Sunday, November 30, 2008

CD for the Troops II

Thanks to MS Soldiers' Angels/MS Soldiers' Angels VA Team for passing this on.

http://www.cdforthetroops.com/

“For the Troops II” will be available for free download on November 25th for U.S. active duty service members and veterans world wide with a valid military ID at the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES).Web site: www.aafes.com

The complete track listing of “For the Troops II” is:
3 Doors Down – When I’m Gone
Daughtry – Home
Five for Fighting – Freedom Never Cries
Good Charlotte – I Don’t Want to Be in Love (Dance Floor Anthem)
Gretchen Wilson – California Girls
Isaac Hayes – Theme From Shaft
Joe Perry – Shakin’ My Cage
Josh Groban – Machine
Jude – I Think It’s Time (Everything’s Alright)
Keith Urban – Everybody
Maroon 5 – Won’t Go Home Without You
Roy Orbison – In Dreams
Alan Jackson – Where I Come From
Trace Adkins – Fightin’ Words.

---------------------------
MS Soldier's Angels/MS Soldier's Angels VA Team also had a great post up from Thanksgiving
Mississippi Family Hosts Soldiers for Thanksgiving

Saturday, November 29, 2008

"Analyzing" my blog,lol

Found this over at View From the 8th Floor and thought it would be cool to try.

Typealyzer

My results:

ESTP-The Doers

The active and play-ful type. They are especially attuned to people and things around them and often full of energy, talking, joking and engaging in physical out-door activities.

The Doers are happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus. They might be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. They might have a problem with sitting still or remaining inactive for any period of time.

--------------
considering how much time I spend sitting here at the computer?lol, I'm not so sure that last line really fits!

I got different results on my family blog

Try it, it was fun:)

Blast from the Past


Found this picture of my hubby, circa 1984.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Soldiers Angels Web Surfing

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Welcome to another weekly surf of the web for news by, and about,
Soldiers Angels

As the Valour-IT fundraiser comes to a close,
the Valour-IT blog has Preliminary Totals

Soldiers Angels-Wounded Warrior Support gave thanks for many things with On a personal note

Assoluta Tranquillita honors another of her Every Day Heroes


Kansas City Soldiers Angels had a Wrapped in Holiday Spirit Workday, with pictures featured on KansasCity.com Community Faces


NorthwestVoice.com has a great story about
Soldiers Angels at Olive Drive Elementary

Shaunn wearing his Soldier's Angels beenie... comes from Soldiers Angels Network.

Two stories from Soldiers Angels Texas
Clicks Monday Night Pool League Donates to Texas VA Team

and

Gunter Texas Boy Scouts Support "Holidays for Heroes"

Lastly, Tommie and The Bartender from 95.3 WAOR in South Bend,IN say
We're Thankful for Soldiers Angels

and check out their usPod in their right sidebar, for their interviews with Patti Patton-Bader and Toby Nunn.(easy to find,they're listed under "Soldiers Angels" # 5 and # 6 on the usPod.)

That's my 'surf' for the past week!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving!



Wishing everyone a


and remembering all those who are serving far from home!
You are in our thoughts and prayers.



I was sent this and wanted to share it with you:

A Thanksgiving Prayer

"O God, when I have food,
help me to remember the hungry;

When I have work,
help me to remember the jobless;

When I have a home,
help me to remember those who have no home at all;

When I am without pain,
help me to remember those who suffer,

And remembering,
help me to destroy my complacency;

Bestir my compassion,

and be concerned enough to help;

By word and deed,

those who cry out for what we take for granted.

Amen."

by Samuel Franklin Pugh

Nov.27th is the Last Day of the Valour-IT Fundraising Competition

Well, Thanksgiving day is the last day for the fundraiser for

Valour-IT

BostonMaggie has a link posted to a snippet of Greta's interview with Maj. Chuck Ziegenfuss

HERE about the impact Valour-IT had on his life.


The Valour-IT items for auction on eBay are Here


And you can donate HERE

Every cent raised for Project Valour-IT goes directly to the purchase and shipment of laptops and other technology for severely wounded service members. As of November 2008, Valour-IT has distributed over 2700 laptops to severely wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines across the country, and is now expanding its mission to include other technology
(listed below)
that supports physical and psychological recovery.



