Thank you to all who gave to the Valour-IT Fundraiser. And, thank you to all of the bloggers who teamed up to get the word out to everyone.
Wouldn't it be nice if we all took the Oath of Citizenship sometime in our life...
I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen;
that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic;
that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same;
that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law:
that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law;
that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and
that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, so help me God.
These brave men and women have given their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams.
Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by clicking here.
To sign the Legacy Book for Douglas Desjarins-
visit this link http://www.legacy.com/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonID=19883379
A place to reflect, a place to pay respect to our fallen and our Veterans....
Located in Salem, Oregon, the first memorial in the country to the fallen in Afghanistan and Iraq has been completed, and was dedicated on Veteran's Day. The memorial is the vision of M.J. and Clay Kesterson who lost their son Chief Warrant Officer Erik Kesterson in Iraq.
The memorial has an American soldier, down on one knee with his hand reaching out. At the bottom of the pool is a map of the world. There is a memorial wall which is engraved with the names of Oregon's fallen.
The northwest has been battered by storms, but the clouds parted and sun shone for the dedication. About 400 people came for the ceremony. A Blackhawk helicopter came in close for a fly over - CWO Kesterson was killed in his Blackhawk in Iraq.
To read more about the dedication, see Salem-News.
To see pictures of the construction and the dedication, go here.
Navy meets its goal!
In honor of the Marine Corps Birthday, please give a gift to ValourIt for the Marines!!!
Don't forget the auctions are still open!
These pictures show the new National Museum of the Marine Corps under construction. It will be a lasting tribute to U. S. Marines -- past, present and future. Situated on a 135-acre site adjacent to the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia, the museum's soaring design evokes the image of the flag raisers of Iwo Jima and beckons visitors to its 100,000 square foot structure. World-class, interactive exhibits unsing the most innovative technology will surround visitors with irreplaceable artifacts and immerse them in the sights and sounds of Marines in action. The Museum will be dedicated on November 10, 2006, the Marine Corps 231 Birthday.
Last month, while we were touring Virginia, we were disappointed that we were too early for the opening of the Museum, which opens to the public on November 13, 2006. But, we hoped to catch a glimpse. A friend of ours said, "don't worry, you can't miss it!" Driving up the interstate it towers above you, like a bright, shining beacon of freedom and security!
It will contain the history of the Marine Corps, including the work of Marine Corps Artist Michael D Fay. (Click on his name to see some of his amazing work!)
To learn more about the museum and to see some of the amazing displays, visit the website.
The Yellow Ribbon is now a national symbol in this country. "A symbol of reaching out, of caring, of caring for our fellow Americans," said Bruce Laingen.
Though Penne may have led the first national response with the yellow ribbon, it is part of the folklore of this coumtry. It can be traced back to the Puritans who used it as a battle symbol, versions of the song "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" date throughout the late 19th century, and, of course, "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree." It's use and meaning continue to evolve, but we all know when we see a yellow ribbon that someone is away from home and is missed.
References:
Spc. John Souza, mail clerk, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, sorts his unit’s mail every afternoon for later distribution to his company.
Pvt. Rokeisha Washington helps Staff Sgt. Michael Addesso, both of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, with sorting through the mail.For our troops away from home, there is probably nothing that is cherished more than mail from home. We have been told in numerous ways from the troops we write to how important it is. Many of them have become like family to us.
With the holidays coming up, it is important to know the deadlines for mailing to APO/FPO addresses.
APO/FPO AE Zip 093xx - First Class Letters & Priority Mail - December 4
All other APO/FPO Zips - First Class Letters & Priority Mail - December 11
All Parcel Post - November 13
The best shipping rates are still the Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes which come in two sizes.
If you don't know anyone to send a card or letter to, click on one of troop support links on the left and get involved!
You probably wonder why I have a picture of Sharon on a post about Valour IT. This is my tribute to her generosity and grace for our troops.
When she got here, we were talking about our troop support activities - something she always asks about. When we finished shearing, and I was getting ready to pay her, she said, "I have a proposition for you.... Take my fees and give them to the troop project."
I have donated, in Sharon's name, her fee for an entire day's work. Not many people are willing to give a day's wages to anything, but Sharon did. In my book, she is an extra-special lady!
Thank you, Sharon!!!!
Valour IT is a program which provides laptop computers and voice-recognition software to our wounded troops. This program allows those with hand and arm injuries to stay in touch with family and friends. As of this writing, we have earned $115,000 in donations - enough for 143 systems. Our goal is to raise $180,000 by Veteran's Day. A friendly competition is going on between the branches of the service to raise the money.
