“Dear Mr. Obama” - “Dear Leader” (shudder!)

olotliny — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 12:25:35 +0000

Hi, My son Joe just did a commercial for John McCain. Please pass this on.

Thanks
Bob Cook http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG4fe9GlWS8

(from Lois) SINCEREST THANKS JOE

The TV was on in my house yesterday—Nickelodeon channel—“Back at the Barnyard” cartoon—in between the cartoons a commercial comes on with upbeat music/tempo/style, tweenagers/teenagers smiling, dancing, appearing happy, holding up posters:

“Get out and Vote”.

Ok, I’m thinking maybe this is a civic minded educational inforamercial (I’m so naïve!) – Well, it wasn’t. It was shocking. The commercial flashed between happy looking kids (remember the kids on Barney the purple dinosaur show?)

holding the posters: “Get out and Vote” and flashed to pictures of Obama – how smart he is, how cute he is, how is favorite sport is basketball, how cute his kids are, how pretty his wife is…… is he running for Mr. Popularity in middle school or high school??? – or Nick awards?? http://www.nick.com/ I saw the ‘music’ video of kids singing how Obama is going to save us… as if they were singing to God….

Farrakhan calls Obama ‘the messiah’

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2008/10/farrakhan_calls_obama_the_mess.html

WAKE UP AMERICA

“The Obama Effect”: http://www.hypemovie.com/index.html

Well, this was just pulled off of Youtube….gee wonder why–(not)— but here it is on Breibart.tv Obama’s long personal connection/affiliation with William Ayers.

http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=158353

An interview with Bill Ayers:

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/August-2001/No-Regrets/

“Ayers later wrote a memoir, and an article about him appeared in the New York Times on Sept. 11, 2001. “I don’t regret setting bombs,” Ayers is quoted as saying. “I feel we didn’t do enough.”

Ayers was a terrorist in the late 1960s and 1970s whose radical group set bombs at the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol.

You might wonder what Obama was doing working with a character like this. And you might wonder how an unrepentant terrorist got a huge grant and cooperation from the Chicago public school system.

“For Obama, the outsider who gained the trust of the insiders, the position is different. He was willing to use Ayers and ally with him despite his terrorist past and lack of repentance. An unrepentant terrorist, who bragged of bombing the U.S. Capitol and the Pentagon, was a fit associate. Ayers evidently helped Obama gain insider status in Chicago civic life and politics—how much, we can’t be sure unless the Richard J. Daley Library opens the CAC archive.” (US News and World Reports. Author: Michael Barone-read the rest of the article:

“http://www.usnews.com/blogs/barone/2008/8/22/obama-needs-to-explain-his-ties-to-william-ayers.html

ACORN FRAUD— F.B.I RAID AND INVESTIGATION

There are many web links to this-here are a couple–read more for yourself:

http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/7203

“There appears to be a crime,”

Currently the election bureau is reviewing some 45,000 new registration applications and Zappala says some of them have forged signatures of people who may or may not exist.

“There are clearly people on these applications who have not either been solicited or may not exist and the signatures are clearly not - they’re forgeries,” Zappala says.

Sources say there are between 200 and 300 questionable registrations currently under investigation, and most of them were submitted by ACORN. http://kdka.com/kdkainvestigators/Voter.fraud.allegheny.2.836775.html

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2008/10/acorn_fraud_and_other_democrat.html

http://www.city-journal.org/2008/eon0423ss.html

CHICAGO - The squat brick buildings of Grove Parc Plaza, in a dense neighborhood that Barack Obama represented for eight years as a state senator, hold 504 apartments subsidized by the federal government for people who can’t afford to live anywhere else.

But it’s not safe to live here.

About 99 of the units are vacant, many rendered uninhabitable by unfixed problems, such as collapsed roofs and fire damage. Mice scamper through the halls. Battered mailboxes hang open. Sewage backs up into kitchen sinks. In 2006, federal inspectors graded the condition of the complex an 11 on a 100-point scale - a score so bad the buildings now face demolition.

Grove Parc has become a symbol for some in Chicago of the broader failures of giving public subsidies to private companies to build and manage affordable housing - an approach strongly backed by Obama as the best replacement for public housing.

As a state senator, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee coauthored an Illinois law creating a new pool of tax credits for developers. As a US senator, he pressed for increased federal subsidies. And as a presidential candidate, he has campaigned on a promise to create an Affordable Housing Trust Fund that could give developers an estimated $500 million a year.

But a Globe review found that thousands of apartments across Chicago that had been built with local, state, and federal subsidies - including several hundred in Obama’s former district - deteriorated so completely that they were no longer habitable.

Grove Parc and several other prominent failures were developed and managed by Obama’s close friends and political supporters. Those people profited from the subsidies even as many of Obama’s constituents suffered. Tenants lost their homes; surrounding neighborhoods were blighted.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/06/27/grim_proving_ground_for_obamas_housing_policy/?page=1

Socialism Big Brother is this the hope/change that we want???

Columbo still scratching his head.

Ah . .. . Sorry to bother you Mr. Obama, Sir

Excuse me Mr. Obama, I mean Senator Obama, sir. Um . . . know you are busy and important and stuff. I mean running for president is very important and . . . ah … I hate to bother you. I will only take a minute ok, sir?

See, I have these missing pieces that are holding me up, and I was wondering sir, if you could take time out of your busy schedule and help me out. You know, no big deal, just some loose ends and things.

