News from Oregon

Are you okay out there in Oregon? (my question to Flag Gazer)

FG: We're on the east side of the Cascade mountains - so we got blown some and quite a bit of rain, but the awful mess is on the west side - they had up to 120 MPH gusts and one area had 10 inches of rain. Highways are closed from downed trees and the power is still out and may be for up to a week in some areas. The National Guard has been amazing - rescuing most of one small town via inflatable boats - and helicopter rescues in other areas. Parts of Interstate 5 - which runs Mexico to Canada - is underwater. Lots of people are going to have a tough time for a while. Fortunately, we are well.

Thanks for asking!

You're in our thoughts Flag Gazer and Oregon! Our troops sacrifice daily. Yes, stateside too! We owe all of them so much. I hope they know how much so many of us do care. They are amazing. Thanks for the report, FG.-- dm

Santas in Stars and Stripes and a MAF Rally in Lubbock!

Semper Fi Mom at Lubbock Marine Parents has some great news on support for the troops. Go here to learn about a non-political MAF rally in Lubbock on Dec. 3rd. And go here to learn about a neat way to send a holiday message to the troops via Stars & Stripes. The deadline for this one is Friday Nov. 30th, so if you're interested in this, better hurry!

Stuffing Stockings

I’ve taken the liberty of lifting this post from Semper Fi Mom at Lubbock Marine Parents because I think it’s extremely important. Here’s a chance for us to put our money where our mouths are, or more to the point, here’s a great way to support our troops this Christmas.

I’ve met Semper Fi Mom in person. The mother of five, two of which are Marines with the elder in Iraq, she is one of the most amazing women I’ve had the pleasure of meeting, so I know there will be many ways to support the troops and I will be passing on those ways to you, but I particularly want to encourage you in this one.

If you live in or near Lubbock, lucky you, and here’s a list as well as drop off locations. If you want to donate $ instead, $35 will fill a stocking for some soldier away from home this Christmas. At the bottom is their address and they also have PayPal on their site as well. Click here to visit Lubbock Marine Parents.

Much thanks to all who help!

***

Please help make Christmas a little brighter for our troops who are far from home. We are requesting that all items be donated ASAP so that we can start sorting and getting them ready to mail.

Drop off locations for care pack items:

All locations of Bodyworks

Elks Lodge (34th and Milwaukee)

Leathers N Lace Motorcycle Apparel 3806 50th St Ste 210 (across from Memphis Place Mall)

All recruiter's offices (not just the Marine recruiters)

Crestview Elementary School 6020 - 81st Street

Requested Items:

Food items:

Beef jerky

Canned chips (Pringles/Torengos)

Canned ready-to-eat meals (Ravioli, chili, soup, Easy Mac, Dinty Moore, Ramon cup)

Dried fruit

Granola/Breakfast/Protein bars

Gum

Gummy candy, Hard Candy

Individual size canned fruit

Jelly beans

Microwave popcorn

Nuts, Sunflower seeds, Trail mix

PoptartsTuna lunch kits

**Pork or pork by-products are NOT allowed to be shipped to Middle East combat locations.

Drink Items:

Coffee, coffee mixes

Gatorade mix (powdered only)

Hot cocoa mix

Lemonade/Koolade/Tang mix

Presweetened beverage mixes (“On the Go” flavor packets that can be added to 16-20 oz. water bottle)

Sweetener/creamer packets for coffee

Tea

Recreational Items

Batteries (AA – most requested)

Board games/puzzles

DVDs (new or used; original only)

Hand held games

Magazines (current issues)

Music CDs (new or used; original only)

Nerf footballs/Frisbee/Hackey sack

Puzzle books

Stationary/small writing pads

Personal Care Items:

Advil/Tylenol (individual packs)

Baby wipes/Handi-wipes

Chap stick

Disposable instant hand warmersL

Liquid hand sanitizers (pocket/travel size)

Medicated foot powder/swabs

Toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash (travel size)

Q-tips (individual packs)

Sunblock

Tissue (individual packs)

~ MOST VALUABLE ITEM ~

♥ Letters and cards of encouragement and support ♥

Thank you for your willingness to help support the troops who are away from home during Christmas time. Your love and support are greatly appreciated.