Voice-controlled Laptops - Operated by speaking into a microphone or using other adaptive technologies, they allow the wounded to maintain connections with the rest of the world during recovery.

Wii Video Game Systems - Whole-body game systems increase motivation and speed recovery when used under the guidance of physical therapists in therapy sessions.

Personal GPS - Handheld GPS devices build self-confidence and independence by compensating for short-term memory loss and organizational challenges related to TBI and severe PTSD.

Wednesday Hero

L/Cpl. Samuel Joyce

U.S. Marine Corps.

Lance Cpl. Samuel Joyce, from Boston, accepts a bagfull of toys during the Toys For Tots 5k Run at Fleet Activities Yokosuka. Runners donated new toys to the local Marine's Toys for Tots program.




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. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Wednesday Hero Logo

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Fallen Marine LCPL Daniel T. Morris Bridge Dedication

My Thanks to SWAC Girl for posting about the

Bridge Dedication to LCPL. Daniel Morris

on February 22,2007, my husband and I had the honor and privilege of standing with the Patriot Guard Riders at LCPL Morris' funeral, and I have never forgotten that.

It was the first PGR mission at a funeral we were able to attend, and I wrote about it on my original Mail Call! blog PGR Mission for LCPL Daniel T. Morris~Mission Complete

Our local news had the story about the bridge dedication Here

To the family of LCPL Daniel Morris....there are many people you have never met, who have not forgotten your son.

And we continue to hold you in our prayers.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Soldiers Angels Web Surfing

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Welcome to my weekly surf of the web for news by, and about
Soldiers Angels

I've changed my 'web surf' pic this week to remind you that fundraising is still going on for the Soldiers Angels Project Valour-IT

There are many, many bloggers joining in spreading the word, and they've each joined a different 'Team' representing the branches of the Armed Forces, so I thought I'd highlight a post from a blogger from each of the Teams.

Soldiers Angels New York has a post up for the Air Force Team here

Miss Ladybug posts for Team Army here

Boston Maggie takes a swipe at the Air Force team on behalf of Team Navy here (and she's scary-good at tricking people into joining the Navy Team,lol...she almost got me signed up on Facebook, until I realized 'wait, you don't spell Army N-A-V-Y!':)

CG Blog (An UNofficial Coast Guard Blog) tells us the Coasties are lagging behind, but still hanging in there......here


And Soldiers Angels Germany comes in with a blog post for the Marines that had me cracking up here

The competition is all in good fun, and the money all goes to the same place in the end.(although my heart lies with 'Go,Team Army'! just in case you haven't picked a Team to donate through yet...I'm just sayin:)


In other places to visit on this web surf...........

Soldiers Angels Network has a post up about another very worthy cause to support.....Operation Survivor from Survivor Corps

An Awesome Stamper and New Adopter of a Soldier has a great post here

This Angel has a wonderful story about
The Best Veteran's Day Ever


Soldiers Angels Louisiana has some great links to check out in
Louisiana news

The Soldiers Angels November newsletter link can be found Here

And I close with this post from Ladies of Liberty
Happy Thanksgiving from Soldiers Angels

That's the surf!

An Online Community for Veterans

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America has started on online community for Veterans of those wars ...."the first social network exclusively for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans."

Veterans can go here Community of Veterans to join.

(and the website says they have a friends and family section coming soon.)

They launched the campaign for the website with a PSA put together with the Ad Council

Thursday, November 20, 2008

This...is Wrong "Virginia denies Marine recognition because of how he died "

The story is from the Virginian-Pilot Here

Please take the time to read it, because this is a travesty, in my opinion, and I'm ashamed today to be a Virginian.

While researching more about this story, I came across an excellent posting by a USMC Veteran/fellow Virginian, that says more eloquently than I could that this policy needs to be changed

From Too Close to the Mason-Dixon We Can Do Better Than This

She includes in her post links to the Governor's website, and the websites for the Delegates to the Virginia General Assembly, and the Virginia State Senators,

and has found many of the pertinent email addresses for the
Virginia War Memorial Foundation members(and a listing of those members)

(a most Excellent job of research on her part, my Thanks to her)

She also includes the letter that she sent to as many of those people as she could.

