Well 18 months are over, and our Soldiers are returning home to open arms, and happy tears. I want to thank everyone for your support and help while my soliders where deployed. The emails I received during this deployment reminds me of how many wonderful people there are that want to help support our troops, and each and everyone of you should be as proud of yourselves as I am of you. To our soldiers who have come home as Hero's, Thank You. It's to simple and surely not enough, but it's yours. While deployed in Operation Enduring Freedom, three brave and selfless soldiers gave their lives. SSG James Bullard, SGT Shawn Hill, and SGT Edwards Philpot, I ask you to keep them and their family in your thoughts. To the familys of our lost soldiers, I am so sorry for your lost, and I know nothing will ever replace your Soldier, but I hope time will ease your pain, and you remember the wonderful times you shared. Please keep in mind these Soldiers are America's Hero's, forever lost, but never forgotten. Welcome Home Guy's, Welcome home!
Jennifer Evans-Osborne
One I will be reading to my children during the season. Thank you so much to the Author!~Jennifer Evans-Osborne
A Different Christmas Poem
The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed 'round the room, and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree, I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps, I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps, a Marine huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said, "It's really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night.
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of Nam,
And now it is my turn, and, so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures; he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent, and he carefully pulled from his bag
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
"I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
"I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
"Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.
So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting, and I'll be alright."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
"For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."
PLEASE, would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon, and some credit is due to our U.S. service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let's try, in this small way, to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.
LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum , Iraq
A Co. 1/1118th Infantry is getting ready to deploy to Afghanistan, to join operation enduring Freedom. For those of you who do not know that is my father, Sgt E.Donald Evans and my brother, SPC. Joshua Evans company. Please keep these brave men in your thoughts and prayers, as well as all their families. If anyone would like to host one of these brave men from this unit please let me know at Jdloelo@aol.com ,so we can make sure they all get mail. You guys stay safe and come home soon. Thank you guys, and I am so proud of you.
Thank you,
Jennifer Evans- Osborne
As a Company, Southwest Airlines is going to support "Red
Fridays."
Last week I was in Atlanta , Georgia attending a conference.
While I was in the airport, returning home, I heard several people behind me beginning to clap and cheer. I immediately turned around and witnessed one of the greatest act's of patriotism I have ever seen. Moving thru the terminal was a group of soldiers in their
camo's, as they began heading to their gate everyone (well almost everyone) was abruptly to their feet with their hands waving and cheering. When I saw the soldiers, probably 30-40 of them, being applauded and cheered for it hit me. I'm not alone. I'm not the only red blooded American who still loves this country and supports our troops and their families.
Of course I i mmediately stopped and began clapping for these
young unsung heroes who are putting their lives on the line everyday for us so we can go to school, work and home without fear or reprisal.
Just when I thought I could not be more proud of my country or of our service men and women a young girl, not more than 6 or 7 years old, ran up to one of the male soldiers. He kneeled down and said "hi," the little girl then she asked
him if he would give something to her daddy for her. The young
soldier, he didn't look any older than maybe 22 himself, said he would try and what did she want to give to her daddy? Then suddenly the little girl grabbed the neck of this soldier, gave him the biggest hug she could muster and then kissed him on the cheek.
The mother of the little girl, who said her daughters name was
Courtney, told the young soldier that her husband was a Marine and had been in Iraq for 11 months now. As the mom was explaining how much her daughter, Courtney, missed her father, the young soldier began to tear up.
When this temporarily single mom was done explaining her situation, all of the soldiers huddled together for a brief second. Then one of the other servicemen pulled out a military looking walkie-talkie. They started playing with the device and talking back and forth on it. After about 10-15 seconds of this, the young soldier walked back over to Courtney, bent down and said this to her, "I spoke to your daddy and he told me to give this to you." He then hugged this little girl that he had just met and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He finished by saying "your daddy told me to tell you that he loves you more than anything and he is coming home very soon."
