and
SOLDIERS' ANGELS STANDING BY FOR FT. HOOD-- We are collecting cards and NEW stuffed animals for the families and children of the fallen/wounded heroes.
Please send cards and stuffed animals/blankets/anything NEW that may brighten the life of a child to:
Soldiers' Angels Warehouse
4408 PanAm Expressway
San Antonio, TX 78218
WE WILL FOCUS on the HOLIDAY OUTREACH as a major push.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
VAULT™ and the USO partner on campaign to send messages to u.s. troops
ATLANTA, Nov. 4, 2009 – The approaching holiday season is a time of hope and family for millions of Americans, but hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops stationed around the world will likely celebrate far from home again this year.
In an effort to boost morale with messages of support and gratitude, VAULT is partnering with the USO and country music act Montgomery Gentry on
“The Uniform of Heroes: The Taste of Support” campaign.
Entering its second year, the program provides a unique opportunity for people to send hand-written postcards to “any service member” stationed worldwide.
Beginning today, people are encouraged to write messages of support on pre-addressed postcards, which are available through VAULT displays at convenience retail outlets and on VAULT standees in grocery stores where VAULT is sold.
They also are available at VAULT-sponsored events and on MyCokeRewards.com , while supplies last. Consumers can provide postage and easily drop the postcards in the mail for delivery to a USO collection center for screening before being distributed to U.S. troops.
“Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for all Americans to recognize the special contributions and sacrifices made by U.S. troops, especially during this time of the year,” said Neil Golson, VAULT Brand Manager, Coca-Cola North America. “These messages will go a long way in bringing comfort and lifting the spirits of our troops, especially those who are a world away from home.”
In addition to boosting morale through the postcard program, VAULT is asking consumers to contribute to the USO by donating their own MyCokeRewards points, which translate to cash for the organization. MyCokeRewards points, found under caps and on packaging of more than 60 products from Coca-Cola North America , can be redeemed at MyCokeRewards.com to donate funds that help support the continuing efforts of the USO to provide a home away from home to U.S. troops wherever they serve.
Sandy Douglas, President, Coca-Cola North America, recently presented $100,000 from last year’s campaign to Sloan Gibson, USO President and CEO, during a special performance by Montgomery Gentry at The Tabernacle Concert Hall in Atlanta. The concert served as the kickoff of “The Uniform of Heroes: The Taste of Support” campaign.
“We’re proud to continue the effort to support our U.S. troops, and it’s exciting to partner with VAULT on this important campaign once again,” said Troy Gentry. “VAULT and the USO have created a great way to spread goodwill and offer our thanks to the brave men and women serving our country. We hope thousands of people will get involved again this year.”
“Corporate partnerships, like the one we have enjoyed with Coca-Cola for 68 years, are the lifeblood of the USO, and programs like VAULT’s ‘The Uniform of Heroes: The Taste of Support’ make an enormous difference to the troops who defend our nation,” said Gibson. “We’re very pleased to work with VAULT and Montgomery Gentry again in generating awareness and delivering much-appreciated thoughts and well-wishes for U.S. troops worldwide.”
Background
The VAULT postcard program replicates the popular service previously operated by the U.S. Department of Defense, which allowed the American public to send mail addressed to “any service member” for more than 17 years before being discontinued in 2003 due to security concerns. “Since email has become the primary form of communication for soldiers, handwritten, personal notes are especially valued and can provide an incredible morale boost,” said Gibson. “By teaming with VAULT and leveraging the reach of the Coca-Cola system, we’re giving people across the country a chance to send a note of support or gratitude to our troops delivered through the network of USO centers.”
In an effort to boost morale with messages of support and gratitude, VAULT is partnering with the USO and country music act Montgomery Gentry on
“The Uniform of Heroes: The Taste of Support” campaign.
Entering its second year, the program provides a unique opportunity for people to send hand-written postcards to “any service member” stationed worldwide.
Beginning today, people are encouraged to write messages of support on pre-addressed postcards, which are available through VAULT displays at convenience retail outlets and on VAULT standees in grocery stores where VAULT is sold.
They also are available at VAULT-sponsored events and on MyCokeRewards.com , while supplies last. Consumers can provide postage and easily drop the postcards in the mail for delivery to a USO collection center for screening before being distributed to U.S. troops.
“Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for all Americans to recognize the special contributions and sacrifices made by U.S. troops, especially during this time of the year,” said Neil Golson, VAULT Brand Manager, Coca-Cola North America. “These messages will go a long way in bringing comfort and lifting the spirits of our troops, especially those who are a world away from home.”
