Stacy Keach, one of America’s finest stage actors who became best known for playing scruffy private eye Mike Hammer on TV and whose career was nearly derailed after he was imprisoned in 1984 for trying to smuggle cocaine into Britain, died Tuesday. He was 85. Learn more here…
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 11th, 2026 is VETERANS DAY!
Honoring Those Who Served: Our Family and Friends.
This Veterans Day, we salute all who have served, with special gratitude for the veterans among our own family and friends.
JD Groff – Ellis McLemore
We honor my dad, JD Groff, who served proudly during World War II, along with our grandfathers, uncles, cousins, brothers-in-law, and others whose service spans generations—from World War I and World War II to Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and elsewhere throughout the Middle East. We also honor those who served in peacetime, standing ready whenever duty called.
For us, that history has familiar faces. These photographs include Dad with a wartime friend; Dad and Ellis McLemore; John Jackiewicz; and our good friend Sasha Javonavich.
John Jackiewicz
Dad’s letters home from boot camp and France—including those we found in my mother’s attic after her passing—offer a glimpse into his life as a young serviceman and the friendships he formed along the way. Together, these letters and photographs preserve something deeply personal: the stories of people we know and love who answered the call to serve.
To those pictured here, to the veterans in our families, and to all who have worn the uniform: thank you. We honor your service and the sacrifices you and your families have made. 🇺🇸
Sasha Jovanovic
We salute our family members: J.McElroy, Civil War Veteran. John McElroy, George Willis McWhirter, World War I, Preston W. McWhirter World War I, George McWhirter World War II, JD Groff World War II, Ellis McLemore World War II, John J. Jackiewicz Korean/Vietnam War, Richard McWhirter Vietnam, Mike Burke Vietnam, Mike Jackiewicz and Eddie Jackiewicz Peacetime Cold War era. A friend gone too soon, Amy Dorsett. And our friends who have served, David Hogue, Sasha Jovanovic.
For our family, these wars were deeply personal. From 1969 through 1971, we followed the news closely, waiting for our loved ones to come home.
Mike Burke made the military his career, continuing his service through retirement from the U.S. Air Force in the 1990s.
For our family, these wars were deeply personal. From 1969 through 1971, we followed the news closely, waiting for our loved ones to come home.
Mike Burke made the military his career, continuing his service through retirement from the U.S. Air Force in the 1990s.
My cousin Richard McWhirter returned from Vietnam deeply affected by the war. He lived with us afterward, and I remember how difficult those days were for him. Dad worked with him on training horses, giving him something to focus on, and Richard seemed to be doing well. Then we lost him when his car collided with a train.
When we honor our veterans, we remember their years in uniform and the lives they lived afterward. For some, coming home was the beginning of another difficult journey. Richard remains close in our hearts.
Thank you for taking a moment to remember a veteran today.
I’ll close with something personal about Dad. He hated poppies. To him, they represented the men who had gone off to war in foreign lands and never returned. It was what those flowers stood for—and the loss they carried—that he hated.
He made all of us children promise that if anyone placed poppies on his coffin, we would pick them off.
I have never forgotten that request. Remembering our veterans also means remembering how they wished to be honored.
“To all who have served, thank you. We honor you this Veterans Day and remember what your service has meant to our families.”
Benjamin, Steven and Otis!
Thank You! For Being Present. Being Heard.And Voting! The greatest generation fought for it. Some of their grandchildren nearly lost the right to have it.
BUT – Our time and need to act is not over! There are still concerns. If you have children. Even if you don’t have children. You should be alarmed. Watch the short “Wilder Raids” video. What you witness in the “Wilder Raids” Video to the very end will make you think we are in another country. I have posted it as you go through theBackDoor.
Remember the days when there was a sense of pride, dignity, and respect in being an American—regardless of where you traveled or whom you met. Those days are returning! People around the world are begining to show pride towards what Americans did on Tuesday November 3rd, 2026!
