Theodore's World

The cast from the TV series "Sons Of Anarchy"

"We were instantly interested in the idea after Boot Girl Sherri discussed the concept with us and recommended the “Lone Survivor” book by Marcus Luttrell. Since then, Luttrell’s account has inspired all of us to continue creating awareness of the current U.S. soldiers and veterans. Some of us have family military background, and even those who don’t were captivated by the initiative. We expect for the Boot Campaign to benefit military veterans by shaping their image as heroes who are worthy of attention and praise."

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Boot Campaign Official "Give Back" Boot

Show your support by purchasing the official Boot Campaign "Give Back" Boots. These boots feature rugged construction, the official Boot Campaign logo embossed on the heel, and a tag explaining the entire Boot Campaign story. Plus, $45 from every boot sale will go to support the USO and the Lone Survivor Foundation.

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Wild Thing's comment.......

One of my friends at Facebook sent me the link to this. I had never heard of it before. I think it is a wonderful idea so I wanted to show it to you. It alwasy makes my heart so happy when I see legit help for our troops and this one is one of those. They really explain what they do and where the money goes which is important. And that the USO picked up on what they are doing and is working with them as well is an added thing I love about it..

Anyway, I thought this was pretty cool and wanted to share the information with all of you.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:55 AM | Comments (6)

July 08, 2010

Rush Limbaugh on the Troopathon "Standing for Our Soldiers"

Rush is supporting the Troopathon campaign to send packages to our troops.

Rush gave $300,000. Thanks Rush!

The purpose of the event is to raise funds to send care packages to soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Previous Troopathon events, such as the one held last year at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, have raised a total of well over two million dollars, enabling the group to send over 168 TONS of care packages overseas.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:45 AM

June 28, 2010

Move America Forward's Third Annual Troopathon

Move America Forward's third annual Troopathon is a nationwide campaign to send the largest shipment of care packages to our troops in history. The effort centers on an 8 hour live webcast July 1st, 2010 at Troopathon.org with pro-troop celebrities coming together to support our troops.

You can visit http://www.troopathon.org for more details.

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Mark Williams for Troopathon 2010 "Standing for Our Soldiers"
He speaks about our awesome Vietnam Veterans as well as our troops today. ~Wild Thiing

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Mark Levin will Join Troopathon 2010 “Standing for Our Soldiers”

Laura Ingraham and Michael Graham Join Troopathon Cast

Ambassador John Bolton and Frank Gaffney Join Troopathon Guest List

Andrew Breitbart Returns to Repeat Co-Hosting of Troopathon

Dennis Miller, Mancow Muller and Noel Sheppard Joining Troopathon

see more names further down this post.

Kelsey Grammer for the Troopathon

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Dennis Miller for our troops

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Hollywood legend Jane Russell will be featured on Troopathon

Classic movie goddess Jane Russell — at age 89 — will be part of the burgeoning cast for Troopathon 2010, an 8-hour live broadcast from the Richard M. Nixon Presidential Library. The event to raise money for care packages sent to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan was organized by Move America Forward .

Other guests who will join live or via video feed July 1 include Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Dennis Miller, Mark Levin, Laura Ingraham, Michael Graham, Frank Gaffney — broadcasters all — plus actor Gary Sinise, former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton .

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Gary Sinise supports the troops

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:45 AM | Comments (2)

May 16, 2010

The Story Behind Who Waves The Flags Over I-5

The story behind who waves the flags over I-5

Passionate military spouse making a difference

Northwest Military.com

If you ask anyone who knows her, Elisa Sukenick is a woman on a mission. Within minutes of a first introduction, you know that patriotism is something she takes very seriously. You also know that she stands behind every word she says - literally.

In 2003, on the day the troops first arrived in Iraq, Sukenick remembers hearing the news on the radio and being so overwhelmed that she needed to pull her car over. At the time she happened to be on the Center Drive Bridge in DuPont, or exit 118 on Interstate 5. As she sat in her car and prayed, she made a solemn promise to support the soldiers every way she could and to remind others to do the same.

On every major holiday (and sometimes just a sunny day), Sukenick heads to that same bridge, which she calls a living memorial for those serving in the military, and waves a flag at the cars passing below. More often than not, drivers honk, flash headlights, and wave back at her in order to show their mutual support of the troops. She often recruits people from her church and office to join her or the spouses of deployed soldiers, but in recent years, as the war has continued, participation has waned. However, for seven years Sukenick has personally upheld her promise to raise awareness and rarely misses a chance to stand on that bridge.

"I do this to support the men and women of the military - not for any political meaning. I never want this to be about politics," Sukenick said. "This is about loving this country and loving the soldiers." A few times, including once last month, soldiers have pulled off the exit to say thank you to her face. Many have a hard time expressing the gratitude they feel; some have just gotten out of their cars to shake her hand or give her a hug.

Sukenick's ties to the military started more than 40 years ago when she served as a nurse during the Vietnam War at Fort Gordon, Ga. Her husband, retired Staff Sgt. Jeff Sukenick, served 23 years in the Army. For more than two decades she was a civilian nurse at Madigan Army Medical Center, and now Sukenick works in the Lakewood office of the Allergy and Asthma Specialty Service, which happens to be run by three retired Army doctors. Needless to say, her employers encourage and appreciate Sukenick's extracurricular activity and often work with her to send care packages overseas and make donations to groups such as Operation Make a Soldier Smile.

"Whenever something positive is going on outside of the base, I can't help but wonder if Elisa has done it," said retired Col. W. Pierre Andrade, M.D. "This is just who she is. She has a big heart and is tireless about helping those in need, like the soldiers."

After each flag waving session, Sukenick gathers her volunteers together to pray. She thanks the Lord for sending her helpers and for keeping the soldiers safe. She asks that everyone come back again, and maybe they will, maybe they won't. Either way, she'll be there, rain or shine, waving her flag and reminding the drivers about the importance of supporting our troops.

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Wild Thing's comment......

There truly are so many wonderful America loving people in our country. People that KNOW why we are able to live in the land of the free and who paid the price for all of us. God bless this woman!!!

....Thank you Jack for sending this to me.

United States Army
1965-1971
Army Combat Engineers
Quang Tri & Chu Lai '68 -'69
67-69

Jack's blog is Conservative Insurgent

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:47 AM | Comments (1)

May 15, 2010

A Message From Major General John K. Singlaub, US. Army (Ret.)

Coalition to Salute America's Heroes

Dear Patriotic American,

My name is Major General John K. Singlaub, U.S. Army (Ret.).

I'm writing to you as Memorial Day approaches because I know, based on the causes you support, that you are a patriotic American. So I'm sure you'll be thinking about all the brave servicemen and women who have lost their lives for our country.

I parachuted into Nazi-occupied France during WWII to prepare French Resistance fighters for the Allied invasion, trained Chinese guerrillas for operations against the Japanese, ran covert operations against the North Koreans and the Chinese, and commanded all U.S. Special Operations Forces in Southeast Asia.

Now I’m working with the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes, an excellent nonprofit organization that provides emergency aid to our troops who have been severely wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Our wounded heroes must often wait 3 to 6 months, sometimes up to year or longer, to receive their first disability checks.

That's where the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes comes in to provide emergency financial assistance.
I'd like to take a moment and tell you about Sgt. James Sides, whose photo appears below.

Sgt. Sides suffered multiple strokes and countless bruises to his brain. His right arm was broken and his right lung collapsed.

James Sides' world was completely turned upside down upon returning home from Iraq.

Because of his injuries, James was unable to work. And the bills quickly piled up making it hard just to put food on the table for his family of five.

James Sides was a chopper pilot flying over the Tigris River in Baghdad...

...Suddenly, he found himself trapped in the helicopter, drowning in the river.

He was under water for nearly six minutes before being rescued.

Financially struggling and unable to work, James had to move in with his parents. The mounting debt and the pain of his injuries were making it extremely difficult for him to care for his three young boys.

This Memorial Day - if only for a day - you can make sure a wounded hero like James doesn't have to worry how he's going to feed his family.

As I've mentioned, the Coalition will be sending as many wounded heroes on our list as possible a $60 card to provide their families with food this Memorial Day.

James was extremely grateful for the support provided...

"The Coalition to Salute America's Heroes is a great organization, and can help when you think it all is over. Every need I had, they were able to help with, and I am so thankful."

As you may have noticed in the news, there has been an uptick in the amount of injuries and fatalities in Afghanistan.

When these wounded soldiers return home, they're going to be calling us for help. I don't want to have to turn anyone down.

The need is great.

Will you hope the Coalition meet the need for our wounded heroes?

Major General John K. Singlaub
U.S. Army (Ret.).

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Throughout the year, Coalition supporters will be providing emergency financial aid to disabled GIs through the following programs:

•Emergency Financial Assistance for severely wounded troops unable to afford groceries, clothes and other necessities, as well as those facing auto repossessions, utility cutoffs and other financial disasters.

•Wounded Troops Foreclosure Fund: Hundreds of burned, paralyzed or brain-damaged soldiers are in danger of losing their homes. These veterans are caught up in the nationwide foreclosure crisis, made worse by the immense financial strain they face because of their severe wounds. The Coalition has already made nearly 200 grants to wounded troops to help give thee heroes a place to lay their heads.

•Annual Road to Recovery Conferences: More than 300 disabled troops and their families have attended these unique, all-expense-paid educational events. Along with their spouses and children, wounded servicemen and women learn how to cope with their injuries, receive counseling and attend educational seminars. Several have even landed jobs at the event’s Career Fair.

•Homes for Heroes: The Coalition's donors have helped to build six new, disability-adapted homes for troops who have been blinded or paralyzed. Many other homes have been renovated to make them handicapped-accessible.

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Wild Thing's comment........

I got this from Jim, it was in an email he received and I wanted to share it with all of you. I am so glad there are organizations like this one that are helping our troops.

This is their webstie if you would like to check it out.
I put part of the email above and also part of what the Major had to say at the website.

https://www.saluteheroesproject.org/

A little about Major General John K. Singlaub:

Poor Leadership in the 1970s handcuffed the CIA for decades to come
By Ilario Pantano ( Pantano is running for Congress in N. Carolina).........

I have known Pantano since his trial when many of us were supporting him at his mothers website. He was amazing and after the trial he wrote to me thanking me for the support and emails etc. ~ Wiild Thing

Ilario Pantano, a former Marine Corps officer, author, and deputy sheriff. Pantano’s service began at age 17 when he enlisted in the Marine Corps and became an elite scout sniper. Pantano returned to the service and led a platoon of infantry Marines in Fallujah through some of the fiercest fighting of the war. During combat operations, Pantano killed two terrorists and was later accused of murder. A military hearing dismissed all charges against him, but after receiving Jihadist death threats to his family, Pantano chose to resign from the Marine Corps. Since 2006 he has protected his local community in North Carolina as a Deputy Sheriff. After his honorable discharge, Pantano authored a book about his experiences.

Here is the artilce about Major General John K. Singlaub that Pantano wrote:

American Legion Magazine, May 2010

He was a living legend in the Special Forces community during VietNam...he was the father of the Studies and Observations Group(MACV-SOG)...they ran recon teams ‘across the wire’ i.e. into Laos and Cambodia along the Ho Chi Mihn trail...and were very effective in gathering NVA intel.

He once parachuted into Nazi-occupied France for Operation Jedburgh, former Office of Strategic Services (OSS) officer John K. Singlaub is eminently qualified to answer questions about the historical precedent of prosecuting intelligence officers during a time of war. If he or his men had been captured by the enemy, they would have been tortured and executed. Many of his friends suffered that fate. NOw a retired Army major general, Singlaub's career in intelligence began before the CIA or many of its officers were even born. Recently questioned about the idea of prosecuting agents during wartime, he paused and said, "If we prosecute anyone, we need to go after Jimmy Carter and his appointee to head (the) CIA, Adm. Stansfield Turner. (No one) has done us more harm. Turner gutted covert-action capabilities when he reduced the Directorate of Operations by a thousand experienced officers in 1977, and exposed the United States to crises which continue to haunt us 30 years later: Afghanistan and Iran."

Singlaub, who helped organize the French resistance in support of the Normandy invasion and ran intelligence operations in Manchuria and, later, special ops in Vietnam. "At the time, Carter wanted to rely on reconnaissance satellites and electronic surveillance. He was looking for white-glove ways to combat Soviet-sponsored subversion of the Third World, which is how we got into trouble in Iran. CIA officers in France actually had agents inside the operation of Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini. The station chief warned that successful penetration would be compromised and that this was the wrong time to make Turner's drastic cuts. 'We've got operations going!' was the objection. The response from Washington: 'Let the French handle it.'"

Former deputy national counterintelligence executive and current professor of intelligence studies Kenneth deGraffenreid, a retired Navy captain, recounts the 1970s cultural shift that bastardized the uniformed and clandestine services in the wake of Watergate, campus protests and the Church/Pike committees. Carter "ran his '76 campaign against the 'troika of evil' - Watergate, Vietnam, and the CIA," deGraffenreid recalls. "We saw it again in 2008, when Obama ran against Bush, Iraq, and the CIA. I pray the results of that chronic naiveté are better this time around, but with SEALs being prosecuted, terrorists suing federal officials, ringleaders like Kalid Sheik Mohammed being tried in New York instead of (before) tribunals, and CIA officers prosecuted at home and overseas, where 23 were convicted in Italy, I'm just not convinced."

The sense of déjà vu strikes Singlaub as tragic. "Carter favored sterile forms of intelligence like satellites, things that couldn't blow up in his face," he said. "The rest, he chopped. Apologists will tell you Carter's cuts were about cleaning out the bad eggs. Tell that to the Navy SEALs, the Green Berets and all of the other paramilitary forces that Carter wanted to either cut, or in the case of the SEALs, eliminate completely."

Singlaub's 35-year military career included vanguard action and command of various intelligence and special-ops missions in World War II, China, Korea, Vietnam and Latin America. Today, the 88-year old Legionnaire still lectures at the advanced Special Forces course.

Carter was "simply not comfortable with unconventional operations and deemed them too politically risky," Singlaub says. 'Desert One' (the failed mission to rescue hostages from Iran) would prove beyond a doubt the degree to which he let our capabilities atrophy.

.... Thank you Jim for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:47 AM

First Annual Warrior Games

Warrior Games at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.........

Complete story here at DOD

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Members of Team Air Force raise their right hands above their hearts during the national anthem before playing a game of basketball against the Marines May 11, 2010, during the inaugural Warrior Games at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 11, 2010. The competition runs through May 14. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Desiree N. Palacios

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Army Sgt. Daniel Biskey packs up his bow and arrows after a morning practice session for the inaugural Warrior Games at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 11, 2010. Biskey is assigned to the Balboa Warrior Athlete Program at the Naval Medial Center San Diego. U.S. Army photo by Master Sgt. Doug Sample

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Former Air Force Senior Airman Jennifer Stone prepares to shoot a basket in a game against the Navy on the first day of games at the inaugural Warrior Games at the U.S. Olympic Training Facility, Colorado Springs, Colo., May 11, 2010. DoD photo by Fred W. Baker III

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Air Force Tech. Sgt. Israel Del Toro practices shooting at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 11, 2010. Del Toro, assigned to Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, and 16 other Air Force athletes are competing in the inaugural Warrior Games through May 14. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Christopher Griffin

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Warrior Games sitting volleyball match

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Posted by Wild Thing at 06:44 AM | Comments (2)

May 07, 2010

North Platte Canteen

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Wild Thing's comment........

What a wonderful video about the first Cantten for our troops.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:45 AM | Comments (2)

January 08, 2010

Ribbons for Soldiers Banned on the Litchfield Green

Ribbons for Soldiers Banned on the Litchfield Green

Conn. news

The yellow ribbon controversy in Litchfield is far from over. Even though the ribbons were banned from the town green several months ago, people keep putting them up.

“I’m wondering if anyone really dares to remove them at this point. I’m glad to see they are still there, but I’m confused why there is controversy to begin with,” said Cindy McPhee, of Litchfield.

On Tuesday night, the board that voted to remove them scheduled a public hearing to figure out a more permanent show of support.

“I think it’s impressive so many people are showing support for the yellow ribbons and the only reason I got involved is because I had heard they were taken down,” said Leslie Caron, of Litchfield.

The reason they were taken down, according to the Board of Warden and Burgesses, was that they set a precedent for other causes to hang ribbons. More importantly, the board says the worn and tattered ribbons are a disrespectful display.

“Its become very obvious the yellow ribbons mean a lot to people if they are displayed with honor and dignity that is,” said Victoria Sansing, a board member.

One of the board members is a Vietnam veteran, while at least 2 others are married to veterans. They said their job is to listen to the people requests at a public hearing and maintain the appearance of the town green.

“I feel really hurt sitting on the board and being called a communist when I whole heartedly support the troops,” said Peter Gay, a board member and veteran.

The public hearing to discuss the yellow ribbons is set for February 2nd at the First Congregational Church at 7pm.

Wiild Thing's comment.......

I realy hate this! I am so sick of the left and the way they want this kind of thing and so much of the time get their way. I sure hope they get to keep their ribbons.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:49 AM | Comments (2)

January 02, 2010

Troops Get Their Own New Year's Bowl Moment

Wild Thing's comment.........

Love it, it is always great when we see people supporting our awesome troops.

Some former college stars played a game of flag football with a group of U.S. soldiers who spent New Year's Day on their base in Baghdad. (Jan. 1)

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:49 AM | Comments (2)

December 27, 2009

WWE Visit Troops For Christmas 2009

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Wild Thing's comment.........

I love how they do this every year for our troops. The troops love it so much and have such a great time.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:49 AM | Comments (2)

December 11, 2009

'Fort Hood Community Strong' set for Today!

This Friday there will be a free event for all Soldiers and Families at Hood Stadium. More than 50,000 troops and their families and members of the Fort Hood's local community are expected to participate in "Fort Hood Community Strong," a day for healing, fun and entertainment to uplift the spirits of the Fort Hood Community in the wake of the Nov. 5 shooting incident. Held at Hood Stadium, this event will feature free carnival rides, games, concerts and
food.

'Fort Hood Community Strong' set for Friday

Killeen Daily Herald

Fort Hood and local community members are invited Friday to Fort Hood for a day of reflection, education and fun.

The post, joined by USO; Fort Hood Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation; and the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, is hosting "Fort Hood Community Strong," part of an initiative to help the area move forward from the Nov. 5 mass shooting that left 13 dead and more than 30 wounded.

The day includes activities for families and performances by Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band, comedian Dana Carvey, rapper Chamillionaire and the Zac Brown Band.

It's also a way for soldiers, families and community members to stop and take a break. Fort Hood has been churning because of deployments and busy schedules for the last seven years, Col. (promotable) John Rossi said.

"What can we do to help?" was the most frequently asked question officials heard in the days and weeks following the shooting, Rossi said. Friday includes a ceremony to recognize local community members, organizations and businesses for their contributions to Fort Hood during that time.

Those include H-E-B, which raised more than $280,000 for the Central Texas-Fort Hood Chapter of the Association of the U.S. Army fund for Nov. 5 victims and families.

USO stepped to the plate once officials learned about the post's intentions, said Robin Crouse, USO Fort Hood center.

"This day is meant to bring our community together – soldiers, family members and the greater Fort Hood community to just have fun and relax," Crouse said. "USO is proud to partner with so many to bring this day to the soldiers and families of the Great Place."

The event is set to take place from 1 to 7 p.m. at Hood Stadium, and it is free and open to the public. The day will feature free carnival rides, games and food, including sandwiches, chips, ice cream and drinks served from the H-E-B Mobile Kitchen.

Also scheduled to appear are National Hot Rod Association Army car driver Tony Schumacher, Mallory Lewis and "Lamb Chop," Bonzo Crunch the clown, the Houston Texans Cheerleaders, STAIND lead singer Aaron Lewis and Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers.

Jonas is set to visit Meadows Elementary School and Smith Middle School Friday morning.

For more information on how to support the USO and Fort Hood, go to www.usocommunitystrong.org. Those who attend Fort Hood Community Strong can post photos at www.flickr.com/groups/usocommunitystrong.

Contact Amanda Kim Stairrett at astair@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7547.

'Fort Hood Community Strong' schedule:

1 p.m.: Opening ceremony. national anthem, recognition of distinguished guests and donors, awards presentation and Tony Schumacher trophy presentation

1:15 p.m.: Aaron Lewis from rock group STAIND performs acoustic set

1:45 p.m.: Chamillionaire

2:55 p.m.: Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band

4:55 p.m.: Dana Carvey

5:10 p.m.: Zac Brown Band

6:30 p.m.: Awards presentation and event conclusion

Wild Thing's comment.........

Fantastic I am so glad they are doing this.

.... Thank you Jim for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:47 AM | Comments (2)

December 10, 2009

3rd Graders At Tussing Elementary School. Music Thank Our Troops and Veterans

This is the Tussing Elementary 3rd grade class singing a sincere thank you to our brave and strong soldiers, men and women, past and current, for protecting us in times of war and peace. THANK YOU!

I received this email and it brought tears to my eyes. This wonderful teacher has visited Theodore's World and sent me this video. Thank you Michael from not only myself but for all the Veterans that are part of this blog and all Veterans and our troops today. ~ Wild Thing

Here is his email : ( And also be sure to click on his website below it is awesome as well. )

"I LOVE LOVE YOUR SITE! I am an elementary music teacher from Virginia, and was wondering if you would take a moment to look at this beautiful video of our 3rd graders singing "Thank You, Soldiers" and consider posting it on your site. There are still children learning about the GOOD that our troops do, and that they are our real heroes!!
Please consider posting this!! All I want to do is spread the THANK YOU to as many sodiers/vets possible!"

Michael Souders
Tussing Elementary School Music
www.tussingmusic.com

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:49 AM | Comments (6)

November 25, 2009

Gary Sinise Does Special Thanksgiving Concert For Our Troops In Afghanistan

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Marines from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, from left, LCpl. Brian Challans, of Shakopee, Minnesota, LCpl Alexander Harris, of Wichita, Kansas, Swanson and Cpl. David Roby, of London, Ohio, dance with actress Kristy Swanson atop an MRAP during a USO concert featuring Gary Sinese and The Lt. Dan Band at Camp Leatherneck in the Helmand province in Afghanistan, Tuesday, November 24, 2009.

Actor Gary Sinese eats with Camp Lejeune Marines Cpl Aaron Beiston, of Camden, New Jersey and (at right) PFC Matthew Phillips, of Larned, Kansas at Camp Leatherneck.

Celebrities thank troops at Thanksgiving concert

by Capt. David Faggard
455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan

AFNS

Gary Sinise and the Lieutenant Dan Band made their first appearance in Afghanistan performing for hundreds of Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Coast Guard members Nov. 23 here.

This visit is one in a long line of entertainment and celebrity visits to boost morale of servicemembers who are away from home and their loved ones during the holidays, said Col. Edward Shock, the Armed Forces Entertainment director.

That sentiment of thanking the troops during the holidays was echoed by the visitors.

"We understand and appreciate your sacrifice. We do not take you for granted," Mr. Sinise told the crowd. "We're grateful for you and your service and the sacrifice of your loved ones back home. Your families sacrifice so much, so often and we know they miss you. Thank you."

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Mr. Sinise also visited a remote Army outpost near the Pakistan border where he met with Soldiers and distributed humanitarian supplies to more than 50 Afghan children.

While Mr. Sinise visited the remote outpost, other actors visited the Craig Joint Theater Hospital at Bagram Airfield to meet the staff and visit with patients.

"You all have a first-rate facility," said actor Mykelti Williamson, also known as Bubba from the "Forrest Gump" movie. "You're using equipment and techniques that we're not even seeing in the states.

"I am so grateful for their sacrifice," he continued. "I pray to God daily for the men and women who go through there."

Comedian Kevin Farley, actress Kristy Swanson and television personality LeeAnn Tweeden visited troops. The visit was a partnership between AFE, the USO and American Airlines.

"I think it's really good they're here supporting the troops," said Staff Sgt. Henrie Young, from the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Safety Office before a thunderous applause from a cover of Neil Young's "Teenage Wasteland."

The Lieutenant Dan Band has traveled all over the world playing popular music and visiting servicemembers and families, including Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the Korean Demilitarized Zone and many other remote military bases. The band name was chosen because Mr. Sinise was constantly recognized by a character he played in the movie "Forrest Gump" called Lieutenant Dan.

Wild Thing's comment..........

Gary is great! God bless him and our awesome troops!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:40 AM | Comments (2)

November 11, 2009

FOX Sports NFL Crew Broadcasts From Afghanistan

The Fox NFL Sunday team exits a Charleston Air Force Base C-17 Globemaster III at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan

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The friendly crowd was fired up today as the FOX Sports NFL crew broadcast their Sunday show in Afghanistan.
This was great.

The crew decided to air their show from Afghanistan in honor of Veterans Day.

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Terry Bradshaw operates an explosive ordnance disposal robot at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan

FOX Sports NFL Crew Broadcasts From Afghanistan

C-17 Aircrew Scores Touchdown in Mission With NFL Greats

Story by Tech. Sgt. Joseph Kapinos

The lone figure was crouched in his uniform, scanning the field from under his helmet for his intended receivers. But this was no stadium; it was a C-17 Globemaster III flying over the harsh and dangerous terrain that is Afghanistan. And there was no football, but rather, 18 much-needed bundles of food, water and supplies for troops at a forward operating base. The quarterback, in this case a loadmaster, found his targets. Touchdown!

Former Pittsburgh Steelers QB Terry Bradshaw would be proud.

And he was; he was there.

Mr. Bradshaw and the rest of the team from "Fox NFL Sunday" is touring installations throughout Southwest Asia as part of an event with Armed Forces Entertainment. During the visit, they'll meet with deployed troops and sign autographs. The trip concludes with a two-hour broadcast of "Fox NFL Sunday" from Afghanistan, November 8th.

Visiting the Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines are:

- Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh Steelers QB, 1970-1983
- Jimmy Johnson, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins coach, 1989-1999
- Howie Long, Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Raiders defensive end, 1981-1993
- Michael Strahan, New York Giants defensive end, 1993-2007
- Curt Menefee, sportscaster
- Jay Glazer, sportswriter

To get to Afghanistan, the NFL legends tagged along on an airdrop mission. For the aircrew, it was the chance of a lifetime to meet several NFL legends, but also an opportunity to showcase the efforts of the Air Force supporting the joint fight.

"Terry Bradshaw is a hero of mine and to be able to show him what the Air Force does is really awesome," said Staff Sgt. Matthew Gaffney, an instructor loadmaster with the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron. "It's great to show them how we can take pretty much anything and drop it wherever we want."

According to Mr. Long, seeing the mission up close and personal brought a new sense of appreciation for today's military, something every American should be reminded of, he said.

"When you're on a trip like this, you truly get to see how remarkable this generation of Americans is," Mr. Long said.

Toward the end of the mission, the aircrew presented an American flag, along with a certificate, to the football legends to thank them for visiting the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines.

The visit is a first for the Air Force. In December 2000, "Fox NFL Sunday" broadcast two shows from the flight deck of the USS Harry S. Truman, during a patrol in the Mediterranean Sea.

Armed Forces Entertainment is the lead Department of Defense agency for bringing entertainment to servicemembers overseas.

Senior Airman Nikita Canalin gives Howie Long, "Fox NFL Sunday" show host, a haircut while visiting the Airmen at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. The "Fox NFL Sunday" team of Curt Menefee, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Michael Strahan, Jimmy Johnson and Jay Glazer is scheduled to broadcast live Nov. 8, 2009, from here. The team will do the special just three days before Veterans Day as a tribute to America's service men and women (U.S. Air Force photo/2nd Lt. Holly Hess)

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Wild Thing's comment......

Excellent, brilliant, wonderful idea!!!

Thanks to Fox NFL for visiting our men and women that are serving this great nation.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:50 AM | Comments (4)

November 10, 2009

Marines Leading the Way with Project Valour IT

One of the traditions we keep to in the Corps is the Commandant's Birthday message - it is played at every Marine Corps Ball and at any place where Marines gather all over the world. This is last year's message from the Commandant and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. It makes the point that Marines have been at the forefront of the war on terror for over a quarter of a century:

The Marine team is within sight of our 35K goal, but we need your help to get there! I can't think of a better way to celebrate the birth of our Corps than to boost the Marine team to its first victory ever.

Valour IT provides adaptive technology to help severely wounded vets recover faster, establish a support system, and regain their independence. Since the program began, every single dollar raised by Valour IT has been used to provide:

· 4,100+ voice activated laptops

· over 30 Wii systems

· and nearly 100 handheld GPS devices to wounded vets at:

Balboa Naval Hospital
Naval Hospital, Camp Pendleton
Brooke Army Medical Center
Robert E. Bush Naval Hospital
Madigan RMC
Walter Reed AMC
National Naval MC (Bethesda)
and VA centers nationwide.

This is an inspiring story of injured Marine Cpl. Aaron Mankin and his wife and fellow Marine Diana Mankin. Read the whole thing. And watch the video from Maryann at Soldiers Angels Germany:

Support the men and women in uniform who support America and the cause of freedom around the world. And please say a special prayer for those at our awesome UA Army Base too at Fort Hood!! ~ Wild Thing

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The men and women of the United States military have given their all to defend the values we Americans hold dear. For the price of a few sixpacks of beer or some dip and chips, you can tell them that you honor their sacrifices and their service.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:40 AM | Comments (2)

November 05, 2009

Project Valour-IT Marines Making a Difference!

Marine Corps Field Artillery ..... Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
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Project Valour-IT helps provide voice-controlled/adaptive laptop computers and other technology to support Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries. Items supplied include:

*Voice-controlled Laptops – Operated by speaking into a microphone or using other adaptive technologies, they allow the wounded to maintain connections with the rest of the world during recovery.

*Wii Video Game Systems – Whole-body game systems increase motivation and speed recovery when used under the guidance of physical therapists in therapy sessions (donated only to medical facilities).

*Personal GPS – Handheld GPS devices build self-confidence and independence by compensating for short-term memory loss and organizational challenges related to severe TBI and severe PTSD.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:47 AM | Comments (2)

Proclaim Liberty - Ring the Liberty Bell!

