Veteran's Day 2014

Thank you, to all the veterans out there !

and a special Thank You to those veterans in my family

My Dad

                                             My  Aunt Lynn

                                           

and my husband

Wednesday Hero

This post was suggested by  SJ

George H. Kirk, Sr.  82 years old  3rd Marine Division   May 25, 1917 - October 28, 1999     George Kirk, Sr. was a Marine and a Navajo Code Talker who passed away in 1999. Recently his uniform was set to go up for auction but thankfully Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly heard about it and was able to get it returned to the tribe.
You can read more about this story  here 

 These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so that we may get to enjoy our freedom. For that I am proud to call them Hero.

 Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

 Wounded Warrior Project - Because So Many Have Come Back With Injuries, Seen And Unseen

 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

Invasion Of Normandy
 Friday marks the 70th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy, or D-Day. In the early hours of June 6, 1944, 156.000 troops from 12 nations including America, United Kingdom and Canada set out with the largest seaborne invasion force in history. The invasion marked the end of Germany's occupation of Europe and turned the course of the war. When the fight was over, there were 12,000 Allied casualties and 4,414 dead. We remember these brave men on Friday, as well as today, for the sacrifices they made in the name of freedom. With each passing year we lose more and more of these veterans until one day they'll be gone. They didn't set out to make history or garner glory, but that's precisely what they did. So cherish and honor them while we still have them.
You can find more information about D-Day  here and here

 These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy freedom. For that I am proud to call them Hero.

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.

2014 Face of America bike ride and Banners and Friend Riding this year :)

It's that time of year again! April 25-27 will be the 2014 World TEAM Sports Face of America bike ride

Once again this year, my family and I will be collecting banners to hang along the route to cheer the riders on!! We've already received several banners from Madison County primary school !! Thank you!!

Also this year, friend Greta from Hooh Wife & Friends will be riding again !
She and I first met in person at the Face of America bike ride :) So looking forward to cheering her on again as a rider!

Regarding banners..we do have some left from last year's ride and I am Very Late in posting this, but we'll be accepting banners from anyone who can get them here by April 23,2014. 
Instructions for how to make the banners can be found HERE

(you can email me at kasee60 (at) gmail (dot) com for mailing address to send them)

A Vietnam Veteran begins to find peace

Awhile back, I was contacted by a Vietnam veteran because of a post I had written back in 2006 on the original version of this blog about my aunt's service in Vietnam
For My Aunt...a Thank You to an Army Nurse Corps Vietnam veteran

The veteran who contacted me was looking to see if my aunt could help him find a particular nurse, from when he had been cared for at the 91rst Evac.  Although she wasn't able to help him with his search, the veteran and I had exchanged a number of emails, and so I was pleasantly surprised to receive an email from him after Thanksgiving, that he'd been featured in an article in his hometown newspaper.

With Mr. Baker's permission, I'm passing on the link to that article at codyenterprise.com
Finding Peace 45 years later by Corey Morris

as I think it's an important article to pass on. Until I saw this interview with Mr. Baker, it had never occurred to me that retirement for some Vietnam veterans could lead to them having to deal with lingering memories that they'd been able to suppress prior to their retirement.

(If the link above doesn't work, please try copying and pasting this
http://www.codyenterprise.com/news/people/article_aea6c6d6-4731-11e3-80a2-001a4bcf887a.html  to your browser)

Although my aunt and I were unable to help Mr. Baker with the original reason he contacted us, as so often happens on the Internet, his contacting me led to my being privileged to converse with him and to have him share this article with me.

Thank you, Larry Baker, for contacting me...and thank you, always, for your service to our country!

An Online College Guide for Veterans

Was contacted by a researcher from OnlineDegrees.org ,

 who pointed out their Guide for Veterans

this seemed like it would be a good resource to help veterans find the best online school to fit their needs, so thought I would pass it along  (and will place a link in the sidebar)

If you've used this resource, or think it looks helpful ? Please leave a comment letting me know what you think :)

and Thanks! to OnlineDegrees.org  and their researcher for contacting me,so I could pass this along!