Hey, you have a nice place here! The wife sees houses like this on TV all the time and says boy she wishes she had digs like this you know? Is that painting real? Really? Wow. I saw something like that in a museum once!

Oh, sorry sir. I didn’t mean to get off the track. So if you could just help me out a minute and give me some details, I will get right out of your way. I want to close this case and maybe take the wife to Coney Island or something. Ever been to Coney Island ? No, I didn’t think so. .

Well, listen, anyways, I can’t seem to get some information I need to wrap this up. These things seem to either be ‘locked’ or ‘not available’. I’m sure it’s just some oversight or glitch or something, so if you could you tell me where these things are . . . I . .. . I . . . have them written down here somewhere . .. . oh wait. Sorry about the smears. It was raining out. I’ll just read it to you.

Could you help me please find these things, sir?

1. Occidental College records — Not released
2. Columbia College records — Not released
3. Columbia Thesis paper — ‘not available’
4. Harvard College records — Not released
5. Selective Service Registration — Not released
6. Medical records — Not released
7. Illinois State Senate schedule — ‘not available’
8. Law practice client list — Not released
9. Certified Copy of original Birth certificate - - Not released
10. Embossed, signed paper Certification of Live Birth — Not released
11. Harvard Law Review articles published — None
12. University of Chicago scholarly articles — None
13. Your Record of baptism– Not released or ‘not available’
14. Your Illinois State Senate records–’not available’

Oh hey, listen! I know you are busy! Is this too much for you now? I mean tell you what. I will come back tomorrow. Give you some time to get these things together, you know? I mean, I know you are busy, so I will just let myself out. I will be back tomorrow, And the day after…Who wants to know these things ask Senator Obama? Columbo answered:

THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!

This article from the “DAILY TIMES a new voice for a new Pakistan” 9/28/08

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=20089\28\story_28-9-2008_pg1_1

‘World safer place because of Bush’

* Zardari warns ‘the axis of evil is growing’
* Afghan president says world community should have paid more attention to FATA

By Khalid Hasan

NEW YORK: President Asif Ali Zardari has said that the world is a ‘safer place’ because of President George W Bush’s leadership, adding, “It could have been much worse.”

In an interview published by the Washington Post on Saturday, Zardari warned that “the axis of evil is growing”, but did not specify who constituted that ‘axis’. He denied that Pakistan had fired at two United States helicopters that had strayed into Pakistani territory from Afghanistan, saying that only warning flares had been fired, contradicting what Admiral Michael Mullen has alleged.

Zardari said Pakistan has the opportunity to ‘do the job’ and has the ‘right credentials’ and so has he, having been through a ‘tough life’ that has prepared him ‘to become even tougher’.

Attention: In another interview published by the Washington Post, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said there are Taliban sanctuaries ‘in the region’, while agreeing with the interviewer that the international community and the West should have paid more attention to the Tribal Areas. “They should have done all that was needed to be done — political, diplomatic, the right concentration. All those areas where the training (was taking place),” he added. Asked if former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf had tried “quite a few options and if they had all failed”, the Afghan president replied, “Maybe he did try, but we did not see the results.

Karzai went on to say, “I have faith in Zardari, and I am sure he will deliver. I am hearing good things about Gen Kayani as well. Afghanistan will do everything to give them a sense of confidence.”

Stockdale Paradox

olotliny — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 22:35:47 +0000

“You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end — which you can never afford to lose — with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.”

http://www.admiralstockdale.us/

http://www.usna.edu/ethics/stockdalelbio.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Stockdale

Opportunity to help remodel/adapt a Wounded Warrior’s home in Holbrook, NY 11741

olotliny — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 02:53:24 +0000

I attached the Newsday article that reported on 25 year old US Army Cpl. Christopher Levi return to his Holbrook, NY home after sustaining severe, permanent, life changing injuries in Iraq. The Holbrook Fire Department, family/friends of the Sachem High School graduate have an address for people to send cards, assistance/or offer services to help adapt US Army Cpl. Christopher Levi’s parent’s home to facilitate his comfort, range of movement, increasing independence….

Here is the address: Donate: Christopher Levi, c/o Holbrook Fire Department, 390 Terry Blvd., Holbrook, NY 11741

Here is the link/article: http://www.newsday.com/news/local/suffolk/ny-ensold0718,0,5717812.story?page=1

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-lisold0903,0,573543.story

Pennysaver had an article too and the Gathering of Eagles have rallied around–BZ!:) Remember Christopher in your prayers today and tomorrow and for all the years ahead…

Cablevision News 12 Long Island: http://www.news12.com/LI/topstories/article?id=215994

(BZ to my mom-who always leads with her heart:)

Newsday.com

Fundraiser will aid Holbrook soldier injured in Iraq

BY MARTIN C. EVANS

martin.evans@newsday.com

July 18, 2008

U.S. Army Cpl. Christopher Levi leaned forward from his wheelchair, gripped the handles of a geriatric walker and, with all his upper body strength, hoisted himself to his feet.

In a rehab center at the Military Advanced Treatment Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., Levi, 25, balanced himself unsteadily on two titanium legs. Then, slowly, he took a few tentative steps toward regaining his ability to walk.

His slow pace — it took him 10 minutes to walk a halting 220 feet — is part of a much larger journey Levi will take over the coming months that he hopes will help him reclaim his life.

The journey to Walter Reed began just before 1 p.m. on March 17, in the Sadr City section of Baghdad.