In addition to boosting morale through the postcard program, VAULT is asking consumers to contribute to the USO by donating their own MyCokeRewards points, which translate to cash for the organization. MyCokeRewards points, found under caps and on packaging of more than 60 products from Coca-Cola North America , can be redeemed at MyCokeRewards.com to donate funds that help support the continuing efforts of the USO to provide a home away from home to U.S. troops wherever they serve.
Sandy Douglas, President, Coca-Cola North America, recently presented $100,000 from last year’s campaign to Sloan Gibson, USO President and CEO, during a special performance by Montgomery Gentry at The Tabernacle Concert Hall in Atlanta. The concert served as the kickoff of “The Uniform of Heroes: The Taste of Support” campaign.
“We’re proud to continue the effort to support our U.S. troops, and it’s exciting to partner with VAULT on this important campaign once again,” said Troy Gentry. “VAULT and the USO have created a great way to spread goodwill and offer our thanks to the brave men and women serving our country. We hope thousands of people will get involved again this year.”
“Corporate partnerships, like the one we have enjoyed with Coca-Cola for 68 years, are the lifeblood of the USO, and programs like VAULT’s ‘The Uniform of Heroes: The Taste of Support’ make an enormous difference to the troops who defend our nation,” said Gibson. “We’re very pleased to work with VAULT and Montgomery Gentry again in generating awareness and delivering much-appreciated thoughts and well-wishes for U.S. troops worldwide.”
Background
The VAULT postcard program replicates the popular service previously operated by the U.S. Department of Defense, which allowed the American public to send mail addressed to “any service member” for more than 17 years before being discontinued in 2003 due to security concerns. “Since email has become the primary form of communication for soldiers, handwritten, personal notes are especially valued and can provide an incredible morale boost,” said Gibson. “By teaming with VAULT and leveraging the reach of the Coca-Cola system, we’re giving people across the country a chance to send a note of support or gratitude to our troops delivered through the network of USO centers.”
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Wednesday Hero
This Week's Post Was Written By Greta
Col. Henry J. Cook
Past National Commander, Military Order of the Purple Heart, after serving over fifteen years with MOPH, gaining invaluable experience while in the positions of National Aide-de-Camp, Chapter Commander, Region Commander, National Junior Vice Commander and National Senior Vice Commander.
He was a career Special Forces (Green Beret) officer for thirty-three of the total forty-two years that he was on combined active and reserve duty. His combat tours began in 1967-68 when he operated behind enemy lines in for extended periods of time conducting operations with native guerrilla troops as the Executive Officer of the 4th Mobile Guerrilla. He saw additional combat in 1969-70 when he led a U.S. Special Forces Mobile Strike Force Battalion (MIKE FORCE), consisting of Green Beret officers and sergeants leading Cambodian mercenaries, again working behind enemy lines as well as reacting to attacks on friendly bases, often requiring that his unit be parachuted into hostile drop zones.
Later, he participated in Desert Shield (Saudi Arabia), Desert Storm (Kuwait) and Iraq, and Operation Provide Comfort (Support to Kurdish refugees in Northern Iraq.
For his valor and military skills, Colonel Cook was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with “V” device for Valor and two Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Commendation Medal with “V” Device and one Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart with One Oak Leaf Cluster, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Gold and Silver Stars, Joint Services Commendation Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Special Forces Combat Diver Badge, Special Forces Tab, and numerous other U.S. and foreign decorations.
Henry Cook is now twice retired, as a soldier and as a lawyer and resides in Diamondhead, Mississippi. He is a member of the Pro Bono Consortium representing veterans who appeal denial of claims and is a member of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans’ Claims. He’s been a member of the Mississippi Bar Association since 1978 and also serves as a Municipal Judge Pro Tem in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Other significant contributions to veterans by Henry Cook include: a major role in the creation of the Mississippi Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in Ocean Springs and helping raise over $500,000 to help MOPH members in Louisiana and Mississippi who lost everything during Hurricane Katrina. In addition to MOPH, he also belongs to Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Special Forces Association (SFA), Special Operations Association (SOA), Military Order of the World Wars (MOWW).
You can read more about Col. Henry in this PDF file on pages 31 & 32.
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 Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
Past National Commander, Military Order of the Purple Heart, after serving over fifteen years with MOPH, gaining invaluable experience while in the positions of National Aide-de-Camp, Chapter Commander, Region Commander, National Junior Vice Commander and National Senior Vice Commander.
