Proud Marine "Mom" moment #3

My little Marine man is down in NC doing some training... he called tonight to let us know how it's going. Says he's doing well, loving it and wanted us to know that he appreciates everything we've done and knows if we hadn't taken him in, he'd still be out on the streets. (He was a stray, just staying anywhere, doing the party scene, kinda blowin' off life.) How many 18 year olds do you ever hear say something like that??? He'll be back to visit for a short while in a couple months before heading to the Sandbox... I can't wait to sign him up for some Angel lovin'! I know he'll need it coz he's Infantry. Just wanted to share...

Joel honey, when you read this, just know how very proud I am of you, kiddo. And you're welcome in my home anytime.

L. A. Times Apocalypse again -- call up the Vietnam vets...

L A Times Apocalypse again -- call up the Vietnam vets Where else can Bush get 21,500 trained soldiers for his 'surge'? By Paul Whitefield, PAUL WHITEFIELD supervises the editorial pages' copy desk.

January 21, 2007

LISTENING TO President Bush's speech on Iraq earlier this month, my first thought was: "Where the heck are we going to get 21,500 more soldiers to send to Iraq?" Our Reserves are depleted, our National Guard is worn out, our Army and Marine Corps are stretched to the limit.

Then it hit me: Re-up our Vietnam War veterans and send them.

They're trained. They're battle-hardened. Many already have post-traumatic stress disorder. Also, some have their own vehicles — Harleys mostly, which are cheap to run, make small targets and are highly mobile. I'll even bet that lots of these guys still have guns (you know, just in case).

OK, some vets are a bit long in the tooth (or don't have teeth — because of Agent Orange?). Or their eyesight isn't what it was. Or their reflexes have slowed. But with today's modern weaponry, how well do you have to see?

Too out of shape, you say? Listen, if Rocky Balboa can step back into the ring at age 60, all these Vietnam War vets need is a little boot-camp magic and they'll be good to go. I mean, who doesn't want to drop a few pounds?

Don't want geezers fighting for us? Well, let's face it, our young people have greater value right here. Most of us want to retire and collect our hard-earned Social Security, and we need those youngsters here, working and paying taxes — lots of taxes.

Finally, these Vietnam War guys are hungry for revenge. After all, they fought in the only war the U.S. ever lost. And they didn't even get a parade. So this is their chance. We can throw them that big parade when they come marching home.

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In response to the 21 Jan 2007 editorial piece in the LA Times by Paul Whitefield, all I can say is "Oh HEEELLLLLL No!!!"

First the Pakistani national "man" (I use that term loosely) in WI from Discount-Mats.com, and now this. Unbelievable. And one of our own, even.

I know nothing of Mr Whitefield except that he is affiliated with the LA Times on the editorial page. I've read only one article with his name on it. I shall be hard-pressed to read anything else written by him.

I have no way of knowing whether Mr Whitefield wrote that column in jest. It does not matter. It was inappropriate and condescending, at best. And yes, I'm well aware that he is protected under the First Amendment to write whatever he wishes. (Hey, Whitefield -- guess who protects {protected} that Amendment for you? Yep, those Viet Nam vets, others before/after them and today's Military.)

Here's a thought -- how about exercising the Fifth Amendment? You know, the one that gives us the right to shut the hell up? He may have thought he was being humorous; to the ignorant masses, he probably was. Did the Viet Nam Vets not get enough ignorance and heartbreak the first time around? Must they be knocked down again for doing what they were commissioned? They fought for this country, regardless of their personal feelings, and upheld their commitment to the USA. All gave some, Some gave all. Many were drafted, didn't even WANT to go and STILL performed their duties as required when others ran, hid and dodged.

"'Well, let's face it, our young people have greater value right here. Most of us want to retire and collect our hard-earned Social Security, and we need those youngsters here, working and paying taxes — lots of taxes.'"

Really? Why not just slap every Soldier, Marine, Sailor, Airman, Coastie, Reservist and National Guardsman currently serving or who has ever served right across the face after spitting on them? I'm sure everyone in our Service would love to retire and collect their hard-earned Social Security. So would their families. It's sad that not all of them were or will be able. I could be wrong, but I'd wager that one day in Viet Nam (or the Sandbox, or Normandy or [insert war/incident/operation here]) might be just a tad more difficult than one day behind a keyboard at a newspaper office. Paper cuts can be quite painful; sniper fire, IED's or fallout from Agent Orange-deadly. Just because they are Veterans does NOT mean they are useless. Far from it. Because of previous Vets, I grew up:

-in a country free from fear of happenings such as 9/11
-free to choose a faith different from my neighbor's
-free to say what I want about the government I voted for without fear of tyranny
-free to vote
-free to talk, dress, live as I please
(catchin' a theme here?) Freedom... It's a beautiful thing, brought to us courtesy of:

DA DA DAAAAA --- Veterans. All of them. From every war/incident/operation. Upholding the freedoms the Constitution of this great nation affords us. Including Viet Nam.

