James McDonald

By Tim Chicirda, Bristol Pilot Editor

The Broad Street Run in Philadelphia is a battle of endurance, strength and perseverance. So too was latter portions of the life of Jim McDonald. Fittingly, this is why a fundraiser in the honor of this cancer victim is set to take place at the Broad Street Run this year.McDonald's life started in Bristol Borough. A student at St. Mark's, Jim, or "Jimbo," was a resident of Spruce Street.

As a boy scout, Jimbo was a drummer with the local VFW Drum and Bugle Corps. Jimbo's childhood in Bristol consisted of hanging in and around the Silver Lake Nature Center and swimming under the railroad near the Rohm and Haas facility.

In seventh grade, Jimbo met Johnny Condron and Jimmy McPeet. This three-some developed a bond that would last through elementary school, through Vietnam and into the later years of life.
Jim, Jim and John started a "buddy system," and agreed to all enlist in the Marines for the Vietnam War.

According to McPeet, the Marines Corps would often give a promise that friends enlisting together would stay together in the services. For these three men, it was unknown that this only meant boot camp, and while over in Vietnam, the three of the them were split and served their countries in different ways.

Jimbo was an engineer in the southern portion of South Vietnam. According to McPeet, this was a surprise.

"Jimmy was an engineer," said Jimbo's life-long pal. "How? I don't know. He had the shakiest hands I know."

For Jimbo and all of the people that surrounded him, making the best out of a horrible situation over in Vietnam was the only way to survive it. Jimbo and company would lead parties and drinking adventures on the days and nights at the other side of the globe.

According to widow Linda, Jimbo was never one to complain. He would always say, "that is wasn't as horrible as everyone says," although he would complain a bit.

"He always talked about the 13 months he slept with the same blanket without being cleaned," said Linda.

Jimbo returned from the war and started to live his life as a father, husband and friend.
Then in March of 2005, while out to dinner with his family, Jimbo began to feel very ill. After eating, Jimbo became uncontrollably sick and began vomiting outside of the restaurant.
Though Jimbo recovered well from this Lymphoma, it was a ominous sign of things to come.
In June of 2006, Jimbo became sick again.

"His voice started squeaking like Elmo," said Linda, in reference to the cancerous tumor that was found on his voice box.

This tragedy led to more, as the cancer spread to Jimbo's brain and bones, but according to Linda, he remained very "optimistic," and "never complained ...ever!"

One day, Jimbo began to have complications breathing. Two days later, on Feb. 29 of this year, Jimbo passed away.

"I couldn't give you a bad word about Jimmy," said friend Jim McPeet. "He was the nicest guy in the world and my best friend."

Now, "Jimbo's Squad" is ready to represent themselves at the Broad Street Run, the nation's largest 10-mile contest.

In an attempt to raise money for cancer research, a group of runners are in place to help try and raise their goal of $20,000.

To find out more about the team of runners or to join, go to www.JimbosSquad.org.

Edward Torres

By Petra Chesner Schlatter, Bucks Local News.com

Active Private First Class Edward Torres was injured by mortar fire during World War II in Germany. Before his unit reached the Rhine River, Torres sustained nerve damage to his leg and hearing loss in both ears.Three of his toes are paralyzed.

He lived to tell about it.

Torres was born on March 12, 1926 in Washington Heights, a section of New York City near the George Washington Bridge.

Torres was drafted. "At that time, if you were 17 years old, you could enlist. Once you reached 18, you were automatically drafted," he said. Torres said his father convinced someone to let him graduate from high school first.

His brother had been killed in Italy in 1943.

"I really wanted to go in The Service," said Torres, 82. "Everyone was taking their chances. It was your time to take your chance." His first day in the Army was July 30, 1944. Torres became part of the 84th Infantry Division in Europe.

In early January, 1945 "we shipped out for Europe on a troop ship to Le Havre, France. It was pretty well demolished. We were U.S. Army replacements - replacing the casualties."

Torres has a copy of Life magazine with a photograph depicting countless soldiers, just like him, who would become part of a massive relief effort in Europe. The American forces continued to face the Nazis head-on.

He had prayed early on that if he got wounded, he hoped it would be in his ankle. Indeed, mortar fragments went through his ankle. "I believe in my faith. I believe there is a God and he listened to me."