He was a career Special Forces (Green Beret) officer for thirty-three of the total forty-two years that he was on combined active and reserve duty. His combat tours began in 1967-68 when he operated behind enemy lines in for extended periods of time conducting operations with native guerrilla troops as the Executive Officer of the 4th Mobile Guerrilla. He saw additional combat in 1969-70 when he led a U.S. Special Forces Mobile Strike Force Battalion (MIKE FORCE), consisting of Green Beret officers and sergeants leading Cambodian mercenaries, again working behind enemy lines as well as reacting to attacks on friendly bases, often requiring that his unit be parachuted into hostile drop zones.
Later, he participated in Desert Shield (Saudi Arabia), Desert Storm (Kuwait) and Iraq, and Operation Provide Comfort (Support to Kurdish refugees in Northern Iraq.
For his valor and military skills, Colonel Cook was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with “V” device for Valor and two Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Commendation Medal with “V” Device and one Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart with One Oak Leaf Cluster, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Gold and Silver Stars, Joint Services Commendation Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Special Forces Combat Diver Badge, Special Forces Tab, and numerous other U.S. and foreign decorations.
Henry Cook is now twice retired, as a soldier and as a lawyer and resides in Diamondhead, Mississippi. He is a member of the Pro Bono Consortium representing veterans who appeal denial of claims and is a member of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans’ Claims. He’s been a member of the Mississippi Bar Association since 1978 and also serves as a Municipal Judge Pro Tem in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Other significant contributions to veterans by Henry Cook include: a major role in the creation of the Mississippi Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in Ocean Springs and helping raise over $500,000 to help MOPH members in Louisiana and Mississippi who lost everything during Hurricane Katrina. In addition to MOPH, he also belongs to Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Special Forces Association (SFA), Special Operations Association (SOA), Military Order of the World Wars (MOWW).
You can read more about Col. Henry in this PDF file on pages 31 & 32.
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 Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Soldiers Angels VALOUR IT Web Surfing
A 'surf' of the web for posts related to the Valour IT fundraiser
Nice Deb had the same idea, check out her post Project Valour IT News and Links
The Daley Gator weighed in for the Marine Team with
Your Valour IT Marine of the Day
and Miss Ladybug blogs Nolan Ryan is Helping Support Valour IT
For Team Navy,from the USNI blog Valour IT: Giving in Action
and View From the 8th Floor is blogging posts every day (and also has the Navy blogroll on her sidebar)
Soldiers Angels New York posted Why I Like the Air Force
and sometimes,LOL, it just gets silly........Uncle Jimbo at Blackfive posted
Navy Brings out SEALS to Support Valour IT
and Mudville Gazette had the Valour IT Trick or Treat
There's lots more out there, this is just a sampling......
the Navy blogs are also listed at the bottom of the page at the link to join the Navy Team here
the Air Force blogroll is listed at the page to join the AF team here
the Marine's blogroll is listed on the Marine Team sign-up page here
and the Army Team's blogroll is listed at the Only page you really need to sign up your blog at,
HERE
While I'm partial to the Army:) go check out All the blogs listed that are participating in this 'Virtual Fundraiser'.....it's a great way to get introduced to some bloggers you might not otherwise have come across....and you Might be able to leave a snarky comment or two on a competing Team's post,LOL.
Soldiers Angels Web Surfing
My 'surf' of the web for news by, and about,
Soldiers Angels
From The Daily Journal in NJ Don't forget the soldiers this holiday
From The Paladin at Furman University in Greenville,SC
Students to send Thanksgiving Overseas
Great post from a new-to-me blogger at Savoring the Sweet Life
From the NewsTribune in Illinois Penny collection makes 'cents' in effort to help soldiers
That's the surf!
Passing the Word Along....
Stars and Stripes Holiday message program is ready to roll again, check out the main page
HERE
and on November 14th, there will be a Veteran's Day 5K run held at Camp Slayer in Baghdad....
Run For the Fallen is suggesting folks consider 'shadow running' with this event.
HERE
and on November 14th, there will be a Veteran's Day 5K run held at Camp Slayer in Baghdad....
Run For the Fallen is suggesting folks consider 'shadow running' with this event.
Another "Blog to Book'
A blogger Coppola A Pediatric Surgeon in Iraq
who was deployed in 2005 and 2007 with the Air Force,
has joined the ranks of those who've turned their blogging into a book
the book Coppola: A Pediatric Surgeon in Iraq
(yet another book to add to my 'wishlist' :)
who was deployed in 2005 and 2007 with the Air Force,
has joined the ranks of those who've turned their blogging into a book
the book Coppola: A Pediatric Surgeon in Iraq
(yet another book to add to my 'wishlist' :)
Saturday, October 31, 2009
The Ballad of Captain Z
For those of you who might not know how Project Valour IT got started?