The Nation’s only traveling working Liberty Bell carries on in the tradition of the original sacred icon of 1753.

The purpose of this traveling replica Liberty Bell is to carry on the work of America’s most recognizable icon. This is a working Bell, traveling throughout the land, ringing for Liberty and tolling to honor Our American Heroes.Today, the need to motivate men to rise to protect our inalienable freedoms is equally urgent. Sustaining this great nation requires the same dedication of sacrifice. The original Liberty Bell cracked because of the demands of Liberty – another Bell has come to ring the sound of freedom. This exact replica Liberty Bell is carrying on the task and duties of Liberty today. This Bell tolls today for FREEDOM.

It is important to never forget the high price of Liberty and those patriots who have given their lives to protect it.

Wild Thing"s comment.........

Awesome tribute to our warriors and to our freedom and liberty.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:45 AM | Comments (5)

November 04, 2009

Our Awesome Marines and Vaklour IT....Come and Meet Lava from "From Baghdad With Love"

When Marines enter an abandoned house in Fallujah, Iraq, and hear a suspicious noise, they clench their weapons, edge around the corner, and prepare to open fire.

What they find during the U.S. led attack on the "most dangerous city on Earth," however, is not an insurgent bent on revenge, but a tiny puppy left behind when most of the city's population fled before the bombing. Despite military law that forbids the keeping of pets, the Marines de-flea the pup with kerosene, de-worm him with chewing tobacco, and fill him up on Meals Ready to Eat.

Thus begins the dramatic rescue attempt of a dog named Lava and Lava's rescue of at least one Marine, Lieutenant Colonel Jay Kopelman, from the emotional ravages of war.

From Marines to war-time journalists to endangered Iraqi citizens, From Baghdad, With Love tells an unforgettable true story of an unlikely band of heroes who learn unexpected lessons about life, death, and war from a mangy little flea-ridden refugee.

The book "From Baghdad With Love" is a wonderful book.

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Special Thanks to Maj. Mike Corrado who wrote this awesome song that perfectly describes why our Marines serve. So many people have asked us why the Marines do what they do...here you are.

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Make a donation PLEASE CLICK HERE

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:49 AM | Comments (6)

November 02, 2009

So Proud of the Marines Team for Valour IT

By Jules Crittenden

In November 2004, while Second Falluja was raging, I went to Walter Reed Army Medical Center to meet some local boys who were recovering from wounds suffered earlier that year in Iraq. Army and Marines. They were inspiring. They did not inspire pity, rather a sense of awe.

WASHINGTON D.C. - It could be an upscale gym anywhere, full of purposeful activity. The good-natured but harsh ribbing among the men working out is relentless.

“Hey, how long has that guy been here?” says one kid, who is practicing with his new titanium alloy leg. He is talking about a man who is working his stump on a leg-press machine.

“About five months,” another man tells him.

“He’s been here three months longer than me, and he can’t walk yet? I can walk already!” the first amputee gloats.

“Hey! He’s above-the-knee! You’re below-the-knee!”

A cellphone rings, and someone says, “I think that’s yours,” to a man who is working his stomach muscles.

“Yeah, let it ring. I don’t feel like getting up right now,” says the man, who is missing both legs.

This is Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where the human cost of America’s war in Iraq is seen in naked stumps and scars. The 46 soldiers hospitalized here are among the more than 8,000 war wounded.

What does it mean to be a Marine when you are one of the maimed at Walter Reed on Veterans Day?

“Everything,” Cpl. Peter Bagarella, 21, of Falmouth said simply.

Theirs is the story of service and sacrifice behind the statistics.

“This place is awesome. They gave me my eyes back,” said Bagarella. A remotely detonated bomb blinded him and vaporized his left leg in a palm grove in Haditha on Aug. 12. As the Iraqi ambushers opened up with machine guns and the Marines returned fire, Bagarella screamed, “Oh God! Oh God!” and used his thumbs to count his fingers. He asked the medics, “What’s gone? What’s gone on my body?”

Army PFC Paul Skarinka’s shattered left leg is caged in a cumbersome brace, with metal pins screwed through the flesh into his calf bone.

“I’m one of those people who likes to be in the middle of things,” said Skarinka, 24, of Whitman. “I knew I could end up being deployed. I had no problem with that.”

He has fond memories of Baghdad - visits with local elders, giving kids candy and being asked to stay for dinner at wedding parties.

Then in late August, they moved into Sadr City against rogue cleric Moqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army.

“After evening prayers is when they would come out,” Skarinka said. In the early morning hours of Sept. 13, the night’s business was mostly done when an RPG came screaming up the alley.

“It looked like an oversized bottle rocket flying at us,” he said. It hit as he dove for cover. “There was debris around me. My ears were ringing. I thought, `This is OK.’ It was kind of normal. It was when I tried to get up that I realized something was wrong.” He couldn’t move his left leg or arm. He felt the blood pouring out of his side.

“I was thinking, `I’ve got to get out of here. I’m still in the kill zone. I’m not dying in this crappy alley in Sadr City.”

Someone dragged him out by his flak vest and threw him on the back of a Humvee. As a former medic, he knew the dryness in his mouth was a sign of massive blood loss. He wondered whether he was going to make it.

Skarinka probably always will walk with a limp and never have full use of his left hand.

“I don’t regret it one bit, what happened to me in Sadr City,” he said. “I signed up for this. I knew the risk. Luck wasn’t on my side.”

For Cpl. Matthew Boisvert, 21, of Tyngsboro, his missing right leg and damaged right arm are obstacles he must conquer to convince a Marine Corps Medical Board to let him go back for a third time.

“I loved it,” Boisvert said. “We enjoyed it.”

He described the transcendental experience of battle, of becoming almost mentally detached from one’s body, watching oneself and one’s friends do unimaginable things. “There is nothing in civilian life like the camaraderie you experience over there. I played sports all my life. You get an adrenaline rush playing sports, but it’s nothing like the rush you get in combat.”

His platoon fought in the initial invasion of March 2003, and went back into the bitter streetfighting of Fallujah a year later.

“It didn’t have that warm and fuzzy feeling the second time,” Boisvert said. But the war-hardened Marines went into battle with the spirit of athletes, a practiced team eager to perform again. They ribbed each other mercilessly when a flesh wound forced one or another temporarily out of the fight. The loss of friends killed in action solidified their already intense bond. Then a bomb placed in an orange traffic cone ripped Boisvert’s body apart on Aug. 17. He admits a sense of guilt that he is here, with his friends once again fiercely engaged in Fallujah.

There is another kind of camaraderie here at Walter Reed, he said.

“It helps to have people with the same injuries around,” Boisvert said.”You’ll be all pissed off because you lost your leg. Then, you see a guy who’s lost two legs. That guy’s worse off than me. I have no right to be pissed off.”

I heard some time ago that Skarinka was back home in Whitman after multiple surgeries, a father, an on-call firefighter working on becoming an EMT again, and that Boisvert was attending UMass Lowell. No word on Bagarella. All of them, as Boisvert indicated in subsequent news reports, no doubt experiencing the rollercoaster ride of adjustment to civilian life, difficult enough coming out of combat, exponentially more so with the physical and psychological challenges of severe injury.

Every cent raised for Project Valour-IT goes directly to the purchase and shipment of laptops and other technology for severely wounded service members. As of October 2009, Valour-IT has distributed over 4100 laptops to severely wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines across the country, and is now expanding its mission to include other technology that supports physical and psychological recovery.

Just to make sure folks understand what Valor IT does, it’s not just laptops as nice gifts to wounded warriors.

It’s laptops with the necessary additions in software and hardware, such as pointers and such, for warriors that have lost those parts of their bodies necessary to use regular laptops or computers or phones or do letter writing.

Lost or damaged hands, lost eyesight, lost jaws/tongues/vocal cords, paralysis, etc. That’s the warriors getting laptops from Valor IT. Men and women who wouldn’t be able to communicate with the outside world, either at all, or with any privacy as they talked with friends and family. That’s who Valor IT supports and assists.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:45 AM | Comments (2)

October 30, 2009

Showing Thanks to Our Marines! ~ Valour IT

The Marine Bike ...... Tribute from a Father

by Larry Tremblay, Sr.
I shall never forget that day in April of 2005 when two Marines came to my home to inform me of the death of my beloved son Joey in Iraq. During the two to three months that followed Joey's death an idea formed in my mind to build a tribute to Joey that would make him proud and that everyone who saw it would always remember Joey and all the other young men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

It is in this vein that the Marine (Tribute-Memorial) Bike was started. The Marine Bike was built for one, dedicated to a few and in honor of all who have fallen defending our great nation. My son Joey and I used to spend time together watching Jesse James on the Discovery Channel and the Biker Build Offs. We both enjoyed and admired the skill and talent it took to build a motorcycle that I thought would be a great monument to the son I so loved and missed.

There are many people and companies that have helped this idea come to life. This bike could not have been built without the help, talent, and support from the following: Power Tech of New Windsor NY, RPM Choppers Newburgh NY, Hannoush Jewelers Newburgh Mall Newburgh NY, Dino Petrocelli photographer Lathan NY, Moto Insanity Marlboro NY, JB Graffix Newburgh NY, Richard's Military Post Exchange Port Jervis NY, Custom Machinery Newburgh NY, and Stevenson Lumber Co. New Windsor NY

To all those listed above, and to all I may have left out by mistake, my heartfelt thanks. I could not have accomplished this memorial to my son and the many others without you. To my son Joey I know you are looking down from above and smiling. I hope you are proud of the bike, as we are so proud of you. I will hold you in my heart forever.

Until we meet again,
I love you,
Dad

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A trip to the National Marine Corps Museum set to the song "On My Watch Tonight" by Mike Corrado.

I had a chance to finally see the National Marine Corps Museum in Quantico, VA. I thought Id share some of it with you. What an amazing place.

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Reasons to Join the Marine Team

1. Marines have the best uniforms, hands down. And as everyone knows, chicks really dig a guy in uniform.

2. Marines know how to fight. That's why they're called America's 911 force:

In the true spirit of "jointness" I offer the following as "Everything you need to know about differences in service culture. All in good fun, of course.

US Marine Corps Rules for Gunfighting
1. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.
2. Decide to be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH.
3. Have a plan.
4. Have a back-up plan, because the first one probably won't work.
5. Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
6. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun whose caliber does not start with a "4."
7. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.
8. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral & diagonal preferred.)
9. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.
10. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.
11. Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
12. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.
13. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating your intention to shoot.

Navy SEAL Rules For Gunfighting

1. Look very cool in sunglasses.
2. Kill every living thing within view.
3. Return quickly to looking cool in latest beach wear.
4. Check hair in mirror.

US Army Ranger Rules For Gunfighting

1. Walk in 50 miles wearing 75 pound pack while starving.
2. Locate individuals requiring killing.
3. Request permission via radio from "Higher" to perform killing.
4. Curse bitterly when mission is aborted.
5. Walk out 50 miles wearing a 75 pound rucksack while starving.

Army Rules for Gunfighting

1. Select a new beret to wear.
2. Sew combat patch on right shoulder.
3. Change the color of beret you decide to wear.

US Air Force Rules For Gunfighting

1. Have a cocktail.
2. Adjust temperature on air-conditioner.
3. See what's on HBO.
4. Determine "what is a gunfight."
5. Request more funding from Congress with a "killer" PowerPoint presentation.
6. Wine & dine 'key' Congressmen, invite DOD & defense industry executives.
7. Receive funding, set up new command and assemble assets.
8. Declare the assets "strategic" and never deploy them operationally.
9. Tell the Navy to send the Marines.

US Navy Rules For Gunfighting

1. Go to Sea.
2. Drink Coffee.
3. Watch porn.
4. Send the Marines.

KEITH J. PAVLISCHEK
COLONEL, U.S. MARINES

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....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (5)

October 28, 2009

Cartoonists Visit Troops on FOB Marez

Randy Mendenhall, a computer specialist with the Army Corp of Engineers, visits with Tom Richmond, the cartoon artist for “MAD Magazine,” while he draws his caricature at the Marez Memorial Dining Facility on Forward Operating Base Marez in Mosul, Iraq, Oct. 20.

US ARMY

By Spc. Sharla Lewis serves with the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs, Multi-National Division-North Public Affairs section.

MOSUL, Iraq

Oct. 21, 2009

Famous cartoonists visited Forward Operating Base Marez in Mosul, Iraq Oct. 20 to meet, greet and sketch the men and women serving there.

Garry Trudeau of the cartoon "Doonesbury," Tom Richmond of "MAD Magazine," Jeff Keane of "Family Circus," Stephan Pastis of "Pearls Before Swine" and Chip Bok, an editorial cartoonist, all sat at a row of tables in the Marez Memorial Dining Facility with blank pads of paper or note cards on which to sketch. Lines formed in front of each artist as a small crowd developed.

The National Cartoonist's Society started in World War II when artists did chalk drawings for the Soldiers. Keane, who is president of the society, said he has wanted to visit the troops in Iraq for some time.

"When I was little, my dad went to Vietnam and drew for the Soldiers in Vietnam, and ever since I became president [of the NCS], that's something I thought would be good if we did," he said.

Keane and a few other artists drew the familiar characters from their cartoons, while some drew the Soldiers seated across the table from them. Troops left the table with exaggerated renditions of themselves as seen through the artist's eyes.

"The one that I met was a political cartoonist and I thought it was awesome that he did a caricature of me. He did a good job, he hit the nail on the head," said Sgt. 1st Class Mark Linares, a paralegal with 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. "He asked what my job was, and I told him I was a paralegal in the U.S. Army, so in the drawing that he did it showed me doing my job."

Visits like these brighten the horizon for Soldiers deployed to combat zones, said Linares, who with other Soldiers of the 3rd HBCT who have been in Iraq for some time and are scheduled to re-deploy to Fort Hood, Texas in the next couple of months.

"This brightens our day, it gives us the motivation we need to drive on," Linares said.

Wild Thing's comment........

What a fun and wonderful idea. These drawings are something our troops can save plus to know the cartoonists went there to thank them makes it a perfect idea.

.... Thank you Jim for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:47 AM

Valour IT Fundraiser ~ Marines ~ OOHRAH!

Do you have pride in the job the soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen are doing to keep this Country safe? Then I urge you to please take note of this amazing fundraiser. Valour IT Fundraiser.

You all know each year I pick a differenrt Branch and this year it is the Marines. It would be great to do all of them at the same time, but part of the fun in doing this is the competition between each branch. OH yessss we are in a heated race to see which branch can raise the most for our wounded troops.

If you’re not familiar with Valour IT, it’s a non-profit that provides voice activated software and laptops for wounded Marines, soldiers and sailors. Every cent raised goes directly to buy laptops and software. Many of these young men and women have lost the use of one or more limbs, their hands, or their sight. Valour IT gives them a way to keep in touch with their buddies back in the field, with family and friends during what can be a long and grueling convalescence. They also provide Wii’s, which have proven very good during physical therapy and often help them regain flexibility and strength while having fun.

They deserve all we can do for them.

A Little Joke for you.......

A guy is driving around the back woods of Georgia and he sees a sign in front of a broken down shanty house: 'Talking Dog for Sale' He rings the bell and the owner appears and tells him the dog is in the backyard. The guy goes into the back yard and sees a nice looking Beagle sitting there.. 'You talk?' he asks. 'Yep,' the Beagle replies.. After the guy recovers from the shock of hearing a dog talk, he says 'So, what's your story?' The Beagle looks up and says, 'Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA and they had me sworn into the toughest branch of the armed services...the US Marine Corps. You know the reputation of the RECON? In no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders; because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping.

I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years running, but the jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn't getting any younger. So, I decided to settle down. I retired from the Marine Corps (8 Corps years is 56 dog years) and signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security, wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals. I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now I'm just retired.' The guy is amazed.. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog. 'Ten dollars,' the guy says. 'Ten dollars? This dog is amazing! Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?'

'Cuz he's such a liar. He never did any of that stuff. He was in the Navy'

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:40 AM | Comments (2)

October 26, 2009

Valour IT Fundraiser ~ The Marines

Project Valour-IT - Today through November 11th

In memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss

It was the first time I felt whole since I’d woken up wounded in Landstuhl. –Major Charles "Chuck" Ziegenfuss, on using a voice-controlled laptop

Who does America call when something absolutely, positively must be destroyed overnight?

U.S. Marine Rat

That's right... America's 911 Force: the Few. The Loud. The Marine team!

We're still looking for a few good blogs to help us raise money for Project Valour IT. The competition starts Monday, October 26th and though the Marines are the smallest service, we're planning to chew through the competition. But to do that, we need your help.

Project Valour IT provides laptops with voice activated software to wounded soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen at Walter Reed and Bethesda. Typically these young men and women spend up to two years recovering and undergoing physical therapy. Their courage, determination, and unfailing esprit de corps are truly inspiring. Most of us, facing the loss of our eyesight, an arm or a leg and repeated surgeries would just crumble up into a ball. Not these guys. They're warriors:

He knows they're going to stare. They always stare.

As soon as Pat Murray steps in the elevator, they'll notice his prosthetic leg and maybe accurately surmise that, yes, he is an Iraq war veteran, and, yes, he got blown up. Then the sadness will sink in, the pity, and they'll give him that look, which he can sense even if he doesn't see, and it will be an uncomfortable few floors up.

So as Murray approaches the elevator and the woman thrusts her hand between the closing doors for him, he says, "Careful, you can lose a limb that way."

"Oooh," the woman says, noticing Murray's metal leg. She's obviously shocked, unsure of what to say or how to act. Murray flashes a smile, lets loose an "it's okay" chuckle, and suddenly the ride up isn't nearly so awkward after all.

It's that type of humor -- spontaneous (he once asked his doctor when his leg would grow back), cunning (he tells children who ask about his "robot" leg that he didn't eat his vegetables) and, at times, gruesome (there are stump jokes that can't be printed here) -- that helped him come to terms with the fact that his right leg is no more.

It was at Walter Reed Army Medical Center that Murray, who was a corporal in the Marine Corps, not only learned to walk again, but to laugh. Although doctors and therapists can patch up the physical wounds of war, it is often the humor -- soldier to soldier, Marine to Marine, patient to patient -- that in the space of a punch line can heal as well as the best medicine.

It's not unusual for these young men and women to take up bungee jumping, skydiving, or participate in marathons or other extreme sports even after losing a limb. But that long period where they're confined to their hospital beds can be the worst of all. Project Valour IT provides them with a way to escape the confines of their rooms and keep in touch with buddies, friends and family members. For many wounded vets, it's a tangible reminder that they're still part of the world outside Bethesda or Walter Reed: that there is life after being wounded.

Valour IT is one of my favorite military charities. I've supported it every year and led the Marine Team to raise over $51,000 in 2006. My co-captain Carrie and I are planning two weeks of fun, jokes, Marine history, culture, heroes and more. Carrie's son is headed over to Afghanistan and my husband is already over there, so we both have good reason to support the great work Valour IT is doing.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:45 AM | Comments (7)

October 25, 2009

Applebee's To Thank Veterans and Active Duty ~ Free Entree On Veteran's Day!

APPLEBEE's Website giving the information.

Website gives locations in case you have not been to one before in your area.

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Posted by Wild Thing at 06:55 AM | Comments (6)

October 14, 2009

Bob Barker Donates $3 Million for Brain Injury Center

Bob Barker Donates $3 Million for Brain Injury Center

DOD

The price appears to be right for former game show host and naval aviator Bob Barker, who donated $3 million to help build a premiere Defense Department center for wounded warriors suffering traumatic brain injuries.

The donation brings the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund to its $60 million goal to build the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Bill White, president of the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, announced yesterday.

The 72,000-square-foot, two-story facility is expected to open next year next to the new Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.

The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund will pay to build the center and equip it with the most advanced medical equipment for traumatic brain injury research, diagnosis and treatment, White said. Once construction is completed, the fund will turn the center over to the department to operate.

“This amazing gift puts us over the top,” White said yesterday in announcing Barker’s donation to the effort. “Thousands of Americans have given to this important effort, and Bob Barker has today stepped up to the task. We are immensely grateful for his wonderful generosity and his support for our nation’s servicemen and women.”

Richard T. Santulli, chairman of the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, called reaching the financial milestone to begin construction of the center “a great step forward in our mission.” The group raises money to provide financial help for families of U.S. servicemembers killed in the line of duty, and began raising funds for the new treatment center in 2007.

Barker, a naval aviator during World War II who’s best known as the long-time host of “The Price is Right” game show until his 2007 retirement, called his donation a way to give back to those who serve or have served in the military.

“I am very happy to do whatever I can to support the brave men and women who have given so much in service to our nation," he said. “They have given so much for us. All Americans owe them a debt of gratitude for their tremendous service and sacrifice.”

Wild Thing's comment........

This is great! God bless Bob Barker.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:48 AM | Comments (8)

September 12, 2009

Woman Complains to Sheriff Because She Was "Inconvenienced" by Soldier's Funeral Procession

Sgt. 1st Class William "Brian" Woods, was a Team Medical Sergeant of Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne). On August 14th, Brian was shot and killed by small arms fire in Ghazni, Afghanistan. At 32 years old, Brian had done multiple tours of duty in the War on Terror. He enlisted in the Marine Corps and served four years before joining the Army and becoming a Special Forces Soldier.

He leaves behind a wife, Elizabeth, and two daughters in Chesapeake, MD.

JEFFERSON COUNTY

The Jefferson County sheriff has offered a stern response to a woman complaining she was inconvenienced by a procession accompanying a soldier's casket.

The woman wrote an e-mail to Jefferson County Sheriff Glenn Boyer after she had a hard time driving around the procession escorting the casket of Sgt. William Woods, who was killed by Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.

In his response, Boyer called the complaint self-serving and noted that her inconvenience was of little consequence considering what America's soldiers go through.

Boyer's response has made its way to the Internet, where it is getting a strong reaction as it is e-mailed around the country by soldiers and military groups.

Boyer is a Vietnam veteran.

Boyer said he sent a copy of his response to the complaint internally to sheriff's department employees so they would know his position should the department receive similar complaints in the future. He assumes some of the employees sent it on to friends and colleagues. From there, it landed on military, police and news websites across the country.

The full email exchange between the POS woman who complained and Sherrif Boyer below :

The original email was sent to Sheriff Glenn Boyer on Thursday, August 27. Below is the citizen's email followed by Sheriff Boyer's response.

I tried to call you earlier this morning, but was unable to obtain your extension from the voice mail system as I was not sure of your first name or correct spelling of your last.

I was inadvertently in this procession as I was leaving work on 270 from Creve Coeur and proceeding on Hwy. 30 West. I have some issues and complaints. I called the Sheriff's office last night, but the officer in charge would not speak with me. His name was Corp. Curtis. I am in no way complaining about your officers. I, however, was not treated very fairly when I called last evening because I wanted a ticket/complaint/or at least a slap on wrist for the people involved. Let me explain:

1) This procession should never have been held during rush hour traffic! Hwy. 270 is dangerous and people drive way too fast and there is too much traffic. This soldier's certainly would not have want his family hurt on the interstate taking him to Cedar Hill. People were dead-stopping on the interstate even though the procession was in the far right lane, the other three lanes just stopped. There were many near accidents and possibly were after I drove through. I was in the 2nd to left lane, no way obstructing the funeral procession.

2) I exited off on Gravois (30 W), far right lane. Your police officers went in the left lane to stop any additional on-coming traffic so the procession could exit off 270 into the LEFT lane of 30. Again, I was in the right lane. The St. Louis County officer stopped and turned around at Weber Hill to return on 270 after the procession passed.

3) The road was not closed. (Only for president as far as I know.) Again, the road was not closed. Your officers only had the left lane blocked/closed for the funeral. All other traffic by MO law can proceed as long as they do not interfere (weave in and out )with funeral procession.

Let me say, that I did not know what was happening. I knew the did not have Kennedy coming to STL, at least not yesterday. I was at work all day. No news. Nothing reported on the traffic on the radio driving home.

Anyway, two of these dirty, nasty, renegade, who knows what motorcycle men that were escorting the procession proceeded to stop in front of me in the right lane on Gravois. I had to stop in the middle of an intersection. They proceeded to scream and yell at me about respecting this soldier, etc. One of them climbed off his motorcycle and came over to me and stuck his head in my car continuing to scream at me. I asked him what this was for and he told me I needed to stop as the officers had the road blocked and show some dang respect.

#1, the road was not blocked, the funeral was in the other lane.

#2, I am proud of our country and sorry for the family, but they had no idea where I was going or anything else. I could have a child at day-care, I could have been sick and racing to the bathroom, I could have a sick parent waiting for me, etc., etc.

#3, They are not law enforcement and had no right to stop in the lane on Gravois and they had no right to scream at me and intimidate and threaten me. If I would have had my pepper spray, I would have used it on this nasty man! He is just a big hoo ha that is not even related to this soldier. The other man did not get off his scooter, but was along side of my passenger window screaming.

I left an abusive husband 1 1/2 years ago and I did not need this intimidation. I was livid and shaking!!

My son is a deputy sheriff in another MO county. I respect police officers. It was not their fault as they were busy with traffic, but I called to make them aware of what was going on during this thing. The St. Louis County officer saw it but of course he was out of jurisdiction.

However, I called last night and your office asked me if I knew about this soldier. Again, I am sorry about him, but I am a taxpayer. I got a speeding ticket a few months ago and paid the fine. I do not deserve to be treated like this. I wanted to let the officer know how these men were acting. Also, they were driving into the turnarounds on Hwy. 30 and then back onto the road. the funeral was much further ahead. One of them nearly got hit by me and other people almost hit him and another as well. I wanted to lodge a complaint about them why they were still there, but no one in your office would take any information or do anything.

This was not a military funeral, even though it was a soldier. There were not military vehicles. It was a funeral and the road was not closed, the lane was closed, I was in the other lane and again, these nasty men had no right to do this and I would have liked them to get a ticket!

I am sorry for the soldier and his family but you cannot let these motorcycle renegades do this. They could have caused several accidents and I really wanted them arrested. If they had any respect for the soldier they would have dressed better and not looked and acted so scuzzy.

Thank you.

From:

Subject: Re: Fw: Re: Funeral Procession - Yesterday p.m.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dear XXXXX:

Yes, you do deserve a response and I am willing to give you one.

I would like to say that I am sorry for the inconvenience we caused you during the funeral procession of Sergeant 1st Class William B. Woods, but I cannot do so. I would ask instead that you take a moment of your time to take into consideration the scope of the event. Your very right to complain was the reason Sgt. Woods fought for his country and ultimately gave his life; thus making the ultimate sacrifice for you and your family.

Let me introduce you to him. After high school, Sergeant Woods entered the Marine Corps. After his contract was up, he joined the Army, where he became a Green Beret. He comes from a long line of military members in his family. His Uncle is a Vietnam Veteran and two of his grandfathers were World War II Veterans. His job in the Army was one of the most dangerous jobs - he was a sniper looking for the bad guys to stop before they killed or injured one of our soldiers. He has numerous decorations to include the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.

He grew up in Catawissa and was best known by his middle name, Brian. He enjoyed the outdoors, playing sports, and skydiving. He had a wife, Elizabeth, and two daughters, whom he loved dearly. He was a soft-spoken, level-headed young man who was proud to serve his country no matter what the risk. Now, I did not know him, but I wish I did. I am quoting from newspaper articles written about him.

At the young age of 31, he was shot during an engagement with Taliban forces in Ghanzi , Afghanistan . He died of his wounds in Germany on August 16, with his family by his side. He did not choose the time of his death, nor did he choose the time his remains would be brought back to his home in Catawissa. He just did his duty. He was quite a young man.

While you were being inconvenienced in your car on your way home, there were soldiers just like Sergeant Woods carrying 100+ pounds of equipment in 120 degree heat, up some mountain or in the middle of some desert.They will shower out of a helmet liner if they get the chance. They will eat a cold meal of MRE's; something most people would consider garbage. They cannot text their family or friends, or go to McDonalds, or watch TV. They can only continue the mission and look out after the guy to the left and right of them. They don't complain because they know they volunteered. The only thing they ask is that we do not forget the sacrifices they have made.

One of the dirty "big hoo ha" bikers, as you call them, was Brian's uncle, a Vietnam Veteran, like myself. We were not treated with a homecoming. We were spit on and called baby killers by a misguided public. Brian's uncle was giving him the respect that he, himself, never received when he came back and I, for one, am proud of him for doing so.

You say that your brother is a deputy in another Missouri county. I am sure he would be proud to escort the casket of a fallen solder, the same as he would that of a fallen officer. I am also sure he would not agree with your complaint about being inconvenienced.

My mother recently passed away. She was a World War II Veteran, serving the U.S. Army. She would say, maybe you should pick up Sergeant Woods' ruck sack and carry on where he left off. Then you could see first hand what it really is to be inconvenienced.

Per your request, I will forward your complaint to the Prosecuting Attorney's Office for his review. It is my personal opinion that your complaint is self-serving and without merit.

Sheriff Oliver "Glenn" Boyer
Glenn Boyer/JEFFCO

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Wild Thing's comment.........

Bravo Sheriff Oliver "Glenn" Boyer! Thank you also for your servicei to our country!!!

What a self serving bitch this woman is.

......Thank you RAC for sending this to me.

RAC has a website that is awesome. 336th Assault Helicopter Company

13th Combat Aviation Battalion - 1st Aviation Brigade - Soc Trang, Republic of Vietnam

Posted by Wild Thing at 08:49 AM | Comments (7)

September 06, 2009

The Classroom ~ A lesson that should be taught in all schools . . and colleges!

The Classroom

A lesson that should be taught in all schools . . and colleges!

Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock , did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks
out of her classroom.

When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that
there were no desks.. 'Ms. Cothren, where're our desks?'

She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn
the right to sit at a desk.'

They thought, 'Well, maybe it's our grades.'

'No,' she said.

'Maybe it's our behavior.'

She told them, 'No, it's not even your behavior..'

And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom.

By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms.Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.

The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the deskless classroom, Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.'

At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it.

Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand along side the wall. By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.

Martha said, 'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it.'

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This true story was taken from a speech given by former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C. on March 2, 2007. It describes events in Cothren's Military History class in 2005.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars chose Cothren as a Teacher of the Year in Arkansas for 2005-2006.

