A Peek Into The Heart Of A True Warrior...

The words that a father speaks to his children in the privacy of home are not heard by the world, but, as in whispering-galleries, they are clearly heard at the end and by posterity.

~~~~~Jean Paul Richter


There are no words more eloquent than the words spoken from the heart of a soldier as he prepares to deploy to a war zone, leaving his wife and two small children.  May we all be so blessed to know such a man in our own personal lives. 

This post by a member of the Iowa National Guard will make you proud as hell that we have such honorable men within our Military and wrench your heart to pieces.   Please visit Gabe and his family, perhaps even leave a few heart felt words of your own.

Don’t go Daddy. I need you.

Grace, I need you. And I need your Mom. And I need your baby brother Nick too. I need you all.
And I need you all to understand why I do what I do. I need you to understand that I believe in something bigger than myself. I need you to understand that I believe in an America where you are able to walk down streets or go to the mall with your friends without fear of suicide bombers.
And I need you to understand that I believe in what I’m doing in Afghanistan.

Fair warning, reading his words and thoughts will activate the tear ducts in a woman's eyes or cause severe allergic reactions to the few men who are unafraid to admit that their heart was touched as well. 

So...take tissues with you. 

God Speed, Sir.  Our prayers are with you, your brothers and sisters in arms, as they are for all who are deployed.


And so it goes.....

Just sayin'...

Business is the art of extracting money from another man's pocket without resorting to violence.

~~~~~Max Amsterdam

Sorta puts it all into perspective, don't it? 






And so it goes......

Did You See...

The goal is not to change your subjects, but for the subject to change the photographer.
~~~~~Author Unknown


If you'd like to see what 'Our Guys' and others have been doing while in Afghanistan, you really need to visit these two sets of photograph compilations. 

It has been my opinion that photographs capture much more than we can see in our minds eye with the reading of words written. 

To view the remaining pictures from this Part 1 set,  do the clicky click thing!

For the rest of Part 2...you guessed it, clicky click here.

I'm so thankful for all the efforts of all the men and women who make up ISAF and NATO forces.  It's been a very rough few months so far, and from what I can gather, it's going to be pretty much the same for the rest of the year or longer.  But...we are making progress. 

We must stand behind all of 'Our Guys' each and every day that they are on the front lines.  Please, if you can, visit Soldiers' Angels to adopt one or a few of them so that they know that... 

"May No Soldier Go Unloved.
May No Soldier Walk Alone.
May No Soldier Be Forgotten.
Until They All Come Home."

 

 

And so it goes......

Mission Of Mercy...

In nothing do men more nearly approach the gods than in giving health to men.

~~~~~Cicero

Y'all have heard me extol the wonderful job our medics and FST Doctors do for our wounded warriors. From the Pentagon Channel comes this 27 minute video that further explains just what goes into getting one of 'Our Guys' medical care after they've been wounded at the War front or become seriously ill while deployed. Please take the time to watch the entire piece.

If you watch real close, you might catch a glimpse of Dr. Joe Sucher, member of 909th FST.

After you watch, please go here to read about what one Marine; Mark Dolfini, did over the 4th of July to raise funds to purchase needed supplies for our Wounded Warriors at Landstuhl.  Besides donating to this most worthy cause, what can you say other than...OOHRAH, Semper Fi and Thank YOU, Mark!!

One last thing...please go visit MaryAnn of Soldiers' Angels- Germany to get the list of needed items that are being used at an ever increasing rate.  You did notice in the video all the blankets that were being used, right? 

I've got a few boxes to go, just have this problem of finding the extra cash for shipping fees.


And so it goes......

Because Of Them, We Celebrate This 4th Of July...

We on this continent should never forget that men first crossed the Atlantic not to find soil for their ploughs but to secure liberty for their souls.

~~~~~Robert J. McCracken




Because there were men who were willing to procure for this country our freedoms from oppression, and taxation without representation, we are blessed with the freedoms that many take for granted.  It was a arduous fight, but liberty was won.  234 years later, we are still fighting the good fight to keep and preserve those very freedoms...from within and throughout the world.  Many Nations that we once opposed, are now our greatest allies.

Please read the posts by a few friends who have a much better ability to articulate their feelings about "America" than my feeble attempts.

A new launch by some greats in the blog world...Big Peace.  Be sure to read the post by a certain Soldiers' Angel in Germany.  Take tissues with you when you go.

Wishes for a "Happy Independence Day" from a staunch supporter of 'Our Guys'; Brat.

A gentle reminder from someone who is deployed far away to fly those flags sent from afar.

Dr.Joe has two 'Pictures of the Day' that you need to see.

The Kitchen Dispatch has a special guest who shares his thoughts on the 234th Birthday of America; Andrew Lubin.

Now, I'm off to share the day with family who will travel a few miles south to celebrate our 4th of July by having a family reunion. 

If you will, please take a moment or three to say a prayer of thanks and protection to all 'Our Guys' who are standing watch in oh so many other countries. 



And so it goes......