Did Mr Whitefield serve in the Military? Did he do his duty beside those Brothers in any branch of the Military? Did he even sign up as a Reservist? Was he a Viet Nam Vet? Only a yes to the final question would earn him the right to even speak of them, much less joke about them. A yes to any of the prior three would surprise me greatly. Even Kerry had being a Veteran to fall back on after insulting our Heroes; that didn't excuse him. I may be reaching here, but without a Military, our country would cease to exist freely. Without a newspaper editorial employee -- ehh, not so much. Man, I LOVE that First Amendment!!! (You know, the one those DA DA DAAAA--- Vets and current Heroes work so hard to protect?)

This country used to take more pride in it's Military. Now, many are laissez faire about it. That's alright. This granddaughter and daughter of Veterans has enough to go around. And there are quite a few more out there just like me. I suspect you'll be hearing from them as well.

We must learn from the Heroes of the past and support the Heroes of the present to remain a free nation in the future. Mr Whitefield, to you I say at least I hope you are grateful to have the freedom (which, by the way-NOT free) to write what you wish, no matter how offensive. To all our Heroes past and present (absolutely including those Viet Nam Veterans), THANK YOU.

Message to the Troops from Ben Stein

forwarded from a post on Soldiers' Angels... what a great guy!

Open Letter to Our Armed Forces and Their Families From Ben Stein

Greetings From Rancho Mirage By Ben Stein Tuesday, January 23rd

Dear Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, National Guard, Reservists, in Iraq, in the Middle East theater, in Afghanistan, in the area near Afghanistan, in any base anywhere in the world, and your families:

Let me tell you about why you guys own about 90 percent of the backbone in the whole world right now and should be happy with yourselves and proud of whom you are. It was a dazzlingly hot day here in Rancho Mirage today. I did small errands like going to the bank to pay my mortgage, finding a new bed at a price I can afford, practicing driving with my new 5 wood, paying bills for about two hours. I spoke for a long time to a woman who is going through a nasty child custody fight. I got e-mails from a woman who was fired today from her job for not paying attention. I read about multi-billion-dollar mergers in Europe, Asia, and the Mideast I noticed how overweight I am, for the millionth time. In other words, I did a lot of nothing.

Like every other American who is not in the armed forces family, I basically just rearranged the deck chairs on the Titanic in my trivial, self-important, meaningless way. Above all, I talked to a friend of more than forty-three years who told me he thought his life had no meaning because all he did was count his money.

And, friends in the armed forces, this is the story of all of America today. We are doing nothing but treading water while you guys carry on the life or death struggle against worldwide militant Islamic terrorism. Our lives are about nothing: paying bills, going to humdrum jobs, waiting until we can go to sleep and then do it all again. Our most vivid issues are trivia compared with what you do every day, every minute, every second. Oprah Winfrey talks a lot about "meaning" in life. For her, "meaning" is dieting and then having her photo on the cover of her magazine every single month (surely a new world record for egomania ). This is not "meaning."

- Meaning is doing for others.
- Meaning is risking your life for hers.
- Meaning is putting your bodies and families' peace of mind on the line to defeat some of the most evil, sick killers the world has ever known.
- Meaning is leaving the comfort of home to fight to make sure that there still will be a home for your family and for your nation and for free men and women everywhere.

Look, Soldiers and Marines and Sailors and Airmen and Coast Guardsmen, there are eight billion people in this world. The whole fate of this world turns on what you people, 1.4 million, more or less, do every day. The fate of mankind depends on what about 2/100 of one percent of the people in this world do every day and you are those people. And joining you is every policeman, fireman, and Emergency Medical Technician in the country, also holding back the tide of chaos. Do you know how important you are? Do you know how indispensable you are? Do you know how humbly grateful any of us who has a head on his shoulders is to you? Do you know that if you never do another thing in your lives, you will always still be heroes? That we could live without Hollywood or Wall Street or the NFL, but we cannot live for a week without you? We are on our knees to you and we bless and pray for you every moment. And Oprah Winfrey, if she were a size two, would not have one millionth of your importance, and all of the Wall Street billionaires will never mean what the least of you do, and if Barry Bonds hits hundreds of home runs it would not mean as much as you going on one patrol or driving one truck to the Baghdad airport. You are everything to us, as we go through our little days, and you are in the prayers of the nation and of every decent man and woman on the planet. That's who you are and what you mean. I hope you know that.

Love,
Ben Stein

AMEN!

A United States Marine was attending some college courses between assignments. He had completed missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. One of the courses had a professor who was an avowed atheist and a member of the ACLU.

One day the professor shocked the class when he came in. He looked to the ceiling and flatly stated, "God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you exactly 15 minutes." The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, "Here I am God. I'm still waiting."