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Wild Thing's comment......

This story gave me goozebumps, what a marvelous way for the teacher to get them to see her point.

Here is a little more about Martha Cothren, I googled her name to try to find out a little more about her. I loved this story about her so much. Thanks again Mark.

"The room was indeed devoid of desks, with the missing furniture borne in at the end of the day by a group of veterans. Each vet carried a desk and set it down, as the teacher gave her lesson on the cost of things taken for granted and the debt owed to those in the forces.

I talked to Martha Cothren about that day and also about her military history class. This daughter of a World War II POW regularly has veterans visit her classroom— it's one of the ways she teaches her course on the history of World War II and the Vietnam War.

Her class doesn't yet have a textbook (she is busy writing one), so she uses less typical methods of imparting knowledge about those events to her students. Part and parcel of what she teaches is an appreciation for members of the armed forces.

In May 2005, she and her class organized a Vietnam Veterans Recognition Week, including an official "Thank You Ceremony" held in the Joe T. Robinson High School auditorium. Veterans from World War II and the Korean War also attended, as did people from all walks of life, to honor those who had served. During that week, students videotaped veterans as they recounted their war memories, thus preserving their stories for later generations.

Cothren and her students have sent numerous care packages to U.S. military personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. They also write letters to soldiers in those theaters, sending off 1,200 missives in 2005-2006.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:46 AM | Comments (8)

August 25, 2009

Jon Voight at Hannity’s Freedom Concert ~ Video

Actor/Director and Conservative Activist John Voight gives the Obama administration HELL and has advice to go forward -for the patriots in the audeince of Sean Hannity's 2009 Atlanta Freedom Concert.

Jon Voight at Hannity’s Freedom Concert: ‘If we let Obama have his way, he will ruin America’

Wild Thing's comment......

I love it, thank you Jon.

Posted by Wild Thing at 08:47 AM | Comments (3)

August 23, 2009

Hannity's Freedom Concert with Mark Levin in Las Vegas ~ AWESOME Videos!

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August 8th 2009. Sean Hannity introduces Mark Levin and the 16,000 plus audience in Las Vegas, NV.
Sean talks about us being called the angry Mob, and how Obama told us to shut up.

He introduces Mark Levin and Mark says....." The Liberal bastards have no idea what they are in for."

Then he talks about our troops fighting to protect us. And how we have a duty to watch our troops back HERE AT HOME. and I agree.
OOHRAH!

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Sean Hannity & Mark Levin (Part 2) Freedom Concert 2009 Las Vegas

Mark says...." NO President has the Constitutional right to change our society..NONE! "
HUGE applause

"The silent majority will NOT be silent any longer."

" I didn't serve and I am not proud of that either. But my Father did he was a WW11 vet . And my granfather was in the 5th Division Marine and he fought at Iwo Jima. and Guam."

"Harry Reid we are coming after your ASS!"

There is more, he is truly awesome!

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:45 AM | Comments (2)

July 23, 2009

Hundreds Ride Bikes for Captured Idaho Soldier

Hundreds of residents paid tribute to Bowe Bergdahl's love of bicycle's by biking to a candlelight vigil in his hometown of Hailey, Idaho. He was recently captured by the Taliban.

HAILEY, Idaho - More than 500 people attended a vigil for an Idaho soldier who was captured in Afghanistan by the Taliban.

The hourlong event Wednesday night was held in held in Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl's hometown of Hailey, in central Idaho. It started at the coffee shop where Bergdahl worked before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 2008, and ended at a nearby park.

The Idaho Statesman reports that family friend Jeff Gunter was one of several speakers at the event. Gunter said that when Bergdahl returns, he wants to take him "to the top of the mountains," so Bergdahl can look down and see all the yellow ribbons and signs hung up around town in his honor.

Bergdahl was serving with an Alaska-based infantry regiment earlier this month when he vanished. The 23-year-old appeared in a video released Saturday by the Taliban.

This undated photo provided by Bergdahl family spokesperson Sue Martin shows Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl during a motorcycle ride through central Idaho's backcountry. Bergdahl was captured on June 30, 2009 in Afghanistan, and appeared in a video released by the Taliban on Saturday, July 18. (AP Photo/Bergdahl family via Sue Martin)

AP's earlier story is below.

HAILEY, Idaho (AP) , To the rest of the world, Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl is the frightened soldier who appeared in a Taliban propaganda video after he was captured in Afghanistan.

The people of this Idaho mountain town have a more complete portrait of Bergdahl , that of a hard-working, mild-mannered, adventurous young man who rode his bicycle everywhere as he searched for a purpose in life before eventually setting his sights on the military.

Bergdahl, 23, dabbled in numerous ventures before joining the Army. He performed with the Sun Valley Ballet School. He was in the Sun Valley Swords fencing club, sparring in 2003 at the local renaissance fair with a buddy. He was a voracious reader who would frequently spend hours at a local library. He once crewed on a sailboat trip from South Carolina to California.

He also bounced between jobs, including two separate stints at a local coffee house, a period on an Alaskan fishing boat in Bristol Bay, and did construction before spending the summer of 2007 cleaning guns and stocking targets at the shooting club just down the road.

Bergdahl signed Army paperwork in June 2008 and went off to basic training in Fort Benning, Ga. He was deployed to Afghanistan in February, and he is now a prisoner of the Taliban.

What exactly happened isn't clear, with conflicting reports of whether he left his base near the Pakistan border willingly, or was taken. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates pledged Monday the military was doing everything it could to bring him home.

Meanwhile, those who knew this young man who traded the long blond hair of his youth for the crew cut of an Army private say he was unfailingly polite and hardworking, but clearly on the lookout for something to define his life.

"It was part of his adventurous spirit that carries on," said Blaine County Sheriff J. Walt Femling, who rented an apartment to Bergdahl in 2006, on why he joined the military. "Not only that, but he wanted to serve."

Bergdahl showed up at the Blaine County Gun Club in 2007, looking for summer work. He and manager Dick Mandeville got along well, with Bergdahl's duties including helping shooters on the trap fields, stocking targets and cleaning racks full of rifles.

"He was good every which way you looked at it," Mandeville said.

Bergdahl grew up about six miles west of Hailey, in a humble home with a weathered metal roof set back from the gravel of Croy Creek Road.

His parents, Bob and Jani Bergdahl, came here about 30 years ago for a reason, neighbors said: The seclusion of the high sage hills that flank their place would help them live in peace and quiet. Bowe and his older sister, Sky, were home-schooled. He received his high-school GED diploma from a local college. His father worked as a local UPS driver.

Bowe eventually got a job with Sue Martin at Zaney's River Street Coffee House. Not surprisingly, he showed up on his ever-present bicycle looking for a job.

"He had the opening shift. He got along really well with the regulars," said Martin, whose voice Monday was hoarse after enduring hours of interviews with out-of-town media. She was one of the few locals to speak on the record, a decision she made, in part, to take pressure off the camera-shy family.

At the cafe, he talked about the prospect of a military future.

His sister had married a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis about eight years earlier.

Consequently, Bergdahl's blond hair went from long to short, a sign he was getting serious. Martin doesn't know exactly why he sought out the Army, but said he was always on the lookout for a new adventure. She spent two hours with the family Tuesday morning, and said they are upbeat.

"They are talking about things in terms of 'When Bowe comes home,'" she said.

In the three weeks since Bergdahl went missing in Afghanistan, much of Hailey tried to keep word of his captivity from leaking out to the broader public.

First, there was the privacy of Bob and Jani Bergdahl to respect.

Friends and acquaintances also feared a media furor could put his life more at risk.

"I was shocked when I found out," said Jim Spinelli, head of the Hailey Chamber of Commerce, who attributes locals' discretion to their longtime respect for the privacy of celebrities such as Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tom Hanks who call this central Idaho resort region their second home.

The circumstances of Bergdahl's capture on June 30 aren't clear.

As more and more Hailey residents now view the startling 28-minute Taliban video where a shaven-headed Bergdahl tells a captor he fears never being able to hug his family again, many want to do something , anything , to honor him and help speed his return.

Yellow ribbons are tied around trees all over town, and there are signs in virtually every shop window that plead for Bowe's return. A candlelight vigil is planned for Wednesday evening starting at Zaney's.

"We appreciate and take comfort in all the kind words of support we've heard," the family said in a statement Tuesday.

Wild Thing's comment............

Prayers for Bowe and his loved ones and his fellow soldiers.

Hailey, s also a place where residents all know one another, at least to say ‘hi.’ “So when something like this happens, it shakes us all up,” said Rob Beck, a tree-cutter from Hailey who has known Bergdahl’s father, a mild-mannered UPS delivery driver, for 15 years.

If you like you can email a message of support for PFC Bowe Bergdahl through the Blaine County Sheriff’s office.

sheriff@blainecounty.org

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:46 AM | Comments (4)

July 17, 2009

D.B. Sweeney,Don Shula,Warrick Dunn,Leeann Tweeden,Bradley Cooper Entertain Troops in Afghanistan

Actor Bradley Cooper greets Ronny, a patrol detector dog and his handler, Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Gina Pronzati, outside the Pat Tillman USO on Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, July 15, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Capt. Michael Greenberger

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula, center, poses for a photo with a group of servicemembers at the Pat Tillman USO on Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, July 15, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Capt. Michael Greenberger

Former Dolphins head coach Don Shula autographs a football for Army Pvt. John Gentry at the Pat Tillman USO on Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, July 15, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Capt. Michael Greenberger

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Celebrities Entertain Troops in Afghanistan

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan

July 16, 2009

Celebrities stopped by here yesterday to entertain troops as part of the star-studded USO’s Summer Troop Visit.

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the celebrities are travelling throughout the U.S. Central Command area of operations to thank troops for their service and sacrifice.

The celebrities include actors Bradley Cooper and D.B. Sweeney, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Warrick Dunn, National Football League Hall of Famer Don Shula, and sports commentator and model Leeann Tweeden.

The group’s first stop was aboard the USS Ronald Reagan, an aircraft carrier currently under way in the Gulf of Oman. From the floating airport to the sands of Iraq to the hills of Afghanistan, the stars accompanying Mullen said they were excited about entertaining the troops deployed overseas.

“We feel like we want to give something back,” said Shula, a well-known former Miami Dolphins coach. “We appreciate so much what our troops do, and we wanted to do something in return.”

Travelling to different locations presents logistical challenges. Travel in Afghanistan is dangerous, and some of the outposts are so remote, the only way to reach them is by helicopter.

“The hardest part is getting the talent out to where they have to go,” said Army Capt. Dena De Lucia, deputy chief of quality-of-life programs for U.S. Forces Afghanistan.

“Getting to remote [forward operating bases] means getting helicopters, and we got lucky this time because the 82nd Airborne graciously gave us two to use,” De Lucia said.

Planning these types of trips can be as harrowing as planning an air-assault mission.

“It takes weeks and months in advance to plan something like this,” De Lucia said. “It’s a very arduous process. You have to contact camps and make sure they can support the visit, and make sure you can get to where they need to go.”

Travelling throughout Afghanistan was difficult for the USO tour, but well worth it to both the troops they visited and the stars themselves.

“All of the places we go are really important, but the smaller locations are very austere, where they don’t have hot showers or necessarily a hot meal every day,” said Rachel Tischler, USO entertainment operations vice president. “So it’s very special to bring that touch of home to those people that don’t necessarily have those creature comforts.”

Many of the hundreds that lined up outside the Pat Tillman USO here yesterday were delighted that the stars could break away from busy schedules to visit them.

“It’s great to have the support of celebrities over here,” Army Sgt. Linnea Biniak said. “Them being here and showing support for the troops definitely raises morale.”

Inside the USO building, which is named for Pat Tillman, the ex-NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger killed in Afghanistan in 2004, the visiting celebrities struggled to give adequate attention to the servicemembers who had come to see them.

Rather than stay indoors, the stars decided to “walk the line” outside, where they could meet with more people and make sure everyone who came to see them received an autograph or personal photo.

In addition to the “grip and grins” pictures, ssome soldiers were given the opportunity to talk personally with celebrities. Army Spc. Jonathan Grizzard asked Sweeney about several of his films, including “Fire in the Sky,” a 1993 film in which Sweeney plays a man abducted by aliens.

“That was the sweetest experience I’d ever had,” Grizzard said. “I waited almost an hour, but I would have waited two hours -- it was totally worth it!”

“I’ve got several movies that people really responded to, and it’s very flattering for people to bring up a movie that’s 10 years old and talk about specific scenes,” Sweeney said. “I kind of get to relive the process of making it, and it underscores what I think my role as an entertainer is, to help people forget their jobs for a little while and get through the day a little easier.”

Elsewhere in the line, football fans shook hands and “mugged” with Dunn. Iraqi war veterans swapped stories with Tweeden from her last trip overseas.

Cooper was a big draw following his most recent hit film, “The Hangover.”

Meanwhile, inside the building, Shula shared his most memorable moments with diehard sports fans eager for a glimpse of his Super Bowl ring and to get his autograph on their footballs.

Staying until well after 10 p.m., the stars made sure everyone had gotten what they’d come for before finally packing it in to prepare for another day of travelling to more Afghan locations the following day.

“It’s amazing for them to come out here and represent the United States,” said Air Force Master Sgt. Raymond Stone. “Not many people come out here, and I think it’s great that they do it. They’ve got other things that they have to do, yet they’ve taken the time to come out here and show their support to us.”

Wild Thing's comment........

God bless them for going to see our troops and huge God bless and keep safe for our awesome troops.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:48 AM | Comments (6)

July 07, 2009

NFL USO Coaches Tour To Iraq To Vist Our Troops

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden poses for a photo with U.S. Army Capt. Erica Chin of Killeen, TX, who wears Gruden's Super Bowl ring, during a USO meet-and-greet at Forward Operating Base Maraz in Mosul, Iraq, July 2, 2009. Gruden and a host of other NFL coaching legends are in the combat zone as part of a week-long USO tour to bring troops a touch of home during the July 4th holiday, signing autographs, posing for photos and boosting morale. (Photo by Mike Theiler/USO Photo)

Commanding General of Multi-National Force - Iraq, Gen. Raymond Odierno (3rd,L), poses with NFL coaching legends (L-R) John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens), Jeff Fisher (Tennessee Titans), Tom Coughlin (NY Giants), Jon Gruden (formerly Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders) and Bill Cowher (formerly Pittsburgh Steelers) on the airfield at Forward Operating Base Warrior near Kirkuk in Iraq, July 2, 2009. (Photo by Mike Theiler/USO Photo)

Bill Cowher, the former head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, poses with U.S. Air Force SRA Jonathan Echevarria of Milwaukee, Wisc,, who wears Cowher's Super Bowl ring at a USO meet-and-greet at Forward Operating Base Warrior near Kirkuk, Iraq, July 2, 2009. The coaches, wearing the colors of the U.S. Army's First Cavalry Division from Fort Hood, Tex, are stepping off the sideline into the combat zone as part of a week-long USO tour to bring troops a touch of home during the July 4th holiday, signing autographs, posing for photos and boosting morale. (Photo by Mike Theiler/USO Photo)

NFL coaches (L-R) Bill Cowher (formerly Pittsburgh Steelers), Jon Gruden (formerly Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders), Tom Coughlin (NY Giants), John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens) and Jeff Fisher (Tennesee Titans) pose with their U.S. Army pilots CW2 Michael Mignogna of Warrington, Penn (L) and CW4 Jonathan Case of Fort Dix, NJ, prior to their departing Kuwait, July 1, 2009, for a flight to Baghdad, Iraq, where they will meet with U.S. troops to boost morale, sign autographs and join in July 4th festivities as part of a USO-sponsored tour. (Photo by Mike Theiler/USO Photo

U.S. Army CSM Larry Wilson (L) joins hands with NFL coaching legends (L-R) Jon Gruden (formerly Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders), Tom Coughlin (NY Giants), John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens), Jeff Fisher (Tennessee Titans) and Bill Cowher (formerly Pittsburgh Steelers) prior to a USO meet-and-greet at Forward Operating Base Warrior near Kirkuk, Iraq, July 2, 2009. The coaches, wearing the colors of the US Army's First Cavalry Division from Fort Hood, Tex, are stepping off the sideline into the combat zone as part of a week-long USO tour to bring troops a touch of home during the July 4th holiday, signing autographs, posing for photos and boosting morale. (Photo by Mike Theiler/USO Photo)

.S. troops, who are fans of former Pittsburgh Steeler head coach Bill Cowher, wait in line with trademark Terrible Towels and autograph sheets for their chance to meet a group of NFL coaching legends at Forward Operating Base Maraz in Mosul, Iraq, July 2, 2009. The NFL coaches are in the region as part of a week-long USO tour to bring troops a touch of home during the July 4th holiday, signing autographs, posing for photos and boosting morale. (Photo by Mike Theiler/USO Photo)

It is clear we have the right team. And we know we have the right mission – meet as many troops as possible and thank them for their service.

The trip to Iraq is never easy, and this tour is no exception. Our group met up from various initial points of departure in Washington, D.C. where we boarded a 13-hour flight to Kuwait City. After clearing customs in Kuwait, we got a ride from the commercial airport to a U.S. military base in order to catch a military flight to Baghdad.

After meeting and greeting the service members in the terminal, the coaches boarded two small C-12 military airplanes to make the final leg of our journey. We landed in Baghdad around midnight local time and made our way to our quarters, not arriving and getting settled until close to 2 a.m. We had been traveling for more 30 hours, and it was time for a few precious hours of sleep.

Our first full day in Iraq began with an 06:00 wake-up call. After breakfast, our first stop was the office of General Ray Odierno.

Odierno is a four-star general who commands the entire coalition war effort in Iraq. That is the first thing you should know about him. The second thing you should know about General Odierno — a former tight end on the Army football team — is that he is a huge Giants fan. A resident of Rockaway, N.J., General Odierno wrote a letter to Coughlin prior to the 2007 season, wishing the Giants good luck in the upcoming campaign. This letter led to a strong friendship between the coach and the general, with General Odierno now having visited and addressed the Giants several times.

In his office on the morning of Day 2 of our trip, General Odierno gave the coaches a briefing of the current situation in Iraq. Now is a time of great transition here, as June 30, 2009, marked the date that U.S. troops withdrew from Iraqi cities. Nevertheless, 130,000 U.S. service members remain in Iraq outside the cities in U.S. bases. General Odierno’s message to the coaches was the same as he has been giving major news outlets in recent days — that tremendous progress has been made in Iraq, but there are still good days and bad days and a need to proceed with caution.

From the general’s office, our group, which included the coaches and General Odierno, boarded Black Hawk helicopters for a quick two-minute flight to the nearby airfield. From there, we boarded C-35 and C-12 airplanes headed north to Mosul.

From Mosul, we flew southeast to Kirkuk, where we visited Forward Operating Base (FOB) Warrior. Upon entering the Dining Facility (DFAC), the coaches were presented with “Infantry One” football jerseys. They then hosted a two-hour meet-and-greet that included a rousing visit from the base football team.

Following the meet-and-greet, the coaches ate with 33 hand-picked troops who had served with great distinction. It was then back to the planes and back to Baghdad.

Trip of a lifetime

Coughlin is one of five current or former head coaches who are in Iraq on the inaugural NFL-USO Coaches Tour

“It’s some trip – unbelievable,” Coughlin said today by phone from Baghdad. “The soldiers were so gracious and they were so anxious to see us. They are truly genuine in their expression of joy that we’re here for them, that we would take the time to come and see them. And that has been very, very meaningful for us. They have treated us extremely well and shown genuine excitement that we’re here. We have expressed to them our thoughts on why we truly believe in what they’re doing and are thankful for why we’re here.”

Coughlin, a fervent admirer of the men and women who serve in the Armed Forces, was originally invited to Iraq by Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the commanding general of the multi-national force in Iraq. Odierno is a Rockaway, N.J. native and Giants fan who has made several visits to Giants Stadium and the team’s training camp in Albany.

When Coughlin was approached by the NFL about traveling to Iraq, he made it clear he wanted to spend time with Gen. Odierno. That has not yet been an issue, because the general traveled with all of the coaches on Thursday.

Coughlin and Co. came together Tuesday at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C. They took a 13-hour flight to Kuwait.

“It’s a long trip,” Coughlin said. “We were three hours delayed coming out of Dulles and we flew all night. We lost July 1 – we don’t have a clue as to what happened to July 1. You fly up over the top. It seemed like in a very few minutes we were at Albany and we flew over Greenland. It’s a long flight, but we flew United and the first-class accommodations were fabulous, as good as you’re going to get. We were supposed to land at 5:15 (p.m.)and we landed a little after seven.”

After spending a few hours in Kuwait, the group boarded a prop plane for Baghdad. That’s when the journey started to get very interesting.

“When you’re 15 minutes outside of Baghdad you have to shut all the lights off on the plane,” Coughlin said. “The first part of the adventure was going in there; you land in sandstorms and darkness. The airport in Kuwait is a bustling place and then when you get over to Iraq it’s a little bit different.”

The coaches and the rest of the traveling party were met at the airport by Gen. Odierno’s Chief of Staff, perhaps a dozen soldiers and, as Coughlin said, “all kinds of people.” They were driven to their hotel, which is actually one of Saddam Hussein’s former palaces that he had built on a man-made lake. Immediately after checking in at about 1 a.m., the coaches were briefed about the following day’s activities.

"None of us could sleep – we were all wired,” Coughlin said. “We were all up at five – all five of us are in one room.”

After breakfast, the coaches were transported to Gen. Odierno's headquarters at Al Faw, which is another former

Hussein palace. The general briefed the coaches on the recent developments in Iraq, including this week’s American pull back out of Iraqi cities.

At about 8:15 a.m. (1:15 eastern time), the group took a helicopter to the airport, where they boarded three C-35 jets and flew to Mosul, the site of an American military base in northern Iraq.

“It is a hot spot,” Coughlin said, and he wasn’t referring to the temperature. “If there is any terrorist activity, it has occurred more often up there. They lost three soldiers two days ago up there. This is what the general meant when he told me he wanted to take me to the most remote spots in Iraq and talk to the soldiers. General Bob Brown is the commander of the post up there.

“When you get up there, you know you’re in a war zone. The soldiers are all armed, they’re all on combat alert. There are concrete abutments on the outside of the buildings and sandbags on the inside of the windows. It’s hotter than hot. It’s in the 125-degree area. And that was prior to the sandstorms.”

On the base, Coughlin met a former West Point teammate of Mike Sullivan, the Giants’ wide receivers coach. Odierno and the coaches were then driven to the center of the base. The coaches each sat at a table and perhaps a thousand soldiers came through to get autographs signed, take photos or just chat with the visitors.

“This went on for quite a while, but we made sure we accommodated everybody,” Coughlin said.

From Mosul, the coaches were flown to an airbase near Kirkuk, which is not exactly a place for rest and relaxation.

“It is another extremely fortified war zone,” Coughlin said. “We were met at the airport by all the brass, because General Odierno is with us. At this particular spot we went to a huge mess hall. Every place we go we’re introduced and we get a nice response, nice applause. In this place all five of us sat down at a table and they tried to organize it with each person coming through with pictures of us to sign. We signed them and then we stood or sat and took pictures with all the soldiers. That was again a lengthy time, but the soldiers were all very appreciative. The guys are great with the soldiers. They’ve really responded well.

“We had been introduced at Mosul by the commander of the troops and sent right to our tables. At Kirkuk, we were introduced by a guy who would introduce you at a boxing match. It was one of the soldiers (who said), ‘Heeeeere’s Jeff Fisher.’ I spoke at this place. Then we ate with the troops in the mess hall and we sat down and talked to them.”

Coughlin said it’s impossible to ignore the searing heat in Iraq.

“It’s unbelievable,” he said. “We were in a chopper that had its windows open. We got in the helicopter where the hot air poured in on you and it felt like it was 140 degrees. It was hot. Because of the sandstorms we’ve had some sand cover, so the sun is not always beating right down on us.”

In Kirkuk, Coughlin and Odierno did a live interview on FOX and Friends. Coughlin was asked about the similarity in leadership principles between football and the military.

“What the General always talks to me about is team,” Coughlin said. “I remember back in ’07, as we got ready to go to training camp, I received a letter on the eve of training camp from General Odierno. His message was about team. He was very flattering in his comments about the soldiers here in Iraq, the young women and men who represent our country. He talked about their beliefs; their belief in their leaders, but most of all their belief in each other. He talked about team and the way you have to serve each other in order to understand what the team concept is all about. His message has always been one of team and the message the New York Giants preach is always that of team.”

Coughlin was asked if the trip enabled him to gain a different perspective on the men and women serving in Iraq.

“I have been so impressed and so inspired by the attitude,” Coughlin said. “It is always one of attitude, whether we visit the Walter Reed hospital following the Super Bowl and talk to those wounded troops, their attitude to try and get back to serve their country, to rejoin their group. Or whether it is the attitude of these young men and women who are serving our country here, who believe in what they are doing. We are always impressed by that. I know that the troops here think that we inspire them, but believe me, they inspire us as well.”

After the visit in Kirkuk, Coughlin and the other coaches returned to Baghdad, where they attended a reception on a third-floor balcony at Al Faw.

“The balcony was huge,” Coughlin said. “There must have been 500 soldiers on that porch. Bill Cowher spoke for us. We broke off again and did 2½ hours of autograph signings for the soldiers and again the reception was outstanding. Then we returned to where we’re staying and had another meeting in terms of what is planned for tomorrow.”

Coughlin said he hoped to catch up on his sleep Thursday night. But he is excited about visiting many more soldiers and Marines when the coaches visit three more military bases on Friday.

“We spend a lot of time with them,” Coughlin said. “We ask them where they’re from and they tell us about their favorite NFL team. There are lots of guys from New York. And there are a lot of Steelers fans. The Steelers are well-represented everywhere. We have a pretty good representation. The Giants are pretty popular. You’ll meet people from New England who tell you they don’t like you or tell you they’re not from New England and thanks for beating the Patriots.

“When I spoke, I expressed that the NFL and the military has often inspired one another,” Coughlin said. “We want to thank them, because they put their lives in danger every day, so that we can have the freedoms at home that, quite frankly, a majority of the people take for granted. We’re here to tell them that we’re very, very proud to be here with our soldiers.”

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Wild Thing's comment.........

How wonderful, this is GREAT! I love to see our troops happy like this and it is good for these Coaches to get a chance to thank them. Just a trip like this can make a difference, these guys will remember this forever.

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....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:40 AM | Comments (3)

June 25, 2009

Troopathon 2009 Care Packages For The Troops

The "Honor Their Service" 8-hour pro-toop "web-a-thon" sponsored by Move America Forward runs from 1:00pm - 9:00pm Pacific // 4:00pm - 12:00pm EST, to send the largest shipment of care packages to U.S. troops in history.

You can donate HERE

Care Packages include many varieties of items, always with Coffee, Cookies, Beef Jerky, Gatorade and Jelly Bellys, and could also include any or all of the following:

Boca Java Gourmet Coffee
Oreo Cookies
Chap Stick
Deodorant
Premium Beef Jerky
Planters Trail Mix
Ocean Spray Craisins Trail Mix
Gatorade
Candy Diplomacy Jelly Belly Jelly Beans
For The Troops CDs
Hot Chocolate
Hot Apple Cider
Bug Repellent
Battery Operated Fans
Wet Wipes
Foot Powder
Sunblock
EVERY CARE PACKAGE comes with a personalized letter, note or comment from YOU to the receiving Soldier, Sailor, Marine, Airman or Coast Guardsman

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Posted by Wild Thing at 07:55 PM | Comments (6)

June 19, 2009

Honor Their Service ~ Please Join Me in the Troopathon

We’ve heard from countless members of the Armed Forces serving in the Middle East about items that the military does not provide, are hard to come by and they really appreciate getting . That’s why Move America Forward has responded and compiled care packages that contain these goods as a way of saying “thank you” for their sacrifices and courage. Care packages are packed full of gourmet coffee, Oreo cookies, Jelly Belly jelly beans, high-quality beef jerky, trial mix, Gatorade, deodorant, Chap Stick, sun block, CDs and much more.

Most importantly, each care package will include a personal message written by you where you can express your gratitude to our military. This is done through the order form by putting your message in the Comments box. Along with your message will be included a “self-addressed” envelope for the troops to send you a Thank You note if, and when, they have time. This is done through the order form by putting your address in the Ship To field. Rest assured that all care packages are sent to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Move America Forward is a 501(C)3 so all care package donations are tax deductable.

Care Packages include mostly Coffee, Oreo Cookies, lip balm, beef jerky, deodorant, trail mix, Gatorade, CDs and Jelly Beans, CDs, Bug Repellant,Foot Powder, Sunblock, and more.

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You can also go here to SUPPORT THE TROOPS

Wild Thing's comment.......

I am joining with my dear friend at Bare Naked Islam blog on the ROBERT SPENCER’S ANTI-JIHADISTS TEAM.

The competition for a blog team to send the largest amount of care packages to our troops is beginning to heat up, and we’ve still got over a week to go!

IF YOU’RE A BLOGGER, PLEASE JOIN ME ON ROBERT SPENCER’S ANTI-JIHADISTS TEAM: join us on The Anti-Jihadists

The live webcast event brings together talk radio hosts, megastars of film and television, musical guests, journalists, military and Gold-star families, pro-troop groups and many more.

The goal of this charity fundraiser is to send the largest ever shipment of care packages to our brave men and women of the armed forces serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay.

Participation is simple: bloggers will organize into teams which will compete against one another to raise funds for the Troopathon. Each team will pick banner ads from our 'Media Kit' or use a hyperlink and post it to their blogs.

When you sponsor care packages from the Theodore's World blog, orders are recorded and tallied on our scoreboard! Each day we will tally every team's total care package sales and then we will update the current results.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:27 AM | Comments (2)

June 17, 2009

“Honor their Service"~ 2nd Annual "Troop-a-thon” ~ Reminder

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library has generously agreed to host Move America Forward’s campaign to send the largest ever shipment of care packages to our troops serving overseas.

