April 18, 2006
Fran O'Brien's last stand
For the past years, the fine folks at Fran O'Brien's Stadium Steakhouse located in the Capitol Hilton have been hosting Friday night steak dinners for wounded warriors from Walter Reed Hospital. These vets who are adjusting to life after war have significant physical difficulties. Wheelchairs. Prosthetic Limbs. And at Fran O'Brien's, they have a private room where they won't have to deal with stares and whispers. It's a gift to them - no bills are presented at the end of the meal.
From the Washington Post:
They come to the subterranean restaurant, at the corner of 16th and L streets NW in the basement of the Capital Hilton, in volunteer's vans and trucks. They're carefully wheeled down the stairs or slowly negotiate the steps on crutches. It has become a tradition so beloved among veterans that Garry Trudeau featured the dinners in his Doonesbury comic strip.
Jim Mayer, a veteran who works at the Department of Veterans Affairs and who helped start the steak dinner tradition, is concerned that the hotel wants to eliminate the spectacle of hundreds of severely disabled soldiers coming in and out of its building or that the restaurant's repeated requests for a new elevator or escalator to accommodate them was too much.
But Hilton spokeswoman Lisa Cole said the hotel's position on the lease has nothing to do with the dinners. She said its decision was based strictly on business considerations.
O'Brien's owners knew their lease was coming up. But after months of negotiations, the hotel chain told them this week that it would not be renewed. The lease expires May 1.
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The negotiations included repeated promises by the Hilton that there would be no problem with renewing the least. Now, just weeks before the expiration date, they've made a business decision. And the ones that will be most affected by this are the heroes who, one night a week, can enjoy a sense of normalcy that the best hospital in the world could not match.
Retired Army Staff Sgt. Michael Cain will never forget the porterhouse he had on his first night at O'Brien's, in 2003 after five months in the hospital. "It beat the hell out of hospital food," said Cain, who lost part of a leg in an explosion in Tikrit.
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Although the Hilton has (in response to a flood of e-mails and phone calls) offered to continue the Friday night dinners, they don't get it. It's not the food. It's not the location. It's a former Vietnam vet with a big heart who was determined to make a difference for these guys. And the way the Hilton made and communicated their business decision leaves a lot to be desired, from a number of perspectives - public relations, business, and humanitarian.
Andi from Andi's World has been
following the situation and will continue to update us. Do consider adding your voice to those who have an opinion on how the Hilton handled this situation. Be polite but be heard.
Dan Boyle(212) 838-1558
Brian Kellaher (202) 393-1000
Posted by Deb at 12:13 PM
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April 08, 2006
Emily Dieruf and her Corporal Nich - honoring his memory and sacrifice
On April 8, 2004, Emily Dieruf was told that her husband of three months, Corporal Nich Dieruf, had been killed while serving with 1st LAR near Husaybah, Iraq. Out of her grief was born a steely determination to continue the legacy of her husband's work in Iraq by supporting the families of troops here at home.
Marine wife and mother, Carrie Costantini, remarked in an e-mail last night;
"I'm sitting here tonight thinking about what tomorrow means.
Tomorrow means that it's the 2nd anniversary of Cpl. Nich Dieruf's death.
His wife is an inspiration to me ... she's founded the Cpl. Nich Dieruf Foundation. Cpl. Nich foundation supports military families in crisis with quality of life grants. That's right..grants..not loans. For reservist families, for abandoned spouses, for surrogate family members and many more, this foundation provides support. She is 24 years old and does so much for our military families. She is not old enough to rent a car yet she does all of these things for us."
Emily Dieruf recently visited Quantico to speak with military spouses at the Commander's Course Spouse's Workshop.
Here's a report from the workshop:
"People need not forget about our fallen soldiers, their sacrifices and the families who are affected," Dieruf said. "When Nich was killed, I vowed that I would not let him become a mere number or statistic. I live everyday honoring his memory and sacrifice, just like all of those others who fell before and after him."
Staying true to her word, Dieruf, along with USA Cares, has helped more than 2,000 families by providing or locating over $1 million in financial support. Dieruf's speaking engagements help military wives by making a sensitive topic more real for them. Many do not like to speak about war and death, but Dieruf sets the stage for honest discussion among the women of her audiences.
"Other military wives react with great sympathy and horror. I represent a harsh reality for them," she said. "But, overall, everyone has been extremely supportive and understanding."
Although Dieruf was only able to enjoy her marriage with Nich for a brief moment, she will continue to honor her husband and his legacy.
"My husband whole heartedly believed in what the United States is accomplishing in Iraq and Afghanistan and so do I," she said. "He would write me letters about how the women and children of Iraq would thank the troops for coming to liberate their desperate country."
That is what keeps Dieruf going, and she lacks no motivation.
"Every day that I get to tell another audience about my personal hero, Nich," she said, "I am rejuvenated for the following days to come."
During Corporal Dieruf's funeral, church rector Paul Prabell eulogized;
"We can be sure that Nicholas has fought the good fight as a faithful Marine. We can be sure that this former cross country runner has run the race to the finish, that this young man of faith and dreams and spirituality has kept the faith."
Emily is continuing his race with the same faith and dreams that Nich brought to his fight. Consider donating to the
Corporal Nich fund in his memory today.
Cassandra at Villainous Company also has a tribute up today -
do stop by and read it.
Posted by Deb at 08:47 AM
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April 03, 2006
Run for the Warriors
Carrie Costantini sent this along, thinking that it would be of interest to those who read this site.
The "USO Run For The Warriors" is dedicated to the men and women wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq and their families. It is intended as a celebration of their strength and resolve and a promise that their sacrifices will not be forgotten, nor their needs unmet. By uniting the entire community, military and civilian alike, this unique event will embrace Wounded Warriors and their families in the shared belief that there is hope beyond recovery.
All proceeds from the race will benefit Wounded Warriors and their families through the organizations listed below. We intend to address both immediate needs as well as future needs. The monies raised will be earmarked specifically for "Wounded Warrior needs" to assist with funding transportation for wounded service members unable to drive, to establish scholarships for spouses who may need to take an active role in the financial support of their family, to provide assistance with specially adapted housing, and to provide respite to families as they care for their wounded loved one, in the form of restaurant cards, gas cards, and child care certificates, to name a few.
The USO of NC
The mission of the USO of North Carolina is to enhance the quality of life of U.S. Armed Forces personnel and their families within our geographic boundaries, and to create a cooperative relationship between U.S. military communities and the supporting civilian communities. The USO is actively involved in the support of Wounded Warriors and their families, providing care and assistance to the Wounded Warrior Barracks, the Wounded Warrior Spouses' Support Group, newly arrived patients at Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune and families both near and far coming to the aid of their loved one.
WOUNDED WARRIOR BARRACKS
Supported by II MEF this centralized billeting allows single wounded Marines to come together as a team to recover and transition to the next phase of their lives, whether it be back to duty or to civilian life. The camaraderie and indomitable spirit found within its walls is truly amazing.
WOUNDED WARRIOR SPOUSES' SUPPORT GROUP
Meeting the third Wednesday of each month, the Wounded Warrior Spouses' Support Group offers an open forum where spouses, significant others, and friends affected by a wounded Marine can find knowledge and strength in shared experiences with those who have walked a mile in their shoes.
Project CARE
Administered by the Jacksonville/Onslow Chamber of Commerce, Project CARE's Mission is to provide benefits for spouses of those who are currently deployed. By rallying its members, Project CARE matches community services to needs of the families left behind
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T-SHIRT DESIGN
Run for the Warriors' pre-race kick off will be a t-shirt contest, with the winning entry being selected as the official race shirt. As Wounded Warriors reintegrate back into the community we find their courage and tenacity invigorating. The theme therefore is a tribute to their strength and our commitment to stand behind them in the belief that there is "Hope Beyond Recovery". Children fourth grade through high school are invited to capture this essence and in doing so we hope that they will gain an understanding that disabilities and challenges are not roadblocks to life.
RACE DAY
We invite young and old, military and civilian, runners and walkers to help welcome home and embrace our Wounded Warriors. Three race venues are provided: a 10K run/walk, 5K run/walk and a 1 mile fun run. During the opening ceremony, Wounded Warriors will be welcomed home followed by a pre-race warm-up to kick off the Wounded Warrior Dash where they will be invited to crutch, wheel and otherwise ambulate to the victory line. The 10K, 5K and 1 mile fun run will commence shortly thereafter. A service expo at the race site will provide access to those agencies that offer support to the Wounded Warriors and their families and will raise awareness in how the community can become involved. Immediately following all races there will be an awards/closing ceremony. We will introduce and award the winner of the t-shirt contest as well as the top male and female overall and each male and female age category in the 10K and 5K races. Finally, a special tribute will be made to all wounded participants.
Download more information here.
Posted by Deb at 12:40 AM
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March 21, 2006
What NOT to send to your Marine
LtCol Dave Furness sent this cautionary note to friends and family of his 1/1 Marines:
I wanted to take the time today to sit down and ask for your assistance on an issue that I am very concerned about, alcohol and other off limits items being sent in the mail to your Marines and sailors. Today I had the unpleasant duty to forward a member of 1/1 to a General Officers level Non-Judicial Punishment. I took no joy in doing this, but the man was found with alcohol, alcohol that he had received from a family member. I am sure the family member believed they were doing him a favor. To reiterate, it is illegal for any Marine/Sailor/Civilian serving in Iraq to have alcohol. This one incident may very well have ruined his career.
I once again ask you to please not mail any items which, in the possession of your loved one in Iraq, are considered illegal and could get them into serious trouble. Specifically, do not mail alcohol, pornography, firearms, or ammunition.
Posted by Deb at 12:38 PM
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March 20, 2006
Have you been Sempertoon'ed?
That's a question that GySgt Wolf, Art Director of the Marine Corps Recruiting command, wants us to have fun with. He noted in a recent email, "Humor is the best medicine and Sempertoons is the Military CURE!!!" I agree - judicious use of humor in highly stressful situations is a terrific anxiety reducer and Sempertoons is a wonderful way to smile at the idiosyncrasies of the Corps. He's just started a 4-part series, leading up to Easter, and here's the first one:
A few years ago, Gunny Wolf was profiled in a
Defend America News article:
The United States Marine Corps thrives on the ethos of honor, courage and commitment, and Staff Sgt. Charles F. Wolf epitomizes that ethos through art.
He's a stocky 5 feet, 5 inches tall, 160 pounds-from weight he gained during his years of bodybuilding. His face, chiseled like stone, doesn't look mean.
Wolf, a graphics instructor at the Defense Information School here, is a very easy-going person who believes in thinking outside the box to which most people limit themselves. Through his perseverance he has managed to apply his artistic creativity to other aspects of his life.
Growing up, he never believed his interest in art would develop the following it has, he said. Like most kids, he enjoyed doodling on scratch sheets of paper as something to pass the time. His first formal graphic design education was at a vocational school the year before he graduated high school.
"I just believe that everyone doodles or draws in their free time," said Wolf. "Some of us try, and then there are people who have a natural talent for it and excel from an early age."
He joined the Marine Corps in 1987 and started his career as an anti-tank assault man, or dragon gunner. For nine years his artistic creativity remained dormant, except for small requests to draw things like range flags, random sketches, or cartoons during his off-duty time.
"Initially I saw it as an opportunity to boost morale," said the Ashtabula, Ohio, native. "And I never lost that fire for seeing something come to life in front of me-that's the essence of art."
While stationed aboard the USS Blue Ridge in Yokosuka, Japan, he began drawing cartoons, which would soon be referred to as Sempertoons. This assignment fueled Wolf with a plethora of ideas for cartoons. "It was endless, and I saw how my cartoons made people laugh," he said.
Wolf's love for art began to equate to his love for the Corps, but he thought he had to keep the two worlds separate.
"I knew that art was going to take me somewhere, I just had to figure out how to connect the two worlds," he said. "It all came together in one moment, and it was like a big tidal wave hitting me."
As an enlisted instructor at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., the instructor group tasked him with drawing a sketch of the range. His sketch was sent to the graphics department to be drawn on a larger scale, and subsequently, he was sent to graphics to ensure they were duplicating his work correctly.
"I didn't even know that graphics existed," he said. "I walked through that building completely astounded, and that's where the desire to change my (military occupational specialty) evolved."
After the seed was planted, he was sent to his new duty station in Camp Pendleton, Calif., assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, which deployed with the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade. This provided another opportunity for him to gather material for his cartoons.
Even though Wolf had done several drawings during his Marine Corps career, he still did not realize the full capability of his talent.
"To be honest, the full impact of art did not hit me until I started doing Sempertoons," said Wolf. "In fact, the first few drawings weren't even that great."
When he returned from deployment, he met with MOS monitors and requested a lateral move to the 4611 MOS, or graphic illustrator.
His request was eventually approved and he reported for duty at the Quantico graphics center for three years, to include six months of on-the-job-training. He then served as the chief of graphics on Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, and two-and-a-half years later he was selected to be an instructor at DINFOS.
He now has the opportunity to pass on to younger Marines his talent and knowledge as a graphics illustrator.
He's been promoted since then, and in a recent e-mail, Gunny Wolf commented on the motivation behind his work:
"I live in Virginia with my lovely wife Amelia (My 1st Sergeant) and we are expecting our first child in July. ( I refuse to name the Baby "Sempertoon"...hahha.
Sempertoons is a family friendly way to relax and laugh at situations that sometimes leave everyone in the dark when it come to the Marines. I am most proud that Sempertoons is a window, vehicle and place for all of us to laugh together. Laughing is the universal language that keeps us bonded during tough and hard times. I can promise to everyone reading this that, Sempertoons will always be there for them when they need it.
My vision is to let everyone know this and let them find their own way through the humor. Regardless of the path, when you look around you are still bonded to your fellow brothers and sisters. "Now That's Semper Fi"
I would ask everyone to have fun with the following statement.... "Have you been Sempertoon'ed?"
And, here's an earlier one that you'll enjoy too:
There's more at his
Sempertoons website. And his books and new challenge coin would make a marvelous gift for Marines or their parents. With Mother's Day and Father's Day coming up, it's well worth a visit.
Posted by Deb at 05:27 AM
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March 07, 2006
Supporting our Injured Troops
USMC Major Steve Danyluk spent a few months in Iraq back in 2004, working to make Iraq a better place for the people who live there. During his stay, he took some wonderful photographs that were debuted at an
exhibition hosted by The Wounded Bookshop last June.
Now, he's put his photographs on a website and is offering them for sale with all proceeds generated to the
Semper Fi Fund, a 501c3 that benefits wounded Marines and their families. If you're looking for a special gift for a special someone, consider purchasing one of his photographs. It will be unique and you'll know that your purchase will be helping a Marine who has put his or her life on the line for your freedom.
Here's the link:
Steve Danyluk's Photos
More pictures can be found
here.
These would make lovely gifts for parents of Marines . . . and Mother's Day and Father's Day are coming up. Hint.
Posted by Deb at 10:18 AM
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January 30, 2006
Worthy efforts
Connie Riecke is working hard on the next MCFF project - sending Girl Scout Cookies to our deployed Marines. Here's Connie's message to those of you who are interested in supporting our troops in this tangible (and delicious!) way:
Support your local Girl Scout Troop by purchasing boxes of those yummy cookies.
Then donate them to send to our Marines deployed.
I know from experience that it’s hard to turn down those yummy cookies and the cute smiling faces of Girls Scouts when they knock on your door or meet you at your local supermarket. Every Girl Scout tries to meet a goal to sell enough to earn a merit badge. This fundraiser is enormous to the success of the Girl Scout program, and very much like the Boy Scout program that many of our US Marines completed. In fact many of our Marines have earned the highest rank of the Boy Scout program, they are Eagle Scouts.
But, better yet, last year the Marine Corps Family Foundation was contacted by a local Girl Scout troop who had several cases of cookies purchased and donated to send to our troops. The foundation was able to label the boxes and put them in the mail to our Marines in Iraq.
You can do the same. Just go to www.marinecorpsfamilyfoundation.org and make a donation via paypal and designate to “cookies.” We will purchase the cookies and put them in the mail. You can even email us if you have someone special to send the cookies to, just provide a name and address and we will make sure they get there. Or you can send a check to the Marine Corps Family Foundation, 4000 Lancaster Drive NE, Suite 57, Salem, OR 97309 and we will purchase and send the cookies.
Another wonderful outreach is Operation Warmer, coordinated by Marine parents Sharron and Ralph Cook
This is Sharron L. Cook and my husband is Ralph E. Cook. As some of you may know by now, we have a son in the 1st LAR, Weapons CO. On the 7th of January 06, we got a phone call from him saying that where they are located, they have a lot of frost on their sleeping bags. And to keep the hand, body and foot warmers coming. That they really DO HELP. That Sunday we got an e-mail form a dad who has a son with 1st LAR, Delta Co. He asked his dad to get in touch with us to find out where we got the warmers at and he would like more because his hands get so cold when riding on his LAV. I had sent some hand, body and foot warmers to his son. I contacted the company by e-mail and asked them if they could help and told of what these two Marines said. AND THEY DID! By the end of the week, I had five (5) cases sitting outside of my gate. I thought I had a lot here. They sent 1,200 hand warmers and that may sound like a lot. But with the request that I have received so far THEY DIDN’T LAST VERY LONG. And it sounds like ALMOST ALL of our Marines need them VERY BAD.
So we have another Project to work on and we need to get this done as fast as we can. It is called “Project Warmer”. If we can come up with the money to buy the cases and the postage for the Flat Rate Boxes (FRB), I can get these warmers at $ .40 each pair. There is 240 pair in a case that equals to $96.00 a case, (NO MATTER HOW MANY CASES) each case lasting about 2 to 3 nights per Company and these warmers will last about 10 hr. a pair. I have been able to get almost half of a case in one FRB, just can’t seem to get the last 6 pairs in the box yet. This company said that they will pay for the shipping to my house so we can repack the warmers and send over in the FRB’s at $8.10 a box now. (Have to say here that there is a lot of cardboard in each case and a case weight is 29 lb.) I have been able to get around 12 lb. in a FRB. I will mail the boxes only to 1st LAR’s Sgt. Maj. Ward and Weapons Company’s Gy Sgt. Leikwold and they will pass them out. Any money left over will be sent to the 1st LAR homecoming funds at Camp Pendleton in CA for our Marines.
So please, we can get our Marine warmer by giving them the Hand Warmers to keep warmer and not be "so COLD" any more. I know it is on short notice, but I have done every thing that I can to help those out that I can. I just can’t afford to send to the whole 1st LAR by myself.
E-mail: sharronlcook@earthlink.net
Her deadline is tomorrow - let's get those handwarmers in the mail. Thanks for supporting our troops.
Posted by Deb at 01:10 PM
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January 15, 2006
The Scent of Home
Photo by LCpl Peter R. Miller
LCpl Ryan S. Donovan, deployed with 1/2 Marines, reads a letter from his wife earlier this month.
Mail from home is a major motivator for depoyed Marines.
Motomail is efficient, messages are delivered the next day, but there is something special about being handed a sealed envelope. My son mentioned one time that each time mail was passed out, he was up on his tippytoes until he heard his name. Letters are read and reread, pictures are tucked inside a helmet and worn out on patrol as a reminder of loved ones safe at home. And when the envelope is ripped open, sometimes there is an intangible, yet very real, reminder of home.
Captain B wrote this last week. Read it, then write a letter to someone you love who is far from home.
But what I will tell you about is the smell inside an envelope from home. Where you can actually smell some of the things that where there when the letter was written. You can close your eyes and recognize the smell of the familiar little one who wrote you the letter. You can pick up on familiar surroundings like the pledge cleaner that was used on the table where the letter was written on or remember where the flowers are in your home that are neatly placed and accompany your letter. The smell of the room where the letter was written in cuts through the familiar burning tire trash smell you're currently surrounded in. It's a nice treat to get mail regardless who it is from. You get the letter here in a country that doesn't even have a mail system. It might have been a week old which is better than past wars where it could have been months before you received a piece of mail, it's a special piece of home.
I can tell you about the sacrifices your service members have made in this war alike the ones in the past. The birthdays you miss, the graduations that are complete minus dad, the dad that has to be both a mom and dad. The feeling a young Marine father has who stands guard on a post during a national holiday while his kids open presents back home. Having to deal with monsters in closets and taking off training wheels at home while their warrior is away helping a country take their training wheels off as well. The simple words from a youngster saying "I just want my daddy home" can carry a ton of weight just as much as a warrior says, we will prevail and we are here to help. Both know the meaning of sacrifice, both smell the envelopes from their loved ones.
Your service members and families know sacrifice because they not only feel it, they live it. Not just from Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, Vietnam, Beirut, but as long as this country has had to make war, we have made sacrifice. Sacrifice as a country at home and a far. Its not easy, its not always fun but when we make a sacrifice it is for the good and a good cause. We help others who have no hope, we dedicate our loved ones to complete the mission. We don't take it lightly and we play to win. We know the sacrifice and we are proud of what we do. The next time you write your service member a letter, know what is going into it and what they will get out of it. While in the country of America, I have seen a lot of great things transpire, people stand up and a country become proud and strong.
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Marine Corps Moms are getting Valentine's Day packages of candy, cookies, and cards ready to send. If you'd like to be part of this effort, let us know.
Posted by Deb at 12:10 PM
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December 31, 2005
"Operation Santa" Christmas at Korean Village
Here's another report about Christmas for 1st LAR, passed along by Col. John Folsom with the
Wounded Warrior Project:
Christmas Day passed uneventfully for most of us at Forward Operating Base Camp Korean Village. It was a day like most days; had it not been for the Santa hats and everyone greeting each other with "Merry Christmas!" it would have been like any other day here.
Operation "Santa's Helper" was a great success with hundreds of you sending thousands of Christmas presents to us. Of course, Chief David Peterson was the "go to" guy as he sorted through the packages, clipped addresses, entered the addresses into a spreadsheet and organized the distribution of all the presents to the several units that call Korean Village home.
No "White Christmas," but a brown one as another dust storm came through with a cold front to drop visibility to a half mile before the front passed. As the afternoon sun set, the winds subsided and the skies cleared to reveal a a dark canopy of stars and planets.
Camp Korean Village sits next to the major highway from Jordan and is heavily traveled with trucks, busses and autos. The highway is, no doubt, an ancient trade route that has existed since, well, pre- history. So, as I sat one evening watching the traffic, I wondered if the Magi passed this way on their journey from Persia to Bethlehem bearing their gifts. Perhaps so, but no one can know. But, as I watched Venus over the western horizon, I imagined that the Magi passed Ar Rutbah as they followed the star that led them to the manger and the baby Jesus so many years ago.
From all of us here at Camp Korean Village, thank you for making our Christmas one to remember.
You've seen
this snow globe before - Carrie Costantini sent along pictures earlier. However, there's another story worth sharing.
Col. Folsom shared this anecdote involving KV chaplain, Lieutenant Wayne Tomasek, USN:
As I reported, the Chaplain was having difficulty in getting the fan motor to work. He could be seen tinkering with the motor to no avail. Despite his best efforts, he could not get it to work, and an electrician was called in to fix the problem.
It wasn't easy to fix. The fan motor was finally turned into the battalion's maintenance shop for repair.
The problem? It was reported to me that the Chaplain was seen writing in his notebook while muttering, "Note to self: do not plug 110 volt appliances into 220 volt outlets".
Posted by Deb at 12:04 PM
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December 28, 2005
The Liberty Limited
Jarhead Dad passed along this wonderful story from the
Philadelphia Daily News by Ronnie Polaneczky about a very special tribute to our wounded troops.
It started last Christmas, when Bennett and Vivian Levin were overwhelmed by sadness while listening to radio reports of injured American troops.
"We have to let them know we care," Vivian told Bennett.
So they organized a trip to bring soldiers from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda Naval Hospital to the annual Army-Navy football game in Philly, on Dec. 3.
The cool part is, they created their own train line to do it.
Mr. Levin owns his own rail car, so that was a start . . . and he convinced 15 other rail car owners into lending their cars for the day. Amtrak donated transport of the cars to D.C. where the wounded troops were taken in grand style to the game, then returned them to their owners. Someone else donated seats on the 50-yard line - 100 of them - plus lunch.
Each of the troops were allowed to bring a guest. However, Polaneczky noted:
The Marines, though, declined the offer. "They voted not to take guests with them, so they could take more Marines," says Levin, choking up at the memory.
No media. No publicity. Just a wonderful outpouring of support in a tangible way.
The most poignant moment for the Levins was when 11 Marines hugged them goodbye, then sang them the Marine Hymn on the platform at Union Station.
"One of the guys was blind, but he said, 'I can't see you, but man, you must be f---ing beautiful!' " says Bennett. "I got a lump so big in my throat, I couldn't even answer him."
It's been three weeks, but the Levins and their guests are still feeling the day's love.
"My Christmas came early," says Levin, who is Jewish and who loves the Christmas season. "I can't describe the feeling in the air."
Thank God for people like the Levins who make things happen. The 88 troops who made this trip will have a wonderful memory to hold on to when life gets hard. And a killer story to tell their grandchildren.
Posted by Deb at 05:40 PM
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December 25, 2005
1107th AVCRAD Update
For those of you who met a
last minute request to send packages to a group of deployed Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, you made a difference. Emails started coming in this morning.
Here's one:
I wanted to thank you from the heart. I'm now in Iraq and received one of the packages you put together. I am now in Iraq. Knowing that people like you care and support us here is a great comfort. I Pray you and your family have a Merry Christmas and a safe new year. Again thank you.
And another:
I am a national guardsman from Missouri. I am currently deployed in Kuwait. This is my first deployment in twenty-six years of National Guard Service. This is also the first time I have been away from home for more than three weeks since my children were born. While I thank you very much for your gift, because it did make the day that much better. I salute you maam. You and people like you are the ones who make it worth the sacrifice of being away from home and doing what we do. I also salute your son. Because of young soldiers like him, like I said, this is my first deployment. They are the true hero's It gave me great pride to receive your gift, and I thank you very much. Happy Holidays to you and your family
And, here are two of the guys that made it happen. Eric Whitesell is one of my students who assured me that the packages, priority mailed in late December, would get to the soldiers in time.
