The Coalition to Salute America's Heroes provides emergency financial aid to our troops who have been severely wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan.Donate now to help our nation's heroes this Thanksgiving.
Our patriotic donors have responded with financial help to 10,950 requests from disabled troops facing evictions, foreclosures, utility cutoffs, car repossessions and other crises, providing more than $22 million so far.
But more wounded troops are returning each week and they need your support. They were there for us. Now it's our turn to be there for them.
A few days from now, families in small towns and big cities all across the nation will gather together for that "most American" of holidays - the day we emulate our Pilgrim fathers and give thanks for all that we hold dear.Donate now
At the same time, halfway around the world, 170,000 brave young men and women will demonstrate their gratitude in another way: by putting their lives at risk to defend everything America stands for.
As we join our loved ones around the table to feast on turkey and all the trimmings, our troops overseas will grab an MRE and head out to patrol crowded streets and back alleys where insurgents continue to lurk.
As we watch the giant balloons of the Macy's parade usher in the holiday season, they'll spend Thanksgiving morning in harm's way: a "place" where rounding any corner can mean a deadly ambush... where stopping any car or passerby can trigger an explosion and sudden death.
As we cheer on our high school football heroes or watch the pros on TV, they'll face combat of a different nature - ducking live rounds and remaining alert for the sudden rush of an incoming rocket-propelled grenade.
Today, the deepening economic crisis and post-election political developments continue to dominate our front pages: so much so, that some Americans may even have forgotten about the brave and women who are doing their job overseas, but counting the days till it's their turn to share the home-town celebrations with their loved ones and friends.
However, the USO hasn't forgotten; we've already geared up to provide extra services to our troops... not just for the holiday season, but throughout the weeks and months ahead. With American troops spread all over the globe...
* We must recruit more stars to man our Holiday Entertainment Tours to combat zones... not just to entertain, but also to shake hands with our GIs and say face-to-face, "Thanks! We're here for you. You're the real star!"
* We need to buy more pre-paid phone cards, so our troops can call home for free whenever they get a chance, even from a pay phone in Baghdad.
* We must staff up and supply our overseas Centers and Mobile Canteens; the Holiday season is the loneliest time to be at the Front, so they'll have to stay open extra hours to provide our guys and gals in uniform with a hot cup of coffee, a warm smile, and a chance... even if just for a few moments... to escape from the war and enjoy a taste of home.
Meeting these special challenges, on top of all the everyday services we provide to our troops and their families, will take a huge effort, cost a lot of money, and stretch our resources to the limit. Many people are surprised to learn that the USO is not a government agency; in fact, we rely on individual citizens who want to support the troops, and who always seem to stand behind us at the times we need them most.
Now is one of those times. Please send your tax-deductible donation today, to help the USO make certain that every Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine, and Coast Guardsman around the world knows that the folks back home are thinking of them this holiday season, and that we honor their dedication, their heroism, and their sacrifice.
"I’ve heard from service members who, before going on missions or upon returning, listen to songs for inspiration, motivation, reflection or simply to be distracted from a reality few of us could ever imagine,” said John Ondrasik, who writes and sings under the pseudonym band name Five for Fighting and spearheaded the CD’s development. “I hope that my song and the other hits from artists who generously contributed to this project stir those same emotions in our service members. We greatly appreciate the sacrifices the military has made for our country.”AAFES asks that people help spread the word about the availability of this new CD. Let's do this.
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
Ray Orbison – In Dreams
Alan Jackson – Where I Come From
Trace Adkins – Fightin’ Words
Join our veterans-only online community to connect with people who know where you're coming from. Share your experiences and help others make the transition to civilian life. Stronger Together.As a writer, I particularly found compelling the section of the site In Their Words in which veterans tell their own stories, including the featured story of Bryan Adams.
The new G.I. Bill offers the most comprehensive educational assistance package in more than a generation.For more information, go to G.I. Bill.
Beginning August 1, 2009, veterans who have served three years of active duty since September 10, 2001 will be eligible to receive full tuition and fees, a monthly living stipend, and a $1,000/year stipend for books and other supplies. Active duty veterans who have served fewer than three years will be eligible to receive a portion of benefits under the new G.I. Bill.