It got down to the last couple of minutes when the Marine got out of his chair, went up to the professor, and cold-cocked him, knocking him off the platform. The professor was out cold. The Marine went back to his seat and sat there, silently. The other students were shocked and stunned and sat there looking on in silence. The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the Marine and asked, "What the hell is the matter with you? Why did you do that?"

The Marine calmly replied, "God was too busy today protecting America's soldiers who are protecting your right to say stupid shit and act like an asshole. .............So, He sent me."

I love my Heroes...

Below is an email exchange from me to the Angels on my Team started by a reply from one of my Heroes... I love those folks... I was truly humbled. Thanks Dave! :)

Angels~
I thought I would share this with you... this is why SA is just so darn AWESOME!!! I sent a copy of the speech from last night to my epal Heroes because they don't always get to hear this stuff in real-time and I received the following response from one of my Heroes.

Keep up the good work Team, they really do appreciate it, even when you don't hear from them!

*hugs*Jackie MasonSoldiers' Angels-LWT Team Leader
Proud Marine Mom to Joel
Angel to Hero Trenton*
Princess to Hero Jeffery*
Epal to many Heroes
www.miss-behavin--behavinasusual.blogspot.com
www.americanheroworship.blogspot.com
*homeward bound-in transition
God Love our Soldiers... I am here because they were there
-----Original Message-----
To:
Sent: Thu, 11 Jan 2007 1:09 AM
Subject: Re: Transcript: President Bush's Speech on Iraq
Good Morning Jackie,
thanks for keeping us informed we cant tell you how much we appreciate what you do.this may sound strange but you are our night in shining armor. forgive the spelling i think old age is kickin in LOL. Have a wonderful day and give my best
to all those on the LWT.

Sincerly SFC Dave XXX

----- Original Message -----
From:
Date: Thursday, January 11, 2007 5:43 am
Subject: Transcript: President Bush's Speech on Iraq
In case you didn't get a chance to see or hear this...
Wednesday, January 10, 2007

WASHINGTON � Transcript of President Bush's speech to the nation
on a change of course in Iraq:

And Two are Coming Home...

What a day. Talking with my favorite A-stan Medic while fighting a raging migraine (I am POSITIVE he's the only reason I stopped heaving my insides up) I received word from my Adoption Coordinator through Soldier's Angels that my first "Official" (my Adopted Hero) was scheduled home, and not to send anymore letters or packages. Our mission is complete.

Mission complete??? My Marine is coming home? But who will I write? Who will I send silly little care packages to for holidays and for no reason? Weeellll, you COULD say I could send that stuff to my favorite A-stan Medic (who's an "unofficial" adoptee and has already been getting letters and little packages).

But NNNNOOOOO... he's coming home too at the end of the month. Wahhhh! Wait... I mean YYYAAAAYYY!!!

*sniff* I know it hasn't been easy for any of them. They've seen a lot of stuff I can only read about. Talking and emailing and getting "stuff" ready to send has brought an immense joy to my life and I'm not ready for the mission to be "complete."

Nope, I'm re-upping. Angel Mason reporting for duty. Sign me up for another deployment and hook me up with my next Hero!!! I've already started my next care package! :)

In all seriousness, Allen and Jeff, Congratulations and Welcome Home. Thank you for your brave selflessness and dedication to this great nation. America won't forget you, because I won't let them!!! I'm so very proud of you. You've touched a place in my heart that will always be. Feel free to stay in touch and visit the blog from time to time just to say "hey". Love you guys!

America, we have almost 6,000 Angels nationwide. Let's get the word out. Here's a thought.. 1:1 Angel:Hero ratio.

Adopt a Hero... visit www.soldiersangels.org today. Now! That's an order!

Awesome Heroes becoming even MORE Awesome!!!

Just got done visiting my favorite buff Heroes' site at IraqiMuscle.com to check out their progress... lookin' good folks!!!

And they've added their first female recruit to the list... way to go!!! With a group like them over there supporting and guiding, how can she go wrong? :)

They're still working on those T-shirts and hats (along with the 6 packs movin' to the 8's) and also still donating to Soldiers' Angels. (Quite an awesome organization in itself! Of course, I'm biased, being a Team Leader for the Letter Writing Team and having many Heroes I support myself!!!)

What a great combination... Heroes and Angels... join the fun, support the morale and well-being of some great people who just happen to have your back for all the freedoms you enjoy. All without asking, and without hesitation. *sniff* pardon me, proud American/Mom/Angel/Hero moment.

SSG Simon, Sgt Skoczen... you guys are the bomb! You've inspired me. I've started walking about 1.5 miles a day and doing 20 pushups. Ok, girlie pushups, but the last time I remember doing anything that resembles that was when I tripped, fell and had to get my sorry butt up off the ground! :) Perfection is not achieved overnight and I can attest to that!!! I'm rootin' for Colleen!

