|
Post by wvpeach1963 on Aug 10, 2008 0:33:22 GMT 9.5
This story about a Korean Vet and the daughter he never got to meet is so heart warming I couldn't resist putting it here. www.burneycalifornia.com/ArchiveIssues/02-07-10%20News.pdf 50 Years ago William Moments Widow left her husbands foot locker with a neighbor for safe keeping. He had been killed , and his trunk containing his purple heart , silver star , letters and mementos lost. 50 years later a new home owner found it in his attic and tracked down the mans daughters. A American Legion Post was wonderful enough to hold a ceremony for the mans heirs honoring his sacrifice and service to this country. This is a neat story. Scroll on down the page a little from the link to read it all. Kinda like the dad was still able to say he loved his children 50 years later........................Very cool and heart warming.
|
|
|
Post by wvpeach1963 on Aug 10, 2008 0:37:30 GMT 9.5
Horses helping injured soldiers to get back on their feet. Army Sgt Christian Valle who lost both of his legs in Iraq trots on a horse wit the help of members from the 3rd infantry division. This is a great idea as animals have proven to aid the healing of injured people
|
|
|
Post by wvpeach1963 on Aug 10, 2008 0:39:18 GMT 9.5
projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/ This is a excellent link where each of our 4,404 fallen soldiers is memorialized . It includes state by state info on soldiers . As well as links to home town articles written about their deaths and more importantly their lives. . You'll also find links on this site to Veterans affairs organizations and loads of info on how to help Americas returning soldiers. No matter how we feel about how we got into this war , each American should realize that soldiers are being killed and injured in this war and respect the fact they are doing it for the country. Groups like project helmet are doing all they can to bring our soldiers home safe . This is a good site to donate some money to retrofit soldiers helmets with life saving gear that helps them come home safe . www.operation-helmet.org/ I must admit I started giving money to this fund to get helmets fixed for soldiers I loved .You can designate that your money go to a particular soldier's helmet fix. Now , I can't stop , because even though I have most of my soldiers home , how can I not care that other soldiers don't get every chance to come home whole and alive as well? This is a worthy project. Other groups like The American Broadcasters Association are busy trying to help make the lives of returning injured soldiers and their families better. www.afrtrust.org/ You'll find links on this site to other groups who are doing their best to help and honor American families of fallen and injured soldiers. The Air Force , Army, Coast Guard and Marine Charity groups can all be reached at this link. Again , no matter how these soldiers got there , it is not their fault . A soldier is taught to do as they are told . So whatever your feelings about the war , we will have families of soldiers who need our help to raise their children , and to care of the large number of injured soldiers who are coming home . This problem will be here for at least a generation. And soldiers are still being killed in the wars almost every day. www.alternet.org/blogs/video/63926/ This link will take you to a good tribute by Bill Moyers of PBS fame . What strikes me about the piece is the fact a soldier can be so alive one day and taken from us the next. The world is a little less , for each of these deaths. I am glad to say , just about all the soldiers I loved have now come home from the wars. One missing a leg , one full of shrapnel , but alive , so I am lucky. Other families are not as lucky as me . They will forever have holes in their hearts.
|
|
|
Post by wvpeach1963 on Aug 10, 2008 0:40:08 GMT 9.5
Another worthy charity for military families we often collect money for around here are phone cards. www.operationuplink.org/ This is a favorite military charity of my old buddies at the VFW. In fact a portion of all food sales at my local VFW go to this charity.
|
|
|
Post by wvpeach1963 on Aug 10, 2008 0:41:15 GMT 9.5
This is another excellent charity that is helping our wounded soldiers. www.saluteheroes.org/ These folks are doing many worth while projects to try to help Americas returning injured soldiers. Here you will learn the stories of some of Americas bravest and finest. The Salute Heroes folks are building or redoing homes for disabled Veterans . Providing handicap accessible vehicles and money to help them along their way to recovery. A excellent group to give some money to. That reminds me a large state wide effort was made to rehab the home of West Virginias own Jessica Lynch. She was offered free in state medical care and tuition when she was ready to return to her life. I will find the West Virginia story of Jessica Lynch and post it when I do. Please, anybody that has home grown stories of soldiers being cared for locally in your neck of the woods , lets post them and be thankful that human kind can do what is right when called upon.
|
|
|
Post by wvpeach1963 on Aug 10, 2008 0:41:56 GMT 9.5
This is a good watch dog group some people might like to use to see which charities actually spend most of the money you donate on the soldiers instead of in their own payrolls and over heads .
http//:www.charitywatch.org/articles/veterans.html
Disclaimer : I do not agree with all of AIP's assessments of the charities for Veterans they evaluate . For instance the local Eagles lodge I belong to decided long ago to cap most charitable giving to injured soldiers at $6,000 from our fund raisers. This is not to say we always just give $6K but that is what we generally do. We decided long ago that if more money than that was raised it should go into a interest bearing account to make sure we had at least 6K for every injured soldiers family who returned locally.
AIP seems to think that holding any of that money is wrong. I know of some very good military charities that are doing what the Eagles does and holding back funds to make sure each injured soldier can be helped , and the money does not dry up. But this site will help you to make some wise decisions about how charities might use the money you give.
If you don't like any formal charity , that is no excuse just mail or drop off personally, the donation to a injured soldier in your area. It has been my experience that while this may embarrass some of them at first, they quickly come out of it when you shake their hand, thank them for their service, tell them how much it meant to you, and that this is the least you can do for their sacrifice. Appreciation goes a long way.
|
|
|
Post by wvpeach1963 on Aug 10, 2008 0:43:51 GMT 9.5
In parts of the country the ACLU has come in and made collages of soldiers serving in the current wars be removed from public buildings. www.worldnetdaily.com/news/ar...TICLE_ID=58252Seems some with out guts have insisted the post offices in their area remove soldiers pictures designed to honor those who are so bravely serving this country.
|
|
|
Post by wvpeach1963 on Aug 10, 2008 0:44:31 GMT 9.5
This is a excellent site that helps people brain storm for ways to help families of the military. home.earthlink.net/~twana39/ Things like offering to help babysit children , help with homework . You'll find some novel ideas for helping our troops families while they are gone. I know my buddies at the VFW do lots of small things like this. One young soldier I know communicated by email to me one time that he wanted his children to have a pool and swing set. His wife had bought them but could not put them together . I told the guys at the VFW and presto one working pool and swing set were set up in a afternoon enjoyed by all. Getting involved is all it takes to make a difference in sombodies life .
|
|
|
Post by wvpeach1963 on Aug 10, 2008 0:51:54 GMT 9.5
You can help brave soldiers like this at www.operationfirstresponse.org/ First response is a great group. They are currently trying to help a soldiers known only as Bronhiz . This brave soldier was hit by a IED last week in Iraq , he has lost both legs and one arm and is on a ventilator . First response helped his family get the money to fly to Germany to be at this soldiers side should he ever wake up. Its important to give families of soldiers every chance to be with their injured loved ones and the military does not do that. Hearing that loved ones voice just might be the thing that makes that injured soldier decide he wants to live.
|
|
|
Post by wvpeach1963 on Aug 10, 2008 0:54:04 GMT 9.5
I love this poem , by a group of old fellows at the VFW. He was getting old and paunchy . His hair was falling fast He sat around the legion Telling stories of the past. Of A war he had fought in The deeds he had done his exploits with his buddies They were heroes every one. Does this look like a group of guys , you would love to buy a beer for? Just common soldiers , but we should remember we may need brave men like this again. The rest of their poem and tribute can be found here. home.comcast.net/~singingman7/Soldier.htm Its well worth the read.
|
|