While my own effort couldn't compare to her letter? I followed her lead, and emailed the Governor's office, and my State Delegates and Senators, and many of those on the Virginia War Memorial Foundation Board,

and if you are a Virginian?

I strongly Urge you to do the same.

This is a policy that needs to be changed. We need to honor our Fallen who died during active service in a war zone.

While doing my own research on this, I came across This Link on the Virginia General Assembly Website,
which says the Purpose of the War Memorial Foundation Board of Trustee's is:

"To honor patriotic Virginians who rendered faithful service and sacrifice in the cause of freedom and liberty for the Commonwealth and the nation in time of war. "


and on the Virginia War Memorial website itself, it say ......"the War Memorial was created by the Virginia General Assembly to honor Virginia's war dead."

(I guess I'm just missing somewhere the codicil that states "only if they died in hostile combat"??)

A great many of the folks who serve on the Board of Trustee's are veterans themselves......I should think they would be ashamed of themselves, for allowing this to happen.

Fellow Virginians......let's join together and make our voices heard....this policy needs to be changed.

Borrowing from Too Close's posting,

The Governor's Website

House of Delegates Email Listings

Senate of Virginia Membership Listings

Let's do this not only for LCPL Darrell Schumann, but also for the roughly two dozen others with Virginia ties who died in accidents or non-combat scenarios, out of the about 140 Virginia servicemembers who have died since 2003 in the wars.

As LCPL Schumann's father, Rick, said in the Virginian-Pilot article
"We want them to do it right this time."












Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Wednesday Hero

Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody
Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody
55 years old from Fort Belvoir, Virginia
U.S. Army

Call it breaking the brass ceiling. Ann E. Dunwoody, after 33 years in the Army, ascended Friday to a peak never before reached by a woman in the U.S. military: four-star general.

At an emotional promotion ceremony, Dunwoody looked back on her years in uniform, said it was a credit to the Army—and a great surprise to her—that she would make history in a male-dominated military.

"Thirty-three years after I took the oath as a second lieutenant, I have to tell you this is not exactly how I envisioned my life unfolding," she told a standing-room-only auditorium. "Even as a young kid, all I ever wanted to do was teach physical education and raise a family.

"It was clear to me that my Army experience was just going to be a two-year detour en route to my fitness profession," she added. "So when asked, `Ann, did you ever think you were going to be a general officer, to say nothing about a four-star?' I say, `Not in my wildest dreams.'

"There is no one more surprised than I—except, of course, my husband. You know what they say, `Behind every successful woman there is an astonished man.'"

You can read the rest of Gen. Dunwoody's story here.




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.

Wednesday Hero Logo

"I Stand for You"

A friend sent the link to this video, go check it out

YouTube-I Stand for You

(and please pass on the link to the video, I think this deserves to get more views)

The website mentioned at the end of the video can be found
here
Friends of the First Battalion

The 2008 Weblog Awards 'Best Military Blog' in Full Swing

For my buddy JP at Milblogging.com

The 2008 Weblog Awards 'Best Military Blog' in Full Swing



As he says in the link above, you can place your nominations here

and since several people have already nominated

Milblogging.com

You can just scroll down in the comments to find the nomination and click on the 'plus' sign under that comment, to add a vote for that nomination

-----------------
On the 2008 Weblog Awards website , it says


About The Weblog Awards
The Weblog Awards are the world's largest blog competition with over 545,000 votes cast in 2007 edition and nearly two million votes cast in all editions since 2003.

For The 2008 Weblog Awards open and public nominations in 48 categories began on November 3, 2008. Voting for selected finalists is expected begin in early December 2008.

Signup for our newsletter for press releases and to keep up to date on general information about The Weblog Awards. It's the best way to stay abreast of the schedule for this year and future editions of The Weblog Awards.

The Valour-IT Teams

There's probably some 'ultra-techy' way for me to do this that I'm just not understanding,lol,
(even though I checked out the Valour-IT Blog )

On the Valour-IT fundraiser page
you can see the 'Team' totals, and down underneath that, you can catch the latest blog posts about Valour-IT
(and remember, the Teams are all in the spirit of fun, all monies raised go to the same place in the end)

I just wanted to link to the sign up pages for each team, because under the sign up it lists all the blogs currently participating for that Team. It's a great way for you to 'surf' some great blogs.

