October 17th: Day to Support U.S. Military

HOORAY!!!
On Wed. October 17th We Stand Up to
the Anti-Military Attacks in the SF Bay Area!

by: Joe Wierzbicki

You've no doubt read about the recent anti-military actions taking place in the San Francisco Bay Area.

These aren't just actions by left-wing, anti-military activists, but also by officials in local government as well! There was the attempt to keep the Blue Angels from performing for the public. They banned Jr. ROTC from high schools and slammed the door on those kids' futures. There was the banning of the U.S. Marines from filming a 9/11 video in the streets of San Francisco. Then there was the incident just the other day where, as the Oakland Tribune reports, airport officials admitted to "prohibiting a planeload of U.S. troops, just back from Iraq, from entering the passenger terminal during a layover Thursday."

But it gets even worse, folks! Now we at Move America Forward, the nation's largest pro-troop organization, have learned that anti-military activists associated with Code Pink have staked out the Berkeley, California, Marine Recruiting Center, vandalized and defaced the building, harassed the staff, and are now orchestrating a campaign to intimidate their landlord to evict them from the building where their office is located.

Enough is Enough!

On Wednesday, October 17, 2007 - at 12:00 Noon Pacific Time - we will hold a large patriotic, pro-troop, pro-veteran rally in front of the Berkely, CA., Marine Recruiting Center (located at 64 Shattuck Square, Berkeley, CA. 94704). We're going to respond with a positive, pro-military, patriotic rally and we need you to be there! We're inviting the media to come out and cover this pushback so we need a really great crowd to be on hand!!

Here's what a reader of Michelle Malkin's blog reported about their conversation with one official at the Marine Recruiting Center:

"I called the USMC Officer Recruiting Office at Berkeley and expressed my support to one of the recruiters. He asked how I knew about the situation, and I told him your blog was my source. He said the Pinkos vowed they would be back on the weekends and during the week, every week, until the office is shut down…

The recruiter hoped that more support would come in and that the word would be spread."

East Bay Code Pink Protestors at a recent Anti-Military Rally

Did you read that? "The recruiter hoped that more support would come in and that the word would be spread" -- that's our call to action, friends, we must turn out a huge, patriotic, pro-troop, pro-veteran crowd waving American flags next Wednesday, Oct. 17th at Noon at the Berkeley U.S. Marine Recruiting Center.

Let's overwhelm the Marine Recruiting Center with a giant crowd of grateful Americans who will stand in solidarity with the men and women of the United States Military. It is the men and women in uniform who have served this nation that give those Code Pink protestors the rights they have to assemble and speak freely. They do not even realize that they are attacking that which gives them freedom, security and liberty.

So please help spread the word, and do your part to join us on this day. Bring your American flags. Bring pro-troop signs. Most importantly, bring your appreciation and respect for those who serve this nation and make sacrifices, sometimes the ultimate sacrifice, so that we may all be free and safe.

COMPLETE DETAILS ONLINE: http://www.moveamericaforward.org/

And listen in to Move America Forward Chairman, Melanie Morgan, on KSFO 560 AM - San Francisco each morning between 5:00 AM - 9:00 AM Pacific, as she'll provide daily updates leading up to the big pro-troop rally on Wednesday, October 17th in front of the United States Marine Corps RecruitingCenter, 64 Shattuck Square, Berkeley, CA 94704. Located at Shattuck Square (Intersection of University Avenue and Shattuck)Berkeley, California - MAP HERE

BOYS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN!

Here's another side of our troops that you should see.....just having a little fun.


Rock down to Iraq

Concert Photo's Here!

Concert was absolutely amazing.....it poured all day & we left early to get there as the traffic reports showed everything was a mess. As we got almost to Concord it stopped raining tho we hoped that the patch of blue we saw in the sky was gonna be right over the Pavilion.......IT WAS NOT. But it was fair & we were able to park up close so we were the first to get in & were able to get front & center on the lawn. We had brought a large tarp to lay down so we had an area big enough for our group to sit comfortably with no one able to stand/sit in front of our view.

