New Years Images @ Bopmyspace.com
Wishing each of you a New Year filled with love, laughter, and joy!
For other New Year's messages, the founder of Soldier's Angels has a message posted (along with a Great picture!:)
My original "Mail Call! Supporting the Troops" blog, transferred from AOL when they shut down their Journals in 2008.
New Years Images @ Bopmyspace.com
Wishing each of you a New Year filled with love, laughter, and joy!
For other New Year's messages, the founder of Soldier's Angels has a message posted (along with a Great picture!:)
Another post under the category of "I started out in one place on the Internet, and ended up in another totally unexpected place....and how it happened",LOL.
So, I got home from work tonight and. as all Grandmothers with Geeky Tendancies are wont to do....started surfing Technorati . My Watchlist includes a search for blog posts with "Soldiers Angels" (go figure,huh? :) and I clicked on a link to this post
OK,really lame play on the military phrase "After Action Review",but hey...if you were expecting Hemingway or something,you wouldn't be here,would you?
Hope each of you had a wonderful Christmas! We had a very nice one this year, particularly the Grandson,who will now need a room added to the house for all his gifts,LOL. (I got him what I call a 'chewable Bible"...one of those heavy board books, perfect for reading AND teething, and how often does that happen?)
The lighthouse picture with this post is in honor of the fact that it was a "lighthouse Christmas" for yours truly......I received everything from a Thomas Kinkaid lighthouse picture to.....lighthouse salt and pepper shakers!!
It was also a 'bookish' Christmas...I received two books I had REALLY wanted
Blood Brothers: Among the Soldiers of Ward 57 by Michael Weisskopf
and American Mourning by Catherine Moy and Melanie Morgan
I'll give y'all reviews after I read them (and yikes! I already needed to read a Dean Koontz and John Grisham that my uncle had lent me, so I definitely need to go stick my head in a book soon!!) Both those books were on my Amazon wishlist, which by the way has books about the war AND books about Great Lakes shipwrecks listed....what this says about me? I'm not really sure.
So, my thanks to Ben and Emma, and also my youngest sis and her husband , for getting me the books, and my thanks to my non-blogging sis, who gave me the Barnes and Noble gift certificate, so I can get even More books!!! and also thanks to Mom and Dad, who sent WAY too much stuff,as usual...(this is NOT a complaint,Mom,LOL) because included among the 'stuff' was.....FOOD!! another personal favorite of mine! the sausage and cheese gift box(said the much-larger- than- she -was- before -Christmas woman:) And thanks,too, to the greatest brother in the world( he knows why:)
We celebrated our Christmas on Christmas eve after the candlelight service at church,since I had to work 11 pm Christmas eve to 7 am Christmas morning (and the slackers that live here,LOL, didn't want to get up that early if they didn't have to,to open gifts:)
Then I went to work, and during some down-time while that traditional Christmas movie...'Groundhog Day' (???)...played on television, I worked on some cards to send out for the Living Legends team for Soldiers Angels
And that's pretty much my After Christmas Review....in the "Dorks R Us" category, I have No Christmas pics to post,LOL, as no one remembered to TAKE any pictures!! I Do have a new pic of me posted,which the Patriot Guard Riders Ride Captain took at the Wreaths Across America ceremony and passed on,Thanks! Dew!(this would be the pic of me holding the flag in the cemetary.)
The Wednesday Hero post is below, and I hope everyone has a good week!
Every once and awhile I'll do a Wednesday Hero that doesn't profile a single soldier. Sometimes it's been two or three from the same unit, sometimes it's been an entire group of soldiers like the Navajo Code Talkers. I even did an organization once, Operation Iraqi Children
This weeks Wednesday Hero is one of those sometimes. This weeks Wednesday Heroes are the parents of soldiers.
These people sacrifice just as much, if not more, than the soldiers themselves. They, in many cases, are having their babies leave home for the first time in their lives. While most parents only have to adjust to them moving a few miles away or going off to college, these Blue Star Parents have to watch their children go off to a very dangerous situation and can only hope and pray that everything will turn out okay. I don't have children of my own, so I can't even imagine what that is like. We have a few Blue Star Parents in the blogroll, so to them, and every parent of a Hero, I tell you we all stand with and support you and your family
There's a site that everyone should check out if they haven't already.
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams. Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by clicking here.
Blogging will be light to non-existent the next few days, busy,busy,busy as we finish up getting ready for Christmas!