Since my blog is,( of course,) signed up for the Army Team, I'm going to start out linking to that one.

Army Team

Marines Team

Navy Team

Air Force Team

Coast Guard Team

So go check out the blogs on each Team, and while you're there? why not consider Joining one of the Teams?(subliminal insert:Army) and help spread the word about this fundraiser!

More Valour-IT news....Valour-IT Featured on Moment of Thanks

Valour-IT Featured on Moment of Thanks

Project Valour-IT is currently featured on Moment of Thanks (MoT) in conjunction with Valour-IT's online fundraiser, which runs through Thanksgiving Day. A supporter of Soldiers' Angels since the site began, MoT is now featuring videos from the recent Soldiers' Angels Gala on its front page, and has set aside space specifically to highlight Valour-IT's history and impact.

Since its kickoff last July 4th, MoT has gathered videos, photos, and texts of gratitude for the troops from thousands of everyday people, as well as famous names in sports, politics, entertainment and military service. This month, in honor of Veterans Day, MoT is inviting visitors to share stories of a personal hero who is also a veteran.

If you're a servicemember or part of a military family, Moment of Thanks is a great reminder of how many people appreciate the service of you and your family. If you're a civilian, it's a testament to the service so many have given us, and the "silent majority" who continue to love and care for our military even when they are no longer on the front pages.

Check it out! And don't forget the special Valour-IT page, too!

-----------------
(Author's note: Check out the videos from Patti and Greta and the rest of the great videos linked on the video page:)

Best Selling Authors Provide Autographed Books to Support Project Valour-IT

Best-Selling Authors Provide Autographed Books to Support Project Valour-IT

Seven noted authors have stepped up to support Project Valour-IT by
donating autographed books for auction, and more are anticipated to
join them. The books are being auctioned on eBay to help raise money
to help Soldiers' Angels provide adaptive laptops to wounded or
disabled service members.

David Weber, David Drake, John Ringo, David J. Williams, Dean Ing,
Mark L. Van Name, and Travis "Doc" Taylor have all agreed to provide
works for auction as part of the annual fundraiser, which kicked off
on Veterans Day and ends Thanksgiving Day. The works are being
auctioned on the eBay Giving Works listings ( seller spliffslips ) with
the money raised going directly and fully to the Project Valour-IT
fund.

Currently, there are seven items up for bid on eBay:

The
Last Centurion
by John Ringo.

The
Quantum Connection
by Travis S. Taylor.

Warp
Speed
by Travis S. Taylor.

Von
Neuman's War
by John Ringo and Travis S. Taylor (autographed by
Travis S. Taylor only).

The
Complete Hammer's Slammers Volume 1
by David Drake.

Vorpal
Blade
by John Ringo and Travis S. Taylor (autographed by Travis
S. Taylor only).

Slanted
Jack
by Mark L. Van Name.

Works by David Weber, Dave Williams, and Dean Ing will be posted for
auction soon. The end time for each auction is different, so please
check each listing to determine its end date.

John Ringo is a New York
Times best-selling author with more than a million copies of his
works in print. A veteran (Airborne!), he is known for his solo "Posleen"
and "Ghost"
series, as well as his "Empire of Man" series co-authored with David
Weber.

Travis S. "Doc" Taylor is
a rising light in the science fiction sky. He's earned not only a
Ph.D. in optical science and engineering, but Master's degrees in
physics, aerospace engineering, and astronomy and a Bachelor's degree
in electrical engineering as well. The author of several
books
, he may be best known for the "Looking
Glass
" series co-authored with John Ringo. The start of a series
of video interviews with Taylor can be found here.

David Drake is the New York
Times best-selling author of the "Hammer's
Slammers
" series. Having written on a variety of subjects, his
Hammer's Slammers work is based on his service in Vietnam and he is
known to describe the series as the 11th Armored Cavalry with ray
guns. The start of a series of video interviews with Drake can be
found at here.

Mark L. Van
Name
is an author who also runs a technology assessment company
in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina. A former Executive
Vice President for Ziff Davis Media and national technology
columnist, he's published over a thousand computer-related articles
in addition to his "Slanted
Jack
" series and numerous short stories. The start of a series
of video interviews with Van Name can be found here.