How to donate:
Click the box on the left and donate to your team of choice.
Visit the Auctions:
Marines in the Garden of Eden by Richard Lowrey
The Gulf War Chronicles by Richard Lowrey
The Navy Auctions which include flight suits, a helmet, challenge coins and books
Please give to help our wounded - even $1.00 will help. They have given so much for us!
"I have seen their smiling faces and their attempts to say 'I love you' in broken English...I saw hope in their eyes and gratitude in their hearts for what was done for them."
-Gary Sinise
No soldier this week. Instead I thought would hightlight the efforts of a great organization doing what they can to help the real victims of this war. Operation Iraqi Children. It's an organization started by author Laura Hillenbrand and actor Gary Sinise. OIC was set up to help Iraqi children get school supplies that they would otherwise be unable to afford. From their mission statement.
During and after Operation Iraqi Freedom, American soldiers passing through Iraqi villages were horrified at the squalor of Iraqi schools, which had been severely neglected under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. Corralled in sweltering one-room buildings without air conditioning, fans, windows, solid floors, or even toilets, Iraqi students lack even the rudimentary supplies that American children take for granted. Libraries and books are almost nonexistent. Without these basic tools of education, Iraqi children face an uphill struggle to learn. "Imagine sending your child to a school in which there are virtually no books, no pencils, no paper, no blackboards," says Hillenbrand. "This is the reality for Iraqi children. The future of the Iraqi nation is being squandered for lack of basic school supplies."
"The fact is that for some on the far left, their belief in America as a force fo evil and destruction in the world makes them believe that the American military is the agent of that evil and destruction. Their whole approach is to blame America and demean our fighting men and women, not the enemies who threaten us.
"The far left believe themselves to be the intelligent and cultured elite who possess the only opinions that matter. They become apoplectic when reality collides whith their misguided worldview. The fact is that the average young man and woman serving in Iraq today is better educated than the average civilian American their age and comes from a higher income level than the average civilian American their age. The fact is that our troops are exemplary young men and women serving our country for patriotic and decent reasons. But instead of accepting these facts about our troops, they call them stupid, desperate and worse." -Newt Gingrich
November 5, 2006, a Homecoming was held at Fort Carson, Colorado for this unit. In this Company were friends - one we knew before they left for Iraq, and now, several. While the joy of homecoming was great, there is bittersweet in the loss of friends that did not come home. Our friends asked me to promise to let people know about their friends who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country. This is an emotional promise to keep. To keep that promise, I invite you into the tribute their friends gave them in Iraq. Unlike most tributes written here, these are people who personally touched our lives. We will never forget them. I hope you will remember them now.
"Real American Heroes - SPC Grant Dampier and SSG Marion Flint are the biggest heroes I have ever met who died in combat on 15 May 2006. I miss you and I will never forget you. See you an the flip side brudda'." (from an email from one of our friends)
The memorial for Staff Sgt. Marion Flint Jr., squad leader, and Spc. Grant Dampier, gunner, both from 2nd Platoon, Company B, 1-8 Combined Arms Battalion, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Band of Brothers, is displayed before the crowd of mourners at Forward Operating Base Paliwoda near Balad, Iraq
The Company B, 1-8 Combined Arms Battalion Honor Guard fires volleys during the memorial for Staff Sgt. Marion Flint Jr., squad leader, and Spc. Grant Dampier, gunner, both from 2nd Platoon, Company B, 1-8 Combined Arms Battalion, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Band of Brothers. The two Soldiers were killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle May 15.The memorial took place May 24 at Forward Operating Base Paliwoda near Balad, Iraq
Capt. Keven Beattie, commander, Company B, 1-8 Combined Arms Battalion, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Band of Brothers, and 1st Sgt. Joseph House, first sergeant, Co. B, 1-8 CAB, hold the identification tags of two of their comrades: Staff Sgt. Marion Flint Jr., squad leader, and Spc. Grant Dampier, gunner, both from 2nd Platoon, Co. B, 1-8 CAB, during the memorial at Forward Operating Base Paliwoda near Balad, Iraq. Last night, I sat up and anxiously waited for the verdict in the Saddam trial. This was the first instance of a tyrant and dictator being tried in his own country for his crimes against it. Before, these vile men have been taken to a place in Europe, tried in a language other than their own, and kept separate from the people whose lives they destroyed. But, the Iraqis stood up and held their own trial against Saddam and others for the crimes in Dujail.