So I wanted to wish a Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays! to all my readers. And thank you for stopping by here:)
Sgt. Roy A. Wood
47 years old from Alva, Florida
ODA 2092, Company C, 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
January 26, 2005
Sgt. Roy A. Wood, a Special Forces medical sergeant, was fatally injured when the vehicle he was riding in was involved in a traffic accident near Kabul, Afghanistan, during a return convoy from Qalat to Bagram Air Base.
His 24-year military career with the Army Reserve and Army National Guard was distinguished and unique. After receiving a commission as a second lieutenant in 1979, he was first assigned to the Army Reserve’s 421st Quartermaster Company (Light Airdrop Supply). While assigned to the 421st, he received training as a quartermaster officer, a parachute rigger, and participated in both basic airborne and jumpmaster courses.
In January 1982, he left the 421st to begin an association with U.S. Army Special Forces that would last until, and beyond, his death.
His first SF assignment was to the Army Reserve's 11th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Meade, Md., where he served in the 3rd Battalion’s Company A as the detachment executive officer for Operational Detachment-A 1175. In May 1983, he became Detachment Commander for ODA 1175 after returning from the Special Forces Detachment Officer Qualification Course.
In October 1984, he left ODA 1175 to become the Company Logistics Officer. He served in a variety of positions at the 11th SFG over the next 11 years, including operations officer and support company commander.
After four years at USSOCOM, he served a year with the Army Reserve’s 73rd Field Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla., before switching from the Reserve to the Army National Guard and renewing his association with Special Forces. He was assigned to 3rd Bn., 20th SFG in December 2001, where he served for a year as the Battalion Surgeon, supervising medical coverage of three Special Forces companies and one support company.
In December 2002, he resigned his commission to become a Special Forces medical sergeant on Operational Detachment-A 2092, Co. C, 3rd Bn., 20th SFG. He, with ODA 2092, was mobilized in July 2003 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
At the time of his death, he was pending appointment as a Special Forces warrant officer, a position in which he would have served his team as an assistant detachment commander.
During his service, he received the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Reserve Achievement Medal with Silver Hourglass device, the National Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Basic Parachutist badge, the Parachute Rigger badge, the Ranger tab and the Special Forces tab.
Sgt. Roy Wood leaves behind a wife and two children.
These brave men and women have given their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams. Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by clicking here.
The Online Chaplain had a recent post in which he said in part..."A lot is said about the character of the american soldier by the media. But, not so much is mentioned about the character of the families of american soldiers. Perhaps, here is where the credit lies...." and you can read the rest of that post here Click here: The Online Chaplain: Soldier Families
and then I came across a post on Some Soldiers Mom, where she writes about the mother of a fallen hero,which continues along the same theme Click here: Some Soldier's Mom: Where Do We Find Such Women?
Along those same lines "Where do we find such people?" and "the character of the families of American soldiers"....I am sure most of you have probably seen a posting somewhere about US Army PFC Ross McGinnis? (which I first came across on Blackfive ) Click here: BLACKFIVE: "Blue Spader" Down - Godspeed Ross McGinnis
(Please go read the post before reading my entry further,if you have not already seen this)
----------------------------------------------------
My heart is wrenched by the loss of every soldier,but having two sons who are 20 and 22, and another young man very close to our family who is leaving in Jan. to join the Army at the age of 19........my heart always particularly grieves for those families who lose a soldier who is so very young.....so close in age to those I love who are so dear to me.
And I am awed that his family chose to respond to their grievous loss by asking all those who wished to express their condolences,to please do this........
His family has suggested for anybody who wishes to make a memorial donation to send something to a service member overseas, a veteran or local service member and present it as a gift from PFC Ross McGinnis.
Could I do the same in their shoes? I don't know (and hope I may never have to find out.) But it seems to me that here is a clear example of why PFC McGinnis was who he was, and why he would act so selflessly to save those around him.....a family that would respond to their loss in this manner.
If you wish to honor his parents request, the address is on Blackfive's post , but I will also repost it here.
Gifts to his unit may be sent to:
SFC Cedric Thomas
1st Platoon, C/1-26 IN
Task Force Blue Spader
APO AE 09390-1537
God rest the soul of PFC McGinnis, and we are keeping the family of this soldier,and all those who are fallen, in our prayers. May they be surrounded with grace and peace and strength in the days ahead,and may we always remember and honor their loved ones.
I know our remembrance will not in any way atone of their loss,but please may it bring some small bit of comfort to them, to know that others grieve for them.
A few weeks ago, I received the usual email from my Soldiers Angels Letter Writing Team Leader, with the name of a soldier to write to for that week.And while I was reading the end of the email, where she always includes a short personal note saying something positive or encouraging,it occurred to me that she had been sending me these emails for over a year now.
