PRO-TROOP GROUP DEMANDS CONGRESS TO STOP ATTACKS ON GENERAL DAVID PETRAEUS

“You Voted Unanimously to Confirm Him,
Now Stand By Him and The Troops” Says Marine Mom

“I am calling on Congress to formally apologize to General Petraeus,”
Says Gold Star Mom

As the national “Fight for Victory Tour” caravan crosses the nation in a 4,384-mile trek to proclaim support for the missions of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan , the leaders of the effort are now speaking out in response to attacks by members of Congress against the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq , General David Petraeus.

“As the mother of a Marine who has served in Iraq, and as an American who loves her country, I am appalled to see members of Congress purposely engaging in a political campaign to smear the reputation of one of the finest commanders in the United States military,” said Deborah Johns. Johns is Director of Military Relations for Move America Forward, and her son (U.S. Marine SGT William Johns) has already served 3 tours of duty in Iraq . She is currently taking part in the national “Fight for Victory Tour.”

Gold Star Mom Debbie Lee, who is also traveling with the “Fight for Victory Tour” national pro-troop caravan, appealed to those in Congress who intimated they did not believe General Petraeus was truthful, to apologize for their statements and accusation.

“I am calling on Congress to formally apologize to General Petraeus. General Petraeus has led a successful military campaign in Iraq , and what does he get for it? Nothing but attacks, lies and smears. Congress should be celebrating General David Petraeus as an American hero who has helped make critical progress in the most important military effort this nation has ever been involved in,” said Gold Star Mother Debbie Lee.

Debbie Lee’s son, Marc Alan Lee, was the first Navy Seal to be killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“My son willingly laid down his life for his country, and I know he is looking down on us right now and wondering what on earth are we doing when certain people in Congress would attack a general who has made such terrific progress in the war on terrorism. Has politics sunk to such a low that some people think it’s ok to hurl accusations against the most honorable people in our society such as the officers and generals of the United States military?” asked Debbie Lee.

Gold Star Mom Debbie Lee and Blue Star Mom Deborah Johns are leading Move America Forward’s “Fight for Victory Tour,” a national cross-country pro-troop caravan that is crossing the nation. The caravan kicked off Monday, September 3rd and has already conducted pro-troop rallies in Carson City, NV; Sacramento, CA; San Francisco, CA; Modesto, CA; Los Angeles, CA; San Diego, CA; Yuma, AZ; Phoenix, AZ; Tucson, AZ; Las Cruces, NM; El Paso, TX; Sonora, TX; San Antonio, TX; Waco, TX; Crawford, TX; Dallas, TX; Oklahoma City, OK; Wichita, KS; and St. Louis, MO.

To schedule an interview or speak with Ms. Johns, Ms. Lee or any of the other caravan participants please contact Robert Dixon via cell phone at: (916) 719-2421

Move America Forward’s “Fight for Victory Tour” is a national pro-troop caravan that will travel 4,384 miles across the country in support of the missions of U.S. troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan . The caravan is hosting 27 pro-troop rallies along the way.

More details are available online at: www.MoveAmericaForward.org

ALIVE DAY MEMORIES: HOME FROM IRAQ

Sept. 9, 2007....11:02 PM. I just finished watching this documentary & tho I do love that it shows what heart these men & women have I thought it had a major slant of being anti-war which was not how it came across in any of the promo's I had seen prior to it's broadcast. Just my 2cents.

MILITARY MOMS IN IRAQ!!

Was sent to me by a friend & thought I would share......

AND THE CARDS KEEP COMING....

As it is getting down to the time to send packages to the troops all of our wonderful cardmakers are definitely working hard. Here are more that I have received in the last week. I still have more to go thru besides these too.

These card fronts were sent in by Michelle S. who is a Captain in the US Army Reserves & knows how important it is for the troops to receive these cards. She made most of them but some she got in swaps & are made by others. She sent to me to make into cards.....I hope some of the ladies who made some of them will choose to participate also as I contacted the ones who had emails on the back of them.
I received these cards from Jennifer.....aren't they great! Thank you so much Jenn.....hope you continue to participate in this project.
All these cards came from Fran C. who lives in MA. Really helped me out with all these Thanksgiving & Halloween cards. Love em Fran.....thank you so much.
This bunch of cards came from my new friend Janis who contacted me a few months back after seeing the flier I posted in Stamper's Warehouse. Her cards never cease to amaze me. Janis' niece just deployed this week....please keep her in your prayers.
Phyllis S. sent along this assortment of cards. The photo doesn't' do them justice......thanks so much for these cards.
Melissa K. sent these wonderfully Patriotic cards....I know who ever receives them will absolutely love them. Melissa also got a couple of her friends to send cards along too. Thanks so much.