David Weber is the New York
Times best-selling author of the acclaimed "Honor
Harrington
" series. The author of multiple best-selling books
and series, he has seen his works develop a world-wide reach and
following. The start of a series of video interviews with him can be
found here.

David
J. Williams
is another rising star in the science fiction
universe. Born in Hertfordshire, England, he now resides in
Washington, DC. Mirrored
Heavens
is his first novel.

Dean Ing is the
author of multiple science
fiction
and techno-thriller
novels. After serving in the U.S. Air Force, he earned a doctorate
in communications and worked in aerospace engineering. He served on
the Citizen's Advisory Council on National Space Policy.


Project Valour-IT, in memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss, helps
provide voice-controlled/adaptive laptop computers and other
technology to support Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines
recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries. Technology
supplied includes:
Voice-controlled Laptops - Operated by speaking into a microphone or
using other adaptive technologies, they allow the wounded to maintain
connections with the rest of the world during recovery.

Wii Video Game Systems - Whole-body game systems increase motivation
and speed recovery when used under the guidance of physical
therapists in therapy sessions.

Personal GPS - Handheld GPS devices build self-confidence and
independence by compensating for short-term memory loss and
organizational challenges related to TBI and severe PTSD.

The experience of Major Chuck Ziegenfuss, a partner in the project
who suffered serious hand wounds while serving in Iraq, illustrates
how important these laptops and other technologies can be to a
wounded service member's recovery.

Established in 2003, Soldiers' Angels is a volunteer-based 501(c)(3)
non-profit providing aid and comfort to the men and women of the
United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, as well
as veterans and military families. For more information, see http://www.soldiersangels.org/ or
call 626-529-5114. Tax ID# 20-0583415

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Holiday Mail for Heroes

My alert Mother forwarded an email sent to her and many others tonight, with an address to send cards to "A Recovering American Soldier" care of Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Folks, you CANNOT send cards to "A Recovering American Soldier",it says so right here on this page from Walter Reed's website:

(bottom of the page- "Walter Reed is not accepting mail addressed to "A Recovering American Soldier." )

HOWEVER, as you can see on the page I Linked

You CAN send cards through the Holiday Mail for Heroes program, run by the
American Red Cross partnering with Pitney Bowes

Check out any of the links above, and also Snopes.com

They all say the same thing



Holiday cards should be mailed to:

Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD. 20791-5456

All cards must be postmarked no later than Dec. 10.
Cards should not be mailed or delivered to Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

The guidelines for sending cards are:

Card Guidelines
Please follow these guidelines when mailing a card to ensure that your card will quickly reach service members, veterans and their families. Every card received will first be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and then reviewed by Red Cross volunteers working in one of 16 sorting stations around the country.

All cards must be postmarked no later than Wednesday, December 10, 2008. Cards sent after this date will be returned to sender.

Please ensure that all cards are signed.

Please use generic salutations such as “Dear Service Member.” Cards addressed to specific individuals can not be delivered through this program.

Please send cards as opposed to long letters which delay a quick review process.

Please do not include email or home addresses on the cards, as the program is not meant to foster pen pal relationships.

Please do not include inserts of any kind, including photos, as these items will be removed during the reviewing process.

Participants are encouraged to limit the number of cards they submit to 25 from any one person or 50 from any one class or group.
If you are mailing a larger quantity, please bundle the cards and place them in large mailing envelopes. Each card does not need its own envelope.

All cards received may be used in program publicity efforts, including appearing in broadcast, print or online mediums.
---------------------------------------

I was sad when Mom forwarded me that email, which a very good-hearted and caring person had obviously passed on to many other people.......all that mail they will send to the Walter Reed address will be returned to them, and their good wishes for our Recovering Troops will not be passed on.

So please, if you're going to forward Any email about sending cards to recovering troops this holiday season?
Go to the American Red Cross website HERE

They have a form at the bottom to pass that page on via email. (My suggestion? email it to yourself, and then forward it on to everyone you can think of!)

Let's get the cards to our recovering servicemembers this year(not see those good wishes returned to you)
and Thank You, to the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes, for working to make this happen.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Holiday Care Packages and Cards for the Troops....Deadlines Approaching!

As you can see from this United States Postal Service News Release
Holiday Mailing Deadlines are fast approaching.

