For Everything Else There's Mastercard

Well, another week has got by me.... I can't figure out how that happened.

Yes, we're still busy at Soldiers' Angels. Here's a little fun off our forum, titled Superbowl Commercials by angel Susie:

My Own MasterCard Commercial

New Angel getting first adoption notification: $24.95 (price of your internet connection )

Sending out first of many mailings: $0.41

Gathering for the first Care Package: $20.00 + (this varies daily)

Trip to Walgreens after preparing paperwork for first Care Package: $12.00 ( for the Icy Hot/Bengay; writers cramp from the customs forms; note inside, all the LWT and the list goes on)

Knowing that your Soldier’s name is being called at mail call with letters and a care package and his/her reaction to it all: PRICELESS

For everyday needs there’s MasterCard; for everything else there’s a Soldiers Angel.

Happy Angeling Angels…….

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Wednesday Hero 23 Jan 2008

The following is brought to you by the Wednesday Hero Blogroll.

Airmen from the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron at an air base in Southwest Asia prepare a C-17 Globemaster III for an airdrop mission Jan. 14 to deliver humanitarian supplies to coalition forces in Afghanistan

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

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Sendoff Dinner

Last night I was pleased to be able to attend the sendoff dinner for Alpha Troop, 2nd Battalion, 101st Cavalry of the NY National Guard in Geneva, New York. This was organized by Angel Donna, and the Canandaigua VA.

The Patriot Guard Riders were there, forming a flag line for the soldiers and their families to walk through as they entered the American Legion.


I will have a more complete list of groups deserving thanks to add to this post, but wanted to start with thanking Donna, the VA, the 13 PGR members who came out and stood in the cold for nearly 2 hours (two of whom rode their bikes to the mission), and Winnek Post 396 American Legion.

Also, a huge thank you to the band, Flint Creek. These guys were awesome, and they are huge troop supporters too. Please check out their website, and their Myspace page. They claim to be a country band, but I sure loved the southern rock that we requested, and they rocked out despite those tunes not being on their playlist for last night presumably. My own pictures came out blurry, but they have some nice ones on their website.

Update: Soldiers' Angels thanks the following groups, businesses and volunteers.

Geneva American Legion
Canandaigua VA OIF/OEF Dept
Geneva VFW
Geneva Wegmans
Canandaigua Wine Company
Zotos
Community Volunteers
Geneva BJ’s
Geneva Big M
Belhurst Castle
Ventosa Winery
Aviella and Haley our singers
Sunshine Bakery in Shortsville for the beautiful cake
Flint Creek
Patriot Guard Riders

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• Soldiers' Angels
• Patriot Guard Riders
• Supporting-Troops/Veterans
• New York
• Military

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Lucy, you got some splainin to do

What do you do when you are going to be in trouble with a Major? I guess since I'm a civilian I don't have to worry too much..... I hope. See, Major Z. asked if he could post a picture of me that I had sent him a month or so ago, and I told him I wasn't wild about the idea, so he didn't post it. But then MaryAnn had posted a similar pic and convinced me she absolutely needed it for her new series, the little old ladies of Soldiers' Angels.

So, uhm, yeah. Do you think some zany Lucy solution would help me here? I'm open to suggestions.

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American Flag League

I'm a proud new member of the American Flag League. Check out the spiffy new blogroll down on my sidebar and visit some of the League sites when you have time. Some good stuff there.

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• Blogging/Bloggers

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Wednesday Hero 16 Jan 2008

The following is brought to you by the Wednesday Hero Blogroll.

Cpl. Phillip E. Baucus
28 years old from Wolf Creek, Montana
3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force
July 29, 2006


Marine Cpl. Phillip E. Baucus was the nephew of Montana Senator Max Baucus. He joined the corps in 2002 and was sent to Iraq in March of 2005.

Cpl. Baucus was killed alongside fellow Marines Sgt. Christian Williams, 27 yrs old from Winter Haven, Fla. and Lance Cpl. Anthony E. Butterfield, 19 yrs old from Clovis, Calif. during combat operations in Al Anbar province.

"Phillip was an incredible person, a dedicated Marine, a loving son and husband, and a proud Montanan and American," Sen. Baucus said. "He heroically served the country he loved and he gave it his all."