“We are extremely privileged and excited that the Reagan Library has agreed let us use their facilities to film the program,” said Ben Mathis, of Mathis Entertainment, who was brought on by MAF to produce “Honor Their Service”. “Not only is it a perfect setting for our incredible line-up of guests, but it is fitting and an honor to be associated with a president that was so strong on national security and cared deeply for our troops.”

“Honor Their Service”, Move America Forward’s 2nd annual “Troopathon”, will be held on June 25th and is a telethon-style broadcast aimed at raising funds for the largest care-package shipment in history to our troops. Participating in the event will be stars such as Rush Limbaugh, Jon Voight, Mark Levin, President George H.W. Bush, Laura Ingraham to name a few.

This venue is also fitting considering the fact that President Reagan’s favorite candy, Jelly Bellys, are included in every care-package sent to the troops. In fact, first lady Nancy Reagan lent her support to Move America Forward’s “Candy Diplomacy” campaign aimed at bringing 100,000 bags of “American goodwill” to the children of Iraq and Afghanistan.

On June 25th, 2009, Move America Forward, the nation’s largest grassroots pro-troop organization, will be hosting its 2nd annual “Troopathon”. The event will be hosted by Melanie Morgan from San Francisco’s KSFO Radio and Andrew Breitbart, who runs Breitbart.TV, and the “Big Hollywood” blog.

The goal of the project is to send care packages to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. During the 8-hour event that will be broadcast on the internet, radio and TV, viewers are encouraged to sponsor care packages for the troops as the guests and hosts discuss various topics related to supporting our troops

Troopathon

Vice President Dick Cheney to Appear on Troopathon!
Move America Forward’s ‘Troopathon’
Web-Based Telethon to Send Care Packages to Troops

Former Vice President Dick Cheney will appear on the Move America Forward telethon-style broadcast to support American troops deployed in the War on Terror. This will be the second annual telethon to provide care packages and personal messages to the troops.

The ‘troopathon’ is an 8-hour program with a telethon format broadcast primarily online via Ustream.tv. Viewers will be encouraged to donate online or by phone for care packages to be shipped to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan with personal messages from the donors. A similar effort last year raised approximately $1.6 million.

“We’re thrilled and honored to have Vice President Cheney join us in support of our fighting men and women,” said Melanie Morgan, who will co-host the program with Hollywood conservative commentator Andrew Breitbart. “We have a golden opportunity here to break last year’s record and produce a huge outpouring of support for our troops, and Vice President Cheney’s assistance will be key to our success.”

Cheney, also a former Secretary of Defense, has been a prominent voice on military and national security topics throughout his career. He recently gave a major address at the American Enterprise Institute which coincided with a speech by President Obama, which many saw as a reaction to Cheney’s recent public appearances.

Other guests already confirmed for the program include talk radio giant Rush Limbaugh, Hollywood star Jon Voight, musician John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting and blogger Michelle Malkin. Many more guests are yet to be announced.

The program will run from 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm PST and will be broadcast live from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

More information and frequent updates on guests and plans for the event are available at www.Troopathon.org.

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Rush Limbaugh to Participate in MAF’s “Honor Their Service”

Move America Forward

Conservative and talk-radio giant Rush Limbaugh has committed to honor our military troops by participating in Move America Forward’s campaign to send the largest ever shipment of care packages to our troops serving overseas…

...Mr. Limbaugh has been a loyal and committed supporter of our brave military men and women over the years and his continued dedication to Move America Forward speaks to that point.

Wild Thing's comment..........

I posted about this a couple of weeks ago and it is important to remember this date. Thank you Mark for the reminder. I hope they get a totally awesome response to this, they did great last year.

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....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:48 AM | Comments (2)

June 15, 2009

Stephen Colbert Visits Our Troops ( Vidoes and Photos)

A clip of Stephen Colbert's first episode of when his show (The Colbert Report) goes on the road to Iraq for a week

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Stephen Colbert takes a photo op with service members at Camp Victory's Al Faw Palace in Baghdad, Iraq, June 5.

Stephen Colbert greets troops and civilians at Al Faw Palace at Camp Victory in Baghdad, Iraq, June 5, as part of his "Operation Iraqi Stephen: Going Command" tour

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LOST LOCKS - Multinational Force Iraq Commanding Gen. Raymond T. Odierno helps Stephen Colbert become more "soldierly" by shaving his trademark hair into a more traditional military "buzz cut" in an episode of "The Colbert Report" broadcast from Baghdad. Colbert filmed a week of episode's from Camp Victory's Al Faw Palace in Baghdad as part of a USO tour. U.S. Army photo by Lee Craker

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CAMP VICTORY, BAGHDAD, Iraq

It is official — Stephen Colbert came, saw and conquered Iraq, claiming victory on day three of his six-day adventure to the Middle East.

Arriving in a C-17 from Kuwait, Colbert landed at the Baghdad International Airport, June 5, and began preparing for his shows at Camp Victory's Al Faw Palace, as part of his tour "Operation Iraqi Stephen: Going Commando."

"We wanted to call it 'Feelin HOT, HOT, HOT: Papa's got a brand new Baghdad', but it was too many words," he said.

In March, Colbert announced his visit the Persian Gulf, but was forced to remain tight-lipped about the event in true operational security style. Since then, he introduced a new segment on his hit night-time talk show, trying to guess which one of the seven Persian Gulf countries occupied by U.S. forces he would visit.

Iraq was the winner.

In order to prepare for the trip, Colbert attended basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C. The training lasted a total of eight hours, although he says he "might have dipped out an hour early."

Now a slightly trained killer, armed with a smile and his "A" bag full of satirical humor, Colbert was ready to take his show live to Baghdad, where it would be recorded, edited and sent back via satellite to the U.S. It is something the United Service Organizations said was a first for any overseas tour they have organized.

Multi-National Force - Iraq Commanding General Ray Odierno asked Colbert to come and perform for the troops. However, Colbert says he came here for the buzz cut President Barack Obama ordered Odierno to give to him during the opening show at the palace, June 7.

"I also want to claim this as my military time if I decide to run for president in 2012," he said.

Colbert filmed four shows, which began airing in the United States the week, of June 8. The reaction from the service members here has been amazing, he said.

"It's been fantastic," he said of his welcoming. "All these people are so nice out here; I don't understand why they want to fight with each other."

Colbert noted that he knows nothing about the country of Iraq, aside from the few days he has been at Camp Victory.

"It's hot, it's sandy, the sun is blazing. It seems like Texas, but with fewer guns," Colbert said of Iraq.

He added that if he were to describe the country to Americans, concrete and blast walls would sum the landscape, and he compared the air quality to that of an exhaust system.

"Who had the idea to build an entire country in the tailpipe of a car?" he asked a crowd of about 400 people during his first show.

Stephen Colbert Greets Soldiers at Al Faw Palace

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Soldiers, Airman, Sailors, and Marines packed the palace's rotunda every night of tapings, their thunderous cheers echoed off of three stories of marble walls. In addition to Odierno, guests included Iraq deputy prime minister Dr. Barham Saleh; Lt. Gen. Charles Jacoby, Jr., Multi-National Corps - Iraq commanding general; Command Sgt. Maj. Frank Grippe, MNC-I command sergeant major; Sgt. Robin Balcom and Spc. Tareq Salha.

Balcom, a native of Houston, Texas, is a military police officer with the 8th MP Brigade, 93rd MP Battalion's 463rd MP Company stationed in Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. Balcom was nominated for the show by her commanders because of the multiple tours she has served in Iraq. Being on the show was an opportunity she was glad she didn't pass up because it only happens once in a life time, she said.

Salha, an interpreter with 3rd Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Light), based in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, said he enjoyed meeting Colbert because he was such a genuine person.

"He is trying to express what we, as Soldiers, go through in a fun way [on his show], and he succeeded," Salha said. "It was an outstanding experience, and I really enjoyed being able to speak on behalf of myself."

President Obama, Vice-President Joe Biden, John McCain, Sarah Palin and Tom Hanks sent out special thanks to the troops in pre-recorded messages that aired during the show. McCain's comment to "always take the time to remember to clean your musket," grew boisterous laughs, as people shook their heads in amusement. McCain said he learned the importance of a clean weapon during Valley Forge.

Sgt. Jennifer Miller, an awards clerk with Company B, Special Troops Battalion, Task Force Courage, had not seen The Colbert Report before attending the June 7 show.

"His comedy covers all ranges. He is willing to pick on anyone," Miller, a Madison Heights, Mich., native said. "He is very funny!"

Miller said Colbert's antics will definitely keep her watching from now on.

In addition to the night's performances, Colbert spent time meeting and greeting service members on Camp Stryker, another camp located within Baghdad's Victory Base Complex.

Roughly 200 people showed up for a chance at a picture, a laugh and a handshake with the comedian.

"It's a nice break in the day to come in here and meet him," said Staff Sgt. Jason Moldan, an Army Reservist with the 401st Engineer Company out of Oklahoma City, Okla. An avid fan, Moldan said it's been hard to catch Colbert's show since he's been deployed, but he still remains a steadfast member of the Colbert Nation.

"It's really great that celebrities can come over here and see us," said Moldan, a Minneapolis, Minn., native.

When asked if this was a great USO tour or the greatest USO tour, Colbert didn't miss a beat when he answered "the greatest." Camp Victory agrees.

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Wild Thing's comment......

LMAO I hope you all get a chance to watch each of the videos they are really good.

The only icky part is the one for a few second the POS Obama is on it telling him he has to get a hair cut. But If you can just ignore that tiny part all the rest of all of them are well worth it.

Very joyful to know our Troops got a few well derserved laughs.

They have magazines at the gym and the other day I read an article in Newsweek that Colbert guest-edited. He seems to be sincerely troubled at the current lack of coverage given to the war in Iraq and genuinely concerned that the sacrifices of our servicemembers aren't forgotten over there. He has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Yellow Ribbon Fund (a charity that assists injured service members and their families), and he’s a board member of DonorsChoose.org, which benefits the schools of military kids.

I have never seen his show and don't really know that much about him at all. But I am thrilled he went to see and thank our troops.He really has been supporting our troops and that makes me sooooo happy.

There is something else I noticed. When a celeb or anyone else that is well known goes to see our troops, I have noticed the ones that are the most sincere about being there, about their support, when they introduce themselves and give their name. It shows a humble attitude in a certain way that they realize the real Stars are our troops, and how we owe them everything. It isn't the attitude of you all should know who I am and be grateful that I am here, but instead it is HI my name is so an dso and I am honored to meet YOU and thankful for your service, how it is not about the celeb but about the solider, Marine, airman, Sailor etc. Bob Hope did that too and Gary Sinise as well and many others, it is just someting I have noticed.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:48 AM | Comments (4)

June 13, 2009

NJ National Guard 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Returns Home From Iraq

Sgt. 1st Class Shawnn Frey of Langhorn, PA playing with her 3 year old daughter Liberty

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Crowds line the street as hundreds of New Jersey National Guard soldiers march in a parade through downtown Trenton, N.J., Friday, June 12, 2009, to honor their return from Iraq.

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Hundreds of New Jersey National Guard soldiers fill the street to march in a parade through downtown Trenton, N.J., Friday, June 12, 2009, to honor their return from Iraq

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NJ National Guard 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team returns home from Iraq

TRENTON, N.J.

Little Jewel Moore thought her daddy lived inside the computer. That's because since she was 3 months old, he did. And Moore, one of the 2,900 New Jersey National Guard soldiers back from Iraq .

This was the largest deployment of New Jersey National Guard troops to a combat zone since World War II.

Soldiers were greeted with cheers Friday as they marched through the streets of the state capital in a welcome home parade. A 19-gun salute signaled the start of a parade through downtown Trenton.

In front of the newly finished World War II memorial outside the Statehouse, soldiers were greeted by Gov. Jon S. Corzine and Maj. Gen. Glenn Rieth, who told them the state would never forget their service or needs going forward.

"We'll make sure your transition back is as successful as your service to us has been," Corzine said.

The parade ended at Sovereign Bank Arena where guardsmen were treated to a USO show that included performances by comedian Joe Piscopo of "Saturday Night Live" fame and other local entertainers.

Also welcoming ithem home, were cheerleaders from three of the areas professional football and basketball teams.

Volunteers from many groups including the USO, The Salvation Army, The Red Cross, and The American Recreational Military Services served free food and beverages during the day long celebration.

"You are the blessing in 'God Bless America,'" Newark Mayor Cory Booker told the troops at the arena. "We welcome you home and tell you that you are not home alone."

Inside the Sovereign Bank Arena since 9:30 a.m., approximately 5,000 parents, girlfriends and children of soldiers gathered and watched the parade on the screens of the sports arena.

And then, finally, the soldiers filed in, vigorously waving the flags of their companies. Booming music, like the theme to the movie Star Wars, blasted over the stadium speakers.

Loved ones in the stands screamed as they recognized husbands, fathers, wives, sons and daughters in the sea of light-brown uniforms. Soldiers waved back. Some in the stands had tears in their eyes as cameras flashed.

VIDEO of yesterday and the Welcome Home

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Wild Thing's comment......

Welcome Home! God bless each one of you! Thank you!

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.....Thank you John G. for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:48 AM | Comments (5)

June 05, 2009

2nd Annual “Troop-a-thon” titled “Honor their Service"

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library has generously agreed to host Move America Forward’s campaign to send the largest ever shipment of care packages to our troops serving overseas.

“We are extremely privileged and excited that the Reagan Library has agreed let us use their facilities to film the program,” said Ben Mathis, of Mathis Entertainment, who was brought on by MAF to produce “Honor Their Service”. “Not only is it a perfect setting for our incredible line-up of guests, but it is fitting and an honor to be associated with a president that was so strong on national security and cared deeply for our troops.”

“Honor Their Service”, Move America Forward’s 2nd annual “Troopathon”, will be held on June 25th and is a telethon-style broadcast aimed at raising funds for the largest care-package shipment in history to our troops. Participating in the event will be stars such as Rush Limbaugh, Jon Voight, Mark Levin, President George H.W. Bush, Laura Ingraham to name a few.

This venue is also fitting considering the fact that President Reagan’s favorite candy, Jelly Bellys, are included in every care-package sent to the troops. In fact, first lady Nancy Reagan lent her support to Move America Forward’s “Candy Diplomacy” campaign aimed at bringing 100,000 bags of “American goodwill” to the children of Iraq and Afghanistan.

On June 25th, 2009, Move America Forward, the nation’s largest grassroots pro-troop organization, will be hosting its 2nd annual “Troopathon”. The event will be hosted by Melanie Morgan from San Francisco’s KSFO Radio and Andrew Breitbart, who runs Breitbart.TV, and the “Big Hollywood” blog.

The goal of the project is to send care packages to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. During the 8-hour event that will be broadcast on the internet, radio and TV, viewers are encouraged to sponsor care packages for the troops as the guests and hosts discuss various topics related to supporting our troops

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Troopathon

Vice President Dick Cheney to Appear on Troopathon!

Vice President Cheney Will Appear on
Move America Forward’s ‘Troopathon’
Web-Based Telethon to Send Care Packages to Troops

Former Vice President Dick Cheney will appear on the Move America Forward telethon-style broadcast to support American troops deployed in the War on Terror. This will be the second annual telethon to provide care packages and personal messages to the troops.

The ‘troopathon’ is an 8-hour program with a telethon format broadcast primarily online via Ustream.tv. Viewers will be encouraged to donate online or by phone for care packages to be shipped to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan with personal messages from the donors. A similar effort last year raised approximately $1.6 million.

“We’re thrilled and honored to have Vice President Cheney join us in support of our fighting men and women,” said Melanie Morgan, who will co-host the program with Hollywood conservative commentator Andrew Breitbart. “We have a golden opportunity here to break last year’s record and produce a huge outpouring of support for our troops, and Vice President Cheney’s assistance will be key to our success.”

Cheney, also a former Secretary of Defense, has been a prominent voice on military and national security
topics throughout his career. He recently gave a major address at the American Enterprise Institute which coincided with a speech by President Obama, which many saw as a reaction to Cheney’s recent public appearances.

Other guests already confirmed for the program include talk radio giant Rush Limbaugh, Hollywood star Jon Voight, musician John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting and blogger Michelle Malkin. Many more guests are yet to be announced.

The program will run from 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm PST and will be broadcast live from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

More information and frequent updates on guests and plans for the event are available at www.Troopathon.org.

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Rush Limbaugh to Participate in MAF’s “Honor Their Service”

Move America Forward

Conservative and talk-radio giant Rush Limbaugh has committed to honor our military troops by participating in Move America Forward’s campaign to send the largest ever shipment of care packages to our troops serving overseas…

...Mr. Limbaugh has been a loyal and committed supporter of our brave military men and women over the years and his continued dedication to Move America Forward speaks to that point.

Wild Thing's comment........

Fantastic! This is such a wonderful thing they did and I am so thrilled they are doing it this year too.

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......Thank you RAC for sending this to me.

RAC has a website that is awesome. 336th Assault Helicopter Company

13th Combat Aviation Battalion - 1st Aviation Brigade - Soc Trang, Republic of Vietnam

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:54 AM

May 31, 2009

Charlie Daniels Band Performs Concert in Sand Storm at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq

Charlie Daniels continues on...his black cowboy hat turning brown from the sand storm

The Charlie Daniels Band Performs Concert at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq

Coalition forces extended a warm welcome to the Charlie Daniels Band April 16. The performance was one not soon forgotten. The weather had been bright and clear throughout the day. But shortly after the country music icon, dressed in Marine digital camouflage and a big black cowboy hat, stepped on stage, the wind kicked up, causing the band and fans to experience a sand storm that turned the sky orange. The weather did not deter the Charlie Daniels Band from continuing the concert. Only after the rain began to fall, was the event cut short.

Constructionman Erin Huff commented that, " It was very cool that he kept playing after the sand storm first hit."

The event was moved into the Sentinel Theatre where Charlie Daniels spoke to the audience, apologizing for having to shorten the show.

He also stated, "We'll stay until every one in this theatre has a chance to come up and get an autograph and a picture."

True to his word, he and the band, after approximately three hours of shaking hands signing, autographs, and taking a picture with every service member that waited in line, called it a night.

In attendance for the show were personnel from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 24. The deployed Battalion consists of Navy Reservists from the home detachments in the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and West Virginia, as well as Individual Augmentees from many other states from across the country.

Many of the members of NMCB 24 have grown up listening to Charlie Daniels Band on the radio, and watching him perform at other concerts and venues. Several of the Seabees reside and work in Mt. Juliet, Tenn., where Charlie Daniels has his home.

The Seabees of NMCB 24 took a little extra pride in watching the performance. The Builders from Charlie Company had been tasked with constructing and installing the stage for the performance, as well as the stanchions that were used to cordon off the area.

The entire project took the six man team, lead by Builder 1st Class Bobby Bills, approximately 48 man hours to plan, cut, install and disassemble. The workers performed the majority of the work in their off-duty time.

When asked about the project, Bills stated, "It was an honor that the Seabees were chosen to build the stage for such a legendary country artist." He went on to say how proud he was of his team for working so "quickly and efficiently."

The performance and meet and greet were enjoyed by all, regardless of the weather that quickly changed the evening.

Equipment Operator 3rd Class Jacob Hicks described it best when asked what he thought about the performance, "It was awesome."

.

Here is one of Charlile Daniels Latest articles he wrote :

Seeds of Dictatorship

by Charlie Daniels

I'm going to shock some of you people, others I will probably anger and some of you will be amused at what I'm going to say in this column, but I don't care if I'm the last man standing I would be less than honest and candid if I didn't say it.

People if we don't get real this country is going to slip right out from under us, or rather be pulled right out from under us by a President bent on socialism and a power mad Democratic Congressional leadership.

The new Treasury Secretary can't even keep up with his income taxes and he is asking for powers that nobody but kings and people like Hugo Chavez have. He wants to be able to take over American companies that aren't toeing the Obama line. That is a downright abomination to the Constitution.

Nancy Pelosi changes the procedures of the House of Representatives so the Democratic majority can rush legislation thorough. Is this what the Congress is supposed to be about? Ms. Pelosi and Harry Reid, her counterpart in the Senate, are a clear and present danger to the republic.

Can't you see what's happening, America? They're going to try to force you to join unions, screw up your healthcare, invade every facet of your life, and you can believe it now or you can believe it later…they will raise your taxes, a lot.

And yet even with raising taxes they're not going to be able to raise enough to service the debt they're making. The only way out is to inflate the currency and folks when that begins in earnest, Katie bar the door.

The American dollar, once the standard for the planet Earth will become like green wallpaper and the price of goods and services will rise exponentially.

Do you think this can't happen, America? Well the sorry truth is that it is happening; in fact it's accelerating on a daily basis as a socialist President and a panicked Congress flounder around with no idea except to throw more money at it. After all, it's only paper, they can always print some more.

Things are moving so fast now; things once thought unthinkable are becoming commonplace as Obama, Pelosi, Reid and company consolidate their power over America.

This may sound far-fetched, but Hugo Chavez was democratically elected, and then started sowing the seeds of socialism in Venezuela. He was recently successful in eliminating term limits for the presidency, and is now essentially President for Life, as long as the people keep voting him in. There's an old quote by a British historian named Lord Acton, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

I don't like the role of alarmist, I love this country and always believed in it, always thought that we could work out of any problem. I've seen wars, recessions and national tragedy and the thought never entered my mind that America wouldn't pull out of the problem, but America is in a tailspin and if somebody doesn't grab the controls soon it's going to crash.

And do you know what happens then?

Total government control. It's called dictatorship.

What do you think?

Pray for our troops

God Bless America

Charlie Daniels

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Wild Thing's comment...........

I sure am glad Charlie is on our side! What a big lovable bear of a man and I like the way he thinks too. Also I love how he did't let the sand strom stop him. He played as long as he could for our troops.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:40 AM | Comments (5)

May 20, 2009

Lowe’s, Home Depot Offer Military Discount to Active Duty and Veterans

Lowe’s, Home Depot offer military deals

Army Times

The nation’s two largest home improvement stores, Lowe’s and Home Depot, are again offering a 10-percent military discount for Memorial Day, starting Thursday.

Active-duty personnel, National Guard and reserve members, retirees, honorably discharged veterans and immediate family members of all those groups are eligible. Customers who request the discount should show a valid military ID card or other proof of service.

The stores differ in their offers:

• Lowe’s discount is offered from Thursday through May 25 on purchases up to $5,000. That means the maximum discount will be $500. The offer is good for in-store purchases only and it does not apply to online sales, previous sales, purchase of services or gift cards.

• The Home Depot’s discount is offered in stores from Thursday through May 27 on purchases up to $2,000, for a $200 maximum discount.

Wild Thing's comment.........

I like that they make it for several days, so that the actual Memorial Day can be observed.

Here is the Lowes Coupon

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:45 AM | Comments (2)

May 16, 2009

~ Armed Forces Day ~

President Harry S. Truman led the effort to establish a single holiday for citizens to come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in support of our country.

We celebrate our Armed Forces, in the work they do, the tasks they accomplish, the hope and freedom they bring to the world, and the outstanding people who comprise our military services. Join us on Saturday May 16th, in honoring those tremendous individuals: The Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Guards [Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard] in their efforts to safeguard our freedoms, the world and our future!

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:50 AM | Comments (8)

May 01, 2009

Toby Keith Entertains Troops in Afghanistan

Country music performer Toby Keith, right, grabs the outstretched hand of U.S. Air Force 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Senior Airman Brent Contratto during a concert for U.S. military service members at Balad Air Base, Iraq, April 28, 2008, during Operation Iraqi Freedom. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Julianne Showalter

Country singer/songwriter Toby Keith salutes more than 1,000 service members who came to see his concert at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, April 27. This was Keith’s seventh tour with the United Service Organizations. U.S. Army photo by Capt. Michael Greenberger

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan

by Capt. Michael Greenberger

Country singer and troop supporter Toby Keith finished up a 15-show tour in Afghanistan yesterday as he drew near the end of his seventh tour with the United Service Organizations.

Keith spent five days criss-crossing the war-torn country visiting bases large and small in a whirlwind of handshakes, autographs, photo-ops and of course – country music shows.

Whether it’s hundreds of Marines at Camp Bastion or a crowd of thousands at Kandahar Air Field, countless hours of preparation and manpower go into making each show special.

“It’s a three-pronged attack,” said Rachel Tischler, USO vice president of entertainment operations. “The crews get to work setting everything up for the larger shows as most of the band goes to see people at the larger bases. While they are doing that, [Toby] and a few others visit the more remote locations.”

Keith’s tour visited Forward Operating Bases Tillman and Boris, near the Pakistan border, in addition to the larger bases, like FOBs Sharana and Salerno.

“It was important to Toby and the crew to visit as many of the smaller, remote locations as possible,” said Tischler. “Never mind getting entertainers – some of them don’t have running water!”

Keith, was taught early on to respect the military and those who serve in it.

“My father was a soldier. He taught his kids to respect veterans,” said Keith. “It’s that respect and the thank-you that we have a military that’s in place and ready to defend our nation; our freedom.”

Since 2002, Keith and company have visited war zones, military bases and ships at sea to bring a little levity and light into the lives of those in harm’s way. He loves his job, he said.

“It’s a break from the monotony in their life,” Keith said of his duty to the troops. “They’re under fire and tremendous workloads trying to accomplish their goals, so when we show up, it changes that for a little while. We try to put smiles on their faces.”

According to the roaring crowd in the “clamshell tent” on Bagram, he succeeded.

“The energy level was so high,” said Army Spc. Jennifer Cook. “It brought all the soldiers in, no matter what kind of music they liked.”

Keith’s forte is playing country music. He’s been doing it for more than 23 years. Some of the hits he poured into the night sky over Afghanistan have been staples of country music for years – as well as favorites of those in uniform, such as “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue” and “American Soldier.”

Written after his first visit to Iraq, “American Soldier” is a tribute to service members everywhere. Keith salutes military mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters -- ordinary people all over who volunteer to serve their country and give their lives for it if necessary. Keith took many of his first interactions with the military in Iraq, such as a remembrance ceremony for a fallen service member, and turned it into something many could understand.

“Those kinds of things just bore into your soul,” Keith said. “I would have never been able to complete ‘American Soldier’ if it weren’t for the experiences I had.”

The troops appreciate Keith just as much as he appreciated them.

“This show was awesome,” said Air Force Senior Airman Patrick McGuire. “I saw Toby Keith stateside and it was smoky and the crowd was just different. Here, it’s like he was here for us, not just a show. It just felt like he was here for us.”

Keith doesn’t just raise spirits though, he raises awareness too.

“It’s great to be supported by someone in the music business,” Cook said. “It also keeps us on people’s minds back home.”

Keith ended more than an hour of guitar whompin’, foot stompin’ music with a promise he’s echoed over 150 times: “I’ll see you next year.”

Wild Thing's comment......

More good feeling spreading around and lots of thank you's and appreciation for our awesome troops! Yesss that makes me so happy!!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:40 AM | Comments (4)

April 23, 2009

Actors from "The Unit" TV Show and Others Visit The Troops in Afghanistan

Actor Robert Patrick from the CBS television series "The Unit" cheers on fellow cast member Max Martini in a race with soldiers assigned to Combat Outpost Deysie, Afghanistan, April 22, 2009. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is on a six-day tour of the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility escorting a USO tour, meeting with counterparts and visiting troops. DoD photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

Chairman Brings USO Show to Remote Afghan Bases

CAMP EGGERS, Afghanistan, April 22, 2009 – Max Martini, who plays Army Master Sgt. Mack Gerhardt in the CBS show “The Unit,” raced up a steep hill at a combat outpost in 28 seconds.

“I can’t be beat by an actor,” said one real soldier, who raced up the same course in 24 seconds. Cheers resounded.

The good-hearted race was part of a USO show that Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, brought to Afghanistan today.

On what’s known as a “handshake tour,” Mullen brought long-time Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, basketball hall of famer David Robinson, as well as Martini and fellow cast members of “The Unit,” Dennis Haysbert and Robert Patrick to meet, speak to -- and compete with -- U.S. servicemembers at out-of-the way bases.

“They bring a little bit of America to the troops,” Mullen said. “I try to bring USO entertainers on as many of the trips as I can, because they do brighten everybody’s day.”

Mullen praised the USO troupe for its commitment to servicemembers. “I’m delighted that they would take their personal time to do this,” Mullen said.

Lasorda praised the young men and women he met, saying they “are what America is all about.”

Robinson, who graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served as a naval officer before his professional basketball career with the San Antonio Spurs, said he is impressed by the commitment the servicemembers show. “These are men and women who walk our streets, but understand why it is important to serve,” he said.

In addition to its visit here, the troupe visited Forward Operating Base Airborne and Combat Outpost Deysie today

Wild Thing's comment......

I love the TV show " The Unit", and they visited the troops last July too.

Cast From TV Show "The Unit" Visit The Troops

They may have gone other times too, I hope so . I know the troops really love to see them.

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:55 AM | Comments (2)

April 13, 2009

Star Trek Cast Visits Service Members at CAMP ARIJAN, Kuwait

The cast of "Star Trek" with director J.J. Abrams pose for a photo at the world premiere showing at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait

U.S. service members holding up their tickets to the "Star Trek" world premiere at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait

Cast members of "Star Trek" take questions from U.S. service members at the "Star Trek" world premiere at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait

Star Trek Cast Visits Service Members in Theater for World Premiere

by Spc. Howard Ketter

CAMP ARIJAN, Kuwait

"We feel priviledged to be here and to meet the people who are working hard on our behalf," said John Cho, who starred as Hikaru Sulu in "Star Trek" the movie.

Service members were excited as the cast of the new J.J. Abrams produced and directed film visited Camp Arifjan, Kuwait for a premiere of the movie.

Actors Zoe Saldana, Bryan Burk, Karl Urban, Zachary Quinto, Chris Pine and Eric Bana were also present with director/producer J.J. Abrams.

"It's so easy for people to take for granted, the fact that [service members] are here doing work that makes this possible," said Abrams.

The crew stopped and visited service members in the U.S. Army Central Headquarters building before heading to the theater. They exchanged friendly conversation with Brig. Gen. James T. Walton and several other leaders amongst the headquarters staff. Then they took time out to greet several service members, sign autographs and take photos.