One of Melissa's friends, Leticia B, sent these great holiday cards for this packing. The pictures do not do them justice.....they are so cute.

Melissa has another Patriotic friend, Susan W., who sent these great cards along. Hoping to get a link to her blog or gallery to share with you soon. Thanks so much for helping with this project Susan. Hope you will do so again.

Last but certainly not least are these fabulous cards made by Suzanne B-S who has sent cards several times now. I really hate that you can't see these cards in person.....the colors are WOW .....and the paper all shiny. Definitely makes you think of fall.

I hope I can post the photo's of your cards soon.....but you have to send em to me first!!

Cards are arriving ......

All these cards came from Melissa.....not her first batch & I hope not her last. Thank you Melissa.
These great Halloween cards came from Laura who considers herself a novice stamper. I seriously can not wait until she thinks that she is experienced. These cards are so kewl.
This last batch for tonite is from Susan.....a very nice assortment of All Occasion & Holiday cards. I wish I had time to photograph each card so everyone can see what great work all of these ladies do. I so appreciate all the work you do. Thank you so much each & every one of you.

Will have more to post tomorrow......

"WHERE FREEDOM FLIES" BY DIANA NAGY

You really must listen to this song.....

Vote for Marine Slogan Now

The United States Marine Corps and JWT are honored to announce that "The Few. The Proud. The Marines." has been nominated BEST SLOGAN for the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame. More than just a slogan, these three sentences represent what Marines are all about, epitomizing the challenge of becoming (The Few), and the reward of being (The Proud), one of the elite (The Marines). Suffice it to say, Few slogans convey such a Proud tradition.

With your help, we now have the opportunity to immortalize these words as an American cultural icon. The Marine Corps will compete with 26 others for entry into the hall of fame based upon total number of votes received online at VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE SLOGAN. The winning slogan will be etched on a plaque, and set alongside other time-honored brands on Madison Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets.

We ask that you vote for "The Few. The Proud. The Marines." by going to VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE SLOGAN and selecting your favorite slogan from their list.If you have Internet access in more than one location, you can vote more than once, so remember to vote from home, work, the library, and anywhere else you can find a computer. Be sure to pass this email along to your co-workers, family members and friends so that they may also vote. We are confident a concentrated effort will deliver "The Few. The Proud. The Marines." into the hall of fame, in its rightful place among elite American slogans. We thank you for your support.

Voting begins on August 28th and runs through September 24th. Remember to vote again at each location you have access to the Internet.

Fight for Victory Tour

At about 4:15 PM (an hour early) Dotty & I arrived at 450 Golden Gate Ave. in San Francisco (in front of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office) in anticipation of the Move America Forward Chairman Melanie Morgan, Vice Chairman Lt. Col Buzz Paterson, Blue Star Mom Deborah Johns & Gold Star Mom Debbie Lee along with any other surprises there would be. We were early but we met some great Patriots who came from all over the Bay Area to support the troops. Did my heart good. There was quite a crowd......no problems whatsoever.....and no anti-war protesters came at all. We had 2 local news crews there....KNTV-11 (NBC affiliate) who interviewed one of the Blue Star Mom's from the East Bay.....& KPIX channel 5 (CBS) who interviewed me. Didn't get all in what I had to say but they didn't make me sound like I said something else either so I guess I am pleased. If you would like to take a look at all the photo's I took........here ya go. Debbi's Picassa Web Album

Bush in Al-Anbar, Iraq

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT THIS MORNING.......

Toby Keith Concert Pictures

Here is Steve & I in front of one of the tour trucks




Here is the group that went......the Marine was the Sgt of Diane's son, Travis, when he was in Iraq. L to R.....Janice, Marcus, Marine, Darrin, Diane & me in the front


Miranda Lambert performing


Toby Keith


Debbi, Diane & friend


Statue of Liberty shown during song "Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue"


Toby singing Courtesy of Red, White & Blue during encore.


This is Diane's son, Tyler


Debbi & Diane after the show


As you can see.........fun was had by all.

Checking In

Hi......we just got home from Toby Keith concert at Shoreline Amphitheatre......It was totally awesome. Got some photos & will get em posted this weekend sometime but I will be in & out alot.

Tomorrow I am attending the funeral of Sgt. Matthew Tallman who was one of the crew members of the Black Hawk that went down last week on August 22nd & then I will be attending the Memorial for Cpl Sean Stokes, a Marine who was killed on July 30th in Iraq. Please keep these families in your prayers.

I have also received more cards but I haven't had time to go thru them as some will need to be tucked into the envelope before I can do anything more so won't be doing anything for the next couple of days.