C'mon folks, check out the site, sign the guestbook and show our Heroes you support them in both their professional AND personal endeavors.

Love you guys... Be Safe!

Corporal Jason Dunham to be posthumously awarded MOH 1/11/07 (Thursday)

This Thursday, Cpl Jason Durham will be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. His brave, selfless action of covering a grenade, thus saving the lives of fellow Marines is to be commended.

Check out the Marine Corps Times for the full story...

And our life is difficult... how?

Your alarm goes off, you hit the snooze and sleep for another 10 minutes. He stays up for days on end.
_________________________
You take a warm shower to help you wake up. He goes days or weeks without running water.
__________________________
You complain of a "headache", and call in sick. He gets shot at as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.
__________________________
You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends. He still fights for your right to wear that shirt
__________________________
You make sure your cell phone is in your pocket. He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.
__________________________
You talk trash about your "buddies" that aren't with you. He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.
__________________________
You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls. He walks the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.
__________________________
You complain about how hot it is. He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.
__________________________
You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong. He doesn't get to eat today.
__________________________
Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes. He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean.
__________________________
You go to the mall and get your hair redone. He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.
__________________________
You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over. He's told he will be held over an extra 2 months.
__________________________
You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight. He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.
__________________________
You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday. He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.
__________________________
You roll your eyes as a baby cries. He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet
__________________________
You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything. He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why he is fighting.
__________________________
You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him. He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded.
__________________________
You see only what the media wants you to see. He sees the broken bodies lying around him.
__________________________
You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't. He does exactly what he is told.
__________________________
You stay at home and watch TV. He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat.
__________________________
You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable. He crawls under a tank for shade and a 5 minute nap, only to be woken by gunfire.
__________________________
You sit there and judge him, saying the world is probably a worse place because of men like him. If only there were more men like him!
____________________________

Hell Yea!!! Marine politely tells Kerry to Kiss His Ass...

I'm having a proud Hero moment here. How wonderful we have these brave men and women to stand up for us so we (being the idiots who do it) can say what we want under the First Amendment... I'm thinking it's time for Kerry to exercise the Fifth Amendment. As I told my favorite Medic Hero, we have both. One to exercise the right to say what we want and one to exercise the right to SHUT THE HELL UP.
******************************************************************************************* This is a letter written by a marine in response to Kerry's insult on them. Enjoy and repost if you feel the notion.

Yesterday John Kerry said, "You know education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well, and if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."

So I wrote him a letter:

I am a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. I am currently on my second tour in Iraq, a tour in which I volunteered for. I speak Arabic and Spanish and I plan to tackle Persian Farsi soon. I have a Bachelors and an Associates Degree and between deployments I am pursuing an M.B.A. In college. I was a member of several academic honor societies, including the Golden Key Honor Society. I am not unique among the enlisted troops. Many of my enlisted colleagues include lawyers, teachers, mechanics, engineers, musicians and artists just to name a few. You say that your comments were directed towards the President and not us. If we were stupid Senator Kerry, we might have believed you.

I am not a victim of President Bush. I proudly serve him because he is my Commander and Chief. If it was you who was President, I would serve you just as faithfully. I serve America, Senator Kerry, and I am also providing a service to the good people of Iraq. I have not terrorized them in the middle of the night, raped them or murdered them as you have accused me of before. I am doing my part to help them rebuild. My role is a simple one, but important. You see Senator Kerry, like it or not, we came here and removed a tyrant (who terrorized Iraqis in the middle of the night, and raped them and murdered them). And we have a responsibility to see to it that another one doesn't take his place. The people of Iraq are recovering from an abusive relationship with a terrible government and it's going to take some time to help them recover from that. We can't treat this conflict like a microwave dinner and throw a temper tantrum because we feel like it's taking too long.

Senator Kerry, you don't have to agree with this war. You don't have to say nice things about those of us who choose to make sacrifices for the rights of every American rather than sit back and simply feel entitled to it. But please Senator Kerry, if you're going to call me a stupid murdering rapist, stick by what you say. Don't tell me that I misunderstood or that you would never insult a veteran because you're one too. Having been there and done that does not give you a free pass to insult me.

My suggestion for you, Senator Kerry, is to remember that your speeches are recorded, and broadcast to us simpletons over here. You may want to write down what you want to say before you say it, maybe have somebody look at it before you say it and tell you what others might hear. Remember that we can't read your mind. If there are any misinterpretations in what you say, it's because you didn't communicate clearly.

Good luck to you Senator Kerry. If nothing else it's always entertaining to watch you try and climb out of the holes that you constantly dig for yourself.

Sincerely,

Somebody who is watching his daughter grow up in photographs so that you can have the right to say whatever you want about him.