Of the eight Congressional Medals of Honor awarded so far in the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, only one of the most honored heroes survived the combat action that won him the medal. Army Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta, of Hiawatha, Iowa, has earned the nation's highest award for his heroism in Afghanistan. Giunta will soon receive the medal from the President in a ceremony at the White House.

In your travels, you’re sure to see many camo-clad Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard people in busy airports, as well as at bus and train stations. They’re usually lugging their gear, on the way home or to their next deployment.

Next time you see them, regardless of your politics or thoughts about war, offer a word of thanks. Tell them you appreciate everything Sergeant Giunta and all those other young men and women are doing to protect you.

There’s an old sailors’ saying: If you don’t make a new love connection on a singles-only cruise, you’re libido is either dead or should be.

If you’re anxious enough to shell out a thousand bucks or so to take that special sailing, there are basic tips you should take along to help you find love at sea. Here are some suggestions:

1. No matter how youthful you think you look after Botox and hair dye, sign up for a cruise with your own age group. If  in your 60s, don’t sail on a 20s and 30s only cruise. Make sure the cruise you choose is exactly the one you want. Be aware of ethnic, religious, gay, couger and other special cruises you may want to join or avoid.

Hey, don’t even think about it
If you plan to fly on busy holiday weekends, or at any other time, you’ll save delays if you obey the rules. According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), there are several categories of restricted objects you may or may not take with you on your flight.

Some are totally banned, others must be only in checked baggage and less-dangerous others may be taken in carry-on bags. This list contains just the general rules, and TSA is continually changing and updating them. For air passengers planning their flights, it's a sensible idea to continually check the latest information so that their check-in process will go as smoothly and trouble-free as possible.

TOTALLY BANNED ITEMS

They include such potentially dangerous items such as gunpowder products, dynamite, blasting caps, fireworks, flares, plastic explosives and grenades. Parents traveling with children should note that the ban also applies to toys or models that closely resemble any of the above items.

Flammable Items: Any types of gasoline, alcohol or other liquid products that could ignite spontaneously or quickly. Exceptions are prescription items containing alcohol. They may be allowed if sealed in a proper, labeled container. Strike-anywhere matches are not allowed.

Containers where ingredients are under heavy, potentially-explosive pressure are banned. This applies to aggressive and self-protection products, such as mace, tear gas and pepper spray. Some hygienic aerosols are permitted if properly labeled and in small plastic containers of three ounces or smaller. In most cases, passengers with small personal oxygen tanks may not take them if the aircraft can provide the service.

Poisonous liquids: These include acids, drain cleaners, peroxides, weed killers, fertilizers and other corrosive fluids.

Did you see the recent news about an experienced travel writer who’s planning a 60-day European trek with absolutely no luggage to check nor stash in the overhead. He’s taking just one soft backpack which will fit under his airplane seat, and will wear a field jacket with eight big, expandable pockets in it.