Torres said he witnessed people die in action. "I saw a man get killed. There was dust all around. That was the man's soul leaving his body."

"There's no joy seeing a body completely destroyed," he lamented.
Coping with the thought of his own possible death, he went along with what he called the common joke of the time: "Praying for civilian." The phrase meant, "That you come out alive."

Engaged in combat on the ground, Torres and his fellow soldiers followed rivers along the way. "We had a lot of casualties - men were jumping the river. The set up was what they call a manmade bridge, which is just enough for one person to get across with the shelling."

Torres carried an M1 rifle and grenades. "You're always afraid, but you cross the river under constant shelling. You had casualties that went before us. There was constantly danger. Shelling. Mine fields. Mortar fire.

"We kept going for days. You're on the go 24 hours a day. You very rarely sleep - maybe two to three hours a day. That's it," he remembered.

Torres spoke openly about "Battle Fatigue," something he said young soldiers are experiencing today in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, "Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome," is a common term.

"You're constantly going day and night. There's no let-up. That's when you're determined - whether you're able to sustain the pain. I broke down in the hospital. All of a sudden you start to cry," he said.

He was in a field hospital in Germany and was taken by ambulance and airplane to England.
Torres attributed his stuttering to being in battle. "Noise would make me sweat. I used to have blue eyes. They turned color. My heart turned grey. All these are side effects of war. The nerves in my left leg were blown out."

Torres remembers the Battle of the Bulge in January 1945. "It was cold in winter. It was very cold. I wore two pairs of everything - pants, shirts. You';re marching around. You perspire and that's when you really feel cold."

"I got as far as the Rhine and was wounded" he remembered. "We were zeroed in by mortar fire," Torres explained. "We had a squadron of 12." Some died. Some were wounded. It was March 4, 1945.

When he came back to the States, having been hospitalized in England for shell shock and injuries, Torres said he used to think of the war. "War is brutal - vicious," he exclaimed. "It's not a sporting event like some people think.

"The significant thing right now is I believe in my faith," Torres asserted.
One place that stands out for Torres is a hospital in Paris. "I was baptized a Catholic in 1945. That was my goal - to become a Catholic if I survived the war. They say they have no atheists in fox-holes."

Torres noted there are a dozen different cemeteries in France.
With his wife, Catherine by his side, Torres spread relics of his war days across a lace-covered dining room table. His collection includes broadsheet newspapers with huge headlines. He has a "Second Extra" issue of the Miami Herald, heralding the Japanese surrender: "WAR ENDS."

He has carefully saved numerous pieces of World War II memorabilia, including a binder he calls a diary. In it are daily entries. Some of his keepsakes also adorn one wall in his garage.

His medals hang there in a case. They include the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, the Combat Infantry Badge, the Good Conduct Medal, the Victory Medal, the European Theater of Operations medal and the Occupation Medal for fighting in Germany. There are large group shots of soldiers, including him. A picture of the American flag hangs there; too, it was made by one of his grandchildren.

For 30 years, Torres had the honor of playing Taps on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, the key official functions of the VFW Post 6393 in Yardley. "Now, it's a tape we have. I gave that up four years ago" He stressed the audio tape of Taps is from the U.S. Army in Washington, D.C.

A Lower Makefield Township resident since 1964, Torres and his wife had previously lived in Levittown for 11 years.

He earned a bachelor's of science degree in administration through the U.S. Army from then-Rider College. According to Torres, the G.I. Bill paid for everything because he was a disabled veteran.

For 34 years, Torres worked for U.S. Steel in the accounting department. Then, he was a sales clerk with the Liquor Control Board until 2001.

Torres said he enjoys the comradeship at the VFW building in Yardley. "You talk about the events of the past. Now, we're getting new members from the present wars. You understand what they're going through as far as the feelings and getting hurt."

On today's current situation, Torres noted, "I'm beginning to think we should get out of Iraq and Afghanistan. The terrorists are always going to be there. They have to be wiped out. We're being the world's policemen and the U.N. is all over.
"It's very costly to the United States. In Iraq, they want us out and we're still trying to stay there," he maintained.

Brian Stann

By Janine Logue, Doylestown Patriot Editor

Brian Stann may only be 28-years-old, but he has seen a lot of action in his life.Stann started his life in 1980 at Yakota Air Base in Japan. Later, he moved to Scranton, PA where he grew up.

