Saturday, August 30, 2008

Soldiers Angels Web Surfing

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


The story to start off with,of course, is Patti Receives Prestigious VFW Award for Service Congratulations! Patti!

Two other news stories worth passing on:

From the McCook<>McCook Daily Gazette Soldiers honor local 'angels' for support of troops

and from the Rogersville Review in Rogersville,TN Locals sew love into quilts for wounded soldiers

In breaking news, with New Orleans scrambling to evacuate Soldiers Angels Louisiana takes time to thank the Patriot Guard Riders who are remaining to honor SFC David J. Todd Jr.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Sept.1-Two Years of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll

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In 2004, Indian Chris of Right Wing & Right-Minded first came up with the idea of a post each week to honor a military hero.....you can find that very first post Here

Over time, that idea involved into the Wednesday Hero Blogroll

September 1,2008 is the second anniversary of that Blogroll, and to help the Blogroll members mark that occasion, here is a slideshow of the Wednesday Heroes honored for that second year:






I'm honored to be a part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. Thank you, Chris, for starting this post each week, to remember.

Wednesday Hero

Lt. Col. Nathan Blood
Lt. Col. Nathan Blood
U.S. Army

Lt. Col. Nathan Blood, brigade effects coordinator for 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light), Multi-National Division - Baghdad, says "Hello" to his 16-month-old daughter, Mackenzie, during a web camera communication.



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.

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Tuesday, August 26, 2008

A Round Up about Run for the Fallen

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In reading over the comments listed on the Final Day Event page on the
Run for the Fallen blog (and they are worth taking the time to read)

I was led to check and see what other posts were out there about

Run for the Fallen

First of all, Hat Tip to War on Terror News , for leading me to the story in

Stars and Stripes 4,000-mile Run for the Fallen reaches its Arlington goal

which has a link to a photo gallery, and also the video of the remarks by the Run founder, Jon Bellona.


I found a few postings about Local Runs for the Fallen around the country:

5K Run for the MS Fallen

USS Bullhead Park in honor of 35 fallen New Mexicans

Connecticut


Remembering Heroes

Soldiers Angels New York had two posts remembering two Fallen Heroes

Sgt. John David Rode

LCPL Nicholas J. Sovie


And at Don't Ever Put Down the Pen! the father of fallen hero

Sgt. Scott Lange Kirkpatrick

had this touching post about Run for the Fallen~The Final Day's Event


and you might want to take some time to read more of Mr.Kirkpatrick's blog

(Mr. Kirkpatrick also mentioned in one post friend Deb's blog Remembering the Fallen where she lists each day those who fell on that particular day, and links to their Legacy.com guestbooks, for messages to be left for the families.)


Another parent, at We Remember , also traveled to Arlington for the Final Day Event and blogged about it ....her blog is also worth exploring further.


This is just a short compilation of posts I've found worth taking the time to read.....if you have a link I missed, please send me an email( kasee267@aol.com ) and I'll add to this.


Run for the Fallen touched many, many lives and hearts.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Volunteering at the Last Day of Run for the Fallen

My husband and daughter and I got up at 3 a.m. this morning to drive to Arlington,VA, to volunteer through Soldiers Angels

at the Final Day Event of Run for the Fallen

Got to the Pentagon staging area a little after 6:00 a.m. and got our assignment to stand and cheer the runners on at the Tidal Basin.

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We got two good videos of the runners as they passed us:



and part two,after they had circled around and were heading to Arlington National cemetary



Saw lots of other Angel volunteers! and the speech given at the end by the founder of the Run was very moving. This was an amazing and awe-inspiring effort, 10 weeks of running one mile at a time in honor and memory of our fallen from Iraq and Afghanistan.

(also, Didn't see several folks I was hoping to....sorry I didn't have a chance to say Hello!)


While the runners and volunteers went on into the cemetary after the run, we had to head back home.....but we were So humbled to have been a small part of the last day of this Run.

To all the runners....thank you, for remembering.

Saturday, August 23, 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, the family and I are preparing to go to northern Virginia as volunteers,through Soldiers Angels, on the last day of the Run for the Fallen

There was an important FYI from the inestimable Shelle Michaels, about a new position she has taken. Stop by and wish her well, and nice to know that she'll still be volunteering with Soldiers Angels!

Soldiers Angels Wounded Warrior Support checks in with some
Lighthearted Fun

MS Soldiers' Angels/MS Soldiers' Angels VA Team passes on the word about the Coming Home Project in September.