A monetary donation of $35 will fill and send a stocking!

There are 3 ways to make a monetary donation:- Checks can be made out to Lubbock Marine Parents and mailed to:

Lubbock Marine Parents

PO Box 64192

Lubbock, TX 79464-4192

- Deposited to Lubbock Marine Parents at any American State Bank location

- Paypal donation here at the blog in our sidebar

Click here to visit Lubbock Marine Parents

Doc Duty! How thrilled I was to learn you signed our guestbook! You look so wonderful and so does that other handsome guy! I know you are so happy to be home on leave and how short you’re getting in Afghanistan. Thank you so much for the time you’ve served there.

I hope you’ll keep us tuned-in as far as your next assignment. You and the others with Echo Co. will always remain on top of my list as far as my concern for the lives you have from now on. I will NEVER be uninterested in any of you guys and will always look forward to hearing from any of you.

God keep you and thank you for visiting us during this awesome time. It has been wonderful, despite the fact that everyone can whip me at Wii bowling, a game I highly recommend by the way. Roy hooked us up on Thanksgiving when we were over there. Even Mom beat me. I have a powerful curve, like 180 even….

Jason, I love you.

Semper Fi,
De’on

P.S. If you’re reading this, we’d be interested in any news/comments you might want to share. I know you’ve been busy!

Back later! We're putting up our Christmas tree!

China....

U.S. Aircraft Carrier Refused Entry to Hong Kong for Scheduled Thanksgiving Visit

Thursday, November 22, 2007

HONG KONG — A flotilla of U.S. warships carrying as many as 8,000 American sailors heading for a four-day Thanksgiving holiday visit to China's port of Hong Kong has been refused entry, the U.S. Navy said Thursday.

It was not immediately clear why the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier and its support vessels were barred Wednesday. Port officials said they had not been notified of the previously scheduled visit. But the incident added an unusual twist to China-U.S. relations, strained in recent months by disputes over trade and Iran's nuclear program.

In the past, China has banned all U.S. ships from the former British colony during times of tense relations. But current relations are not too bad, said David Zweig, a professor of China relations at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology said.

"This is a surprise," Zweig said. "I haven't heard of ships being turned away like this before. I'm also disappointed and saddened for the families who have flown here expecting to see their relatives and are not now going to have their reunions."

The Kitty Hawk and five support vessels including a nuclear fast attack submarine were expected to dock in Hong Kong's deep water port Wednesday morning.

More on FOXNews.com

11/22/07: Click here for update

Oh, wow!

Forgotten WWII-Era American Fighter Plane Found on Beach in Wales

Wednesday, November 14, 2007


NEW YORK — Sixty-five years after it ran out of gas and crash-landed on a beach in Wales, an American P-38 fighter plane has emerged from the surf and sand where it lay buried — a World War II relic long forgotten by the U.S. government and unknown to the British public.


During those decades, beach strollers, sunbathers and swimmers were often within a few yards of the aircraft, utterly unaware of its existence just under the sand. Only this past summer did it suddenly reappear due to unusual conditions that caused the sands to shift and erode.


The startling revelation of the Lockheed "Lightning" fighter, with its distinctive twin-boom design, has stirred considerable interest in British aviation circles and among officials of the country's aircraft museums, ready to reclaim yet another artifact from history's greatest armed conflict..... MORE from FOXNews.com

N.M. soldier killed in Iraq shortly before return home

by FELICIA FONSECA Associated Press
June 24, 2007

Los Lunas grad joined military soon after high school

ALBUQUERQUE — A New Mexico soldier, who was scheduled to return home just days after the birth of his son, has died in Iraq.

Army Cpl. Joel Dahl, 21, died during small arms fire Saturday near Baghdad, said his stepfather, Joe Aragon, who has raised Dahl since he was about 10. He was one of seven U.S. troops killed by roadside bombers. An eighth soldier died of a noncombat cause.

Aragon said doctors are planning to induce labor on Dahl’s wife, Alia, on Friday. Dahl was set to leave Iraq on July 2.