"It struck us that there was an opportunity to not just have it be about the movie, but to have it be about something that's more important than all that stuff," Abrams commented.

Once it was time to show the movie, which is due to release in the U.S. May 8, the stars went to the Zone 1 movie theater for the premiere. Once the showing was over, service members asked questions and commented on the film to the actual cast.

Chief Warrant Officer Earl Hemminger, Regional Computer Emergency Response team, Virginia National guard, asked actor Zachary Quinto, who played Spock in the film, to speak to his daughter Katherine, who is a very big fan.

"Your dad told me to say this was hotness," laughed Quinto as he greeted Katherine via cell phone.

Abrams talked about how he and the writers came up with the concept of the new film and Eric Bana, who portrayed the evil character Nero, talked to service members on how he prepared for his role and shot his parts separate from most of the cast.

After the Q & A service members got opportunities to get photos and autographs with the stars before they headed off to the LSA, Kuwait to continue to promote the movie.

"It's an honor to come here to say hi and shake hands with the people who protect us," said Abrams.

Cho said having the warm reception for this film by the service members was really moving.

"We had fun making the movie and we hope the [service members had] fun watching it."

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:55 AM | Comments (2)

April 10, 2009

Fallen Soldier's Dad, American Airlines Team Up to Ship Donated Supplies to Iraq

Fallen soldier's dad, American Airlines team up to ship donated supplies to Iraq

Dallas Star Telegram

D/FW AIRPORT

Alan Burks invited himself on this flight, the one that took off in the early afternoon Wednesday bound for the Middle East.

On board the American Airlines 767 were 2 tons of supplies from the nonprofit he started in memory of his son Pete, an Army platoon leader from Dallas killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2007. No way would Burks miss the chance to go and mingle with the troops. He took Pete’s younger brother, Zac, with him to share in the experience.

"He’s more than ready," Zac Burks said. "This has been his job basically since Pete was killed — raising money to support the troops and Iraqi children. This opportunity was a dream come true."

It is an unusual journey for American Airlines, which had never devoted an entire plane to donated supplies for a war zone. But the airline has increasingly been providing air support to related causes through its 2-year-old Veterans Initiatives program.

This just happened to be the biggest yet.

The 767, with a crew of four pilots and six flight attendants, all of whom donated their time, carried more than 20 tons of supplies for Iraqi children and several dozen entertainers from Dallas-Fort Worth to Kuwait City.

From there, the cargo and passengers were taken by Air Force aircraft into Iraq, where soldiers and Marines can take the notebooks, pencils, white boards and soccer balls to schools. Also packed on board were more than 6,000 pairs of Crocs donated by the shoemaker.

"You know the old joke about having to walk five miles to school uphill and barefoot?" said American Airlines captain Jim Palmersheim, who served in the Army and is director of Veterans Initiatives. "The truth is that a lot of these kids in Iraq actually do that."

A majority of the cargo came from Operation Iraqi Children, an organization established by actor Gary Sinise and author Laura Hillenbrand to provide basic school supplies. Palmersheim met Sinise not long ago, and the idea for the flight took shape.

The airline also contacted Alan Burks, who with Pete Burks’ fiancee established the Unsung Hero Fund in the weeks after his son’s death. That organization has since shipped 4 tons of goodies for the troops and aid for Iraqis, every bit of it handed across a post office counter.

"Most of our expenses are postage," Burks said. "That’s why it was like Christmas when they said we could get all these supplies over there for free."

Wild Thing's comment.......

Beautiful story about noble efforts in remembrance of our heroes. And to generous and honorable contribution by American Airlines too.

Alan Burks son Army 2nd Lt. Peter H. Burks

A Dallas soldier killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq is being remembered as a dedicated team player who felt the call to serve.

Army 2nd Lt. Peter H. Burks, 26, died Nov. 14 when his vehicle was hit just outside the Green Zone in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment

Throughout his life, 2nd Lt. Peter Haskell Burks was known as a dedicated team player, a trait he maintained as an Army troop leader in Iraq.

On Wednesday he was commanding a unit just outside the Green Zone in Baghdad when his vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb. Lt. Burks received shrapnel wounds to his head, and five of his men were injured.

"Peter's first words when the explosion happened ... he asked his men, 'Are you OK?' " said his father, Alan Burks of Celina. "Then he said, 'I'm OK.' From what we've learned from the officers who were there, he was conscious for a short period of time."

Lt. Burks, 26, died at the scene Wednesday. His body arrived Friday in Dover, Del., en route to Dallas from Iraq.

Lt. Burks' last actions were no surprise to his father.

"He told me, over and over and over again, he said: 'Dad, my job is to get my 17 guys home safe. ... Then after that I'll get myself home safe.' "

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:47 AM | Comments (8)

April 08, 2009

Miss Universe Says Had "lot of fun" in Guantanamo

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Miss Universe says had "lot of fun" in Guantanamo

Reuters

A "relaxing, calm, beautiful place" may not be everyone's description of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where the United States holds about 240 prisoners in a detention center that has drawn condemnation from around the world.

But this was the opinion of reigning Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza of Venezuela, who visited the U.S. naval facility in eastern Cuba this month on a trip organized by the United Service Organizations (USO) which supports U.S. troops.

The Guantanamo Bay base, whose presence Cuba's government has contested as illegal for years, is used by U.S. authorities as a prison camp for foreign terrorism suspects. Critics have condemned it as a symbol of abuses in Washington's war on terrorism launched after the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Caracas-born Mendoza, 22, who visited the facility March 20-25 along with Miss USA Crystle Stewart, 27, enthused about her Guantanamo trip as an "incredible experience" in a blog entry posted on the Miss Universe website dated March 27, 2009.

"It was a loooot of fun!," Mendoza wrote, describing how she and Stewart met U.S. military personnel and took rides around the camp, which is encircled by a barbed-wire fenced, minefields and watchtowers. She said they also visited a bar on the base and the "unbelievable" beach there.

"We visited the Detainees camps and we saw the jails, where they shower, how the(y) recreate themselves with movies, classes of art, books. It was very interesting," she wrote.

"I didn't want to leave, it was such a relaxing place, so calm and beautiful," she added.

Former detainees and human rights groups have alleged the use of torture, including "waterboarding" (simulated drowning) and other physical abuses, at the Guantanamo prison.

In a statement, the Miss Universe Organization said Mendoza and Stewart's trip to Guantanamo was part of a longstanding relationship with the USO and its entertainment program "which boosts the morale of U.S. troops."

"Dayana Mendoza's comments on her blog were in reference to the hospitality she received while meeting the members of the U.S. military and their families who are stationed in Guantanamo," Miss Universe Organization President Paula M. Shugart said in the statement.

"We will continue to show our appreciation and express our gratitude to the military personnel who serve our nation," Shugart said.

Recounting her "memorable" trip, Mendoza, who was crowned Miss Universe 2008 in Vietnam, said: "We also met the Military dogs, and they did a very nice demonstration of their skills. All the guys from the Army were amazing with us."

Wild Thing's comment.........

God bless our troops, I am so glad the USO does these things.

....Thank you Ben for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:50 AM | Comments (6)

April 06, 2009

Lt. Andrew Kinard, Trace Adkins, the West Point Cadet Glee Club at the Academy of Country Music Awards

Trace Adkins and the West Point Cadet Glee Club at the Academy of Country Music Awards

Las Vegas, 5 April 2009. Trace Adkins sings ...."Till the Last Shot's Fired"....with the West Point Cadet Glee Club

"Somebody from the ACM asked if I'd perform that song" he says. "They'd heard the performance on the new record and they were looking for a way to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project and they called and asked if I'd do it."

He said yes, of course, and recently spent a few hours one afternoon at West Point practicing with the glee club. "It was a thrill," Adkins said of visiting the military academy.

"It's the least I can do," said Trace, who has performed on some USO tours and visited injured soldiers at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center

Wounded Warrior Project

.

Wild Thing's comment.......

Last night Nicholas and watched the Academy of Country Music Awards. It was done
in Las Vegas and the music was wonderful, there were some really special songs that won awards.
One in particular that was sung not for an award but for a cause, the Wounded Warrior Project and for our troops. Country awards shows have always been pretty special but last nights was beyond special.

I was so hoping there would be a video of it and there was, God was good to me. Because I wanted so much to share this part of the night with all of you.

Below I have put information about Lt. Andrew Kinard a warrior and an American hero. He was on the stage with Trace Atkins and introduced the song. Thank you Lt. Andrew Kinard, words cannot be enough for my gratitude that you loved America too and served our country. To say thank you to our wounded troops seems so small for all they have sacrificed and for all our Veterans and our troops active today. But it is a start, that first acknowledgment that America has been great and free because of each one of them. Never will we forget one single warrior, one single Veteran or service member..... Never.

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Marine Lieutenant Andrew Kinard was on patrol in Iraq and was hit by an IED (three other Marines were hit, too). Apparently, before shock set in, Kinard established security and asked about his men, then passed out. The damage to his body was extremely severe. I don't know who the hospital corpsman was who assisted Lt. Kinard, but I know that Kinard went into cardiac arrest twice and lost most of his blood - whoever that corpsman is, he is a miracle worker. Andrew was flown to Al Asad (by that time had used 67 units of blood), then Germany and now Bethesda. He has lost his right leg above the knee, the left leg at his pelvis, and he has lots of internal damage to his intestines, kidneys, etc. He's on a ventalator. He is fighting infections. He's been awake only a few times since his injury...

Marine 2nd Lt. Andrew Kinard of Spartanburg received a hero's welcome Sunday at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Wounded Marine to meet fellow warriors

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.

from April of 2007

"Welcome home, Lieutenant."

There was something victorious about the way Marine 2nd Lt. Andrew Kinard exited the beige minivan that brought him here from Ellis Airport Sunday.

It wasn't arrogance. Andrew often said he felt "honored" by the support he'd received. He regularly took the attention off himself, turning instead to his fellow Marines who kept fighting in Iraq when he was unable to.

"I just represent one person, out of all these Marines that really were willing to give their all," Andrew said. "I want to make sure to emphasize those who couldn't make it, the Marines who paid the ultimate price."

The nonprofit Hope for the Warriors foundation made possible the trip from Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and gave Andrew a $22,000 all-terrain wheelchair that can easily plow through snow and accommodate any hunting he might like to do.

He will spend most of this week at the Warrior House I, an on-base home fitted with a handicapped-accessible ramp and amenities. He'll have dinner with a general, and maybe get to play X-Box on a big-screen television with his buddies.

But the highlight of the week comes today, when Alpha Company -- Andrew's company -- gets home from a seven-month deployment.

In all, about 270 Marines and sailors from various arms of the 2nd Marine Division's 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion will roll into

Camp Lejeune today.

It's a moment Andrew has been waiting for since fully waking up in a hospital a month after the blast.

And, it's a moment that almost didn't happen.

Andrew had emergency surgery for an intestinal blockage just two weeks ago, a surgery his family wasn't sure he'd recover from in time to make it here.

But for months, the young Marine has been saying that "even if they had to push him down in a hospital bed, he was going to be here," his father, Dr. Harry Kinard said.

"This homecoming helped him get where he is today," said Cpl. Patrick Elswick, who has been with Andrew throughout his recovery.

"All the little details, and the struggles he had, this was his main focus. Even when he had setbacks, he'd work extra hard to get here."

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:55 AM | Comments (9)

April 02, 2009

Wrestling Divas Visit Troops in Afghanistan

Story by Spc. Opal Hood

Wide grins could be seen as troops from different branches and different countries eagerly got into a line that wrapped around the inside of the tent.

For more than two hours, Terry Runnels, Nora “Molly Holly” Greenwald, Christy Hemme and Shelly Martinez - former World Wrestling Entertainment Divas - signed autographs and posed for photos with service members and civilians at Bagram Air Field’s Morale, Welfare, and Recreation gym, March 24.

“Events like having the divas here give the troops a break,” said Air Force Capt. Carey Caudell, Task Force Warrior. “When you work seven days a week, you need something to take your mind off the day to day and just relax.”

For three of the four divas, this is their first trip to deployed troops, only Runnels had made a trip to Kuwait to visit troops before.

They were invited as part of the MWR’s effort to keep the morale of deployed troops high.

“The morale of troops is important because we are away from family and friends,” said Army Pvt. Nathan Brown, 101st Airborne Division Special Troops Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company.

“Things like this helps remind us that we are still supported.”

Hemme wanted to do the tour because she didn’t want the “filtered version of the war.” She wanted to see how things were for herself.

“People back home will never really understand how things are here without actually having ever been here,” said Martinez.

In addition to Bagram, the divas also visited a couple of forward operating bases. Due to weather issues, some planned visits to the smaller forward operating bases were cancelled.

“It felt as if my heart was ripped out when we realized we were going to miss a few stops”, said Hemme.

Christy Hemme, former wrestler for the World Wrestling Entertainment, signs an autograph for a Soldier. The WWE Divas of Wrestling signed autographs and took pictures for the troops of Bagram Air Field, March 24, at the Morale Welfare and Recreation Clamshell.

The women made every moment count by visiting with the troops as often as possible while touring the FOBs. Aside from meals, sleeping and an hour of shopping, the majority of their time was spent with troops.

Even during meals, they were happy to take a break for photos and autographs. Their goal was to show their appreciation to the troops and remind them that people from the States support them.

“It makes us happy to see [troops] happy,” said Runnels, who added she felt honored and humbled by her experience here.

The divas never said “you’re welcome” when troops thank them for being here, said Kevin Dessart, the diva’s tour manager. Their response was always “No! Thank you.”

From the looks on the troops faces during the meet and greet with the divas, the morale of a decent number of troops was uplifted by their presence here.

“The divas are the best tour we have had so far because of their genuine concern, curiosity and overall love for the troops,” said Air Force Master Sgt. Mark Gore, an MWR planner.

Wild Thing's comment.......

Big thank you to these girls. It is such an honor to be able to go to be able to thank our troops in person.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:50 AM | Comments (6)

March 08, 2009

In Country As NFL Players Visit Troops

Will Witherspoon, Danny Clark, Jared Allen and Larry Fitzgerald started their week-long tour in Kuwait.

NFL webstie

Touchdown "Welcome to Kuwait" flashed the neon lights as we exited Kuwait International Airport. And with that, the 43rd annual NFL-USO tour had finally begun.

Will Witherspoon is a self-described "Air Force Brat." His dad served 20 years in the Air Force, stationed at various bases across the country and around the globe. Will spent eight years of his childhood living in Germany when his father was stationed there and speaks fluent German.

Danny Clark of the Giants has two twin brothers. They will soon turn 24. Danny's brother Joshua, who is a Marine, will deploy in April for his third tour in Iraq. Danny's other brother, Jason, is in the Air Force. He recently reenlisted after having served a tour in Afghanistan and he is currently doing a one-year tour in Korea. Danny spent the day before departing for the USO tour with his brother Joshua, listening to all of his war stories and making sure to pay particular attention to Joshua's list of dos and don'ts while overseas.

Jared Allen's military roots run deep as well. His grandfather, Ray Allen, was a Marine for 23 years, rising from the rank of private to captain and serving in World War II. Jared's uncle just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq where he served as a medic. And perhaps closest to home for Jared, his younger brother Ronald Allen, Jr. recently enlisted in the Marine Corps. He is currently in boot camp at Camp Pendleton in California. Jared told me that "the only reason I'm not a Marine is because I could play football. Same with my dad -- he played football rather than becoming a Marine. But my brother decided to quit football in order to serve."

Larry Fitzgerald. The fourth and final player on this year's tour is Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals. Larry’s grandfather was a Lieutenant in the Army who won a purple heart for his service in Korea. In addition, his aunt and uncle, Paul and Sam Jones, are both Lieutenant Colonels in the Army. Larry even received a military-style education when he attended Valley Forge (Pa.) Military Academy for one year after high school. Larry's commitment to the troops, as with the other players, runs deep. One of his goals for the trip is to make sure that our men and women overseas know that "we haven't forgotten about them back home."

Day Two

Our first stop on day two was Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, which is the largest military base in the Middle East. It serves as a major staging point for all troops and supplies going into Iraq for OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom) as well as many supplies going into Afghanistan for OEF (Operation Enduring Freedom). Arifjan is a small town in itself -- up to 8,000 troops are on the base at any time and over 57,000 troops pass through it per year. It is also a lucrative "town" for the U.S. Kuwait pays our government $500 million per year to maintain a military presence at Arifjan and at other locations in the country to deter potential enemies from invading the oil-rich nation.

At Arifjan, we first visited and received a briefing from Lieutenant Colonel Luis Jones, the chief of staff on the base and one of the most honest and generous officers around.

Running a bit late on our schedule, our group opted to skip lunch and go directly to a pre-arranged meet-and-greet at the Arifjan Zone 1 MWR (morale, welfare, and recreation) Center.

Adrenaline rush
After receiving a briefing about KNB, the players were able to get a ride on one of the Navy's smaller, quick strike boats. This vessel, a 34-foot CR-Sea Ark with a special jet motor, was captained by E5 Rob Kohl, a Broncos fan from Los Angeles. E5 Kohl first gently piloted the boat out of the harbor for us and then revved up the engine to perform a few training tactics which included accelerating the boat to top speed (40 knots) and making sharp turns in either direction. E5 Kohl also gave the players a chance to pilot the boat, an opportunity that Will Witherspoon and Jared Allen jumped at. Jared was a natural in the cockpit right away, and Will only needed a few tries to figure out how to maneuver the vessel.

Our group signed autographs and took pictures with the entire crew and dock staff before departing. The boat ride was a definite highlight of the day.

From the dock it was over to the DFAC (dining facility) for a quick dinner and then off to our evening meet and greet. Dinner tonight was the group's first meal at a DFAC.

The day ended with a meet and greet at Camp Patriot . The evening started with autographs and photos but ended with our players throwing long passes to troops.

These sort of unscripted interactions are really what the USO tours are all about. The NFL recognizes that our games provide a great deal of entertainment and diversion for troops during the season. Srg. Christopher Cleighorn said of Camp Arifjan earlier today, "Football is how we get through the fall and winter. It's how we relax and have fun. When the games come on, it's how we mark that another week has passed."

Our USO tours during the offseason attempt to serve as a personal extension of that, but I think our troops on the frontline know that we support them throughout the year and that we'll be there to support them until the mission is done.

.

New York Giants LB Danny Clark wrote his own blog post about the trip so far, and explains why teamwork in the desert means so much more than on the gridiron

This trip is truly humbling. To see how many people it takes to make this machine work is truly astonishing. Lt. Colonel Jones spoke of “18,000 points of failure,” meaning there are over 18,000 troops in Kuwait at one time working together as one. You need every man and woman to get their job done at any cost.

We often draw many parallels in the game of football to the military and war mentality. While there are similarities, the difference can be fatal. If a running back misses a guy in pass protection, the worst thing that can happen is your QB gets blindsided for a 7-yard loss. If a pilot forgets to lock the hull of his vessel or a member of an infantry squad fails to do his job, every member of the team can lose their life. It’s amazing to see kids just 19 or 20 years old pay painstaking attention to detail.

At Camp Arifjan, we came in contact with more than 2,000 soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen. Whether it was signing autographs, taking pictures, shaking hands or even giving hugs, it was truly exhilarating for me at the rest of the guys. We also had an opportunity to have some fun by going out on a 34-foot Naval speedboat. Jared Allen jumped behind the wheel and performed some big donuts port side as well as starboard. Will Witherspoon (nicknamed Chestnut) took a turn next and did an impressive job behind the wheel.

Now today we just landed in Iraq, and I’m excited as ever. My brothers have touched this soil in the last few years, and I’m anxious to see how they lived. We all come from the same household, but we’ve had different experiences so far. I look to uplift every serviceman or woman I can and express my sincere gratitude for what they are doing for us back at home. Talk to you soon~ Danny Clark

Standing behind two Marines, NFL stars Danny Clark, Jared Allen, Will Witherspoon and Larry Fitzgerald donned Kevlar vests for the second leg of their trip to the Persian Gulf.

The U.S. Navy demonstrates the high manueverability of their jet-drive patrol boat as NFL players (L-R) Danny Clark, Jared Allen, Larry Fitzgerald and Will Witherspoon look on and wave Mar. 5, 2009.

shown here in body armor, and the Air Force flight crew, as they prepare to fly into the combat zone on a new C-130J (USAF)

Catching a ride in a C-130 is not like travel in a commercial aircraft - with web and canvas seats to make the long trips

L to R) NFL players Will Witherspoon, Larry Fitzgerald, Jared Allen and Danny Clark visit SFC Letizia Payne of Landover, MD, as she receives care at an EMF Hospital in the Persian Gulf Mar. 5, 2009. A staple in USO entertainment, the NFL teamed up with the USO more than 40 years ago and has continued its long-standing tradition of bringing celebrity sports figures to service members year-round. (Photo by Dave Gatley/USO)

L-R) Jared Allen - Defensive End Minnesota Vikings; Larry Fitzgerald - Wide Receiver Arizona Cardinals; Danny Clark - Linebacker New York Giants; Will Witherspoon - Linebacker St. Louis Rams all making the "Gunfighter's Solute" as they pose for photos with US Navy Corpsman Jose(which is copied from the their symbolized pair of striking Cobra snakes on their unit patches (the air crew fly the USMC Cobra helicopters (AH-1W)). (Photo by Dave Gatley/USO)

Posing for photos alongside a U.S. Navy patrol boat crew are (L-R) St. Louis Rams linebacker Will Witherspoon, Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, New York Giants linebacker Danny Clark and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald Mar. 5, 2009

USO Tour blog: Planes, helicopters and automobiles

The NFL is continuing this March its legacy of more than 40 years of sending players overseas to visit with U.S. military troops. The NFL's Director of Community Affairs, David Krichavsky, is accompanying four NFL players -- Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, New York Giants linebacker Danny Clark, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, and St. Louis Rams linebacker Will Witherspoon -- on a week-long tour to U.S. military bases in Iraq and Kuwait.

Following is Krichavsky's Day 3 blog:

Day 3 of the NFL-USO Tour began with a 5:30 a.m. wakeup call, as our goal was to travel from Kuwait to Iraq and still have a full day with the troops in-country. We accomplished our mission and then some, but more on that to follow.

After a short ride to a military airbase outside Kuwait City, our group was fitted with body armor. Fortunately, the military makes XXL Kevlar vests that fit the players. We then headed to the flight line to board a C130 airplane to Iraq. At the flight line, the players signed autographs and took pictures with the crew before boarding the plane. Jared Allen found himself in a conversation with Cpl. Matt Van Ens (Call sign: Cashmere) of Lowell, Mich., a Detroit Lions fan, and Cpl. Steven Glenn (Call sign: Most Def) of Brooklyn Center, Minn., a fan of Allen's Minnesota Vikings. The three were soon discussing the now-infamous play from a Lions-Vikings game this past season when an Allen pass rush helped cause Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky to run out the back of the end zone. Van Ens, the Lions fan, continues to have faith in his hometown team.

The players had been briefed regarding the C130, but they didn't fully grasp what it is like to ride in one until they entered the plane and were airborne. First, flying a C130 is loud. The four propellers cause a constant drone; it is for this reason that the crew hands you earplugs upon boarding. Riding in a C130 isn't particularly comfortable. The "seats" are vinyl benches that are suspended from the side walls of the plane. Nevertheless, the C130 has remained the workhorse of the U.S. Military for 50 years, transporting troops and supplies wherever they are needed.

After getting settled, Larry jokingly asked Staff Sgt. Rob Hurley, one of the very hospitable crew members, about the in-flight food and beverage service, adding that he would prefer the beef entrée to the fish option. Staff Sgt. Hurley was up to the challenge, though. He came back with a handful of MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) ranging from beef and broccoli to chicken pot pie to vegetable lasagna. Larry passed on the MRE, but Jared (as always) was game.

Following the direction on the MRE package, Jared added water to the entrée and waited a few minutes for the dehydrated food to constitute itself. Soon thereafter, Jared had a "breakfast" of Cajun rice, beans and sausage. "It's awesome!" Jared explained. "If I had these [MREs], when I was in college, I would have been all set. I'm going to grab a chicken and noodle one for my dad for later."

While Jared was enjoying the culinary delights of the U.S. military back in the hull of the C130, Danny Clark and Will Witherspoon had been invited to the cockpit to experience takeoff from the front of the plane. Will ended up staying in the cockpit for the entire 1½-hour flight. When I popped my head up there to check on him, I saw him sitting in the co-pilot's seat. When I asked him after we deplaned if he flew the plane at all, his response was "Can't tell you. I don't want to get anyone in trouble."

One thing I failed to mention about a C130 is that it is a painfully slow aircraft. Because our trip had us traveling the entire width of the country of Iraq, from the eastern border with Kuwait to our destination on the far western boarder with Syria and Jordan, we thankfully only took the C130 halfway to our destination. We made our "connecting flight" at Al Asad Airfield in central Iraq, just west of Baghdad. There, we picked up a CD Osprey Marine helicopter that zipped us to our destination, Camp Korean Village.

In the suburbs of nowhere
Camp Korean Village (CKV) is pretty close to the middle of nowhere. It sits at the far western edge of Iraq, at the country's three-point border with Syria and Jordan. In every direction you look from CKV, sand colors the horizon.

The one landmark at CKV is a major highway that cuts through the landscape. This highway is a very strategic thoroughfare because it serves as a major transportation route for commercial goods and sometimes arms and other black-market goods. In fact, the reason CKV got its name is because Saddam Hussein brought in indentured Korean workers early during his rule to work on the highway construction project. Those Korean workers lived in the same modest cement structures that now house our Marines.

Upon landing at CKV, our group was very graciously welcomed by the base command and escorted to lunch. The DFAC staff had reserved a large table for us in the center of the room, hung football pictures and figures from the ceiling, and designed an impressive model Lombardi Trophy as our table's centerpiece. The festive decorations were matched by the excellent chow (Mexican day: fajitas and tacos) that was declared our best DFAC food yet.

After lunch, we held a meet-and-greet for the 500 or so Marines on base. About 150 to 200 turned out to get an autograph and a photo with the players. This had to be almost every Marine who wasn't on patrol and was free to stop by and say hello. In fact, even the battalion chaplain, the inspirational Lt. Cmdr. Kobena Arthur, stopped by to thank Jared, Danny, Larry and Will for making the trip, and he offered a prayer for their safe travels. Even the chaplain, though, didn't leave before getting autographs and a photo with the players.

One final note on Camp Korean Village: The 2007 NFL-USO Tour actually visited this remote outpost with Tennessee Titans tight end Alge Crumpler, New England Patriots tight end Ben Watson, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shelton Quarles and former Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Will Shields. I also was part of that tour, as was USO tour manager Jeff Anthony, who is with us again this year. Jeff -- a former Marine who is not only great at his job of managing the logistics and operation of this tour but also has a deep reservoir of knowledge that he is willing to share -- is a veteran of more than 50 USO tours, including at least four NFL tours.

Returning to CKV two years later and listening to the Marines' description of their jobs made it clear to Jeff and I how much progress the U.S. has made in this region of Iraq. Our Marines are no longer participating in combat missions in most of Anbar province. The work that the Marines are doing is primarily helping the Iraqis find "Iraqi solutions to Iraqi problems," as Maj. Byron Duke told me at CKV.

As an example, our Marines have helped the Iraqis develop local police forces, established school systems to help educate both boys and girls, worked on civil-engineering projects and helped establish government Web sites. When U.S. combat forces pull out of Iraq in August of 2010, as President Obama has indicated, these elements of civil society will be needed to support Iraq.

Morale, welfare and recreation
From Korean Village, it was back to the osprey helicopters for a wild ride back east to Camp Al Taqaddum (TQ). I'm not sure if the chopper was practicing training with us or trying to show us a good time, but the dips and twists on this flight brought both stomach discomfort and calls for more from the players.

We eventually landed at TQ (no air-sickness bags needed) and were escorted to the command center, where we met with Gen. Juan Ayala, the top-ranking officer on base. The players not only received traditional military coins from the general but also American flags that had previously been flown on the base. Our group reciprocated by giving the general a limited-edition Super Bowl XLIII game coin, a replica of the one that General Petraeus used before the game in Tampa, Fla. We also presented Gen. Ayala with an NFL football autographed by our four USO stars.

Our day ended at TQ with a meet-and-greet and the MWR (Morale, Welfare and Recreation) center on base. After dinner, we saw a line of at least 100 people deep waiting for our players. By the end, this evening's session attracted well over 250 Marines, each one getting time to chat with the players, take pictures and just hang out.

As the last five or so Marines came through for autographs, I looked at Larry, Jared, Will and Danny -- still shaking hands, smiling and chatting away with the same enthusiasm as they had this morning. They had been up since 5:30 a.m. They were still jet-lagged. They had signed hundreds of autographs today and thousands in the past few days. They haven't said no to a single autograph request, and I feel like they have said hello to every single service member whom they have walked past. I couldn't be more proud of them. These guys have demonstrated over the past few days the commitment, dedication and passion for which the NFL stands.

Wild Thing's comment........

Awesome! A big thank you to these football players and to the USO. And a tremendously HUGE thank you to our troops every second of every day!

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:40 AM | Comments (6)

March 05, 2009

The Sack Lunch

The Sack Lunches

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. 'I'm glad I have a good book to read Perhaps I will get a short nap,' I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation. 'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me.

'Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Afghanistan

As I reached for my wallet, I overheard soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. 'No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to base'

His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. 'Take a lunch to all those soldiers.' She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. 'My son was a soldier in Iraq ; it's almost like you are doing it for him.'

Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, 'Which do you like best -beef or chicken?'

'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class. 'This is your thanks.'

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. 'I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.' He handed me twenty-five dollars.

When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, an said, 'I want to shake your hand.'

Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, 'I was a soldier and I was a military pilot.

Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.' I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs.

A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.

When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane.

Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word.

Another twenty-five dollars!

Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. 'It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.'

It seemed so little...

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life,wrote a blank check made payable to 'America for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'

That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.'

Wild Thing's comment......

This is wonderfull, I just love stories like this. God bless our Veterans, our troops and I pray more people do things like this.

.... Thank you John for sending this to me.