Levi’s unit, a U.S. Army intelligence group, had picked up an Iraqi suspect for questioning several days earlier. That afternoon, Levi was with a group of soldiers who were to return the man to his home. Levi, whose family back in Holbrook worried endlessly about his safety, was in the middle vehicle — an armored Humvee — in a five-vehicle convoy.

At the wheel was his friend and squad leader, Sgt. Norman Forbes IV, of Grapevine, Texas.

They set off shortly after noon, riding through city streets that were frequent sites for attack.

“We had to pass through a choke point,” Forbes recalled. “The first two trucks went though, and I hit the gas. Anytime you approach a choke point, you kind of say ‘don’t blow up, don’t blow up.’ But this time, it blew up.”

Since arriving at Walter Reed last March, Levi has set his mind to one task: getting back on his feet. He is among an estimated 802 soldiers who, as of early July, have lost limbs in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. While he undergoes months of rehab, his family in Holbrook will soon begin remodeling their home so that Levi can live comfortably in it. Tomorrow, the family will hold a fundraiser in Franklin Square, their first step in raising enough money to begin the work.

Even as his family meets with contractors, Levi has worked hard to get used to his two new legs. On the recent afternoon when he walked 220 feet down a hallway, he moved with slow, deliberate, heel-to-toe strides — occasionally reminding himself to watch his posture so that his hips and abdominals would do the work, not his arms.

Though Levi has the strong physique of an Army Ranger, he was soon so exhausted he needed a towel to wipe off the sweat.

“It’s hard to get used to it at first, but once you get the rhythm down and focus on the muscle groups you need, it becomes easier,” he said, as more than a dozen other amputees grunted, panted, stretched or strode during rehab exercises of their own.

That afternoon in Sadr City, a bomb known as a shaped charge device hidden in the street sent a jet of molten metal hurtling through the armor of the soldiers’ Humvee. The force shattered Forbes’ left arm and his left hand, and broke his left femur, destroying the muscle of his thigh. Forbes is today a patient at a medical center in Texas.

Levi was riding to the right of Forbes. The blast cut through both of his legs at mid-thigh, hurling his limbs to the other side of the Humvee. The blast tore away part of his right palm, taking most of the fifth metacarpal bone with it.

“Forbes,” Levi shouted, “I don’t have any legs!”

At that moment, luck and modern military field medicine adapted to the insurgent war in Iraq came to Levi’s aid. The machine gunner, Aaron Copeland, whose 50-caliber weapon had been bent in two by the blast, pressed his knee into Levi’s crotch, squeezing shut two major arteries that feed blood to Levi’s legs and preventing him from quickly bleeding to death. Copeland almost certainly saved Levi’s life.

With minutes, Levi was evacuated to a military base that, fortunately, was close by. Within hours of the blast, and now stabilized, Levi was placed aboard a plane bound for emergency surgery at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. From there, Levi was shipped to Walter Reed.

There are more than 31,000 wounded veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Funerals and memorials nationwide have focused attention on the 4,651 Americans who, as of yesterday, have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. In contrast, the wounded have largely returned home in relative obscurity, often to face months of hospitalization, years of rehab and lifelong disability because of severed limbs, brain injuries, severe burns, blindness or other battle-related wounds.

For the next year or more, Levi is expected to remain at Walter Reed. He will learn how to balance on artificial limbs and learn to cope with the aftermath of an attack that so changed his life. Many wounded soldiers fight phantom pain in lost limbs as well as depression over their altered bodies. Often they battle sadness that they will not be allowed to return to active duty with their military buddies.

Levi is a confident and upbeat young man who moves about the Walter Reed campus in a motorized wheelchair. With gusto he throws himself into his daily physical therapy. After walking one and a half times around a 220-foot loop, Levi removed his artificial legs, climbed to the edge of a bed-like therapy platform and began doing legless sit-ups. The exercise strengthens the abdominal muscles, which must do much of the work his thigh muscles once did.

He recently developed an aggressive infection in his injured hand, which threatened the health of a bone graft there. Because of the injury, he is not expected to travel to Long Island for tomorrow’s fundraiser.

In addition, a blister developed where his right leg meets the plastic prosthetic socket. That threatened to throw off his balance, which could lead to falls.

“He works very hard,” said his physical therapist at Walter Reed, Bunnie Brower Wyckoff, a 1968 graduate of Hicksville High School. “He’s had a lot of setbacks, but he rallies every time.”

Levy’s parents, Eric and Debbie, are planning to expand and renovate the bottom floor of their Holbrook split level to accommodate their son. Hallways will be widened, light switches will be lowered and power outlets raised to make them accessible to a wheelchair user. A bathroom will be fitted with a shower bench, and the sink will need to be low enough to be used from a sitting position. The house will have a separate entrance that will allow Levi to access his new apartment without having to walk from the driveway in icy weather.

The family hopes the fundraiser will help defray the expected $100,000 cost of the renovation, which is set to begin in a few weeks. The fundraiser will be held Saturday at 5 p.m., at the Plattduetsche Park Restaurant on Hempstead Avenue in Franklin Square.

Members of the Holbrook Fire Department and the Suffolk County Court Officers Association have offered to donate labor and materials. A Bay Shore architect drew the plans on his own time. A roofer has promised to donate labor and materials.

“There are a lot of people behind me,” Levi said, as he confidently went back to his exercise routine.