Jason Michael Carroll was the opening act.....I didn't know much about him but he was really good but only did about 45 min. He went off making me wish he was on longer. Next was Brooks & Dunn!!! If you have never seen Kix & Ronnie live all I can say is "WHY THE HECK NOT???". They are so awesome (how many 'Entertainer of the Year' awards have they won?)tho this show didn't' have the usual blow-up's that they have nor the confetti at the end. We heard that Alan Jackson had said he would not tour with them if they did it. BORING! At the encore they had 4 Marines come on each carrying one item apiece.....boots, rifle, helmet & dog tags......a Final Respects Tribute. Everyone in the arena was on their feet & screaming. They are the best. After another short intermission Alan Jackson came on. Tho I do enjoy listening to his music he just can't follow Kix & Ronnie ....just my opinion & I know that everyone will agree with that. He is just mellower than they are & after getting all worked up it was hard to settle down. Anyway........if you'd like to see our photo's here they are.

Brooks & Dunn_Alan Jackson Concert_Oct 2007

Brooks & Dunn and Alan Jackson Concert tonite

And it's been raining since last nite.......this is outdoor concert & we are gonna be on the lawn. We have been in a near drought for months & it picks today to open up. Will post soggy photo's later......Have a great weekend everyone!!

Texas Roadhouse for dinner

Had to do some running around on Tuesday evening to look for something we could use for our table decorations so we stopped to have dinner at Texas Roadhouse....one of my favorite places to eat for sure. They have a promo called the Two-fer......2 can order from a special menu for $16.99 between 4 to 6PM!! We were even lucky to two-fer servers.......one was a trainee. They were great for sure. If you are in the area give this spot a try.

Hi Gals!!

Vote for a Purple Heart Marine!

Twenty-one year old former Marine Neil Schalk is much more than a "hot bachelor" and the subject of attention for many young women. He is a Purple Heart hero from Muscoda , Wisconsin . He and his family are very involved with Team Marine Parents and Purple Heart Family Support. Neil's sister Natalee, has nominated him as Cosmopolitan' s Bachelor of the Year, 2007.

Hurry! Voting ends at midnight eastern time October 11. VOTE HERE (Choose Wisconsin).

AN OPEN LETTER TO CODE PINK

This is a response to Code Pink by CPT Richard Lund as printed in the Berkeley Daily Planet regarding the ongoing protests being held at the Marines Recruitment Office in Berkeley.


Commentary: An Open Letter to Code Pink By Richard Lund (10-02-07)

While the protest that you staged in front of my office on Wednesday, Sept. 26th, was an exercise of your constitutional rights, the messages that you left behind were insulting, untrue, and ultimately misdirected. Additionally, from the comments quoted in the Berkeley Daily Planet article, it is clear that you have no idea what it is that I do here. Given that I was unaware of your planned protest, I was unable to contest your claims in person, so I will therefore address them here.

First, a little bit about who I am: I am a Marine captain with over eight years of service as a commissioned officer. I flew transport helicopters for most of my time in the Marine Corps before requesting orders to come here. Currently, I am the officer selection officer for the northern Bay Area. My job is to recruit, interview, screen, and evaluate college students and college graduates that show an interest in becoming officers in the Marine Corps. Once they’ve committed to pursuing this program, I help them apply, and if selected, I help them prepare for the rigors of Officer Candidate School and for the challenges of life as a Marine officer. To be eligible for my programs, you have to be either a full-time college student or a college graduate. I don’t pull anyone out of school, and high school students are not eligible.

I moved my office to Berkeley in December of last year. Previously, it was located in an old federal building in Alameda. That building was due to be torn down and I had to find a new location. I choose our new site because of its proximity to UC Berkeley and to the BART station. Most of the candidates in my program either go to Cal or to one of the schools in San Francisco, the East Bay, or the North Bay. Logistically, the Shattuck Square location was the most convenient for them.

Next, you claim that I lie. I have never, and will never, lie to any individual that shows an interest in my programs. I am upfront with everything that is involved at every step of the way and I go out of my way to ensure that they know what to expect when they apply. I tell them that this is not an easy path. I tell them that leading Marines requires a great deal of self-sacrifice. I tell them that, should they succeed in their quest to become a Marine officer, they will almost certainly go to Iraq. In the future, if you plan to attack my integrity, please have the courtesy to explain to me specifically the instances in which you think that I lied.

Next, scrawled across the doorway to my office, you wrote, “Recruiters are Traitors.” Please explain this one. How exactly am I a traitor? Was I a traitor when I joined the Marine Corps all those years ago? Is every Marine, therefore, a traitor? Was I a traitor during my two stints in Iraq? Was I a traitor when I was delivering humanitarian aid to the victims of the tsunami in Sumatra? Or do you only consider me a traitor while I am on this job? The fact is, recruitment is and always has been a part of maintaining any military organization. In fact, recruitment is a necessity of any large organization. Large corporations have employees that recruit full-time. Even you, I’m sure, must expend some effort to recruit for Code Pink. So what, exactly, is it that makes me a traitor?