“She wanted to surprise him with his baby when he got here,” Aragon said.

The Dahls, who were married last September, already had picked out a name for their baby boy — Kayden Anthony — which they came up with by looking through a book of baby names.

Dahl also liked the name because it meant his son would have the same three initials as his wife, although not in the same order.


When the couple first met in church, Aragon said Alia couldn’t stand her husband. But he was determined, Aragon said, to get the girl he fell for. “When he finally got to talk to her, he charmed her over,” Aragon said.

Alia is having a “very hard time” coping with her husband’s death, and Aragon said the family is trying to keep her as calm as possible. “But given the circumstances, it’s hard,” he said.

Dahl graduated from Los Lunas High School, where he was a part of the school’s ROTC program, and joined the military soon after.

Aragon said Dahl planned to use that experience as a stepping stone into law enforcement.

“He was just the kind of person where he liked being in public service,” Aragon said. “He was a person that liked helping other people.”

Even when it came to boosting his stepfather’s dragon collection.

Dahl had called his wife the day before Fathers Day and asked her to find “something special” for Aragon and to keep in mind his admiration for dragons. “He had her running all over the place,” he said.

What she came up with, Aragon said, was a “beautiful little lamp” with a dragon painted on it. “I was all excited about it,” Aragon said.

He and his stepson talked a day or two later, and Aragon said he let Dahl know the only thing he didn’t like about the call was that it came at 2 o’clock in the morning.

In Iraq, it was noon.

“That was pretty much the last time I talked to him,” Aragon said.

freenewmexican.com

USNS Comfort goes South

Sunday, June 17, 2007

070615-N-8933S-127 NORFOLK, Va. (June 15, 2007) - Friends and family members wave goodbye as Military Sealift Command (MSC) hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) gets underway to take part in a multi-month humanitarian assistance deployment to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility. During the deployment, Comfort expects to provide medical treatment to approximately 85,000 patients in more than a dozen countries. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Robert J. Stratchko (RELEASED)


USNS Comfort Heads South for Humanitarian Mission NORFOLK (NNS) -- The USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) departed Norfolk June 15 on its first large-scale humanitarian assistance deployment to Central America, South America and the Caribbean, where it will provide medical care to an estimated 85,000 patients from communities with limited health care access.President Bush announced in March that the Comfort would deploy to U.S. Southern Command's area of focus to provide humanitarian aid alongside health care providers from the region and non-governmental organizations.

You might see something about this again! :)

Navy's New Kid on the Block

070609-N-9909C-015 GALVESTON, Texas (June 9, 2007) – Sailors man the rails of the newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, USS Kidd (DDG 100), during an evening commissioning ceremony Saturday, June 9, 2007, at Port of Galveston, Galveston, Texas. Designated hull number DDG 100, the new destroyer honors Medal of Honor recipient Rear Adm. Isaac Campbell Kidd Sr. who was killed on the bridge of his flagship USS Arizona on Dec. 7, 1941. Two granddaughters of Rear Adm. Kidd, Regina Kidd Wolbarsht and Mary Corrinne Kidd Plumer, brought the ship named for their grandfather to life. Congressman Ron Paul of Texas delivered the ceremony's principal address. USS Kidd is the 50th ship in the Arleigh Burke class of guided-missile destroyers. Cmdr. Richard E. Thomas of Westwood, N.J., is the ship’s first commanding officer, commanding a crew of 276 officers and Sailors. U.S. Navy photo by Cmdr. Jane Campbell (RELEASED)

Testable!

Current and Testable: Clipping Their Wings....

In the latest Letter to Airmen, Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne discusses force reduction.

(U.S. Air Force illustration/Mike Carabajal)
by Janie Santos
Air Force News Agency

6/15/2007 - SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) -- In the latest Letter to Airmen, Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne discusses how force reduction cuts ensure that the Air Force will remain the world's premier air, space and cyberspace force.

"One of the duties we have as Airmen is assuring future Airmen that they will be as capable and confident to accomplish the mission as we are today," Mr. Wynne said.