TWENTY SEVEN YEARS AGO TODAY......

Yup.......that's me......the blond hussy who chose to get married in a red dress!! LOL! Most people we knew back then were taking bets on how long this one would last. I am hoping someone is gonna send off a check soon as we beat all the odds & still are. Hope you all had a good chuckle over this. Notice how good Steve looks.......that's before "the communicator" & I gave him all that grey.

GOOD NEWS, AUGUST 29, 2007

Four suspected insurgents captured in eastern Baghdad
Wednesday, 29 August 2007

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq — Soldiers from the Multi-National Division-Baghdad and Iraqi Security Forces captured four suspected insurgents and recovered a small weapons cache during a security operation in the Karadah District of eastern Baghdad Aug. 28.

The operation, carried out by Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, and the 4th Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division, was part of an ongoing effort to clear insurgent strongholds in the area. T

The four suspects detained are now being held for further questioning. The troops uncovered two AK-47 assault rifles, one spotting scope, and three eye pieces in the operation.


Central Baghdad school opens after two months of renovations
Wednesday, 29 August 2007
By Sgt. Robert Yde2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

BAGHDAD — For the second time in a little more than a month, the partnership between the Kindi Neighborhood Advisory Council and the Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment’s Company E, has led to another school being opened in the area.

After opening the Waoud Kindergarten in July, the Andalas School, which will serve as a middle and secondary school, was opened Aug. 26.
The project, which took nearly two months to complete, was one of the first that Co. E, which is attached to the 4th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, took on after taking over operations in Kindi in June. Read more.....


Apache troop provides security, spreads goodwill
Wednesday, 29 August 2007

BAGHDAD — Keeping the balance between being a force to be reckoned with and being a symbol of peace and prosperity can be a difficult task. For many of today's Soldiers in Iraq, it's not part of the game, it is the game.
Soldiers from Troop A, 4th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, have been walking that proverbial tightrope while patrolling the streets of the Iraqi capital’s Karkh District.
Not only are they charged with being keepers of the peace, they also know they must be a part of the everyday lives of those living where they patrol.
Read more...


Afghan, Coalition Troops Kill, Capture Insurgents, Find Weapons
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2007 – Afghan and coalition forces killed 21 insurgents, nabbed 12 others, discovered a weapons cache and thwarted two ambushes in Afghanistan over the past two days, military officials said.

Afghan National Police members from Chamkani and coalition forces detained a key Taliban leader and six other insurgents in a targeted strike near Sultak village in the Patan district of Paktia province.

The high-profile suspect, Zakir Shah, is a mid-level Taliban field commander who helps transport foreign fighters and supplies between Afghanistan and Pakistan, military officials said. He also allegedly is responsible for the murders of Afghan civilians. Read more.....

FLY YOUR FLAGS!!!

Please join us in this FLY THE FLAG campaign and PLEASE forward this Email immediately to everyone in your address book asking them to also forward it. We have a little less than one week and counting to get the word out all across this great land and into every community in the United States of America .

If you forward this email to least 11 people and each of those people do the same ... you get the idea.

THE PROGRAM:

On Tuesday , September 11th, 2007, an American flag should be displayed outside every home, apartment, office, and store in the United States . Every individual should make it their duty to display an American flag on this sixth anniversary of our country's worst tragedy. We do this honor of those who lost their lives on 9/11, their families, friends and loved ones who continue to endure the pain, and those who today are fighting at home and abroad to preserve our cherished freedoms.

In the days, weeks and months following 9/11, our country was bathed in American flags as citizens mourned the incredible losses and stood shoulder-to-shoulder against terrorism. Sadly, those flags have all but disappeared. Our patriotism pulled us through some tough times and it shouldn't take another attack to galvanize us in solidarity. Our American flag is the fabric of our country and together we can prevail over terrorism of all kinds

Action Plan:

So, here's what we need you to do .

(1) Forward this in an email to everyone you know (at least 11 people). Please don't be the one to break this chain. Take a moment to think back to how you felt on 9/11 and let those sentiments guide you.

(2) Fly an American flag of any size on 9/11. Honestly, Americans should fly the flag year-round, but if you don't, then at least make it a priority on this day.

Thank you for your participation. God Bless You and God Bless America !

August 25, 2007 GOOD NEWS

Commander says Iraqi citizens turning against insurgents
Saturday, 25 August 2007

BAGHDAD — Iraqis who once aligned themselves with militants are now taking up arms against al-Qaeda, a top commander in the Iraqi capital said during a conference call Friday
.
Likening members of terrorist organizations to “street gangsters,” U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Joseph Fil, commander of Multi-National Division-Baghdad and 1st Cavalry Division, said Iraqis are becoming tired of price gouging on staples such as gasoline and ice when militant groups move in and take over neighborhoods.