Both parents said their son is excited about the fundraiser. “We feel thankful to God and our country that he is with us,” said Eric Levi. “We see the light at the end of the tunnel. He is going to do good things in his lifetime.”

Donate: Christopher Levi, c/o Holbrook Fire Department, 390 Terry Blvd., Holbrook, NY 11741

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/suffolk/ny-ensold0718,0,5717812.story?page=1

SILVER STAR FAMILIES: http://www.silverstarfamilies.org/

“Run for the Fallen” and “Soldier Ride” Wounded Warrior Project

olotliny — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 19:36:54 +0000

Run for the Fallen is a collective of runners whose mission is clear and simple: To run one mile for every American service member killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom.As Soldiers’ Angels mission is to support all of our Heroes and with your help, we are asking for your help to spread our wings around this event. With the thousands of dedicated Angels nationwide, we have the ability to stand wingtip to wingtip, coast to coast, literally, and join these runners in honor of our fallen. You can run with them, you can take water or snacks or simply cheer them along the route. We want the love and support of Soldiers’ Angels to be felt nationwide.

Every mile in this memorial run, Run for the Fallen, will be dedicated to a fallen soldier and marked with an American flag and personalized sign card. These dedication markers will create a memorial trail across the United States, which will allow the memorial to connect with towns and citizens and propagate the memories and lives of those who fought in Iraq. We run in honor of the soldier.

The run is a symbolic memorial. While each flag will represent a soldier who has fallen, the run will stand as one large stitch spanning the width of the nation, coast to coast. The run is an active healing process, and the miles manifest themselves as healing stitches. One mile of sweat and pain to pay homage to one soldier’s life. It is through the embodiment of each mile that we reflect upon and activate the memory of those who gave their lives.

We ask that you, as a integral part of Soldiers’ Angels assist in honoring a fallen service member by meeting the runners along the path in your area to show your support. We encourage you to help the healing process, and bring the lives of those lost to the forefront.

Please look over the route below for the date they will be coming through you area.

Love,
Patti Patton-Bader

Remaining dates of Run for the Fallen:

Day 69: August 22, 2008: Quantico, VA to Lincolnia, VA 54.73 miles.
Day 70: August 23, 2008: rest day in Washington D.C.
Day 71: August 24, 2008: Dora Kelly Nature Park, Lincolnia, VA to Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA 10k finish.

You are receiving this message because you are currently an approved angel at Soldiers Angels (http://www.soldiersangels.org

Empire State Challenge

July 24-26, New York City and Long Island

Schedule of Events

Pre ride event at Bar 9 in Manhattan. Wednesday, July 23 at 8 pm.

Day 1, Thursday, July 24: Riders will ride in Manhattan. Route to be announced but we will hit Central Park, Hudson River Park bike path, South Street Seaport, cross the Brooklyn Bridge and end in Bensonhurst. Later the soldiers will be guests of honor at a fundraiser dinner at the Airpower Museum in Farmingdale.

Day 2, Friday, July 25: Ride starts at the Babylon Town hall and heads from Jones Beach to Cedar Beach along Ocean Parkway. Riding is by invitation only but come out and cheer on the riders. Event route That night the riders will be treated to a dinner in Ocean Beach on Fire Island.

Day 3, Saturday, July 26: Riders will be the guests of honor at the Inagural Soldier Ride Empire State Challenge Metric Century Bike Ride in East Hampton. For more information and to register please see www.empirestatechallenge.org.After the ride come to the Stephen Talkhouse to meet the riders.

https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/content/blogcategory/127/1011/

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July 4th, Let Freedom Ring

olotliny — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:10:35 +0000

http://www.ushistory.org/Declaration/

“AMERICA, I BELIEVE IN YOU”

Charlie Daniel’s Band

We got some trouble in our own back yard.
Things are are kinda tough, times are kinda hard.
Got a lot of people livin’ out in the street, people goin’ hungry without nothin’ to eat,
and in this land of plenty, this souldn’t be goin’ on.
We got enough for everybody we just gonna have to pass it along.
Well I’m glad about the fall of communism, I’m glad about the
Berlin wall, and I like seein’ old Saddam bite the dust, in fact I’m glad about it all.
And I believe in helping everybody,
but when it comes to all them foreign loans,
I think we oughta remember that charity begins at home.

Yes it starts right now in (America, America,)
I know the sun is risin’ on a better day.
(America, America,) we got the power and we know the way.
(America, America,) well let me say a few words about the Red, White, and Blue.
(America, America,) I know you’re gonna do it I believe in you.

Now I been tryin’ to figure this out, but there’s somethin’ that I just don’t know.
How can you make things better when you
take our jobs, and send ‘um down to Mexico?
And then there was this big shot, from the land of the risin’ sun.
He said the workin’ people in America were lazy and dumb.
Well let me tell you somethin’ Jack.
The next time I go on a shopping trip, and take somethin’ off of the rack,
if it don’t say, “Made in the U.S.A.” I’m just gonna put it back.
We can’t leave it to the politicians, cause they don’t do nothin’ but talk,
and it’s we the people that are gonna have to walk the walk.

And we can do it right now in (America, America,)
hey I know the sun is risin’ on a better day.
(America, America,) yeah we got the power and we know the way.
(America, America,) now let me say a few words about the Red, White, and Blue.
(America, America,) I know you’re gonna do it I believe in you.