Secretary Wynne said that the need to ensure the ongoing war on terrorism operations and personnel readiness against the age and capabilities of current air and space inventories for the uncertain future is an issue the Air Force must address.

"Faced with these competing demands, our options are to either let our unmatched capabilities wither or cut our manning to invest in tomorrow's warfighting capabilities. We must accept the latter - as painful as it is - if we are to remain the world's premier air, space and cyberspace force," Mr. Wynne said.

MORE

Current: He continues to triumph....

Afghanistan Vet Helping Other Amputees
Saturday, June 16, 2007
By CHARLES ODUM, Associated Press Writer

MARIETTA, Ga. — Mike McNaughton, a soldier who lost his right leg in a mine explosion in Afghanistan, was still in the early stages of recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center when he received a visit from President Bush.

"I told him one day I'll outrun him," McNaughton said. "He said, `When you feel better, let me know.'"

McNaughton took the president at his word, and 14 months later the two ran a mile together on property surrounding the White House, even though McNaughton was still adjusting to running with his new prosthesis.

He recalled that run Friday, noting his well-timed hospital visit, as he participated in the Amputee Coalition of America's annual conference, which highlighted the Military Amputee Peer Visitation program. McNaughton is among more than 100 veterans who participate in the program at the Walter Reed facility in Washington, the Brooke Army Center in San Antonio and the Naval Medical Center San Diego.

"I saw the president and 14 months later I ran with him, so I had a little more motivation," McNaughton said of his recovery. "After that I found, I guess, my true calling. That's when I started talking to more soldiers and amputees in general."

Click here for this amazing and testable story!

Pick Your Mail Service!!

WASHINGTON — Turns out the trouble at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the focus of a firestorm of criticism over poor treatment of wounded war veterans, reached into the mailroom.

The Army said Friday that it has opened an investigation into the recent discovery of 4,500 letters and parcels — some dating to May 2006 — at Walter Reed that were never delivered to soldiers.

And it fired the contract employee who ran the mailroom.

In an indication of the Army's sensitivity to problems at Walter Reed, whose reputation as the crown jewel in the Army medical system was tarnished by the disclosures of poor treatment of soldiers earlier this year, officials put out a written statement late Friday afternoon detailing the problem with the mail.

Maj. Gen. Eric Schoomaker, commander of Walter Reed, said he ordered a team of 20 to 40 soldiers and civilians to launch an around-the-clock operation to screen, survey and forward all the letters and parcels. Items addressed to soldiers still at Walter Reed were being hand-delivered Friday night, he said.

Story continues here.

or this?

It was only a short-time ago that communication such as the type of MotoMail was unheard of. When Aaron was deployed the first time, I was thrilled for e-mail! And now there's this quicko letter service in which you can even add photos!

It's only right that something as eventful, historical and important for the morale of our troops be posted and tested in our upcoming test!! ;)

A log in link is provided below.

MotoMail is a service that is brought to you and endorsed by the Marine Corps which allows electronically transmitted letters to be printed in Iraq and delivered to the recipient often in as little as 48 hours. Transit time via US Mail is eliminated, allowing a much quicker delivery to our Marines in Iraq.

Help on the way....

Army Plans for Improved Health Care
Associated Press June 15, 2007

WASHINGTON - Overwhelmed by the number of Soldiers returning from war with mental problems, the Army is planning to hire at least 25 percent more psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers.

A contract finalized this week but not yet announced calls for spending $33 million to add about 200 mental health professionals to help Soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health needs, officials told The Associated Press on Thursday.

"As the war has gone on, PTSD and other psychological effects of war have increased," said Col. Elspeth Ritchie, psychiatry consultant to the Army surgeon general.

"The number of (mental health workers) that was adequate for a peacetime military is not adequate for a nation that's been at war," she said in an interview.

Story continues here

Military News

Air Force Reports F-16 Crash in Iraq
Friday, June 15, 2007


BAGHDAD — An F-16 fighter jet crashed Friday in Iraq, the Air Force reported, in the first such loss in more than six months. The statement said the crash was an accident, but did not say where the plane went down or what happened to the pilot.

Separately, the U.S. military announced the deaths of five American soldiers.