Before our own time fades into that eternal goodnight, let us stand and be proud of what we leave behind. A renewed country. Strengthened by the fact that we cared enough to participate.
Thank you for voting in numbers that mattered!
Welcome to benandsteve.com
Every visitor arrives here for a different reason.
Some come looking for today’s headlines.
Others are searching for a story that stirs an old memory.
And some simply want to slow down for a few quiet minutes with a cup of coffee.
Wherever your journey begins, I hope you’ll find something that informs you, encourages you, or reminds you of a place you’ve almost forgotten.
Choose where you’d like to begin…
☕ Morning Coffee A quiet place to begin each day with hope, reflection, and conversation.
📖 The Story Teller Original stories celebrating ordinary people, forgotten places, and the memories that shape our lives.
📰 News & Commentary Current events, notable deaths, public safety heroes and their actions on duty, and stories that matter to our communities.
-–– Benjamin
Are too many changes, causing you a blur? It’s time you sit down and had a cup of coffee, at Ben and Steve’s!
The answers to many of the photos scripts you will see on this site will be found in stories appearing in articles written by Benjamin Groff. He has detailed the adventures of his and Steven’s life, and those of his law enforcement days. As well, there are the many stories which will soon appear concerning their radio entertainment period. Not to fear the events of the two nearly four decades of knowing one another continue to erupt stories with Benjamin’s writings and maybe, just maybe, a soon to be decided podcast.
Getting To Know benandsteve.com From The Very Beginning
To learn more about Benjamin and Steven — and the more than four decades they have spent finding their way back to one another — visit the “About Us” page. Through the best and worst times this country has seen, their journey has crossed countless roads, miles, memories, and moments that shaped a lifetime together. Updates featuring stories, reflections, and memories from their shared lives will continue to appear here.
So go ahead… click on “ABOUT US!” and read all about it — or rather, about them… us!
OTHER PLACES TO SEE OUR FACES
Steven Swint is your H.R. Professional. Handling human resource investigations, employee complaints, and EEOC requirements. Visit the Groff-Swint Human Resources – Employee Relations website for more information and contact information!
I woke up early this morning, And glanced up at the wall, Where the roaches and the bedbugs Were playing a game of ball.
The score was six to nothing, The roaches was ahead, I got so doggone excited I jumped clean out of bed.
I hurried downstairs for breakfast, But the coffee there was so stale, It tasted just like tobacco juice Served fresh right out of the county jail.
And though the years have drifted by, And time has had its say, That little rhyme my father learned Has never gone away.
Benjamin Groff
R.J. Mitte, Walter White’s Son on ‘Breaking Bad,’ Dies at 34
The actor and disability rights advocate appeared on all five seasons of the acclaimed AMC drama, with his character based on a college friend of series creator Vince Gilligan.
R.J. Mitte, the actor and disability rights advocate who portrayed Walter White Jr., the son of Bryan Cranston’s character, on Breaking Bad, has died. He was 34.
Mitte died Monday in Brownsville, Texas, his reps announced. “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of beloved actor, philanthropist and passionate disability rights advocate R.J. Mitte,” they said in a statement.
No cause of death was revealed, but TMZ reported that he died by suicide, according to a county official.
I’ve never shared this detail with the group before, but I’m an ordained minister here in the United States. That’s why I appreciate your posts so much. I approach scripture as a guide for living a better life—teaching kindness, compassion, and preparation for life’s end—while helping others do the same.
3 thoughts on “HOME – GroffMedia 2026 Truth Endures – PAGE”
It was very nice of you to like my post, ” Isaiah Chapters 31-32;” thank you very much.
I’ve never shared this detail with the group before, but I’m an ordained minister here in the United States. That’s why I appreciate your posts so much. I approach scripture as a guide for living a better life—teaching kindness, compassion, and preparation for life’s end—while helping others do the same.
Thanks for sharing. I hope that you get some useful info from my posts. You might enjoy looking at my Page “About My References.”