The fact is this: any independent nation must maintain a military (or be allied with those who do) to ensure the safety and security of its citizens. Regardless of what your opinions are of the current administration or the current conflict in Iraq, the U.S. military will be needed again in the future. If your counter-recruitment efforts are ultimately successful, who will defend us if we are directly attacked again as we were at Pearl Harbor? Who would respond if a future terrorist attack targets the Golden Gate Bridge, the BART system, or the UC Berkeley clock tower? And, to address the most hypocritical stance that your organization takes on its website, where would the peace keeping force come from that you advocate sending to Darfur?

Finally, I believe that your efforts in protesting my office are misdirected. I agree that your stated goals of peace and social justice are worthy ones. War is a terrible thing that should only be undertaken in the most dire, extreme, and necessary of circumstances. However, war is made by politicians. The conflict in Iraq was ordered by the president and authorized by Congress. They are the ones who have the power to change the policy in Iraq, not members of the military. We execute policy to the best of our ability and to the best of our human capacity. Protesting in front of my office may be an easy way to get your organization in the headlines of local papers, but it doesn’t further any of your stated goals.

To conclude, I don’t consider myself a “recruiter.” I am a Marine who happens to be on recruiting duty. As such, I conduct myself in accordance with our core values of honor, courage, and commitment. I will never sacrifice my honor by lying to anyone that walks into my office. I will never forsake the courage that it takes to restrain myself in the face of insulting and libelous labels like liar and traitor. And, most importantly, I will never waver from my commitment to helping individuals who desire to serve their country as officers in the Marine Corps.

Captain Richard Lund is the United States Marine Corps’ officer selection officer for the northern Bay Area.

FLEET WEEK-DAY 5 (FINAL DAY FOR US)

Today was our final trip over the Bay for Fleet Week. Not as many service members walking around as the prior days but we still shook alot of hands. No show in the air this day.......all the action was on the water. They had tours of some of the ships & the lines were long.....this was the warmest day we have had too, absolutely gorgeous weather. We choose the Canadian Mine Sweepers to tour as this was the first time that has been available.....we even saw a couple of the guys who work on the USS Hornet visiting these ships too. It was very interesting & the crew was great. I hope they come back next year.

After we finished the tour we had lunch at Fog City Diner which is all chrome outside & so kewl looking.....I have gone by it so many times in the past & have always wanted to go inside. I recommend it for a nice lunch. From then on we just played tourists & walked all over. The one place you must check out is Forbes Island which is on the other side of the Sea Lions from Pier 39. It is a floating island restaurant. I have soooooo many photo's of this little lighthouse & never knew it was a restaurant. It is definitely on my list of places to go in SF now.....make sure you check out their website. From the end of that pier we snapped some pictures of the fog starting to come thru the Golden Gate.....awesome.

Then we wandered down to Fisherman's Wharf......more pictures of course......and then back to Pier 39 for a farewell cocktail & then back home........to reality. It's gonna be a long year waiting for Fleet Week again. If you can you will be there too!!

If you are interested in seeing our PHOTO's of DAY 5......

Also keep

HELP NEEDED FOR A WOUNDED WARRIOR

Overflow crowd jams Braley benefit
Staff reports of the
Manteca (Calif.) Bulletin

It was a gathering fit for a hero.

Congressman Jerry McNerney was present. So was state Assemblyman Greg Aghazarian. They were part of an overflow crowd that arrived at Friday's benefit dinner for wounded sailor Christopher Braley at the Manteca Golf Course clubhouse passing 50 American flags placed along Union Road by the Manteca Chamber of Commerce.

Braley, a sailor corpsman attached to a Marine unit, was wounded by an improvised explosive devise while on patrol in Fallujah in Iraq. Earlier Friday, Braley went into surgery again at the Navy hospital in Bethesda, Maryland - this time to deal with bleeding from his eye and other parts of his head.

The sold-out crowd was there for one purpose only - to support Braley and his family as he faces the daunting task of numerous surgeries and months of recovery before returning to his native Manteca.