In the wee hours of the morning, we kept waiting for the verdicts, but nothing was happening. Then, we learned that Ramsey Clark was having an altercation with the chief judge, and was thrown out of the courtroom. Finally, the verdicts began to be reported - one was released since the prosecution did not have enough evidence, three were given 15 years, three were sentenced to death for hanging. At long last, Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death for one of the many chapters in his tyranny.
A fine report of the verdict and sentencing comes from Mohammed and Omar Fadhil, of Iraq The Model. Here are a few excerpts:
"I was overwhelmed with joy and relief as I watched the criminals being read their verdicts. For the first time in our region tyrants are being punished for their crimes through a court of law.
"Right now volleys of bullets ring not far from where I sit, some are fired to express joy while others are fired in a desperate expression of denial but I have no doubt who is going to prevail. Although the road is long but we are walking forward and will not look back.
"I salute the honorable special tribunal that challenged threats and risks and insisted on keeping up the work until the end, and today it brought back the pride of this land that wrote the world's first laws.
"I salute the witnesses who risked their lives to reveal the truth and expose the crimes of the dictator.
"I salute the brave men and women of the coalition who came to this land and made this day possible.
"Congratulations to all my Iraqi brothers and sisters on this glorious day."
To read all of their comments, go to Pajamas Media
Iranian protesters burn a banner which reads 'Death to America' Saturday Nov. 4, 2006 in front of former U.S embassy in Tehran, Iran during a demonstration. Iranian demonstrators Saturday celebrated the 27th anniversary of the takeover of the U.S. embassy in Tehran by militant students, warning the United States to learn from the incident. The protest was held as Iran continued a 10-day war games that on Saturday included the participation of some 30,000 ground forces. The students took 52 American diplomats hostage for 444 days. (AP Photo/Hasan Sarbakhshian) 
United States Embassy Hostages 
I have a 35 year history of not respecting John Kerry. It goes back to Vietnam and the Winter Soldier and New Soldier events. I watched him gain prominence for himself by demeaning the men he had served with. He said heinous things about the soldiers in his testimony to Congress, he threw his medals away in disgust, in short, he made a name for himself. But, while he was doing this, he hurt many people. A friend of mine, wounded in Vietnam, was so disheartened by what Kerry said, that he couldn't bear to be thought of the way Kerry portrayed him, was caused great pain, and eventually his death. I admit it, for 35 years I have had a difficult time being civil when his name was mentioned. His latest stunt, just confirms for me, that he has nothing but disdane for anyone who serves this country in a military capacity, but is willing to use them for personal gain.
John Kerry wrote a book, which he will no longer allow to be published, probably because of the inaccuracies and venom, called The New Soldier. It is available on the web FOR FREE at www.freekerrybook.com . It includes his testimony before Congress (beginning on Page 106). If you want to know who this man is, this is the place to find out - from his own words:
"The New Soldier does not accept the old myths. We will not quickly join those who march on Veterans' Day waving small flags, calling to memory those thousand who died for the 'greater glory of the United States.' We will not accept the rhetoric... We will not take solace from the creation of monuments or the naming of parks after a select few of the thousands of dead Americans... We will not uphold traditions which decorously memorialize that which was base and grim."
John Kerry meant to be condescending and critical. It is who he is. His written "apology" is merely a political necessity after his statement and his press conference to refuse to apologize. Who knows if he, or his staff, wrote it. Why so visible to scream "I will not apologize" and a silent posting on a web page "I apologize." I will probably never forgive him for his slander and demeaning of our troops...not then, not now.
Worst of all, I believe that he wants failure in Iraq, in all things military, and if you read his book you will understand why I believe this.
Project Valour IT
WHAT: Friendly fundraising competition for Valour-IT.
WHEN: October 30th through Veterans Day, November 10th .
WHERE: Based in the blogosphere, spreading everywhere else.
WHY: Because giving wounded warriors with hand and arm injuries access to a computer supports their healing and puts them back in touch with the world.
HOW: Blogger teams will be divided along military branches, with civilians "up for grabs."
Valour-IT is a program run through Soldiers Angels, that provides laptops and voice recognition software to our wounded troops. This enables them to continue to communicate with their family and friends, even with severe hand and arm injuries. Capt. Chuck Zeigenfuss was a recipient of one of these laptops, and you can read more about the competition here. This year, there are Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force teams trying to out do one another in the fund raising!!! You can see where the teams stand and make your PayPal donation here. or at the box on the right. All donations are tax deductible.