These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

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NY National Guard Deploying

The 27th Brigade Combat Team is deploying 1700 members of the New York Army National Guard. Destination, Afghanistan.

Included in this group is one of my best friends. I will not be able to attend all of the send-off ceremonies that I have been invited to, unfortunately. To all of the NY Guard and their families, I'd like to wish you well and let you know that you will be in my thoughts. And, of course it goes without saying that you have the support of Soldiers' Angels.

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• Journal
• New York
• Military

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No Slump for our Troops

Well, it seems that time of year, the January Slump. The holidays are over. The bills are coming due. Winter is entrenched. People are in more of a slump. However, our troops are not in a slump. They are doing what they have to do.

Soldiers' Angels commit to sending support to our troops all year long, not just at the holidays, or around certain patriotic holidays. Troop rotations mean we have a lot of new troops signing up with us, but the slump means we don't have as many people signing up to adopt them.

If you are currently an angel, can you adopt another? If you have never adopted, why don't you give it a try? If you are a blogger, can you help spread the word? Our troops deserve our support, and we don't want to keep them waiting.

www.soldiersangels.org

Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, The Virtuous Republic, Mark My Words, Rosemary's Thoughts, Right Truth, DragonLady's World, Adam's Blog, The World According to Carl, Shadowscope, Pirate's Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Cao's Blog, Conservative Cat, Pursuing Holiness, and Right Voices, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Special thanks to The Armorer at Castle Argghhh! for the link on H&I Fires.

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Where Have I Been?

Well it has been a long time since I've blogged. Yes, things have been very busy for me the last few months. I really miss blogging and feel like I have missed much by not keeping up with my blog reading. I want to get back into it if time allows. So I started by posting the past Wednesday Hero posts I missed. You might wonder how busy can she be if she can't even get around to posting pre-written posts? Well, I think this is the first day in a long time where I haven't had a single e-mail in 3 hours having to take care of something. Hopefully that is a good sign. But I'm not going to count on it and so will not make any promises about any future blogging schedule. My ecosystem rating is now totally depressing, I'm an insignificant microbe again. But, what can I do except beg everyone to check back here daily in the hope that I have posted something totally interesting that many will link to. ;)

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Wednesday Hero 9 Jan 2008

The following is brought to you by the Wednesday Hero Blogroll.

Sgt. Frank T. Carvill
51 years old from Carlstadt, New Jersey
3rd Battalion, 112th Field Artillery
June 04, 2004


When Frank T. Carvill told his sister he had been called up to go to Iraq, she was stunned. "Gee, Frank, are you going to be part of the AARP battalion?" she teased.

Carvill joined the Guard in the 80's out of a sense of patriotism. He was a devoted big brother to Peggy Liguori, who still remembers how as kids, he took her to see “Blue Hawaii” and “Born Free” at the movies. He was the longtime pal to Rick Rancitelli who admired Carvill’s “million-dollar vocabulary” and his writing and public speaking skills. In 1993. Sgt. Carvill was working in the WTC as a paralegal when it was attacked. He helped a co-worker down 54 floors to safety. In 2001, he was still working at the WTC. He had just left the North Tower moments before the first plane hit.

Sgt. Carvill was killed when his convoy was attacked outside of Baghdad.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.

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Wednesday Hero 2 Jan 2008

The following is brought to you by the Wednesday Hero Blogroll.

1st Sgt. Eric Crayton
From Sparta, Georgia


Sgt. Eric Crayton, the first sergeant for the Extension Detachment, Company C, Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, serving Christmas dinner to Soldiers at the Pegasus Dining Facility at Camp Liberty, Iraq.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.

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Monday Hero 24 December 2007

The following is brought to you by the Wednesday Hero Blogroll.

This week's hero was suggested by Cindy & Kathi

Each year, around this time, since 1992, the Arlington National Cemetery has something happen to it. It gets covered in vibrant green Christmas wreaths. The wreaths are donated by a man named Merrill Worcester who is the owner of the Worcester Wreath Co. in Maine. From the Worcester Wreath Co.'s website:

Each year Worcester Wreath donates Maine wreaths to adorn the headstones of those who serve and those who sacrificed to preserve our freedoms. In 2007, over 10,000 wreaths are destined for the annual wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington. In addition, 2,500 wreaths will be sent to Togus National Cemetery in Augusta, Maine. Worcester Wreath also donates ceremonial wreaths that will be used as part of the Wreaths Across America events at over 230 State and National veterans cemeteries all across the Country.

