Wiggington's Family and One extra...

My "Other" Family. These two parents belong to Steph, but they too have been great to me too. I get to see them at least once a month. Ron is the Daddy...and Debbie is the Mom. They live in AZ and fly over often. This weekend it was for Cody's 10th birthday party. Also, in the picture, Steph and I.

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Cody and Aunt Rhonda...10th B-day party

Happy Birthday Cody.....

Cody...being...Cody

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Best Buddies

Steph and Rhonda...cute as we can be...

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Gone, But Not Forgotten

The all Texas Crew
On the morning of Jan 26, 2005, "Tiger 60", a helicopter crewed by Captain Chris Alaniz, Captain Lyle Gordon, Staff Sergeant Dexter Kimble, and Lance Corporal Tony Hernandez was flying a mission in the Western Iraqi Desert to transport 27 Marines to an outlying base. At approximately 0120 local Iraq time, their aircraft crashed. All personnel on board "Tiger 60" perished. In this picture you can see Kirk and Henry sitting side by side...


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We lost four of our Marines...

Below is a letter wrote to us and the other families of HMH-361 about the CH53E that we lost last week. The kids and I are so thankful that Kirk was not flying that day. He is a Gunner on those aircraft, and until we heard from him that morning, it was a very scary time for us all...My heart goes out to all these families.


Dear Family and Friends,

On the morning of Jan 26, 2004, "Tiger 60", a helicopter crewed by Captain Chris Alaniz, Captain Lyle Gordon, Staff Sergeant Dexter Kimble, and Lance Corporal Tony Hernandez was flying a mission in the Western Iraqi Desert to transport 27 Marines to an outlying base. At approximately 0120 local Iraq time, their aircraft crashed. All personnel on board "Tiger 60" perished.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of our fallen Marines during this time of unthinkable grief. On behalf of the Marines and Sailors of HMH-361, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family members of Captain Chris Alaniz, Captain Lyle Gordon, Staff Sergeant Dexter Kimble, and Lance Corporal Tony Hernandez.

On numerous occasions, I've personally had the honor of flying with each member of the crew of "Tiger 60". Their professionalism and devotion to duty, both on the ground and in the air, were a great source of pride for me personally as well as for the entire Squadron. They had my unconditional trust and confidence.

I can only begin to comprehend the depth of sorrow the family members of the crew of "Tiger 60" are going through right now but I hope they take solace in the knowledge that Captain Chris Alaniz, Captain Lyle Gordon, Staff Sergeant Dexter Kimble, and Lance Corporal Tony Hernandez gave their lives in the defense of our freedom and for that we are forever in their debt. It is truly tragic that we lose Marines of the caliber of the crew of Tiger 60, but I take comfort in the certainty that we are all better off for having known them. They will not be forgotten.


Semper Fidelis
Anthony L. Winters
Lieutenant Colonel, USMC
Commanding Officer
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361




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Below are pictures from our trip to Big Bear Lake, in CA

Rhonda and the kids up at Big Bear. What a great trip with the Hollands.

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The children stop for a SMILE

The Swenson's and The Holland's Kids.. Youngest Austin 4, Brittany 8, Brooke 6, Gunnar 7, Cody 9, and Christian 10. What a great time they all had this week at Big Bear.

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More pictures of the road that BOTH Steph's big Ford drove on, and our little VW Jetta...IT was a flooded,river, ice mess...The road was NOT there...BUT it was a lot of fun to drive on with HUGE water sprays coming off each side of the cars!!!

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Looking out the car window at the roads INTO our cabin.

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This is only one of the many falls Steph had...She and I both came home black and blue from the not so forgiving ice and snow..But with our smiles on the entire time..it was all in fun!.

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Friends......

Gunnar takes time out to tell Austin all about the game Leafy Green..They are best buddies...

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Brittany and her mother rode the big hill down...to find out the little river is very cold when you land in it!

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The Gunnar and his mother. Both cold and in red...

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Let me see....Its me Rhonda getting down on the ice covered ground, cold and wet....

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Well lets see...thats my butt and legs hanging out from under Stephs truck...we got stuck just 1000 feet from our cabin on ICE, when we stop to take pictures of the Marine Corps sign...go figure.

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Wouldn't you know what Christian would be up too....

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All of us piled into Stephs truck and headed into town to buy or things!!! This was prior to us getting stuck on ice for over an hour....

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This is my DAD and I.. David. I got him to stand still long enough to smile. The kids and I were headed out the door on our long drive home from my parents house new years day. LORD I look like my parents.

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The Girls from Red Bluff High

The Girls from yester-year! These three girls are who I spent most of my high school years with. This is the first time we have all been together in about 13 years or more. Between us we have 8 children, two step children and yes, two grandchildren, not to mention four very crazy husbands to put up with US!!! . Rose , Steph, Tiff, and then me...We met up at Roses house in Corning Dec 31st.... You couldn't ask for better friends.

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Always getting in the last words....

We can't even shut up long enough to have a picture taken!!!!

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The sun just cutting in after a large storm , Newman, CA area Dec 2004

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California Sky outside Stockton...Dec 2004

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Never a let down after a storm....

Califorina sky..Dec 2004

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Who am I? Who are my shadows...

I am Rhonda, married to Kirk .We were married in Vista, CA on Sept 17, 1993. We have moved from San Diego in 93 to NAS Memphis, to El Toro, CA, Red Bluff, CA, to Jacksonville, NC, to Pensacola, FL back to San Diego, CA over the past 11 years. During that time we have had three babies. Christian was born Aug 1994 at Travis AFB in Fairfield, CA while mom lived with her sister Trina and her husband Joe. Kirk was driving the 7 hours north from El Toro-Tustin every weekend waiting for his birth..he missed it. Then came Brittany , she too was born at the same place, July 1996. I then lived in Red Bluff, but had been staying once again with my sister in Fairfield. Kirk missed it again, but this time he was in Spain on a deployment. Then there was Gunnar , born on Oct 1997. He was born in Jacksonville, NC...His daddy made this one! Kirk is in Iraq right now and when he returns, we will be moving back to Jacksonville, NC in mid- April.

The Califonia Sky..

A sideways RAINBOW after a large strom. This was about at the Grapevine. All the next few pictures were taken by me, Rhonda out the sunroof in her car...Not to safe, but nice...

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