Cpl. Jason E. Meier From Arlington, Wisconsin 1st Team, 3rd Squad, 3rd Platoon, Bravo Battery, 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, Marine Wing Support Group 37 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Air Wing (Forward)
Cpl. Jason E. Meier plays soccer with an Iraqi boy during humanitarian efforts while on a Mounted Combat Patrol in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq, November 8, 2006. Meier is the vehicle commander for 1st Team, 3rd Squad, 3rd Platoon, Bravo Battery, 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, Marine Wing Support Group 37 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Air Wing (Forward). He is an Arlington, Wis., native.
These brave men and women risk 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.
Well, yesterday just seemed to be my day for unexpected surprises
First of all, I am not passing this on to 'toot my own horn"...but to share my giddy excitement,LOL. We troop supporters hear over and over how much our letters mean to the troops,like someone writes here
but I wonder if the troops know how much it means to US, when we receive an unexpected Thank You?
Because that is what I received yesterday, an unexpected 'Thank You"(and why there is a picture of coins with this post, the picture is from www.coinforce.com )
A soldier I had sent a card to, decided to thank me for the card by sending me his UNIT COIN!! Talk about totally blown away....I was awed and humbled, that my card meant enough to someone in Iraq that they sent ME something in return??!!
I never became a troop supporter EXPECTING anything in return, or EXPECTING anyone to send me thanks.....the soldiers I am writing to are,after all, in a war zone.
So when someone does take the time to say "Thank you", especially in a manner like this soldier did....well, it just makes your day, if you are a troop supporter!!
I received an email from Billy Hodges at Hunts for Heroes and it looks like hunting is good :)
(which reminds me,lol...my middle son got a deer last week, Yay! Kyle...I love deer meat:)
Here's excerpts from Billy's email:
"Hunting season is well under way and so is the HUNTS FOR HEROES team. We are well on out way of fulfilling our goal of taking wounded soldiers on 100 hunts and hunting has been indeed good.
Last week, we hosted three wounded men and their wives from Brooks Army Medical Center in San Antonio, TX. Also on the hunt ....were several others..... the hunters shot over 50 ducks in two days.
After the duck hunt Saturday morning, all of our guests practiced shooting skills by having a clay shoot. Some of the wives learned how to shoot a rifle/shotgun for the first time. The wives each shot a whitetail doe Saturday afternoon. Another soldier.... shot a doe as well as a nice buck the following week in South Texas.
The HFH team provided food that was to die for. Bar-B-Que, Chili&rice, eggs, sausage, bacon as well as every kind of pastry know to man was in abundance. HFH even bought coolers so our guests could take home some of the left-over food, along with the duck breasts.
Some of the HFH team will be going to BAMC the week following Thanksgiving to see if arrangements can be made to cook some of the venison for Solders/Marines still too sick to attend one of our events.
Plans are well under way to do a television with wounded back on active duty with the 4th ID hunting geese in December. Several deer hunts are planned for the management season in January and February. We will soon be planning fishing trips for the spring.
I would like to thank all the people that have helped us financially on behalf of the HFH team. Our team is the hardest working, dedicated, giving bunch of people in the world but could not do this without your help. Your support speaks volumes in so far as supporting the troops..........Thank you."
Their website says : "Don't miss an encore of the newest My War Diary episodes, "Keep Your Head Down" and "All in A Day's Work" on Friday, November 24 starting at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT." so today would be your chance to check it out!! :)
I had posted on Nov.11 (a day late...why is this not a surprise somehow?) about the premiere episode airing on Nov.10 being mentioned on Milblogging.com
and I knew I had mentioned this way back when they were starting to look for submissions. So when I started this post this morning, I went back and checked and was surprised...I had first mentioned My War Diary on April 28 and then again on June 3 . I don't know, it just seemed kind of cool that something I heard about back then and passed on to all ( 8 to 10?lol) of my readers has evolved into this TV show.
From the producers and broadcasters of IRAQ: FRONT-LINE ER," comes a documentary series created for and by the men and women on the war front: "MY WAR DIARY."
MY WAR DIARY offers un-filtered stories from the frontlines of Iraq, told by personal videos and photos sent by those serving in the armed forces. Each episode will present a broad range of the life in Iraq, from down time, to the emotional strain from being far from home, to gripping never-before-seen battle scenes.
For as long as there have been wars, people have written home from the frontline. They have shared their thoughts, their fears and hopes, their pride in their work and their longing for a home-cooked meal and loved ones back home. In between the bullets and the frenzy of war are the moments not seen on the nightly news — the real moments of real people living in a war zone.