John
US Navy
62-68

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:44 AM | Comments (6)

February 16, 2009

New England Patriots Running Back Sammy Morris Visits Troops in Iraq

The soldiers wouldn't let Morris fire their weapons, but they at least let him pose like "Rambro."

Back row: Sammy Morris, Willie Roaf, Josh Wilson

Front row: Raiderettes Jovann Walker, Ariel Ogilvie, Meena Shams

New England Patriots Running Back Sammy Morris Visits the Troops in Iraq

Sammy Morris with a small group of NFL players and cheerleaders visited the troops and watched the Super Bowl XLIII with them.

Our group consists of Jody Pucello, the tour leader, Josh Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks, retired offensive lineman Willie Roaf, and three Oakland Raiderettes: Ariel Ogilvie, Jovann Canada, and Meena Shams.

Blog notes

It is great to be part of such a trip with a group of guys/gals that are down to earth and fun to be around -- even though Willie is terrible at dominoes!

We arrived in Kuwait after a long flight, got our bags and headed to our base. We pretty much laid low at that point, resting up for our first day of meet-and-greets with the troops.

Our first day had us going to two bases to sign autographs, take pictures and just hang out with the men and women serving there. Just walking around here is enough to make one appreciate what we have in the U.S. as well as what the troops do to ensure that. My brother is in the Air Force and I've talked to him while on various deployments. I've spoken with troops stateside, but being here is a remarkable experience and one I will always cherish.

"A large part of the day was spent traveling along the dusty, barren, camel-ridden highways of Kuwait. It's kind of funny driving along these roads and seeing absolutely nothing but the sandiest sand (if that even means anything) and then, out of nowhere, you see a Burger King! Then for another stretch of several quizillion dusty miles, you see not one single thing, then all of a sudden there's a strip mall adjacent to a large condo complex, and some guy selling beaded necklaces. Very different from what I'm used to (and by the way, "quizillion" is actually an ancient term which, in English, literally translates to "Damn, that's a lot of dirt!")

What I really found interesting was that among all this dirt, you would occassionally see these tents scattered around or sometimes in clusters varying in size and color. When we asked what they were, our security escort said they were basically families choosing to live in the desert to sort of "get back to their roots." I'm unsure of how long each family does so, but I found it amazing that people chose to bring their families out into basically nothing. "

The meet-and-greets put on by the people from Pro Sports MVP are a fun and relaxed way to meet the troops. Although I'm quite sure they enjoy meeting, greeting and taking pictures with the cheerleaders more than Willie Roaf, Josh Wilson and myself, I still get a kick out of it when the troops ask to take pictures with me holding their guns! I'm always like, "Man, I was hoping you would ask! Can I shoot a couple rounds too?!" ... negative. Oh well, once again I took the opportunity to play tough and actually somehow managed to take a Rambo-type picture, minus the bandana, while holding two guns at the same time! I call it 'Rambro'-ridiculous. I know, but it was just too tempting and easy! To give you an idea of how small the world is, while visiting the soldiers at "The Rock", I actually met not one but two people who knew my dad back in Texas.

The drive back to our base was probably highlighted by our attempts to feed the camels while driving by. It basically turned into Josh throwing fruit at the camels while they stared at us like "stupid Americans."

We were also invited to a naval base and were allowed to not only take a boat ride, but drive one as well!

Getting to drive it was an experience in itself. The water was a bit choppy, so probably not the ideal learning situation, but going about 35 m.p.h. in these boats feels a lot faster than doing 35 in a car. I imagine driving on a still surface has something to do with that as well!

As our first day came to a close, I realized a few similarities in how the troops operate as a team and the way I do as an athlete. We both rely on others to ensure success and we both practice in anticipation of the "real thing."

"On a personal level, coming here is an example of the things I try to teach my kids. Gratitude, humbleness, etc., are all things I've experienced in my short time here."

I got to sit and chat with a soldier who happened to be a life-long Patriots fan, and he explained how he would watch our games before departing on a mission and how watching us play would brighten his day. That's just one of the humbling conversations I've had, where a soldier tells me that what I do helps him when he willfully goes into harm's way! Unbelievable."

Aside from an armed soldier at the table, this picture could have been taken anywhere. Who knew they had Subway shops in Kuwait?

Close-up view of an Apache helicopter

Gunner's view from a Blackhawk chopper.

Blackhawk in flight.

Blackhawks on the tarmac.

This trip marked the first time Sammy had ever seen a camel in person, so he documented the experience with a photo.

General Raymond Odierno, the Commanding General of the Multi-National Force in Iraq.

Apache pilot Mr. Freeze gives Sammy a firsthand look at the helicopter's cockpit.

General Jeffery Hammond briefed Sammy on some of the locations of heavy combat n Iraq.

Wild Thing's comment......

It is always interesting to me when someone goes to visit our troops and what they say about it. What stands out to them and it also tells a lot about the person that they will take home in their hearts forever.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:48 AM | Comments (2)

January 27, 2009

173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team

HOOAH!

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:48 AM | Comments (4)

January 26, 2009

Lonestar Rocks Joint Base Balad

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary at the Sustainer Theater Jan. 21. Outside, the mission continued, a pair of F-16s could be heard taking off in the background. Inside was anything but the same as Joint Base Balad members danced in the aisles, laughed, sang and even cried during a special morale event.

332nd Air Expeditionary Wing

By Staff Sgt. Dilia Ayala
332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary at the Sustainer Theater Jan. 21. Outside, the mission continued, a pair of F-16s could be heard taking off in the background. Inside was anything but the same as Joint Base Balad members danced in the aisles, laughed, sang and even cried during a special morale event.

Country music group Lonestar and comedian Greg Vaccariello performed for more than 750 service members and civilians as part of “Inaugural Tour January 2009,” sponsored by Stars for Stripes; Morale, Welfare and Recreation; U.S. Army Europe; and Armed Forces Entertainment.

Opening for Lonestar, Vaccariello got the night started by setting an upbeat mood. The audience was all smiles as the show began.

“Greg was extremely funny. He really got things going, and most importantly, he did it without being vulgar,” said Staff Sgt. Michelle Stocker, 332nd AEW protocol non-commissioned, deployed from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas.

“I was really excited that Lonestar took time out of what they normally do to come and visit us,” continued the Sweetwater, Texas, native. “It really helped increase morale. What made it even better is that they are from Texas.”

During the performance, Lonestar keyboardist Dean Sams shared his appreciation for service members in attendance on behalf of the band.

“Let us share with each and every single one of y’all that we have the utmost respect for the manner in which you handle such an awesome, awesome task over here,” Sams said. “You are all truly amazing people. We have these little rubber wrist bands that were give to us by Stars for Stripes and they read, ‘Entertaining our Heroes’ and that is exactly what each and every one of you are. We just want to say, ‘thank you.’”

After sharing his admiration, the band played “I’m already there,” a song about missing the ones you love back home, which Lonestar dedicated to all those serving at JBB and throughout the area of operation.

“We’ve had a lot of hits over the years, but this song really ranks on top as one of the songs that means the most to us,” Sams said. “It’s not because of how many records we’ve sold, but because of all the letters and e-mails you all have sent to us telling us how much it means to you.”

“I want to tell you, we dedicate this song to [all service members] and [their] families every time,” he continued. “Thank you for the sacrifices you make. God bless each and every one of you.”

As the band played the song, service members and civilians alike listened, some cried and others sang along softly.

“When they played ‘I’m Already There,’ my eyes welled up,” Stocker said. “It meant a lot that they dedicated that song to us. It had the perfect meaning to how each and every one of us feel. Especially those who have been here for a while and are days from going home.”

The night continued with the band playing several well-known rock favorites and a few surprises as some service members were invited on stage to take impromptu group photos with Lonestar.

After all was said and done, the band and Vaccariello stayed for a few hours to meet, greet and take photos with those in attendance. By midnight, Sustainer Theater stood quietly in the night sky, both on the outside and the inside.

Brig. Gen. Brian Bishop, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing commander, speaks with the members of the country music group, Lonestar, before their performance at Sustainer Theater Jan. 21. Bishop thanked the group for their time and support of deployed service members.

Cody Collins of the country music group Lonestar sneaks up behind two Soldiers as they pose for a photo in front of the stage during a performance, Jan. 21. Lonestar held a meet-and-greet following the concert. The group is touring Iraq and Kuwait as part of a morale, welfare and recreation event.

Dean Sams of the country music band, Lonestar, plays harmonica during a performance at the base theater, Jan. 21. Sams also provides keyboard and background vocals for the band. The theater was filled with more than 750 military personnel from the Air Force, Army, Marines and Navy.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:40 AM | Comments (9)

January 12, 2009

California Woman Raises Troop Morale With 'Pin-Ups for Vets' Calendar

California Woman Raises Troop Morale, Funds With 'Pin-Ups for Vets' Calendar

FOX news

Pin-up art — a morale-booster for troops fighting overseas during World War II — is making a comeback, or will be if a California woman has anything to say about it.

Gina Elise, 26, is bringing retro back with her third annual "Pin-Ups for Vets" calendar, which features herself in costumes and poses that were popular among America's fighting men in the 1940s. Profits from the sales of the calendars provide assistance to U.S. military hospitals.

About two years ago, I started hearing stories of wounded soldiers that were coming back to underfunded hospitals, so I just decided that I really wanted to do something to help out,” Elise told FOXNews.com. “I‘ve always been a huge fan of the pin-up era, so I figured I can sort of combine my love for this era to not only use the money for the hospitals but also help boost morale with the calendars themselves.”

The UCLA grad started spreading the word about the project in hopes of enlisting some help.

“Some people thought I was nuts," she said. "But I have a lot of friends that are artists and photographers and costume designers that actually donated their time and services. Wal-Mart also gave me a community grant to help get the project off the ground.”

And it soared right to the Web. At Pinupsforvets.com, with a donation of $22 or more, anyone can purchase a calendar for themselves, a hospitalized veteran or a deployed service member, along with a personal message of appreciation.

If the calendar is being sent overseas, Elise mails it in a care package. For those recovering in U.S. hospitals, she hand-delivers every calendar.

“I go there and I ask things like their name and their birthday and show them their birth month on the calendar. A lot of these veterans don’t get visitors, so to see their reaction when I show up is really rewarding,” she said.

“At one VA hospital in San Diego, I left the room after talking to a veteran and all the nurses rushed toward me saying they were in shock because he’d suffered a traumatic brain injury and that was the first time he’d spoken in a month!”

Loreleye Winn, director of voluntary resources at San Diego’s Veterans Affairs hospital, recalled one of Elise’s visits.

“She was dressed like a '40s pin-up lady, and she passed out some calendars to the patients and went around to their bedsides,” Winn said. “They really enjoyed it and it just was a pleasure to have someone come in and visit.”

Winn isn’t the only one singing "Pin-Ups'" praises.

“There have been five flags flown over military bases in Iraq in honor of the project, and I also received the 2007 California Junior Chamber of Commerce’s Outstanding Young Californian award,” Elise said.

Thus far, “Pin-Ups for Vets” has raised $20,000, with proceeds from 2007 going to Loma Linda VA Hospital in Loma Linda, Calif., and proceeds from 2008 awarded to San Diego’s Naval Medical Center.

And Elise says she gets back more than she gives.

“It’s really inspiring when you are going into these hospitals, especially Walter Reed, where they have the most severe cases, and you’re seeing double amputees, triple amputees, people with severe illnesses, and yet they’re still so strong,” she said. “They’re some of the bravest people I’ve ever met.”

webiste for her project

http://www.pinupsforvets.com/behindtheproject.html

Wild Thing's comment........

What a great idea, I just love things that make the day better for our Veterans and our troops.

......Thank you Lynn for this story.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:47 AM | Comments (17)

January 10, 2009

'On the Road in Iraq With Our Troops and Gary Sinise' ~ On FOX Tonight

In this exclusive FOX News documentary, actor and activist Gary Sinise shares the "on the road" experiences he had last summer in Iraq while visiting American troops.

Some 25 hours of his adventure was captured verite style with a handheld camera. Sinise does his best to meet his goal of what he says is "5000 handshakes, 2000 miles in seven days."

The personal footage captures heartfelt meetings between Sinise and the troops in Kuwait and the Iraqi cities of Al Qaim, Al Asad, Ramadi and Baghdad.

Fox News Chanel
Time:Saturday 9 p.m. ET....... Repeats Sun., January 11 at midnight ET

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:55 AM | Comments (7)

December 24, 2008

Thanks To Dan Lauria and Marine Corps the Movie "The Spirit" Will Show In Iraq and Kuwait

'Wonder Years' star works wonder for troops

'I just felt that, why don't we open for the men in harm's way?'

wnd

A top Hollywood star has decided to spend this Christmas taking a copy of the Christmas Day release "The Spirit" to U.S. soldiers in the Middle East.

Actor Dan Lauria, who starred on television's "The Wonder Years," and has been in movies including "Never Say Die" and "Independence Day," told WND he doesn't understand why more special efforts aren't being made to provide soldiers relief from the intensity of fighting the war on terror.

"We have a number of films opening during the Christmas week," he told WND, "and I just felt that, why don't we open them for the men in harm's way?"

"I don't understand why every film is not sending one, at a least a copy over," he said. "I understand we're in a lot of trouble right now, especially the economy, but the war is page 20 in the newspaper. The nightly news hardly reports anything about what's going on."

The issue, he said, is that without the military's work to protect the basic freedoms Americans enjoy, even the economy's difficulties wouldn't matter a great deal.

Lauria said he decided he wanted to do something for the soldiers.

"The USO said it was too late (to make arrangements), so I just went through the Marine Corps," he said. "We have two different types of discs. I'll see five different bases in the three days."

"I just want to make sure that over the holidays, they're not forgotten," he said.

Lauria will be in both Iraq and Kuwait to screen the movie. Plans have been made to show it in Kuwait Christmas Eve and then move into Iraq Christmas Day.

A release to soldiers in combat zones at the same time a movie is released in the U.S. is rare, according to promoters.

But because of the "invaluable service that our troops give to this country, they above anyone deserve a special gift this holiday season and, while they can't be with their loved ones, we can at least give them a touch of home to enjoy and a break from the rigors of fighting," Lauria said.

The movie decidedly is entertainment, he said.

"''The Spirit' is very hard to explain," he said. "It's more like a comic book. It's where the future lies. It's sending a message it's the next step in what film and creativeness will go to.

"I hope it really inspires," he said. "I hope it sparks their creativeness, makes them feel like when they come back from this ordeal, almost anything is possible.

"If you can imagine it, it can be created," he said.

Lauria is joined in "The Spirit" by Gabriel Macht, Eva Mendes, Paz Vega, Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson.

Lauria plays Commissioner Dolan in the feature about police officer Denny Colt, who is killed but returns to continue fighting crime.

The role allowed Lauria to explore his interest in 1940s movies.

"The actors in those films, particularly in film noir, speak at a very rapid pace. … I would just fly through my dialogue, which gave it an edge that I love," he said.

Lauria, whose own duty in the Marines included a tour in Vietnam and the rank of captain, worked with "300" creator Frank Miller on the new project. It is being released by Lionsgate.

The film was adapted from the writings of Will Eisner and uses storytelling and graphics to create a stylized world of adventure, danger and romance.

The PG-13 project tells the story of Colt, a murdered officer who is reborn mysteriously as the masked crime fighter. He is determined to keep his beloved Central City safe and pursues villains from the shadows. His ultimate target is the "psychotic megalomaniac" Octopus.

Wild Thing's comment..........

Fantastic! I agree, more people should do this kind of thing with their films. Our troops LOVE movies, the list of things to send them always included vidoes especially action films. I am so glad Lauria is doing this and did not stop his idea when the USO was unable to do it. The USO is great but they plan very far ahead. And Lauria did not give up.

YESssssssssss good one!!!

HERE IS THE TRAILER FOR THE MOVIE....JUST CLICK TO SEE IT.

....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:55 AM | Comments (5)

December 22, 2008

Honoring Heroes at the Holidays ~ MAF Heads To GITMO

Honoring Heroes at the Holidays

Move America Forward

The Honoring Heroes at the Holidays Tour is now officially complete, but the MAF team has one more little stop...Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

MAF (Move America Forward ) will be sending Chairman Melanie Morgan, Gold Star mom Debbie Lee, Executive Director Cat Moy, Ryan Gill and Danny Gonzalez with Kylie Williams off to Guantanamo Bay to visit the troops there and bring them special tidings of comfort and joy for Christmas!

Kylie was Ms. Florida 2007 and went on to compete in the Miss America Pageant. She has her own non-profit organization called Realistic Support for the Troops and is also designated Official Ambassador for Veteran’s Advocacy for the State of Florida. Kylie helped to make our trip to GITMO happen by using her contacts in Florida and GITMO to help facilitate our visit.

How You Get in Without Chains on Your Wrists

It was 10 AM this morning, we were all set to go in Ft. Lauderdale but there was a slight mix up when we didn’t know, and the pilots for the Navy didn’t know, whether we were supposed to go fly out of Miami or Ft. Lauderdale. We were waiting in Ft. Lauderdale at a private hangar waiting for the military to show up, but then we got a call saying they were waiting for US in Miami (with Kylie) so they said they would come pick us up in Ft. Lauderdale and about 40 minutes later a prop plane showed up in Ft. Lauderdale with Kylie Williams and 3 U.S. Navy pilots on board ready to pick up the MAF team.

In just a few minutes we were up in the air and on our way to Cuba. It’s a three hour flight out of Ft. Lauderdale because you usually take a route around the eastern edge of the country and then turn westward and loop around the island into Guantanamo Bay. This is because we usually do not have access to Cuban airspace but Joe from the Navy told me that even if you cut across the country it only saves you thirty minutes.

THEY’RE HERE—The US Navy arrives to pick us up!!

The us navy has brought their c-12 prop plane here with Kylie Williams direct from Miami international airport!

it was a tenuous situation here at the FBO office (a private part of ft. lauderdale airport) and were not sure if we were going to make it because of a mixup on where the plane was supposed to be and where we were supposed to be but it turned out the US Navy came through for us!

Kylie is here, Mel and Cat and Debbie are here and we’re all ready to go in about five minutes!!! we had JUST BARELY enough time to shoot this little video…

MAF going to GITMO -- waiting to take off!

OK. The secret’s out. I am headed to one of the most dreaded, brutal, bloody spots in the world – if you’re a liberal.
Gitmo. The word sends lefties running to the bong for another hit of weed to ease their misery. I’m looking forward to seeing with my own eyes the base where we cage beasts that want to cut our throats because we aren’t radical Muslims.

I have to admit – I also want to warm myself. Despite what Al Gore-ites say, we in Northern California haven’t experienced global warming. In fact, I have to crank up the heat – bless me Algore, for I have sinned – to defrost my bones in the morning.

Anyway, my nonprofit, Move America Forward, thought it was high-tim e to travel to Guantanamo Bay to thank our troops for their steadfast work with some of the most vicious beings to walk this earth (aside from Code Pink freaks I’ve met on the streets of Berkeley).

Over the past couple of weeks, MAF has traveled the country to hold rallies for our troops. Patriots have come out to the rallies and g one to our Website at www.moveamericaforward.org and sponsored care packages for our troops.

Yes, we actually love our troops and respect them for their work keeping us safe. We are also aware that the left in this country wants to close Gitmo.

Important safety tip to you whiney liberals: If you want to close Guantanamo Bay like your leader, Barack Obama, you need to make your home their home. That’s right. But make sure that you don’t offend them. Call them to prayer five times a day. Feed them culturally appropriate food. Give them prayer caps, prayer rugs and prayer beads and a brand new Koran. They’re used to all of these items, thanks to the dreaded Americans who run Gitmo.

But make sure to put away the kitchen knives, or you may wake up in the morning without your head.

Tune in later when I give you the lowdown on club Gitmo. I plan to eat well, relax, and kick back in the 80-degree weather after some afternoon waterboarding!!

Mostly, though, I’m going to thank our troops for keeping us safe from the real live monsters that are foaming at the mouth to get at us.

Guantanamo Bay: First Impressions

We landed softly and taxied in quickly, loaded up into two trucks with all our gear and went down to a little harbor that is right next to the airstrip. We boarded a boat called the GITMO Queen and took a short ride across the bay where the Navy pilots were pointing out all the local landmarks. Guantanamo Bay has lots of manatees in the water and there are a whole mess of old and historical buildings. For example, in testament to the fact that GTMO has been in use as a military installation for decades, there are a couple old forts situated in the outskirts of the bay.

There is also an old hospital where the Cubans used to quarantine patients when they had an outbreak of some sickness they did not want to spread. We also saw lots and lots of old warehouses that used to house sea planes and other things but have since been converted. From the boat we were also able to see the base HQ, a power plant that supplies energy for the whole base, and “the skipper’s house” which is now under renovations so the skipper lives in the BEQ where we are staying.

The MWR (which stands for Morale, Welfare and Recreation) treated us to some of the excellent local dining, a fast food-type joint called The Jerk House which had some AWESOME food! I got me some jerked pork and rice and it was delicious. Tomorrow morning we have an early start and a full day’s schedule of stops and tours where we will explore everything that goes on down here in Guantanamo Bay. Keep emailing the MAF account and keep up with us on our journey!

Wild Thing's comment.........

I love reading about the support of our troops. There are so many organizations and so many they do a lot of good. This one Move America Forward is excellent and has done a lot to support our troops. Not only that but they also have been active in the protests to counter the protests of the Code Pink at the Marine recruiting offices in San Francisco and other places.

God bless our troops and all those that support them and their mission.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:50 AM | Comments (8)

December 12, 2008

Patriot Guard Riders and Snowball Express California

The Patriot Guard Riders have been invited to attend the SNOWBALL EXPRESS arrival and departure at Sacramento International Airport on December 16, 2008 . It arrives at 11:08 am and departs at 11:48 am. Terminal B American Airlines.

Patriot Guard Riders to arrive at 09:00 HRS and greet the Children of those Military Fallen Heroes who will be boarding the "Snowball Express".

The PGR will be escorting the children from the curbside to the gate. If you plan on attending this event you MUST let me know asap. American Airlines will be issuing special passes to riders to enter the restricted areas to escort the Children to the gates.

Bill Hawkins

Patriot Guard Riders - Regional Ride Captain, Sacramento - NorCal

Email

Wild Thing's comment.........

This is so awesome what they are doing. I love the Patriot Guard Riders and the Snowball Express really does a lot of good too. Thank God for these that know how important it is NEVER to Forget.

The "Snowball Express" was created so that Americans and businesses could honor and pay tribute to the children (and parents) of those military fallen heroes who have died while honorably serving since 9/11. The program started in December of 2006 when nearly 900 family members from all across America and the world gathered in Southern California for an unforgettable holiday gathering. In Nov 2007, over 1,100 children and surviving parents attended (as guests of Americans, corporations, and service groups who donated their time, money and resources) yet another healing event. Kids, parents, and widows discovered they weren't alone. And they found they weren't forgotten.

The Snowball Express flight on the West coast will originate in Seattle (45 people will board), make a stop at PDX (23 people will board), and another stop in Sacramento (35 people will board) before arriving in Southern California. This flight is one of six in the U.S. all destined for the same place (Disneyland/Universal Studios).

At Sacramento the Sacramento Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker (soldiers, mice, party children, and the Nutcracker) will be costumed at the theater and transported to the airport to offer a festive atmosphere. The soldiers will “Stand Guard” at the gate as the passengers board. The Sacramento Ballet is also bringing equipment to play Holiday Music. This is an event that we all will never forget and what a wonderful way to help the children celebrate the Holiday Season. We will never forget the fallen!

Snowball Express is dedicated to helping the children of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces since 9/11.

On December 16th through December 20th of this year, Snowball Express will host 2000 children and surviving spouses in Southern California, from all across America, for an all-expense paid holiday gathering none of them will ever forget.

The price of freedom for these families is paid every day with the loss of a loved one.

Their heroes died as Americans. Let's step up as Americans and help their families

....Thank you Cuchieddie for sending this to me.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:47 AM | Comments (4)

December 07, 2008

Wrestle Mania Rocks Camp Victory

WWE's sixth annual Tribute to the Troops program airs Dec. 20 at 9/8 CT on NBC, featuring exciting matches from Raw, SmackDown and ECW Superstars' live performance in the Middle East. WWE's mission to bring its unique form of entertainment to the U.S. servicemen and women in Iraq also bridges the American public with those who continue to fight in the name of freedom. Tune in to NBC at 9/8 CT on Dec. 20 for this poignant holiday special.

WWE website

World Wrestling Entertainment Divas Kelly Kelly and Eve, leave the ring after their fight as part of the WWE's Tribute to the Troops Tour Dec. 5 in front of the Al Faw Palaceon.

World Wrestling Entertainment's wrestler, John Cena, holds up the United States flag while paying a tribute to the troops in Iraq

Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldiers gather around the World Wrestling Entertainment ring, raise their right hand and re-enlist to serve their country before the WWE wrestlers took the ring during the Tribute to the Troops Tour held in front of the Al Faw Palace on Dec. 5.

(From left to right) John Morrison, Jeff Hardy and R Truth, World Wrestling Entertainment wrestlers, pose with Soldiers after their fight during the Tribute to the Troops Tour, held in front of the Al Faw Palace Dec. 5.

Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond, a Hattisburg, Miss. native, commanding general, Multi-National Division-Baghdad, poses with Vince McMahon, World Wrestling Entertainments chairman, before the WWE wrestlers took the ring during the Tribute to the Troops Tour

Wrestle Mania Rocks Camp Victory

By Spc. Benjamin Crane and Pfc. Lyndsey Dransfield

Multi-National Division-Baghdad Public Affairs Office

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq

Hundreds of service members gathered in front of Al Faw Palace Dec. 5, to watch World Wrestling Entertainment wrestlers lay the smack down.

John Cena, Chris Jericho, the Big Show and the WWE Divas headlined the Tribute to the Troops Tour.

Troops from all of the Victory Base Complex came out to cheer on their favorite stars. Some even waited in line for three hours before the barriers were opened so they could get a ringside view of the action.

“I was extremely excited when I heard about this because I grew up watching wrestling with my dad and my friends back home,” said Spc. Scott Snow, a Garland, Texas, native, with Company B, Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad. “I got here at 8:15 a.m. and there was already a line”

The troops stormed toward the ring when the gates opened at 10 a.m. for a day to enjoy and boost their morale.

“I really appreciate it because they realize we do so much for the country. Then by them coming out here, they support us. It raises a lot of morale for a lot of people and I really enjoy watching,” said Sgt. Molly Stoklosa, a native of Ely, Minn., and part of the 4th Inf. Div. Band.

Before the fights began, Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond, commanding general of MND-B re-enlisted one hundred Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers.

Spc. Jerry Ewell was one of the soldiers that decided it was a good opportunity to rededicate his service to his county and see his favorite wrestlers at the same time.

“I want to make the Army a career,” said Ewell, an Idaho native, who serves with the Special Troops Battalion 2nd Brigade, 1st Inf. Div., MND-B. He talked to his retention non-commissioned officer and was told he could be ringside when he was sworn in.

“My favorite wrestler is John Cena and I really hope to meet him,” said Ewell. “He knows what the troops are like because his dad was a Marine.”

Whether or not Ewell got the chance to meet Cena is a mystery, but most likely he was thrilled when at the end of the show Cena proudly held his championship belt over his head and paid a special tribute to the service members.

“This vacation means a lot to me and it means a lot to spend it with you guys. I am surrounded by the most disciplined, courageous unbelievable bunch in the universe and I am proud of each and every one of you,” he yelled to the crowd as they threw their hands in the air and cheered in unison.

This is the sixth year the WWE wrestlers have volunteered to perform for the troops in Iraq and according to Vince McMahon, chairman and promoter of the WWE, it certainly won’t be the last.

“All of our performers want to come year after year. It’s an extraordinary personal experience for them to be able to interact with our Armed Forces,” McMahon said. “It’s the biggest event we do all year, bigger than Wrestle Mania. We get more out of it than any other event. It’s the least we can do as patriots; to come over here and show some appreciation for all of the good work these men and women do.”

Wrestler and entertainer, the Big Show, has been coming to Iraq since 2003 and personally continues to come back each year because of the feeling he gets when he’s around Soldiers.

“I know we are supposed to be a big morale booster for the Soldiers, but I find myself being inspired when we come over here,” said the Big Show. “I love everything about the Armed Forces and I’m a proud American.”

Over two months ago Maj. Michael McGregor, a Roaring Springs, Pa. native, deputy of personnel office with 4th Inf. Div, MND-B, was appointed as officer in-charge of coordination and planning for the event.

“We met with the set design staff, who came over before time and gave us a layout of how the venue would work,” said McGregor. “When the staff landed they just needed to add the finishing touch.”

But McGregor said, it’s not the set design or the venue layout that make the event so significant each year. It’s the unique opportunity service members in theater have to meet and see people they may not otherwise have the opportunity to see.

“WWE wrestlers are larger than life to most of our Soldiers, so they carry a certain amount of mystery or amazement for people,” said McGregor.

“When you go to a concert in the United States the entertainers don’t do a meet and great after the show where everyone gets an autograph, but they do here because they are appreciative of what the Soldiers do for them and our country, he said. “I don’t think these entertainers realize that for some, this is a dream come true.”

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:48 AM | Comments (10)

December 05, 2008

The Marine Corps Toys for Tots

The Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation kicked off its annual toy drive with a ceremony in Virginia. Country music star Aaron Tippin was the featured guest.

Marines Toys for Tots website

About The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation

The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is a not for profit organization authorized by the U.S. Marine Corps and the Department of Defense to provide fundraising and other necessary support for the annual Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. Now in its 61st year, Toys for Tots provides joy and a message of hope to economically disadvantaged children through the gift of a new toy during the Christmas holiday season. Our gifts offer these children hope, recognition and a positive memory they will cherish for a lifetime. Many of the gifts we provide, such as books, games and sports equipment, make a significant contribution to the educational, social and recreational development of these children. In 2007, Marines distributed gifts to 7.5 million children in over 600 communities nationwide. The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation relies on individual donations from the American public as well as support from corporate sponsors.

Wild Thing's comment.........