Sometimes a hero is one who sacrifices everything in their life to help others. And sometimes a hero is one who sacrifices nothing more than their time.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. To find out more about Wednesday Hero, you can go here.

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Wednesday Hero 19 December 2007

The following is brought to you by the Wednesday Hero Blogroll.

This Weeks Hero Was Suggested By Leo

SSgt. Mike Mills


On June 14, 2005 SSgt. Mike Mills's life was forever changed. The HETT(Heavy Equipment Transport System) he was riding in was hit by an IED. The attack resulted a cracked clavicle and scapula bones, dislocate shoulder, broken left hip, 4 out of 5 bones broken in his foot and being set on fire. The driver in the truck behind him ran with a cooler of melted ice which he threw on Sgt. Mills to put him out.

He spent three months in the Brooks Army Medical Center at Ft. Sam Houston, TX with the injuries listed above plus 2nd, 3rd and deep tissue burns to 31% of the left side of his body. The first thing he remembers thinking after the attack was that his soldiers needed him and he needed to get back to them.

"Then the guilt set in about what I did to my family. I've totally screwed that up. Look at me, no don't. I look hideous. How can I face my kids looking like this. They'll be embarrassed to be seen with me. What if they won't love me anymore? Speaking of love, my wife, oh my god. How can I expect her to stay with me. I'm not a man anymore. She's not going to want be intimate with a freak. What if I can't work, how do I support myself, my family.

I had the nightmares and couldn't sleep. I wasn't eating and was loosing weight. I didn't really care. If I didn't start eating, they where going to put the feeding tube back in. Who cares, I've totally screwed up my life anyways."

But he found out just how much is wife loved him, when she stood by his side throughout the entire ordeal. She was there for every wound dressing and even learned how to change the dressings herself.

SSgt. Mike Mills now runs the site For The Veteran... By A Veteran in which he helps veterans, soldiers and their families find information they may not have been given after their medical discharge or retirement.


Some may say that Mike gave his country more than enough when he was severely maimed by an IED on that fateful day of June 14, 2005, but Mike continues to give to his fellow servicemen, as well as to his nation!

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.

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Wednesday Hero 12 December 2007

The following is brought to you by the Wednesday Hero Blogroll.

This Week's Hero Was Suggested By Louie

Bill Juneau
36 years old from Rush City, Minnesota
November 27, 2007

If there was one thing Bill Juneau loved as much as his country, it was his dog, Jake.

The accident-prone black Lab, who has been hit by two cars, had a toe amputated on his right paw and survived eating 42 candy bars in one sitting, once fell off a dock and through the ice on a lake while Juneau was hunting with his best friend, Dan Bock.

Bock said Juneau jumped into the icy, chest-deep water to save his dog.

"He threw that wet dog on the deck and sacrificed everything to save him," said Bock. "Bill's just that type of guy."

Juneau, a 10 year veteran of the Chisago County sheriff's deputy, was in Iraq helping to train Iraqi police recruits when his convoy was hit by and IED 50 miles outside Baghdad. A spokesperson for DynCorp, the private firm Juneau was working for, said Juneau was driving the lead vehicle in the large convoy that included U.S. Army personnel as well as members of the Iraqi National Police Force. The convoy was headed for a scheduled training mission. An Iraqi translator and a U.S. Army soldier sustained injuries in the blast as well.

His twin sister, Bridget Sura, said he wanted to help Iraqis rebuild their country and create better lives. "He would often sugar-coat the bad stuff, because he wanted us to know about the positive things," she said. "But we still worried every minute of every day." Another reason he joined was because he loved adventure, she said. While with the Chisago County Sheriff's Department, he started and led the country's SWAT team.

Jake, his dog, has been embraced by Juneau's sister's family. "He has more lives than a cat," Sura said, adding that they recently discovered a chocolate stash he'd hidden in his kennel.

"Jake is a part of my brother," she said. "He[Bill] will be missed by a lot of people. This will leave a hole in a lot of people's hearts."

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.

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