During high school at Scranton Prep, Stann found himself the star of the football team. Stann set school records as the team's quarterback for both career passing yards and rushing.

His stand out performance on the field caused colleges to stand up and take notice. Stann decided that he didn't want to sit behind a desk at an office job. He determined the United States Naval Academy as the school for him and in 1999 he enrolled.

During Stann's four years at the Academy he excelled in his new football position as linebacker, beating archrival Army in three of his four meeting.

Stann also earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics during those four years.
It was during Stann's senior year that the Iraq War began, and in 2003 he was commissioned as an Officer in the United States Marine Corps.

Within a few months, Stann and his men were deployed to Iraq.
Stann was the 2nd Mobile Assault Platoon leader with Weapons Company during his first tour in Iraq.

It was May 2005 when he led his men in to battle to seize a bridge near Karabilah, Iraq. He continuously maneuvered his men to avoid enemy attacks. Unfortunately, he and his men fell in to an enemy ambush.

The attack lasted for over a week with enemy fighters surrounding Stann and his men. The enemy fighters launched over 30 rocket-propelled grenade attacks, fired at the American troops with machine guns and attacked with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

During the enemy attack a suicide bomber with an IED was able to hit one of Stann's platoon vehicles. Stann was sure that the five men he had inside the vehicle were dead, men he said averaged around 20-years-old.

Miraculously, the men were still alive, but they were injured and in need of medical care.
Stann set up casualty evacuation points and called in for close-air support and tank fire assistance.

"When we began, it was a big fight, but as the days went on, we began to use more of our assets," Stann explained. "We called in close air support and used tanks and dealt a big blow to the enemy."

According to Stann, he owes the victory of that battle to the hard work and determination of his men in the face of grave danger.

For his actions, Stann received the Silver Star, awarded "for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States."

Major General Richard Huck, 2nd Marine Division's Commanding General awarded the medal to Stann. In his opening speech he said of Stann, "He has great strength of character and endurance, which was shown when everything happened over a week and he kept on going. It doesn't even capture all that happened."

But for Stann the medal was more a representation of the hard work that his men did rather than he, himself.

"This award represents my guys. It's an insight to what my men did over there. There were a lot of our guys who received awards from our group when we were out there, not just me. You can forget all the other medals. I just wanted the award that said 42 out of 42 men came home safely. And we all came home, so mission accomplished," said Stann.

During the time between his first and second tours in Iraq, Stann married his college sweetheart Teressa, who happens to be a former Eagles cheerleader.

It was during Stann's second tour of duty that he decided to try his hand as a professional mixed-martial arts fighter.

Stann managed to get himself booked for a fight, and he earned himself first round knockout. The impressive showing by Stann caught the eye of a promoter who, soon after, signed Stann to a World Extreme Cage fighting deal.

During Stann's first fight as a WEC fighter he again earned another first round knockout, only this time he completed the task in just 16 seconds. It was the fastest knockout in WEC history.
In March 2008 Stann defeated WEC Light Heavyweight Champion Doug Marshall, earning him the title. However, in August 2008, Stann lost the title to Steve Cantwell.

Today, Stann continues to serve on active duty as a United States Marine Corps Officer at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

To learn more about Stann's career as a WEC fighter visit http://www.brianstann.com/.

Greg Marston

By Bob Staranowicz, Correspondent

"I wanted to be a pilot, so I enlisted in the Air Force after high school at the age of 17."

Colonel Greg Marston has served his country for over 30 years since that day he enlisted in 1974, including four years at the Air Force Academy. After graduating from the Academy in 1978, he was commissioned as an officer.

"After the Academy, I went to undergraduate pilot training at Williams Air Force base in Arizona."

Greg's first assignment was piloting a C-141 out of McGuire Air Force base in New Jersey.
After stints in Korea and Arizona, the Colonel continued his Air Force career as an instructor pilot and deputy commander for the 602nd Tactical Air Support Wing, training all A-37 pilots for the USAF and some foreign nations. The A-37 is nicknamed "The Dragonfly" and has served the United States Air Force, Republic of Viet Nam Air Force, US Air Force Guard and Reserve units and several Air Forces of Central and South America.

