 2010.
WCU President Greg Weisenstein told us, “College kids need role models. This statue will be a way for all our students, especially the football team, to remember that Mike Horrocks, a WCU football player, was a hero.”
In the photo are Athletic Director Dr Edward Matejkovic, President Greg Weisenstein, me, and Steve Grabicki(representing PA State Senator Andy Dinniman). Photo was taken by WCU photographer Bob Williams.
Here’s the story of how Mike’s teammates from West Chester University are raising money to honor their quarterback and leader from 1981 -1984.
Back Channels: A lasting tribute to 9/11 victim
West Chester University alumnus to get statue.
by Kevin Ferris of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Mar 14, 2010
Spend any time with the people who knew Michael Horrocks when he played football for West Chester University and you’re going to hear about the Delaware game. A lot.
Powerhouse Delaware vs. longtime rival West Chester – usually a good day for Blue Hens fans. In fact, Delaware had a 15-game winning streak against the Rams when the teams met for the season opener in 1983.
Mike was in his third year, the starting quarterback. His friend Rick Ulrich was also in the backfield that day, and he remembers the Rams initially taking Delaware by surprise.
“We got ahead pretty quickly, and by a large margin, 31-7 or 31-10,” Ulrich says. “But they slowly figured out how to stop us. Little by little they put points on the board.”
A late interception sealed the deal. Rams won, 35-27 – something that hadn’t happened since 1956 (the teams didn’t meet every year). The record-setting quarterback went on to lead his team to a 7-3 season.
“He was disciplined, on and off the field,” Ulrich says. “When he set his mind to doing something, he worked every day diligently to make that happen.”
One thing he set his mind to, and talked about often while at West Chester, was being a pilot. After graduation in 1985, he – of course – made it happen. First as a pilot and flight instructor while a Marine Corps officer. After the service, he flew for United Airlines. Along the way he and his wife, Miriam, had two children, Christa and Michael, and they settled in Glen Mills.
Mike, 38, was the first officer on United Flight 175, which crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center at 9:03 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001.
Now, on the next Sept. 11 – 27 years and a day since the Delaware game – his teammates will lead the school as well as family and friends in honoring Mike. At the season home opener against Edinboro, they will dedicate a statue of the cool, disciplined young man who led and inspired them.
The team wanted to show No. 14 in action, the classic quarterback pose of one arm extended, the other back and ready to launch the ball, eyes downfield, searching for a receiver. And that’s exactly what sculptor Brian Hanlon of Toms River, N.J., has in the works.
It will be set just off a path at the northwest corner of West Chester’s John A. Farrell Stadium, with Mike facing the gridiron. The football team will pass the statue at every home game as it makes its way from the athletic center to the field.
There had been talk of a tribute at West Chester since 2001, but vague plans began to crystallize two years ago, when Mike’s former teammates approached the school. Honors to alumni and other valued members of the university community are a natural part of school life. Plaques are hung, trees planted, buildings and classrooms renamed, scholarships endowed.
Mike’s teammates wanted a statue, which for this campus would be a one-of-a-kind tribute. (There’s the ram statue, but none of a person.)
Joe Walsh, who played center for West Chester in the early ’80s, acknowledges that Mike’s reaction to a statue would likely have been, “What the hell is that?” But, given the kind of man he was, how the football fraternity still feels about him, and how he died, the team believes strongly this is the way to go.
“Nothing short of a full statue could do Mike honor,” Walsh said. “Put a plaque on a wall and people will walk right by it. Hang it outside the locker room and then the community won’t see it.”
University officials from the athletic department to the president’s office were happy to help but skeptical. They assumed the expense and time-consuming fund-raising efforts needed to pull the project off would perhaps steer the well-intentioned teammates to a more modest tribute.
Not when a guy like Mike is your inspiration. You set a lofty goal, and then work diligently every day to make it happen.
They are indeed making it happen. The initial fund-raising target was $100,000, half for the statue and half for an annual football scholarship. They’ve raised about $68,000, so the statue is covered. They have six months to raise the remaining $32,000 for the scholarship fund, though Walsh is pushing hard for an initial fund of $100,000.
They’ve held two large dinners, organized Super Bowl and March Madness pools, and there was even a last-minute gathering at Victory Brewery Co. in Downingtown last weekend that raised $2,000. Teammates push each other for contributions, both financial and material. The landscaping and stonework around the statue, as well as the crane that sets it in place, will also be donated.
And it’s not just teammates.
“Anyone affiliated with West Chester football is trying to get involved,” Ulrich says. “Guys who didn’t know him, who maybe read about him, or just saw him play. They want to jump in and help. Their heart and soul is into the project.”
If you’d like to jump in and help, send checks payable to the WCU Foundation, Box 541, West Chester, Pa. 19381, or call 610-436-2868 to donate by credit card.
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