Eric said:
It's a picture of me (the delivery boy) and my cousin (Naval Intelligence) on the cargo ramp at Baghdad International airport. We brought in care packages (and anything else our boys and girls asked for) the U.S. military. Since Deborah's son is a United States Marine, I thought she might be interested in the picture. (By the way, the guy with the M-16 is a Marine and the airplane was what I flew). . . My friends are working the priority mail into Iraq. It'll get there by X-Mas.
Thanks, Eric, and thanks to everyone else who helped with this effort.
Posted by Deb at 09:30 AM
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December 24, 2005
Operation Santa boosts holiday cheer in Iraq
From the 1st LAR, here are pictures of the inflatable snowglobe sent by the KVNs, wives, and other troop supporters.
The snow globe and other holiday decor was shipped via Operation Santa elves at Camp Pendleton to Iraq, where it was set up in the chow hall.
GySgt Todd Byrd, Delta Co., 1st LAR with the snow globe.
Pictures of spouses enjoying the Christmas party back home.
Posted by Deb at 07:26 PM
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December 22, 2005
Operation Santa Highlights from 1st LAR Elves
Carrie Costantini, Operation Santa coordinator for 1st LAR sent in this report of how her part of this effort went together - sounds like a wonderful success!!
Dear supporter of Operation Santa/1st LAR,
With the stockings stuffed, the boxes packed and shipped, it is time to thank you for making Christmas a reality for the Marines of 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion.
First, let me tell you about my week in California. On Monday, Nov. 14th, Pat Malloy, Louise Nohl, Tina Byrd, Meagan Bergeron, Norma Bango, the famous Sophia Bango, and I met at Costco in Dana Point, California. We had a mission: to purchase items that would go into the Marines' stockings.
We bought the following:
600+ Apple cider packets
600+ Trail mix packets
2400 AA batteries
600+ White tube socks
1200 packs of Gum
600+ Chocolate chip cookies
600+ Crackers in packets
20 Large boxes of Ritz crackers (to put in the Christmas party boxes for platoons)
600+ candy bars
Believe it or not, it only took us an hour to purchase all of the items. We even had money left over on the gift cards and Costco graciously cashed them out for us. We still had big concerns about the cost of postage.
We convoyed back to the battalion area and unloaded the goodies with the kind help of Gunny Sgt. Hooker. We opened the boxes that had been sent to Louise for Operation Santa and were so amazed at the beautiful stockings, the great DVDs, CDs and books, the candies and candy canes, the hot chocolate packets, the tabletop trees, tree skirts, and decorations. It was really humbling for all of us to see just how much the 1st LAR Marines are loved.
After all of that excitement, we sent Pat Malloy (don't tell his wife but he really is very handy) off to Walmart to purchase extra dartboards and Christmas DVD's while Meagan and Tina went to get the Christmas CDs that Meagan had put together for the Marines' Christmas parties. Louise and I stayed behind at the battalion area to get the breakdown of Marines per platoon, etc.
We rendezvoused at Baja Fresh for chow (hey...this shopping thing is hard work!!). After a great lunch with lots of laughing and sharing of stories (believe it or not, Pat held his own against 4 very chatty Marine wives), we said bye to Pat until the next day and marched to Walmart to purchase summer sausages and extra Christmas trees, lights, skirts and decorations. 40 beef sticks later, we were on our way to find boxes. The Shipping Outlet in San Clemente helped us out with that and with one last trip through the 99 cent store, where we purchased 20 vehicle flags that said "Official vehicle of Santa's helpers" for LAVs, we were done for the day.
The next morning was packing day. We had a great turnout for that with Marie and Pat Malloy, Greg and Maryellen Dament, Michelle Kosid, Tina Byrd, Meredith Peterson, Laura Leikwold, Connie Phillips, Meagan Bergeron, Norma Bango, Tim Riis and Karen Dolosa. We had stocking boxes and party boxes to pack.
Speaking of those party boxes, this is what we put in them:
Summer Sausages
Crackers
Dart boards
6 in 1 board games
Christmas CD
Tabletop tree with all the trimmings
DVDs
CDs
Disposable cameras so that we can see the Christmas fun
We packed the stockings with what we had purchased at Costco the day before and added the hot chocolate packets, candies, candy canes and one Christmas card from an adult and one from a child per stocking. Just reading the cards made us laugh and sometimes, it made our eyes tear up. It was all so wonderful. After each stocking had been assembled, we tucked it into a Ziploc bag so that nothing would spill out and then put it into a box.
It took until 4:00 pm on Tuesday to get it all packed up. We agreed that our shipping day would be Thursday and all went home to rest. Packing is harder than shopping but just as much fun when you’re doing it with the right people and for such a great cause.
Shipping day was equally busy and fun. With the help of Cpl McKnight, LCpl Mastry,
PFC Bennett and LCpl Washington from 1st LAR, CWO Jason Scroggs(the Family Readiness Officer), Michelle Kosid, Tina Byrd, Laura Leikwold and I managed to get 60 boxes into three cars and convoyed off to a post office in Oceanside. We invaded the post office and occupied it for an hour and a half. 60 customs forms later, the two post office employees were finally done and our packages were on their way to Iraq priority mail.
As of December 3rd, all of the boxes have arrived in Iraq. The 8 foot snowglobe lawn ornament (surprise!!) arrived a week or so later and sits in front of the chowhall at Korean Village.
I want to take this opportunity to thank you for supporting this project. Without your help, we could not have sent 1500 lbs. of Christmas cheer to the Marines of 1st LAR. Thanks to you, they will know that they are not forgotten and thanks to you, even though they won't be home for Christmas, they're going to get a little piece of home. Thank you for supporting the troops!!
Merry Christmas to all of you!!
Carrie Costantini
Carrie's husband commanded 1st LAR during their last deployment to Iraq and she continues to support them now. Thanks Carrie, you made a difference!
Posted by Deb at 01:00 PM
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December 14, 2005
Update on Operation Santa Last Minute Request
When I have more time, I'll do a complete update but you all made it happen!! In just one weekend, you donated enough to purchase, wrap, and send over 400 pounds of gifts and treats for the 1107th AVCRAD. I still don't know what that is, but I know the men assigned to it are giving up their holiday at home so that they can protect us . . . and that is enough. Thank you all so much. The need has been met and your generosity is appreciated.
Posted by Deb at 10:09 AM
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December 07, 2005
Marine Parents United Conference 2006
Save the last weekend in July!
I attended the 2004 and 2005 MPU conferences and highly recommend them to Marine parents. It's a wonderful place to give and receive support . . . and to know that the Marine Corps family is strong and solid.
Posted by Deb at 09:10 PM
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November 21, 2005
Operation Santa USMC 2005 update
One month into Operation Santa USMC 2005, things are looking good! We are working on the following battalions - if you'd like to help, let us know:
| Battalion | Coordinator | Status |
| 1st LAR | Carrie Costantini | Done! |
| 1/2 Marines | Connie Riecke & Katie Maio | Still working! |
| 2/2 Marines | Jayme Alexander | Done! |
| 2/7 Marines | Terri Dillon | Done! |
| 3/7 Marines | Connie Riecke | Done! |
| 2/6 Marines | Deb Conrad | Done! |
| 3/6 Marines | Jennifer Alford | Done! |
| 3/1 Marines | Mary Vetor | Still working! |
| 1st Recon Battalion | Connie Riecke | Still working! |
If you can help, e-mail us at operationsanta@marinecorpsmoms.com.
Tax deductible donations can be mailed to:
Marine Corps Family Foundation
4000 Lancaster Drive- Suite 57
Salem, OR 97309
If you'd rather send a donation via Paypal, send it to: donations@marinecorpsfamilyfoundation.org
Make sure you let us know if you want to earmark your contribution for a specific battalion. 100% of all donations will be used for Operation Santa USMC - nothing is withheld.
Deb Conrad - Operation Santa Coordinator - 541-974-6948 deb@marinecorpsmoms.com
Connie Riecke - Operation Santa Coordinator - 503-838-4111 riecke@marinecorpsmoms.com
Right now, we have 9 battalions with coordinators. If you'd like to help with one of these battalions, or would like to make sure another battalion is included, contact Deb or Connie and we'll put you in touch with the coordinator.
We've heard that some of the packages are already in Iraq and waiting to be distributed to our Marines. I will take another load of boxes to the post office on Monday - helped by LCpl Shane Conrad who was on the receiving end last year. Our sons are home for the holidays this year - but there are thousands of Marines who are deployed. Operation Santa will cover at least 10,000 of them.
Posted by Deb at 05:22 PM
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November 08, 2005
Send a birthday greeting to Landstuhl
Diana Hartman, Marine wife and new blogger (finally!), offers you an opportunity to help wounded Marines at Landstuhl celebrate on November 10, the 230th birthday of the Corps:
The 230th Marine Corps Birthday will be celebrated by Marines around the world including our wounded Marines at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. Marines and spouses of Marine Forces Europe will be providing cake and ceremony for our wounded Marines before the end of this week. If you'd like to send birthday or general greetings, please feel free to leave your greeting in the comments section of this post. Your greeting will be printed out, copied, and presented to the wounded Marines.
The greetings will include a cover sheet with the Eagle, Globe & Anchor. Please do not include graphics in your message.
Thank you! |
Visit Diana's blog to leave your comment or send via e-mail at vladdi@pjsnet.de - the Marines at Landstuhl won't be able to celebrate this birthday with their unit. They need to know that they aren't forgotten.
Posted by Deb at 08:04 AM
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October 02, 2005
Operation Santa USMC 2005
In late summer 2005, thousands of United States Marines left for seven month deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. For many of these Marines, this will be the first Thanksgiving and Christmas they will be away from home and family. For others, it will be the second or third in a row. And it is an unfortunate fact that some of these young men and women will not receive mail and packages from friends and family members. Although they have made a choice to serve their country, it's going to be a lonely holiday. And not just for the Marines but for family members back home as well.
With the help of amazing volunteers all over the country, for the second year the Marine Corps Moms hope to make a difference for our Marines.
Last year, we started out with an idea that we'd send Christmas stockings to the 42 Marines in my son's platoon. The project grew from there, and six exhausting weeks later, over 6,000 Christmas stockings had been mailed from individuals and groups all over the United States. Classrooms, businesses, scout troops, churches, and clubs adopted platoons or companies of deployed Marines. We sent stockings, they filled and mailed them. And it made a difference. The Marines in the picture above were deployed along the Syrian border. It was a dusty primitive place to spend seven months, but they did it for us. And troop supporters all over the country made Christmas merrier for them . . . and 5,800 other Marines. You can help us make that same difference this year.
Here's our plan:
Operation Santa USMC 2005 will provide as many battalions as possible with Christmas-in-a-Box. Each platoon in the battalions will receive a box containing the following:
- A filled Christmas stocking for each Marine in the platoon.
- A small fold-up Christmas tree with decorations.
- A Christmas CD
- Christmas Cards for each Marine
- Treats (cookies, candy, snacks)
- Gifts that the platoon can share (board games, decks of cards, DVDs)
Battalions are made up of 4 or more companies, and each company has a number of platoons. Each platoon has 30 or more Marines. We need church groups, organizations, clubs, employer groups, etc. to sponsor platoons and fill their boxes. We also need volunteers to sew the Christmas stockings and donations to help with postage and filling boxes. All boxes need to be mailed by Thanksgiving, so please sign up now.
If you can help make the Christmas season merrier for our Marines in Iraq, please contact one of us:
Deb Conrad - Operation Santa Coordinator - 541-974-6948
deb@marinecorpsmoms.com
Connie Riecke - Operation Santa Coordinator - 503-838-4111
riecke@marinecorpsmoms.com
And if you can help sew stockings (this is a great time to clean out your stash of Christmas fabrics), contact:
Terry Kallmbah, Stocking Coordinator -
terry@marinecorpsmoms.com
Right now, we have 2 battalions with coordinators. If you'd like to help with one of these battalions, contact the coordinator. If you'd like to make sure another battalion is included, contact Deb or Connie.
Connie Riecke - 3/7 Marines -
Riecke@marinecorpsmoms.com
Carrie Costantini - 1st LAR -
Carrie@marinecorpsmoms.com
This project is sponsored by The Marine Corps Family Foundation, a 501(c3 organization. All donations made through the Foundation are tax deductible. We will have the Foundation website up very soon. Until then, please contact Connie Riecke at 503-838-4111 if you'd like to make a donation to the project.
Posted by Deb at 09:54 PM
September 19, 2005
Tips for sending letters and packages to your deployed Marine
The 22nd MEU has a great list of tips for sending letters and packages to deployed troops. The list is below, with a few comments in italics from this Marine Mom:
While e-mail is a wonderful innovation in keeping connected to deployed family member, there is nothing better than holding a tangible reminder of home in your hand. Here are some basic tips for writing your deployed Marine or Sailor:
Letter Mail
- Mail is slow. First class mail will average 10 days to the ship and may take up to 20 days. Plan ahead for special dates and mail early for birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays. For some of the outlying posts, mail might only arrive every 10 days or so. If your letter arrives the day after a shipment, it will sit until the next time someone makes the trip. Mail early, mail often.
- Write often. Letters do not have to be long, but writing often is important. If that is difficult supplement with greeting cards. Getting short letters often is better than getting long letters occasionally. I tried to send a letter or at least a note every day. It's amazing how quickly you can dash off a short note in the nooks and crannies of your day - waiting for a meeting to get started or sitting at a traffic light. I kept stamped envelopes in my glove compartment and stationery in my purse, desk, and car - no matter where I was, I had writing materials.
- Number letters. The roundabout means by which mail reaches the MEU means and the fact that it arrives in bulk means that several letters may be received at once or out of sequence. Numbering envelopes and dating letters is very important.
- Keep things upbeat. By all means, let your loved one know about problems at home, but don't send a letter full of complaints and gripes. Explain any problems clearly and concisely, and include how you intend to resolve the situation. Interject all letters with amusing stories of your family's daily activities. Your Marine misses the day to day routine of home and family life - so tell him or her what you're doing. Baking cookies, raking autumn leaves from the yard, walking the dog - just a brief description will provide a touch of home through your words.
- Include pictures. I used to compose my letters on my computer and include pictures on the printed page. My son loved it - he had very limited space to keep personal belongings and since he knew I had copies of the document on my hard drive at home, he didn't feel bad about burning mail at the end of the deployment. Also, print small versions of favorite pictures. I shrank images of his family members and printed 1X2 inch prints, and he'd tuck them inside the lining of his helmet when he'd go out on patrol.
- Write self-contained letters. Don't close letters without resolving issues. Never promise to finish a story or provide resolution 'with the next letter' because you don't know how long it will take that letter to find your loved one.
- Vary your routine. Try not to send just letters, nor just greeting cards. Mix things up a bit. Send a few letters, then a card or two, and so on. While it may seem a minor point, to a deployed Marine or Sailor, it makes a world of difference for them to know you're putting thought into your correspondence. If you only have time for a short note, just write a few thoughts on the back of a photograph and drop it in the mail. It will bring a smile.
- Never write in anger. There may be times when frustration and tension build up and the best way to release it is in a letter. However, before you send out that 'flamer,' let it sit for a day or so. Give yourself time to cool down and think things over, and after a while, things might not be so bad after all. If you do feel the need to vent, do so calmly, telling your loved one how you feel and why. And then, consider burning the letter instead of mailing it. Consider why you wrote it in the first place. Because your Marine hasn't written? He or she is extremely busy - 20 hour work days aren't uncommon - and sleep might take precedence over communication. Yes, we live for those phone calls and letters home. They have so many tasks and so little time - continue being upbeat and supportive and don't add to their stress by sending negative messages.
Say what they want to hear. I love you! I miss you! Also, give them something to look forward to when they come home. I always included a glimpse of the future . . . "I can't wait until you come home and we can go camping . . . I'll bake you all the chocolate chip cookies you can eat . . . We've been invited to a tailgater at the OSU homecoming game while you're home on post-deployment leave. . . " and on and on.
Packages
- Remember, packages will be handled by a lot of people and may get crushed, so pack carefully. Use a thick, sturdy box. A shoebox just won't do. The Post Office will supply Priority Main flat rate boxes free of charge. It's just the right size for packing with a variety of items and, no matter what it weighs, it's just $7.70 to send to any deployed with a FPO/APO mailing address. Pick up a supply and fill them. I mailed care packages at least once a week and always included a few extras for Marines who didn't have family support.
- Make sure the box isn't too big for the item(s) included. Stuff the box with crumpled newspaper so things inside won't rattle around and will have a little more cushion. Extra pairs of socks also make good cushions. Especially during hot weather, your Marine will change his socks multiple times a day and there is no such thing as too many pairs of socks.
- Tape all corners and open creases securely. The Post Office won't accept scotch or masking tape because they don't hold well. Instead, use duct, nylon reinforced or paper tape. I also tape the inside seams of the boxes - it adds to the stability of the box and helps keep the dust out.
- Don't send fragile items. If you must, make sure that it is packed with extreme care. I sent my son a camera and packed it in a Pelican watertight case. It went astray and was finally returned to me six months after I sent it - and the camera was the only item in the box that survived. Everything else was permeated with dust.
- Make sure food items won't spoil or melt. There's nothing worse than getting a big lump of inedible chocolate. Fruit-based snacks, hard candies, and trail mixes are great ideas. If your Marine or Sailor has to have chocolate, send Tootsie Rolls. Also, do NOT send soap, shampoo, or any other personal care item in the same box with food. Your brownies will arrive tasting like soap, no matter how much plastic you put around them. Also, baked goods get stale quickly, unless they are vacuum packed. I invested in a vacuum packer when my son deployed last year and he reported that the cookies I sent arrived tasting as if they were freshly baked. It was good for a number of hugs at homecoming from the Marines who shared his care packages.
- Although they may be a bit out of date, send magazines and local newspapers so your loved will have an idea of what's going on back at home. I sent a box of magazines each month - the guys will read anything but especially enjoy bodybuilding, hunting & fishing, truck & car, motorcycle, and other testosterone-heavy topics. I included entrepreneur and small business magazines since they're all dreaming of the day when they'll start their own small business (no kidding, they sit around and discuss business plans) and this provides a focus and a bit of education. They'll read Maxim first, but still. And, the newspapers will be read from front to back page, especially the sports page when the home team is playing.
Posted by Deb at 12:20 PM
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September 14, 2005
Looking for a few good men . . . and their parents
If you know anyone that fits one or more of these descriptors (and yes, there are thousands that fit the first and last ones), please e-mail me at deb at marine corpsmoms.com.
- Marine that enlisted after Sept 11, 2001 with strong desire to serve his country.
- Marine gave up an athletic scholarship to college to join the Corps.
- Marine overcame some injury/illness to play sports and/or join the Corps.
- Parents who overcame their fears about their son joining/going to combat, etc., and willing to talk about it on camera.
Posted by Deb at 04:10 PM
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September 10, 2005
Helping Marine Families relocated due to Hurricane Katrina
The need for all victims of Hurricane Katrina is immense and there are many worthy charities that will put your donation to good use. I've made my initial contribution through the Red Cross and will send another one soon. Here's another opportunity that targets the Marine Reserve units based in the path of Hurricane Katrina. These include (probably not a complete listing):
Marine Forces Reserve HQ - NOLA
4th Marine Division HQ - NOLA
4th Marine Aircraft Wing - NOLA
4th Marine Logistics Group HQ - NOLA
3/23 Marines HQ - Belle Chasse, LA
MAG 42, Detachment C - Belle Chasse, LA
3rd Force Recon Co. 4th SCAMP - Mobile, AL
3rd PLT (REIN), 4th AAV BN, Co. A - Gulfport, MS
In addition, the entire 8th Marine District has relocated to Dallas/Fort Worth.
Marine families assigned to the NOLA base have been relocated (not permanently, but no ending date has been announced)to bases in Kansas City and Fort Worth. The families are arriving with little more than they could carry with them and their children are starting school without the school supplies and new clothes that were most likely left behind in New Orleans.
If you wish to make a donation that will benefit those families, the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society has established special accounts to track charitable contributions and disbursements to ensure that funds donated for this purpose are used to provide financial support to the families impacted by the hurricane.
The Society helped families with funds for evacuation prior to the storm and now will help to meet ongoing needs. Individuals, organizations and corporations wishing to make a donation to help these families can send a check payable to NMCRS (or Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society) to:
875 North Randolph Street, Suite 225,
Arlington VA 22203.
In the lower left corner of the check, please annotate Hurricane Katrina Relief. All donations will be acknowledged by the society. The NMCRS is also accepting online donations at this link. I just tested it by making a donation and it works just fine.
I'm working on contacts for sending contributions for families temporarily (long term) to Fort Worth and Kansas City. I'll update this post as I receive information.
UPDATE - 9/13/05
Donations to assist Marine families relocated to Dallas/Fort Worth are sought.
Make checks payable to: Metroplex Marine Charitable Trust Fund
Mailing Address
Metroplex Marine Charitable Trust Fund
900 Jackson St. Suite 150
Dallas, TX 75202
On the memo line please state "for New Orleans Marine Families".
Posted by Deb at 01:21 PM
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June 18, 2005
Make a difference in the life of a wounded hero
Col. John Folsom with the Wounded Warrior Project sent this wish list from Senior Master Sergeant Elizabeth Christiansen who is assigned to the the currently deployed 332 Air Expeditionary Wing, Expeditionary Medical Group.
Dear Colonel Folsom,
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me. As you probably are aware, we are an extremely busy, advanced, state of the art, trauma hospital and see upwards to over a thousand patients a month. Some patients are returned to duty directly from the hospital while others are sent over to the CASF for air transportation to higher levels of health care at places such as Landstuhl, Germany.
The reason I am writing is to request your help in finding certain items that we are in need of here. Due to our high patient load, we are in constant need of hygiene and clothing items. Because of the urgency of our patient's condition, they usually arrive here without these necessities. When our rotation arrived here at the beginning of May the supplies seemed adequate, however they have rapidly dwindled, are almost gone, and we are not sure where to find replenishment. Any assistance you can provide us will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your kindness and all the work you do for the American forces.
Respectfully submitted,
ELIZABETH M. CHRISTIANSEN, SMSgt, USAF
Health and comfort items for the patients:
Air freshener (spray)
Baby wipes
T Chap Stick
Deodorant
Female items
Kleenex
Lotion
Magazines, CDs
Mirrors
Q-tips
Shaving cream & Razors Shampoo & conditioner
Stationary & Pens
Sunscreen
Soap & body wash
Toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, floss
Sweat pants & matching shirts/T-shirts (Male & Female)
Socks (Male & Female)
Sports bra's (small, medium, & large)
Woman's underwear
Boxers
Towels
Washcloths
Pillowcases
Twin bed sheets
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When Marines are medevaced after suffering a combat or other injury, often they arrive with only the clothes they are wearing. If you can supply any of these items, please e-mail me at deb@marinecorpsmoms.com for a mailing address. Please send only these items and make certain that you list all items sent on the customs forms. Please do not send aerosol cans of shaving cream or air freshener. Spray bottles of Febreze (well wrapped in ziploc bags to contain possible leakage) and gel cans of shaving cream should be fine. Your generosity will be greatly appreciated by our wounded troops.
And, check out the Wounded Warrior Project for an update on the Backpack project:
Posted by Deb at 01:40 AM
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Helmets to Hardhats
Here's an excellent transitional support site for Marines returning to civilian life. A new federally-funded program called Helmets to Hardhats will help those with military experience find work in civilian construction trades that are experiencing labor shortages.
Retired USMC Major General Matthew Caulfield and his son Dan Caulfield who served as a Marine Corps officer during the Persian Gulf War are the program's principal organizers. They believe that military people are uniquely qualified to reinforce the construction industry.
Major General Caulfield remarked; "We need people to maintain our infrastructure, our roads and bridges and dams. The way we're going, in 10 years we won't have enough iron workers. What better source of people to bring into the construction industry than those who have already been trained in the military?"
The discipline and leadership skills attained during military service transfer well to the civilian world. Please pass this message along to Marines and other troops who are reentering civilian life. See a video about the program here.
Posted by Deb at 12:58 AM
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June 06, 2005
Special requests
We've posted lists of care package items before, but there's no better source for suggestions than our Marines. Here's a wish list from Capt John A. Kasparian for 3/25 Marines in the wild wild west of Iraq.
We have a few things that we would really like to get.
A few special requests for care packages that we value at Camp Hadithah and our other Camps between combat operations... Some of it is pure fun stuff.
Handy Wipes, Lunch Food, Computer Data Sticks, DVD's, CD's, and
headsets. The Marines come out of the field and like to listen to music or play DVD's. Many of the Marines have portable DVD players and IPods. In my day it used to be a book and an old newspaper!!
A group gift that we value higher then most items: If a group of people want to send something special, Projectors (One Eyes we call them) are GOLD! When we conduct combat operations out of our camps, we sometimes come back and everyone crowds into someone's room/tent and we project movies on the wall. It's a great moral booster.
Also, we donate a lot of our items to Iraqi families. Some things that are outside the normal military Civil Affairs are:
a. School supplies (markers, crayons, notebooks, calculators, etc.)
b. Children's wristwatches
c. Toys (stuffed animals, soccer balls, frisbees, etc.)
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Capt Kasparian and his Marines are halfway through their deployment. If you'd like to send a care package to this group, e-mail me for an address.
