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An Officer Gunned Down in Huntsville

Posted by Ronald Huereca

In the scary news department, I learned that this weekend a Huntsville Police Department Officer had been killed from being shot in the face. Officer William Eric Freeman was shot Friday night (December 14). Officer Freeman died the next day.

53-year-old Kenneth Shipp is the suspect and has been charged with capital murder.

What’s scary about this whole thing is there was a shooting incident several months back that involved Shipp and his son. The apartment wasn’t too far away from mine and the police locked down the whole area.

And today I learned that Kenneth Shipp worked in the same building as me (although I do not know him at all).

The tragic thing is that Officer Freeman left behind a wife and five kids with Christmas less than two weeks away. Collections for the family are being taken up, but I can’t imagine the amount of heartache and grief surrounding the Freeman family right now.

My sincere respect and gratitude goes out to Officer Freeman, his widow, his children, and his family.

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Let’s Just Say I’m Glad I’m Not in Kansas Anymore

Posted by Ronald Huereca

The entire three weeks I was in Kansas/Missouri, the temperature was about 20 degrees Fahrenheit the whole time. I’m glad I’m back in a place where I don’t have to wear four layers just to keep warm.

And since I have users here who use the metric system, this is for you:

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My Personal Values and Mission Statement

Posted by Ronald Huereca

I had the privilege of taking a leadership class that asked me to list out what values were important to me. I thought I’d share some of the things I wrote down and finish off with my personal mission statement. This post will give you a unique insight into how I think.

What is important to me?

Loyalty and objectivity are very important to me. Loyalty increases the longevity of a relationship, and objectivity allows one to make decisions based on facts rather than politics and emotion.

What do I value?

I value loyalty, honesty, open mindedness, self-discipline, creativity, innovation, and the willingness to continue learning.

Creative/Innovative: Being creative/innovative is thinking outside the box on a lot of issues. It’s challenging authority and figuring out why things are done a certain way. It’s being pro-active about fixing problems and finding solutions.

Intelligence: Intelligence is willing to learn and continue learning new things each and every day. It’s not afraid to ask questions and figure out the “in the mud” details.

Loyalty: Loyalty is staying on the ship no matter how violent the storm. When one is loyal, the person never leaves and never questions the integrity of his higher up.

Open Minded/Independent: Being open minded/independent is important in order to be objective to be a better decision maker. It’s realizing why one is making decisions and being able to see a broader picture.

Self Disciplined: Being self-disciplined is running in the 100-degree heat when nobody else is out there with you. It’s quitting the filthy habit that consumes you. It’s getting up for work when there is noone to hold you accountable. It’s being true to the God you will never see in this lifetime.

Self Aware: Being able to analyze one’s decisions and beliefs. It’s knowing why you made the decision and why you believe what you believe.

What are my personal goals?

Pay off my student loans, become fluent in Spanish, become a voice in online publishing, and start an online business.

What are my strengths and talents?

I’m very technical. I do a lot of programming on the side. I have an eye for color and love doing graphic design jobs. I am a proficient web programmer and writer for multiple blogs. I can speak well, and can usually communicate my thoughts and concerns. I’m opinionated and do not let politics/emotion get in my way of making a decision.

At the end of my life, what do I want my legacy to be?

I want to be known as a good Christian man who helped out his community. One of the reasons I’m learning Spanish is to continue my Hispanic heritage and help those who do not speak English. I’d like to be known as a writer, and someone who loves and would die for his country.

My personal mission statement

I am a man focused on my faith, my family, my country, and my Hispanic heritage. Along with continuing my Hispanic heritage, I strive to excel technically and academically.

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WWI Museum in Kansas City, Missouri

Posted by Ronald Huereca

Today I had the privilege of visiting the World War I Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. It was a very enlightening experience and I thought I would share a few photos. I’ll be in the area for another week and I hope to see more of this wonderful and intriguing city.

This photo was taken from on top of the Memorial Tower. I wasn’t up there long. It was a nice 28 degrees with the wind blowing in at about 30 MPH. It was cooooooold! In the background is downtown Kansas City.