Proceeds from the $30 tickets will allow his mother to stay with him beyond the month the military pays for family to stay near their wounded sons and daughters. It is considered crucial given the number of surgeries that await him plus the trauma of dealing with the aftermath of having his cheek bones crushed, his nose broken, his right eye gone, and a part of his scalp still open due to shrapnel hitting his head from an improvised explosive device.

Among those present were Gold Star dads Chuck Palmer and Michael Anderson.

Palmer is the father of Marine Cpl. Charles Palmer, the first Manteca soldier to lose his life in Operation Freedom.

Anderson knows all too well the dangers of Fallujah. He lost his son Cpl. Michael Anderson Jr. there on Dec. 14, 2004 during the fierce "Battle for Fallujah." Anderson resides in Modesto and works at Manteca Auto Plaza.

Braley, 23, is a Sierra High graduate.

Those who wish to make a donation may do so by writing a check to
Larry Braley, Jr., c/o The Christopher Braley Fund, acct. #1250009527 at the Bank of Stockton is located at 660 North Main St., 249-2200.

If you'd like to send him mail, you can do so by writing:
HM Christopher Braley
National Naval Medical Center; Building 9 - ICU
8901 Wisconsin Avenue
Bethesda, Maryland 20889


HIME ROMERO/The Bulletin
Bill Scaces, who is a childhood friend of
Christopher Braley, stands next to a
tribute honoring the Navy corpsman.


HIME ROMERO/The Bulletin
Gold Star dads Chuck Palmer, left,
and Michael Anderson who have
both lost sons in the Iraq war.

Getting the word out......

Today we took a break from Fleet Week to get the word out about Operation: MOM & meet some wonderful people. We set up at WalMart on Albrae Street in Fremont & handed out flyers about the Organization plus the Spaghetti Feed & wish lists for our upcoming Holiday Packing. We had such a wonderful response that we stayed an hour plus longer than planned. We will be back next month on November 4th if you are in the area. In case you would like to help with items for the packing here is the Troops Holiday Wish List.

Steve, Debbi & Leslie

Tom

Our Information Table

Fleet Week-Day 3

Total Exhaustion here I tell ya........but what a wonderful experience this has been. Steve & I spent the ENTIRE day at Pier 39 today. We met the most amazing people & shook so many hands of young men & women who are serving this wonderful country. So humble when you thank them........fabulous. We met several people who were visiting. John from NY....he told us about 9/11 from his experience. He saw that 2nd plane hit the tower & was there to help afterwards. He also went to MS after Katrina. A great person. A new Army Mom & Army Wive from Oakland plus a Navy Mom from Concord....hope to see them all again. We met a gentleman who was a POW in WWII....talked to him for quite awhile....he lives up by Sacramento & was here for the show. A lovely couple was here from England.....on the way to Hawaii....Fleet Week was a pleasant surprise for them. Many many more.....Hi to all who stop by to see my blog.

Here are my photo's from today......we will have more later as Steve took 4 rolls of films. YUP!!

Fleet Week_Day 3 (Debbi's Photo's)

Fleet Week-Day 3 (Diane's)

Fleet Week Day 3_Steve's pix

Day 2.....Marines Memorial Club in SF

Diane, Bev & I spent the day at the Marines Memorial Club in SF. We had lunch up in the Leatherneck Steakhouse which is up on the 12th floor of the building with hopes to get a better view of the Blue Angels as we had heard they fly right by the windows. We didn't have that kind of luck but did get a pretty good show......no cold or wind either. We also got to see that new Airbus which flew by on the way to film a commercial with the Golden Gate as a backdrop.

That evening we had the pleasure of attending the The 1st Marine Division Band Concert which was held in the Theatre there. They are great......please try to see them if you ever get the chance. Wonderful group of young men & women with lots of talent. After the concert we headed back up to the 12th floor to watch some of the fireworks & got the opportunity to meet some of the young men in the band. After a very long day we headed back across the bridge & home. More tomorrow.......

Pictures of DAY 2 are HERE!

Fleet Week 2007_Day2

I've been MIA!

Sorry I've been lax in posting but another really busy week. The stamp show was great....I met alot of neat people & hopefully will have more cardmakers from this area too. Came home with a big box of cards.......someone put in 2 shoeboxes full of cards.

It is now Fleet Week.......Diane & I were in SF all day yesterday. My first time seeing the Blue Angels & let me tell you........A M A Z I N G ! ! !

Here are our photo's from DAY 1!!