MY WAR DIARY will feature everything from home videos — both in action and behind-the-scenes — to blogs and "old school" letters mailed home to Mom, Dad, friends and loved ones … each sharing a personal perspective on war. The program will put a face and name to the men and women who are serving our country overseas.
(and hey...if you are a soldier who'd like to submit video to them? You can check out this link
I'll be checking out "MY WAR DIARY" myself this evening, and hope you'll consider doing so,too! Feel free to come back and give me your thoughts afterwards, if you watch it : ) (Or please leave a comment now, if you've already seen it.)
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UPDATE: We watched it, and really enjoyed both episodes....a very good show!!!:)
(a beautiful reminder of our troops, thank you! Carol :)
and then another friend from Soldiers Angels sent me this poem:
GIVING THANKS
`Twas the night before Thanksgiving, in the cold desert air, He adjusted the night scope and gave the `all clear out there'. No campfires were burning, not one single glow. Heat from his thermos is the only warmth he will know.
The men in his unit volunteered for this post, Orders aren't needed with `seasoned young pros'. The bad guys are rumored to travel this way, He and his brothers will stop them today.
His mind drifts away to a family back home, Fond memories of kin gathering when `Tom's' finally done. Mom in her apron, with flour on her nose, And Dad with his eggnog, telling boring old jokes.
The men settle down when football began, Laughing and cheering, placing bets when they can. The children are playing games in the yard, With smells from the kitchen, waiting on dinner is hard.
Grandpa fell asleep right there in his chair, Mischievous brothers would grease up his hair. Grandma was knitting her sweaters for gifts, With sharp needles flashing, she'd blow them a kiss.
A radio crackles, `Echo 2, we'll stand down. Intel reports there's no bad guys around.' He shakes away memories like the sands from his face, What lies ahead in this faraway place?
Off to the east, the sun starts to rise, What would he give for one taste of Mom's pies? "Lord, let them know, though we're far apart, I'm right there beside them, giving thanks from the heart."
Spc. Donald L. Wheeler 22 years old from Concord, Michigan A Company, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division October 13, 2003
Spc. Donald Laverne Wheeler was affectionately known as "DJ" to his family, which included three sisters and eight brothers. In the military, he picked up the nickname "Sunshine." "They called him Sunshine at Fort Hood in Texas because he was so tall he stood out from everyone else and he was always smiling," said one of his sisters, Andrea Barrett.
Wheeler died on October 13, 2003 in an attack in Tikrit.
His mother, Mary Cay Wheeler, said he decided to enlist after the Sept. 11 attacks. "He loved the Army but at the same time he missed his family", she said.
They had a photo of Wheeler blown up to near life size and brought it to his sister's wedding reception because he couldn't attend.
"I shall always remember him, a big kid who gave everything he had on that dusty day," said Lt. Jason Price at a memorial service in Tikrit. "It's difficult to say goodbye."
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 above pic has nothing to do with anything I'm going to post, this is a shot of my son and I at his Jailer's School graduation last Friday. (No, I'm not at all a proud mom, am I? LOL.) And please ignore another hair coloring episode gone awry on my part,rofl....I was going for light auburn and seem to have ended up with darkened pumpkin head :) Oh well....at least I am seasonally appropriate!
I think I've mentioned before, I don't really consider myself a 'blogger' so much as this is just a place where I can tout Soldiers Angels, Supporting the Troops, and also point out different things I've come across in my web travels.....for the enjoyment (or ignorement,lol, I am sure that is NOT a word) of anyone who is kind enough to stop by here.
Before I start posting aforementioned links, I wanted to say that I am thankful FOR all those who stop by here....THANK YOU :)
And I am also thankful that my son's fiancee has joined Soldiers Angels...it is so much more fun to share 'shopping for soldiers' and writing letters and sending cards. We finished our Christmas shopping last week, because we wanted to get those packages in the mail EARLY....time is running out, to get your packages shipped!!
And now, on to all the links I've saved to share, as I surfed the web the last few days after work.
THEY HAVE NAMES
I am late in mentioning this site, but it is a must see.
A NEW JOURNAL, AND COULD YOU ALSO SHOW TWO OTHER BLOGS SOME 'LOVE'? :)
I heard from the author of a new AOL journal, and wanted to pass his site along OLD SOLDIER TOM'S JOURNAL Please stop by,check him out, and give him a welcome :)
And then I've mentioned both these blogs before, but they are asking for more visitors....seems such an easy way to make a soldier happy,doesn't it? (Nudge,nudge:)
Three Hour Tour says..."