Posted by Deb at 09:47 PM
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June 01, 2005
Support our Severely Injured Troops
Major Steve Danyluk who is back from Iraq and now serving as a liaison with the Military Severely Injured Joint Support Operations Center in Arlington, VA, sends this update:
On June 3rd I will have an opening consisting of appx. 35 photographs that I took in Iraq at a Gallery in Fredericksburg, VA called "The Wounded Bookshop," (event poster attached). The portraits will be on display for the month of June and will be sold on "bidding" basis. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the "Fisher House" and the "Semper Fi Fund," two non-profits that are currently providing support to the wounded service-members from OIF/OEF and their families.
Locally, the Fisher House is providing accommodations to the families of wounded service members at their three houses on Walter Reed Army Medical Center, two homes on the Bethesda National Naval Medical Center and single home on Andrews AFB.
This is a private venture and is not being conducted in affiliation with any government/non-government agency. If you are able to stop by your support will be greatly appreciated, (even if you do not purchase anything).
S/F,
Maj Steve Danyluk
USMC LNO
Military Severely Injured Joint
Support Operations Center (MSIJSOC)
2107 Wilson Blvd
Arlington VA 22201
(703) 908-6276 |
Major Danyluk is a tireless supporter of services to Marines and other troops who are recovering from injuries incurred while defending our right to live freely. Please join him if you are able . . . and bring your checkbook.
Posted by Deb at 01:18 PM
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May 30, 2005
Honoring their sacrifice
Families all over the country are celebrating Memorial Day with cookouts, picnics, and by relaxing at home, secure in the knowledge that they need not fear IEDs, suicide bombers, or other terrorist attacks in their peaceful neighborhoods. Marine families with deployed sons, daughters, husbands, and wives have a new way of looking at this year old day of remembrance.
Last week, Diana Rowe-Pauls sent a picture of her brother, Captain Alan Rowe who was killed by an IED in the Al Anbar province of Iraq last year, reminding us that her brother was more than just another number. He was born on October 3, 1968 and as a young boy spent long days playing with Diana in the Idaho countryside. He played dress up in his dad's Air Force uniform and grew up to wear his own uniform - that of a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Diana said in a Twin Falls Times-News story today that:
"Our losses in Iraq are human beings who are fathers and brothers and children and friends who are loved by many. They're not just statistics." |
And Captain Rowe's widow Dawn who is raising his two children as a single parent reminds us that:
They joined of their own free will. They would never want their deaths to be thought of in vain. They would want their lives to be remembered as dying willingly for their country. They were proud to serve their country. |
Marine Mom Tammie Green, whose son is currently deployed in the same place where Captain Rowe was killed last September, observed:
In a few days I'll be 45 years old ... and for 44 of those years Memorial Day was the chance for a long weekend and a cookout with a short glimpse at a flag and a bare acknowledgement of the meaning for that holiday. This year I don't think we will even have a cookout because somehow celebrating a well-cooked burger just doesn't seem appropriate.
For 200+ years young men (and women) have died in service to our country. Some served with pride and honor, some went kicking and screaming, some volunteered, some were drafted. Regardless of their motivation for service, in the end their service has always been at the mercy and judgement of the leadership of our country ... some good and some bad. These service people did not make policy, they simply did their jobs. William Westmoreland (general from Vietnam) once said "The military don't start wars. Politicians start wars."
So regardless of your views on this war, this weekend I ask that you take just 5 minutes and honor in some small way the sacrifice of those who have lost their lives in service. Bow your head and remember those from the past and remember those still in harms way.
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Here are thousands of reasons for that moment of remembrance:
War casualties:
Iraq (March 19, 2003-present) 1,647
Afghanistan (Oct. 7, 2001-present) 187
Persian Gulf War (1990-1991) 382
Vietnam War (1964-1975) 58,200
Korean War (1950-1953) 36,574
WW II (1941-1945) 405,399
WW I (1917-1918) 116,516
Spanish-American War (1898) 2,446
Civil War (1861-1865) estimated 364,511 Union; 133,821 Confederate
Mexican War (1846-1848) 13,283
War of 1812 (1812-1815) 2,260
Revolutionary War (1775-1783) 4,435
Posted by Deb at 02:31 PM
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May 17, 2005
Marine Corps Band comes to Oregon
If you can make one of these concerts, you're in for a treat. The Marine Band San Diego will be in Oregon from May 22-28, playing in various locations around the state, sharing the Corps' musical heritage and history. All concerts are free and open to the public.
Concert schedule:
- Monday, May 23 - 1:00 p.m. World Forestry Center, Portland, OR
- Tuesday, May 24 - 6:00 p.m. Newberg High School, Newberg, OR
- Wednesday, May 25 - 7:00 p.m. West Albany High School, Albany, OR
- Friday, May 27 - 5:30 p.m. Evergreen Aviation Museum, McMinnville, OR
Each base has their own band - here's a picture of the 29 Palms band that played when Shane's company came home in March. They arrived just after dusk to entertain the waiting families. And, they stuck around until the guys came home just before midnight.
The band members are first rate musicians - the qualifications are stringent. However, unlike civilian bands, all band members are capable of picking up a rifle and fighting alongside any other Marine. Even the bases in Iraq have bands (the 1st MARDIV band deployed along other Camp Pendleton units), although the musicians are also pulling guard duty and fighting along side other Marines. The asst. drum major for the band assigned to the President was a heavy machine gun operator when he was deployed to Iraq.
The band music is wonderful - I've downloaded it before and transferred it to my cell phone and now when Shane calls, he has his own special ring tone - The Marine Corps Hymn. When my Marine mom friends call, it plays Semper Fidelis, and when anyone else calls, it plays The Washington Post.
Posted by Deb at 04:49 PM
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May 13, 2005
I hope we make you proud
The Marine Corps Family Foundation was established last year as a means for Americans to support Marines deployed at war. After Operation Santa USMC was completed in December and over 6,000 Marines received Christmas-in-a-box we were overwhelmed with the many responses from the many Marines who were so happy that they were rememebered and supported by our efforts. At that time I was humbled by their gracious thanks. Today was no different. Read on for the whole story.
In March a very energetic Girl Scout called me to ask if I knew how she could deliver Girl Scout cookies to our troops. The girls in her troop had sold cookies and as they did they encouraged their customers to make donations of cookies to our troops, resulting in over 12 cases of cookies donated.
It was easy to help these young American Girl Scouts to complete their mission. Deb and I had names of Marines who had just been deployed to Iraq, and we were more than happy to send those yummy boxes to the most deserving, our Marines.
But, that is just the beginning of this story. Here we are safe and sound living our lives in a country of freedom and wealth, sending cookies to Marines halfway around the world in a country that is just learning trust and freedom. It is a place of known danger everyday. We are all thankful for our military, its strength, its the courage and unselfish dedication. And, in some way small way Girl Scout cookies seem like a way to say thank you and we support you.
Several Marines sent to us their thanks. The following is a letter I recieved from a Marine that enjoyed this small token of appreciation. I do not know him. I will probably never have the opportunity to meet him. But, once again his words were just too much for this mother of a Marine.
Dear Friends,
Your unwavering support gives us all renewed strength. Words cannot express the joy I have to serve you and to bring freedom to others. With wonderful people like yourselves, it is an honor and a privilege being a Marine. I must say your cookies are a fantastical banquet in which we partake daily :) I hope we make you proud. Thanks again for your support, may God bless you in all that you do. Semper Fi.
Your Friend,
Cpl. Nighswonger/USMC |
So, the next time you wonder what you could do to help, or if it would really make a difference. Know that anything and everything is appreciated. A simple letter or card, cookies, or a magazine, you decide. Our Marines deserve your love, support and gratitude, and showing it through a donation to a supportive foundation like The Marine Corps Family Foundation or simply sending your own box of goodies will be a blessing.
You too will be humbled by the gratitude of these great Marines, who make us proud everyday.
Donations can be made to the Marine Corps Family Foundation, 4500 Ruby Ct NE, Salem, OR 97305 or email Deb@marinecorpsmoms.com or cjr@marinecorpsmoms.com .
Posted by Connie at 01:17 AM
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May 10, 2005
Kevin Francois is back in school after suspension reduced
As reported by The Moderate Voice, Kevin Francois is back in school after his ten-day suspension was cut to three days. He's back in school now, according to today's Ledger-Enquirer:
Kevin, 17, a junior at Spencer, was suspended Wednesday for 10 days for cursing and being defiant after he was told to give up his cell phone during his lunch period while talking to his mother, Sgt. 1st Class Monique Bates, who serves in Iraq with Fort Benning's 203rd Forward Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division.
According to the Muscogee County School District's policy, students are allowed to have cell phones in school but cannot use them during school hours.
Kevin's suspension was reduced Friday after his story caught national attention. He served only two full days.
At Monday's meeting, Spencer principal Olivia Rutledge and assistant principal Alfred Parham discussed behavior expectations and methods of supporting Kevin, according to a media release from the school district. It also stated that Kevin will not be penalized for his suspension, and Hartwell will meet with his counselors and teachers today.
"They were calm about it and very professional about it," Hartwell said. "I was really happy with them."
In a press release, Muscogee County School District Superintendent John Phillips said Kevin would be asked to sign a "behavior contract" to return to school.
"We didn't have to sign the contract as long as we worked out a deal with him and how he behaves in school and don't mess up in grades," said Hartwell. She said she knew only through the Ledger-Enquirer that a meeting was set for Monday. Kevin and Hartwell, instead, arrived at the school as the second bell rang at 7:30 a.m. for class to begin. Earlier, Hartwell said she and Kevin turned down a morning interview with Fox News in Atlanta to get him back in school.
During the meeting, the school's switchboard remained busy with callers upset about Kevin's suspension. But it wasn't as bad as Friday, said secretary Lillian Humber, who remained calm and pleasant as she answered each call.
"It looked like Christmas lights," said Humber, referring to hundreds of calls and e-mails from Friday.
Here's what continues to bother me about this story. Kevin has maintained that he told the teacher who first approached him, Felicita Pescia, "This is my mom in Iraq. I'm not about to hang up on my mom." The story continues:
Kevin said Pescia tried to take the phone, causing it to hang up. Pescia hasn't been reached for comment. He then went with Pescia to the school's office, where a secretary took the phone out of his hand, Kevin said. The phone rang again. Kevin said his mother left a message since he could not answer it. He said he told the officials it was his mother. The Ledger-Enquirer verified the 12:37 p.m. message during an interview Thursday with Kevin. In the message, played for a reporter, his mother scolded him for hanging up and told him to answer the phone when she calls.
The principal, Alfred Parham, (who evidently has some family issues himself-see comment from Jackie Kane Parham) has disputed Kevin's story. The superintendent has all but called him a liar. And one of his teachers, in a comment left on the original MCM entry, is evidently questioning whether the call really was from his mother, despite the verification from the Ledger-Enquirer. Does this sound like a supportive atmosphere? Not to me.
Here's what Kevin's science teacher has to say:
Hi, I am one of Kevin's teachers. I sympathize with Kevin, if that was his mother that called. Unfortunately, nearly every student has a cell phone in class and half of our students here at Spencer have parents in the military. Many of those parents are in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have a hard enough time preparing them for life as an adult without my students answering cell phones in class, lunch or on campus, regardless of who it might be. I would think a reasonable adult could understand this. I support my administration and their decisions. If his mother wants to talk to Kevin during school hours she can call the office so we know it's a legitimate call. Kevin can be called into the office very quickly and efficiently.
To the best of my knowledge (which is better than the general public's in this situation), Kevin was disciplined because of his uncontrolled behavior afterwards, not because of his phone call. Kevin was suspended 3 days instead of 10. And, he was back in class today where I agree he is supposed to be. We all have situations from time to time that require special attention. Kevin, along with the rest of us, needs to make sure to keep a calm attitude and be constructive. That's what we're hoping to teach our students.
Sincerely, Kevin's Science Teacher
I agree that everyone involved needs to maintain a calm and constructive focus. However, I think this teacher is missing the point. There is a huge difference between a student chatting with a friend during class and a student standing outside the school on his lunch break talking with a deployed parent. If the faculty and administration in this school district cannot or will not differentiate between these two scenarios, there are some serious problems.
This teacher's suggestion that parents be required to call the school office is problematic. Deployed troops might stand in line for hours for a 10-20 minute phone call. Requiring that phone calls go through a central switchboard and be approved (the process for approval has not been explained) and the student be called to the office is unwieldy at best. I have often been placed on hold when calling my son's high school. Who would determine the legitimacy of the call? The person that answers the phone? Someone else? And then, the student must be located and called to the phone. In Kevin's case, he was at lunch and could presumably be anywhere in the building. How would he be "quickly and efficiently" located?
I understand the teacher's complaint that educators at this high school have "a hard enough time preparing them for life as an adult" without allowing children of deployed troops the opportunity to talk to their parents via cell phone. However, this isn't all about the teachers. If teachers are unwilling to make a small accomodation to support the parent-child bond, it's a problem. In another year, Kevin will graduate and will never have to interact with this teacher again. His bond with his mother will last his entire life. Which relationship is more important? And which should take priority?
I'm a teacher too. As I said before, my cell phone is my lifeline to my son while he is deployed and when he calls I take his calls, no matter what else I'm doing. I would not hesitate to extend that same consideration to any of my students in similar circumstances. That is not only basic courtesy, it is common sense; something demanded of students but not always extended to them by the teachers who are busy "preparing them for life".
Posted by Deb at 04:32 AM
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May 06, 2005
Principal makes an unprincipled decision.
When my son deployed to Iraq, first in early 2003, and then again in August 2004 - my cell phone was never out of my sight - or hearing. I slept with it on my pillow. My students knew that if my son called, we took a class break until he was done talking. He often stood in line for hours for a ten minute phone call and I took no chances on missing that precious chance to connect with my son.
How much more important must it be for a son whose mother is deployed?
Read this and be outraged:
Kevin Francois gave up his lunch break to talk to his mother, but it ended up costing him the rest of the school year.
Francois, a junior at Spencer High School in Columbus, was suspended for disorderly conduct Wednesday after he was told to give up his cell phone at lunch while talking to his mother who is deployed in Iraq, he said.
His mother, Sgt. 1st Class Monique Bates, left in January for a one-year tour and serves with the 203rd Forward Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division.
"This is our first time separated like this," said Francois, 17, on Thursday.
Bates came to Fort Benning with her son from Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Ga. She enrolled him at Spencer in August. Since her deployment overseas, Francois, whose father was killed when he was 5 years old, lives with a guardian who has five children in Columbus.
The incident happened when Francois received a call from his mother at 12:30 p.m., which he said was his lunch break. Francois said he went outside the school building to get a better reception when his mother called. A teacher who saw Francois on his phone told him to get off the phone. But he didn't.
According to the Muscogee County School District Board of Education's policy, students are allowed to have cell phones in school, but cannot use them during school hours.
"They are really allowed to have those cell phones so that after band or after chorus or after the debate and practices are over they have to coordinate with the parents," said Alfred Parham, assistant principal at Spencer. "They're not supposed to use them for conversating back and forth during school because if they were allowed to do that, they could be text messaging each other for test questions."
Francois said he told the teacher, "This is my mom in Iraq. I'm not about to hang up on my mom."
Francois said the teacher tried to take the phone, causing it to hang up.
The student said he then went with the teacher to the school's office where he surrendered his phone. His mother called again at 12:37 p.m. and left a message scolding her son about hanging up and telling him to answer the phone when she calls.
Control issue
Parham said the teen's suspension was based on his reaction when he was asked to give up the cell phone and told about the school's cell phone policy.
"Kevin got defiant and disorderly with Mr. Turner and another assistant principal," Parham said Thursday. "He got defiant with me. He refused to leave Mr. Turner's office. When a kid becomes out of control like that they can either be arrested or suspended for 10 days. Now being that his mother is in Iraq, we're not trying to cause her any undue hardship; he was suspended for 10 days."
Wendall Turner is another assistant principal at Spencer.
Parham said the student used profanity when he was taken into the office. He said he tried to work out something with the student. But Francois said he was too frustrated he couldn't answer the phone when his mother called him the second time.
"I even asked Kevin, 'You know we can try to work something out to where if your mother wants to call you she can call you at the school,'" Parham said. "So we've tried to work with Kevin and we're going to continue to try to work with Kevin and his mother and his relatives. In the course of good order and discipline, we have to abide by our policy."
Francois admitted he was partially at fault for his behavior but said he should have been allowed to talk to his mother.
"I was mad at the time, but I feel now maybe I should've went about it differently," he said. "Maybe I should've just waited outside to pick up the phone. But I don't I feel I should've changed any of my actions. I feel I was right by not hanging up the phone."
For Francois, he said he gets to hear from his mother once a month, and phone calls vary depending on when she can use the phone in Iraq. Francois said his mother calls as late as 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. and tries to catch him during hours he's awake. He said the phone call Wednesday was the first time she called him while he was at school.
Francois, who said he's been struggling with his grades in school, wants to go back to school and finish the rest of his year. He fears he may have pay for summer school because of his punishment.
"My grades had been low, but I was bringing them up. My grades were coming back up. On one of my report cards I had like a 'F' in one of my classes, but I brought it back up to a low 'C.' This just brought me all the way down." |
Marine moms across the country are livid. Tammie Greene and Nicole Markel sent this link minutes after it hit the wires. I'm wondering how the school administrators at Spencer High School would feel if they were serving in a war zone and during a rare opportunity to talk with their child, an authority figure took the phone away and hung up that connection. And I plan to share my opinion with the principal and two assistant principals.
Here's the contact information for the school and the administrative staff if you'd like to do the same:
Spencer High School
4340 Victory Drive
Columbus, GA 31903
Phone: 706-685-7652
Fax: 706-685-7708
Principal:
Olivia Rutledge: orutledge@mcsdga.net
Assistant Principals:
Alfred Parham: aparham@mcsdga.net
Wendell Turner: wturner@mcsdga.net
Please share your opinion with them - be courteous but get your point across. Supporting our troops means supporting the families of our troops as well. And consider sharing your e-mail by either copying us at info@marinecorpsmoms.com or pasting it into the comments section of this thread.
Here's one worth reading:
Dear Ms. Rutledge,
As a father of a Navy Corpsman serving in Iraq, I am appalled at the lack of compassion for your student, Kevin Francois.
I understand your school policy on Cell Phone usage but this seems to be a travesty. His mother is serving her and your country in a very dangerous place and a chance to call home and speak to a loved one is pure heaven. To have this Mother disconnected from her child can only be VERY painful for both parties. Yes, Kevin may have acted outside of his usual training but the stress of the situation should have been taken into account. Give him detention if you must but allow him to complete his school year.
I understand his attitude, when my son calls me, everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING comes second. To hear his voice is the sweetest sound in the world and nothing will be allowed to interrupt that.
Leo Flood
Other bloggers voice their opinion:
Michelle Malkin
The Moderate Voice
Citizen Smash
Outside The Beltway
Daily Pundit
Iowa Voice
Jack Army
Don Singleton
The Jump Blog
Posted by Deb at 01:53 PM
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May 03, 2005
SCAM ALERT
Captain J.C. Smythe sent this alert for all Marine family members - Col James C Jumper asked that this word get out ASAP:
Family Readiness Officers: Please ensure the widest possible dissemination of this information to unit Commander's, I&I/Site Support Staff, Family Readiness Officers, Key Volunteers, Marines/Sailors, family members and local law enforcement officials.
Two men posing as a Marine and a Sailor tried to gain personal checking account information from the spouse of an activated Marine Reservist. The attempted scam occurred as follows:
The spouse was called by a man claiming that he was a Marine Master Sergeant. He informed her that her husband was missing in action and that someone would visit her home to provide further information. Two men, one dressed in Marine dress blues and the other in a Navy uniform, visited the spouse at her home. Neither of the men would properly identify themselves. They informed her that her husband was missing in action and that they would need her checking account number in case he was determined to have been killed in action. The alleged perpetrators had somehow obtained personal information on the Marine to include his name, rank, address, telephone number and social security number.
This is a great example of why it is so important for everyone to adhere to the Privacy Act of 1974. Do not provide personal information of service members to anyone without their consent. Also, personal information should never be placed in publicly accessible media and documents, i.e., newsletters, emails, websites.
Please stress to all family members that during a legitimate casualty visit, family members would never be asked to provide personal financial information. If service members or family members have any questions concerning the process or legitimacy of a casualty visit, they can contact the Marine Forces Reserve Casualty Officer. If anyone thinks that they are the victim of an attempted scam, please contact the unit Family Readiness Officer or Reserve Training Center site support staff and local law enforcement officials. |
I took out the contact names and phone numbers - if you're a military family you probably already know who to call. If you are part of the 4th MARDIV and need them, let me know. And whoever would show up in military uniform to pull this scam on the wife of a deployed Marine is a complete dirtbag.
Posted by Deb at 06:10 PM
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May 02, 2005
Landstuhl Visit
Diana Hartman visited Landstuhl last week - here's her report:
The weather here in Germany was perfect for the spouse's drive to Landstuhl. My daughter Therese was also able to go, this being her second trip with us. We took two large trays of cupcakes, cards and letters from the U.S., infamous Rittersport chocolate, and supplies the liaison's had asked for last week.
Because of the nice weather, the outpatients had the chance to tour the grounds and to do some shopping at the PX at Ramstein. There were twelve wounded marines on the inpatient wards at Landstuhl yesterday. Of those, nine were in surgery. Our visits with the other three were delightful. We always leave goodies and letters in the rooms on the tray tables for those who were in surgery during our visits. We also visited with other servicemembers who were were attached to marine units and were serving alongside marines when they were wounded. One of the marines was still drowsy from surgery but was excited about having visitors. Most wounded marines don't know that Marine Forces Europe is just up the road from them so they don't expect to see family members coming with goodies in tow and are happy to see their "own kind". My daughter had every one of them going with a series of really dorky jokes that were well received. One that got the most laughs was "Two snowmen are hanging out and one says to the other 'You smell carrots?'"
The need:
Thanks to the thousands of calling cards that have been donated, our wounded are able to call home just about whenever they want when they are able to do so. They are well supplied and really all they need at this point are greetings from home. They dug right into the letters sent this last week. They especially enjoy artwork, cards, and letters from children. Second only to greetings from family and friends, greetings from children are the biggest hit.
The liaison's office has specifically requested two items: women's white cotton underwear in all sizes, and cigarettes. I have received a few monetary donations specifically for the purpose of purchasing cigarettes and would do so again if anyone is interested. Cigarettes are not allowed to be sent through the USPS. All cigarettes here cost $32.55 a carton. All smokers are rationed to 4 cartons a month and ration cards are not allowed to be shared. If someone in the U.S. sends any variety of Marlboro in-the-box and marks the customs form with "personal goods" or something of that nature, I cannot be held responsible for the consequences to the sender. Anything sent to me for the wounded will be taken to them as needed.
Our visits are scheduled about every two weeks. |
Contact Diana at msdusmcd@yahoo.com.
Posted by Deb at 10:25 PM
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April 25, 2005
Back to Landstuhl
Diana Hartman, Marine wife currently stationed in Germany, is visiting Landstuhl later this week. She reports that the wives are well supplied with donations from back home, but they could use greetings for the wounded Marines. Here's her note:
heyas,
a few wives of marine forces europe will be traveling to landstuhl this thursday to visit our wounded marines...
we will be taking a few supplies that are needed as well as a lot of baked goods for the inpatients, outpatients, and liaison team...the supplies we are taking come directly from those donations made by mmo members and others who so generously answered our call over the last christmas holiday...while candies and other foodstuffs were taken immediately after they arrived, hundreds, and in many cases, thousands of different items were sent that continue to keep our wounded outfitted with what they need...
if anyone would like to send email greetings to be taken to the wounded, my printer is full and ready to go...please send all greetings to msdusmcd@yahoo.com
pictures and graphics are fine; please send them as .jpgs and not to exceed 300x300 pixels...if you have any questions about sending graphics, please just ask me...
i will be making several copies of each greeting i receive so that each wounded marine gets several greetings instead of just one...
if you would prefer, upon request all identifying information will be removed before printing the greeting...at the same time, providing names and addresses of those who hope to keep up with the health and welfare of their greeting's recipient are encouraged...please understand that while your recipient might not reply, greetings are still a wonderful day brightener for them...
|
You have 3 days. Write a note, send a picture of yourself or your kids, make a Marine smile.
Posted by Deb at 03:56 PM
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April 22, 2005
Honoring the fallen - Staff Sgt. David Ries
Amanda Ries kissed her husband, SSgt David Ries goodbye at the Portland Airport last August 31 as he returned to Iraq for his second deployment. He didn't have to go, but he volunteered to join his brother Marines from the 6th ESB. Just a few weeks later, he was killed in an IED blast as his convoy returned to base afte resupply ingforward units during the Battle of Fallujah. On Saturday April 23, SSgt Ries will be honored by his fellow H&S Company Marines at the Swan Island Reserve Center.
Posted by Deb at 11:16 AM
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April 19, 2005
145 to go . . .
A currently deployed soldier is approaching a milestone of 150,000 visitors to his site, A Soldier's Life. Please visit his site and add to his count - worth the click!
Posted by Deb at 09:48 PM
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April 15, 2005
Soccer Equipment needed
In addition to our Marines deployed in the sandbox, there are also a sizable number of leathernecks deployed to Djibouti in the Horn of Africa region. During their off duty hours, they play on a base soccer team combining all of the branches of service. Some of the African teams they play against have very little soccer equipment. As a matter of fact, one player played barefoot. On behalf of these extraordinary African athletes, and those service members who call them friends, Major Larson, from the 6th ESB out of Portland, OR, is asking for contributions in the form of soccer equipment, such as soccer balls, soccer shoes, and shin guards. Major Larson will personally ensure the equipment makes it in the hands of these underprivileged but extremely talented athletes.
Please send donations to:
Maj D.J. Larson
Camp Lemonier S-3
Base Soccer Coach
Djibouti, Africa
APOAE 09363
Posted by Deb at 12:56 AM
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April 13, 2005
Marine Family Support Groups
We occasionally get requests for information about support groups in different areas of the country. If you are a member of a support group, know of one, or would like to start one, please drop me a line and we'll put a list of contacts together. E-mail deb@marinecorpsmoms.com - thanks!