Fleet Week Day 1

GOLD STAR MOTHER'S DAY IS SUNDAY, SEPT. 30, 2007

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary


For Immediate Release September 21, 2007

Gold Star Mother's Day, 2007
- - - - - - -

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

The gift of liberty is secured by heroes who have answered the call to serve when America needed them most. On Gold Star Mother's Day, we honor the mothers of the service men and women who have given their lives in the defense of our great Nation.

America's Gold Star Mothers are remarkable patriots who serve their communities by demonstrating good citizenship, providing support and services to our troops and veterans, and helping comfort the families whose loved ones have made the ultimate sacrifice. Their sense of duty and deep devotion to our country inspire our Nation, and we thank them for their compassion, determination, and strength. Though they carry a great burden of grief, these courageous mothers help ensure that the legacy of our fallen heroes will be forever remembered. On this day, we offer our deep gratitude and respect to our Nation's Gold Star Mothers; we honor the sons and daughters who died while wearing the uniform of the United States; and we pray for God's blessings on them, their mothers, and their families.

The Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 115 of June 23, 1936 (49 Stat. 1895 as amended), has designated the last Sunday in September as "Gold Star Mother's Day" and has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in its observance.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Sunday, September 30, 2007, as Gold Star Mother's Day. I call upon all Government officials to display the flag of the United States over Government buildings on this solemn day. I also encourage the American people to display the flag and hold appropriate ceremonies as a public expression of our Nation's sympathy and respect for our Gold Star Mothers.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.


GEORGE W. BUSH

THE ORIGINAL RUBBER STAMP CONVENTION

This is sticky....scroll down for more......

A couple of weeks ago I got brave & called up A Stamp in the Hand to let them know about the Cards for the Troops project. Well much to my surprise it happened that I was speaking to The Stamptress, Kat Okamoto herself.....WOW! It turns out that they had just been talking about wanting to do something like that but didn't know where to start .....my phone call came at the perfect time! So....below is the information & you can also go to A Stamp in the Hand website for more information on the show. Hope I get to meet some of you there.

The Marine Slogan Won!

Back on September 4th I posted that The Few. The Proud. The Marines had been nominated for BEST SLOGAN for the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame. Well.......thanks to all who voted.....it is a winner!!

Here's an article about it that I was sent after I posted this.....thanks Kathy

Corps slogan takes out the competition
Staff reportPosted : Friday Sep 28, 2007 10:48:14 EDT

The Marine Corps’ legendary recruiting pitch, “The Few, The Proud, The Marines,” defeated such famous ad slogans as “Just Do It,” “Have It Your Way,” “Take a Bite Out of Crime” and “Think Outside the Bun” for a spot on the advertising industry’s Walk of Fame in New York City.

This year’s two winning slogans — the other is Southwest Airlines’ “Ding! You are now free to move about the country” — were announced Wednesday as part of Advertising Week 2007, an advertising industry convention in New York City. The Corps beat out a number of companies and agencies in a nationwide Internet poll for the honor, including Nike, Burger King, the National Crime Prevention Authority and Taco Bell.

The Corps and Southwest will join previous winners, such as the Texas Department of Transportation’s “Don’t Mess with Texas,” Verizon’s “Can You Hear Me Now?” and Hallmark’s “When You Care Enough to Send the Very Best,” on the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame, which consists of a plaque on the sidewalk between 49th and 50th Streets in Manhattan.
Other nominees the Corps beat out include: the USDA Forest Service’s “Give a Hoot. Don’t Pollute”; the California Milk Process Board’s “Got Milk?”; Major League Baseball’s “I Live For This!!!”; Dunkin’ Donuts’ “Time to Make the Donuts” and Allstate Insurance’s “You’re in good hands.”

SOME VIDEOS & SUCH TO SHARE

Here are some video's & such to see for all branches to see a different side & hopefully give them more of the respect they all deserve.

US ARMY DRILL TEAM HOOAH!!! Here's a Montage too.

Check out these NAVY SEALS.........very kewl. Make sure you click the download so you can see this on the entire monitor screen.

BLUE ANGELS & Again Here (Gonna see them next week)

And here are some sites for the Marines........Silent Drill Platoon (make sure to look at all the photos) & Here too, Combat Artists & The Three Jarheads

Here's a link you really need to check out......

And last but certainly not least is the US Coast Guard.....Here & then here too.