Thanks all, up to the 15th I have had 5000 people visit my blog, my goal is to beat 10,000 this months so spread the word...I hate when I set a goal and do not make it so throw me a bone, keep checking the site, help me break 10,000 for the month so I can throw it in Radio's face, since that is what it is all about...that and free t-shirts.
And Afghanistan Without A Clue is getting ready to go home on leave, but unabashedly telling you he's 'stumping' for 'favorite' votes on the penultimate Milblog site....Milblogging.com
Ya Never Know who will end up being 'famous',lol, when you link to someone's site...but Half a World Away has now,along with one of his buddies, gotten an interview on the Big Red Network
(and isn't life interesting? Would I really know ABOUT the Big Red Network, or learn as much as I have about Husker's football this season,if I weren't addicted to milbogs AND supporting the troops? Who knew,that was where it would lead,LOL? :)
Also, speaking of football now allows me to post yet another 'gratuitous grandmother pic', of our newest Redskins fan :)
Speaking of pictures (gosh,I'm just so subtle with my segues,n'esct-ce pas? :)
I've added a new Photo journal to my AOL journal roll
This past Sunday's posting by Bruce's Deployment to Afghanistan features not only Bruce's usual good pics, but a link to an article about a medical mission by his unit MEDICS BRING RELIEF TO AFGHAN VILLAGE that ALSO has links to some very good pics, taken by Pfc. Jaime D. Mial, 3rd Brigade Combat Team Journalist
Lastly, with Christmas only 34 days away, and mailing deadlines only 14 days away for deployed troops....wanted to pass on these Christmas ideas/sites.
Elijah at Contact Right has suggestions for how to bring cheer to wounded soldiers with CHRISTMAS AT WALTER REED
On Monday (can you tell I'm kind of running behind on passing things on?LOL. life just seems to be hectic lately...and when,oh when, will I ever be completely unpacked from the move???!!) Sean at Doc in the Box posted about a fellow blogger and NPR...very cool
As brat says, word is that this single will be available for release with all proceeds going to Soldiers Angels I will let y'all know the logistics of how to do that as soon as I know, but in the meantime you can also stop by Molly Myles website http://www.mollymyles.com/page3.html to hear more of her music.
Hero to Hero has branched out into several different journal sites (and I need to update my sidebar under 'Other Journals', but I am watching the grandson for awhile right now:)
Maj. Guy Barattieri 36 years old from Seattle, Washington National Guard's Alpha Co., 1st Battalion,19th Special Forces Group October 4, 2006
Everyone called him "Bear." In fact, many of his colleagues at FOX News learned Guy Barattieri's full name for the first time when they read his obituary.
To FOX News journalists, Bear was a protector. He worked with FOX as a guard in their Baghdad bureau, leading their large security team when that office was attacked with a cement mixer full of explosives last year.
A 1992 West Point graduate, Barattieri first served in the regular Army infantry before becoming a Green Beret and serving with the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Lewis.
After leaving active duty as a captain, Barattieri became a citizen-soldier in August 2000 with the state National Guard's Special Forces outfit in Buckley, which is east of Tacoma.
From August 2001 to 2004, he was a Seattle police officer in civilian life, and he was elected president of his police academy class.
Barattieri went on active duty in 2002 as a Special Forces detachment commander in Kuwait.
In March 2003, his team led the 101st Infantry Division on its march to Baghdad. Barattieri received a Bronze Star and Combat Infantryman's badge for his role.
He was killed when a roadside bomb while traveling to a power plant near Baghdad. He 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.
and this completely awesome series of 4 videos....by a 94 year old WW II veteran. (I put the link to the 4th video so you can see all four...these are a must see! )
While I am sure the web will abound today with posts honoring Veterans, for my own remembrance I had received several emails this past week from a current active duty soldier with some poems he wished to share for Veteran's Day....and have been saving them to pass on here. (So, thank you "D", for sending these, and also for your service to our country.)
The first two poems he sent, I found when I Googled them, were written by Junior High Students! How wonderful, that the young people of our country are honoring our veterans!
The poems are:
Veterans
by Brittany Skinner
They were there,
And they remember,
The shock, the horror
Of watching strangers die.
A life ended
By a fellow soldier's shaking hands.
The unimaginable debt,
Owed by a free world
Can never be repaid,
Still we try
Giving up an hour, a day
To thank you for the burden you now carry
Laid there so we can live our lives.
They fought,
And killed
Enemies with faces
Identities unknown to the bullets
Shattering the protective shield
Laid there by those they loved.