Well we got the best dang farmers in the whole wide world.
The fastest horses and the prettiest girls. We got the Army, the
Navy, Air Force, and Marines, the mightiest fightin’ force the world’s ever seen.
We the kinda people that can get thins done,
We’re servin’ notice that we’re still number one.
We got the nerve (We got the nerve.), we got the will,
(We got the will.), we are all together cause you know that we are still.

(America, America,) well I know the sun is risin’ it’s a risin’ on a better day.
(America, America,) hey, hey we got the power and we know the way.
(America, America,) now let me say a few words about the Red, White, and Blue.
(America, America,) cause I believe in you.

http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/daniels-charlie/america-i-believe-in-you-15757.html

For all the moms of servicemen/women and “Letter from a Mom”

olotliny — Sun, 11 May 2008 15:21:43 +0000

Author Unknown

You see me every day going about life as usual - or so it appears. I
rub shoulders with you at work. I shop at Wal-Mart and the grocery store.
I fill my car at the corner gas station. You might see me anywhere.
Don’t be deceived: My life has not been “normal” for months. I am the
mother of an American soldier.

Although I continue the routines of life, I do so with a burdened
heart and distracted mind. There are some tell-tale signs of who I
am.

I’m the one with the frayed yellow ribbon pinned on my clothing. It
was fresh and new when my son first deployed months ago. Even though
the war is supposedly over, my son is in a place where bullets and
grenades (I.E.D.s) are still killing our soldiers. I am determined to wear my
ribbon until he comes home, because it reminds me to pray for him
every minute. When you see me wearing that ribbon, please stop and
whisper a prayer for him and all the others still there.

My house is the one with the faded yellow ribbons the tree in the
yard and one on the mail post. There is an American flag on a pole
attached to the front porch, and a small red-and-white banner with a
blue star in the middle in my window. When my son gave this to me
before he left, I told him that I never wanted to cover the blue star
with a gold one. Gold Star Mothers are the ones whose sons come home
in body bags.

When you drive by a house of this description, please pray for the
son or daughter overseas and for the parents waiting inside for their
child to come home.

To those of you who have posted yellow ribbons at your house or in
the windows of your schools, thank you. It warms my heart every time
I see your expressions of support for our troops.

One of the hardest things about being the mother of an American
soldier is living 1,500 miles (how bout 2600 miles!) away from the
post of my son’s unit. Wives usually live on or near the fort, where
they can glean support from others in the same situation. But a
mother may live across the nation, so she feels totally alone.

Letters rarely make their way home, and if they do, it is weeks after
they were written. We go more than a month without hearing anything;
then we might get a short phone call. E-mail is out of the question
most of the time.

Every week is like a rollercoaster ride that I want to get off. When
I read a soldier has been killed and his name has not been released
pending notification of kin, restlessness, depression and insomnia
rule my life until 24 hours have passed and the men in dress uniforms
have not appeared at my door. I pray constantly they will never come.

When you hold your baby close, remember we mothers of American
soldiers held our babies, too. Now our “babies” are putting
themselves in harm’s way for your babies.

And if you see a woman at the store buying tuna and crackers, beef
jerky, powdered Gatorade, baby wipes and potted meat, check to see if
she is wearing a yellow ribbon. If so, stop and pray for her. She is
probably the mother of an American soldier, getting ready to send her
child another “care package.” You may see tears in her eyes or dark circles under them.

I am there among you, trying to carry on some semblance of a normal
life. Like so many others,

I am the mother of an American soldier.

http://www.army.mil/fieldband/nimrod/nimrod.htm

“So Often we hear “Pray for our soldiers overseas”. The word “Soldier” is so generic. It does not begin to make known the person behind the title. As my son prepares to go to Afghanistan, my mission, as a mom, is to raise the awareness of each American. To make it known that these are soldiers, yes, but more importantly, someone’s son or daughter. Someone’s child. I wrote this to help you see MY son as more than just a faceless man in uniform. Please SEE my son, please be grateful for my son, and to please pray for my son.

21 years ago, as I began to labor with my child, I realized this was the beginning of our separation. The start of a process of growing for both of us. Never again would I be so literally between him and the world, protecting him. Early in the morning of December 10, the beautiful eyes of a precious soul looked into mine. My heart was overflowing with feelings I had never known before. Would I be a good mom? Will I always be able to keep him safe? I wanted to hold him close forever. I still do.

As he grew, I watch the first tentative steps on pudgy little feet. An unsteady gait, taking him precariously close to the danger of another bump or bruise. I would rush to catch him. Now, those feet march in military confidence. Again, marching precariously close to danger. I cannot catch him if he falls this time.

I remember a little boy standing at my door with a Bert and Ernie book bag hanging loosely off little shoulders. It is the first day of school and he doesn’t want to go but knows he has to. He had tears in his eyes. “I’ll miss you, mom.” he whispered.

The years rush by and bring into reality the young man I want you to see. He loved dinosaurs, lasagna, Indian Jones and peanut butter cookies. He had fish (they all died!), rode a bike, got stitches and went to prom. He set an example, became a member of the National Honor Society and received a scholarship. He forgot to take out the trash, continually lost his mittens and washed his colored clothes and white clothes together. He grew up, trusted God and joined the Army. The little hands full of dirt and dandelions that gave me my first bouquet now hold a weapon that gives you freedom.

