This blog will be supporting Victory in Iraq Day, November 22nd 2008

In the past, I've posted to links on this topic by those "more in the know" than me. Based on their most recent assessments, we're long over due for this special day.

So, on Saturday, November 22nd, this blog will be celebrating Victory in Iraq day along with all the other blogs listed HERE and all the rest that zombietime hasn't had time to add.

Go HERE or HERE or HERE or HERE to read why we all think this day has come.

You've got a little over 24 hours to prepare.

Cool Cartoon... just remember to donate to Team NAVY!

If you haven't seen Cox & Forkum's Valour-IT editorial cartoon, go see it HERE (HT: Blackfive.net). NOTE: Auction of that artwork took place in 2005 - sorry!

And go see the quote from then Capt Chuck Ziegenfuss (below the cartoon), the first recipient of what is now called a Valour-IT laptop. (but! come back here to donate to NAVY!)

Ha! Late night Coast Guard shenanigans...

A formidable opponent indeed. Coast Guard has boarded and taken control of the opposition's donation vehicles.

Since Navy and Coast Guard buddy up anyway.... and if you're feeling bad that Navy is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO far ahead, you could donate to Coast Guard instead (see link at bottom of previous post).

If not, just donate to Navy HERE.

Heh.

From Families United: A Veteran's Day Video

A friend just forwarded the link to this video, which I think is really terrific:



Info about the sponsoring organization, Families United, is HERE. Go see their Veterans Day message (lower right of homepage).

With gratitude to all our veterans

There are no words that seem adequate.

When you read stories link this. (HT: www.Blackfive.net)

Or meet people like this.

Or listen to folks like these.

Or when you understand how true this statement is...

“War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.”

John Stuart Mill, 1862

Or, keeping it really pithy, when you realize that (HT: www.MudvilleGazette.com):

"Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." George Orwell

...you can only resolve to make sure that they never doubt your support.

Sending out endless gratitude to those who've served.

2008 Soldiers’ Angels Benefit Gala

Last week, during a very partisan week in Washington, DC, two US Congressmen did a very non-partisan thing: they co-hosted a fundraising gala for Soldiers’ Angels.

My sincere thanks to Representatives Roy Blunt of Missouri and Steny Hoyer of Maryland.

I had the pleasure of attending the event, which of course gave other Angels and me an excuse to shop for new dress up clothes. Within the Angel/Milblog world, there were quite a few familiar faces. I got a hug and hello from Patti Bader (founder of Soldiers’ Angels), chatted with Monica, Joe, and Maureen (our crew of regular Angel volunteers at Walter Reed), and said hi to Kassie (who volunteers at Bethesda, too, and who leads our Hero Flights effort as well). I chatted with LDR and Roger (two of our Wounded Team leads), plus Lisa, AnaMarie, and Kathleen. I bumped into Matt Burden, founder of Blackfive.net, while lining up in front of the bar (surprise!), and saw Laughing Wolf from a distance, but didn’t get a chance to say hello, darn it. But I did get to say hi to Carren and Chuck, who are both amazing.

But most importantly, the event gave us all a chance to talk to others about Soldiers’ Angels, to people who really knew very little about the organization before that night. I chatted with a representative from Peabody Energy, one of the corporate sponsors for the event, and his wife, as well as a table full of young congressional staffers and their friends, including some from Rep Blunt’s offices and one from the office of Senator Kit Bond.

Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, gave the keynote. Not bad, huh? I even got to shake his hand and thank him for being there after he was nice enough to get his photo taken with one of the folks at my table. ADM Mullen was carefully doing the rounds of the room, making sure that he said hello to each of the service members in attendance; a number of our wounded who are recovering at Walter Reed had made the trip downtown for the evening. To me, his careful attention to those who’ve made a very physical sacrifice in their service to our country was an extension of his keynote remarks. He noted that our government is doing a better job of taking care of those who serve or have served, but that there is still room for improvement. And he also noted that a key aspect of our efforts is to make sure that our men and women never return home from war to a public reception like they got during the Vietnam War; one that lingered for years.

That aspect of his remarks resonated with me because that was the driving motivation that led me to become a member of Soldiers’ Angels, four years ago this week.

I feel as strongly today as I did then: I don’t ever want anyone who serves our country with such honor and dedication to doubt my appreciation and admiration of their service.

As I’ve written in so many cards and letters, I’m so grateful and so very proud to call them “ours”.

Yay, Marine!

I mentioned that we had our monthly Soldiers' Angels lunch for patients and their families at Bethesda last Saturday.

What I didn't mention was that at the end of our lunch, I ran into Zach. I met Zach, a Marine, at Bethesda last December shortly after he was transferred from Landstuhl, Germany. Even then, just short weeks after his injury, he had so much energy and such an amazing attitude. MaryAnn in Germany wrote about the days immediately following his injuries HERE.

I emailed MaryAnn Saturday night to let her know that I'd seen Zach and that he was in town, not for treatment at the hospital, but to participate in the Marine Corps Marathon!!

When my younger sister ran the MCM a few years ago, I had a great time chasing around DC and Arlington to cheer her on. I now live in Arlington and I'm just a 15 minute walk from Miles 1, 4 and 26. A couple years ago, my sis and I chased around town to cheer on a Navy friend. It's really fun and I get a ton of exercise. Needless to say, when I heard Zach's plans, I told him I'd try to cheer him on as I live so close.

Well, after a late start and then getting stuck on the wrong side of the main flow of runners so that I couldn't get in front to catch up with the trike riders (which included Zach), I made a beeline for the second half of the course in south DC and sat down to wait... yes! I managed to catch a glimpse of Zach at Mile 15 and Mile 20 and yell "Go Zach! Go!" before he rolled by surrounded by a pack of runners.

MaryAnn posted about Zach's latest efforts HERE, so go see the photo of Zach...

And yes, he finished! Totally cool.

Way to go Zach! You're an inspiration for us all. :-)