Soldiers Angels of Alabama tells us Bama Soldier is 'Marine of the Year'


and Soldiers Angels Texas posts a video
Calling All Angels...This is Worth Watching, Grab a Tissue

Remember, you don't have to wait for my weekly 'surf' for the latest Soldiers Angels news....you can check out
BlogNetNews.com/Soldiers Angels anytime, for the latest posts about Soldiers Angels!

That's the surf!

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Wednesday Hero

Pvt. Nathan Z. Thacker
Pvt. Nathan Z. Thacker
18 years old from Greenbrier, Arkansas
2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division
October 12, 2007
U.S. Army

Pvt. Nathan Z. Thacker had only been in the country for two weeks before his death, according to the soldier's father, Stephen Thacker.

Thacker's father said his son felt a duty to enlist. "He said it was his job. Even after he got his orders that he was going over there, he said it's his job."

Thacker had attended Guy-Perkins High School in Guy, Arkansas. He earned his GED in 2006, his father said. Thacker enlisted in the Army in April 2007 and completed his training at Fort Benning, Ga. He arrived at Fort Drum in August 2007. His honors include the Purple Heart.

"Nathan was an excellent man," sister Sabrina Black said. "He loved me, I loved him, and I'd give anything to have him back."

Pvt. Thacker was killed when an IED was detonated near his vehicle near Kirkuk. Three other soldiers were injured in the attack.

Pvt. Thacker is survived by his parents, siblings and his grandfather.



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, August 18, 2008

Remembering Sgt. Mike Stokely

The Thunder Run posts Three Years On... please go read this tribute to Sgt. Mike Stokely.

David at The Thunder Run links to others posting in remembrance of Mike Stokely, and those links are worth reading also.

I posted after the 2007 Milblog conference that the most meaningful moment for me was meeting Robert Stokely, Mike's father. To once again hear Robert Stokely speak about his son, Michael, the link to my post is here

To the Stokely family.....keeping you in our prayers here.

A Book by the Wife of a Wounded Soldier

In my last Soldiers Angels Web Surfing post, I noted that MS Soldiers' Angels/MS Soldiers' Angels VA Team had written about

Local Hero Headed Back for Surgery #20

I have found the link to the book on Amazon.com
A Soldier's Courage by Janis W. Galatas

Another book I want to read now!!

Survivor Corps

I learned about Survivor Corps when I read and reviewed "I Will Not Be Broken" by Jerry White, one of the founders of Survivor Corps.

They are doing some interesting things over on their website, they now have a Survivor Corps blog and also a discussion page, you can check the page out Here

The discussion page is Here and one interesting thread that caught my eye was

Reintegration of U.S Veterans
Survivor Corps is building a new program to help servicemembers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan overcome physical and psychological injuries, reclaim their lives, and reintegrate with their families and communities. What do you think are the most urgent issues facing American veterans?

There were some thought-provoking replies on that one, from a U.S. Veteran.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

The Ship my Grandad served on in WW II

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Several years ago, I wrote about My Grandad's Service in WW II
aboard the U.S.S. Pamanset

This week, Mom sent me the picture she had of his ship, and the frame has his Lieutenant bars at the top! :) Thanks,Mom!!

After I first wrote about Grandad, I was contacted by a former shipmate of his, who sent me this picture


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that he had of my Grandad (on the left) on the ship.


Two pictures that I will always treasure!!

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Soldiers Angels Web Surfing

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


Starting out with that amazing picture from Lawn Darts, if you haven't seen it yet, please go now

Lawn Darts # 16- A Soldier's Angel Keeps Him Warm


For more beautiful things to look at, Quilter's Compass Blog has a link to pictures of 15 completed Soldier's Angels Quilts

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Military Volunteers Run Burn Clinic in Iraq

Hat Tip to Soldiers Angels Germany for this one:

Military volunteers run burn clinic in Iraq, providing "tenderness and Tylenol"

UPDATE Unfortunately, I have learned just 3 weeks after posting this that the Burn Clinic is shutting down.

Burn Clinic at Scania Shutting down

My Thanks, to all of you who tried to spread the word, or tried to send donations.

(crossposted from ' my real blog ' )

Wednesday Hero

Spc. Matthew A. Koch
Spc. Matthew A. Koch
23 years old from West Henrietta, New York
Company C, 70th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division
March 9, 2005
U.S. Army

Spc. Matthew A. Koch was on his second tour of duty when he was killed by an IED that was detonated near his vehicle in Taji. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He previously was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Army Service Ribbon and medals for service in the fight against terrorism.

Koch enlisted in the Army in January 2002 after the attacks on September 11, 2001 and re-enlisted because he wanted to help the Iraqi people. "He was a brave soldier who made the greatest sacrifice anyone could make for everyone else's freedom," Diane Worman, Koch's mother, said through tears. "He realized that by being over there, he was going to make a difference in the lives of those people." She said her son once unsuccessfully sought green cards for an Iraqi family that had been threatened for helping Americans.