“We have found that throughout the city there is increasing distrust, fatigue and disillusionment by the population with al-Qaeda and Jaysh al-Mahdi (militia group),” he said. “There is a strong desire in the neighborhoods to turn away from them.” (read more)

Shaken to the core.....

Yesterday was a very upsetting day. I woke to the news of 14 soldiers killed in the Black Hawk that went down in Northern Iraq. First I prayed that the son of someone I know was not the pilot & then I did what I do when I hear news of any casualty.......I cried. I pretty much do that every morning to get it all out but then I pull up my boot straps & do something good for the ones that are still there & look for the good news of what they are doing so I can pass it along here.

Well, before we went to bed last nite I saw on the evening news that one of the soldiers on that Black Hawk was Cpl Nathan Hubbard. His brother, Lance Cpl. Jared Hubbard, had been killed in Iraq in 2004 & his other brother was on another Black Hawk that saw his go down. The tears flowed....I cried myself to sleep. I get myself thru all this believing that this kind of thing doesn't happen. Our first born daughter died from SIDS in January 1984 so I do know that pain of burying your child....it is definitely something no one should ever have to endure. How can you possibly survive the death of a second child for any reason as you struggle so much to go on after the first.

Please pray for this family & give them your condolances in this online guest book at Legacy.com....along with the families of the other 13 who died in that crash. Continue to pray for all who serve & those who gave their all for our country and the family & friends who support them while they do.

Good News, August 23, 2007

IPs, Marines host youth soccer day
Thursday, 23 August 2007

By Gunnery Sgt. Eric Johnson

2nd Marine Division

U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Eric Johnson, operations chief of the Hadithah Police Transition Team, plays soccer with local Iraqi children in front of the Iraqi Police Station. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Stephen M. Kwietniak.

HADITHAH — The morning of July 4th started out like any other inside the Hadithah Police Station.

The Iraqi police conducted morning police call, uniforms were set straight, and reports were prepared. The Marines of the Hadithah Police Transition Team (PiTT) gave guidance to their Iraqi counterparts, making corrections wherever necessary. As the heat began filling the building, the anticipation for the day’s events grew.

Within the building’s multi-purpose room, the morning formation lined up. However, the formation wasn’t of Iraqi police officers standing at attention, ready for drill practice. In fact, no one was standing at attention. July 4th was the first Youth Soccer Day held at the Hadithah Police Station.

More than 200 local children gathered at the police station for a chance to play soccer with their police officers. The police and children were equally excited for the day’s festivities (read more)

Fun, Fun, Fun

95.7 The Wolf, which is our local Country station, sponsored a free lunchtime concert with Luke Bryan as the performer. Diane asked if I wanted to go & check it out. A good day to have some fun....the weather was beautiful & the music was good. We kicked back......enjoyed......and took pictures.




Diane took this shot below! LOL!



Luke Bryan & I.....


And me hiding behind the sign......


After the concert we headed across the street & had lunch at The Old Spaghetti Factory.......I hadn't been to one in awhile as they closed the one in Oakland. Very good food & great company as always.

Headed home to change & then back out to Blue Star Mom's South Bay meeting.....it was their 3rd Anniversary & they had a pot luck too. Great bunch of people......we will go again.

More Cards

Carrie sent in more Halloween & Thanksgiving cards which were made with the help of her DS Dylan......thank you both for your support.
These cards were made by sisters, Mickie & Melody. This is the first time for Mickie but Melody has sent cards in previously.....aren't they great! Thanks gals. I look forward to more from you both.
Mickie made this amazing cards to be sent TO the troops. Very kewl aren't they? I know they will be so appreciated by the recipients.

Look where I went this weekend......

A few of us from Operation: MOM were invited to a tea held by the Alameda Republican Women, Federated but only Diane & I were able to attend. We got there & tried to find the house....address at corner was 1600 block so we knew we had to go 3 blocks to get where we needed to be.....then got to corner & it was a different street. We turned around and the address matched this beauty......we both immediately pulled out our camera's.



When we got inside we were even more amazed by what we saw......here is the dining room & the food that was set out.....yummy. We did find out we could take photo's so I of course was off & running.......will post more later tho.


The speaker at this event was Fred LaCosse, who was a local to SF Bay Area as a news anchor, reporter & talk show host among other things. He did a presentation called "Your American Freedoms:Protect them or Lose them" which was totally amazing. Truly something I think should be done in every High School in the land.


This is a picture of Diane, Fred LaCosse & I in the living room of the home.