(short version: It looks like the latest date for Priority Mail cards and packages to go out to most APO/FPO AE AA addresses is Dec. 11--
the exception being APO/FPO AE ZIP 093, which is Dec.4 )

So, it's time to pass on once more some various Holiday Projects to Support the Troops...time is getting short!

Soldiers Angels" Wrapped in Holiday Spirit " program is (you knew I was going to:)starting to 'wrap up'...but, there's still time for you to order a Wrapped in Holiday Spirit Care Package for only $18.75,( just click 'Send to Any Hero' when you order.)

This next one's easy...... The Big Thank You all you need to do is post a message!
The goal of The Bert Show's Big Thank You 2008 is to collect 1,051,200 unique messages by Thanksgiving Day. Each message will be posted on this site, and when we reach our goal, we will have enough messages to display a new flashing one on this site every thirty seconds ... for one entire year!

Toys-For-Troops posts about Christmas Care Packages:2008
Their packing party is Dec. 7, and as she says "if you're not from central Illinois, you can still participate in the merrymaking..." (go read to find out How...and then, check out the rest of their blog, and the great job they just did for Thanksgiving and Veteran's day!)

From Some Soldier's Mom comes SEND CHRISTMAS & HOLIDAY CARDS TO SOLDIERS, MARINES, MILITARY
(Go read how to send a card to 'any servicemember' and also the Facebook page they mention in the article seems to be HERE where you can leave a message that will be printed out and sent.)


and Kat at Yikes is collecting cards for Operation Love From Home through Nov.22.

Just wanted to pass on a few of the ways you can brighten the Holidays for someone in the Military!





Friday, November 14, 2008

Soldiers Angels Web Surfing

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My weekly surf of the web for news by, and about
Soldiers Angels

Short 'surf' this week, of course the big Soldiers Angels news around the web right now is the
Project Valour-IT Fundraiser

While there are abundant blog posts about the fundraiser, I wanted to pass on the link to Soldiers Angels New York here, it links to a great comic strip:)

and you can keep apprised of the daily total donations at the
Valour-IT blog

For other news, View From the 8th Floor had a post up about the 2008 Soldiers Angels Benefit Gala
and Shelle has a great pic posted on Wingtip 2 Wingtip from the same.

Lastly, read this Thanks from a Hero

for why Angels do what we Do.

That's the surf!

(as always, crossposted on Hooah Wife and Friends where they let me hang out sometimes :)

Valour-IT Fundraiser

The Valour-IT Veterans Day fundraiser, a friendly competition among blogs, will run through November 27, 2008 (Thanksgiving).

You can click here to read more about donating or joining the competition.

Since my husband is an Army vet, and my aunt is an Army vet, and my husband's son
is a currently deployed Army MP.......naturally, the link on my sidebar for you to donate is the
ARMY team! :)

(Division by service branch is for the purpose of friendly competition; all funds ultimately go into the same account. )

The official History of Valour IT is here

and on June 23,2006, I blogged a little bit about looking back at the beginning of Valour IT
on the previous incarnation of my Mail Call! blog The power of the Internet and People working together

Little did I know when I blogged that,
that in 2007 I would hear both Chuck Ziegenfuss and FBL speak about the beginnings of Valour-IT at the 2007 Milblog Conference.


The Soldiers Angels Valour IT Project has touched hundreds of lives since those humble beginnings, and with your help, it can continue to help many more of our wounded troops.

I know times are tight, but please won't you consider making a donation, no matter how small?....every little bit helps!

Thank you, and...GO ARMY!

A Belated Happy Birthday to PFC Hunter Levine

You may have read about PFC Hunter Levine

and I just read this morning that yesterday, 11/13/08,

was his birthday

Whether you leave them on the website or send a card, please send Hunter some birthday wishes!

Happy Belated 21rst birthday, Hunter!

There are so many, many people keeping you in their prayers!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

"Tagged" as a "Bookworm :)"

One of my good online buddies, KY Woman at Little Drops...into the Pool of Life
has 'tagged' me for the "Bookworm Award".

