GOD Bless America

My family and I would like to wish all of our Military people a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and pray that all of you are safe. We also want you to know that we are very proud of each and every one of you. Thank You for protecting the American way of life and the safety of our country.

Robert Noakes
Youngstown, FL

PS: As Toby Keith says in his song, Go put a boot up their ass, courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.
Iraq War Today

Keeping the Faith
by Regis Clifford


Today we Americans face a future that may be perceived as uncertain and
confusing. Although some people talk about living in difficult times, our
hearts should not be troubled. Each generation of Americans has been tested,
just as our nation is being tested in its values and vision.

Many of us lived through the turmoil of the ‘60s. Traumatic events such
as the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and the Vietnam War
defined the decade. The Vietnam era saw millions of Americans struggle to exist
as the country went from a time of peace to a time of war. When the troops
returned from Vietnam, they were met with hatred and animosity. Upon his return
from the war, Captain Gerald Coffee (a prisoner of war for seven years) was
surprised to find that many Americans had lost faith in God, faith in their
country and faith in themselves. Yet it was faith in those very things that
helped Coffee and his fellow POWs (such as John McCain) survive, and enabled
them to move on with their lives towards a more positive future.

Today there is a group of people who have not lost their faith in God,
America or themselves. Tonight, there is a nineteen year old solider sleeping
in a foxhole millions of miles away. He is scared, tired, lonely and hungry.
His annual salary is less than $16,000. He is facing an enemy who hates what we
stand for, and he is doing it by choice. He won’t be calling in sick tomorrow
morning. He will be on the job. He keeps the faith. Duty, honor and pride in
his country are part of his Apostle’s Creed.

We Americans are not a war-like people. We prefer to battle on the
playing field. This is not a Hollywood movie or a video game. We seldom
realize that the real peacemakers are those who go to war to defend our country
and the freedom it provides us. No one loves peace more than a solider. He or
she is the one who fights to keep it for all of us.

There are great battles, moments in our history, that threatened our
freedom such as Valley Forge, Battle of New Orleans, Gettysburg, Argonne Forest,
Bastone, Incon, Hanoi, Hilton, and now Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, as in the
past, we depend on our men and women in uniform. They are doing everything they
can to protect us. Many have given their lives, others will and many more are
and will become severely disabled. They need to hear from us, no matter what
our politics may be. They need to know that we support them, and are thankful
for their service as they salute the flag, follow orders, and protect our great
nation.

These brave men and women are talking the place “on the wall” for the
majority of Americans. Some people have suggested that we reinstate the draft,
and others are afraid that this will happen. This system is not required now,
nor is it effective. Our military is well trained, and consists solely of
volunteers. After 9/11, well over 100,000 retired military requested to be
placed on a volunteer list. As long as we have people with this dedication and
sense of self-sacrifice, the America we know and love will be here for
generations to come.

We should be ever so thankful for this and find the best way to help our
men and women in uniform achieve their goal of victory.

How can we do this?


1. Write a letter of thanks to someone in the military. They would love to
hear from you, especially with the holidays approaching. There are many who
have no family or friends writing to them, and it would mean a lot to them to
know someone out there cares. A small “care package” would be a bonus.

2. Visit a veteran’s hospital. If you can, volunteer for a few hours.

3. Explore fund raising activities, concerts, etc. on the behalf of our
military and their families.

4. Pray for our soldiers.

Links to web sites in support of our miltary
Adopt A Hero
http://asoldiersblog.com/

Wounded Warrior Project
http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/


Let’s be proactive and keep faith in God, our country, and our men and
women in uniform.

Please forward this e-mail to support our troops, thank you!

Regis Clifford






Iraq War Today

HELPING OUT
Organizations such as Soldiers' Angels and Any Soldier Inc. link civilians to soldiers who would like to receive mail. It's as easy as filling out an online form and receiving a soldier's information through e-mail.

After we filled out a request form with Soldiers' Angels - an organization started in 2003 by the mother of a soldier for other soldiers who do not receive mail - the information for staff sergeant Mike (we're keeping his last name private) arrived in our inbox within 12 hours. All we know from the e-mail about Mike is that he is stationed overseas and wants mail. That's good enough for us.

Soldiers' Angels and Any Soldier Inc. encourage people to write to the soldier weekly as well as send a care package twice a month with snacks, baby wipes, powdered Gatorade and personal care items.


CiN Weekly - Reaching out

US soldiers patrol the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. Six people were killed in attacks on the Niniveh provincial government headquarters in Mosul and on a US patrol.(AFP/US Army)
Yahoo! News - Mideast Photos - AFP

Two battalions totaling 1,500 82nd Airborne Division troops will begin flying to Iraq from Fort Bragg, N.C., on December 3, 2004, triggering a major build-up of U.S. forces to bolster security for January national elections in the country, defense officials said. Troops of the 82nd Airborne secure an area after a helicopter crashed near Falluja, January 2. Photo by Faleh Kheiber/Reuters Yahoo! News - World Photos - Reuters

As the sun sets, Marines of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit mark their position with a white star cluster to alert friendly forces of their position during a firefight in Jurf as Sakhr, Iraq in this handout photo taken December 1, 2004. The mission is part of Operation Plymouth Rock, the latest offensive by Iraqi, U.S. and British Forces aimed at rooting out anti-Iraqi elements in northern Babil province, south of Baghdad. Picture taken December 1, 2004. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY QUALITY FROM SOURCE REUTERS/HO/USMC/Lance Cpl. Zachary R. Frank Yahoo! News - World Photos - Reuters

Scout’s Honor


When I was a boy, yep, I was a Scout,

And whole time I was, no Scoutmasters came out.

Nope, they stayed in the closet, if any were there,

And no parents protested our Scout meeting prayer.

We believed in our creed, truly honored our oath,

Our duty to God in those years was not loathe.

No, we pledged our young lives that we’d do our best,

To honor traditions behind our Scout crest.



But our honor’s now questioned by a liberal elite,

That will settle for nothing but our total defeat.

Renounce God we’re told, or we’ll take you to court,

Scouting’s now not for kids it’s become lawyers’ sport.

No, we haven’t a right to now say who shall lead

The children we hopefully entrust to this creed.

So these possible predators we’re told now to trust,

And hope our young boys don’t fall prey to their lust.



I’ve had it with liberals, I’m full up to here,

They’ve pushed me beyond any warped legal fear

To the point that I say that whatever they do,

My mission in life is SCREW THE ACLU.

They’ve robbed me of Christmas, robbed me of youth,

In their misguided crusade for their brand of truth.

Like good ol’ Dan Rather, ACLU you’re a goner,

I pledge that to you on my cherished Scout’s Honor.



Russ Vaughn
Iraq War Today

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