Greg joined the Pennsylvania Air Guard in March of 1985 as an OA-37 pilot. The OA-37 Dragonfly was an armed observation aircraft developed during the Vietnam War. The OA-37 replaced the O-2A in the early 1980s. It continued to be used with Air Guard and Reserve units as observation platforms until the 1980s.

Greg then moved on to the A-10. The "Warthog" is the first Air Force aircraft specially designed for close air support of ground forces. It is a twin-engine jet aircraft that can be used against all ground targets, including tanks and other armored vehicles.

The A-10 provides close air combat support for friendly land forces and acts as a forward air controller (FAC) to coordinate and direct friendly air forces in support of land forces. The A-10 also supports search and rescue and Special Forces operations. "I really miss flying the A-10, I loved it. I flew it for 18 years, firing the 30 mm cannon, it was an unbelievable experience."

"It was just a great feeling to support our Army and Marine ground troops. These soldiers always told us how much they loved our close air support and what the A-10 pilots did for them." The A-10's 30mm GAU-8/A Gatling gun was capable of firing almost 4,000 rounds a minute and could overpower an assortment of ground targets including tanks.

The Colonel gained combat experience in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait, with over 90 A-10 combat missions. His most difficult assignment was when he volunteered to command at Bagram Air Base. In 2002, Bagram was the only completely blacked out and covert-lighted airfield and base in the world. One of the most heart-warming experiences in that country was when he initiated an "Adopt-A-Village" program. A medical clinic was established in the mud-walled village of Bachshakhil and Air Force doctors and nurses distributed clothing, cookware, school supplies, bulk food and toys to the residents. On one visit, Greg was summoned by the warlord to a meeting.

"It quickly occurred to me that I was being led into a trap," Greg recalls. His feelings were proven unfounded since the warlord proceeded to tell him how much he appreciated what the Americans were doing for them.

Among many problems at Bagram, Greg was concerned most about the inadequate Soviet-built runway and called it "easily, the worst in the world. It was extremely dangerous for our A-10s and the cargo aircraft using it, but it was the only runway we had. I was given the opportunity to brief the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff (the top general in the US Military) and the number two General in the Air Force," the Colonel recalls. There had been three major aircraft accidents in a five-month period on the runway when he was there. In an effort to fix these problems, Greg presented a five-year rebuilding and reconstruction plan for Bagram to Lt General McNeill (Commander of the entire Afghanistan war effort). The ambitious plan included the repair of the runway, a new tower and taxiway, new ramps, hangars and security berms. The General approved the plan on the spot and the $100 million project was started the next day.

"There was no turning back, especially after I had Thai Army Engineers cut a 2000 foot by 90 foot section of the runway, as the General looked on. We used the other half of the runway to keep our air support going." The re-building of Bagram, the largest US base in the country, continues today. When Greg left Afghanistan, he was presented with a large slab of the old Soviet runway as a gift for his work to improve the base. He has since donated the slab to the Delaware Valley Historical Aircraft Association.

The Colonel's most recent assignment before his retirement was the Director of Operations for the Pennsylvania National Guard in Fort Indiantown, Pennsylvania. At his retirement ceremony, Greg told his friends and family in attendance, "I've had the best jobs in the world: Flying an A-10, being the 103rd Fighter Squadron Commander and the 111th Fighter Wing Commander" (PAANG, Willow Grove, PA). He thanked his audience for their tireless support and shared his last piece of advice as he closed his speech: "History favors the bold."

Now retired, Greg is a resident of Doylestown, where he lives with his wife Teresa. They have three children, a daughter, Jennifer who is a Senior Nursing Student at Temple University, as well as a daughter, Catherine, who is a Junior at Central Bucks West High School and a varsity lacrosse team member. The Marstons also have a son, Lance, who is a Sergeant in the Marine Corps and has served one tour in Iraq in Marine Reconnaissance (Special Forces).

Greg is also a life-time member of the Doylestown Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 175.

Martin Bradley

A freak accident may have ended his military career, but it reinvigorated his life.
By R. Kurt Osenlund, Correspondent

Looking at the framed collection of medals and ribbons hanging on Martin Bradley's living room wall in his home on Rock Creek Drive in Yardley, one would think that the 73-year-old Vietnam veteran had a particularly lengthy military career. Decorated and dedicated, Bradley did serve in the US Marine Corps for nearly 20 years. But one cold December night in 1969 changed his life forever.