The loss of an F-16, a workhorse warplane in the Iraq war, is rare. One crashed last Nov. 27 in the western province of Anbar, killing the pilot. The jet that crashed shortly after midnight on Friday was deployed to the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Balad Air Base, 50 miles north of Baghdad.

"The cause of the accident is under investigation," said the statement from the Central Command Air Forces, which provided no further details.

from FOXNews.com

Searchers Find Corpse of Solider Who Disappeared During Training Exercise at Fort Hood

U.S. Army Sgt. Lawrence G. Sprader, 24, is shown in this undated photo released by the Fort Hood public information office.

June 13, 2006

FORT HOOD, Texas — Searchers have found the body of aFort Hood soldier who was missing for four days after he disappeared during a training exercise.

The discovery last night of Lawrence Sprader's body brings to a close an intense ground and aerial search.

The 25-year-old sergeant went missing Friday during a solo exercise testing basic map-reading and navigation skills.

Colonel Diane Battaglia says the body was found by military searchers on the rugged Central Texas Army post.

The body has been sent for an autopsy and the cause of death had not been determined.

Hundreds of soldiers had scoured thousands of acres of the rugged hills looking for any sign of Sprader in the high grass or under juniper trees.

Helicopters had been flying day and night looking for Sprader since he disappeared.

An aircraft equipped with heat-seeking infrared equipment was brought in to make sweeps of the range.

Over the weekend, dozens of horse-mounted searchers were used, in addition to all-terrain vehicles and bloodhounds.

Source

The family has requested prayer....

Justin Hartley, age 20 (May), graduated from Westside, resides in Bono.

Injured 10:00 pm (our time) Saturday night (06/02/07) in a roadside bomb. He told his dad that he has been the machine gun man (on the top) for quite a while. Monday, on the news, they announced that 3 were killed in a roadside bomb Sunday (which, I believe they are ahead of us in time). We are ‘assuming’ those 3 were with Justin.

Richard, my son-in-law, got a visit from the Sheriff’s department Sunday morning to let him know that Justin was injured and he would be receiving a call from a Colonel to let him know what was going on. All they told him was that he was injured with massive injuries to the left side of his body and his face and that he was not yet in stable condition.

Monday they flew him to Germany after they finally got him stable. He lost a lot of blood in transit, so they were unable to operate until Tuesday, our time, to repair damage to his intestines. They had to give him transfusions and some platelets, etc. to build up his blood. Thankfully, they only had to remove about 2” of his intestines and repaired the rest.


They removed a section of skull from ‘ear to ear’ to relieve pressure from the brain swelling (that was done in Baghdad before he left). He is still heavily sedated with an ‘amnesia’ drug. He is not responding to voice commands, although he does lightly squeeze the nurses’ hand. The nurse told Tricia that his face would not have bad scarring, but he is bruised pretty bad now. They are not sure about his left eye, could possibly be blind but they are leaving that up to the doctors at Walter Reed.

He can move both arms (no damage to the arms) and both legs but he has massive injuries to his left hip and left thigh (a lot of muscle and tissue loss), although no bone injuries that they know of. He is kind of vacuumed sealed to keep bacteria, etc out. They take him down to the sterile room and wash out his wounds – they said antibiotics can only do so much and the wash really helps with infection.

His other organs seem to be working properly. They were going to put him on dialysis, but his kidneys started filtering correctly so that didn’t have to happen. He has been on a ventilator to help relieve stress, although he didn’t ‘require’ one.

He will be moved to Walter Reed Hospital today [9th] – arriving about 7:00 p.m. His dad, aunt and cousin will be flying tomorrow [10th] to be with him.

Pushed Forward by Diane

"I'm Tired"

Two weeks ago, as I was starting my sixth month of duty in Iraq , I was forced to return to the USA for surgery for an injury I sustained prior to my deployment. With luck, I'll return to Iraq to finish my tour.

I left Baghdad and a war that has every indication that we are winning, to return to a demoralized country much like the one I returned to in 1971 after my tour in Vietnam. Maybe it's because I'll turn 60 years old in just four months, but I'm tired.