The rules are:
Pass it on to five other bloggers, and tell them to open the nearest book to page 56. Write out the fifth sentence on that page, and also the next two to five sentences. The CLOSEST BOOK, NOT YOUR FAVORITE, OR MOST INTELLECTUAL!

ok, here's mine:

"Now, after an otherwise easy flight, Earwood wonders if he has a broken airplane on his hands. The radio frequency has become much quiter than usual, and the controllers aren't answering some of his calls. He's wonderfing if his radios are malfunctioning when a controller calls and directs him. "Midex 7, contact New York Center on 128.57."

This was from one of my recent library books
Touching History: The Untold Story of the Drama That Unfolded in the Skies Over America on 9/11 by Lynn Spencer

which was a really informative book.
----------------------

Now, here's the part where my passing on the 'tag' usually turns out about like the Tupperware parties I used to try and have, LOL(no one shows up:)
but I'll pass it on to 5 folks anyway...you can play along,or not, as you like:

1. my sister Tracy, at A Red Thread to China

2. friend Robin at Random Threads

3. my fellow 'Angel' friend over at View from the 8th Floor

4. my Australian Angel friend (who needs to blog more,lol:) at The 3 Amigo's
(update: she posted too, right HERE
Thanks:)

5. and Sean over at Doc in the Box (who is the most voracious reader I know!) and yay,he participated...as you can see HERE


Thanks, Ky Woman....this was fun!:)

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Wednesday Hero

Spc. Kenneth W. Haines
Spc. Kenneth W. Haines
25 years old from Fulton, New York
2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division
December 3, 2006
U.S. Army

Spc. Kenneth Haines joined the United States Army in September 2000 as a fire support specialist and had been assigned to his unit for just over three years. He deployed to Iraq in October of 2006.

During his time in service, he received several military awards and decorations, including the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and National Defense Service Medal.

Spc. Haines was killed by an IED that was detonated near his vehicle while on patrol in Abu Hishma, Iraq.



All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com



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.

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Monday, November 10, 2008

Virtual Veteran's Day Parade

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Don't forget the Virtual Veteran's Day Parade

that's going to be hosted on the YouServed blog on Veteran's Day


and the direct link to the parade is A Pittance of Time:Honoring Veterans

To all the Veterans, and most especially to all the Veteran's in my life......Tony,Dustin, Dad, and Lynn..... (and remembering Grandad,and Dad's brothers)

Thank you, for serving.

Sunday, November 09, 2008

Soldiers Angels Web Surfing

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My weekly 'surf' of the web for news by, and about,
Soldiers Angels

Fuzzilicious Thinking suggests what to do with leftover Halloween candy

Soldiers Angels Louisiana has a great story about
New Orleans Elks Lodge #30



Tawnya of Insanity Isn't a Disease,It's a Symptom (another former AOL blogger who's relocated to Blogger after AOL shut down their blog server)
talks about Coming Up on Veteran's Day....


Over at Weapons of Mass Discussion , they're also talking about Veteran's Day with a release about Project Promise (part of the proceeds will benefit Valour-IT)

and the mention of Valour-IT segues nicely into this from Soldiers Angels Network Wii for the Wounded?!

and now.....some posts about the recent Soldiers Angels Gala held in DC on Nov.6.

Greta blogs Greetings from DC via Kiss My Gumbo

Paul from Seize Adventure has a
Soldiers Angels Gala Update

NewsBlaze has a wrap-up
Soldiers Angels Honors Heroes,Al Hunt Honors Soldiers Angels

Lastly, Wingtip 2 Wingtip has a post
Republicans and Democrats joined hands across the aisle to assist Soldiers' Angels

with the promise of more to come,
and also check out her biographies of the speakers that night
House Minority Whip Roy Blunt (Rep-MO)

and

Admiral Mike Mullen- Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff

That's the surf for this past week!

You never know......

where that mention of Soldiers Angels is going to lead.

I've mentioned at work that I belong to Soldiers Angels (once or twice,lol....ok, maybe a little More than that.....:)

and yesterday one of my younger co-workers said to me "you gave me the inspiration for my speech class in college ."

Me: "really, how did I do That?"