Posted by Deb at 04:10 PM
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March 18, 2005
1/7 Welcome Home
Here's what we did today:
| Actually, this happened last week. The kids at Crawfordsville Grade School helped make welcome home banners for their favorite Marine, LCpl Shane Conrad. They signed the banner and made two yellow ribbon posters to hang on each side. Here, my sister Cyndi Rinehart, school secretary, adds her special welcome for nephew Shane. |
| The forecast is rain. We stopped for plastic and weatherproofed the banners - here, Jan, Anita, and Roxanne lend a hand. | |
| The banners are hung on the entry fence!! I am so happy to be standing here . . . and will be even happier tomorrow evening when those busses roll in and the Marines unload. |
| Proud Marine family of PFC Richard Ramos stand with their banner. From left, Aunt Jan, sister Roxanne, brother Nicky, and proud Marine mom Anita | |
| Back home, Marine sister Roxanne and friend Amy make signs to hold up, welcoming home the heroes of 1/7 |
Posted by Deb at 06:21 PM
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February 20, 2005
Airport Gate Passes for Military Passenger Family Members
The TSA has put out a security directive that applies to Military Passengers. Security Directive 1544-01-10w explains how this works.
"Military Passenger" Family Members may be given a pass
- To escort the military passenger to the gate
- To meet a military passenger's inbound arrival at the gate.
Family members who want to escort the service member to the departure gate must request a pass when the service member checks in for his or her flight at the ticket window.
Family members who want to meet their returning hero at the arrival gate should check first at the USO Office if the airport has one. If not, they should request a pass at the ticket counter. In order to get through security checkpoints, every family member will need the gate pass and photo ID. Not all airports/airlines allow this but it might help for the service member to notify the departure airport that family members will be asking for gate passes at the other end.
This will be a welcome change for our troops - they won't have to wait as long for that first hug!
Posted by Deb at 11:09 PM
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February 13, 2005
Flat Stanley at Landstuhl
Marine wife and tireless troop supporter Diana Hartman updates us on her latest visit to Landstuhl:
heyas, we're running to landstuhl today with a full load in the durango...i've concentrated on getting clothes and backpacks up there...if you know how big a durango is, all the seats are down and i've packed it from just behind the driver's seat to the ceiling and to the sides and all the way back, and i still have more clothes left here...they're long on toiletries so those will go up in a couple of weeks...that'll give me more time to get bagged up what i still have...
so yous know, the toiletry supplies and funds sent to me have provided over 400 21-item bags and i still have stuff to make more...
we're taking stuff today because they have just enough room for what i'm taking...
it's a little rainy today but the temperature will be over 40 (finally )...
i took a wee bit of time off to take my family to salzburg austria (sound of music country, mozart's birthplace) and we'll be heading to lucerne switzerland before our next landstuhl trip...
we're also taking a little girl with us to landstuhl...well, we're taking a picture of her...she's a 2nd grader from colwich kansas who is participating in the "flat stanley" project...if you're not familiar with it, the book "flat stanley" is about a little boy who gets flattened by a bulletin board and is sent traveling around the world by his parents via the mail system (cos it's cheaper than flying!)...
kids who participate in the "flat stanley" project trace their bodies onto paper and attach a picture of their face to the top of the paper and cut the whole thing out and put it in an envelope to travel the world...the "flat child" comes with a log of where she's been, and those who receive it pass it on...
thus, we received our little 2nd grader a few days ago...
she's been photographed in front of the headquarters for marine forces europe with a marine (hubby!) and will get her picture taken today with the marine liaisons at landstuhl...she will also travel with us to switzerland...
today, my teenagers and my 11 yr old put together a package for our flat child and her classmates...they sent loads of german chocolate for her classmates and her teacher, a t-shirt and magnet for her, and we mailed stuttgart postcards so she (the real child) can attach it to the map of the places she's been...
my "flat stanley", a ms. mackenzie from colwich KS, visited with the marine liaisons today...she was a big hit! from left to right is sargeant becker (originally from lawrence KS) holding mackenzie's right hand, gunnery sargeant velasquez (originally from chicago IL) holding mackenzie's head, sargeant garthaus (i didn't get his hometown) holding mackenzie's left hand, and of course ms. mackenzie herself!
Photo by Diana
behind these fine outstanding marines is the shipment we took up there today...they were running a tad low on backpacks and duffle bags so we brought what they needed...between mmos and the efforts of spouses at marforeur, i think the storage units will be replenished adequately for some time...woo hoo! |
Posted by Deb at 06:41 PM
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January 29, 2005
A Marine needs help
From the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in 29 Palms:
A Marine veteran recently returned in September from a successful combat tour in Iraq only to begin a battle for his own life in the United States.
Lance Cpl. Christopher R. LeBleu, a native of Lake Charles, La., is currently in very critical condition in Loma Linda University Hospital, Calif., for an unexplained complete liver failure.
The Marine came back Sept. 9, 2004, from Iraq where he conducted support and stabilization operations as a rifleman with 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment. The month after his return to the United States, he married his hometown sweetheart, Melany.
The 22-year-old is not expected to last past than the next 48 hours. He may recover if a complete, not partial, liver donor is found. A complete liver donation has to come from a deceased donor.
A liver donor is desperately needed to save LeBleu. Julie Smith, LLUH public affairs, said that the donor must have a matching blood type. LeBleu is O positive.
If you believe you know of someone who could be a donor, we urge you to contact the transplant donor network immediately at 1-800-338-6112 or via the Web site http://www.llu.edu/llumc.
Please help spread the word.
Posted by Deb at 03:21 PM
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January 25, 2005
Academic freedom . . . from common sense
Yes, I'm from Oregon and I fully recognize that not every Oregon resident is a barking moonbat. Whoever directed a University of Oregon employee to remove the Support the Troops yellow ribbon from his work vehicle meets that definition however. Here's the scoop, via Michelle Malkin who credits Kevin McCollough.
A yellow ribbon sticker that says "Support The Troops" has created a big stir at the University of Oregon.
A day after a campus employee was told to remove the sticker from his maintenance vehicle -- people on campus are reacting.
It all started after a university employee complained.
Some think the university may have gone too far. . .
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Well, yes. Supporting troops has nothing to do with politics. It's something we all should do. However, the University responded with this statement by President Dave Frohnmeyer regarding decals on state-owned vehicles. :
The University has many alumni, students and staff serving in the military in Iraq and other places. Of course, we support them and have great concern for their well being, as we do for all U.S. troops.
Some of you may have followed media coverage over the weekend regarding removal of a decal from a state vehicle at the University of Oregon. Decisions about whether employees may or may not put stickers or magnets on state-owned vehicles have nothing to do with the messages. The fact is state vehicles may not have any personal messages affixed to them.
This distinction between a state vehicle and a personal vehicle is very important. Government vehicles in this state have never been allowed to exhibit items of personal expression. State employees are free to use their personal vehicles for statements of all types on university campuses and elsewhere.
Because the university is a state agency, I cannot make distinctions or allowances on this matter, regardless of the cause or the breadth of its support. Whether the message is "Support Our Troops," "Fund Cancer Research" or "Support Tsunami Relief," employees may not place personal stickers or magnets on state-owned vehicles. |
So should this decision also be interpreted to mean that the University should not allow any personal stickers, magnets, or any other persuasive material on any state-owned property? I think so. This would include bulletin boards, office doors, or other state property and I look forward to my next trip to Eugene when I'll wander through a few halls of higher learning making sure that President Frohnmeyer's logic is carried through to the appropriate conclusion. I'll be back. And if anyone has pictures in the meantime, feel free to send them along to me. I'll be happy to post 'em.
In the meantime, I've sent this note to the University of Oregon President and Provost. I'll post any response I receive - form letter or not.
Dear President Frohnmeyer and Provost Mosely;
I am the mother of a United States Marine who is currently serving in Iraq. My son, Lance Corporal Shane Conrad, spent his 21st birthday last Friday near the Syrian border, protecting innocent Iraqi citizens who want nothing more than to live without fear - rights that we enjoy in a democratic society. He could have gone to any college or university in the state of Oregon and I would have happily paid his tuition. He chose instead to delay his formal college education so that he could help ensure, as generations of Marines have, the freedom of your students to study as they choose and the freedom of college employees to complain about a non-partisan message of troop support affixed to a state vehicle.
How do you think most of your students spend their 21st birthdays? I imagine that their goals for reaching that magical age of majority are a bit different than my son and his fellow Marines - to simply stay alive and continue protecting the lives of the innocents living in that Syrian border town. My son would lay down his life to protect you and your students. I'm sorry that you feel that a simple expression of support for his dedication is proscribed by Oregon Department of Administrative Services, Fleet Administration Operating Policies Section 107103-5. And, it's a damn good thing that my son's mother (me) does not get to choose who he protects and defends. University of Oregon employees would rank fairly low on my list.
Does this prohibition against personal opinions on state vehicles extend to other state property? For example, are employees and faculty allowed to post statements of personal belief on bulletin boards, office doors, or other areas paid for with public funds? I will be very interested in your reply.
Deb Conrad
Proud Marine Mom |
Posted by Deb at 12:05 AM
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January 19, 2005
Capt. Glade, our prayers are with you
Via Blackfive, here's a wounded soldier who needs your prayer and good wishes.
Capt. Daniel Glade was wounded in an IED explosion in Iraq on January 10 and arrived at Walter Reed on January 13th. His leg was amputated in an effort to stop the spread of infection but he is very ill. His family is keeping an on-line journal and has asked for prayer for the following:
Specific Prayer Requests:
1) Pray for restoration of his kidneys.
2) Pray for control of his infection. He has bacteria in his blood and in his wounds.
3) Pray against any blood clots.
4) Pray for his men in Iraq as they continue their missions without the man who led them for the last 2 years.
5) Pray for wisdom for the doctors.
Please also pray for his wife, daughter, and the rest of his family.
Posted by Deb at 10:54 AM
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January 18, 2005
Troops helping Troops
My good friend JP and his family have an irresistable opportunity for those who love cookies and/or love our troops. I have first-hand knowledge that the two conditions are not mutually exclusive. Here's his offer:
| Are you interested in helping out the troops? And by the troops I mean, of course, two particular girl scout troops as well as some men and women in Iraq.
Its Girl Scout cookie time again. Maggie is a leader in 2 troops. Both of my girls are involved. That means there are cookies galore here. If you are inclined to buy Girl Scout cookies, the girls would really appreciate it.
However, if you dont want cookies for yourself, there is another way you can participate, help out the girls and make someone elses day.
The Scouts are taking donations to send cookies to soldiers in Iraq. Girl Scout Cookies for these soldiers are a reminder of home. Were only allowed to send to service men and women who are known personally to an individual in the troop. Let me send along this info from Maggie:
Girl Scout Council Southeastern Massachusetts
Brownie Troop 1149 and Junior Troop 1061 are sending boxes of cookies to two (or more) units stationed in Iraq
One unit is the 447th Airborne, Air Force unit stationed in Baghdad Airport another unit is a Marine unit, but I dont have the details (another leader does) there is the possibility of one or two other units the father of a 4th grade girl is a reservist who was just called up, and there is another family with both a Brownie and a Junior who has a family member in Iraq.
We will send the cookies to as many different units as we can, and the servicepeople we know have promised to share. We can only send cookies to Iraq if we know someone in a unit, we cant send them generally.
If you are someone I am in personal contact with and would like to buy cookies for yourself, just send me an email letting me know what cookies you want. These are the cookies that we have available: Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Patties, Peanut Butter Sandwich, Iced Berry Piatas, Reduced Fat Lemon Pastry Cremes, Classic Shortbread, Caramel deLites, and Animal Treasures. (The bakerys site is down, so I dont have a link to the descriptions). The cookies are $3.50/box.
If you want to contribute to sending cookies to Iraq simply email me at this address. Let me know how much youd like to contribute. PayPal works best for me. If you dont use PayPal, well work something else out.
Make a soldiers day! If you do, and you dont mind giving me your snail mail address, one of my girls will send you a thank you note expressing the troops appreciation. |
My son was the recipient of a huge box of Girl Scout cookies a few months ago - he and the other Marines in his company deeply appreciated the generosity of folks back home . . . and JP was among those who contributed to the cause. If you'd like to make the day of a few more Marines and soldiers, plus at least two adorable Girl Scouts, e-mail JP at drmomentum-at-yahoo.com and reference Girl Scout Cookies in the subject line.
Posted by Deb at 11:23 AM
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January 15, 2005
Sharing the love
The generosity of care packages from home is appreciated by deployed Marines - but there is sometimes too much of a good thing. In a recent phone conversation with my son, he mentioned that they had enough toothbrushes to stock Wal-Mart. Not a problem - there are other units that can use the donations we've recently received. However, the extra supplies will not be discarded. 1/7 Marines from 3rd Platoon are using extra items theyve received in care packages as goodwill gestures for families in the communities they protect. Cpl. Matthew R. Jones sends this report and photo from Husaybah:
We have received a tremendous amount of (care packages) from people back home, said Staff Sgt. Jeff V. Escalderon, platoon sergeant. In fact, there was so much that we could not use it. Instead of throwing it away we decided to put together packages and give it to the locals.
The unit hopes that these small gifts will buoy the locals populations perception of the coalition forces working towards stability in the area.
It is the Divisions motto of No better friend, no worse enemy, said Escalderon. We are here to help them and better their conditions, until they prove they dont deserve our help.
Marines from the company have been giving small items they have received, such as candy and small toys, to the children since the beginning of the war last year, said Cpl. Sean D. Salome, team leader.
When we come in it often scares the children, added Salome, 20, from Rochester, NY. But, if we have something to give them, they relax.
However, during this deployment the Marines have expanded the packages to include hygiene gear, such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, soap, as well as many other items received in care packages, added Escalderon, 35, a native of Santee, Calif.
The Iraqis have been more willing to cooperate with the coalition forces since the unit has began to offer these small items to better the welfare of the locals.
It has really helped with the locals perception of us, showing them we are the good guys, said Escalderon. These people are used to only bad things happening when people with guns show up at their door. We are trying to show them we are friendly and want to help them.
The benefit of the packs has also been noticed in the city while on patrol. Often local children will follow the Marines as they patrol through the city in hopes of receiving some of the goodies offered by the unit. The children will no longer follow as the patrols enters into areas of the city that are hostile towards coalition forces, added Escalderon.
Also, they often will point out (improvised explosive devices) to us as well as houses where insurgents live, said Escalderon.
The only obstacle the Marines have faced while giving out the items is space. The Marines must take all their combat equipment needed for the patrols. Once the Marines have their required load then they can take the gifts, said Escalderon.
Over 300 pounds of items have been given to the local Iraqis during the companys patrols through the hostile city.
The city has no major projects funded through coalition contracts and the Marines hope these small packs are changing the attitudes of the local Iraqis.
The Iraqis never ask for the packs, added Escalderon. It is something we give them to help ease the tensions in the area. We would love to do more but we do not have the capabilities to do so. |
From Left: Private First Class Warren Jett Jr., 22, from Odenton, Md., Pfc. Oscar A. Rivera, 22, from North Hills, Calif., and Pfc. Daniel P. Kable, 20, from Columbus, Ohio, prepare items to be given to locals Iraqis in the city of Husaybah. The Marines are infantrymen with 1/7 Bravo, 3rd Platoon of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. The company has used excess items from care packages to help ease tensions in the city. |
PFC Kable's mom is Renae Kable - one of our Operation Santa volunteers that worked tirelessly to make the holidays a bit merrier for our deployed Marines. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Posted by Deb at 07:48 PM
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January 12, 2005
Party with the Marines
Major Steve Danyluk who has returned from Iraq has an invitation for anyone in the Fredericksburg, VA area:
| Please come and join us for an evening in support of the Marines who were wounded during Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom:
When: 27 January 2005, 1800-2300hrs.
Where: The Colonial Tavern Home to the Irish Brigade located at 406 Lafayette Blvd. in historic Old Town Fredericksburg (across from the train station on Charles street). | |
| How: The Fisher House is a not-for-profit, 503(c)(3) organization established as a home-away-from-home for the family members visiting our wounded service-members during their recovery. There are currently 32 homes on 17 military installations that have served over 8,500 families in 2004. (More can be learned by visiting www.fisherhouse.org)
| |
| The Colonial Tavern Home to the Irish Brigade is hosting a music- filled evening with guest USMC bartenders. All tips and other donations will be handed over to the Fisher House for the direct support of our service-men and women recovering at Bethesda Naval Hospital. |
| Donations over $30 qualify for the charitable tax deduction and appropriate forms will be provided. Persons donating more than $30 will receive a complimentary Fisher House coin. For further information please call (540) 287-2383. | |
Posted by Deb at 04:05 PM
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January 06, 2005
Reminder
Captain Heffner, 1/2 Marines, Bravo Battery, reminds those who are sending care packages to their Marines:
Alcohol is a contraband item for Marines in Iraq. Those Marines possessing alcohol risk non-judicial punishment or court martial. We have not had an incident involving alcohol in the battery, however I have confiscated a few small bottles of alcohol that have been sent via U.S. mail. In this case the Marine voluntarily surrendered the alcohol. I view the action as a credit to that particular Marine's character. Our duties require our attention 24 hours a day. Alcohol would impair our ability to attack the enemy and protect ourselves. Please support your Marine by not sending alcohol which could hurt his ability to perform his duties or his ability to protect himself from attack. Thank You.
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Posted by Deb at 01:02 AM
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January 05, 2005
how to write to the wounded
From Diana Hartman, Marine spouse living in Germany, suggestions for writing letters to wounded troops. She visits Landstuhl regularly and carries letters from folks who send along their greetings to injured Marines.
i know most people aren't letter writers per se and concern themselves with writing something of substance, something comforting, something that will really matter...
and that's all good and fine, but it's not that complicated...
in the end, what the wounded like is what distracts them and entertains them...
the reason the guys like the kid's letters is because kids write off the cuff...they say things like "we're so proud of you" and "you're our hero", sure...they also talk about themselves and ask a lot of questions and these are the things the guys enjoy the most...
one of the kid-cards i received to take up there read "Thank you for dying for our country. Get well soon!"...
the kids talk about school, their friends, their family members, their pets, their favorite places to go out to eat, and some even talk about their problems like a bully picking on them or not doing well in math...
the kids are a good guide...
tell the wounded about yourself, things about your hometown, your friends, etc...
the thing is with the kid's letters is that they're so distracting for the wounded person reading it...for a brief moment, their wound and the war is out of their minds...big people have the potential to distract a wounded person for several minutes...use your sense of humor...be very descriptive of your work or your family...talk about things in the future like a family reunion or a promotion...
another thing the kids write that the guys love is gossip...it doesn't matter that the kids are writing about people the wounded will never meet and don't know...we all like dirt on others and there's nothing more distracting than "I was supposed to get a puppy for my birthday but my mom and dad couldn't buy one after my older sister came home pregnant with a big baby. Do you have a sister? Don't get one. They are stupid."...
the guys think these kinds of things are hysterical and will read them aloud to their roommates and hospital staff...
don't stress over what to write, just write...
if you're more comfortable with it, write in microsoft word or in your email program and then print it out in a font that looks like handwriting or handprinting**...
this will give you plenty of leeway and room for error...
of course we want to keep things appropriate, but focus on what you think are the little things in life, the things you might think aren't worth mentioning as these are the very things that interest them most...
this same guide applies to letter writing for those in combat, deployed, or away at school...
you don't have to be so very clever and witty, just be yourself
-diana
** fonts that resemble handwriting/printing:
bradley hand ITC
comic sans MS
kristen ITC
lucida handwriting
monotype corsiva
pristina
rage italic
tempus sans ITC
viner hand ITC |
Posted by Deb at 03:33 PM
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December 30, 2004
Big Balls
Marine balls are evidently bigger than most - or at least that's what what I'm guessing based on the latest troop support request. 6th ESB is deploying 17 Marines next week and their previous experience is that football with the US Army is a "non contact sport". However, the British would like to play rugby with them if we can get a supply of rugby balls. If we send them, our Marines will start a rugby league and will share the balls with the different Marine groups that have British troops or Royal Marines with them.
If you'd like to donate toward the cost of a half dozen rugby balls (and other sports equipment), please send a check to the Marine Corps Family Foundation (write rugby balls in the memo line) or paypal us at donations@marinecorpsmoms.com.
Address for the Foundation is:
Marine Corps Family Foundation
4500 Ruby Ct. NE
Salem, OR 97305
Posted by Deb at 05:27 PM
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December 21, 2004
Making a Difference
Our troops do so much for us. Blessings to those who give back to them. Marine Mom Lori, with two sons in the Corps, passes along this heartwarming story of generosity and appreciation.
My oldest, Josh, came back from Iraq doubting (as "just a f*****' POG") that he accomplished anything worthwhile. No matter what I've said to him, he's been wondering if the time away from his new wife, and the rest of us, was wasted. He, like so many warriors, came back to a surprising amount of negative news and questions from people who delighted in asking incredibly stupid and insensitive questions. Even after some bad firefights, he thought he hadn't "really served".
Josh and his wife finally found an apartment. He's been back from Iraq since October, and they've been staying with friends. Not cheap by Oklahoma standards ($950 for a small two-bedroom) but at least it'll be home. They spent the morning packing their few belongings. They didn't have much money left after the rent and deposits, but decided they'd spend a bit on some used furniture and eat sparingly until payday.
They found a small used furniture store. Inside, they spotted a green leather couch and a nice coffee table. Josh figured that could do double duty as a place to eat, and they'd wait to find a table for the dining room. While his wife wandered around looking for dishes, Josh approached the clerk and told him they'd like to buy the sofa and table and told him he'd have to go back to the apartment, empty the Explorer then come back for the furniture. The man asked him, "Are you new to town?" Josh said "Kind of, Sir...I just got back from Iraq. It's our first apartment."
The man was silent a moment, then thanked Josh for his service, and told my son to look around and see if they could find anything else they might need. The man told him that the items were on sale for half price. Josh was pleasantly surprised, and decided they might be able to add a few more things, since they were getting the furniture for less than they originally thought. They looked around for a while, deciding on a few more things like dishes, a chair, a few lamps and something to hang on the living room wall.
Josh approached the man and asked what their total was. That man looked at my son and said "Go over to the register, give us twenty dollars, and we'll call it even."
Josh was stunned. He stammered "Are you sure? I...I...Thank you so much!" The man said "Don't you DARE thank ME. THANK YOU for what you boys are doing for US." Then he said he'd help take the furniture to the apartment for them. Color my boy even more amazed. At this point my daughter-in-law was in tears.
It gets better. After following the kids to the apartment and helping Josh unload, that man who had just given my son a new outlook on his experience post-combat earned even more of my eternal gratitude.
My DIL went to get her purse from the car to pay him for helping them. She got back to the curb as he drove off, waving. Josh was sitting on the curb with his head between his legs. Dakota thought he was praying. He was, but his face was white as a sheet when he looked up. Dakota said, "Babe, what's the matter?" Josh, sporting a serious case of eyeball sweat, said: "He just handed me a hundred-dollar bill and told me to take you out for a nice dinner."
After they got over the nausea and shock, they called me to share this blessing. I bawled like a baby, of course, then asked Josh if the man might have been a Marine, or a veteran. He said, "Oh my Gawd, I should have asked!" (Uh, yeah. Duh.)
My son, who'd spent the last several months doubting the worth of human nature after combat around Fallujah and Ramadi, kept babbling "He MUST have been an angel, Mom. He had to be, he just had to. That guy was an angel sent by God." (Of that, I have no doubts)
I told him, "Yes, honey, he could have been...he could also be "just" one of the grateful Americans I keep insisting are around. I TOLD you they exist. And I TOLD you that you DO make a difference. You may now allow me to say 'I TOLD you so!' " In a tearful, but smug-mama voice, of course.
The kids were at a loss wondering what they could do to thank this wonderful man. I suggested buying a USMC OIF flag, having his unit sign it, and presenting it to that dear, sweet man with many thanks. I plan to thank him as well - with a letter letting him know just what he's done for my son's faith and confidence (and mine). That man might never really fathom what his gesture meant to my family, but I'm going to bust my ass trying to tell him.
My Marine now realizes that what he does DOES make a difference. And hey, we moms just love being right. |
Earlier this year, as my son prepared for his second deployment with 1/7, a former Marine who reads this blog sent me a gift certificate and asked me to take him to Ruth's Chris Steak House. We had a wonderful evening and our memories are augmented by the warmth and caring of a retired Marine who wanted to give my son a great meal before 7 months of MREs. Shane will never forget it and neither will I.
If you have an opportunity to bless someone in uniform this Christmas season - or any other time - go for it. Just a sincere "Thank you for serving" can make a difference.
Posted by Deb at 08:26 PM
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December 09, 2004
Michael Moore, step up!
Via Backcountry Conservative, here's a challenge from one Michael to another:
December 7, 2004
Mr. Michael Moore
XXXXX
New York, NY 10XXX
Dear Mr. Moore,
No doubt about it: The American soldier has done a lot for Michael Moore.
Hundreds of thousands of them are serving right now in Afghanistan and Iraq--two wars you opposed--defending you from a terrorist threat you claim does not exist. As you frequently point out, more than 1,000 of these soldiers and Marines have died, and thousands more of them have been injured.
These soldiers have also made you quite a bit of money. The most powerful scenes in your film Fahrenheit 9/11 feature soldiers and their families, specifically those servicemen who were wounded or killed in battle. Your new book, Will They Ever Trust Us Again--a collection of letters you've received from members of the military who served in Iraq-- will likely gross hundreds of thousands of dollars for you and your publisher.
As I said, America's soldiers have been very good to you. Most of them don't like you, but they're prepared to die attempting to protect you from terrorism so that you can continue to crank out your profitable propaganda.