Now, there is a young man with strong broad shoulders standing at my door, holding a green duffle bag. He doesn’t want to go, but it is his duty. He has tears in his eyes. “I’ll miss you, mom.” he whispers. I’ll miss you, too my son. I’ll miss you, too…

So, please when you say your prayers for the “soldiers” overseas, see my son. See someone’s daughter. Pray not only for the soldier, but also for the child behind the uniform and the family that loves them.

(This performance and reading was based on a letter written by Ms. Tami M. Ketteman from Ohio whose son is currently based at Fort Richardson in Alaska and is currently deployed to Afghanistan. Through this letter she shares the anxiety, the fear, and the proud patriotic spirit of a mother, of an American soldier fighting for freedom.)

Memorial Day

olotliny — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:46:05 +0000

HEROES UNAWARE
By Mark A. Wright, HMC(SS)
22 June, 2000

I first saw him on a park bench
I’ve seen him every day
Sitting in a shady grove
Where my children come to play
Sometimes he feeds the birds and squirrels
Or whittles little toys
Sometimes he just sits and smiles
At the laughing girls and boys
And I never paid him any mind
‘Till one day just this year
I noticed that he wore a frown
And on his cheek … a tear.

Well I asked him why he seemed so down
He looked up, began to say
I lost half my friends 60 years ago today
He told me of the terror
As he fought to reach dry land
By the time the beachhead was secure
Half his friends lay in the sand

That was just in one long day
He fought on for 4 years more
And the 60 years from then to now
Have not dimmed His sights of war

He said they have reunions
Just to keep in touch and share
And for each comrade who has gone on
They leave an empty chair

Well, His park bench has been empty now
About 6 months or so
And if I’d never took the time
Then I never would’ve known
That sitting on that simple bench
With bread crumbs and little toys
Was a man who gave his all
To guarantee my daily joys

http://www.usmemorialday.org/

http://www.remember.gov/

We pause to remember those who died

With so much courage, so much pride

They’ll never come back, yet memories endure

To remind us of freedom: fragile, pure

We’re worthy of their sacrifice if we pause each day

Not just on the last Monday in May

http://www.honorflight.org/

Last month my family and I observed a wreath laying/dedication at the Pacific WWII memorial in Washington D.C. We were unsuspecting tourists

A group of WWII veterans from Ohio had gathered together and made the trip to D.C. to pay tribute to all those they had served with and to remember those who had paid the ultimate sacrifice and to acknowledge the daily passing (a rate of 1200 a day-by many accounts)of their fellow WWII Veterans.

Some walked independently, some pushed in wheel chairs, most had on Honor Flight tee-shirts near all had their military caps-noting their branch of service….This procession was profoundly moving. The lone bag pipe player in Celtic garb played “Amazing Grace” followed by the Veterans. I can say, I had tears in my eyes and my heart in my throat as I watched. It was very noble and sacred.

I thought of all the Veterans and their families and of the recent passing of my own father in law, who had served in the Navy and in the Pacific fleet during WWII and of the young men and women who are currently serving and of those who have been killed giving their lives to protect and defend– real people who gave so much of themselves for all that makes our country great.

6 boys 13 hands

Each year I am hired to go to Washington, DC, with the eighth grade class from Clinton, WI where I grew up, to videotape their trip. I greatly enjoy visiting our nation’s capitol, and each year I take some special memories back with me. This fall’s trip was especially memorable.

On the last night of our trip, we stopped at the Iwo Jima memorial. This memorial is the largest bronze statue in the world and depicts one of the most famous photographs in history — that of the six brave soldiers raising the American Flag at the top of a rocky hill on the island of Iwo Jima, Japan, during WW II.

Over one hundred students and chaperones piled off the buses and headed towards the memorial. I noticed a solitary figure at the base o f the statue, and as I got closer he asked, “Where are you guys from?”

I told him that we were from Wisconsin “Hey, I’m a cheese head, too! Come gather around, Cheese heads, and I will tell you a story.”

(James Bradley just happened to be in Washington, DC, to speak at the memorial the following day. He was there that night to say good night to his dad, who had passed away. He was just about to leave when he saw the buses pull up. I videotaped him as he spoke to us, and received his permission to share what he said from my videotape. It is one thing to tour the incredible monuments filled with history in Washington, D.C., but it is quite an other to get the kind of insight we received that night.)

When all had gathered around, he reverently began to speak. (Here are his words that night.)

“My name is James Bradley and I’m from Antigo, Wisconsin My dad is on that statue, and I just wrote a book called “Flags of Our Fathers” which is #5 on the New York Times Best Seller list right now. It is the story of the six boys you see behind me.

“Six boys raised the flag. The first guy putting the pole in the ground is Harlon Block. Harlon was an all-state football player. He enlisted in the Marine Corps with all the senior members of his football team. They were off to play anothe r type of game: A game called “War.” But it didn’t turn out to be a game. Harlon, at the age of 21, died with his intestines in his hands. I don’t say that to gross you out, I say that because there are people who stand in front of this statue and talk about the glory of war. You guys need to know that most of the boys in Iwo Jima were 17, 18, and 19 years old - and it was so hard that the ones who did make it home never even would talk to their families about it.

(He pointed to the statue) “You see this next guy? That’s Rene Gagnon from New Hampshire. If you took Rene’s helmet off at the moment this photo was taken and looked in the webbing of that helmet, you would find a photograph… A photograph of his girlfriend. Rene put that in there for protection because he was scared. He was 18 years old. It was just boys who won the battle of Iwo Jima. Boys. Not o ld men.