The Goal in $180,000 - each team is trying to get $45,000 in donations. While large donations are nice, how about foregoing today's latte and giving $5.00 ???
(I have joined all four teams with equal donations, since I love them all ~ but, I have to say, that even though Navy is trailing, this team is working hardest!!)
These brave men and women have given their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams.
Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by clicking here.
I found this information in the Victory Times, October 26, 2006 issue. We are all familiar with the Toys for Tots drives here in the United States, but this drive is for the children of Iraq.
While in the midst of a war, our troops, once again, impress me with the generosity and compassion of their spirit. They are collecting toys for all ages for the children of Iraq.
If you or your family or friends would like to help, mail toys to:
Cartoon from Cox & Forkum.
It is the "silly season" - the time when our politicians INSIST on making sure we know what vacuous excuses for humanity they are, and the time when we jump on the the bandwagon of the insipid and voice our opinions - not bothering to find out if we have any facts to back them up or not. We hear a lot of "I feel" when engaged in any form of political discourse.
We also don't often bother to vote at all. Guess we insist on being vacuous, too.
Anyone who reads my blog will know a few things about me... I am first, and foremost, an American. An American who loves this country. I am inspired by our history - the good and the bad. The Founding Fathers form the pantheon of my heroes, surrounded by all of those who have acted heroically to maintain and sustain the nation. I am humbled by and inspired by our military men and women - I honor them, always - and believe they are the BEST of America. I am traditional in my belief and value system, as it applies to me, but tolerant of others, as long as they respect me, too. I believe that "the government that governs best, governs least." I am not a partisan. I hate political parties and believe that they are controlled by the Peter Principle - everyone rises one level higher than they should be placed. I believe that most politicians are idiots, immoral, dishonest, condescending, and I wouldn't allow them in my home. I am not, however, an Independent on any ballot - since in my state you can not vote in any primary if you register that way. When I cast any ballot, I give my vote to the person most likely to uphold the foundations of this country and to do the least harm. Isn't that sad?
Since May, The Media has been telling us that the Democrats will soon be running the country and that the Republicans can't win. I believe it is all free political advertising to get you to not bother to research your own candidates and vote like they want you to, or not vote at all. And, just in case the Democrats snatch defeat from the jaws of victory once again, they will have a basis to shout, "Fraud."
The only question that will sway my vote is, "Do you want America to win?"
Unfortunately, anything that is more complicated than the voting system on Survivor, American Idol, or Dancing with the Stars, seems to be beyond the American interest level. While we are faced with an enemy who wants to eradicate our very survival, people can't be bothered to learn about what is going on. They want simple solutions to complicated problems. I don't believe that our government has done us any favors by not giving enough information to the public, either.
Recently, I heard Walid Phares, author of Future Jihad, Terrorist Strategies Against America and The War of Ideas, Jihad Against Democracy (to be released Feb 2007), speaking about the upcoming elections. He believes that the insurgents want to divide America and to influence our elections and also believes that they are having some success at doing so.
"It seems that the US is having a hard time winning the hearts and minds of Arabs and Muslims, but an equally serious problem can be observed in the intellectual circles of America where some have had a difficulty coming to terms with the terminology of the War of Ideas. If the educated elite of the United States is incapable of identifying the ideology and the strategy of the Jihadists five years after 9/11, we not only have a problem with handling the War in Iraq, but also with this future of American national security as a whole." -Walid Phares
Read the entire essay here.
"One could go on at length, but the bottom line is that the radical Islamists, especially those engaged in warfare with the United States, are not politically blind. They know our system, and have figured out its weaknesses. In short, they have sought to discover our Achilles heel, and our efforts have been to counter them first through intelligence and followed by preemption.
It is simple. Al Quaida kills US soldiers in Iraq, al Jazeera films the scene, mainstream media relays the events to the West and critics of the war bring it home to the debate. The Administration is accused of failure, and its leaders are blasted for choosing the path of war in Iraq." - Walid Phares
Read the entire essay here. See Walid Phares on video here.
Bernard Lewis, the Cleveland E Dodge professor emeritus of Near Eastern Studies, Princeton University, recently said, "If Churchill had faced the opposition that President Bush faces today, Hilter might well have won."
Regardless of your feelings about the War in Iraq, if you believe that leaving there before the job is finished will accomplish anything positive, you have chosen not to educate yourself on the threat that has come to finish this country off.
When I vote, the question in my mind as I mark my ballot will be, "Do you want American to win?"