For one day a year we honor you
For our lives,
It can never compare
Still we try
Thanking you on this day
For a million moments
You lived, so we could too.
Heroes
By Jared Jenkins
In war, there are lives risked and lives taken
Men and women giving their best to defend what they love
They defend their country
Their honor
Their people
Some call them soldiers
Others call them heroes
Our veterans have risked their lives for us
They have lived through hell and fought with honor
Many have killed
And regret doing so
For every life, there is a soul
For every soul, there is a life
For those who have died, we show great appreciation and remembrance
For those who live, along with them live the horrific memories of battle
(and kudos, to the students and teachers at this school!)
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The next poem sent was:
Thank You Soldier By Chris Woolnough
Have you stopped to thank a veteran today? For the price of freedom they had to pay? Did you gaze into those distant eyes? Did you see the ghosts he can't deny? Did you think a soldier's heart wasmade of steel? Because he was trained to kill, he couldn't feel? Did you see the guilt written on his face, For the loss of life he can't replace? Did you know he mourns the lives he couldn't save, And walks with comrades in their grave? Did you remember the boy with innocence lost? Do you really know war's ultimate cost? Have you felt the blast of artillery fire? Do you have the courage it would require? Have you stood in trenches consumed with fear? Felt the enemies breath so very near? Have you walked with God on a battleground? Seen your brothers dead or dying all around? Have you stopped to thank a vet today, Or did you just turn and walk away? From the pain he'll carry for the rest of his life, Did you consider his family, his children, his wife? That watch him suffer in silence each and every day, As he's haunted by memories that don't go away? Did you care that the soldier is still pulling guard? That his heart, mind, and soul will forever be scarred? Do you know how he suffers from ptsd? Or that our precious freedom is never free? Do you care that he still hears the blood curdling screams? Or that he returns to the war each night in his dreams? Have you felt the sorrow of a combat vet? Or would you rather just forget? That war has pierced his hardened heart, And torn this soldier all apart? Would you rather our heroes just fade away? Or will you stop to thank a vet today?
I have to agree with JP that one of the coolest new features is the ability to 'claim' your blog on his site
Military Blog Ownership Model
One of the coolest new changes is the ability to claim a blog has been added. Users can claim a blog from the Search Results pages, the Detailed Listing page, or from the My Milblogs section. The member must sign in and click the Unclaimed or Claim this milblog link. The member follows the instructions by copying and pasting the code to their website.
So, if you have a blog listed over there ? Go claim it ! :)
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I neglected to mention his post the other day about a show on the Military Channel Milbloggers on TV : My War Diary (and unfortunately I missed the premier due to work...darn it, TIVO is starting to look more attractive!) but that did remind me that I had posted previously about this show when they were looking for submissions, and here is their home page
I find we are all remembering songs, and all kinds of things we haven't thought of in a long time :)
Like, I started doing that thing "How big is Aiden? Sooooo big!" (and lift up his arms) Emma asked "is that something standard? Because my Mom did the same thing while she was here." I said "Yes, I believe it is...dating back to prehistoric times" LOL (which would be when I had MY babies :)
So yesterday, I had the beginning of a song stuck in my head, largely because Emma did one of our bathrooms in a 'Ducky" theme :) When Ben came home, I asked him "do you remember that song with the line...."put down the ducky?" He asked if I meant Rubber Ducky, and I said no, that's not it.
You know me,lol, this morning I Googled it. The line goes ...."Put down the ducky, if you want to play the saxophone.." ROFL...and there's actually an international training agency that has it as their Theme song!!!
One things my children will tell you, is that even though I can't carry a tune, there was a lot of music and singing when they were little...I got that from My Mom. And with Ben and Kyle being 6 and 8 years older than their sister, they were exposed to all kinds of baby/kids songs and videos.
Like Veggie Tales lol, in my family, all you have to do is start out "oh, where is my hairbrush?..." and everyone knows the words to the song :) We also used to always sing the song from the Elephant Show ("Skinnama rinka dinky dink, skinnamarinky do...I love you.") And we all recall when Blues Clues came out :) "we are looking for blues clues,we are looking for blues clues..."
I know from some of my pediatric patients when I was doing home health that there are all kinds of new children's shows, which I'm sure we'll get exposed to now that we have a little one around again :)
But for now...there's suddenly a lot more singing of nonsense songs going on in my house :)
"I have seen their smiling faces and their attempts to say 'I love you' in broken English...I saw hope in their eyes and gratitude in their hearts for what was done for them." -Gary Sinise
No soldier this week. Instead I thought would hightlight the efforts of a great organization doing what they can to help the real victims of this war. Operation Iraqi Children.