I was stationed in Germany when I was redeployed from Iraq; we got off a C-130 from Ballad and were greeted on the tarmac by three Vietnam vets. These three guys were so happy to see us, one would have thought they were waiting for us the entire year to return. They had food for us, hugs, and well wishes for our return. They mentioned later that they were determined to have each individual soldier know their service was appreciated and not in vain. It’s amazing how a stranger can genuinely care and make such a big impact on you at a time when you’re not even aware that you needed it..
TroopTube is the new online video site designed to help military families connect and keep in touch while miles apart. The site is designed for easy use, so you can quickly upload videos and share the simple joys of each day with each other, either privately or with the whole world. Sign up today and begin sharing videos by clicking here.And if you're a military family, remember to check in with the new AAFES blog www.salutetoyourservice.com.
Military OneSource is an authorized Department of Defense program for Active Duty, Guard, Reserve and their families.
The BlogTalkRadio Show “Your Military Life” will be co-hosted by me thanks to an invitation to do so from Nancy Brown of www.yourmilitarylife.com, who has just created the show.
Our first “official” show will be on Wednesday, November 19: 11 p.m. Eastern, 10 p.m. Central, 9 p.m. Mountain, or 8 p.m. Pacific. We will be interviewing Trish Forant, founder of eMailOurMilitary (www.emailourmilitary.com, about the organization’s holiday program to send cards and packages to deployed military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. And we’ll take questions from the audience at 646-929-0021.
(We’re actually testing out the format on November 17 at the same times as above by interviewing my husband Mitch Miller on why a will is not enough.)
To find out about our upcoming shows, go to www.blogtalkradio.com/search/YourMilitaryLife.
This summer, the photographer Platon took pictures of hundreds of men and women who volunteered to serve in the military and were sent to Iraq or Afghanistan. He followed them on their journey through training and deployment, after demobilization and in hospitals, to compile a portrait of the dedication of the armed services today. Sergeant Tim Johannsen, who lost both legs when he drove over an I.E.D. on his second tour of duty in Iraq, made a point of buying an Army T-shirt to wear in his photograph. Of his sacrifice, he said, “It’s just part of the job. You know what you signed up for.” Sergeant Matthis Chiroux, a military reporter who has become a vocal opponent of the Iraq war, says that he and others like him “take our activism as a continuation of our oath of service.” Like many who enlist, Johannsen and Chiroux come from military families. Sergeant John McKay, a marine whose uncle and grandfather were marines, and whose three-year-old son posed in uniform at the wedding of a cousin, also a marine, said, “He’s just waiting till he’s eighteen.” He went on, “I’m scared for him, but if he wants to do it I’ll support him.”View the photos with their captions at PORTFOLIO BY PLATON: SERVICE.
Your cell phone is in your pocket.Last night I watched the first part of a PBS show on the Medal of Honor with interviews of some of the men still alive who received the Medal of Honor in WWII, Korea or Vietnam. (The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in battle bestowed by the U.S.) The five men who have received the Medal of Honor for fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan all received the award posthumously.
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 patrols 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 every day.
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 even if it puts his life in danger.
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 tries to sleep but gets woken by mortars and helicopters all night long.
His orders were to hold and die. Not hold OR die. Hold AND die. Implicit in the orders are not one, but two promises. His men would accomplish their mission against overwhelming odds. They would die while performing it. So what happens? ...
Veterans Day is a special day when our nation stops to honor and give thanks to our military veterans and their families. But what happens when the parades are over and the yellow ribbons come down?...
O’Grady mentioned the men who, at the birth of the country, fought to live in a place where they could freely express their God-given rights without persecution. Because of their sacrifices, he said, “We’ve been allowed to prosper into ...
There was a place that was dug out and it was pitch, pitch black, no moon out. They put three of us up there and we didn’t know what to expect. All three of us sat there and stared all night wondering what the crud was going to happen, ...
Great Americans is a movement to celebrate those whose lives offer a positive example to others. As the first step in the pursuit of this vision, GreatAmericans.com is dedicated to men and women in uniform who put their lives at risk to protect our nation at home and abroad. Great Americans is a celebration of their service, their sacrifice, and their example to us all.The site is live now. Go check it out at www.greatamericans.com and listen to some of the video interviews. And you still have time to Honor a Veteran at http://snipurl.com/mrslieutenant.
Shall a nine hundred million dollar ($900,000,000) bond be used to provide farm and home aid for California veterans?The woman said: “I voted for the proposition because veterans deserve benefits even if I’m against the war in Iraq.”