Theyve done all this for you. Im writing to give you the opportunity to do something for them.
My radio station, 630 WMAL, is leading a fundraising effort on behalf of the Fisher Houses here in the Washington, DC area and the Fisher House Foundation. Given your obsession with the costs of the War on Terror, you are no doubt familiar with the magnificent work done by the Fisher House on behalf of wounded soldiers and their families.
These families are struggling with the emotional consequences of a battlefield injury and its treatment. Fisher House helps solve some of the short-term financial and logistical challenges for the wives, children and parents who have wounded loved ones receiving treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Bethesda Naval Hospital or Malcolm Grow Medical at Andrews Air Force base.
The message of your books and films is that the American soldier is a victim. The soldiers Ive spoken with at Fisher House vehemently disagree with you, as do the majority of my active-duty military listeners. However, we all agree that the soldiers who have been the victims of Iraqi terrorist violence (I think you call them the true patriots, the Minute Men) deserve our support.
Therefore, I am writing to challenge you to give back just a small portion of the money you have earned as a critic of their mission. Your film Fahrenheit 9/11 has grossed around $150 million. Our entire goal for the Fisher House this holiday season is a tiny percentage of that amount.
Though I am a confirmed right-winger, I believe there should be no partisan divide when it comes to standing by our troops. My fellow WMAL employees and I are dedicating our time, efforts and money to that proposition. The question, Mr. Moore, is whether or not you will do the same.
Many Americans feel that you have exploited the injuries of our soldiers for partisan purposes but have no real concern for them or their families. On behalf of the Fisher House, I would be thrilled to receive your generous donation as evidence that we are wrong.
If you feel, however, that the money can be better spent on yet another trip to France, nobody will be surprised.
You can send your check made out to the Fisher House Foundation, care of 630 WMAL, 4400 Jenifer Street NW, Washington, DC 20015.
Thank you for your time.
Michael Graham
630 WMAL
Washington, DC
|
Posted by Deb at 10:47 PM
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December 07, 2004
Operation Santa arrives in Camp Al Qaim
We've heard reports that Operation Santa stockings are arriving all over Iraq. Here's a picture of a few good men from 1/7 Supply - the stockings are machine embroidered works of art and I'm sure they'll come home with the men in their sea bags. Gail Loffler coordinated H&S Company for 1/7 and did an awesome job. Thanks again to the hundreds of volunteers across the country who made this happen for over 6,000 Marines. Connie and I are still finishing up the remnants of the program, but will get notes out to each of you very soon.
Posted by Deb at 05:17 PM
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November 30, 2004
Landstuhl Revisited
Diana Hartman visited our wounded troops at Landstuhl Germany again today.
hello all,
tomorrow's trip to landstuhl (30nov04) will be a big-haul day as there were many arrivals today and i would like to thank each and every one of you for your generous contribution...
the toiletry kits i was able to put together are the best i've been able to take up yet...there is always a shortage of toothbrushes and shaving cream so i wasn't able to use all of the toiletries to complete kits...these "leftovers" (about 6 bushel baskets) are only leftover in the sense that when more toothbrushes and shaving cream shows up, more kits will get made and delivered; they are NOT leftover in the sense that they won't get used, cos they so will get used...
there are 21 kits and each one includes:
toothpaste
toothbrush
floss
nail clippers
cotton swabs
comb
chapstick
baby powder
shaving cream
shampoo
deodorant
razors
soap
mouthwash
lotion
candy
socks
letter/card from a child/adult
in addition, the delivery includes 24 articles of clothing, 49 backpacks, dvds, magazines, toys, games, writing materials, and disposable cameras...
this nicely compliments last week's haul of 17 toiletry kits, 7 coats and jackets, 18 articles of clothing, dvds, several dozen cds, models, modeling kits, and a lot of toys and games...
i have been in receipt of $250 to be used for supplies for the wounded...i have spent $151 of that cleaning out the px here of all their toothbrushes and shaving cream and other stuff (the commissary only sells fullsize and is more expensive)...i will be taking the remaining $99 to the ramstein px (afb adjacent to landstuhl) to buy more supplies...at the same time i will be redeeming vouchers for those wounded who are unable to do so themselves...if you would like copies of the receipts (i can digitally photograph them and email them to you) please let me know...
one more thing:
if you sent stuff via another person or company (thus i wouldn't have your address), please send me your address...c'mon people, don't be shy...the cards i picked out just for the thank yous are quite pretty...they're already bought and the stamps are already attached, they're just waiting for someone to say "yes i sent something, here's my address"...
if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions about the landstuhl trips, please feel free to email me!
sincerely, diana hartman
marforeur spouses
stuttgart, germany |
Her email address is msdusmcd@yahoo.com. Read about her first and second visits if you've missed them.
Posted by Deb at 10:57 PM
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November 28, 2004
Sending packages to APO/FPO addresses
The U.S. Post Office has just released a new flat rate Priority Mail box. It's too late for Operation Santa but good news for those of us who are still getting holiday packages in the mail for deployed loved ones. I just orderd 50 boxes that can be mailed for a flat rate $7.70 for any U.S. destination, including APO/FPO addresses, and contain any weight up to a 70 lb. maximum. Two box sizes are available with dimensions of 14" x 12" x 3.5" and 11.25" x 8.75" x 6". Best of all, these boxes can be ordered free of charge from the post office via their website and sent to your home. This program started November 20 and will operate in a trial status for 2 years. For those of us who mail frequently, it will be a tremendous savings.
Posted by Deb at 02:26 PM
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November 15, 2004
Operation Santa
Operation Santa continues with a number of dedicated Santa's Helpers who are busy coordinating details. We're getting reports that almost all packages have been mailed, and that the generosity of people all over the country towards troops who will be in war zones over the holidays is amazing.
This picture was taken at 11:00 last night as we continue to wrap stocking stuffers and gifts to be sent to Marines in Iraq. We hope to be mostly done early next week and Connie will have her living room back!
Operation Santa Project Directors are:
| Connie Riecke | riecke@marinecorpsmoms.com |
| Deb Conrad | deb@marinecorpsmoms.com |
Please contact Deb or Connie with questions about Operation Santa.
If you have a question about a specific battalion, please contact Deb or Connie. We've covered 1/7, 1/23, 2/10, 9th Comm, and 4th LAAD. We have a few folks working on partial battalions.
Donations can be made to:
| Paypal Donations | From www.paypal.com, send to operationsanta@marinecorpsmoms.com |
| Checks and gift certificates/cards | Marine Corps Family Foundation
4500 Ruby Ct. NE
Salem, OR 97305 |
Until everything is out the door this year, we'll continue to accept donations. Excess donations will be saved for Operation Santa in 2005 when we hope to cover all Marines deployed in war zones over the holidays. We'll start much earlier next year - if you are interested in coordinating a platoon, company, or battalion, we'd love to talk with you. All donations made to Operation Santa will be used for direct troop support unless the donor specifically tells us that we can use it for administrative expenses. We will fundraise after the project concludes to pay ourselves back for the administrative part of this project, including our cell phone bills - yikes! A complete accounting of all monies received and expenditures will be published at the end of this project. Thanks to everyone out there who is helping our Marines have a merrier Christmas. This would not have been possible without an amazing group of volunteers who stepped up and said "I can do this" . . . and then they did it!
More information here:
Operation Santa overview
Operation Santa Update #1
Operation Santa Update #2
Operation Santa Update #3
Operation Santa Update #4
Posted by Deb at 03:39 PM
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November 10, 2004
Happy 229th Birthday, Marines
Today, all over the world, Marines will stop to celebrate the 229th birthday of the Corps. Cake will be served in in locations ranging from dusty cities in war torn countries to luxurious hotel ballrooms. Here is General Hagee's message to his Marines:
The Commandant of the Marine Corps'
2004 Birthday Message
Two hundred and twenty-nine years ago, the Second Continental Congress established a Corps of Marines to fight for a democratic people's independence. Since then countless Marines have raised their hand and sworn to defend our Nation's freedoms and preserve its liberties. This year's anniversary again finds Marines engaged throughout the globe for the same noble purposes. The bravery, heroism and selflessness of all Marineswherever they are servinghave added significantly to our rich legacy and measured up to the high standards that have come to epitomize all who wear the eagle, globe and anchor.
The current battlefields of the global war on terror are linked to the storied campaigns of our past by an unbroken tradition of proud and loyal service. At New Providence, Chapultepec, Belleau Wood, Tarawa, Iwo Jima, the Chosin Reservoir, Con Thien, Kuwait and now in places like Fallujah, Marines have consistently demonstrated a dedication to duty, a commitment to warfighting excellence, and a devotion to each other that has instilled a fierce determination to overcome seemingly impossible challenges. Our warrior ethos is and will continue to be the Corps' hallmark.
The fortitude and sacrifices of Marines and their families have been vital in protecting our Nation from those who would do us harm. Whether preparing and sustaining our agile force or engaged in battle, the esprit de corps, tireless energy, calm courage and inspired leadership of Marines continue to make a monumental difference in this world. Your unselfish dedication and significant accomplishmentsdemonstrated repeatedly over this past year in numerous places such as the Anbar province of Iraq, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, Haiti and in the crucial job here at home supporting our deployed forcesare deeply respected and valued by your fellow Americans.
Marines, as we celebrate with friends and families the founding of our beloved Corps, you should take pride in our long history of distinguished service to this great Nation and its citizens. I ask you to remember especially the sacrifices of our fallen and wounded comrades. Finally, rededicate yourselves to taking care of one another and ensuring we remain the finest warfighting organization in the world.
Happy Birthday, Marines. Semper Fidelis, and Keep Attacking!
M. W. Hagee
General, U.S. Marine Corps |
Posted by Deb at 12:03 AM
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November 08, 2004
Semper Fi Fund
Marine wife Tonia Sargent describes her husband's severe injury and shares in a letter to the Washington Times how caring people can help:
My name is Tonia Sargent. I am the wife of a Marine injured in Iraq. My husband is 36 years old. He has been a Marine for 17 years. He had wanted to do 30 years of service.
| My husband's dreams were altered on Aug. 5. He sustained a shrapnel injury to his head from an [improvised explosive device] explosion after volunteering for a mission in Iraq. The Marine Corps rushed me to his bedside at the National Naval Medical Center. We were supported at Bethesda by the Marine Liaison Office with the utmost respect and warmth.
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My husband is now at a VA hospital in Palo Alto, Calif., and will be in a rehab program for a year or more. He misses his Marines, but he is humbled that every Sunday they line up in Iraq to call him on the telephone. I am sharing our story with you because you have been instrumental in spreading the word about the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund.
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This fund has assisted my family twice with financial assistance. There was no red tape, they just helped. Had it not been for the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, I would not have been able to pay my bills for the last three months or stay at my husband's bedside.
The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund is the only organization I have found that will assist active-duty families. All others I have researched can only assist if my Marine has been discharged or is dead. I am asking for all of your readers to help. It has been a relief to me that I have had assistance from the Semper Fi fund.
Everyone can make a difference; a contribution to this fund will help other families like mine. I pray that more people will send donations so that the fund can continue to live up to its title. "Semper Fi" is the U.S. Marine Corps motto, and it means "always faithful."
We can all make a difference, and I'm asking your readers to help me do that by contributing to the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. God bless all of us. Thank you for your prayers and support.
The address for tax-deductible donations is Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, 825 College Blvd., Suite 102, PMB 609, Oceanside, CA 92057.
Sincerely,
Tonia Sargent |
The Semper Fi Fund can now take on-line donations:
The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible.
Posted by Deb at 01:20 AM
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Oregon State Packing Party -
Last week, an energetic group of OSU students got together to pack stockings and wrap gifts for 1/23 Marines who are currently deployed in Iraq. Here are a few photos that tell a troop support story.
Corvallis loves Marines. This group of high-energy Oregon State University spent an evening wrapping gifts and stuffing stockings for 1/23 Marines last week. Laura Beardsley, OSU Operation Santa Coordinator, is at the right end of the first row.
| Women from Alpha Chi Omega sorority wrap stocking stuffers with USMC LtCol Joseph Grant who heads the NROTC at Oregon State. |
| OSU students enthusiastically wrapped every gift that will go to 1/23 Marines . . . including briefly the scissors that Connie brought with her to help wrap gifts. The scissors were located, unwrapped, and put back into service cutting giftwrapping paper. | |
| OSU Operation Santa Coordinator, Laura Beardsley (in background), has done a terrific job of making sure that 14 platoons from 1/23 will have a merrier Christmas. |
| Ronda Blacker along with friends, Barbara Norris, Phyllis Barbour, Rita Hathaway, Judy Settlemeier, Nina Toronto, Barbara Gabrielson, Kay DeCoss, LaFyme Pratt, Frankye White, and Nancy Thompson made these beautiful stockings. Becky Mack from Oceanside also prepared 200 beautiful stockings and sent them to OSU to be used for making the holidays brighter for our troops. | |
Connie reports: "Elves all over our nation have been busy with Operation Santa, sending Holiday packages to our Marines. We continue to have a growing list of requests to remember platoons and companies of Marines, and so the list of needed items for stuffing stockings and shipping expenses continues to grow. But, just when we think there is no way to send one more stocking a new volunteer emerges. Yesterday I met with a lady from my community who read in the paper about Operation Santa. She gathered her friends and neighbors and they went to work. Ronda Blacker along with friends, Barbara Norris, Phyllis Barbour, Rita Hathaway, Judy Settlemeier, Nina Toronto, Barbara Gabrielson, Kay DeCoss, LaFyme Pratt, Frankye White, and Nancy Thompson came to our rescue with 88 beautiful stockings and an envelope of money to help with shipping. And, they want to volunteer for next year. The many blessings continue to come our way as we work to make the holidays for our Marines special. Thank you to all our volunteer elves.
Posted by Deb at 12:26 AM
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November 05, 2004
Marathon Men
Last August, we told you about a group of Marines in Iraq who were training for the NYC Marathon. They are en route to NYC where they will join the best runners from around the world in friendly competition. Wayne Coffey, from the NY Daily News, describes one of the competitors, First Lt. Christopher McManus:
McManus and some friends ran the New York City Marathon last year, without training. McManus was on one knee, down for the count, at 20 miles, but somehow finished. This year he wanted to prepare. He thought it would be good for him, and his men, to have a goal. He E-mailed Janet Messina, who heads the marathon registration effort for the New York Road Runners, from Iraq.
"He came up with the idea to run and then said all of us had to do it, and then we didn't have a choice," Isaac Moore says.
Some of the guys, stationed in the town of Husayba, built a .44-mile loop around the perimeter of their camp. In McManus' camp, in Al Qaim, the loop was longer, nearly a mile. McManus went on the New York Road Runners Web site and followed the training regimen laid out for the marathon. Messina helped them out further by furnishing them shoes, clothing, running sundries.
Usually they would run at 5:30 in the morning. Sometimes it would be after they were up all night, fighting a war. Moore recalls one morning when he was getting his miles in when mortar shells started hitting about 100 yards away.
In another instance, about 40 minutes into a run, an emergency radio call came in about Marines who had been hit by a roadside bomb. Immediately the runners were off to get their helmets, flak jackets and weapons, and soon were in their Humvees, going off to secure a place for a helicopter to land and to transport the injured to the helicopter.
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Their hotel rooms have been donated, their clothing and shoes donated by ASICS, but if anyone wants to throw a few dollars their way for air fare, it would be appreciated by them. Donations can be sent to:
Marine Corps Family Foundation
attn: NYC Marathon - USMC team
4500 Ruby Ct. NE
Salem, OR 97305
Posted by Deb at 10:37 AM
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October 31, 2004
Packing Parties!
Here are pictures from the Puyallup Packing Party in Washington yesterday. Vicky Mohler, Operation Santa coordinator for 9th Communication Battalion, pulled off a wonderfully well organized experience. Oohrah!
| Vicky Mohler, Operation Santa coordinator for the 9th Comm Battalion, and Mary Helen Bartch, wife of Col Richard Bartch, currently deployed in support of OIF-II. Mary Helen flew in to help with the packing party and her years of experience with similar projects and organizational expertise were a huge help. |
| Norma Dharens and Connie Riecke share their experiences as Marine Corps Moms. Normas son is deployed with 1/7 Marines; Connies son recently returned to the United States with 3/7. | |
| Volunteers fill the sacks with donations of disposable cameras, beef jerky, candy, toiletries, and other |
| Volunteers carry in a van load of treats to be placed in individual Santa Sacks. | |
| Volunteers filled a room at a local church to fill hand-sewn sacks for Marines from 9th Comm. |
| Norma Dharens and two other volunteers seal boxes filled with holiday treats for our troops. | |
| Boxes filled with holiday treats to be shared by 9th Comm Marines. |
| In addition to the boxes filled with holiday treats, 110 boxes filled with Santa Sacks will be opened at Christmas by deployed 9th Comm Marines. | |
| Mary Helen Bartch signs a canvas banner that will be sent to 9th Comm with Operation Santa packages. Mary Helens husband is deployed in Iraq. |
| Connie Riecke meets Marines from the Puyallup recruiting office. | |
A huge thank you to Vicky Mohler and Mary Helen Bartch for all their hard work.
Posted by Deb at 07:42 PM
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October 18, 2004
Operation Santa needs your support!
| Karel from North Bend First Christian Church wraps gifts to be placed in stockings that will be sent to deployed Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan. Volunteers from North Bend sewed over 600 stockings for Operation Santa. |
| Jean holds up one of 50 stockings filled by the Christian Women's Fellowship. These stockings will be sent to 1/23 Marines currently deployed in Iraq. Marine Grandma Bette is standing in the background. | |
We are still working hard! The past week has been one of 20 hour days for Connie and I - and I know the other volunteers are working just as hard. We now have sponsors for all of 1/7, 1/23, 9th Comm, 4th LAAD . . . and we're filling up 2/10. These Marines are working hard for us and deserve our support. I'm on my way to a packing party for one of the 1/23 platoons and will update with pictures tonight.
If those of you who do not have time to sponsor a platoon but would like to support the project in another way, checks can be sent here:
Marine Corps Family Foundation
4500 Ruby Ct. NE
Salem, OR 97305
Please make sure that checks are made payable to the Marine Corps Family Foundation but Operation Santa is designated on the memo line. Thanks - our troops will appreciate it. Paperwork for the Foundation is being filed and receipts for tax purposes will be sent as soon as approval by the IRS is received.
All donations towards Operation Santa will be very much appreciated. A complete accounting will be published as soon as the project concludes.
Posted by Deb at 11:50 AM
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October 16, 2004
Adam Marshall on his way to #1
Adam with Marine Corps Moms Janise, Linda, and Connie at an outdoor Margarita bar in Indianapolis last summer.
Adam Marshall, former Marine up and coming country star, has entered this country music chart at number 13 on the Radiowave Airplay Report with his first single, "Come Home as Fast as You Can". 13 is a lucky number in October - if you haven't heard Adam's music you're in for a treat. Check out his website and order his CD. The album is irresistable at $11 and you can feel good about your purchase since the proceeds go to Operation Interdependence.
Adam wrote his songs while deployed last year during OIF1. Read his bio on his website - his is a remarkable story.
Posted by Deb at 05:35 PM
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October 13, 2004
Send Cards!
Here's an idea for care packages from Anita Ramos, 1/7 Marine Mom. She knows that many of our troops have limited or no access to a PX, or any way to purchase Christmas cards for their friends and family. So, she's sending a few boxes of cards for her son and his friends so they can mail holiday greetings to their friends and families. It's a great idea - perhaps some of the rest of you would like to send a supply as well. No stamps are necessary since our troops have free franking privileges while deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Posted by Deb at 01:29 AM
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October 08, 2004
Landstuhl redux
Diana Hartman is back from her second trip to Landstuhl. Read her account of the first trip here. Then, read this . . . and consider sending a couple of items on her list to make the lives of our wounded Marines and other troops a bit easier.
oct07 (posted oct08)
today's visit was a testament to the human spirit...eleven marines and several soldiers were the appreciative recipients of get well cards, magazines, books, writing material, clothing items, toiletries and scores of bagged and homemade goodies...we ran long on our time today for no other reason than because we just couldn't leave their sides and the guys were very talkative...one in particular, a young devildog about 20 yrs old from the great state of texas, had arrived at landstuhl just the day before...because of extensive hardware he is unable to eat solid foods of any kind, and has the use of one leg...he was smiling, energetic and so well-mannered his mother would beam with pride to know what kind of son she has...he was without a few things he especially needed because he hadn't mentioned them to the liaisons; he was however bubbly and you might even say jumpy as he told us about what he needed ('cos you know moms, we pry!), so we made arrangements for him...a few others had mentioned his jumpiness as reason to move on, that his nervous energy was contagious; we were able to quickly surmise that this was his nature and not any drug he may have been taking...i have such a child, an 18 yr old daughter, who sees the world moving much more slowly than it really does and this is the reason for the darting glances and seemingly unfocused behavior...i felt right at home with him so i stayed behind and left later when the other ladies came back to his room...he talked about his future in the marine corps, a future you would think wouldn't include the marine corps, but he spoke of closeness and camaraderie well beyond that of your average 20 year old...much like my daughter, i could clearly see that his every hyper characteristic had a well-honed and focused flip side fueled by the very energy that filled the room...he knows what he wants, and i know he will get much of it...
at the end of our visit, he quite literally hopped out of bed and across the room to "see you ladies to the door"...it was so precious, i could almost hear the squeak of a screen door and smell freshly squeezed lemonade sitting on a porch i could almost feel...
i couldn't get over the eyes i saw today...blue eyes, brown, green, hazel, dark, dazed, alert, hopeful, tired, relieved, longing, intense, wincing, long lashes and no lashes, one eye straining to make up for the loss of the other...all of them deep and thoughtful, many of them so cheerful and delighted it's difficult to describe...there were a lot of unspoken words...
the world they just came from is very different from the world they are in now...i don't know what the world was like for them a few days ago, but i know what it was like today...they were articulate and enchanting when telling the stories of what happened to them...many of them broken, hurting, and fresh from the first of many surgeries to come, they still made efforts to sit up, to lean their heads if they couldn't sit up, responsive to the least gesture, anxious to talk, dismissive of their own bravery and owning of their deep and abiding friendship and love for their fellow marines...all of them were bright-eyed when shown the list of those we were visiting, and a few became excited when they saw names they recognized...of these, they genuinely wanted to know if their fellow warriors were doing okay and pondering how they themselves could pay them a visit...
the ten marines working the liaison's office were taken aback at the oodles of bags and the stack of dvd players...each were tagged with a large or small glossy marine corps stickers...i'm told the surprise felt by the dvd players was similar to the arrival of several x-box game systems donated by one of many jewish-american associations...well done moms! i took the liberty of printing out marinemomonline stickers to place inside every book and magazine, and on every box...there are then many reminders for our wounded that their marine family is very much aware of them all and cares for them very much...
i don't think i mentioned before just how visible the marine corps is in this army hospital...outside every marine's room is a table-top version of the marine corps flag that's stuck in behind the name plate for that marine(s)...once in the room, one will also see the marine's rank, name, unit, and any medical alerts for that marine on a large sign hung on the light behind his/her bed...their electronics are also marked, as i said by the usmc stickers, so there's no way anyone could possibly say "i didn't know he/she was a marine"...
personally, it's just so cool to see all that...
once again i have no pictures to share because i slept the whole way up and back from landstuhl...it was a rainy day here and those of us visiting are still fresh from the plethora of beer, wine, and food of the volkfest here in stuttgart (the stuttgart oktoberfest)...as well, it's very hard not to grab a little shut-eye when it's the general's own drivers taking us down the autobahn at an avg of 140kph (90mph)...well, okay, that kind of speed might keep others very much awake, but i felt safe...
i'm very sorry for the lack of photos as i've wanted nothing more than to share pictures...if you're able to view the publication though, there were reporters and photographers from "stars and stripes" visiting at the same time we were making our rounds and i believe my fellow wives were among those photographed on other wings while i stayed behind with our young texan...
with the help of the liaison's office, i have compiled a list of the things needed...before i post that list, i need to add a note about the donations that have been pledged...as wives, we do not have the resources to receive and parlay large scale donations from organizations...it is important that the donations i receive are from individuals and small groups only (classrooms, scout troops, etc) as this is the only way to make sure everything is accounted for and can be adequately transported and delivered with the resources we have...we need to do everything we can to avoid the possibility of donations walking off by themselves, getting lost in the shuffle, and overburdening the limited space currently available to both the marforeur (marine forces europe) command and the liaison's office...while the word "command" suggests a big place, in fact it's one 3-story building already jam-packed with marine personnel and equipment...as well, the liaison's office is but one room of the hospital with a few storage spaces available to them...the main issue has become not shunning donations but rather controlling the flow of those donations...if unchecked, it would be very easy for this great flow of kindness to avalanche into chaos...we don't want that; we want everyone who wants to contribute to be able to do so and be assured that their donations are accounted for and properly delivered to their intended recipients...for this reason, larger groups and organizations that aren't already in touch with the liaison's office and that wish to make substantial contributions can email me with their points of contact and i will deliver that list to the liaison's office...
my email address is msdusmcd@yahoo.com
because of the colder weather here in germany, sweatshirts and jackets have been added to the list as well as dufflebags and backpacks in which to keep their things...while some of the wounded are flown to other hospitals around the states and don't necessarily have enough stuff to warrant a bag, most of the wounded spend a good deal of time as outpatients in landstuhl before going anywhere else and it is these individuals who will acquire things over time without a way to carry their belongings to and fro...
with that said, on with the list:
- sweatshirts, long-sleeved t-shirts, and jackets in all sizes
- trial sizes of all toiletries to include:
- -deodorant (men and women's)
- -soap (bar and liquid)
- -shampoo (w/ and w/o conditioner)
- -toothbrushes
- -floss and floss handles w/replacements (the floss picks are great for those without hand injuries but are too tiny for those with)
- -toothpaste (there was a lot at the last visit; there isn't anymore)
- -brush w/comb sets
- tube socks (hanes sells a 6 pack that's perfect for their needs)
- dufflebags and backpacks (they prefer there be nothing promotional ie: ads on the bags)
- music cd's (the cd library is still very small with a very limited number of choices)
- dvd's (these guys are watching as many as 5 movies a day which the docs promote because it helps keep many of them from withdrawing into their own world; action, comedy, and concert dvds are among the favorites although i personally saw a lot of cartoons playing -- "invader zim" is always on the waiting list and i believe there are 3 "invader zim" dvds on the market now)
- dvd players (the 5-disc players and portable players are very well received; one allows many movies to be loaded at once and the portable is easily accessible)
- portable cd players (if a rush of cd's does come in, for now there won't be many players to go around)
- magazines...car, motorcycle, men's fashion (yes seriously, men's fashion), sports, gaming (xbox, playstation, etc), and outdoor magazines are among the favorites...one of donations i received was a bunch of "motor trend" and they were snatched up within one of the 5 wards we visited
- get well cards (from individuals, classrooms, scout troops, etc)...the get well cards, letters, and homemade cards we handed out were very well received...we cannot get enough of them!
i want to personally thank everyone who contributed to this trip as well as those whose donations are incoming...i have thoroughly enjoyed visiting with our wounded and will be making many more visits in the future...our next trip is scheduled for friday, october 22nd...
thanks again to everyone who helped me brighten the day of our honorable marine warriors...