Several years ago I had the opportunity to work with Toys for Tots with the Marine Corps. We had a Television marathon over the weekend that year and it was so wonderful to see so many people responding.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:45 AM | Comments (6)

December 03, 2008

Let's Say Thanks To Our Troops

Let's Give Thanks website by Xerox

You can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq.

Let's Give Thanks website

The postcards, depicting patriotic scenes and hometown images, were selected from a pool of entries from children across the country.

All you have to do is click on your favorite design and either select the message that best expresses your sentiment or draft a personal note. The postcards are then printed on the Xerox , and mailed in care packages by military support organization Give2TheTroops®.

Xerox is committed to helping people across the nation express their gratitude to our troops overseas. The launch of this program is aimed at reminding them how much Americans appreciate their service.

Wild Thing's comment......

They had this last year and I am so glad they are doing it again. It is a wonderful idea and it is so worth it.

......Thank you RAC for sending this to me.

RAC has a website that is awesome. 336th Assault Helicopter Company

13th Combat Aviation Battalion - 1st Aviation Brigade - Soc Trang, Republic of Vietnam

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:45 AM | Comments (4)

November 18, 2008

Operation Project Valour-IT

Every year I pick a different branch of the service, since all were represented in my family and we have to pick only one. I wish we could do all of them but it is a competition between the service branches competition to see who can raise the most for the Soldier’s Angels project to get adaptive laptops to wounded warriors. -- Wild Thing

The Valour-IT Veterans Day fundraiser, a friendly competition among blogs, will run through
November 27, 2008 (Thanksgiving).

Project Valour-IT, in memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss (Captain Chuck Ziegenfuss' father), provides voice-controlled software and laptop computers to wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand and arm injuries or amputations at major military medical centers. Operating laptops by speaking into a microphone, our wounded heroes are able to send and receive messages from friends and loved ones, surf the 'Net, and communicate with buddies still in the field without having to press a key or move a mouse.

For DONATIONS

Just click the button for the branch you prefer or join me in clicking the one for the ARMY.

The snail mail address for those who'd rather donate that way . Be sure to put which branch ( ARMY, NAVY, AIR FORCE, MARINES, COAST GUARD) on the check. - Thank you Wild Thing

Soldiers' Angels
Project Valour-IT Fund - ARMY TEAM
1792 E. Washington Blvd
Pasadena, Ca 91104

All funds received go directly to our wounded troops; 100% of your donation to Project Valour-IT will be used to purchase laptops and other technology that will support recovery and provide independence and freedom to wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:48 AM | Comments (2)

November 17, 2008

Give Thanks To A Recovering American Soldier - CORRECTION

Now is the time we can send Christmas/Hannukah/holiday greeting cards to the troops .

When you are making out your Christmas card list this year......this is an important announcement.

There is an email going around and so many of us thought it was correct. It is not. I just heard from Walter Reed and they want to let us all know about sending Christmas and holiday cards and what to do. There are changes that were not in the email.

VERY Important!!

Walter Reed Army Medical Center officials want to remind those individuals who want to show their appreciation through holiday cards addressed to 'Any Wounded Soldier' or 'A Recovering American Soldier' that Walter Reed cannot accept these !!!!!

This decision was made to ensure the safety and well being of patients and staff at medical centers throughout the Department of Defense. In addition, the U.S. Postal Service is no longer accepting "Any Service Member" or "A Recovering American Soldier" cards/mail.

As Walter Reed continues to enhance the medical care and processes for our returning service members, it must also must keep our patients and staff members safe while following Department of Defense policy. The outpouring of encouragement from the general public, corporate America and civic groups throughout the past year has been incredible. Our Warriors in Transition are amazed at the thanks and support they receive from their countrymen.

For the 2008 holiday season, the Red Cross is sponsoring a "Holiday Mail for Heroes" program to distribute holiday cards to service members, a program that encompasses not just troops who are recovering in military hospitals but also service members stationed throughout the U.S. and abroad, as well as veterans and their families:

The American Red Cross will sponsor a national "Holiday Mail for Heroes" campaign to receive and distribute holiday cards to service members and veterans both in the US and aboard. Holiday Mail for Heroes, which begins on Nov. 11, Veteran's Day, is a follow-up to the successful 2007 effort that resulted in the collection and distribution of over 600,000 cards to hospitalized service members. This year's program will expand its reach to not only wounded servicemembers but also veterans and their families. The goal is to collect and distribute 1 million pieces of holiday mail.

"As we enter this holiday season — a time to celebrate with family and friends — it's important to remember the thousands of men and women who serve our nation in harm's way and those who are recovering in military and veterans hospitals," said Army Col. Norvell V. Coots, commander, Walter Reed Health Care System. "The Holiday Mail for Heroes program is a wonderful outreach effort and a great way to acknowledge the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform."

Please send cards to this address, following the guidelines listed below:

Holiday Mail for Heroes
PO Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

Please note that the referenced guidelines are important — many contributors have been disappointed in the past to find that they missed the mailing deadline or sent gifts and other types of materials that could not be delivered:

* All cards must be postmarked no later than Wednesday, December 10, 2008. Cards sent after this date will be returned to sender.

* Please ensure that all cards are signed.

* Please send cards as opposed to long letters which delay a quick review process.

* Please do not include email or home addresses on the cards, as the program is not meant to foster pen pal relationships.

* Please do not include inserts of any kind, including photos, as these items will be removed during the reviewing process.

* Participants should limit the number of cards they submit to 25 from any one person or 50 from any one class or group.

Also please note that the "Holiday Mail for Heroes" program is for the delivery of holiday cards only.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:40 AM | Comments (2)

September 07, 2008

America United To Support Our Troops ~ Highlight Reel

TONIGHT

Where : ABC

Time: 2000 EST

You can go HERE to their website and see a short Video of what they will show tonight.

CLICK HERE

..... Thank you Jack for leltting me know about this.

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:24 PM | Comments (5)

August 12, 2008

The Vandals at PB Volunteer, Baghdad, Iraq

The Vandals at PB Volunteer, Baghdad, Iraq 2004

Check out the Vandals playing "America, Fuck Yeah!" in Sadr City, Baghdad for our troops. Shhhh! Please don't tell our guys that you think they're bullshit troops fighting a bullshit war against bullshit terror, they might not appreciate that too much. And they have really big guns. Heh heh I love our troops!! -- Wild Thing

"This video was shot by a fellow soldier at Patrol Base Volunter, Baghdad, Iraq. Unsure if he wants his name published, thanks, CPT. The Vandals played around 5-6 shows in the Iraqi country side, dodging mortar fire and ambush risk like anyone else. Of their set at PB Volunteer, this video was the perfect song to play, as Team America was a big thing at the time. Mad high props to The Vandals! -Med Plt, 2/162 INF BN. "

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (4)

August 09, 2008

Woman Walks 2,700 Miles To Thank Troops

"Through the course of our lives, we are fortunate enough to receive a multitude of amazing gifts; gifts which, though through another’s’ hard won sacrifice, we freely call our own. The majority of the time we fail to express our gratitude to these selfless heroes, and it is for that reason that generations of men and women serving our armed forces go unnoticed. Yet these men and women have given life, limb and all the creature comforts of home to ensure that liberty and all its freedoms should never fail for You . . . for Me."

"My name is Keela Carr and I AM an American; a proud daughter of my fore fathers; a grateful recipient of the precious gift of freedom. "

Keela Carr began her Journey of 1,000 Thanks in Barstow, California on Memorial Day, and is scheduled to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington, Virginia on August 8, 2008.

A Journey of 1,000 Thanks spans thousands of miles

Mountain Statesman

On Memorial Day, Keela Carr began a journey. A journey that would take her across the United States on foot in an effort to give thanks to those who have defended her freedom to do so. The goal of her journey was to give 1,000 thanks to 1,000 United States service men and women for the sacrifices and efforts they have given to keep this nation safe and free.

Starting in Barstow, California, this 35-year-old personal trainer from Central Florida, has crossed 12 states thus far in her quest to reach Arlington, Virginia.

Keela is scheduled to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington on August 8, 2008. Her journey has taken her through California, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia. Through blisters, rain, nearly unbearable heat, and the occasional critter, (she stepped on a copperhead while traveling through Kansas, and met a very friendly squirrel at the Grand Canyon) Keela has pressed on with what has become a monumental journey of gratitude brought forth through the love of her country. Fourteen pairs of shoes and hundreds of socks later, she is now approaching the last leg of her journey to Arlington.

A life changing visit to Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, DC, helped to inspire her patriotic trek to give thanks to those who serve.

Throughout her long walk, she has been privileged to meet with and thank veterans from all of the branches of the armed services. West Virginia has become one of her more difficult states to walk across. With the absence of a shoulder alongside the road in many areas, she finds herself walking through the weeds and grass in order to remain safe. She left the Mountain Statesman office Monday heading toward Route 50 East and the remainder of her journey.

This is a truly inspirational effort on the part of one woman who has been blessed with the freedoms and liberties afforded her through the efforts of veterans across the United States. Inspired by the commitment these men and women have made over the years, Keela is happy to dedicate this time in her life in showing her appreciation.

Miss Carr snapped pictures and took video along the way and documented her journey on AThousandThanks.us.

She stayed at hotels during the beginning of her walk, but said she began making connections with strangers who heard about her mission. Many of them took her into their homes and fed her.

Fox News video

Keela's website:

A Thousand Thanks

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Wild Thing's comment.........

God belss her!

What a difference in this woman and the likes of Barack and Michelle Obama and anyone else on the left.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:45 AM | Comments (6)

July 26, 2008

Showing We Appreciate Our Troops

This was in Sgt. Grit's

..."I must tell you a story that just happened to me. I was in Shannon airport on May 21st, early afternoon, waiting for a flight to U.S. As often happens in Shannon a U.S. Troop Transport plane came in - full of Marines this time - and off they came. I have seen U.S. Troops there so often - it is the refueling spot on their trips in and out of Kuwait. I have been there and seen those young men walk up to the bar and order a pint and have seen men - U.S. and other citizens, and women, too, walk over and say - No U.S. solder pays for a drink here - there are enough of us in this airport to buy them a pint - and they do. I have rarely seen a soldier remove money from his pocket. As they get off the plane and walk in and it happens all the time - the entire waiting room area in the airport stands up and claps. The first time I saw it I melted in tears as I clapped - and I have melted again each time.

Those young men whether coming in from Iraq or wherever or going to Iraq are always moved and sincerely appreciative of the support. As I was sitting there watching them I noticed several of them going up to the Eircom (the Irish version of Ma Bell) boxes trying to make calls home to the states and I sat there with our Irish phone with about 25 Euro still left on it - and so I walked over and handed it to the young Marine and said - here - call your momma. He looked stunned and then thanked me and did call his momma. He finished and I checked the time left on the phone - 23 Euro - I said, just take it and pass it to your friends til it runs out. Jim and I were sitting there in tears - but knew that those 25 Euro were well worth the price to think someone's momma or wife would hear from her son again. Another man asked what I was doing and Jim told him and he was an Irish citizen and he whipped out his cell and handed it to another Marine. By the time our phone ran out of Euro there were about 15 phones being passed around.

As wewere boarding our flight for the states another troop transport was unloading and they were Air Force men. They, too, got the standing ovation and someone started handing them their cell phones. It was just a very emotional experience for us and for everyone there. It made me proud, once again, to be an American to see the reaction of the U. S. Citizens, the Irish and the many other nationalities there in the airport. I think the press downplays the support, love and loyalty that we all feel toward our military. Becky Kent "

Wild Thing's comment........

I love things like this to happen so much. It just makes my heart feel like bursting.

<

....Thank you Mark.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:45 AM | Comments (8)

July 16, 2008

USO Tour,Cheerleaders, Drew Brees, Osi Umenyiora,Jack Lengyel, Roger Goodell, Milo Ventimiglia Visit Rakkasan

Sgt. Richard High, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), poses for a picture with Drew Brees, Osi Umenyiora, Roger Goodell, Jack Lengyel, Milo Ventimiglia and two Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders during an USO tour at Camp Striker on July 8.

USO Tour Visits Rakkasan Soldiers

By Spc. Justin Snyder
3rd Brigade Combat Team,
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)

CAMP STRIKER, Iraq

Celebrities paid a visit to Soldiers from 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Camp Striker as part of a United Service Organizations tour on July 8.

The group included National Football League stars Drew Brees and Osi Umenyiora, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, former college football coach Jack Lengyel, actor Milo Ventimiglia and two Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.

The stars posed for pictures and answered questions with all of the Soldiers before sitting down to sign autographs.

The NFL has a long-standing reputation of supporting the troops, working with the USO for the past 40 years, and was the first sports organization to send athletes overseas when they visited Vietnam in 1966. With Goodell joining in on this trip, it marks the first time that a commissioner from any sport has ever visited the troops.

“I am inspired by the many NFL players that, over the decades, have volunteered to visit our troops overseas and have talked about it being a life-changing experience,” Goodell said in a recent interview with the Pegasus News. “I want to do my part and emphasize that the entire NFL appreciates and supports the work that our military does to protect our country."

Brees, quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, was making his third USO tour. He traveled to Kuwait in 2007 and Okinawa, Japan, earlier this year. He joked with Soldiers and said he was glad that he could show his support for the service members overseas.

“I do these trips for these men and women,” said Brees. “Whatever I can do to show my support – whether it’s signing footballs or just talking to them – is worth it.”

This was the first tour for Umenyiora, defensive end from the Super Bowl-champion New York Giants. A few Soldiers got the opportunity to wear his championship ring that he received following the Giants victory in Super Bowl XLII.

The Cowboys cheerleaders, often known as “America’s Sweethearts,” have made 66 USO trips over the years in support of the troops. The two cheerleaders smiled, posed for pictures and talked to the Soldiers.

“It’s always good to see high-profile people like that over here,” said Capt. Seth Palmer, personnel officer for 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. (AASLT). “It’s a very good morale booster.”

Ventimiglia, who plays Peter Petrelli on the hit show “Heroes”, said he has wanted to do something for the troops for the last three years and was glad to finally get the opportunity to come over and show his support.

His family has a long legacy of military service, with his father serving twice in Vietnam and his grandfather serving in World War II. Before turning to acting, he had an appointment scheduled at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.; however, he never went.

“The tendency is for people to just read the news and talk about the war. That wasn’t enough for me,” Ventimiglia said. “To be able to come out here and say ‘thank you’ was important to me. It made me really happy to see smiling faces. That’s what it is all about, knowing I made their day.”

For some Soldiers, meeting Ventimiglia helped make what can be a long day at work a little easier.

“It really made the females in our office’s day. He plays our favorite character on ‘Heroes,’” said Capt. Holly Brewer, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. (AASLT) executive officer. “All of us are big ‘Heroes’ fans and we are always talking about the show. It was really cool to meet him and take pictures.”

Lengyel is most notably known as the coach who succeeded Rich Tolley at Marshall University in 1971 following a plane crash that killed a majority of the team and the inspiration for Matthew McConaughey’s role in the movie, “We Are Marshall,” said he was glad to be a part of this special trip in honor of our troops. He also spent 14 years working as the athletic director at the U.S. Naval Academy.

Ventimiglia, who has also been on the popular sitcom “Gilmore Girls” and played Rocky’s son in “Rocky Balboa,” said he was glad to make some Soldiers’ day. He added, unlike the character on television, he wasn’t the real hero.

“The sacrifices these guys make over here is way more than anything I could ever do on television or in the movies,” he said. “These Soldiers are the real heroes and I respect them a lot for what they do for our country.”

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:47 AM | Comments (9)

WWE Tribute to the Troops -- On Tour

WWE Superstars take a tour of Iraq to hang out with the men and women serving in the US armed forces.

This special Tribute to the Troops episode of Monday Night Raw aired in December on TV. I was waiting for it to be on video so I could show it to you, and just now found it. I showed you some of the others ones last Christmas.

A BIG thank you to WWE for all you do for our troops. You are all awesome! This is the way it should be, people going to see our troops and thanking them for all they do.

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Posted by Wild Thing at 04:44 AM | Comments (4)

Sevendust Performs for Bagram Service Members

Soldiers stationed at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan pose with members of the band Sevendust, July 12, after a performance by the band. The performance completed Sevendust's first USO tour.

Sevendust Performs for Bagram Service Members

By Pfc. Scott Davis
Combined Joint Task Force-101

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan

Modern rock band Sevendust put on a performance like no other for service members stationed at Bagram Air Field, July 12, at the final stop on their first United Service Organization tour.

Although the band was not known for playing an acoustic set, they still managed to put out a diverse sound that left rock fans wanting more.

“I just got done watching Sevendust in concert,” said Army Sgt. Mark Decker, B Company, 101st Airborne Division Special Troop Battalion. “I never thought anybody could ‘jam out’ acoustically like they did.”

After the performance, Sevendust let a Soldier from the crowd come up on stage and smash a guitar. They also gave him one of their guitars and gave other service members a set of bongos and another guitar, practically giving away their entire set of instruments.

“I think they were awesome,” said Air Force Capt. Vanessa Mahan, 455th Aerial Expeditionary Wing. “It’s been a while since we’ve had a hardcore band here so it’s kind of refreshing. “

The band gave thanks and saluted the service members for serving in the military.

“If it wasn’t for you guys over here, the Taliban would be over there, [in the United States],” said Lajon “LJ” Witherspoon, Sevendust’s lead singer during the performance.

The band stuck around to ensure everyone who wanted an autograph, a free copy of their new CD and/or a picture with the band got one.

Sevendust said they plan on doing another USO tour in the future.

“This, to us, has been the best thing that’s ever happened in our lives,” said LJ. “As soon as you guys will have us back, we’ll be back.”

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:40 AM | Comments (4)

July 07, 2008

Colorado's Basketball Coach Jeff Bzdelik Visits Troops in Iraq and Kuwait

Jeff Bzdelik, Colorado's head basketball coach,
recently joined other hoops coaches on a USO tour through Iraq and Kuwait.

Wild Thing's comment..........

This is a moving video on what the Coach has taken back with him from visiting the troops. If I met him I could tell him this kind of thing will live in his heart and soul forever.

The most amazing thing of going to visit the troops is that what you bring back inside your soul is a thousand times more then anything a person can do for them. Their smiles and the look in their faces, and the moments shared together, well it lives on and on into forever.

40 years later you can be sitting watching TV and your mind will go back there as if it was happening right now, live. And that there are no real words for what your feeling, it is one of those private moments of a cherised memory kept alive in your very soul.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:50 AM | Comments (2)

July 06, 2008

Cast From TV Show "The Unit" Visit The Troops

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Dennis Haysbert, Robert Patrick and Max Martini, three of the stars of CBS' The Unit, went on a tour of American troops stationed in Kuwait and Iraq . They went to Kuwait and Iraq, where they got to mix it up a bit with airmen, soldiers, sailors and Marines based there.

CBS 46 News reported that Dennis Haysbert, who stars as Jonas Blaine on The Unit, said it was wonderful to be able to spend time with the real men and women their characters are based on. Aside from his character on The Unit, Haysbert also gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of Senator-turned-President David Palmer on several seasons of FOX's hit drama, 24.

For his part, Robert Patrick (Colonel Tom Ryan on The Unit), who is an active member of the United Service Organizations or USO, reportedly remarked that he was glad for the opportunity to meet the real-life soldiers. Patrick first caught the public's attention for going toe-to-toe with Arnold Schwarzenegger as a humanoid T-1000, a souped up version of a Terminator, on Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

Then the actors descended on Camp Liberty in Iraq, where they held a meet, greet and photo session with the soldiers stationed there.

Inspired by the book “Inside Delta Force: The Story of America’s Elite Counterterrorist Unit” by Eric Haney, “The Unit” follows the undercover missions and personal lives of a covert team of Special Forces operatives that travel around the globe and routinely risk their lives. Headquartered on the fictitious Fort Griffith, the task force is composed of six trustworthy, brave and dependable soldiers whose reliance on each other creates a unique brotherhood. Broadcast worldwide, the highly-watched series is a hit with the general public and the military.

“It’s one thing to portray a member of the U.S. military on television, but it’s another thing to meet and hang out with our service men and women,” says Haysbert. “Not only do we consider it an honor to depict them in the series, but also a privilege to help share their important work with the world. We’re really excited about this USO tour and can’t wait to bring a touch of home to them.”

Wild Thing's comment........

Additional video of LIVE shots...... here is a LINK to the VIDEO of their visit

I am so glad the cast of this TV show "The Unit" went to visit the troops. It is an excellent TV show and one of my favorites.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:55 AM | Comments (12)

Iron Maidens Rock for The Troops In Iraq

By Pvt. Alisha Nye
14th Public Affairs Detachment

The Iron Maidens, the world’s only all-female Iron Maiden tribute band, rocked an Independence Day concert held at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, located near Tikrit, Iraq.

The band consists of Aja “Bruce Chickinson” Kim on vocals, Sarah “MiniMurray” Marsh and Heather “Adrienne Smith” Baker of guitars, Wanda “Steph Harris” Ortiz on bass, Linda “Nikki Burrain” on drums and, for a limited time only, Guillermo, who is temporarily filling in for Heather Baker.

The Southern California band started in 2001. However, the band was not always strictly female.

“There was already a tribute band with half women and half men,” Marsh said. “I saw an ad in the paper around the same time Linda was looking for a project and we thought it’d be cool to make it all-female. So, we fired the guys.”

“It was a much more appealing package,” McDonald agreed.

The key was finding the right females for the part.

“We knew the girls in LA that would be able to play this type of music,” explained McDonald. “It’s a very intense music.”

It helps, said Marsh, that the members of the band have all been playing Iron Maiden songs since high school.

“It just feels so natural,” Ortiz said of playing the metal music.

“It’s the only kind of music that really moves me,” Kim added.

Since the band launched in 2001 they have slowly gained international recognition and have won awards in categories such as Best Tribute Band and Best in Category (vocals, guitar, bass, drums) from the Rock City News Awards, the LA Music Awards and All Access Magazine Awards Show.

The Iron Maidens brought, in full force, the talent that helped them with these awards to COB Speicher, July 4.

“We’ve always wanted to come and play in Iraq,” Marsh said. “We weren’t going to let anything stop us.”

That is why they have Guillermo, explained McDonald. He is filling in for Heather Baker, who was unable to make it.

McDonald and Guillermo play in another band together.

“When it came to filling in the position really quickly, I knew he’s really talented,” said McDonald.

With Guillermo filling in, the band was able to perform without missing a beat. An ability, said Kim, that was just as important to the band as it was to the Soldiers in their audience.

“It’s just amazing,” said Kim of performing for the troops. “It’s not like I would have ever dreamed.”

Kim said she didn’t think the band would get so close to the Soldiers and it overwhelmed her how excited the Soldiers were to see the Iron Maidens.

“As we encounter all of these wonderful people, it makes me want to stay longer and make them happier,” she said.

With the diligence and determination put forth to perform, the Iron Maidens gave Soldiers 90 minutes of time to have fun, rock out and forget where they are for a little while. With all the rocking out going on, the Soldiers gave the Iron Maidens something in return - a sense of thanks.

“Seeing their faces, seeing how excited they were to see us and them thanking us – there’s really no thanks necessary,” Kim said. “They’re the ones that need to be thanked.”

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:45 AM | Comments (6)

July 03, 2008

Vets For Freedom Pete Hegseth Good One!

Pete Hegseth , of Vets For Freedom, slammed the Marxist founder of Code Pink, Medea Benjamin, for the socialist organization's attacks on the military.

Pete Hegseth, who served in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division, is the the executive director of "Vets For Freedom".

Wild Thing's comment........

God bless you Pete! I am so sorry these code pink people even exist.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (12)

June 23, 2008

Berkeley Support The troops Rally At Marine Recruiting Center

Supporters and detractors of the United States military battled it out in Berkeley for at least the sixth time this year: the latest in a relentless series of protests and counter-protests to seize the upper hand in the controversy over the "Marine Corps Officer Selection Office" on Shattuck Square.

Summer Solstice showdown featured Move America Forward, the Marines Motorcycle Club, EAGLES UP, the Patriot Guard Riders and other veterans' and pro-America groups facing off against their traditional adversaries: World Can't Wait, Code Pink, the Revolutionary Communist Party, assorted 9/11 Truthers, far-left activists and their fellow travelers.

Source:

KCBS

Zombie Time photos

SF Gate

Melanie Morgan

Special Thank you to Doug Lyvere ( SgtMaj, Marine ret.) Director, Western Operations, Eagles Up

Eagles Up

Marine Corps veteran. Code Pink and World Can't Wait would have a lot of convincing to do if they wanted to convert this Hero!

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Wild Thing's comment........

God bless all that showed up to counter the America and military hating lefties. And God bless our troops!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:50 AM | Comments (11)

June 14, 2008

Eagles Cheerleaders In Iraq, Kuwait

Petty Officer First Class Jeff Peasley of the U.S. Navy enjoyed his visit from Eagles Cheerleaders Laura, Rachel, Madeline, Nikki and Kjersti

The five were chosen from among the 38 members of the cheerleading squad and spent 12 days taking part in what they call a "life changing experience."

Cheerleader Rachel Washburn says, "Morale as a whole seems really high" and the troops were happy to see them. She says the cheerleaders "got a really good perspective of what life is like over there."

The cheerleaders prepared a special routine for the troops, which they performed over a dozen times at bases in Iraq and Kuwait.

Cheerleader Madeline Kane says the cheerleaders "actually got to sit down and know these guys" and ask them about their families and their children.

Their Blog website

From Nikki's

"First of all, wow, this has been the experience of a lifetime. The men and women keep thanking us for coming, but really we should be the ones thanking them. I am learning so much, this has been a life-changing experience for me. What an amazing team this is, our country is so lucky to have these men and women out here and they work so well together. Everyone has a job they are given and without any one of them nothing would get done, so it is incredible to see how everything is intertwined.

We have been flying to around three bases per day, depending on the weather. I don't mean rain or shine, out here it's more sand or shine. When the wind picks up, it takes the sand with it. If the helicopters or planes don't have a good view that means we are staying put.

We had a chance to sit in a Cobra, which is an attack helicopter, and also in a Huey, which is a bit larger. The guys were great showing us around. We had a ton of fun with them. We got some great pics and went to the area where they spend most of their time which they call Dark Town. It looks exactly like you would imagine. A long, winding staircase can be found inside and it's pretty high up with a great view of the camp, probably the best I've seen. I'll talk to you all again soon, I'm over and out for now.

They say you have to work on your toes over here. It is only our second day and the entire schedule changed because of a "sandstorm" or so they say but we will never really know. We spent our first day at two bases an hour out of Kuwait City, which by the way is amazing. Saddam Hussein destroyed the city and now the people are rebuilding it. In terms of structure, this city really is one of the most unique places I have seen. We first went off to see Camp Freedom.

To get there, we drove down a highway surrounded by nothing except the sandy desert and camels. I found that funny because back home there are plenty of deer and cows, but camel? When we arrived, the place looked like it was abandoned except for some barb wire on the outside. But everyone who lived here were sooo upbeat and friendly. But reality set in when you look up in what was a small treehouse to find a man covered in green mesh with a rifle keeping an eye on unwanted visitors. All things considered, the camp had a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere and the men and women were so grateful we could be there.

After our trip to Freedom, we left for Arifjan. Both Freedom and Arifjan are considered "luxury" bases. Arifjan, however, was much larger than Freedom. The other amenities were the same.

Arifjan in size put freedom to shame, The base was huge, but all other aspect were the same. We met Col. Johnson which was wonderful. I learned so much about what Kuwait has done for us over the years. Things that has gone unnoticed. He, too, was very grateful for us coming over to visit. On Arifjan, we spent time at the hospital visiting the sick. It felt amazing to make them smile. Thankfully, most of them were only there with minor injuries. The visit inspired me as I prepared for our show in the evening. After our performance, we spent a few hours with the soldiers talking and getting to know them. I truly wish we could have stayed longer because I enjoyed hearing all of their fascinating stories.

I can't express how I am soo happy to be a part of this. I have learned so much and can't wait to learn more. This is and unforgettable experience and I'm so glad to share it with all of you. Oh, and just in case if you're wondering, Philadelphia holds its own out here! Talk to you again soon!"

From Laura

Saturday was quite a day. We visited a couple of smaller bases before heading to the one where we slept. We went to one that was an old train station, Al Quaim. The soldiers were stoked that they could meet us and I even had the chance to save a Marine. We were taking pictures on a stage that wasn't against the wall and he was about to fall off when I grabbed his arm and leaned back to pull him back up. I felt pretty heroic. ;) I always hate leaving the bases we visit because we literally are there for pictures and autographs and don't really have time to sit and socialize before we are whisked away in the helicopter. I think they really liked us visiting though and they take great care of us.

Another base we visited was the Korean Village. This one was much different than the others in the sense that it was dirtier. There was sand everywhere: dusty, red sand. There were little shacks and a smaller DEFAC (dining hall). They always give us special treatment though, and we had an exceptional lunch in the "chow hall." Afterwards, they let us check out one of their tanks and take pictures with it. I love learning about what they do over here and how things work, it's probably one of my favorite parts of the tour.

On the way to our last base that we were staying at for the night, we were given the opportunity to sit out the back of the Chinook. At first I was a little timid, but then once I was strapped in and sitting with my legs flying off it was beautiful. We went from looking at sand and a Grand Canyon-like landscape to patches of green and rivers of teal blue. I never knew how many different landscapes Iraq had and it was a great opportunity to see that from this perspective. I just have to say that all the troops out here are amazing, and everything they do is just as important as the next guy's job. They take such pride in their work, and I respect them for that. I truly appreciate everything they are doing over here, and respect them so much more. Thank you guys!"

From Kjersti

" I can't believe I am sitting in Kuwait typing a blog. It's so exciting to be here, and it's all so surreal. We left Philadelphia on June 1st and arrived in Kuwait late night of the 2nd. We pretty much lost a day due to the seven-hour time difference here in Kuwait. On Tuesday, we woke up at 7 AM and didn't get back until 11 PM at night. I don't think we were expecting such a long day, but we felt it around 2 PM. The lack of sleep and the heat made us a little tired, but we were so happy to be on the bases visiting everyone that we managed to keep a happy face and wide eyes.