“The next guy here, the third guy in this tableau, was Sergeant Mike Strank. Mike is my hero. He was the hero of all these guys. They called him the “old man” because he was so old. He was already 24. When Mike would motivate his boys in training camp, he didn’t say, ‘Let’s go kill some Japanese’ or ‘Let’s die for our country.’ He knew he was talking to little boys. Instead he would say, ‘You do what I say, and I’ll get you home to your mothers.’

“The last guy on this side of the statue is Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian from Arizona. Ira Hayes was one who walked off Iwo Jima . He went into the White House with my dad. President Truman told him, ‘You’re a hero.’ He told reporters, ‘How can I feel like a hero when 250 of my buddies hit the island with me and only 27 of us walked off alive?’ So you take your class at school, 250 of you spending a year together having fun, doing everything together. Then all 250 of you hit the beach, but only 27 of your classmates walk off alive. That was Ira Hayes. He had images of horror in his mind. Ira Hayes carried the pain home with him and eventually died dead drunk, face down at the age of
32. (ten years after this picture was taken).

“The next guy, going around the statue, is Franklin Sousley from Hilltop, Kentucky. A fun-lovin’ hillbilly boy. His best friend, who is now 70, told me, ‘Yeah, you know, we took two cows up on the porch of the Hilltop General Store. Then we strung wire across the stairs so the cows couldn’t get down. Then we fed them Epsom salts. Those cows crapped all night.’ Yes, he was a fun-lovin’ hillbilly boy. Franklin died on Iwo Jima at the a ge of 19. When the telegram came to tell his mother that he was dead, it went to the Hilltop General Store. A barefoot boy ran that telegram up to his mother’s farm. The neighbors could hear her scream all night and into the morning. Those neighbors lived a quarter of a mile away.

“The next guy, as we continue to go around the statue, is my dad, John Bradley from Antigo, Wisconsin, where I was raised. My dad lived until 1994, but he would never give interviews. When Walter Cronkite’s producers or the New York Times would call, we were trained as little kids to say “No, I’m sorry, sir, my dad’s not here. He is in Canada fishing. No, there is no phone there, sir. No, we don’t know when he is coming back.” My dad never fished or even went to Canada. Usually, he was sitting there right at the table eating his Campbell’s soup. But we had to tell the press that he was out fishing. He didn’t want to talk to the press.

“You see, like Ira Hayes, my dad didn’t see himself as a hero. Everyone thinks these guys are heroes, ’cause they are in a photo and on a monument. My dad knew better. He was a medic. John Bradley from Wisconsin was a caregiver. In Iwo Jima he probably held over 200 boys as they died. And when boys died in Iwo Jima, they writhed and screamed, without any medication or help with the pain.

“When I was a little boy, my third grade teacher told me that my dad was a hero. When I went home and told my dad that, he looked at me and said, ‘I want you always to remember that the heroes of Iwo Jima are the guys who did not come back. Did NOT come back.’

“So that’s the story about six nice young boys. Three died on Iwo Jima , and three came back as national heroes. Overall, 7,000 boys died on Iwo Jima in the worst battle in the history of the Marine Corps. My voice is giving out, so I will end here. Thank you for your time.”

Suddenly, the monument wasn’t just a big old piece of metal with a flag sticking out of the top. It came to life before our eyes with the heartfelt words of a son who did indeed have a father who was a hero. Maybe not a hero for the reasons most people would believe, but a hero nonetheless.

We need to remember that God created this vast and glorious world for us to live in, freely, but also at great sacrifice.

Let us never forget from the Revolutionary War to the current War on Terrorism and all the wars in-between that sacrifice was made for our freedom.

Remember to pray praises for this great country of ours and also pray for those still in murderous unrest around the world.

God Bless You and God Bless America

REMINDER: Everyday that you can wake up free, it’s going to be a great day.

PS . One thing I learned while on tour with my 8th grade students in DC that is not mentioned here is that if you look at the statue very closely and count the number of “hands” raising the flag, there are 13. When the man who made the statue was asked why there were 13, he simply said the 13th hand was the hand of God.

(my friend Pat - a Marine mom (her son is on a repeat deployment) sent me this)

THE FINAL INSPECTION

A Soldier stood and faced God,

Which must always come to pass.

He hoped his shoes were shining,

Just as brightly as his brass.

“Step forward now, Soldier,

How shall I deal with you?

Have you always turned the other cheek?

To My Church have you been true?”

The Soldier squared his shoulders and said,

“No, Lord, I guess I ain’t.

Because those of us who carry guns,

Can’t always be a saint.

I’ve had to work most Sundays,

And at times my talk was tough.

And sometimes I’ve been violent,

Because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a penny,

That wasn’t mine to keep…

Though I worked a lot of overtime,

When the bills got just too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help,

Though at times I shook with fear.

And sometimes, God, forgive me,

I’ve wept unmanly tears.

I know I don’t deserve a place,

Among the people here.

They never wanted me around,

Except to calm their fears.

If you’ve a place for me here, Lord,

It needn’t be so grand.

I never expected or had too much,

But if you don’t, I’ll understand.”

There was a silence all around the throne,

Where the saints had often trod.

As the Soldier waited quietly,

For the judgment of his God.

“Step forward now, Soldier,

You’ve borne your burdens well.

Walk peacefully on Heaven’s streets,

You’ve done your time in Hell.”