The mom at this point was crying almost uncontrollably and as
the young soldier stood to his feet he saluted Courtney and her mom. I was standing no more than 6 feet away from this entire event unfolded. As the soldiers began to leave, heading towards their gate, people resumed their applause. As I stood there applauding and looked around, their were very few dry eyes, including my own. That young soldier in one last act of
selflessness, turned around and bl ew a kiss to Courtney with a
tear rolling down his cheek.
We need to remember everyday all of our soldiers and their
families and thank God for them and their sacrifices. At the end of the day, it's good to be an American.
RED FRIDAYS ----- Very soon, you will see a great many people
wearing Red every Friday. The reason? Americans who support our troops used to be called the "silent majority". We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for God, country and home in record breaking numbers. We are not organized, boisterous or over-bearing. We get no liberal media coverage on TV, to reflect our message or our opinions. Many Americans, like you, me and
all our friends, simply want to recognize that the vast majority
of America supports our troops.
Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with
dignity and respect starts this Friday -and continues each and every
Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that.. Every red-blooded American who supports our men and women afar will wear something red. By word of mouth, press, TV -- let's make the United States on every Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming football game in the bleachers.
If every one of us who loves this country will share this with
acquaintances, co-workers, friends, and family. It will not be long before the USA is covered in RED and it will let our troops know the once "silent" majority is on their side more than ever, certainly more than the media lets on.
The first thing a soldier says when asked "What can we do to
make things better for you?" is...We need your support and your prayers. Let's get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by
example; and wear something red every Friday.
IF YOU AGREE -- THEN REPOST
IF YOU COULD CARE LESS THEN JUST IGNORE THIS --- IT IS
YOUR CHOICE.
WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE, ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE.
THEIR BLOOD RUNS RED---- SO WEAR RED!
If you can't read the caption, I've transposed it:
Air Force Chief Master Sgt. John Gebhardt, of the 332nd Expeditiionary Medical Group at Balad, Iraq, cradles a young girl as they both sleep in the hospital. The girl's entire family was executed by insurgents; the killers shot her in the head as well. The girl received treatment at the U.S. military hospital in Balad, but cries and moans often. According to nurses at the facility, Gebhardt is the only one who can calm down the girl, so he has spent the last several nights holding her while they both sleep in a chair.
Support the military, they're doing the right thing.
Today marks a day in our history. Three years since the war in Iraq began. We have faced Triumphs, and we have faced hardships. Some of us have faced great joy at a loved ones return from deployment, and some of us have faced the hardest loss of all, knowing our love ones will not return. We might have questioned our leaders reasons for war, and we might have held tight to our belief and support of our president. Regardless of our stand on the issues, our country should stand united in support for our soldiers. I have seen the protest and so have our soldiers. They sit in a land far from home fighting to make life better and jumping at any sound, not knowing when they wake if this day will be their last, and yet they get up day after day and go on. They fight so their own countrymen can walk the streets and protest what they are willing to die for. So I am asking, next time you see a soldier, say THANK YOU! Let them know we support them. For the last three years they have supported us and given us all they have and never said a word. And maybe, if you come across a protest, maybe you can stand on the other side holding a Thank You sign, that way when the cameras come they can see that we still care and support them. So I say THANK YOU to each and every Soldier, For three years you have fought to keep us safe and I personally THANK YOU, as well as everyone of our supporters. I pray that every soldier is safe tonight, and I pray for your family who also bare the burden of military life.
And to the protesters who call our military trianed killers as I saw on one sign this week, I think there is some information you should have. Lance Corp Ben Carmen KIA on April 06,2004 in Iraq. Spc Anthony J. Dixon, 20, died August 1,2004 in Samarra Iraq when a improvised explosive device exploded near his guard post. Dustin Yancey who died November 4,2005 who wrote home to say he was proud of what our military was doing in Iraq. And do you know what all these men have in common? They are Hero's! They were willing to fight and die for your right to call them killers. Maybe before you pick up your sign and go out and spread hate you could think about all those who give you the freedom to do so, even if it is at the highest cost. To the family of these soldiers I am sorry for you loss, and please know they will never be forgotten for Hero's never are.
Written by Jennifer Osborne
IF YOU DON'T STAND BEHIND OUR TROOPS,
PLEASE, FEEL FREE TO STAND IN FRONT OF THEM !!
Who We Are