-diana hartman |
Posted by Deb at 09:48 PM
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October 01, 2004
A Quandary
I have always been vehemently anti-tobacco products of any kind and my son heard my lectures from early childhood. One of the casualties of his last deployment was his promise to me that he'd never smoke. Long nights in the desert, sweltering in full battle gear, trying to stay awake. Nicotine is a stimulant and he said it was better than pulling out nose hairs to stay awake. So, he came back with a smoking habit.
When he deployed this time, he knew that tobacco would be in short supply. And there is no PX in his camp. So, he arranged with a person he thought he could trust to send him supplies on a regular basis. That will not be happening. And as his mother, I just cannot send him tobacco. I love him dearly and will mail all things good to eat, read, and wear. I won't do tobacco.
So, I told him that I'd find someone else who would supply this habit, if he promised he'd quit when he was through with his last deployment. However, my friends are all non-smokers too. I'm wondering if there is someone out there who would send him an occasional supply - I'd reimburse out of his savings account.
Here's his e-mail response to my offer:
Hey, if they can just send a carton, and if possible, 2 cans of copenhagen long cut, and two cans of skoal apple dip. I know thats pushing it but its not just for me. Trust me that stuff is like gold over here. anyways I appriciate what your doing, Trust me the last thing Im worried about right now is lung cancer. Thanks mom. |
If anyone out there can help, please e-mail me and I'll send his mailing address.
Posted by Deb at 11:04 AM
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September 28, 2004
Operation Santa Update #3
Thanks to everyone who has called or e-mailed to offer help and sponsorship of our troops. Last night, an enthusiastic group of volunteers gathered at Crawfordsville Grade School in Sweet Home Oregon to work on Operation Santa. KVAL, a TV station in Eugene, OR visited - click on the picture to read their news story:
KVAL reporter Jodi Unruh talks with Pamla Winslow about Operation Santa
For KVAL viewers who saw the broadcast and would like more information, check these links to the stories about Operation Santa that are posted on this website:
Operation Santa overview
Operation Santa Update #1
Operation Santa Update #2
This entry will be updated later today with more pictures. Thanks so much to the Crawfordsville community for showing up en masse to work on this project.
Posted by Deb at 10:30 AM
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September 26, 2004
1/7 Alpha Company Update
Dear Wives, Family Members, and Friends,
We are now coming to the end of our first month in Iraq. Just in this short time the Battalion has been put to the test. As many of you already know we have taken KIAs and WIAs. I can assure that the best in medical care is being given and in a speedy fashion. As a Company, Alpha has had some close calls but has had no casualties thus far. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those injured and killed in Weapons Company, and Bravo Company.
A special thank you goes to Dawn Rowe who has served as Alpha Companys Key Wives Coordinator. She was invaluable during our preparation and deployment ensuring that the key wives; wives and family members of Alpha Company were also ready for this deployment. Her husband Maj. Rowe was killed in Action soon after arriving in theater. We will miss her hard work, devotion and special touch that she put into her efforts. A pavilion was constructed for the Marines so they can get out of the sun, eat chow, and hang out. It is named in his honor and will remain when we leave as a lasting memorial to a man that trained many of the Marines in this Company.
Christina Pirtle is stepping up to the plate and will be the new Key Wives Coordinator. Please support her in her efforts to serve the Company.
Congratulations go out to Cpl Clarke from 3rd Platoon and LCpl Medina from Weapons Platoon. They were recently selected by the Battalion for Combat Meritorious Promotions.
I will continue to take pictures of your Marines and post them on this web site. Some Marines have evaded me so far, so if you havent seen your Marine yet it wont be long before you do.
Continue to support your Marine by snail mail, e-mail and packages. These are a force multiplier and will keep them in good spirits.
You can be confident that the Marines of Alpha Company are performing their mission in a highly professional manner. Even though they are very busy, and tired they have not forgotten those left behind. From all of us here in Iraq we thank you for your support.
Semper Fidelis
1stSgt Weir |
Posted by Deb at 05:57 PM
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September 21, 2004
Update on Operation Santa
Almost completed and waiting to be filled.
Santas elves are working hard! We have volunteers from all over the United States to help make the holidays merry for platoons of Marines who will be away from friends and family over the holidays. Ive mailed out patterns and directions for Christmas stockings to more than 30 crafty folks, and now have project guidelines and sample press releases available to be downloaded from this website.
Right click here and select Save Target for Project Guidelines.
Right click here and select Save Target for sample Press Release.
If you are interested in coordinating Operation Santa for a Battalion, the guidelines should answer your questions. You will help recruit clubs, organizations, church groups, schools, etc. to fill platoons in your assigned battalions. Well help you. Currently, we have the coordinators for the following battalions:
1/7 Deb Conrad and Connie Riecke - e-mail deb@marinecorpsmoms.com or Riecke@marinecorpsmoms.com
9th Communication Vicky Mohler e-mail vmohler19@qwest.net
4th LAAD - Julie Cantrall - e-mail juliecant@sbcglobal.net
We also have platoon coordinators for several other battalions but need overall coordinators. These include 1/2, 1/4, 2/10, and possibly 3/5. Please let me know if you are interested in helping to find platoon coordinators for other platoons in these battalions. As folks show interest, well add more battalions.
Platoon coordinators will take primary responsibility for filling individual stockings for each Marine in the platoon and enclosing a personal letter or card. They will also send a box of gifts to be shared by the entire platoon. This could include board games, DVDs, holiday treats, etc. - much like a family holiday back home might feature. If your club, organization, workplace, congregation, etc. would like to sponsor a platoon of Marines, please let me know. We'll hook you up.
For Portland, Oregon area folks who would like to help us sew, we've dropped off a supply of stocking patterns and directions at one of my favorite fabric stores:
Mill Ends Store
9701 SE McLoughlin Blvd
Milwaukie, Oregon 97222
I've been shopping there since I was 18 years old - excellent selection of fabrics and wonderful, community-minded staff. You can also drop off finished stockings there - they've offered to collect them for us.
My sons comment about this project's effect on his brother Marines, This will bring a smile to their faces on Christmas Day is all the motivation I need.
Posted by Deb at 12:41 AM
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September 10, 2004
Update on Operation Santa
Thanks to everyone who has e-mailed offers to help with Operation Santa. If you haven't heard back from us yet, please be patient. My laptop, with all my files, died Monday night. The new motherboard has been ordered and I'll be back online by next Monday. In the meantime, we're busy! My mom sewed 130 stockings last night - she's amazing! Connie and I bought another 15 yards of fabric tonight and are cutting out more stockings. We now have enough for the entire 1/7 and are adding battalions. We've had folks ask for platoons in 1/8, 3/4, 1/2, and 3/5. And there are more. My spreadsheet, with all assigned platoons is on my laptop - I'll do an update Monday when I get my files back and let all of you know who has what.
And if you're considering sponsoring a platoon but haven't spoken up - we'd love to hear from you! Again, we'll provide stockings and guidelines. You'll make Christmas merry for 30-40 Marines who would love to be home with their families but are keeping watch on the other side of the world. Please contact us by e-mailing deb@marinecorpsmoms.com or using the contact page on this website.
Posted by Deb at 10:50 PM
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September 08, 2004
Operation Santa
The second rotation of troops to Iraq is underway. Many of our Marines will be home for Thanksgiving and Christmas . . . and others will spend these family-centered holidays far from home. For many of these young men and women, this will be their first Christmas away from friends and family. Although they have made a choice to serve their country, it's going to be a lonely holiday. And not just for the Marines but for family members back home as well.
One of the hardest parts of this deployment for me is knowing that my son and his brother Marines will be spending Christmas away from home. Every Christmas morning for the last 20 years, my son has looked forward to a stocking, hung by the chimney with care, chock-full of carefully chosen and wrapped gifts. The week before our Marines deployed, Connie listened as I told her that I knew this would be a hard time and that I thought I'd send Christmas in a box to his platoon.
She looked at me and said, "Just his platoon?"
Okay, his company. "Just his company?"
The Marine Corps Moms are rolling again. Operation Santa will bring a touch of home to the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan. While we are starting with 1/7, we hope to add other battalions, depending on volunteer commitment and energy.
Here's a glimpse of of stockings-under-construction by Grandma Elf, Bette Conrad, that will be filled by loving hands here at home, and sent to the sandbox where they will be passed out at Christmas by Gunnery Sgt. Santa stand-ins:
Santa's Workshop
We are seeking sponsoring "platoon parents" (individuals, church groups, club, employee organizations, etc.) to coordinate Christmas for a group of 30-40 Marines. Each adoptive parent will take overall responsibility for a platoon of Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan.
We will provide Christmas stockings and guidelines for making Christmas a merry occasion. The program parameters call for each Marine in the platoon to receive an individual Christmas stocking filled with wrapped gifts - toiletries, candy, games, tools, etc. There should also be a box filled with gifts to be shared by the Marines in the platoon. This could include board games, DVDs, books, a small Christmas tree, decorations, Christmas music, treats, etc. The coordinator will be responsible for any fund-raising to purchase gifts, pay for postage, etc. for that platoon.
As an example, I will coordinate the overall response for my son's platoon. My mom and I visited a local Walmart store over the weekend and asked for their support, handing them a flyer with program details. They will present it to their Community Outreach committee and we hope to get a gift certificate from them that can be used to purchase stocking stuffers or board games. We'll get decks of cards from a local casino. I'm stocking up on DVDs. I'm asking friends and groups to donate 40 small gifts that can be wrapped and placed in a stocking. Other folks will donate board games and DVDs. Local scout troops are writing letters to the Marines and making decorations. My sister, a secretary at a small country school, will ask folks in the community to bring their portable sewing machines to the school library and spend an evening sewing Christmas stockings. A church group will make cookies and gingerbread. It's a community response to the troops who are ensuring that we can enjoy our holiday season free from religious persecution or fear of terrorist attack.
And that response is overwhelmingly positive so far. Linda, who manages the North Bend JoAnne's Fabrics volunteered to spend her next day off sewing stockings. Ladies in line at Walmart overheard us talking about the project, took flyers and said they'd help. Moms and Dads have called dibs on their son's platoons.
If you'd like to be part of this project, download the Operation Santa flyer for 1/7 Marines here. If you are willing to adopt a platoon, e-mail Deb@marinecorpsmoms.com for guidelines and suggestions. We'll send you enough stockings for your platoon and guidelines for the outreach. And, if you can sew stockings, we'll send you a pattern and directions.
We won't leave out our Jewish and Muslim Marines. A companion outreach will ensure that they are included in an overall gesture of friendship from home.
All boxes must be mailed by the first week in November in order to reach the battalions in time for Christmas. We hope you'll be part of this project. It is sure to bring a few smiles to the faces of our troops, so far from home. And my son is so happy that we are doing this. He said that there are so many Marines that don't have strong family support. This is a way to be that support.
Posted by Deb at 01:15 AM
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September 02, 2004
The Last Marshall - Now Playing at a Station Near You
In August, the Marine Corps Moms had an opportunity to meet Adam Marshall when he played for the Marine Parents United convention. We wrote about it here, asking for your support in helping Adam gain a coveted CD review at Country Line Magazine. Adam is a former Marine who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom last year. Now, he's back and launching his first CD.
Adam's single, Come Home As Fast As You Can has now been released nationwide. You can help him again by requesting air play on your local country station.
Adam's explains how:
| Hey there all,
I was writing you guys to let you know that my CD is out now!!!! Please call or E-mail your local radio station and ask for "Come Home As Fast As You Can." It's on CDX Volume 351, Track #14.
Thanks again for all of your support and help. I couldn't of done it without the Marine Corps Moms.
Semper Fi
Adam Marshall |
This Marine Mom has her local country music stations on speed dial. Adam put his life on the line for me last year; making a few phone calls is the least I can do to say thanks.
Posted by Deb at 05:57 PM
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August 31, 2004
From Iraq to NYC
A very dedicated group of athletes is training for the New York City Marathon on November 7, 2004 - and they face conditions that go beyond arduous. My son is one of them.
Lance Corporal Bill Riecke, is a US Marine serving in Iraq as part of a Combined Anti-Armor Team (CAAT). He and seven fellow Marines have formed a team and are training for the New York Marathon. They are: 1st. Lt. Isaac Moore, Wasilla, Alaska, the platoon commander for CAAT Blue; Sgt. Ryan Harnett, New York, a section leader for CAAT Blue; Cpl. Kris Benson, Columbus, Ohio, CAAT Blue section leader; Cpl. Bill Riecke II, Salem, Oregon, vehicle commander for CAAT Blue; 1st. Lt. Dave Flemming, Lansdown, Pennsylvania, platoon commander for first platoon of Kilo Company; Cpl. Austin Clancy, Salem, Oregon, squad leader for Kilo 1; 1st. Lt. Chris McManus, Manhasset, New York, platoon commander for CAAT White; and SSGT. Alex Carlson, Chicago, Illinois, platoon sergeant, India Co.
As with their daily operations, this group of Marines came together to focus their energy and abilities in order to achieve their goal to run the New York City Marathon after returning from their mission in Iraq. They are diligent in pursuing their goal despite the high temperature, a mere 130 degrees on most days, unending sand storms, and poor training facilities, along with daily combat operations. Their marathon training ground is a .44 mile route within the perimeter of their firm base, a track they built themselves. The team members train by running in circles for a very long time and usually in the wee hours of the night to avoid the high temperatures.
Operation Iraqi Freedom is their mission and is always their first priority so they train whenever they can. As a CAAT unit, they are always on standby, just like the fire department. They train between missions and the heat and get called to go out at any time.
A few days ago they had been running for about forty minutes and had to go to the assistance of other Marines that had been hit by a roadside bomb. There were casualties which meant securing the helicopter landing zone then transporting the injured Marines to the helicopter. Since they were running when this happened and were dressed in shorts and T-shirts when the call came in, there was only time to put on flak jackets and helmets and grab their weapons before racing out to the vehicles to help their buddies. While definitely out of uniform, they still performed their mission with the dedication and professionalism expected of all members of the U.S. Marine Corps.
Their athletic aspirations provide them with a focus to briefly take their mind off the war and to make a connection to the life they left behind. Sometime in September or October they will return home and training for the marathon will continue. They have been accepted by the marathon as the USMC Team.
We would like to find sponsorship of these very courageous Marines. Airfare and hotel expenses while in New York, as well as running apparel and shoes would be highly appreciated, although I'm sure they would be grateful for any sponsorship. These Marines have spent the past seven months bravely fighting for the liberty for the people of Iraq and the security of all Americans. For most of them this is their second trip to the sand box. If anyone reading this post has suggestions on how to gain sponsorship for the USMC team, please contact Connie Riecke at riecke@marinecorpsmoms.com.
Posted by Connie at 07:31 AM
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August 11, 2004
Greyhound just made a BIG mistake
Via Jeff from Backcountry Conservative, here's how one South Carolina Greyhound driver treated a USMC PFC trying to return to MCT after boot camp:
All PFC Jay Griffin wanted to do was make it to combat training camp on time, he had his ticket in hand and was at the Greyhound Bus Station in Greenville before the bus arrived, but he was not allowed to board the bus. He was dressed in full uniform, and his mother says that may be the reason why he was denied the ride.
It was Griffin s first time using Greyhound, so he asked plenty of questions to make sure he was at the right place at the right time. Fifteen minutes before the bus even arrived, he says he was waiting with his bags at the curb. His mother, Carol Holden says when the bus got there, no one attempted to load his camouflage bags. "So I tapped [the baggage loader] and said, 'what about my son's baggage? And he looked at me and said he may not have a seat."
Thats when the bus driver called for all ticket holders.
"So Jay went on around and he went to board the bus and when he did, the driver put his arm across the doorway and said I don't have a seat for you," explains Carol.
Greyhound says, We do not have reserved seats, seating is on a first come, first serve basis. An advance purchase ticket guarantees a discounted fare, but it does not guarantee a seat.
But Griffin s mother claims the ticket seller said any last minute tickets were clearly marked as standby, in red. And other ticket holders would have a seat. "He said the bus driver checked the tickets as they boarded the bus and that he knew the stand-bys were to be held until the regular ticket holders were seated."
If you'd like to join me in expressing your opinion, here's an address:
STEPHEN E. GORMAN
President and Chief Executive Officer
Greyhound Lines, Inc.
P.O. Box 660362
Dallas, TX 75266-0362
There is no better friend and no worse enemy than a Marine. Unless it's a Marine Mom.
Posted by Deb at 08:17 PM
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August 09, 2004
Adam Marshall and Mom Power
Last weekend, we met former Marine Adam Marshall at the Marine Parents United convention in Indianapolis. He fought in Iraq during OIF last year with a notebook strapped to his leg where, during his down time, he'd write songs. He's back and is using the money he saved (no place to spend it over there) to launch his career. And, he could use a bit of help. Country Line Magazine has a monthly poll to choose a new artist CD to review. Adam's soon-to-be-released single, Come Home As Fast As You Can is currently in second place. Here's your chance to help him out. Vote for him at Country Line Magazine.
There isn't a lot that I can do for my own son right now, besides writing to him and sending him packages when he deploys at the end of the month. But the Marine Corps family is an extended family and I'm happy to help Adam. You can too.
Posted by Deb at 02:51 PM
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August 08, 2004
Letters to the troops
Slaglerock has a letter-writing campaign going - it's a great idea and I'm sending off a note tonight.
Now, I issue a challenge to all bloggers and their readers.
If you haven't already done so, please write a post/letter to the troops. Trackback to either this post or my letter.* I will give it a couple of days for the trackbacks to build. Then I will go to each of your sites and print out your letters. I'll use the trackbacks to ensure that I get the letters of all who wish to participate and don't miss any. I will be giving those letters to a Technical Sergeant in the USAF to hand carry to the troops on the front lines.
If you'd like to include a note, leave it either in the comment section to this post or visit Slaglerock at this link. Here's his letter:
Here is what I'd like to say to all of the brave men and women serving in harms way:
To my fellow compatriots, the brave men and women of the Department of Defense. Whether you are male or female, Seaman, Airman, Soldier or Marine you are without a doubt the finest human beings on the planet.
We (the US military collectively) have selflessly volunteered to serve this great nation and its just president. Everyday we put our lives on the line so that American's can enjoy their freedoms. We do a job that most couldn't handle. We have chosen a life of service that protects our great land and often intercedes to prevent injustices to nations that arent capable of defending themselves i.e. Afghanistan, Iraq, France.
Throughout our relatively short history the United States has reshaped the face of the planet. At one time, socialist/communist governments were abound. Today very few exist. The great communist superpower, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics crumbled during the cold war. Europe as a whole has been spared enslavement by warmongers on more than one occasion largely due to the efforts of the United States. We have freed the people of Afghanistan and Iraq from brutal oppressive governments. Collectively the United States has ensured freedom for millions of people throughout the world.
Look but do not see the images that Michael Moore depicts. Listen but do not hear the words that his ACTORS speak. Pay no attention to the selective editing that he has so surreptitiously used to try and portray our great president as a money hungry warmonger. Michael Moore has an agenda. His views are shared by John Kerry and vice versa. Hollywoods left is bent on ousting a good president and Kerry will ride their coattails if it can deliver the presidency.
We all know and understand what fiction is and Fahrenheit 9/11 is just that, fiction, not fact. It is merely one misguided mans opinion of events surrounding September 11, 2001. We all know more INTEL about the terrorists than Moore could ever hope to understand. We are on the inside we see the truth. We have heard the thank-yous" from Iraqi fathers that will no longer have to worry about their daughter(s) being sent to one of Saddams rape camps. We know what we did in Iraq was just and simply put the right thing to do.
For all the officers and NCO's out there keep your young troops in the game. Don't let this garbage of Michael Moores disrupt moral or make a troop second-guess his involvement in the war with Iraq. These brave young men and woman are history makers. They are the ones that are molding the world and making it a better place for all of humanity.
My part in Operation Iraqi Freedom will forever be one of my proudest moments. No crooked politician, leftists media outlet or crackpot film producer will ever change my opinion of the President, these United States, our role in the Middle East, or my own personal involvement in the war.
Stay strong, stay safe, and most importantly be proud of who you are and the great nation you serve.
SlagleRock Out!
Posted by Deb at 05:57 PM
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August 04, 2004
Operation Homecoming
Warriors have always been writers. And now, there is support for those with a story to tell. The National Endowment for the Arts is sponsoring Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience, a program for U.S. military personnel and their families. It will preserve the narratives and memories of the American troops that protect and defend our country in wartime.
In coordination with all four branches of the Armed Forces and the Department of Defense, the Arts Endowment is sponsoring writing workshops for returning troops and their families at military installations from Alaska to Florida, New York to California, and numerous sites in between. The workshops also will be held at overseas bases. Taught by some of Americas most distinguished novelists, poets, historians, and journalists, these workshops will provide service men and women with the opportunity to write about their wartime experiences in a variety of forms from fiction, verse, and letters to essay, memoir, and personal journal. The visiting writers, many of whom are war veterans themselves, will help the troops share their stories with current and future generations.
Here are excerpts from three unedited manuscripts received so far:
3 A.M. With the VFW
By Sgt. Michael Thomas
As I walked off the plane, I was taken aback: in the small, dimly-lit airport, a group of elderly veterans lined up to shake our hands. Some were standing, some confined to wheelchairs, all wore their uniform hats. Their now-feeble right hands arms stiffened in salutes, their left hands holding coffee, snacks and cell phones for us.
As I made my way through the line, each man thanking me for my service, I choked back tears. Here we were, returning from one year in Iraq where we had portable DVD players, three square meals and phones, being honored by men who had crawled through mud for years with little more than the occasional letter from home.
These soldiers many of whom who had lost limbs and comrades shook our hands proudly, as if our service could somehow rival their own.
The Cat in Iraq
By Ryan Alexander
She came to me skittish, wild.
The way youre meant to be,
Surrounded by cruelty.
I did not blame her.
I would do the same.
A pregnant cat, a happy distraction
Some sort of normal thing
Calico and innocent.
The kittens in her belly said feed me.
And I did.
Three Thousand Antoinettes
By Captain William Toti
And then came the moment Ill never forget. She blinked and asked, Doctor, am I going to die? Wham. Just like that.
That was a question that I had never imagined myself having to answer. I looked around our little triage area on the side of the road. The first injured man I had come across was no longer conscious and was doing poorly. Another young lady was standing nearby with severely burned hands, screaming hysterically but otherwise alright. The man we carried up the hill most recently was still screaming and was being attended to by a couple of EMTs. And here lie this woman, with no one to attend her but me. What should I say? Should I tell her I wasnt a doctor?
The anthology is scheduled to be published in the late fall 2005. It will feature poems, letters, personal stories, memoirs, journal writing, etc. from troops who have served in OEF/OIF and their families. Further information can be obtained from the Operation Homecoming website.
Posted by Deb at 12:44 PM
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August 03, 2004
The Original Oregon Cowboy
Adam Marshall with Deb, Janise, and Connie
He's talented, charming, and cute as can be. And he's a former Marine.
Adam Marshall, winner of Country Thunder USAs Young Guns national finals competition, also won the hearts of the folks in attendance at the Marine Parents United conference in Indianapolis last Saturday night, performing a number of songs from his first album, The Last Marshall. This album, available through his website, holds 9 songs that were written on scraps of paper in fighting holes dug while Adam was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Come Home As Fast As You Can, the first single from his album was released nationally this week. The liner notes on the CD state, "I used to close my eyes and imagine being home with my family.... the letters... the pictures... the memories... that's what kept me going." The song title comes from letters sent to him by his mother and sister - come home as fast as you can. It's the prayer of every family member for their Marine at war.
In a bit of downtime between firefights just outside of Basra, the Marines decided to write a song. Although only only a few Marines preferred country music, two of them held the rank of Sergeant, so a command decision was made. Dissenters were told, "If this place was a democracy, we wouldn't be here." The subject of the song was a no-brainer. Marines cherish their women and spend much time thinking about them, writing to them, waiting in line for hours to make a 5 minute phone call home. Because no Marine wants to be wrong, or worse, have to admit that he was wrong, the guys decided that they needed a song that would say it for them while they were scoring points with flowers and candy. The result was the 5th track on the album, "Honest Man".
Adam thanked the Marine Corps Moms in the room for their support, saying "They got your back. There's nowhere they can't reach." A voice called from a back table, "And there's nothing we don't know." Adam paused, then said, "That's really true...and that's why I got along so well in the Marine Corps." Yep. Before there was boot camp, there was Mom.