While the Internet does make it possible for someone to perhaps present only the 'best' side of themselves in a short interaction? When you spend over a year emailing back and forth with someone, you get a sense of who they are.
Because I wanted to share with all of you what I have sensed from my Team Leader? I sent her an email, asking her if she would let me feature a little bit on here about who she is, and what she does as a Team Leader for the Soldiers Angels Letter Writing Team.
She graciously agreed, so,without further editorial comment...I'd like to introduce you to Rhonda, from Chambersburg,PA.
Hi Kathi,
Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Travis L. Youngblood
26 years old from Surrency, Georgia
Regimental Combat Team 2, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force
July 21, 2005
Elmer "Mo" Youngblood wasn't sure why his sailor son wanted to leave relatively safe duty aboard a ship to be a combat medic in Iraq.
"For some reason or another, he wanted to be a corpsman," Youngblood said of his son, Petty Officer 3rd Class Travis Levy Youngblood.
He was a medic with a Marine unit in the Iraqi town of Hit when he was hit by an IED.
"I was tickled to death with him being in the Navy," Elmer Youngblood, a former Navy man, said from his home in Surrency, in southeast Georgia. "I wasn’t too happy when he basically volunteered to go over there, but it was his choice."
Travis Youngblood grew up mostly in Virginia. He attended Appling County High School after his father moved there in the 1990s. Surrency is listed as his hometown on his Navy enlistment papers and he and his father enjoyed fishing and hunting together there.
His wife, Laura, also served in the Navy. She left the service and lives in Long Beach, N.Y.
The couple has a four-year-old, now five, son, Hunter Youngblood, and Laura Youngblood was pregnant with the couple's second child at the time of his death.
These brave men and women have given their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams. Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by clicking here.
Blogs Partcipating In Wednesday Hero
I'm starting off with a picture of my grandfather from WW II because I received the things the gentleman who had served with him told me he would send to me ,on Saturday. He sent a picture (not this one) of my Grandad ON THE SHIP ! and I must admit I got teary-eyed at seeing a picture of my Grandad that no one in our family had ever seen before.
My oldest son was mesmerized by the history of the ship,and those who served on it,and it was a heartwarming feeling for me, to watch this young man who had never met my Grandad delve into this bit of family history that we had never had before and to be so interested in it.
I also got teary eyed when reading it myself, when I learned that those who attended the reunion of the USS Pamanset crew in 2002 had held a memorial service on the USS Alabama and read the names of all the shipmates who were lost in the war and who have passed away since then.Just seeing Grandad's name on the list, and knowing that there were others besides my family who were honoring and remembering him at a service we never even knew about, gave me a very special feeling.
On Sunday I took the picture and history to my uncle's house, and seeing his face when he saw the picture of his Dad? I don't think words can begin to express how grateful we are to his former shipmate who contacted me, and passed all this on to us.
Moving on, ....my family also hates me,LOL for introducing them to the "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" song (because it just seems to get stuck in your head, and even when one of my children groans and says "Not that song!!"...a little while later, they'll realize they are humming or singing it,LOL, and then you'll hear an "Ahhhh! I can't get the song out of my head!!") So...in the "Life is too Funny" category...what did my grandson get at the Christmas party he went to this past weekend?
You guessed it!! A HIPPOPOTAMUS!!!
As far as web surfing goes, I have several things saved that I have been meaning to pass on...so now, it seems, would be the time to do that
First off, this is a hilarious read on the definition of blog, by a soldier currently serving with the 1016th in Iraq http://www.pocatelloshops.com/blogs/1016th.php?id=1507
Speaking of blogs makes me think of Milblogging.com (geez,I have cheesy segues:) and so I wanted to say that Doc in the Box was the most recently featured Milblogging.com Member Go,Sean!
and I had wanted to pass on a recent post by Sean http://docinthebox.blogspot.com/2006/12/doc-and-group-of-marines-sneak-out-to.html
which the MSM also actually featured, and the video link is here
For tidbits from other milbloggers, Murph at Three Hour Tour only wants 15,000 hits ! (But whenever I try to post a link to his blog? the link always goes wacky and says "not found" or whatever...arghhh! Just go by Milblogging.com http://milblogging.com/index.php
and type in Three Hour Tour under Search Database and see if you can find him that way....and if you've been THAT dedicated, BLESS YOU!!:)
and Sack at Half A World Away has Movie Reviews Click here: Half a World Away: Movie Review: Some Good Ones and One of the Worst Movies, Ever
I'll end this post with a beautiful Christmas Card from Wait-Not Yet
and wish all of you a Good Week! God bless our Troops!