Stories In Uniform from Reader’s Digest : A Review

(cross-posted from Hooah Wife & Friends )

Just in time for Memorial Day comes an uplifting collection from Reader’s Digest,
Stories In Uniform


Featuring pieces from World War I up to the War on Terror, the stories in this collection were inspiring and memorable. There were stories that brought me to tears, stories that made my heart swell with pride that our country could produce such people, and stories that left me in awe at the heroism of the men and women who served in our United States military over the years.

It was truly an unforgettable collection, and I highly recommend it to my readers. Whether you are currently serving, a veteran, or a military family member or supporter of our troops? I think this book has something that will interest everyone.


The link to the Reader’s Digest store is Here and there are links to some of the major booksellers on that site, also.

Enjoy your reading!

Ready for the Face of America bike ride! Many,many Thanks! to all the Banner makers!!

More banners came in within the past few weeks!

some from family members..

                               
                               and these were from the great folks at United Cerebral Palsy of Eastern Connecticut !

                                 
                                and these banners were from some great kids at
                                   Roundy Elementary school in Las Vegas, NV !

 Can't say Thank you! enough to all the great banner makers! :)

and now, the weekend of the World TEAM sports Face of America bicycle ride is upon us!!

More to come after the weekend!!

May 19,2012 in Richmond,VA ..Parade to Honor Iraq War Vets

Concretebob's posting at United Conservatives of Virginia alerted me to this
Victory Parade

(darn it, a weekend I have to work..but that doesn't mean You can't go! and spread the word, would you? the parade page is here and click on Richmond )

While you go about your Wednesday, a Veteran is being laid to rest

From the Oregonian:
Burial for indigent Navy veteran scheduled for Willamette National Cemetery on Wednesday

Per the story above, today Navy veteran Stevenson L. Roy will be the 1,000th person buried under the Dignity Memorial program, which provides military honors to homeless,indigent veterans.

The Patriot Guard Riders will also be in attendance to stand in honor and respect of PO2 Roy's service to our country.

The  funeral director in the story above says she "knows little about" Mr. Roy's life or death, and the medical examiner's office investigator offered that Mr. Roy died "in a Section 8 apt where he lived a very Spartan existence", and the only other information shared about him were his years of service and his medals received.

While hearing this story makes me sad  that at the end of his life so little was known about this veteran, I disagree with a commenter on the story who seemed to scoff at the idea of the burial program..I'm glad that this program is in place to pay last respects and honor those who have served, who have for one reason or another come to the ending of their lives with no one left to remember or honor them .

And I also feel that rather than scoff at a program like the Dignity Memorial program? If you think something should be done for our veterans prior to their story ending with a funeral for a homeless or indigent veteran? there are a myriad of ways for each of us to volunteer to reach out to our veterans.

Short list, the US Dept of Veteran Affairs has a volunteer form  Here
and both the USO and Soldiers Angels also offer volunteer opportunites specifically for our veterans and veteran's hospitals.

If those options don't appeal to you, there's always ways to get involved through your local VFW, the DAV association, the list goes on and on.

'Stand' with the Patriot Guard Riders in your heart today at 1:30 pm while they pay last respects to Stevenson L. Roy on behalf of all of us....and then please consider what you can do after that so the day will come when we don't Need a Dignity Memorial program, because we have remembered and honored our veterans Before their passing, through volunteering to make a difference in whatever way we can.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

UPDATE: There's a nice photoblog and story on MSNBC regarding the funeral HERE
(althugh they listed Mr. Roy as 'homeless' rather than 'indigent', which is one of my pet peeves...do your homework and get the facts...but nevertheless, I liked the gesture of giving the folded flag to the young man in the Civil Air Patrol, in lieu of no family members being left for Mr. Roy.)