His debut single,Come Home As Fast As You Can, is slated for nationwide play very soon. Starting September 1 (East coast) or September 3 (West coast), please call your local country radio station and ask them to play it. The support of Marine parents helped him to win Country Thunder. The larger community of troop supporters can help his single climb the charts.
Once you hear his single, you'll want more. Order his album here. A portion of his album sales will be donated to the USO.
Posted by Deb at 01:31 PM
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July 27, 2004
More from Ben Stein
Ben Stein is a funny guy. He also has his priorities straight. Here's a snippet from a CBS Sunday Morning commentary earlier this month where he explains the difference between Hollywood stars and real stars:
The real stars, the ones who keep this country free on Independence Day and every day, are the ones who lead a patrol down an alley in Falluja with some maniac terrorist aiming an AK-47 at their heads. The real stars are the ones who leave their families behind at a dusty Army base and go off and riskand losetheir lives to do their duty by their country and free men and women everywhere.
They're the ones who go off into Godforsaken valleys in Afghanistan hunting for Al Qaeda, never knowing if they'll ever come back, and often not coming back. Think Pat Tillman and you've pretty much got it.
There are other real stars in this country like the men and women in Walter Reed Army Hospital getting fitted with prosthetic limbs because a bomb took off their leg below the knee in Mosul, Iraq. Their wives and girlfriends and parents and kids cheering them on are real stars, too. So are the doctors and techs who make the limbs.
This country could last forever without the billionaire movie and TV stars in the magazines. We could not last a month without the men and women who fight for us. It's high time we got our priorities straight. Those guys and gals in Bagram and Ramadi and Fallujah and everywhere else, alive or dead or wounded, are the real stars, the ones who light up the night of tyranny with the light of freedom. We would not have a July 4th worth having without them. God bless them today and every day.
Amen.
Posted by Deb at 11:42 AM
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Fardinen a mitzveh*
An online friend who has been marvelously supportive of my son and me, sent me the following announcement that was included in her NYC synogogue bulletin. It's a great project and I'm cleaning off my DVD shelf and will send a box of current titles to Landstuhl.
Rabbi Irving Elson is the Jewish Chaplain for the US Marines and has been on the front lines in Iraq. Rabbi Elson has asked United Synagogue to pass on the following information:
The military hospital in Landshtull, Germany has requested DVDs and personal DVD players for our Marines who are recovering from battle wounds. You can send them to:
Chaplain Irving Elson, Rabbi, c/o Commanding Officer,
Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron CHAPLAIN,
P.O. Box 452013,
San Diego, CA 92145-2013.
Rabbi Elson's office will rebox them and put them on a MEDEVAC flight to Germany to be hand delivered to the Marines.
My friend's son is still a preschooler, mine has grown into a fine young man. She is Jewish, I am Christian. She lives in New York City, I live in rural Oregon. Nevertheless, we both speak the language of motherhood. She understood my feelings completely and helped me find the words to express my emotions after watching my son graduate from boot camp:
You need to learn a Yiddish phrase, Deb. What you are now, quite rightfully, doing is schepping nachas.
That's what you do when your handsome, talented, brave, kind and all-around terrific son makes you absolutely burst with pride.
That's right. And despite a few wisecracks about "schlepping nachos" from other online friends, I remain schepping nachas almost two years later.
*A Yiddish phrase that means to earn a blessing or a merit (by doing a good deed)
Posted by Deb at 01:29 AM
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July 26, 2004
Right Reading
Hugh Hewitt has written a must-read book If It's Not Close, They Can't Cheat: Crushing the Democrats in Every Election and Why Your Life Depends on It. As I've said before, this is not a political blog. But this book is worth reading and may help focus issues for those who still wonder about which lever to pull next November.
The public response has been great - Hewitt is currently at 35 on the NYT bestseller list and at 86 on the Amazon sales rakings. He spent last evening signing books at a Borders store - began at 7:30 and finally wrapped it up after 1:30. Despite cramped signing fingers, he posted his description of this memorable encounter.
There were some very inspiring stories, including many of parents, loved ones, and friends of military serving in Iraq or Afghanistan or recently returned from there. One couple, Rod and Cindy, brought along a picture of their three sons, two of whom are Marines currently deployed around Fallujah and the third of whom is a sailor on the U.S.S. Stenis. The three young men left college and enlisted after 9/11. It is very humbling to sign books for such great young Americans --and there are thousands of them-- and I think they and their families represent the core of this country. I was honored to meet every single person in the line, and especially honored to meet the servicemen and women and their family members who came by.
Check out his book:
Posted by Deb at 03:21 PM
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July 23, 2004
Update from Major Danyluk
Last Friday, I posted an e-mail from USMC Major Steve Danyluk who is deployed in the An Najaf province of Iraq. In it, he paid tribute to an Iraqi National Guard LtCol who chose to serve his country as a soldier, despite opportunities to make more money as a translater or contractor. Major Danyluk expressed his appreciation for the care packages his Marines had received and suggested that care packages also be sent to this Iraqi LtCol and other Iraqi National Guard who, like our troops, puts service to country ahead of personal self-interest.
Here are his suggestions:
What to send?
Basics: toiletries, non-perishable food-stuffs, office supplies, even items like make-up for their wives etc. We also sponsor a nearby school so things for kids are always appreciated. And if you or your company has an old lap-top they want to get rid of I am sure "Robbi" could really put that to use too.
I won't post Major Danyluk's mailing address on this page but if you'd like to share the love, e-mail me to find out how: deb at marinecorpsmoms dot com
Major Danyluk ends his update by noting:
Even though a lot of people don't agree with "why" we are here, the support I am seeing of the troops who were "sent" here has been first-rate across the board. At a minimum it means we will have fewer psychologically scarred veterans walking our streets when they get home and the support is truly appreciated.
Posted by Deb at 10:14 AM
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July 21, 2004
Operation Cool Ties
Weather Report:
Hot today
Hotter tomorrow |
You can help make our troops more comfortable. While the combat engineers and Seabees are bringing air conditioning to some of the hootches, our Marines , sailors, and soldiers are often outside in the heat of the day - waiting in line for meals, time at the internet center, fire watch, etc. Here is what we are sending them:
Check out Cassandra's post at I Love Jet Noise - she's signing on to help with this project - an offer much appreciated.
If you have extra fabric, a bit of time, and can sew a straight seam, there are troops who would benefit from your effort.
If you can't sew but know someone who does, please spread the word. Click here for a link to the directions.
If you know of a group who might like to take this on as an outreach project, please give them this information. I will mail instructions for the ties to anyone who would like to help.
If you can't sew, don't know anyone who does, but have a bit of cash (it won't take much) to help, get in touch with me or Cassandra. We can make this happen.
Posted by Deb at 04:50 AM
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July 14, 2004
Call to Arms
Chief Wiggles: We need your help!!!!
Last summer, when my little group of Marine Corps Moms needed a way to move 5,000 lbs. of school supplies from Kuwait to An Najaf, the Chief stood ready to help us. We found another solution but I'll never forget his willingness to help. Now, he needs a favor. Via Greyhawk:
We are having a problem . . . (snip - full text at Chief Wiggle's site)
You know what to do. Please do it.
UPDATE
I just talked with Brian Blish from Atlas Lines and he has advised me that the problem is resolved. Evidently, shipping containers which go to Kuwait via this particular freight line have been co-opted by local folks, and turned into homes. To protect their investment, the company requires a $10,000 deposit per container. Through a series of misfortunes (employees leaving the company, personal tragedies, the bank requiring a hold on deposited funds) payment was delayed. However, the bank has released funds today, a check has been cut and will go out tonight, and there is a chance that the company on the other end of this will accept the faxed copy of the check to expedite release. Let's hope so.
Thanks, Brian. And condolences on the loss of your father.
Posted by Deb at 11:14 AM
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July 11, 2004
2/4 Marines featured on FOX tonight
Carrie, mother of a future Marine and married to a currently deployed Marine notes that tonight's FOX broadcast of War Stories with Oliver North will feature 2/4 Marines from the 1 MEF:
During the first phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom, columns of Army and Marine armor raced toward Baghdad. But after the fall of Saddam's regime, the nature of combat changed. Foreign terrorists flooded into Iraq and allied themselves with former regime Baathist loyalists to instigate an insurgency. Out here, soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines refer to this phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom as "the second semester of war."
In this gripping episode of War Stories with Oliver North, we go door to door in Operation Sheik It Up. On these dangerous foot patrols in Ar Ramadi, the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force or "1 Mef," tracks hidden weapons and terrorists. Youll also hear from soldiers and Marines as to what they are doing to win the hearts and minds of a hostile population.
But as dangerous as all of these tasks are and as challenging as they have become the soldiers and Marines are up to the task of protecting Iraqs fledgling democracy. This is their story, about those young Americans serving on the front lines, in the War on Terror.
Carrie comments:
A side note on 2/4. The Magnificent Bastards have had one helluva time in Ar Rammadi. April was a deadly month for them and I am sure that you'll recall the letter that Lt.Col Paul Kennedy and his XO wrote home to the wives and families.
Echo Co., 2/4 has sustained the heaviest losses, I believe, in the entire 1st Marine Division. When CNN decided to run pictures of ambushed Marines last month, 3 of them were from this unit.
It's on at 8:00 p.m., EDT. Set your VCRs.
Posted by Deb at 11:19 AM
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July 08, 2004
Books for Soldiers
Via my good friend DrMomentum, here's a way to help make deployment a bit more interesting.
Books For Soldiers is a troop support site that ships books, DVDs and supplies to deployed troops, and troops in VA hospitals, through a large volunteer network.
If you have old, but usuable paperback books sitting around, collecting dust, why not send them to a solider for a big morale boost?
Many of our volunteers have received email and letters from the soldiers they have adopted.
Help us out, help the troops out, mail them your books.
I have more books than I have bookshelves for. I'll be going through the bulletin board listings (troops can request specific books) and sending off a shipment very soon. Each box will also contain a few cool ties.
Posted by Deb at 01:54 PM
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July 01, 2004
Update from Spirit of America
USMC photo by Cpl Paula M. Fitzgerald
USMC LtCol John Lutkenhouse with the Director of Economic Development for Al Anbar province. Sewing machine donated by Spirit of America in background.
Spirit of America founder Jim Hake describes progress in Iraq made possible through Spirit of America efforts:
One of the TV stations equipped by Spirit of America used its new gear to produce a news story about the ribbon-cutting opening ceremony of a women's sewing center. We donated the 50 sewing machines that made the opening of the center possible. We expect to get video of the newscast and will post it on the Web when we do. Even though I don't speak Arabic this will be the best "must see TV" I'll have watched all year. The opening of the center and Iraqi TV coverage of such progress are very, very good things. Both of these involve courageous Iraqis working hard to advance the country at great personal risk. The support these brave men and women get from the Marines, Spirit of America and you, the American people, is invaluable. Our goal is to multiply successes like this one.
He also provided an e-mail from USMC Major Dunham:
-----Original Message-----
From: Dunham Maj Oliver H
Sent: Monday, June 28, 2004 6:12 AM
To: Jim Hake
Cc: Lutkenhouse LtCol John F; Chandler Maj Thomas E
Subject: sewing center
Dear Jim,
The local TV station we have been supporting with your donated media gear did a news spot on the new sewing center that opened in Ramadi. The station did a 14 minute segment set to music, with interviews of different people interspersed throughout the segment. The center has actually been expanded into what the Iraqis are calling a "Women's Center" (the sign reads in English below the Arabic, "The Organization of Creative Women in New Iraq"). The Iraqis will be planning use profits generated from the sewing to fund women's education (English, computer skills, etc). This is huge and is exactly the direction we are trying to drive things as it runs counter to the agenda of the extremists who are fighting to keep this part of the world mired in the dark ages. During the segment, they panned to new furniture (purchased by us), school-type desks and new computers (I believe provided by CPA), and of course, the sewing machines set up on tables, each one being its own sewing station. They are saying that 900 families will be supported by the center though I think that may be a little bit of an overstatement as locals here are sometimes apt to do.
That said, the Iraqis had a true ribbon cutting ceremony. There was a darling little girl who was holding one end of the ribbon while a man cut the ribbon. One of the Iraqis interviewed (I believe he is the director of the center) thanked the Governor for the assistance that made the center possible. Because we are approaching the transfer to sovereignty there was no Coalition involvement in the opening of the center. Thus, though the Coalition was not mentioned; we still see this as a win. Any time the interim government gets credit for something that benefits local people, it increases support for the interim government. Support for the interim government means greater stability, which is what we need to get Iraq through the transition period.
There is still a fight here, but we are making progress.
Thanks again for the help.
The sewing machine project deserved your support. Can you help?
Posted by Deb at 09:15 AM
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Meet Beth
Beth is a Navy Corpsman, she's 27, she's married with a son, and she's leaving for California on July 17, en route to Iraq. And, she has a new blog, A Labrats Journey, where she'll share her adventures with the rest of us. I look forward to reading her ongoing story.
Posted by Deb at 09:14 AM
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June 30, 2004
Hot! Hot! Hot!
Imagine sitting inside a furnace with someone tossing sand in your face through an industrial strength fan. If you're wearing full body armor and carrying a weapon, you might be in Iraq. My son said that after 8 hours of post duty last year, he'd pour a pint of sweat out of each of his boots - and trying to sleep in 115 degree heat was impossible. He'd doze off and wake up in a pool of sweat.
LCpl Valliere reports in from at Camp Taqaddum:
Even with the temperature consistently climbing into the triple-digits, operational commitments aren't going to change. Therefore, the Marines are taking extra precautions to make working in the heat less dangerous.
Highs from June through September are expected to average a scorching 110 degrees, while the predicted low rests at an average of 75 degrees during the night, said Gunnery Sgt. James M. Kubacak, 32, the 1st Force Service Support Group's chief weather forecaster.
Photo by: Lance Cpl. Samuel Bard Valliere | Cpl. Joseph J. Jones and Lance Cpl. Miranda G. Brown sit under camouflaged netting to shield themselves from the Iraqi sun while guarding the flight line at Camp Taqaddum on June 30, 2004. |
Would you like to help make the troops a bit more comfortable? Here's how you can help. Last year, I sent several hundred cool ties to Marines in my son's company and to other battalions throughout Iraq. These ties are very simple to sew - just a tube of fabric with polyacrimide crystals inside. When soaked in water, the crystals will hold 200 times their weight in water. Our troops wear them around their necks or under their helmets, providing an evaporative cooling effect. They make a difference. Shane said that when the cool ties arrived, it was better than cookies. From my Marine, that is high praise indeed.
Here's a picture of some that will be mailed today to the 1st LAR:
>
The cool tie on the far right is made of snakeskin print fabric. The Marines who got these last year loved them - said it was like wearing a boa constrictor around their necks.
This outreach is possible with the help of an amazing group of expert sewers with big hearts who took our troops on as a project. This year, Patricia Bullock and Mona Rettig have each sewn hundreds of cool ties that will help make the summer heat a bit more bearable.
There are more troops that need these cool ties. The wives and mothers of the 1st LAR are busy sewing the 1,000 ties needed for our Marines with that unit. I'm mailing 100 ties today that my local group of volunteers have just completed. But there are more Marines, sailors, and soldiers who need these ties.
If you have extra fabric, a bit of time, and can sew a straight seam, there are troops who would benefit from your effort. If you can't sew but know someone who does, please spread the word. If you know of a group who might like to take this on as an outreach project, please give them this information. I will mail instructions for the ties to anyone who would like to help. If you can't sew, don't know anyone who does, but have a bit of cash (it won't take much) to help, get in touch with me. We can make this happen.
As the above picture shows, the material used does not have to be fashionable. It does have to be 100% cotton in order to wick properly. I shop the bargain bins at Walmart and JoAnne's fabric and have never paid more than $2/yard for ugly but servicable fabric. The crystals can be ordered through www.watersorb.com. 5 lbs. of crystals will make 250 cool ties since each tie takes only 2 tsp. And postage is reasonable. I can priority mail 50 ties in a large envelope for under $9.
If this is something that you can help with, please let me know via comment or e-mail to deb @ marinecorpsmoms.com (remove spaces). You can make a difference.
Posted by Deb at 11:50 AM
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June 25, 2004
A true American Idol
"I wanna cry like the rain...shine like the sun on a beautiful mornin'...sing to the heavens like a church bell ringin', fight with the devil and go down swingin'..."
TV viewers all over America applauded as LCpl. Josh Gracin, active duty Marine, performed each week on American Idol. He finished in 4th place but won the hearts of American Idolizers all across America. His self-titled CD debuted on June 15 at No. 2 on the Billboard's Top Country Album Chart and No. 11 on the Top 200 Album Chart. Nielsen SoundScan reports that the CD is the fourth biggest selling country debut album in its history. Cpl. Beth Zimmerman recently caught up with the rising star:
"It was exhausting," said 23-year-old Gracin. "We were going non-stop from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m. with no breaks," he said of his interview schedule. "Even when eating meals, we did interviews."
As the sales numbers and his popularity climbs, Gracin is still working his "day job." He finishes his four-year enlistment in the Marine Corps in September. Meanwhile, he used some of his annual leave time to visit New York from Camp Pendleton, Calif., for his Big Apple media appearances.
"Being able to go around and talk to all of the radio and television stations was definitely cool," Gracin said. "Everyone was really excited about what I'm doing."
Gracin was already well known from American Idol as a country singer-and as a Marine. Gracin realizes because of that, he represents the rest of the Corps to many people.
"Everyone was really enthused about the Marine Corps," said Gracin. "They had so many good things to say about the Corps and about my career afterwards," the Michigan-native said. "It was great to hear so much that was so positive."
According to Gracin, much of the credit for his success goes to the Marine Corps. "The experience helped define who I wanted to be and who I was going to be for the rest of my life," he said. "It's really helped prepare me for the rest of my life mentally, physically, and emotionally."
"I definitely hope that in the long run, people will still associate me with the Marine Corps."
Posted by Deb at 04:32 PM
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June 24, 2004
One more reason to shop Home Depot
I learned how to replace a valve seat in my bathroom faucet and rewire a malfunctioning lamp from their patient sales force. I built a corner shelf and a birdhouse at the Girl's Night Out carpentry clinics. It's one of my favorite places to hang out, even if they will never stock pink Milwaukie drills. In a statement Wednesday, the Atlanta-based Home Depot said that it is donating nearly 100,000 tools and materials in all to support the U.S.-led mission in Iraq.
Shovels, table saws, concrete mixers, power generators, light bulbs, jackhammers and other tools and materials were to be loaded on nine tractor-trailers in San Diego to be taken by military transportation to U.S. installations in Iraq. Home Depot has more than 1,800 employees serving in the current military efforts.
Ooh-rah!
p.s. I'd like shopping at Home Depot better if they changed the color scheme. But I'm willing to overlook the orange since they are so awesome at troop support. This looks better though.
Posted by Deb at 01:33 PM
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June 18, 2004
Update on Teen Spirit
I've received a number of e-mails from folks who would like to help get "Steve-O" out of Iraq and into a safe place. The first step seems to be public awareness of his situation and I wondered if folks from each state would write to their Congressional Representative and also send a letter to their local paper. The original story is no longer available online but it was published in the June 14 edition of the Wall Street Journal. You can find a copy at your local library or I can e-mail a copy of the text - request it at:
deb at marinecorpsmoms.com
There is nothing that a group of determined bloggers cannot accomplish. Let's get this moving. I'll cover Oregon.
Posted by Deb at 09:31 AM
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June 12, 2004
Six shopping months until Christmas . . .
. . . and it's not too early to be thinking about Toys for Tots. This program that collects new, unwrapped toys during the fall and winter months to distribute as Christmas gifts to needy children around the communities in which the campaign is conducted. Last year, over 5.7 million children benefitted. According to the Toys for Tots Web site "The 2003 U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Campaign was the most successful campaign in the 56-year history of Toys for Tots. Local campaigns were conducted in 456 communities covering all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. This was 42 more local campaigns than the previous record."
Last year in the 29 Palms region, Toys For Tots collected more than 29,000 toys to distribute to 13,000 children throughout the high- and low-desert communities.
Photo by Lance Cpl. Heidi E. Loredo
It's not too early to think about this Christmas - I'm buying one or two new gifts each month for the Toys for Tots campaigns in my area. With all the deployed and transferring Marines, there will be an increased need this year for help. "We anticipated a multitude of fundraising challenges based on our experiences during 2002," said retired Lt. Gen. Matthew T. Cooper, president and CEO, Toys for Tots, in a letter to the volunteers. "Concurrently, we were uncertain about the availability of Marine Reservists to conduct the annual campaign due to impending mobilization and deployment to the Middle East for combat operations. This apprehension gave us a special sense of urgency about the 2003 campaign."
2003 was a success but 2004 will also be a challenge.Military and civilian volunteers will be needed for collecting and sorting toys, and fundraisers. Last year, private businesses in our area put out collection barrels for toys that were then delivered to reserve Marine units. I buy a couple new toys each month for Toys for Tots - it's a good thing and deserves support.
Posted by Deb at 04:36 PM
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June 06, 2004
Camp Blue Diamond update
Civilian casualties are an unfortuate aspect of any war, but this one had a happier ending than most. A few weeks ago, Marines and enemy forces were engaged in hostilities near a Ramadi farm. The family cow got caught in the crossfire and was killed - a bad situation made worse since the farmer was a on a special dairy diet and the cow kept him alive by providing milk and cheese. In most cases, the military compensates civilians for damages caused, but this case was a bit different. The farmer needed a new cow instead of cash, but there are rules against direct buying of goods. However, the Marines came though - with a bit of help from Jim Hake at Spirit of America.
Lt. Col. Alan G. Burghard Sr., the commander of 1MARDIV Government Services Team knew that Spirit of America had donated school, dental, and medical supplies as part of nation building activities. And the Marines are good at asking for what they need. But they'd never asked for a cow.
I related the story to Jim and I got a one-sentence response, explained Burghard. He said, Buy the cow."
Photo by Navy CPO Ron E. Heinen
So, the farmer now has a cow that provides the dairy products he needs. Extra milk and cheese can be traded or bartered. The cow may be the start of a small herd.
Photo by LtCol Burghard
What were doing isnt just building bridges, Burghard added. Its building bridges between people. Creative solutions are being found by units.
Posted by Deb at 07:41 AM
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June 03, 2004
The Home Front
At eleven minutes after midnight on June 6, 1944, British Lieutenant Noel Poole jumped from a Stirling plane flying over the Cherbourg peninsula, the first of nearly 175,000 British, Canadian, and American forces to enter Normandy by air or by sea. A few hours later, people all over America listened, transfixed, to their radios as an announcer proclaimed, Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force has just announced that the invasion has begun. Repeat, D-Day has come. In Britain, the announcement was just as terse; Under the command of General Eisenhower, Allied naval forces supported by strong air forces began landing Allied armies this morning on the coast of France. These messages were confirmation of what had been widely surmised an immense invasion of the European continent from Britain had begun. By that evening, three airborne divisions of the allied air forces had joined the battle, bombed relentlessly in preparation for ground assault forces and provided protection for over 5,000 boats and ships (from small landing crafts to large battleships) in the English Channel. That armada provided essential cover for the allied troops who fought their way across the beaches of the Normandy coast.
And, all across America and Britain, those who waited at home listened, held their breath and prayed for a swift victory. A Montana news reporter having breakfast in a Helena caf put it this way. The news was first met with unbelief and then rapt silence. Food was forgotten. Not a single voice was raised in request for service; no one wanted anything. They only sat and listened, and wondered.
No one group wondered more than parents, relatives and friends of deployed troops. Unlike the current war on terror, many more people were directly impacted. With the draft, almost every family had a husband, son, daughter, nephew, niece, or friend serving. And, folks back home were willing and ready to do their part. They bought war bonds. Women rolled bandages and knitted socks and hats. Men who could not fight worked in defense plants, making rifles, airplanes, ammunition, and uniforms. Families planted Victory Gardens. Sugar, gasoline, and other commodities were rationed so that precious resources could be diverted to the troops.
In contrast, many current families have no direct connection with the current military operations taking part primarily in Iraq and Afghanistan. No one in their immediate or extended family is part of the armed forces. They are disconnected from the conflict. There are few sacrifices; indeed, there seems to be a concerted effort to make this war as painless as possible for folks back home. However, people want to be part of this. In the days following September 11, 2001, blood banks were standing room only. Theyve donated almost $2 million to the Spirit of America effort. Volunteers in Oregon and all over the country are sewing neck coolers and knitting socks and hats to provide comfort and a bit of home.
The warriors who fought the battle of Normandy had thoughts of home. The Band of Brothers HBO documentary included interviews with surviving heroes. Quite a few of them described their mothers as an inspiring force. Nights in foxholes were spent writing letters home.
During the major hostilities of Operation Iraqi Freedom, many of our troops carried pictures of their mothers, wives, and family members into battle. And, evening news clips showed tanks rolling into Baghdad with Marines and soldiers holding up signs that read Hi Mom!. Embedded reporters lent satellite phones to injured soldiers so that they could call family. E-mail brought instant communication. But the emotions of war do not change. Mothers and fathers of deployed troops worry as much today as they did 60 years ago.
On D-Day, America shut down. Macys Department store closed early. The president of Lord & Taylor announced, The store is closed. The invasion has begun. Our only thought can be of the men who are fighting in it. We have closed our doors because we know our employees and customers who have loved ones in battle will want to give this day to hopes and prayers for their safety. Wall Street opened, following a two minute silent prayer. And the Wall Street Journal focused on the economic impact of the invasion. The headline on June 7 read,
Invasions Impact
Marks Beginning Of End Of War Economy
New Problems for Industry.
Broadway closed its doors and actors performed for stateside troops. Donations were collected to benefit enlisted men and women. Not all entertainers stood in solidarity. A New Yorker correspondent noted that radio actors were upset that the days soap opera programming had been pre-empted by war news.