The Few, The Proud, The Romantic

And from the other side.....from a deployed Marine to his Wife. It isn't letting me embed it so I hope the link works.
From Scotty with Love

An Army Wife's Love for her Soldier

This was made by the wife of one of "The Communicator's" Battle's at AIT who was recently deployed to Iraq. They just got married in March of this year. This gives you an idea of just how much our service men & women (and their families too) give up to protect our freedoms. Please watch.

Some News to share.....

Thought you all might like to know that some of the service members that we have been sending cards to over the past few months have returned home with a few to return soon. Some have given me the names of their replacements so that the hospitals will continue to receive cards for several months to come. The emails I have shared here show how important this seemingly simple project has been to our men & women serving overseas. I will be collecting cards at Original Rubber Stamp Convention in San Jose this weekend & hopefully will continue to get cards mailed to me by those who have been with us since the beginning & many new card makers. Also please remember that we do take store bought cards also so if you wish to participate & do not make cards then you can send ones you buy along too. Maybe you have Christmas cards from past years laying around? Just please make sure that you have envelopes to go with the cards & that the glue is still good. We also need Cards written out to them, thanking them for their service......words of encouragement....plus Holiday cards to them are also needed. Remember........they aren't going to be spending the holidays with their families & friends.

Also.......Operation: MOM is doing a fundraiser for our Holiday Packages to the Troops. We are having a Spaghetti Feed & are looking for donations to use for raffle prizes. All the proceeds from this event will go for the Holiday Packing. We will also be collecting items to put in the boxes for this packing. You can see what is needed on this Christmas Wish List......thank you in advance for any help you can give us.

Vets for Freedom & Families United Video

This is a must see video......please take the time to watch & listen.

POW/MIA Recognition Day Cermony at Lone Tree Cemetary

This was a wonderful ceremony......much more emotional than we expected it to be tho. I have been to ceremony's on Memorial Day in the past which touched on honoring these hero's but I must say this ceremony really affected me. I will be there every year for this ......we must never forget.

Sgt. Michael L. Emerson, from the Castro Valley VFW, Marine 1982-1992 (Desert Storm) was master of ceremonies for this event.

Standing room only in the Mausoleum after plan b had to be used due to the rain.



Members of Operation: MOM were in attendance.

Vietnam Veterans were present & accounted for...... finally getting the praise, recognition & support these deserved 30+ years ago (please lets not do this again now).




VFW Honor Guard Post #9601....also Vietnam Vets.

Sonja, Col. John McPartland (retired) & me


The Vietnam Veteran's Memorial at Lone Tree Cemetery in Hayward, CA.

You may see more photo's HERE & HERE TOO.

Packing for the Troops

Another packing is over & done with. We sent off about 350 boxes yesterday to our wonderful troops overseas. Alot of the boxes were done on Friday by employees of Mervyn's who donated product & packed the boxes too. So appreciated for sure. I didn't take alot of photo's as we were busy trying to get done as most of us wanted to go to the POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony which was being held later in the morning. We were able to finish packing early so we could lock up & go. Some of us then came back to clean up & take what was leftover back to the storage containers. Diane & Bill both took pix & I will post some of those when I get them.

Sonja & her son, Cory....active duty Army

The only students who came to this packing....thanks so much girls for all your help. Hope you come next time too.

2007 NATIONAL POW/MIA RECOGNITION DAY

We will be going to the local ceremony at Lone Tree Cemetary in Hayward which will be held tomorrow.......will post more later along with photo's. I apologize for the quick post but packing is tomorrow & still bagging more cards up.

QUOTE FOR TODAY

"Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale, and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled or hanged."

President Abraham Lincoln

HAPPY BIRTHDAY US AIR FORCE!!

Today is the Air Force's 60th Birthday & Diane & I are off to a celebration in San Jose. Will post photo's later.

Here are some of the photo's I took today....this event was held at the San Jose City Hall & there was a reception before the city council meeting. The City issued a Proclamation declaring today, September 18, 2007 as United Air Force Day. There were several WWII Air Force Vets in attendance as well as other Air Force Vets....one of which was an Operation: MOM member, Tom Ballard who came with us. We also heard the story of John Buecheler, My Glide for Life, which he told to Stories-of-Service.org in the Spring of 2006. Mr. Buecheler died in December 2006 but will never be forgotten because of this wonderful organization. I strongly suggest that you check out this website to listen to these stories & also to see how you can help preserve this valuable history. Do you have a veteran in your family that you would like to be remembered forever?


Me & the Lt. Colonel's






This is the San Jose City Hall.