Rest in Peace, Sir.

Overseas Service Photography Project Announced

From the US Department of Defense Overseas Service Photography Project Announced

The Department of Defense announced today that it seeks donations of photographs of U.S. military service life overseas from current and former service members for use in a photo recognition exhibition planned in conjunction with the State Department.


The project called "Serving Abroad...Through Their Eyes" will choose images that depict six specific categories: daily life, friendship, places, faces, loss or triumph. Selected images may be used for display in a special photography exhibition planned for the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Pentagon and other prominent venues, stateside and overseas. Submissions will be accepted beginning Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2011, through Presidents Day, Feb 20, 2012.

"It is simply phenomenal, and absolutely fitting that photos by America's bravest during tough duty abroad get this sort of national recognition. I can't wait to see them and take part in the new conversations and relationships this is sure to inspire," said Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta.

"America's Foreign Service officers and military personnel represent our country all over the world and often in the most difficult of circumstances. This photography exhibition provides a unique view of their work to resolve conflicts and forge new partnerships and advance America's interests and values. So I am delighted the office of ART in Embassies is honoring the service of these brave men and women," said Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.

New York Times photographer Joao Silva has volunteered to convene the photo jury, which will work with a panel of noted Americans to review the photographs and announce the selections on Armed Forces Day in May of 2012. The ten 'Best in Show" photographers will be invited to Washington, where they will be honored and participate in the exhibition's November 2012 - VIP opening celebration.
 
The selection panel includes former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Retired Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, Retired Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, Retired Navy Adm. Mike Mullen and Retired Gen. Colin Powell.


Renowned video artist, Lincoln Schatz will create a video-audio montage of the images as a signature creation for ART in Embassies (AIE) 50th anniversary celebration with the exhibition additionally available via DoD, DoS and AIE websites -- and social media.

Rules, entry form and submission guidelines may be found at  http://www.ourmilitary.mil/their-eyes/serving-abroad-through-their-eyes . The Defense Media Activity will provide technical services to receive submissions and assist in screening for any operational security or privacy concerns. To help ensure suitability, entrants should consult with their public affairs officer before photographic submission is made.

This unique DoD and DoS collaboration is in conjunction with the office of ART in Embassies celebrating 50 years of international cultural exchange. The ART in Embassies program plays a vital role in our nation's public diplomacy. The ART in Embassies program was originally established by the Museum of Modern Art in 1953 -- and formalized by the Kennedy administration in 1962. It is one of the premier public-private partnership arts organizations in continuous operation, with a presence in some 200 venues within 180 countries worldwide.

Media point of contact is Lt. Col. Robert Ditchey at  Robert.Ditchey@osd.mil
 

Veterans Day 11-11-11

On this Veterans Day , and every day, my most heartfelt gratitude goes out to our Veterans. Thank You!

Surfing the Web..

Time for another 'surf' of the web for items I think folks might find of interest..

it was pretty much a given that I'd include this link :)
Surf therapy helps U.S. veterans recover from war

This great story from the Richmond Times-Dispatch
Personal military histories are too important to forget

led me to this website I hadn't come across before
Together We Served

and also reminded me of the Library of Congress Veteran's History Project

along the same lines, a story from the local Staunton News-Leader

pointed me to yet another book to add to my 'want to read' list
Treasures from the Attic: My Father's Letters, 1944-1945, from the States and aboard ship in the Pacific


Via Army Strong Stories ,some West Point Cadets and Faculty Members are traveling across the United States, here's the post about it  and here's the itinerary


Things to Do

Stars & Stripes is again offering free Father's Day Messages

Off The Base passes along two opportunities
 Calling on Kids to Create Artwork for Deployed Military
and
Send a Deployed Service Member a July 4th Thank You



Lastly .....with Memorial Day coming up, wanted to pass on that Pete Damon has a
New Painting to Honor Memorial Day - 5/22/11


That, my friends, is the 'surf'!