It's an organization started by author Laura Hillenbrand and actor Gary Sinise. OIC was set up to help Iraqi children get school supplies that they would otherwise be unable to afford. From their mission statement.
During and after Operation Iraqi Freedom, American soldiers passing through Iraqi villages were horrified at the squalor of Iraqi schools, which had been severely neglected under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein.
Corralled in sweltering one-room buildings without air conditioning, fans, windows, solid floors, or even toilets, Iraqi students lack even the rudimentary supplies that American children take for granted.
Libraries and books are almost nonexistent. Without these basic tools of education, Iraqi children face an uphill struggle to learn.
"Imagine sending your child to a school in which there are virtually no books, no pencils, no paper, no blackboards," says Hillenbrand. "This is the reality for Iraqi children. The future of the Iraqi nation is being squandered for lack of basic school supplies."
Along With The Troops, Organizations Who Help Need To Be Recognized For Their Efforts.
For Those Efforts, I Am Proud To Call Them Heroes.
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.
Operating under the assumption that all 5 or 6 of my readers have been in withdrawal,lol, I figured it was time for a blog post. (or maybe it's just me that's in withdrawal :)
The above pics were taken by Emma's stepbrother while they were visiting for Aiden's baptism, he took them on Skyline Drive. Great pictures,I think, and don't we live in a beautiful place?
It seems that my talking about Soldiers Angels ad infinitum is taking fruit :) First Emma decided to join and we co-adopted a Marine...who she recently heard back from,YAY!! And then my second son, who is currently attending school at the Central Shenandoah Criminal Justice Academy , told me the other night that he is attending school with a veteran who served in Iraq....and Kyle said one of the first things he asked him was "Have you ever heard of Soldiers Angels ? " (Way to go,son!! Although I'm sure the next sentence was "my Mom won't shut up about it",LOL. And, yes, the veteran HAD heard from some Soldiers Angels while deployed :)
Last night, I surfed around the 'net after work just to check up on websites and folks after my hiatus from the online world. There's no particular order to the websites I'm 'pimpin' today :) but I would first of all like to remind everyone that mail for Christmas to deployed troops needs to get sent BEFORE Christmas
I also went by the sites of recovering wounded that I've featured here before ,please consider stopping by yourselves, to let them know they are not forgotten
and Kevin Downs will soon be celebrating his 22nd birthday in a hospital, the second birthday he has celebrated while hospitalized. His birthday is November 25 the address to send cards or donations is:
I am still around :) Totally out of the loop, and still unpacking boxes,lol,but just flying by for a quick 'hey'.
The above picture is of a local mountain called 'Massanutten', and it was taken by one of the 'kids' (19 years old,lol) just snapping pics out of the car window with a disposable camera trying to use the film up on the way to get the pics developed :)
Just thought I'd share peek at our corner of the world here, and say I hope to get back to the 'regularly boring blogging' sometime next week.
This weeks soldiers was suggested to me by Ruth Blankenship
2nd Lt. Emily Perez 25 years old from Fort Washington, Maryland 204th Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division September 12, 2006
The nation is mourning the death of Lt Emily Perez, 23, the first Black woman to serve as corps commander sergeant major at West Point.
Perez, who graduated in the top 10 percent of her class, out-ran many men, directed a gospel choir, read the Bible every day.
She also headed a weekly convoy as it rolled down treacherous roads, pocked with bombs and bullets near Najaf, Iraq. As platoon leader, she insisted on leading her troops from the front.
She died Sept. 12 when a bomb detonated near her Humvee in Kifl, south of Baghdad.
Shortly before shipping out to Iraq with the 204th Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, she flew cross-country to be a bone marrow donor for a stranger who was a match.
She was the 64th woman from the U.S. military to be killed in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Quick and intense. That's how Emily J.T. Perez performed on the track, one coach said - and the same could be said for the rest of her short life.
She was a star student and talented athlete. She was a captain of her high school track team and a leader at her alma mater, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. She helped start an AIDS ministry at her church. The rest of Lt. Perez's story can be found here.
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.
Cpl. Jason E. Meier plays soccer with an Iraqi boy during humanitarian efforts while on a Mounted Combat Patrol in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq, November 8, 2006. Meier is the vehicle commander for 1st Team, 3rd Squad, 3rd Platoon, Bravo Battery, 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, Marine Wing Support Group 37 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Air Wing (Forward). He is an Arlington, Wis., native.
, an unexpected 'Thank You"(and why there is a picture of coins with this post, the picture is from 
(like that is a surprise?:)