Project Valour-IT began when Captain Charles "Chuck" Ziegenfuss was wounded by an IED while serving as commander of a tank company in Iraq in June 2005
.
During his deployment he kept a blog From My Position...On the Way
Captivating writing, insightful stories of his experiences, and his self-deprecating humor won him many loyal readers. After he was wounded, his wife continued his blog, keeping his readers informed of his condition.
As he began to recover, CPT Ziegenfuss wanted to return to writing his blog, but serious hand injuries hampered his typing. When a loyal and generous reader gave him a copy of the Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred software, other readers began to realize how important such software could be to CPT Ziegenfuss' fellow wounded soldiers and started cast about for a way to get it to them.
A fellow blogger (blog author) who writes under the pseudonym FbL contacted Captain Ziegenfuss and the two realized they shared a vision of providing laptops with voice-controlled software to wounded soldiers whose injuries prevented them from operating a standard computer. FbL contacted Soldiers Angels, who offered to help develop the project, and Project Valour-IT was born.
In sharing their thoughts, CPT Ziegenfuss (now a Major) and FbL found that memories of their respective fathers were a motivating factor in their work with the project. Both continue their association with this project in memory of the great men in their lives whose fine examples taught them lasting lessons of courage and generosity.
In the years since its founding in 2005, the project has acted to meet emerging needs and its mission of supporting the the severely wounded has expanded. In addition to voice-controlled laptops, Valour-IT now helps provide active and whole-body video games such as Wii Sports, which is used to great effect in physical therapy, and personal GPS systems that help compensate for short-term memory loss and organizational/spacial challenges common in those with brain injuries.
------------------------------
Check out the video "Ballad of Captain Z"
(or the URL is here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwh2bVL0ibc )
Project Valour-IT began when Captain Charles "Chuck" Ziegenfuss was wounded by an IED while serving as commander of a tank company in Iraq in June 2005
.
During his deployment he kept a blog From My Position...On the Way
Captivating writing, insightful stories of his experiences, and his self-deprecating humor won him many loyal readers. After he was wounded, his wife continued his blog, keeping his readers informed of his condition.
As he began to recover, CPT Ziegenfuss wanted to return to writing his blog, but serious hand injuries hampered his typing. When a loyal and generous reader gave him a copy of the Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred software, other readers began to realize how important such software could be to CPT Ziegenfuss' fellow wounded soldiers and started cast about for a way to get it to them.
A fellow blogger (blog author) who writes under the pseudonym FbL contacted Captain Ziegenfuss and the two realized they shared a vision of providing laptops with voice-controlled software to wounded soldiers whose injuries prevented them from operating a standard computer. FbL contacted Soldiers Angels, who offered to help develop the project, and Project Valour-IT was born.
In sharing their thoughts, CPT Ziegenfuss (now a Major) and FbL found that memories of their respective fathers were a motivating factor in their work with the project. Both continue their association with this project in memory of the great men in their lives whose fine examples taught them lasting lessons of courage and generosity.
In the years since its founding in 2005, the project has acted to meet emerging needs and its mission of supporting the the severely wounded has expanded. In addition to voice-controlled laptops, Valour-IT now helps provide active and whole-body video games such as Wii Sports, which is used to great effect in physical therapy, and personal GPS systems that help compensate for short-term memory loss and organizational/spacial challenges common in those with brain injuries.
------------------------------
Check out the video "Ballad of Captain Z"
(or the URL is here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwh2bVL0ibc )
Friday, October 30, 2009
Christmas Quilt Raffle to help Valour IT
From Flag Still Stands for Freedom comes a Valour IT raffle of a handmade Christmas quilt.
Beautiful quilt!
Go check it out, each $1 counts as one entry in the raffle.
Beautiful quilt!
Go check it out, each $1 counts as one entry in the raffle.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Valour IT Video Contest
I'll leave it to Greta to give all the details:)
(or you can check the link at YouTube HERE )
or you can check out the details on the Official Valour IT blog
While I do have dear friends who have (possibly mistakenly,lol:)
signed up for Other Teams
the link to donate for Team Army is Here
(or you can check the link at YouTube HERE )
or you can check out the details on the Official Valour IT blog
While I do have dear friends who have (possibly mistakenly,lol:)
signed up for Other Teams
the link to donate for Team Army is Here
Veteran's Day and Applebee's
If you haven't seen this yet, Veteran's and Active Duty Military are invited to eat
FREE at Applebee's on November 11th
as their way of saying THANK YOU! to those who have served, and are serving.
FREE at Applebee's on November 11th
as their way of saying THANK YOU! to those who have served, and are serving.
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