During our day we were able to visit two bases: Camp Patriot (KNB) and Camp Arafjan. The servicemen and women were amazing. It was so heartwarming to hear them tell us how much they appreciate us for what we were doing, when we are there to tell them the exact same thing. We took a lot of pictures and signed a lot of autographs. We also had our fair share of Eagles fans, and of course some local Philadelphians. We even received certificates and coins from some of the high-ranking officers. I think those things will be some of the most treasured items I take back home with me along with the experience.

It was about 120 degrees, luckily most of our signings and visits were indoors where there was air conditioning and we were escorted around the bases in vehicles with air. It wasn't until we started prepping for our outside performance that we felt the heat. Our show went great! We got a great response from the audience, and they were so welcoming and happy to see us. I've never in my life danced in such heat, but we made it happen and we lost our voices a bit at the end of the show. Will I do it again? Yes, it was well worth it.

I think I've drank more water here in the past day than I have in the past month back in Philly. This day was long and hot, but I loved every minute of it. Just to see how happy we make the troops makes me feel like I'm doing the best thing in the world. They work so hard out here and it was nice to be able to see it first-hand and show them my appreciation. I definitely passed out that night as soon as my head hit the pillow. I'm still a little messed up from the time change, but we'll be well rested eventually. Drink your water! Till next time."

CLICK link below and there is a video there you can click on as well.

6abc.com has more coverage of the Eagles Cheerleaders trip to Iraq and Kuwait.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:45 AM | Comments (6)

May 24, 2008

Wynonna and Our Warriors

Country music artist Wynonna Judd performs with the U.S. Army Band at the Wagner Sports Center, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., May 22, 2008. The concert for staff and patients was held in conjunction with a Morale, Welfare and Recreation picnic that featured a local blues band, barbecue and steaks. Defense Dept. photo by Fred W. Baker III

Wynonna Rocks Inspirational Performance at Walter Reed
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
DOD

WASHINGTON, May 23, 2008 – When country music star Wynonna Judd stepped on stage in the Wagner Sports Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here yesterday, it was all about the love.

Over a year ago, she said, ‘What can I do for the Army, and in particular what can I do for Walter Reed?’” said Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Richard A. Cody as he was introducing the megastar known across the industry as simply “Wynonna.”

“I said, ‘Just come up and tell them you love them,’” he said.

And so she did, in song and in speech.

Half the songs Wynonna performed had the word ‘love’ penned in their titles. In the others, love was a staple of their prose.

“Out of all the flags I've flown, one flies high and stands alone,” sang the Grammy-award-winning artist. “Only love.”

She spent the hours before the concert meeting with staff and wounded warriors. Then to the hundreds who packed into the auditorium, Wynonna belted out in powerful, bluesy vocals, “I Want to Know What Love Is,” and proclaimed “Love Can Build a Bridge,” and later transformed into a “Hunk of Hunk of Burning Love.”

It was just the inspirational ticket the appreciative audience was looking for. The staff of the hospital has spent more than a year in the nation’s hot spotlight after reports surfaced of poor outpatient conditions at the center. Morale also has suffered as the closing of the historical hospital also nears under the base realignment and closure plan, and many staff members are uncertain about their future. And the wounded warriors there spend days, months and even years recovering from horrific wounds rendered by the hands of hate.

“Thanks to you all, … my mother and my sister, we live on a farm together and we sleep at night [because] we know that you all are putting your butts on the line for us,” Wynonna told the crowd. “And I just want you to know that today is just a very small composite of how I feel about you.

“We love you, and we support you,” she said.

And the crowd loved her back.

“We love you too, Wynonna,” they screamed repeatedly between songs amid the whistling and cheers.

Some, however, less familiar with the star, couldn’t get her name right.

“You talking to me?” Wynonna called out to Army Spc. Chauncy Clayton, a patient administrator.

The star summoned him to the stage to correct his misplaced syllable. He had improperly put the emphasis on “nona.”

“It’s WHY-nona,” the star playfully chastised in her country accent, drawing a roar of laughter and applause from the crowd.

In Wynonna’s 24-year career that started with a string of hits she performed with her mother as The Judds, she has garnered more than 21 No. 1 hits, sold 20 million records, six of which turned to platinum and four to gold. She’s won five Grammy awards, nine Country Music Association awards. She has sung for the pope, four presidents and before millions at the Super Bowl.

But yesterday, it was a free tribute to Walter Reed’s staff and patients, with the U.S. Army band serving as her orchestra. Admittedly, though, it was not her typical concert crowd.

“Raise your hand if you’ve ever seen a show of mine before,” Wynonna requested of the audience.

Only a few hands shot up.

Wynonna feigned a shocked look.

“What have you been doing?” she asked and laughed.

But once the show started, the star’s familiar tunes such as “Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout The Good Old Days)” warmed the crowd.

Wynonna dedicated her classic “Mama He’s Crazy,” to Cody, who she called a father figure. She met the general during his command at Fort Campbell, Ky. He introduced her to the Army and its soldiers.

“Every artist who ever gets a record deal should have to do community service for the Army. It’s sort of my philosophy these days,” Wynonna said.

This met with several enthusiastic “hooahs.”

“Yeah, hooah,” she responded.

Now, Wynonna calls herself an ambassador for the military.

“There are a lot of us, especially in the country music community, who absolutely support you, and everywhere we go we give the message loud and clear that freedom ain’t free,” she said.

Wynonna gave credit to her mother for raising her with a grateful attitude. Her mother raised Wynonna and her sister, actor Ashley Judd, while living on welfare. But even in the early years of the stars’ rise to fame, she sang with her mother, alongside Bob Hope as part of the USO.

“I’m just wanting you to know today that you are really loved. Not just because of what you do, but because of who you are,” she said. “If you all ever need a parade waiver, you know who to call.”

Wynonna joked with the crowd about their motives for coming to the concert.

“I know it got some of you out of work. And that’s a good thing,” she said, and her words were met by the cheers of the crowd.

But for others it was therapy.

“It got some of you out of bed, and that’s a good thing,” she said. “For those of you who I didn’t get to meet today, I’ll be back.”

During a powerful performance of the religious hit “I Can Only Imagine,” in which the singer imagines her response to meeting Jesus, photos of soldiers on their knees praying in combat zones flashed on the large screen on stage.

At the end, the typically fiery redhead had to break. She turned from the crowd, grabbed a tissue, and after a few moments, faced them again, attempting to recompose.

Wynonna talked of taking chances, and risks, and life’s trials. She referred to her own past, spotted with troubles and heartaches.

“You learn so much about yourself when you go to hell and back. You really do,” she told the crowd. “People don’t understand while they’re sitting at home on their … butts complaining about the state of the union. I’m like, ‘Well then get off your butt and go do something about it.’”

For more than an hour, Wynonna commanded the stage, singing, joking and paying tribute to those who serve, both in and out of uniform. She said she felt connected to the crowd.

“I love you,” she told the audience at the end of what should have been her last song.

But the roar of the cheers and a standing ovation brought her back to the stage one more time.

“No One Can Love Me Like You,” Wynonna sang in her encore.

And the crowd believed it.

A tearful Army retiree, now working as a health technician, Christine Engle said the concert was a shot in the arm for the staff and patients there.

“I think it’s great that she’s … out here, with all the things that have happened here at Walter Reed in the past year,” she said. “The care is excellent here, and the [media] have given it such a bad name. With her coming here, it just shows that she appreciates what these soldiers have done … and the staff that works at the hospital. It’s positive thing, and it’s very important.

“It’s a great day,” Engle said.

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:45 AM | Comments (10)

May 22, 2008

GI Film Festival

Great video......Please CLICK THIS LINK to see some awesome things about it and what our Veterans and supporters of our military are saying about the GI film festival.

The GI Film Festival, is the first film festival in the nation to exclusively celebrate the successes and sacrifices of the American military through the medium of film. The four-day festival will be held on May 14-18, 2008 in Washington DC.

The GIFF will present films from new and established international and domestic filmmakers that honor the heroic stories of the American Armed Forces and the worldwide struggle for freedom and liberty. Some of the films screened will be fan favorites. Others will be screened for the first time. All will in some way express the courage and selflessness of our fighting men and women and the value of their work.

What if one day.....The World Without Us
Click title to see film clip
In a futuristic scenario, a fictitious presidential candidate is proposing a complete withdrawal of all US troops from around the world. This triggers an journalistic investigation that spans across three continents in search of 'What would happen?' should the US might and involvement be absent one day.
Would the world a better place, or worse without the US?
Filled with personal stories, the film switches from macro to the micro picture delivering a heart touching experience while staying true to the journalistic integrity. The presidential candidate is played by Roy Werner, veteran actor, (CSI Miami and many other TV shows).

The Last 600 Meters
no film clip available
The two deadliest battles of the Iraq War occurred in 2004. The Battle of Najaf was fought in the South against the Shiite Mahdi militia. The Battle of Falluja was fought in the West against Sunni insurgents. These brutal urban conflicts were not the high-tech battles the military had prepared for after the first Gulf War in 1991--but they are the face of modern warfare. This film tells the story of these battles, not through narration, but through the words and deeds of those who fought there.

Vietnam - REMEMBERED
click title to see film clip

Vietnam Remembered, reveals the pride, honor and camaraderie these men
shared with each other on the battlefield and off. It truly is a moving tribute towards
those who have served our country and those currently serving.

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On March 26th, 2007 Al Qaida in Iraq attacked O.P. Omar, a small outpost in Al Anbar province manned by Army paratroopers from Blackfoot Company, 1-501st.
Al Qaida brought two suicide truck bombs, and more than 40 gunmen to the 20 minute battle.
Documentary filmmaker JD Johannes was embedded with Blackfoot Company and was nearly killed twice while filming the action.
From the combat footage, interviews with the soldiers who manned the walls and digital animations comes a in-depth look at the firefight and the paratroopers who fought it.

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Gods and Generals
Click title to see film clip

""Gods and Generals is not only the finest movie ever made about the Civil War, it is also the best American historical film. Period." --Bill Kauffman, American Enterprise Magazine

Synopsis: This epic film from writer-director Ron Maxwell chronicles the early events of the American Civil War. It's a prequel to his earlier GETTYSBURG, with some of the same cast, and is part of a planned trilogy. Stephen Lang plays Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, the famous (and deeply religious) Confederate general who, along with fellow General Robert E. Lee (Robert Duvall), must weigh the mighty consequences of his actions, as each battle costs the lives of thousands of men.

Wild Thing's comment........

With Hollywood making so many horrible unforgivable films lately negative about our military. I was so happy when I saw this, thrilled. Because they talk to our troops, their experiences and speak the truth in these films and NOT lies and slander of our troops and the war. So I just wanted to share what I found with all of you.

There are some good people in Hollywood, but it is like a needle in a haystack to know about them.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:47 AM | Comments (12)

What Do Vikings and Afghanistan Have In Common?

Col. Jon Sutterfield, 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Group commander, shows his Viking pride during the Viking cheerleaders' tour at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, May 19. Sutterfield is a St. Cloud, Minn., native and deployed to BAF from Langley Air Force Base, Va. (U.S. Army photo/Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace)

Minnesota Viking cheerleader Bailey performs a dance routine during the Viking cheerleaders' tour at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, May 19. Bailey and four other cheerleaders visited BAF with a promise to give their all and to help pump up the spirits of deployed service members. (U.S. Army photo/Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace)

Cpl. Murray Kinnell, New Zealand Army, holds up "#1" as Minnesota Viking cheerleaders Amanda and Sarah cheer him on. Kinnell competed, and was unanimously voted best, in a "touchdown dance" competition during the Viking cheerleaders' tour at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, May 19. (U.S. Army photo/Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace)

By Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan

Historically speaking, what do Vikings and Afghanistan have in common?

Not much … but all that changed today, when five weapon-bearing Vikings landed their ‘long ship’ here.

They did not bear the 8th century axes and swords that one would imagine. Instead, they clutched pom-poms, microphones and enough spirit to pump up the standing-room-only crowd of service members who came to bare witness.

The event started with songs, dancing and cheers; efforts to vitalize the troops spirits, said Viking cheerleader Ms. Payton.

“We are all very glad to be here and we are going to put on a great show,” said Payton, as she warmed up prior to the event. “This is our last show in Afghanistan and we want to make this a night the troops will remember.”

With a promise to give the night their all, the cheerleaders went backstage and the event coordinators began letting in the men and women who were anxiously waiting outside.

First through the door was Senior Airman Oscar Bruck, 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron phase crew chief.

“I’ve been waiting here since 6:20 (p.m.),” said Bruck, a Marlett, Mich., native deployed from Royal Air Force Lakenheith, England.

The event did not start until 8 p.m., but waiting nearly two hours didn’t bother Bruck, who said, “I wanted a front-row seat to make sure I got good photos.”

Good photos were not all Bruck received. He also got picked to come onstage and meet the Minnesota Viking cheerleaders and challenge 19 other service members to a push-up contest.

Bruck did not win the contest as his skills were no match for rival Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Gilbert Corpuz, who knocked out 103 regulation push-ups in a minute. For his victory, Corpuz was rewarded with a Vikings calendar, autographed by all the cheerleaders.

After the pushup contest was finished, the cheerleaders performed another routine, then they picked 10 service members to join them on stage for a game of ‘Cheerleader Says,’ modelled after the classic children’s game Simon Says.

Once again, the stage was speckled with an array of U.S. uniforms. As a colorful addition, one Polish soldier also joined the ranks.

The Polish and two U.S. Soldiers were eliminated in the first round. Two Airmen and two more Soldiers fell in the second round.

Four rounds later, a tie was called as Sergeant 1st Class Timothy Winger, 70th Engineer Company, and Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Billy Grant refused to be outsmarted.

A fair mix of rivalry and camaraderie added to the evening’s excitement, said one Coalition NCO.

“I like American Football – it is tough, yet fun. This is like the feeling of the people here – keyed up and still having fun,” said Sgt. Domera Phelippon, French Army.

Though football is not his favorite sport, Phelippon does like to watch it, he said.

“I know the Minnesota Vikings because I saw them on T.V.,” explained Phelippon. “Still, I didn’t imagine the cheerleaders would be this pretty. I am glad I came.”

What Phelippon may or may not have known was that the cheerleaders were equally as pleased to meet him and the other men and women in attendance.

“My favorite part of the tour is meeting so many people from so many places and hearing all their different stories,” said Payton, whose brother currently serves as a hull technician aboard the world’s first nuclear powered aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Enterprise.

Other cheerleaders also had military ties.

One fellow cheerleader, Amanda, said her father retired from the Air Force.

The team’s captain, Sarah, said she did not have immediate family in the military but she has spent a great deal of time with service members lately.

Sarah volunteered for a similar tour in Iraq in February, during the Super Sunday Tour. She feels blessed to have the opportunity to travel to military bases through the Vikings, she said.

With the devotion the cheerleaders expressed for the attending service members, it was no wonder a line of men and women stretched around the Morale, Welfare and Recreation clamshell after the performance was completed and the cheerleaders volunteered to stick around, take one-on-one photos and sign autographs.

One Soldier was fortunate to be in front of the line, which only compounded the morale boost he got from the event, he said.

“I had a blast here,” explained Pfc. Ryan Clement, a route-clearance Soldier and Earlham, Iowa native. “Not only did I get to see a fine performance, I got to come up on stage and embarrass myself in the ‘Cheerleader Says’ competition.”

Clement only made it to the third round, but that did not abate his mood at all.

“I’ve been out at the (forward operating bases) and on patrols outside the wire since I came here,” said Clement. “To see this event and the energy these ladies put in on our behalf, helps out a lot – it really boosts our morale.”

After their visit to BAF, their final visit on the tour, the Vikings boarded their ‘long ship’ and again set sail – destined for home, and leaving memories and a boost of morale for those left behind.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:45 AM | Comments (11)

May 17, 2008

Armed Forces Day

This is the day on which we have the welcome opportunity to pay special tribute to the men and women of the Armed Forces ... to all the individuals who are in the service of their country all over the world. Armed Forces Day won't be a matter of parades and receptions for a good many of them. They will all be in line of duty and some of them may give their lives in that duty.

Gene Simmons Leads a Military Tribute in Song

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (14)

May 16, 2008

Actor Bradley Cooper Comes to GITMO

Actor Bradley Cooper chats with some Marines during a bus tour of Guantanamo Bay as part of his visit May 2-4.
Joint Task Force Guantanamo conducts interrogation operations to collect strategic intelligence in support of the Global War on Terror and supports law enforcement and war crimes investigations. JTF Guantanamo is committed to the safety and security of American service members and civilians working inside its detention facilities.

By Megan Burnham
Joint Task Force Guantanamo Public Affairs

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba

Some people may know him as Will Tippin, the best friend to Sydney Bristow on the TV show “Alias.” Others may know him as the villainous boyfriend in “Wedding Crashers.” However, when he visited the U.S. Naval Station in Guantanamo Bay May 2-4, he introduced himself with his real name and identity: Bradley Cooper.

Cooper, a Philadelphia native, currently resides in Venice, Calif. where he works and owns a little house with a couple of dogs. He moved from New York to Los Angeles, in 2001 to take the job for the Alias series.

Due to positive feedback from friends who went on tour in Afghanistan six months ago, Cooper requested to participate in a similar tour with the United Services Organization, an association that helps the American public show support to service members.

The actor had some free time and when USO asked if he wanted to go to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, he jumped at the chance. This was his first visit to a U.S. Naval Station; in fact, this was his first visit to any military base.

“I’m here to show my support, say hello and learn more about the military and what they’re doing, especially here in Guantanamo Bay,” said Cooper.

The event, sponsored by the USO and Morale Welfare and Recreation, provided troopers (especially Bradley Cooper fans) the opportunity to meet with the star, take photos with him as well as acquire signed photographs.

Traveling with the celebrity was his buddy Dave Bugliari, USO Entertainment producer Tracy Thede, and Liberty Coordinator Jeffrey Shaw.

The “Handshake Tour” consisted of three busy days around the base, including a visit to Camp Delta, Camp 6, the Northeast Gate and Water Gate, and the Port Security Unit, as well as recreational activities.

“I am absolutely blown away; it’s very educational,” said Cooper. “Going into the camps definitely took it out of the TV and put it into real life.”

Troopers and civilians attended scheduled site visits at the Marine Hill Liberty Center, the Navy Exchange Atrium, and the Deer Point Liberty Center to meet the actor.

“It’s cool that he’s taking the time out of his day to come down here,” remarked Andrew Kolbek at the NEX visit. “It shows that he cares what we are doing and why we’re doing it.”

“He is setting the morale for the whole base,” added Micah Howard, also in attendance. “It’s a good thing he’s doing – we really appreciate it.”

The meet-and-greet event ran smoothly largely due to Thede’s efforts, as well as Craig Basel and Jeffrey Shaw from MWR.

“The MWR folks, they’re phenomenal,” Thede said about Basel and Shaw. “They go above and beyond to make sure that as many creature comforts as possible are here for the service members.”

Before Cooper left the island, he shared some parting words to everyone he came in contact with this past weekend.

“Thank you all so much for how generous you’ve been with your gratitude, and being able to talk to us,” he said. “We’re so happy to support you, and I hope that you all feel that from us and that anything we can do, we’re willing to do it.”

Wild Thing's comment........

I hope Cooper shared about his trip with others when he got back and told them to go visit our troops as well. Spread the word and show the support. Our military are America's true stars and heroes.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:45 AM | Comments (4)

May 06, 2008

God Bless Harrisburg, Pa.

A Few Good Men .... And Women

Blackanthem Military News

By 109th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

May 5,2008

HARRISBURG, PA. - At a troop support rally Saturday at the Capital Building in Harrisburg, Pa., many local citizens were in attendance to show their respect for service members of the past, present and future. Radio personalities, musicians, members of the faith community as well as retired and current military officers spoke, prayed and sang to convey the value of freedom.

Brigadier General Jerry G. Beck, a National Guard Commanding General, noted, "I think it's important to continue to show support for the troops as we serve overseas. You often hear the negative effects that are going on in the media. But this is an opportunity for all of us to know we have the support of the people behind us. And I truly believe we do."

More than 100 people attended Saturday's rally.

In that same spirit, a representative from a local grocery chain handed a check for $200,000 to the United Service Organization from collections made in their stores earmarked for troop morale. It was one of five events engineered to reaffirm both to those serving in the war and Americans enjoying democracy at home that, indeed, ‘freedom is not free.'

An unpopular war brought out many military advocates from all backgrounds and creeds that day. Most were from the Harrisburg area, but they were different in many ways. The biggest difference among the crowd, which likely reflects the population of the United States, was the various personal definitions for loyalty and patriotism.

Many participants remember their own service in the Vietnam War, and liken today's experiences to those that occurred in the ‘60s. A former Navy Seabee from 1968-1974, Tom Marone of Lewisberry said:

"it is incumbent upon us to support our troops and the mission equally, whether we completely agree with it or not. When individuals separate the two, a situation similar to Vietnam arises, and unfortunately it seems like that's what we're looking at right now."

A brother-in-arms, Taps Lauford of Mt. Holly said "I love these people here, the former GI's, their supporters, and those who love America. I didn't want another Vietnam, but that's what we got ourselves into." Lauford continued, "regardless of the bad politics and dishonest media, our men and women in uniform are doing good things and getting the job done."

Those policies do not push everyone away from reverence to their flag, as Rick Nunemacher of Harrisburg affirms. With a son on his third tour to the Middle East as a Captain in the active-duty Marine Corps, and the memory of his father's service in World War II, his beliefs hit close to home.

"I wouldn't feel any differently about my country if we found out the war was a mistake, that's what makes me a patriot." Nunemacher continued, "a patriot is loyal to his or her country; they put God, country and family first, and more importantly, they support the freedoms this country offers in spite of personal views."

Wild Thing's comment.......

I love stories like this and seeing how strongly wonderful American's are supporting our awesome troops.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:55 AM | Comments (9)

April 06, 2008

U.S. Army Day April 6th TODAY

Tribute to Men & Women of the US Army

Military Order of the World War under Colonel Thatcher Luquer established Army Day. Army Day was first celebrated on May 1, 1928. That date was chosen in hopes of dampening Communists' celebration of Workers' Day, which also occurs on May 1. But, starting in 1929, Army Day was changed to April 6, the anniversary date of the United States' entry into World War I.

Army Day was established as a nationwide observance to draw public attention to national defense and to acquaint the public with Army activities. In addition, the day was used to stress the need for military preparedness, which the nation had lacked as it entered earlier major conflicts. "The failure to make adequate preparation for the inevitable struggle, the consequent suffering from disease and death entailed upon the armies which were hastily raised, the prolongation of the conflict far beyond the time which sufficient and equipped forces would have required for victory, and the heavy costs of reconstruction" were caused by the lack of preparation of the nation.

THANK YOU to all of you that served in the U.S. Army! Thank you with all my heart. I am so sorry I am late posting this.

....Thank you SSgt.Steve for letting me know about this very special day.

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:18 PM | Comments (16)

Monday in Washington:GOE and Others Support Rally for Gen. David Petraeus

Gathering of Eagles to hold press conference supporting Iraq mission and U.S. military

Monday, April 7, 2008 at 10:00 am, members of Gathering of Eagles will hold a press conference at the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

This rally will showcase patriots from all over the country standing up in support of our military and their missions in Iraq and the War on Terror.

The conference is timed to coincide with Gen. David Petraeus’ return to Capitol Hill. Chris Hill, National Director of Operations, said:

“The purpose of our actions on April 7th is to encourage our elected officials to provide full funding for the military’s current mission in Iraq, and to continue to support the current mission of stabilization there.”

After the conference, Gathering of Eagles will hold meetings with Representatives and Senators. Larry Bailey, the organization’s chairman and cofounder, will be available for interviews along with Mr. Hill. Headquartered in North Carolina, Gathering of Eagles is a non-profit organization of everyday Americans united by a common love and respect for the United States and her military.

For more information, visit their website at www.gatheringofeagles.org. For more information, contact: Coby W. Dillard Assistant to the National Director Gathering of Eagles

The Band of Mothers will be on the corner of the Cannon Bldg in Washington, DC (Where Nancy Pelosi supposedly works) from April 7th, 8th and 9th to remind her and the Congress to support our Soldiers and the General. We will be among other supporters with Support our Troops signs.

Wild Thing's comment........

How sad that in the United States of America that anyone has to remind our elected officials to support our Soldiers and Gen. Petraeus, the mission and the war. It is an outrage!

Thank God for Gathering of Eaglels, our Veterans, Band of Mothers and other groups that will be there to let them know how the rest of us feel about our awesome troops.

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:48 AM | Comments (3)

March 23, 2008

Motorcycle-riding Supporters of Marines Roar Into Berkeley

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Singer Dana Nagy, right, joins hundreds of supporters of the Marines gathered in front of the Marine Recruiting office in downtown Berkeley and sang the “Star Spangled Banner”.

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This is a video of Diana Nagy singing ...."Where Freedom Flies"

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Hundreds gathered in front of the US Marine recruiting office in Berkeley.

Mike Anderson, left, of Modesto, and Scott Conover, of Tracy, join hands during a prayer as hundreds gathered in front of the US Marine recruiting center in Berkeley.

Motorcycle riders with the group Eagles Up rode in Berkeley to show their support for the US Marines.

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Motorcycle-riding supporters of Marines roar into Berkeley

SFGate

Berkeley is hosting a decidedly different kind of protest today. A couple hundred flag-waving leather-clad pro-troop bikers have roared into town to show their support for the often besieged Marines recruiting center in the city.

"I'm here because I support my Marines," said Steve Bosshard, a retired San Francisco police officer who came from Santa Rosa. "I don't like what Berkeley's done. They don't realize the effect it has on the troops."

The center was criticized by the Berkeley city council and is often the target of protests.

Today's demonstrators, most of whom are military veterans, said they were protesting the Berkeley city council decision in February to waive the amplified-sound permit fees and provide reserved parking in front of the Marines' office for Code Pink, an anti-war group that stages protests at the recruiting center.

Saturday's demonstrators said they plan to boycott Berkeley businesses until the council is recalled, apologizes or grants free permits to a pro-troop group.

The group that organized today's protest, Eagles Up, had to pay for their permit.

More pro-Marines demonstrators were arriving shortly before noon, when a rally with speakers was scheduled.

These Heroes stood in front of the Office for quite some time. Brave warriors from wars past.

Marines, Marines and more Marines. I Love it!

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From Eagles Up website

Grassroots group Eagles Up will muster Saturday in Berkeley to pushback against the anti-American antics of the City of Berkeley and its anti-military minions, while showing overwhelming support for U.S. Marines.

Hundreds of patriots on motorcycles are expected to roar into town from around the western United States, while other true Americans roll into Berkeley to stand with the bikers at the Marine Recruiting center on Shattuck Avenue.

"We expect a massive crowd to send a message to the city of Berkeley, Code Pink and any other anti-military group that Americans are sick and tired of their hateful, dangerous behavior,” said Doug Lyvere, Eagles Up

The mayor has expressed a willingness to extend similar rights to other organizations, but only for recurring protests of the Marine office.

Move America Forward’s request for similar rights to protest the city council were denied, and EaglesUp is paying for the permits for Saturday’s events.

Many patriotic motorcycle groups are expected to attend and stage formal rides to and from the event, which will feature speakers at noon.

WHO: EaglesUp, Patriot Guard, MAF’s Melanie Morgan, Catherine Moy, and an assembled crowd
WHAT: A patriotic rally with prominent speakers WHEN: This Saturday 3/22/08 with a crowd starting to form around 10 a.m. and speakers at noon
WHEN: This Saturday 3/22/08 with a crowd starting to form around 10 a.m. and speakers at noon
WHERE: the Marine officer selection office at 64 Shattuck Square in Berkeley
WHY: to support the Marines and their right to operate in Berkeley

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Wild Thing's comment........

For a brief shining moment today, Berkeley became part of America. What an awesome sight to see all those patriots with their American flags. God Bless everyone who showed up and made a difference for our Marines and for our country.

From someone that was at this event :

"An interesting event happened early on. I was talking with a guy running the sound system before the event. They were twirling dials, doing microphone checks and running wires from the back bed of a pick-up, parked just one spot up from the Marine station. Geek wires all over the place. Tie-downs and a soundboard, with a wireless system also. Flags and signs all over the truck. An event permit clearly on the front dashboard. A cop comes over and asks, “Is this your truck”? Oh-oh!

The truck owner gulps, says “yes” in a hesitant, quizzical tone to the officer. We both were wondering what this was all about???? GULP!!!!

The officer nicely asks if he had any tie-downs so he could attach some American flags to his bike! We both broke into large grins, and handed the office some tie-downs. LOL"

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:48 AM | Comments (10)

Thumps Up From Berkeley Commie For Anti-war Groups

The head of the Chamber of Commerce of Berkeley facing lady with the camera.

This is about the above photo, it was sent to me and written by someone that was at the Suppot the Troops Rally:

"I was standing across the street from the Marine Office and he started talking to me. About how these kind of events are ruining the businesses in Berkeley. And that they are very damaging to the city.

I asked him if he lived in Berkeley, and he said no.

It was then that he told me he was head of the Chamber of Commerce of Berkeley. He kept pretty much saying the same thing over and over while I tried to tell him why we came today.

And told him it wasn't us, but the code pink, ANSWER, World Can't Wait and various other commie groups that have disrupted his (his?) little town.

When I tried to impress upon him that it was the antagonizers of the Marine Office that he needs to have stop their subersive actions, he would interrupt me every time.

He would not entertain the thought of stopping code pink, etc, but was very negative about a Positive Support Rally for the Marine Office.

He would have none of it, and would only focus on our very Positive Troop Support Rally that is and has been ruining business in Berkeley. A true slimy politician.

When I mentioned that the news is out that he and the Mayor have mended fences and are united in purpose, he said Oh, that's what the media says, not what is really true.

So I asked him (he had that camera pointed at him all this time) what is the truth then, and he waffled and said that he had talked to the leaders of the rally a little earlier and I could ask them.

I told him, why not tell me with this camera here so we can know the truth.

He didn't want to go on record with any statement at all.

I backed away, and he did start talking to the camerawoman and I watched for a minute of so, and then the speakers started so I left him with the lady with the camera."