Livermore, CA

After we went to the CTMH Open House on Saturday we decided to take a drive thru downtown Livermore as we had heard about the tree that was smack dab in the middle of it & we wanted to see. Well I was so touched......this tree is covered with Yellow Ribbons as you can see. As you walk around all the light poles have banners hanging from them with the name of different service members along with the branch of service below their names. Our Local Paper doesn't put anything in about the accomplishments of Our Local Service Men & Women. This is Hayward, CA which calls itself the "Heart of the Bay".......... Does you town do something like this to honor our Service Members? If so can you please send me photo's & name of town/city with em by email so I can forward on to the Hayward City Council. I would greatly appreciate it.

As we roamed around we found a nice shop, "Country Morning", which had this fabulous print hanging on the wall. It's called "Liberty Awake" by Timothy Wistrom. The original painting is waiting to go into a Memorial Museum for 9/11. May have to save up for this one.

Another week has started.....

I'm so sorry that I didn't do anything again this weekend but Saturday I went to an Open House & did some sightseeing/shopping over in Livermore which may have netted some raffle .prizes for Operation: MOM's upcoming Spaghetti Feed. I took some photo's around Livermore to share with you all later.

Last evening we went to pay our respects to the family of Cpl Carlos Gil Orozco, a 23 year old Marine, who was killed last Monday, Sept. 10th in Iraq. The funeral is this afternoon. If you wish to leave your condolances you can do so at the Guest Book on Legacy.com.

Last Tuesday, Sept 11, 2007, Diane & I had the honor of going to watch the Marine Silent Drill Platoon during filming of the new commercial for the Marines which will air in 2008. It was very amazing & what a great group of young men. Truly made me proud to be an American. For more information on them go to Our Marines.......if they will be near you then you MUST try to go see them. Here is the slide show I put together of all the photo's Diane & I took plus a couple from the Our Marines site.......enjoy!

SOME GOOD NEWS TO START THE WEEK

Iraqi boy leads troops to weapons cache
Monday, 17 September 2007

BAGHDAD — A Multi-National Division-Baghdad unit discovered a cache of explosives and improvised explosive device-making materials in a western neighborhood of the Iraqi capital following a tip from a local boy Sept. 15.

A platoon from Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment (Task Force Patriot), was conducting a census operation in the western Baghdad neighborhood of Yarmouk when an 11-year-old Iraqi boy pointed out an abandoned house and suggested that insurgents had used it as a base of operations in previous months.

The Soldiers discovered two cache sites within the house after a detailed search. The contents of the two caches included four RPG-7 rockets, nine 57mm rockets, two 82mm mortars, one 130mm artillery round, one 122mm artillery round, one block of TNT, a foot of detonation cord, 52 AK-47 magazines and an assortment of IED-detonating devices.
An explosive ordnance disposal team responded to the scene and removed the explosives for detonation later in a controlled environment.

“We’re encouraged by the fact that a tip from an Iraqi child led us to this cache,” said Capt. Jayson Morgan, commander of Battery B and a Munday, Texas native. “It’s just another sign that our efforts in this community are paying dividends.”

Morgan said he will return to the neighborhood later this week to pay the family of the young boy a reward for providing such valuable information.

Coalition forces capture 12 suspected terrorists in Baghdad
Monday, 17 September 2007

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces captured an Iraqi terrorist with links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps - Quds Forces (IRGC-QF) and eleven other suspected terrorists during coordinated early morning operations in Baghdad Monday.

The operations targeted a senior Special Groups leader directly linked, according to sensitive intelligence, to several other high-ranking terrorists operating in and around Baghdad.
Those in custody are believed to be involved in smuggling and storing weapons from Iran used to attack Iraqi civilians and the security forces that protect them. Intelligence further indicates that the group is linked to the production and distribution of deadly Explosively Formed Penetrators (EFPs) and the supporting of foreign terrorist operations.

Coalition forces detained six individuals at the first target area without incident, and followed on with operations at two other sites where they captured the other individuals.

A vehicle approached the security perimeter of the ground force during the operation. The vehicle, which was out after curfew, was warned with lights and warning shots before Coalition forces engaged the hostile threat with machine gun fire and destroyed it. The ground forces assess the driver was killed.

“The capture of key Special Groups leaders will allow us to further disrupt the activities of those who attempt to undermine the security and stability of Iraq,” said Maj. Winfield Danielson, MNF-I spokesman