One of the neat exhibits was the one describing how America got into the war. There was a video that described the brutal conditions and the catastrophic civilian deaths that resulted from the first World War.

This glass bridge marked the entrance into one of the areas of the museum. Each of the 9,000 flowers (poppies) below symbolizes 1,000 combatant deaths.

And thank you for looking at my photos. Please visit the official museum site for more information.

Unfortunately a new section (added just a year ago) isn’t yet reflected prominently on the website. However, you can check out a photo slide show of the newer section that I found somewhat buried. I also have more photos at my Flickr account.

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Mi Tía Connie

Posted by Ronald Huereca

When I went to Greenville, I visited my Aunt Connie. She is the only living daughter of mi abuela (grandmother). Connie had to deal with eight brothers, so you can imagine what this lady has been through.

Aunt Connie is probably the closest evidence I have (besides my deceased grandmother) that I am Mexican. My Aunt is 100% Mexican, whereas I am half.

Here are a few photos from our time in Greenville.

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Greenville, SC

Posted by Ronald Huereca

For my Thanksgiving adventure, I drove from Huntsville to Greenville, South Carolina to visit extended family. I had a great time and would love to go back.

For those not familiar with Greenville, here’s a photo blog that details Greenville’s appearance. It has a tremendously gorgeous downtown that I think all cities should be modeled after.

The Nightlife

I spent two nights there and after hours I went to the Connolly’s Irish Pub. The pub had great prices and a nice atmosphere with great live music. I met one guy named Sam on leave from Afghanistan and a couple of Coast Guard people. I also met some really nice ladies (Daniel and Liz) that last night I was there, but didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. I searched forever on Facebook, but with no luck.

The great thing about the downtown area is that the hotel I was staying at was within walking distance of all of the bars/clubs downtown. This was nice since I didn’t have to worry about a taxi. And walking at night downtown is a pretty relaxing experience.

The Hotel

The hotel I stayed at was the called the Westin, which is a very nice 4-star hotel.

The thing I didn’t like about staying in a 4-star was all of the hidden prices. I had to pay for continental breakfast (food plus gratuity, delivery, and tax), parking ($6 a day), and Internet ($10 a day).

Other than all of the hidden charges, the hotel stay was great and I’d probably stay there again if given another opportunity.

Conclusion

Greenville was a great experience and the drive through Atlanta was uneventful even though the cops were out in full force. I like experiencing new places. Hopefully on my next trip I will have brought a camera (I don’t own one, for shame) and share some photos.

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Happy Thanksgiving

Posted by Ronald Huereca

Happy Thanksgiving all. And thanks for putting up with my rantings over this past year. Enjoy your turkey and don’t eat too much!

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The Measure of a True Patriot

Posted by Ronald Huereca

Imagine just for a second that you were in a place where you just witnessed two of your colleagues killed. You were seriously wounded and were on the verge of getting out of the Army that many liberals claim is only there to send you off to a war nobody supports.

I just learned that Specialist Christopher Hoyt re-enlisted for four more years, only hours after being a victim of an IED attack where two of his friends were killed.

This man, injured from his wounds and confined to a bed, again swore the oath to rid the United States of all enemies foreign and domestic. According to him, the job wasn’t yet finished.

I can’t relate to the character of a person who would choose to re-enter the fire even as his fellow colleagues have been struck down, but I’d like to sit down with a person like this and pick his brain.

What the hell was he thinking? Whatever it is, he’s a true patriot and someone this whole country should look up to as a role model.

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The Great Immigration Debate

Posted by Ronald Huereca

I’ve written about illegal immigration on this blog numerous times, but there’s finally a YouTube video that puts the debate into perspective. Although the video puts immigration into simple terms, it still leaves some food for thought.

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Get the Glass - A Wonderful Time Waster

Posted by Ronald Huereca

If you have nothing better to do, head over to GetTheGlass.com and help the Adachi’s get a glass of milk. Fun stuff.

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