She said "You know how you're Always talking about Soldiers Angels? well, I was having trouble finding information on the topic I had first picked.....and then I thought of you, and the things you'd said about Soldiers Angels, so I went by their website and got Tons of information, and I gave a 'persuasive' speech to try and persuade others to send care packages to soldiers, using all that information."

so.....an entire college class heard about Soldiers Angels, because I talk a lot:)

(and my coworker.....she got an "A" on her speech :)

pretty cool,huh? :)

Friday, November 07, 2008

Operation Christmas Tree

Can't think of what to send your soldier?

Check this out
Operation Christmas Tree

They are shipping 2 foot tall Christmas trees(think 'Charlie Brown':)
to either 'any service member"

or to a specific servicemember if you have their address.

The cost of a tree including lights(battery-operated), decorations, and shipping is $25.


Pretty cool,huh?


You need to order by November 26th!

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Wednesday Hero

Cpt. Gussie M. Jones
Cpt. Gussie M. Jones
41 years old from Raleigh, Arkansas
31st Combat Support Hospital
March 07, 2004
U.S. Army

Cpt. Gussie Jones was born in Arkansas and was one of eight children. She began her Army career by enlisting in 1988 as a personnel clerk and climbed to the rank of a sergeant.

In 1986, Jones earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Arkansas Central University. She was selected to attend the Army Enlisted Commissioning Program and earned her second bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University in 1998. It was in nursing.

Her career as a registered nurse and a commissioned officer began in September 1998 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. In 2002, after completing a course in critical-care nursing, she was assigned to Beaumont Army Medical Center, where she became a mentor.

"She was a very dedicated person and was always smiling, said a co-worker and friend, Capt. Susan Gilbert. If anyone asked her to do something, she would do it. And she was very kind and gentle and patient with the patients."

Cpt. Jones died of a heart attack while on duty in Baghdad, Iraq. During her 15 years of military services, Jones received a Joint Service Commendation medal, four Army Commendation medals and three Army Achievement medals.

"She was so much a part of their team, and so her death must really affect their morale," Gilbert said. "I'm very worried about the other soldiers because they've lost their battle buddy."



All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com

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.

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Sunday, November 02, 2008

Update on the Virtual Veteran's Day Parade

Hey folks, CJ posted an update:

The cutoff for sending me your images or ideas is November 4th! If you or a fellow milblogger want to participate, I just need three things:

the name you'd like us to use,
a "float" (basically an image associated with either your blog or your feelings about Veterans Day),
and a brief description of what Veteran's Day means to you.

If you don't have an image, we can try to create one for you. Just send us an idea of what you're thinking about. The Virtual Veterans Day will be composed of a scrolling images or floats along with your names, blogs, and thoughts on Veterans Day. I've only got about 14 participants right now, which means only $280 for Valour-IT.

You can read again about the parade on CJ's blog HERE

and send the link again to all the milbloggers you know!

I just think this will be something great to participate in, And you'll be helping out Valour -IT

Saturday, November 01, 2008

Soldiers Angels Web Surfing

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Another weekly surf of the web for news by, and about,
Soldiers Angels

Greta isn't the only blogger we know who will be attending the 2008 Soldiers Angels Benefit Gala in DC on Nov.6........Paul from Seize Adventure is another who will be there.
Can't attend myself....but can't wait to see the posts about this Afterwards!

Greta also checks in via Soldiers Angels Louisiana with a great link to a story about Helping Wounded Soldiers

and View From the 8th Floor posts Operation Fresh Air 2008-Part IV

Willie at A German-American Friendship Bracelet also posts about helping the Wounded
Helping the sick and the injured ,Soldiers’ Angels bring necessities, cheer to recovering war wounded

and MaryAnn from Soldiers Angels Germany writes about a Thank You note from a former Landstuhl patient
"This blanket is proof that there are still many back home that love and support us."


That leads to Soldiers Angels Texas reminder about blankets
Wrapped in Holiday Spirit

and now that we're on the subject of the holidays,Greta also has a post
$18.75 purchases a holiday package for a soldier

and this Angel at American Soldier Supporter says Happy Halloween! and then reminds us of all the many ways we can support our troops for the holidays through Soldiers Angels

Soldiers Angels Washington posts about the holidays,also
Operation Adopt a Puget Sound Vet/Fisher House Family Fill a Stocking!

That's all for this week's surf!

Don't forget the Mailing Deadlines!

Check out This Link for the deadlines for mailing Holiday packages to those serving overseas in the military.