On the first day of Operation Iraqi Freedom, families all over America with loved ones in Iraq and Afghanistan held their breath and prayed for the safety of our troops. At the same time, large anti-war rallies broke out in cities all across America. Business continued as usual. Some stores gave discounts to families with military ID. And the Academy Awards went on as scheduled, although celebrities eschewed glitter and jewels. And Michael Moore used his platform as a bully pulpit to denounce our troops' Commander in Chief. To the audiences credit, there were boos throughout the crowd. That didnt faze the boor on the stage, who owed his opportunity to speak freely to our troops who, for the past 230 years have bravely fought to preserve liberty for all.
On June 6, 1944, families and friend waited breathlessly for news. And there were far few reporters on the scene. None were embedded. Correspondents on board various ships could report what they saw, planes overhead, smoke on the beach, other ships, but could only guess at what was happening on shore. That did not stop broadcasters from reporting. If there were no news, they repeated previous reports. They mangled pronunciation of the French towns and regions. They provided armchair quarterbacking of the military effort. Sixty years later, some things havent changed much.
The cost, in human terms, was staggering. Almost 5,000 casualties, including approximately 2,000 dead on that one day, D-Day. One day. Families all across America received that dreaded knock at the door where a Western Union telegram notified them of their ultimate contribution to the war effort a beloved husband or precious son. Was it worth it? Twenty years later, General Eisenhower stood on Omaha Beach, looking out at the English Channel. He commented,
You see these people out here swimming and sailing their little pleasure boats and taking advantage of the nice weather and the lovely beach, Walter, and it is almost unreal to look at it today and remember what it was.
But its a wonderful thing to remember what those fellows twenty years ago were fighting for and sacrificing for, what they did to preserve our way of life. Not to conquer any territory, not for any ambitions of our own. But to make sure that Hitler could not destroy freedoms in the world.
I think its just overwhelming. To think of the lives that were given for that principle, paying a terrible price on this beach alone, on that one day, 2000 casualties. But they did it so that the world could be free. It just shows what free men will do rather than be slaves.
Sixty years after D-Day, American troops once again fight along brave British forces to bring those same freedoms to another part of the world. Will it take twenty years for their bravery and sacrifices to be recognized as a wonderful thing?
Connie Riecke and Deb Conrad with William Wild Bill Guarnere who fought at Normandy on June 6, 1944 with the men of Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army.
Dont make them wait. Thank a soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine today those who are serving or have served in the past. And, if you know of a family with a deployed service member, thank them too. Each of the thousands of men who fell on June 6, 1944 had loved ones at home. So do the troops of today. Instant communication has brought the battlefield into our living rooms but we worry about our loved ones as much as the families in 1944.
On November 15, 2003, the women behind the Marine Corps Moms website met several members of Easy Company. We shook the hands of Don Malarkey and Wild Bill Guarnere. They are true American heroes and it was a privilege to meet them. And, sixty years from now, people may be shaking the hands of our sons who serve with the 7th Marines. As mothers, we are filled with pride. As citizens, we are profoundly grateful.
Thanks to Matt from Blackfive
for sponsoring this bloggers tribute to this defining day in American history. Check out his list of all participating bloggers here. Much of the information in this post was derived from Stephen Ambroses bestseller, D-DAY, June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II.
Posted by Deb at 08:42 AM
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May 25, 2004
Spirit of America with the 1/5
Photo by Sgt. Jose E. Guillen
Boys at a newly renovated school in Kharma show off their new book bags filled with school supplies. The 3rd Civil Affairs Group team, attached to the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines passed out the bags on May 22nd. Spirit of America, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization, sponsored the battalion with more than 1,500 book bags, school and medical supplies and toys.
Posted by Deb at 02:18 PM
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Pain is Weakness Leaving the Body
Yesterday, Gold's Gym in Salem, Oregon threw a block party and the Marines showed up. Rich Scott, District Manager for Gold's Gym explained, "This emphasizes the value of training as well as the importance of community awareness."
And the Marines put a few good men and women through a bit of training.
 | Gunny Dukes, from the Salem Marine Corps Recruiting Office, and Rich Scott, district manager for Gold's Gym, stand tall in the shadow of a mighty Devil Dog. |
| Malik Mitchell and Sgt. McKee (Albany Recruiting Office) compete on the obstacle course. |  |
 | Malik Mitchell and Terrance Gibson accept the pull-up challenge from the Marines. The Marine on the far left is Pvt. Bergerson who is home on leave after graduating from boot camp. He will return to Camp Pendleton next month for Marine Combat Training. His reason for joining the Corps? "I looked at all the branches and decided if I'm going to do it, I'll do it right" |
| Terrance Gibson will attempt 20 pull-ups - enough to qualify for a t-shirt. |  |
Over 100 people showed up for hamburgers, pizza, and ice cream . . . and a chance to talk with the Few and the Proud.
Today, the Army and the Navy will share the spotlight at Gold's Gym in Albany. Tomorrow, you'll find them at the new Keizer location.
Thanks, Gold's Gym, Costco, Cold Stone, and the community for showing up to support our troops.
Posted by Deb at 01:13 PM
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May 21, 2004
Tribute to our Troops
Jarhead Dad sent this link to an excellent slideshow of our deployed troops. Click and wait for it to load. If you're on a dial-up, you'll have time to get coffee, take the dog out, and change laundry loads.
It's worth the wait.
Posted by Deb at 01:38 PM
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May 18, 2004
A new way to network
In early April, the Marines made a request for television recording, editing, and broadcasting equipment from Spirit of America. Three weeks later, Jim Hake and the Spirit of America delivered $82,267 of video production and broadcasting equpment to Camp Pendleton. Today, the last of it arrived in Iraq. That is an incredible accomplishment.
The result of this effort will be a new voice of freedom in Iraq. Currently, most Iraqis get their news from Al Jazeera, hardly an unbiased source. Opening independent media sources will provide information about positive as well as negative viewpoints. The only requirement is that the stations refrain from anti-Coalition force propaganda. Iraqis will finally be able to hear a balanced news source.
However, Jim cautions:
While - like you - I am eager to hear these stations are up and running, it's important to keep in mind that all the gear is going into a war zone. The security situation changes unpredictably and plans change. Thus, I'd expect some delay. There may be even bad news. It's a war of ideas there as much as an armed conflict. Those fighting against us understand the danger that these stations (and free, unintimidated media) present to their agenda. One can assume they will resist them at some point. These are my thoughts. I'm not speaking for the Marines. I hope I'm wrong.
Yes, there is an element of risk. However there is also incredible potential to bring a voice of balance and reason to the citizens of Iraq. This is a risk worth taking.
Here's a message from Marine LtCol John Lutkenhouse about the media equipment:
Jim,
Here is the link to the story and photos we just put together regarding the arrival of the TV/radio equipment. PAO has also edited some of the video we took into a news clip that I think is pretty good. Just need to decide on the best way to get it to you.
As far as next steps, we are coordinating with Harris Corp (the folks who are providing the support to IMN) to send reps our way who can add their expertise as we travel out to the stations and distribute the gear. This would include two of their engineers and an IMN cameraman who will document our visits and report on the Spirit of America equipment we donate. We will also use some of the equipment for the local AM radio station that we are moving onto our camp from an outlying base. We will be integrating our efforts with Harris Corp's strategic plan in order to make sure we give the right type of equipment to the right sites (i.e. avoid giving video production equipment to a TV station that is not designated as a production site). Keeping in mind the required combat assets to get around our AO, as it looks right now we should able to hit all of the stations within the next 2-3 weeks. In conjunction with this, we will continue to engage the media leadership in Al Anbar (station managers, etc) in order to build relationships that will foster trust and cooperation. In fact, we are even exploring mentoring programs to help these broadcasters think and operate as independent news organizations/media enterprises. Case in point, one of the things we are finding is that their reporters don't really know how to be reporters (ask questions, think critically, and dig for the truth). As you well know, one of the legacies of the former regime is the pervasive fear that effects the decisions of Iraqis in all walks of life.
As such, we are taking 'baby steps' to encourage both media professionals and local governments (town councils) to see the benefits of getting information to the public, to be seen making decisions in council, and to develop the instincts of an open society.
The end state here is to give the Iraqis in Al Anbar an open and independent broadcast media that will present the truth and serve as an alternative to the biased reporting from the likes of Al Jazeera. At the same time, this will also gain us access to the airwaves across our entire zone in order to help ensure that our message gets out. I will keep you and the folks back home posted as we move forward. Thanks again to you and to the donors who are generously supporting our efforts.
SF,
John
There's more coming - stay tuned.
Posted by Deb at 12:06 AM
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May 17, 2004
Call for Recipes
Claudia Thomas, another proud Marine Corps Mom is putting together a recipe book to raise funds for the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) and the Woman Marine Association (WMA). If you have a favorite recipe - or two or three - that you'd like to share for a very worthy cause, please write or type it on a form that can be downloaded here. All recipes must be submitted on this form in order to keep the cookbook publishers happy.
For instructions on where to mail the completed forms and to order cookbooks - $15 plus $3 shipping - contact Claudia at ProudUSMCmom@aol.com. I'm sending in a couple of recipes that have taken first place in recipe contests and that I have not shared previously. It's for a great cause - share your recipes and then order the cookbook! Or, just order the cookbook. It's all good.
Here's Claudia's story:
Click on Continue Reading to find out what Claudia has to say:
My son joined the Marines about four and a half years ago. In one of his first ''drill letters", there was a note asking for spouses to volunteer for the Key Volunteer Network I didn't call, but hung on to the letter for a month. Finally, I called. I explained that I knew that they had asked for spouses, and I was "just" a Mom, but I recognized how hard it is to get anyone to volunteer for things these days and if they ever needed help I would be more than willing. It turned out that I was the only one who called! (It also turned out that the Key Volunteer Network is NOT limited to spouses.) For approximately two years, our KVN consisted of the person who had originally asked for help and myself.
Since that time I have recruited and trained a number of volunteers to assist me in my duties. Interestingly enough, my hardest working and most dependable volunteers are Moms as well! The Key Volunteer Network, and our various positions within it, are created and mandated by Marine Corps Orders. We have many responsibilities, and if you would like more info on it, just let me know.
I am the Key Volunteer Coordinator for the Marine Wing Support Group-47. I keep my team quite active. I do like to do fundraisers to support our local Marines and originally that is what I thought this idea would be. While still in my own investigative and planning stages of this, I realized that this project could be used to generate donations to organizations that help our service men and women when they need it most. Rather than use this endeavor to raise money for a Family Day event or a Birthday Ball, I thought that it had the potential to really make a difference in some lives. I researched nonprofits that benefit our military families and found that these two in particular provide the services that, if I could, I would want to be able to do. For example, the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) is an organization that families can turn to in extreme financial crisis. Can you imagine, after serving your country, you fall into hard times and can't afford funeral expenses, or your family has no money for food, what if you faced being thrown out into the street with your children? What if there is a medical emergency but you can't get help because you don't have the financial resources? I believe that WE owe it to those who have served our country to help them out. By raising money to donate to the NMCRS I/WE can do that, and, isn't that awesome?
The Women?s Marine Association (WMA) has programs that include taking care of patients in the VA Hospitals, sending packages to our troops overseas, finding "adoptive parents" for Marines overseas who have no one back home writing to them, scholarship programs for our Marines? children. These are all things I would love to do myself but no one person can do it all. I can, though, come up with this cookbook idea, convince my team to participate, and then use every possible avenue to spread the word.
My goal is to produce a beautiful cookbook with (approximately) 500 recipes, raise enough money through donations to cover the publishing cost (I am personally liable for that, it's my signature on the order form!), and sell at least one thousand copies. I know that it can be done if we all try our hardest. If we do just what I've outlined above, we will raise $15,000.00! If everyone really pushes these cookbooks we could make even more.
My son honors me by being a Marine. He will receive his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant on July 23rd, 2004. My son is a pilot. He will soon be going to the Naval Air Station in Pensacola for his flight school training. I do what I do to honor not only my son, but all our sons and daughters.
There's no better cheerleader than a mom. Especially a Marine Corps Mom.
UPDATE: The downloaded Word document isn't working, so our wonderful webmaster first converted it to a PDF file and now he working on making it a fill-out form. Thanks, Sean!!
Posted by Deb at 01:24 AM
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Spirit of America at work in Camp Zadan
Operation: No Better Friend is winning hearts in Camp Zadan, Iraq with the help of the Spirit of America Foundation . . . and a few good Marines.
Before his Marines deployed last February, LtCol Giles Kyser, commanding officer of 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, wrote this, in a letter to the families of his men:
The Battalion is returning to Iraq to help its good people build a future full of the same promise that we have been blessed with as Americans. This will be a difficult and dangerous mission and your Marines are very aware of the challenges that face them. Your Marines are also ready! The demanding training they completed during the past three months prepared them exceptionally well to meet those challenges head-on, and I am supremely confident in their ability to execute the broad range of tasks before them.
Your Warlord will be conducting what has become known as ?SASO? of Stability and Security Operations. He will conduct offensive and defensive operations as well as civil affairs and humanitarian operations designed to create the conditions for the people of Iraq to get back on their feet. You should be extremely proud of your Marine or Sailor because the mission they will accomplish is a noble one? in the finest traditions of our nation. Through his efforts, your Warlord will be writing yet another chapter in the magnificent legacy of the Naval Service. Those who would challenge us have underestimated the capability and resolve of the Warlords. They do not know what you know?that these men are of the same stock that won at places like Belleau Wood, Tarawa, Iwo Jima, the Chosin Reservoir, Dai Do, Grenada, Kuwait and Al Kut. Our enemies will also come to recognize, that these men are also fathers, sons, brothers and husbands whose capability as warriors is exceeded only by their compassion for humanity.
Here's a demonstration of that compassion:
| 2/2 Marines distribute school supplies donated by Spirit of America to kids in Zadan.
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| LtCol Kyser chats with a young girl as part of an outreach to let the locals know the Marines are there to help.
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Lt Col Kyser hands out coloring books to the local kids.
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USMC photos by Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes
Besides winning over the children, the Marines demonstrated how they plan to help the rest of the town. Here's some information from Cpl Rhodes:
Even though the battalion was only in the camp for a few days, the message of the Coalition's intent of helping the Iraqi people got out. Marines passed out leaflets offering phone numbers for Iraqis to seek help for getting clean water.
"An ongoing project is helping the local water treatment plant," Dubois said.
Clean water is scarce in many rural areas of Iraq. Water treatment became a project where Marines quickly became involved.
"We've found a lack of good drinking water to be the number one complaint," said Maj. Mark P. DeVito, a Civil Affairs Group leader from San Diego. "We're putting $50,000 into the water plant. Because the people want to see immediate effects, we're giving 50,000-gallon water bladders to different towns so they have a way to get water immediately."
DeVito explained that Iraqis in the area were pro-Coalition at one time, but without seeing their surroundings improve, their minds changed. The Marines plan to leverage their assistance to gain back trust through upgrading conditions.
In addition to the water plant, CAG is also working to organize a street cleanup. Hiring people to go through the town and pick up trash not only cleans up the area but also creates jobs.
"Because we're out there in the towns every day, we see what needs to get done," DeVito said. "We become familiar to the people and they give us information about insurgents or weapons caches."
When my son was in Najaf last year, he spent many hours providing street security and standing post. He said that Iraqis would come up to his guard station and report where ammunition was stored or that attacks were planned. From May through October last year, no Marines were lost to hostile action, largely due to the level of trust and cooperation achieved by all levels of leadership. Handing out a pack of school supplies, or hiring an unemployed Iraqi to clean up his city is a small thing in isolation. The cumulative effect can be great. And, if you haven't donated already, consider giving to Spirit of America. It's money well spent.
Posted by Deb at 12:38 AM
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April 30, 2004
Putting the Spirit back in America
After the horrific events of September 11, 2001, there was a feeling of helplessness among many of us. We wanted to do something but we had no idea where to start. So, we gave blood and donated to the Red Cross. Young men like my son joined the Armed Forces. We watched the news, prayed for our troops, and knew that there must be something more that we could do.
Recently, Jim Hake from Spirit of America gave us that opportunity. He applied traditional American ingenuity and a strong work ethic to help our troops be successful in the very difficult process of winning peace in a region that knows only war and struggle.
Here are his words:
We have received $1,532,931 in donations in the last two weeks. Contributions from 7,438 donors have been made to every request and every area of Spirit of America's operations. I can't describe the effects this generosity will have on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan - both in helping the people of those countries and in supporting the hard work of those serving there.
As encouraging as the last 14 days have been, I believe we are just at the beginning of seeing homefront support for America's efforts in Iraq. We're fortunate to receive emails, letters and handwritten notes from our donors that thank us for finally getting the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution. Since 9/11 many have felt helpless. That no longer need be the case.
To truly succeed in Iraq it will take more than military victory and winning the war. We must win the peace. And, that requires the support and genuine determination of the American people to help the people of Iraq. Our military cannot do it alone. I hear this every day from those who are serving in Iraq. They need our assistance and now is the critical time to lean forward and increase our efforts. Those of us at Spirit of America are deeply committed to this and I know many, many Americans are, too. Our job is to organize the desire to help and channel it where it is needed most on the front lines.
There are a number of worthy projects currently spearheaded by Spirit of America. And you can help. For example, a friend's Boy Scout troops will hold a fundraising car wash with all profits sent to support the School Partners program. I am working with local contractors to donate used tools to the Tools for Iraq program. When people ask how my son is doing, I mention SOA. Little things add up to big things. Handing backpacks filled with school supplies to children sitting in an empty classroom is, by itself, a small thing. But the cumulative effect is larger than the sum of the parts. Here is what one teacher had to say last year:
"We support the Americans because they brought us freedom. I will teach my girls that we got our freedom from the Coalition and then they will tell their families."
Aiwaiu Sahaib,
teacher at Al Gary School for Girls
One child at a time, one family at a time. Nation-building can happen on a very small scale and it starts with each of us.
Through the efforts of some amazing bloggers, this little corner of the internet raised approximately $50,000 to help support our Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan. When I told my son about it last night, he was amazed that so many people cared. Then, I told him about the $1.5 million raised through the WSJ pitch. There was an emotional edge to his voice as he said, "tell them thank you" .
I echo his words. To each of you who support our troops through words and deeds, thank you so very much.
Posted by Deb at 12:21 PM
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April 29, 2004
The Home Stretch
Update: New totals have been released on the Spirit of America website.. With 4.5 hours left to go, total donations stand at 49,681.83. We are just $318.17 short of the $50,000 goal! Oohrah!
The competition of the shilling is now a coalition of the willing. The teams have combined forces to reach a goal of $50,000 by 11:59:59 Thursday, April 29. That's tonight! We've raised just over $45,000 so let's get that last $4,931.17 in the Spirit of America bank account. Click this link and make your donation now!
Current Offers
Collectables
Services And Big Ticket items
Aspiring (or existing) authors - no matter who you are or what you write, you need careful editing and an honest evaluation. Gerard Van der Leun has an amazing auction offer for you: Professional editing. He's got over 30 years of industry experience, which you can enlist in finishing off your pet project. Go visit the American Digest and start bidding; realize your "Great American Novel".
Hugh Hewitt is offering a you a guest segment on any topic you want (8 minutes) on his syndicated radio show!!!
She Who Will Be Obeyed - plane ticket!
Food/Dinners
Bloggers At Your ServiceHosting/Graphics/Design
Clothes And No Clothes
Music And Other Items
Look for this symbol for exclusive offers from Team Spirit, where Quantity Is Job #1
Donate via Castle Argghhh! Fighting Fusileers for Freedom!
Donate via Victory Coalition!
Donate via Liberty Alliance!
Posted by Deb at 05:53 AM
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April 24, 2004
Spirit of America Challenge - Days Three and Four
The competition continues with the Fighting Fusileers of Freedom in the lead:
| Blog / Coalition | Amount Raised | |
| Castle Argghhh! Fighting Fusileers for Freedom! | $10755.5 | Donate |
| The Victory Coalition | $7718 |
| Liberty Alliance | $3314 |
Here's the button - you know you want to click it.
So, how can I make this competition more appealing? Here's today's offer. With the help of my two lovely and culinarily talented nieces, I'm baking biscotti today for Sgt. Hook- we'll send them with a couple pounds of Dunkin Donuts coffee. These are not just ordinary biscotti. Several years ago, I took second place at the Oregon State Fair with my secret biscotti formula. And why didn't I take first? Because my son, now a United States Marine, took my recipe and tweaked it. He took first. As Matt at Blackfive noted, ". . . if it ain't nailed down, GI's will steal it". And, he wasn't even a Marine at the time - just practicing. With my recipe.
So, I'll auction off a box of delicious second-place biscotti with a bag of coffee (not Dunkin Donuts, it's all going to Sgt. Hook) and a USMC travel mug to the highest bidder. We'll keep the auction open for a few days via the comments section - bid early, bid often!
Check back later for pictures of the biscotti-baking process.
Posted by Deb at 08:50 AM
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April 20, 2004
Spirit of America Challenge
As part of an overall support effort for Operation: No Better Friend, the Spirit of America foundation is fundraising to provide equipment for at least seven television stations that are being refurbished by coalition troops. This will combat the propaganda spread through Al Jazheera television and showcase the humanitarian efforts that our troops are engaged in to bring a better life to those who were oppressed under Saddam's rule.
From the Spirit of America website:
US Marines seek to equip seven (7) television stations serving local communities within Al Anbar Province, Iraq. The Province includes the cities of Fallujah and Ramadi. These stations will offer information that is more accurate and balanced than existing alternatives. The goal is to improve understanding between Americans and Iraqis, build trust and reduce tensions.
Current TV news in Iraq often carries negative, highly-biased accounts of the U.S. presence. Unanswered, its effect is to stoke resentment and encourage conflict. The Marines seek to ensure the Iraqi people have access to better, more balanced information. By equipping local television stations and providing the ability to generate news and programming, the Marines will create a viable news alternative - one owned and operated by local Iraqi citizens.
The donated equipment will be the property of the Iraqi stations. The stations can create their own news and choose their own programming with the agreement that they will prohibit airing of anti-coalition messages that incite the local population. The stations also agree to sell airtime at a fair market price so that the Marines can communicate their information efficiently and quickly when needed.
For example, images were recently broadcast of a mosque in Fallujah damaged during fighting. With these stations the Marines could have provided the full picture by airing video of combatants firing on them from the mosque grounds. These stations would have enabled Iraqis to understand the complete picture. News of reconstruction projects and humanitarian assistance that balances the news of conflict will also be provided on these stations. The stations will be free to criticize the Coalition.
The Marines say, "this was started with the idea that information is key to success. It builds greater knowledge, understanding and ultimately, trust." They add, "As Operation Iraqi Freedom carries on, this venture becomes more and more important. The lack of accurate news reports during this rebuilding phase undercuts the good work being performed throughout the majority of Iraq. Instead, news is being passed by word of mouth and becomes more and more distorted as the tales are retold. It is essential to success of the Marine Corps' mission in Iraq that the Iraqi people understand our sincerest desires to help them rebuild their country and lay the foundation for a viable and free democratic society."
Here's how you can help:
Donate any amount of money to the Spirit of America foundation by clicking on this button:
So, who are the Fighting Fusileers of Freedom and why are they pointing at Kevin and Dean? It's a friendly competition between three groups of bloggers with big hearts. After considering each of the groups, Marine Corps Moms decided to go with the guys in Fusileer uniform - they're irresistable. And, they've got bigger guns. Check out the individual Fusileers, led by the fine folks at Castle Argghhh!, here:
The Imperial Armorer
She Who Will Be Obeyed
The Imperial Animatrix
Right Wingin-it!
Loyal Reader Calliope!
Un-named Left-of-Center Blogger Not Appearing in this blogroll*
Triticale
Darthvob
A Soldiers Blog
Practical Penumbra
Road Warrior Rules for Survival
Brain Shavings
The Bejus Pundit!
Blackfive - The Paratrooper of Love!
Technicalities
The Anti-Idotarian Rottweiler
Democrats Give Conservatives Indigestion
Bloodletting
The Politburo Diktat
The Mudville Gazette
Geeklog
The Common Virtue
The Ghost of a Flea
Grim's Hall
Feste, A Foolsblog!
LC Glen, Imperial Longbowman
Dawn L, the Non-Commenting Commenter!
Loyal Reader "Brass"
Loyal Reader "Bill" (Constructive credit for already donating)
Marine Corps Moms!
Colorado Psycho
Wasted Electrons
Citizen Smash!
As an added inducement, this Marine Corps Mom will knit a fashionable summer scarf for the first five people who donate $200 or more through one of the Fusileer links. It's a great cause on its own - but in the spirit of NPR, I'll make you an irresistable offer. After all pledges are posted, I'll e-mail the first five qualifying donors to find out color preference. Watch this site in the next few days for pictures of sample scarves.
Posted by Deb at 08:53 PM
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April 16, 2004
Support Freedom of Speech
Here's more on the Spirit of America foundation's newest effort.
The First Marine Expeditionary Force and U.S. Army in Iraq want to equip and upgrade seven defunct Iraqi-owned TV stations in Al Anbar province--west of Baghdad--so that average Iraqis have better televised information than the propaganda they get from the notorious Al-Jazeera. If Jim Hake can raise $100,000, his Spirit of America will buy the equipment in the U.S., ship it to the Marines in Iraq and get Iraqi-run TV on the air before the June 30 handover.
This is an excellent way to support freedom of speech and of the press. With your donation, you'll put the power of journalism in the hands of the Iraqis who have most to gain from a democratic Iraq. Let's hear their stories.
Jim Hake has set a target date of May 7 to have this equipment purchased and delivered to Camp Pendleton. Visit the Spirit of America web site to donate to this cause. All donations are tax deductible.
Thanks, Jim!
Posted by Deb at 01:02 PM
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