~Author Unknown~

May 08 - 10th Annual National Military Appreciation Month

olotliny — Sun, 04 May 2008 15:38:50 +0000

http://www.nmam.org/

(from the above link:

“As a nation, we observe and participate in various national cultural and social awareness events through mass media attention and educational curriculum. However, we have not allocated appropriate recognition of the most important presence in the world today, an entity that impacts each and every American in a significant way, the Armed Forces of the United States of America.

National Military Appreciation Month (NMAM), as designated by Congress, provides a period encompassing both the history and recognition of our armed services with an in-depth look at the diversity of its individuals and achievements. It allows Americans to educate each generation on the historical impact of our military through the participation of the community with those who serve encouraging patriotism and love for America.

This month gives the nation a time and place on which to focus and draw attention to our many expressions of appreciation and recognition of our armed services via numerous venues and also to recall and learn about our fast American history.

National Military Appreciation Month (May 2008) includes Loyalty Day (1st), VE Day(8th), Military Spouse Appreciation Day (9th), Armed Forces Day (17th), and Memorial Day (26th). This very important month honors, remembers, recognizes and appreciates all military personnel; those men and women who have served throughout our history and all who now serve in uniform and their families as well as those Americans who have given their lives in defense of our freedoms we all enjoy today.

It recognizes those on active duty in all branches of the services, the National Guard and Reserves plus retirees, veterans, and all of their families - well over 90 million Americans and more than 230 years of our nation’s history. Let us celebrate them just as we celebrate the other important entities that make up this wonderful country of ours.” http://www.nmam.org/about.htm

National Day of Prayer 2008

olotliny — Thu, 01 May 2008 11:10:46 +0000

“Somebody’s Praying” By Ricky Skaggs http://www.ndptf.org/press_room/index_2668.cfm#

“Somebody’s Praying”

Somebody’s prayin’, I can feel it
Somebody’s prayin’, for me
Mighty hands are guiding me
To protect me from what I can’t see
Lord I believe, Lord I believe
Somebody’s prayin’ for me

Angels are watchin’, I can feel it
Angels are watchin’ over me.
There’s many miles ahead ’till I get home
Still, I’m safely kept before your throne.
Lord, I believe. Lord, I believe
Angels are watchin’ over me.

Well, I’ve walked the barren wilderness
Where my pillow was a stone
And I’ve been through the darkest caverns
Where no light has ever shown

Still, I went on ’cause there was someone
Who was down on their knees
And Lord, I thank you for those people
Prayin’ all this time for me.

Somebody’s prayin’, I can feel it
Somebody’s prayin’ for me
Mighty hands are guiding me
To protect me from what I can’t see
Lord I believe, Lord I believe
Somebody’s prayin’ for me
Somebody’s prayin’ for me.

“Somebody’s Praying”

Lyrics/Music: JOHN G. ELLIOT

“This beautiful version preformed by:”
~Ricky Skaggs~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oI_h_IRfRe8

“Point of Light” (Don Schlitz / Tom Schuyler)

There is a point when you can not walk away.
When you have to stand up straight and tall and mean the words you say.
There is a point you must decide just to do it because it’s right.
That’s when you become a point of light.

There is a darkness which everyone must face.
It wants to take what’s good and fair and turn it all to waste,
And this darkness covers everything in sight - until it meets a
single point of light.

Refrain:

All it takes is a point of light.
A ray of hope in the darkest night.
If you see what’s wrong, and you try
and make it right, you will be a point of light.

There are heroes whose names we’ll never hear.
A dedicated army of quiet volunteers.
Reaching out to help the homeless.
Reaching out to save the land.
Reaching out to help their fellow man.

There are dreamers who are making
dreams come true.
Taking time to to teach the children
that there’s nothing they can’t do.
Reach out to help the hungry.
Reaching out to those without.
Isn’t that what this land’s all about?

Repeat refrain above and then sing:

If you see what’s wrong and you try
and make it right, you will be a point
of light.

http://www.absolutelyrics.com/lyrics/view/randy_travis/point_of_light/

National Day of Prayer, 2008

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

America trusts in the abiding power of prayer and asks for the wisdom to discern God’s will in times of joy and of trial. As we observe this National Day of Prayer, we recognize our dependence on the Almighty, we thank Him for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us, and we put our country’s future in His hands.

From our Nation’s humble beginnings, prayer has guided our leaders and played a vital role in the life and history of the United States. Americans of many different faiths share the profound conviction that God listens to the voice of His children and pours His grace upon those who seek Him in prayer. By surrendering our lives to our loving Father, we learn to serve His eternal purposes, and we are strengthened, refreshed, and ready for all that may come.

On this National Day of Prayer, we ask God’s continued blessings on our country. This year’s theme, “Prayer! America’s Strength and Shield,” is taken from Psalm 28:7, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.” On this day, we pray for the safety of our brave men and women in uniform, for their families, and for the comfort and recovery of those who have been wounded.

The Congress, by Public Law 100-307, as amended, has called on our Nation to reaffirm the role of prayer in our society by recognizing each year a “National Day of Prayer.”

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 1, 2008, as a National Day of Prayer. I ask the citizens of our Nation to give thanks, each according to his or her own faith, for the freedoms and blessings we have received and for God’s continued guidance, comfort, and protection. I invite all Americans to join in observing this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.

GEORGE W. BUSH

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/04/20080422-6.html

http://www.ndptf.org/press_room/index_2166.cfm#