I'm tired of spineless politicians, both Democrat and Republican who lack the courage, fortitude, and character to see these difficult tasks through.

I'm tired of the hypocrisy of politicians who want to rewrite history when the going gets tough.

I'm tired of the disingenuous clamor from those that claim they 'Support the Troops' by wanting them to 'Cut and Run' before victory is achieved.

I'm tired of a mainstream media that can only focus on car bombs and casualty reports because they are too afraid to leave the safety of their hotels to report on the courage and success our brave men and women are having on the battlefield.

I'm tired that so many Americans think you can rebuild a dictatorship into a democracy over night.

I'm tired that so many ignore the bravery of the Iraqi people to go to the voting booth and freely elect a Constitution and soon a permanent Parliament.

I'm tired of the so called 'Elite Left' that prolongs this war by giving aid and comfort to our enemy, just as they did during the Vietnam War.

I'm tired of antiwar protesters showing up at the funerals of our fallen soldiers. A family who's loved ones gave their life in a just and noble cause, only to be cruelly tormented on the funeral day by cowardly protesters is beyond shameful.

I'm tired that my generation, the Baby Boom -- Vietnam generation, who have such a weak backbone that they can't stomach seeing the difficult tasks through to victory.

I'm tired that some are more concerned about the treatment of captives than they are the slaughter and beheading of our citizens and allies.

I'm tired that when we find mass graves it is seldom reported by the press, but mistreat a prisoner and it is front page news.

Mostly, I'm tired that the people of this great nation didn't learn from history that there is no substitute for Victory.

Sincerely,

Joe Repya,
Lieutenant Colonel, U. S. Army
101st Airborne Division

WW II, Midway and to you, Mom.... get your tissues!

Veterans Commemorate Battle of Midway
Associated Press June 05, 2007

MIDWAY ATOLL - Holding their hands over their hearts, six veterans of the Battle of Midway stood as a Navy band played the national anthem to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the fight that marked a turning point in World War II.


About 1,800 people ventured to this remote atoll Monday to honor those who served in the U.S. victory on the atoll 1,300 miles northwest of Honolulu, including other veterans and relatives of those who died.


"We salute the fallen warriors of the Battle of Midway. We remember their great victory and tremendous sacrifice," said Adm. Robert F. Willard, the U.S. Pacific Fleet commander. "We honor them with our eternal vigilance and combat readiness."

click here for article at Military.com

Who does this?!?

Charges Dropped Against Soldier's Killer
Associated Press June 05, 2007

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba - With one word - "unlawful" - the only two war-crimes trials against Guantanamo detainees fell apart in a single day, marking a stunning setback to Washington's attempts to try dozens of detainees in military court.

Two military judges dismissed charges Monday against a Guantanamo detainee accused of chauffeuring Osama bin Laden and another who allegedly killed a U.S. Soldier in Afghanistan.

Salim Ahmed Hamdan of Yemen and Omar Khadr, a Canadian who was 15 when he was arrested on an Afghan battlefield, were the only two of the roughly 380 prisoners at Guantanamo charged with crimes under a reconstituted military trial system.

Monday's rulings stand to complicate efforts by the United States to try other suspected al-Qaida and Taliban figures in military courts.

Click here for the rest of this unbelievable story. Why do I say unbelievable? I ask you? The only thing hard to believe anymore is, well, if I think of something, I’ll get back to you. Don’t hold your breath!

Soldier Running Marathon for Fisher House

Flag Gazer is well known for her generosity and constant support of our troops. She's passed this info along, and I know this is a good cause. At her invitation, I've stolen her post and here's what it says:

Half a World Away, in Iraq, a soldier-blogger has been training to run the Chicago Marathon. He is collecting pledges for his Chicago Marathon run. He has 18 weeks to collect his pledges. All pledges will go to benefit Fisher House. It is quite easy to participate. Go here. If everyone gives a couple of dollars it will add up quickly!!!! And, it is for an EXCELLENT cause and organization.Once again, our Soldiers teach us about generosity and kindness. I pledged, I hope you will, too. It doesn't have to be a lot - forego a latte and pledge the $5.00!