Advice for Veterans

Via Veteran's Advantage , a post to help Veterans avoid scams

6 Ways to Prevent Veterans from Being Taken Advantage of by Scams

Check it out, good advice for all of us, actually.

Our weekend volunteering at the Face of America Bike ride 2011

Our weekend volunteering with the Face of America Bike Ride got off to a soggy start on Sat. the 16th. Due to calls for severe weather, the start of the ride was changed to inside the Hyatt where the riders were staying, so the 'Banner Hanging Team' went on to set up banners at the first rest stop.

Here's the set on Flickr of some of our photos from the weekend
Flickr set Face of America Bike ride 2011

and here's a link to a short video of the riders coming into the first rest stop

and then the riders leaving the first rest stop

once again, the seniors at Brighton Gardens at Tuckerman Lane in N. Bethesda, MD made a great banner to cheer the riders on..
as did all those who sent in banners from all over the country, from Nevada and Indiana to Connecticut and New Jersey! Our heartfelt Thanks! to all the groups who donated banners! It is so wonderful to have folks from all across the country expressing their support of the riders :)

Day One ended early, due to the weather..it was cold, rainy, windy and miserable..the riders were awesome! but the ride got cut short for most of them at the lunch stop (although a few hardy souls did finish the ride) volunteers and riders alike were all sopping wet !!

at the lunch stop, we met Irvine

a service dog from the Paws for Purple Hearts program  Irvine came out both days to especially cheer on the riders from the Walter Reed contingent! :)

here's a link also to my Facebook album of Day one 

Day Two started out cold and windy, but Yay! no rain!!
here's a link to my Facebook album of Day Two

we took some video of the start of the ride on Day Two, you can see them Here and Here

and then, sadly, we had to leave before the riders came in at the end of the ride this year (had commitments to get back to at home ) but we were able to help hang banners at the end of the ride before we left

It was another great year of volunteering, and another great bunch of riders to cheer on again this year!
----------------------------

for an idea of the kinds of riders we had the opportunity to cheer on? you can check out this video from Fox news HERE

and I also found a photo gallery in Phillyburbs.com  HERE

(I'll add any more links to stories, blog posts or photos as I find them)

Surfing the Web..

Since I continually run across blog posts and stories that I wish to pass on, going to try out a new feature on the blog..'Surfing the Web'..to highlight stories I think (all 10:) of my readers might like to check out. (isn't it fortuitous,lol, that I just happened to have a 'surfing' picture to use from one of our trips to Hawaii? rhetorical question, I just wanted to slip in a gratuitous use of the word fortuitous :)

via Mare Contrare at Write Softly you can check out this Veteran's Farm

Loved this story on the DOD website  Disabled Vets Discover Miracle on Mountain

From the Defense Centers of Excellence blog, good information to pass on
Care Coordinator Links Service Members with TBI Support

The wife of a wounded warrior blogs over at Southern Girl Stand


 moving overseas, I'm Big in Japan reports he is back to Normal Shifts
(but volunteering in his off time to help)

and recently JP over at Milblogging.com had a post about Army Strong stories
and here's two posts over there that caught my eye this past week

Evaluating Your Leadership? Don't Look in the Mirror

and

Lessons on Training the ANA  (which reminded me a lot of things our soldier had said while he was doing the same job in Iraq a few years ago)

Well, that's the 'surf'! 

National Resource Directory

Back in November, I had written about the NRD state widgets  but in case you haven't taken the time to check out the National Resource directory website itself ? http://www.nationalresourcedirectory.gov/

Here's an article from the US Department of Defense explaining a little more about the website
Directory Links Wounded Warriors, Families to Resources By Elaine Wilson

I've also added a link in the sidebar, under the NRD Virginia widget, that links to the main website.

The Veteran's History Project at the Library of Congress

Hat Tip to Milblogging.com for posting this one

The Veteran's History Project 

Please pass this on to any Veteran's you know!