Tags USS Pamanset MilbloggingI first mentioned Wreaths Across America back here
But I wanted to mention them again, because now it looks like I'll be participating in the wreath laying that will be held on Dec. 14 at an area National Cemetary ,( as my First mission with the Patriot Guard Riders :)
And yesterday on the web I noticed that some folks seem to think the wreath laying is only taking place at Arlington...so I wanted to direct people once again to
If you scroll down that page, it lists the "Wreaths Across America Site Blog"...(I can't seem to specifically hyperlink it, sorry,' half-a-geek') and the blog lists BY STATE, the cemetaries across the country where wreath laying ceremonies are going to occur. So if you are interested in attending a ceremony, please go check and see where it's happening next Thursday in your state.
And, today being Dec.7th? I wanted to post this picture I took when we visited the Memorial in 2003. Please remember our veterans in your prayers today.
I spoke yesterday with the gentleman who had served with my grandfather in WW II .How awesome is that? that because of the Internet, I actually got to speak with someone who had been in the Navy with my Grandad??!!
He is going to be sending me several things, including a copy of a picture he has. I shared the news with my mother and uncles, who are all extremely excited (as am I ! :) I am extremely grateful, to the man's son for contacting me after he saw my post, and to the veteran himself, who was a delightful man to talk to! Thank you, sir!!
I had more I could share, but I must run to get ready for work!! Y'all know that I will be posting again,LOL.
And God bless our troops!!
SFC. Paul Ray Smith 33 years old from Tampa, Florida Bravo Company, 11th Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division April 4, 2003
When you think of the word Hero, SFC. Paul Smith is the person you think about.
On April 4, 2003, Smith was setting up a temporary enemy prisoner of war holding area during the seizure of Saddam International Airport when his unit came under attack.
Smith kept his soldiers focused during the fight while engaging the Iraqi force of around 100 men with his M16, a hand grenade and an AT4 anti-armor weapon. Smith tossed a grenade over a wall then he climbed atop the armored vehicle.
Disregarding personal danger, he sprayed the attacking troops with .50-caliber machine gun fire. According to the Army, he told a soldier who accompanied him to "feed me ammunition whenever you hear the gun get quiet." He fired more than 300 rounds at the enemy before being mortally wounded himself.
For his action on that day, SFC. Smith was posthumously awarded the Medal Of Honor by President Bush,
becoming only the 3,459 serviceman to be awarded the honor since the Civil War.
His "conspicuous gallantry, above and beyond the call of duty," according to his citation, protected the soldiers in his platoon as well as other troops at an aid station nearby.
These brave men and women have given their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams. Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by clicking here.
Blogs Participating in WEDNESDAY HERO
Hurray! for Laurie at Soldiers Angels New York
Don't know how long this link will work? But she sent me this link to the interview with Patti Patton-Bader, the founder of Soldiers Angels , on MSNBC .
Calling all military & troop supporters. Spread the word! Patti Patton-Bader, founder of Soldiers' Angels, will be on MSNBC with Allison Stewart on Monday, December 4 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time (2:00 Central, 1:00 Mountain, 12:00 Pacific). If viewership goes up, they may have her on again which means more exposure for Soldiers' Angels and more help for our troops. Please help spread the word!
( H/T to Soldiers Angels New York )
Tag Soldiers Angels(the picture is my oldest son playing Santa at his job a few years ago)
Sorry I haven't posted for a few days, life just gets busy sometimes I went from working 11 pm to 7 am shift last week, to working 3 pm to 11 pm shift this week, and my body still seems somewhat confused,lol, as to 'what day is this? am I asleep or awake?"
Our plans for today are to finish shopping for that one last soldier package I need to mail off (ahem...or should I say 'Marine package' "Oorah!" Somehow, Emma and I ended up sending 3 Marines packages this year, last year it was the Army "Hooah!" )
Please, no 'hate mail' from any Navy, Air Force or Coast Guard personnel,lol,we love all of you,too, and I wish I could send a package to Everyone!...our 'coadopted' serviceman from Soldiers Angels ended up being a Marine,and then Emma adopted another Marine when she heard back from her, after sending a card to her for the Soldiers Angels Cards Plus Team
And then, the name I requested from Operation Holiday Cheer ALSO turned out to be a Marine....what can I say, I guess it's just meant to be a Marine Christmas this year
I know,I am waiting till the last minute if I am mailing the last package Monday !