Bradley was stationed at the Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) in Memphis, TN at the height of his tenure as Chief Warrant Officer (CW-02). At the time, he was also moonlighting as a military prosecutor and was about to head off to a six-week naval justice course in Newport, RI. That plan was thwarted when Bradley, while driving home from work late at night on a back road, struck a 4-inch by 4-inch wooden property marker and flipped his VW Karmann Ghia.

“It hit all five sides,” says Bradley, wincing at the memory. “Somehow or another, I undid the seatbelt and slid myself out of the car. When the highway patrolman found me, I was side-by-side with it. The next thing I remember is the patrolman saying, 'ah, this one's gone.'”


Bradley was taken to the sick bay of Tennessee's naval hospital where, with no pulse or respiration, he was treated as a deep shock patient. Thanks to a determined team of doctors and corpsmen, he was revived. After successfully undergoing a potentially paralyzing surgery for a blood clot, he then spent eight months recuperating from lower back injuries and five pelvic fractures. He was eventually released from the hospital in August 1970.

“It was so many years ago and I still remember it,” Bradley says. “I'll tell you – those corpsman are the greatest bunch of people you'll ever want to meet.”

Prior to the accident, Bradley had been building an impressive resume with the armed forces. A native of Shamokin, PA and the eldest of six children, he enlisted with the Marines a year after graduating from Philadelphia's Northeast Catholic High School in 1953. He trained at South Carolina's Parris Island, served for six months in post-war Korea in 1955, then another six in Japan as an aircraft electrician. By the time he landed at California's Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in 1958 (where he'd remain for the next six years), Bradley had already completed a stint at a base in Edenton, NC and a 28-week electrician course in Jacksonville, FL.

During his time at El Toro, Bradley worked in a 400-man photo reconnaissance squadron, the west coast equivalent to the eastern outfit that took aircraft surveillance photos during the Cuban Missile Crisis. In 1957, he made Sergeant. In 1963, he made Staff Sergeant. By 1966, when he headed to Vietnam for a 13-month tour of duty, Bradley had been promoted to Warrant Officer. It was there, in the heart of Southeast Asia, that Bradley experienced the most intense time of his life up to that point.

“I was trying to stay alive,” he says. “We had to deal with rocket attacks from the hills. ...You talk about fear and try to figure out what fear's all about. I think there are two levels of fear: one fear that paralyzes you and that other fear that comes the instant you know you're gonna be in a fight and you realize you'd better get the first punch in. That's what we dealt with. It's not something you want to do...but when you go, you know you've been trained well and you know you're equipped to do what you have to.”

Such bravery may very well have been what ultimately pulled Bradley through his next life-threatening ordeal, which occurred less than two years later. When finally discharged from physical therapy after his harrowing auto accident, he was put before the Marine Corps' medical review board and given their quarterly physical readiness test. Due to his injuries, he was unable to complete certain tasks - such as running three miles under 25 minutes - and was medically retired in March 1971.

So began a new chapter in Bradley's life. He returned home to the Delaware Valley and went back to school. In just two and a half years, he obtained a degree in accounting from La Salle University. It was 1974 – exactly 20 years after he had originally enlisted with the military. From there, he went on to work as a finance and accounting officer with the Army Corps of Engineers and the General Services Administration in Philadelphia.

Today, Bradley has been happily retired for 13 years and lives with his wife, Rosemary, in Yardley, where they've been since the early '80s. He's a father to Laura, Adrienne, Martin, and Steven; and a grandfather to Jason, Tyler, Matthew, Erin, Colin, James, and Brad. He works part-time as a financial reviewer for his nephew's graphics business, is the technology coordinator for the Lower Bucks division of an IRS and AARP-supported tax program for senior citizens, and the local coordinator for the Middletown Senior Center during tax season. For leisure, he enjoys exercise and golf.

Amidst that busy schedule, Bradley still takes time to reflect upon the fateful crash 40 years ago that, he says, gave him a new lease on life.

“Something like that makes you aware of things that you may not have thought about before,” he says. “It makes you think about what you have and what you care about.”