Veteran's Day 2014

Because some gave all.

(Arlington National Cemetery, July 2013)

Veteran's Day 2013

Photos from our trip to Arlington National Cemetery this past summer, remembering all who have served and honoring all who have died.

Holiday Mail for Heroes 2011

I saw something posted on Facebook about sending Christmas cards to veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.  Since as a general rule I don't believe anything I read on Facebook, I decided to check it out.  You can see what snopes.com had to say about this HERE.

The good news?  There actually is a program sponsored by the American Red Cross that allows us to support our soldiers over the holidays.  You can read about it HERE.  I've also copy & pasted the key points immediately below.

Take a moment and support those who put their lives on the line for all of us.

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Holiday Mail for Heroes 2011

Posted on November 3rd, 2011 by Gloria Huang

Welcome to the fifth year of our Holiday Mail For Heroes program! As in previous years, we will partner with Pitney Bowes to collect holiday cards from regular citizens all across the country and distribute them to service members, veterans, and their families. If you’re looking for a fun way to give back a little bit this holiday season, this is a great option. Check out our slideshow of cards from previous years for some inspiration.

Send cards to the address below:

Holiday Mail For Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

All cards must be postmarked no later than Friday, December 9th. Cards postmarked after this date will unfortunately be returned to the sender. This deadline ensures enough time to sort and distribute cards before the holidays.

After the mailbox closes, the cards we received will be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and then reviewed by Red Cross volunteers working around the country.

Veterans Day

In honor of all those who honorably served in the United States military, including my father (U.S. Army/Korean Conflict), my brother Chris (U.S. Navy/1983-1986) and my uncle Frank (U.S. Army Air Corps/World War 2).

Dad (in uniform), home from the Army at the Hotel Casey, early 1950's.

Dad's grave, Fairview Memorial Park (Veterans Section), Elmhurst, PA.

Supreme Court & Westboro Baptist Church

The US Supreme Court has upheld the "right" of Westboro Baptist Church to picket funerals for US service members, as long as that picket takes place on public land.  You can read the story HERE.

I find the sacrifice of oneself for our country to be one of the ultimate expressions of giving and nobility.  Every member of the US armed forces who dies in combat is a hero, period.  It doesn't matter if the cause was justified or not, as they were following orders and willingly put themselves in harms way.  Heroes, period.

I find the actions of "Pastor" Fred Phelps and his mostly family-based congregation from Topeka Kansas to be repugnant to the extreme.  These people picket and chant anti-homosexual rants at the funerals of people who are not gay, but happened to be convenient opportunities to publicize their "cause".

In my simple, humble opinion, there is no such thing as an unlimited right to free speech.  You should be able to say whatever you want...and so should Fred Phelps.  But saying that "you can't disrupt a funeral with your free speech" is VERY different than "you can't have that free speech".  If "Pastor" Phelps wants to rant, for example, that Tony the Tiger is a gay icon, then that's fine with me...just don't interrupt my breakfast doing it.  Now that's a very silly example but it's no more silly than the connection "Pastor" Phelps tries to make between gays and dead heroes.

If we, as a society, can't provide to the families of dead service members an environment where they can grieve the deaths of their sons and daughters in peace, then we as a society have FAILED those very same heroes.  We have failed them, period.

Yes, I fully realize that service members die to uphold ideas like free speech.  Yes, "Pastor" Phelps should be able to spew his nonsensical rants.  My point though is that nothing should institutionalize the idea that "Pastor" Phelps' right is greater than the right of those families who gave the ultimate sacrifice.  Let "Pastor" Phelps rant, but keep that rant out of the eyes and ears of grieving families.  

Because Freedom Isn't Free...

...and there would be no Independence (Day) without sacrifice, take a moment today in the midst of the picnics and celebrations to consider the sacrifices that our veterans have made over this history of this nation.

As the folks from both parties in Washington DC remind us of every day, it's easy to say you are patriotic, but as our soldiers have demonstrated time and time again, it's a hell of a lot harder to actually show it.

Thank You Veterans.