"He always looked out for the other guy, never thought of himself. He volunteered to go to C Co before our first deployment so that one of the guys from our Platoon didn't have to deploy early and would have a chance to marry his fiance. That's Koch for you, always looking out for his buddies." - David A. "Buch" Buchanan.

"He really loved the service and went back," said James Worman, Koch's stepfather. "He had no problem. He was dedicated to the fact that people over there needed help. He was always concerned about other people. He loved children. He was a nice, soft-hearted kid."



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, August 10, 2008

The 2008 Milblog Conference, and a Baby Shower

Well, I haven't blogged about the 2008 Milblog Conference , which will be held as part of the Blog World & New Media Expo Conference in Las Vegas Sept. 20-21,2008 at the Las Vegas Convention Center........mostly because I won't be able to go!

However, that doesn't mean I shouldn't help spread the word about it!

Especially now that I saw Andi's blog post HERE , that once again they will be having a Baby Shower at the Milblog Conference......this time, for Joey and Jayme Bozik, who are expecting their first child, A Girl, on Christmas Eve.

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If you don't know the story of Joey and Jayme Bozik, Blackfive has posts Here

and I found a link to a news video about Joey and Jayme's upcoming new home

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=6173189

and you can see more pics at the Operation Coming Home blog

(and find out more about Operation Coming Home at their Website )


Anyway...to get back to the Baby Shower info:

If you aren't attending the MilBlog Conference, but would like to send a gift to the Boziks, they are registered at the following places:

Babies R Us

Walmart

Simple Wonders

Baby Supermall

Even though I can't go to the Milblog Conference this year.... I can sure go shopping! :)

Lastly,check the comments on Andi's post. , the baby's name will be

Violet Skye Bozik

So....let's go shopping to welcome Violet to the world in December!
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And......please....... Spread the Word! :)

Jerry White on GMA

Well, I blogged on Weds that Jerry White, the author of "I Will Not Be Broken"

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was going to be on Good Morning America this past Thursday.

If you 'd like to see his interview? I have a link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtsXmdwrqeA

Friday, August 08, 2008

Soldiers Angels Web Surfing

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

Soldiers Angels-Medical Support posts We Need Your Help

Tennessee Soldiers Angels has a Moment of Thanks Reminder


Two items from Soldiers Angels Texas

Houston Va has opened a new domiciliary for Homeless veterans unit.

and

KBR Soldiers' Angels Supporting the Troops


Willie at A German-American Friendship Bracelet posts
News about our hero Matthew Braddock


(and be sure and check out some of Willie's other posts) like
news and stories around Soldiers Angels

or

news and stories around Walter Reed Medical Center

She does them fairly often.....good round-ups!....but you don't have to wait for me to mention them here,
if you are checking out BlogNetNews.com/Soldiers Angels at least once a day (and you Are doing that, aren't you?:)

You can find Many great Soldiers Angels posts!

Moving on....

Soldiers Angels New York tells us about the
Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy 5K Benefit Run/Walk


Shelle Michaels is going to be one of the guests on the
TalkingWithHeroes.Com Talk Show Program on Aug. 17.


Congratulations! Chuck Ziegenfuss and Valour-IT !

Shelle posts on Wingtip 2 Wingtip Chuck Wins...


Keep My Soldier Safe, a/k/a G.R.I.T.S. has a great post (and lots of pics) about the Soldiers Angels Meet & Greet in Mississippi


A 'new-to-me' Angel who's also an author urges folks to consider adopting a soldier over at Squirrel's Treehouse


and lastly, Life in the Northeast posted as always for us to Remember...

I hope that gives you enough sites to 'surf' for the weekend!



Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Jerry White on Good Morning America on Thursday

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Jerry White, the author of "I Will Not Be Broken", a book that I reviewed back HERE
in June,

will be on Good Morning America tomorrow morning.

You can find out more info about his appearance HERE

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Wednesday Hero

Senior Airman Kimberly Bickford
Senior Airman Kimberly Bickford
332nd Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
U.S. Air Force

Senior Airman Kimberly Bickford performs a pre-load check July 28 on an F-16 Fighting Falcon at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, to ensure the cable that releases the bomb is operational.



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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Blogging has been light lately...

well, blogging has been light of late over here, but that doesn't mean nothing has been going on.

Since this past weekend, I was spending some more time over at my family blog

posting about my husband having A Close Call

and then we posted the Pictures and found out that yes, it Was A Tornado


and then I just Had to spread the news that my brother had Created a New Term !