bertram31.com

bottom line.......we owe them everything we have.

Roger that!!!

I had the great opportunity of buying drinks for a couple of Marines last night to toast the Corps birthday... and I just got back from a Veterans Day progam put on by my sons school. They did a fantastic job of honoring all our local Veterans.

Ray

As has been said before...Freedom does not come free. Seems many have forgotten that. Thank you to all our veterans, past and present.

Amen.

A salute to all of our Veterans

My uncle served on PT 343 in the Pacific during WWII. He just turned 86 on Monday.

I sit sometimes and listen to him talk about that experience. Several times during each conversation he tears up......its amazing how traumatic that experience was for him an I am sure all soldiers.

Freedom is not free and must be fought for from the battle fields across the world.....all the way down to Main Street

My grandfather was an aircraft mechanic and aviator at Pensacola NAS....He joined the military at the ripe old age of 17, in 1917.

I salute you Grandpaw! ! !

hb

Thank you to our men and women in uniform, one and all.. vets, those on active duty, and a special mention and profound unending respect for those who gave their all! As Randall says.. we owe them all we have!

When I read of their personal experiences, and talk (if they will) with those who were there, I wonder how they can sleep at night. I know that there are people on this site who experienced it. Thank you is all I can say.

Thank you, indeed, veterans and current military members.

Hey Roland, are you back stateside? We have had you in our thoughts and prayers since you were deployed for back-to-back tours to some hotspots. You guys are the greatest!

Took my son to the VFW today to meet the people who gave us what we have.

it is with great sorrow i discovered today i am joined by 46,000 disabled veteran from the Iraq and Afghanistan . due to the advances in the medical field they survive servere wounds that would have been fatal in Vietnam era however we have so many vets now that are multible amputee it makes me want to cry. we own so much----------------

bob...because of wounded warrior and soldier ride i have met scores of vets missing arms and legs. two things that have impressed me are the amazing advances in artificial limbs and the attitude of these people. its hard to put into words how proud they make you to be an American.

to quote one fellow who had his leg blown off......."lets meet again next year and have a race...i'll run faster than you"...........i believed him.

My hat is off to those that serve and have served.
Regardless of my feel for a "conflict" being right or wrong .... I hold those "doing the dirty work" in the highest regard !!

A couple of years ago a friend started a group called "Step Up For Soldiers".. it's main mission was to build access ramps for doors of houses occupied by servicemen and women whose injuries confine them to wheelchairs. Today the organization does lots of different things for servicepeople and their families.. a fishing tournament for their kids, raising money to buy things their families need, buying a Segway for a wounded vet who had trouble walking so he could keep his job, building a public memorial for those who lost their lives, buying handicapped vehicles with special driving controls and wheelchair lifts, etc, etc. I volunteer on some of these projects.. maybe one of the most self rewarding things I have ever done.

A major project is "Packages from Home" in which people donate things active duty service men and women need while in Iraq and Afghanistan. People bring small games, magazines, candy, toiletries, junk food, everything from ramen noodles to hot sauce to Tang. Last time we sent about 150 boxes to a local unit on duty in Afghanistan. Kids in grade schools make drawings and cards, many of us print notes of thank you and encouragement and appreciation and toss them in boxes.

The packaging is done in a National Guard armory, and usually there are a few in uniform who are around while the packages are being assembled.. having an active duty serviceman come to me and thank me for what I am doing is one of the most humbling things I have ever experienced! I think we have today one of the "finest generations" ever.. and they all are volunteers!

So what is the best 'bang' for the support of our troops?

I give significantly to the USO because I am confident that most all of my donated buck goes to services for our troops. Bob Hope was the best. Now we have others, Robin Williams, Angelina Jolie are just a couple that come to mind. They show up and perform in places where the troops need a break. USO is their choice.

'Wounded Warriors' is on many channels. Who can doubt the need, but where is a dollar best spent?

Ken

i support wounded warrior but disabled American vets (DAV) actually spends a higher percentage on helping them and less on salaries and promotion.

BTW...my mom was a uso singer.

My friend is pretty active in supporting the troops. http://www.bluestarmoms.org/ and http://www.soldiersangels.org/ are two that she's active in. I've been giving to http://www.thankasoldier.net/ but I never checked out their organization, just appealed to me at the time.