Cell phone Tragedy
This is not about heroes. This is about our children and our families. When we were growing up it was just drunk or careless drivers. Now, with cell phones and texting, it opens up a whole new dimension of sadness.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGE8LzRaySk&feature=player_embedded
American Valor Salutes Our Military
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (on May 25 in 2009). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War (it is celebrated near the day of reunification after the civil war), it was expanded after World War I to include American casualties of any war or military action.
Many people observe this holiday by visiting cemeteries and memorials. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. Another tradition is to fly the flag of the United States at half-staff from dawn until noon local time. Volunteers often place American flags on each gravesite at National Cemeteries. Many Americans also use Memorial Day to honor other family members who have died.
Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars take donations for poppies in the days leading up to Memorial Day; the poppy’s significance to Memorial Day is the result of the John McCrae poem "In Flanders Fields."
In addition to remembrance, Memorial Day is also used as a time for picnics, barbecues, family gatherings, and sporting events. One of the longest-standing traditions is the running of the Indianapolis 500, which has been held in conjunction with Memorial Day since 1911.
Some Americans view Memorial Day as the unofficial beginning of summer and Labor Day as the unofficial end of the season (with the 4th of July as the very hot middle). In the Northern United States, it is the traditional weekend in which people reopen pools that had been covered for the winter. The national "Click It or Ticket" campaign ramps up beginning Memorial Day weekend, noting the beginning of the most dangerous season for car accidents and other safety-related incidents. The United States Air Force’s "101 Critical Days of Summer," marking the period that statistically has shown an increase in accidents, begin on this day as well.
Memorial Day formerly was observed on May 30. The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) advocate returning to this fixed date, although the significance of the date is tenuous. The VFW stated in a 2002 Memorial Day Address:“ Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed a lot to the general public’s nonchalant observance of Memorial Day.”
Since 1987, Hawaii’s Senator Daniel Inouye, a World War II veteran, has repeatedly introduced measures to return Memorial Day to its traditional date.
Following the end of the Civil War, many communities set aside a day to mark the end of the war or as a memorial to those who had died. Some of the places creating an early memorial day include Sharpsburg, Maryland, located near Antietam Battlefield; Charleston, South Carolina; Boalsburg, Pennsylvania; Richmond, Virginia; Carbondale, Illinois; Columbus, Mississippi; many communities in Vermont; and some two dozen other cities and towns. These observances coalesced around Decoration Day, honoring the Union dead, and the several Confederate Memorial Days.
According to Professor David Blight of the Yale University History Department, the first memorial day was observed in 1865 by liberated slaves at the historic race track in Charleston. The site was a former Confederate prison camp as well as a mass grave for Union soldiers who died in captivity. The freed slaves re interred the dead Union soldiers from the mass grave to individual graves, fenced in the graveyard and built an entry arch declaring it a Union graveyard. This was a daring action for them to take in the South shortly after the North’s victory. On May 30, 1868, the freed slaves returned to the graveyard with flowers they had picked from the countryside and decorated the individual gravesites, thereby creating the first Decoration Day. A parade by thousands of freed blacks and Union soldiers from the area was followed by patriotic singing and a picnic.
The official birthplace of Memorial Day is Waterloo, New York. The village was credited with being the place of origin because it observed the day on May 5, 1866, and each year thereafter. The friendship between General John Murray, a distinguished citizen of Waterloo, and General John A. Logan, who helped bring attention to the event nationwide, likely was a factor in the holiday’s growth.
Logan had been the principal speaker in a citywide memorial observation on April 29, 1866, at a cemetery in Carbondale, Illinois, an event that likely gave him the idea to make it a national holiday. On May 5, 1868, in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, a veterans’ organization, Logan issued a proclamation that "Decoration Day" be observed nationwide. It was observed for the first time on May 30 of the same year; the date was chosen because it was not the anniversary of a battle. The tombs of fallen Union soldiers were decorated in remembrance.
Many of the states of the U.S. South refused to celebrate Decoration Day, due to lingering hostility towards the Union Army and also because there were relatively few veterans of the Union Army who were buried in the South. A notable exception was Columbus, Mississippi, which on April 25, 1866 at its Decoration Day commemorated both the Union and Confederate casualties buried in its cemetery.
The alternative name of "Memorial Day" was first used in 1882. It did not become more common until after World War II, and was not declared the official name by Federal law until 1967. On June 28, 1968, the United States Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill, which moved three holidays from their traditional dates to a specified Monday in order to create a convenient three-day weekend. The holidays included Washington’s Birthday, now celebrated as Presidents’ Day; Veterans Day, and Memorial Day. The change moved Memorial Day from its traditional May 30 date to the last Monday in May. The law took effect at the federal level in 1971.
After some initial confusion and unwillingness to comply, all fifty states adopted the measure within a few years. Veterans Day was eventually changed back to its traditional date. Ironically, most corporate businesses no longer close on Veterans Day, Columbus Day, or President’s Day, with the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and/or New Year’s Eve often substituted as more convenient "holidays" for their employees. Memorial Day endures as a holiday which most businesses observe because it marks the beginning of the "summer vacation season." This role is filled in neighboring Canada by Victoria Day, which occurs either on May 24 or the last Monday before that date, placing it exactly one week before Memorial Day.
Waterloo’s designation as the birthplace took place just in time for the village’s centennial observance. The U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate unanimously passed House Concurrent Resolution 587 on May 17 and May 19, 1966 respectively, which reads in part as follows: "Resolved that the Congress of the United States, in recognition of the patriotic tradition set in motion one hundred years ago in the Village of Waterloo, NY, does hereby officially recognize Waterloo, New York as the birthplace of Memorial Day…"
On May 26, 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a Presidential Proclamation recognizing Waterloo as the Birthplace of Memorial Day.
Today, take a few minutes out of your busy schedule and say a prayer of thanks for each and every man, woman and child who has made the ultimate sacrifice while in service to our country.
Dad wishes to thank Wikipedia and all it’s supporters for this ongoing work in support of Memorial Day. Thank You!
American Valor Salutes Our Military
12 year old Lexxi Saal has written a song as a tribute to the Men & Women serving in the United States Armed Forces. Lexxi Saal is a 12 year old vocal talent climbing the ranks of the music industry with the desire and dedication to continue improving on her gift that many believe will to take her to the top!
Lexxi has written and recorded this moving tribute to the men and women in the military now. "From the mouths of babes"..comes a truth and passion that we, as adults, could certainly benefit from if only we believed as strongly as they do. Please watch this video with an open and receptive heart and say a prayer for those serving in the military as this memorial day approaches. Pray for their strength and survival.
Here are a few of the comments that accompany this new YouTube video:
…"I think that this is a great tribute and we should all stop and say "Thank You" to every Servicemen and every Servicewomen"
…"This beautiful tribute touched the deepest part of my soul. It was created by a young lady with the voice of an angel. Forward it on as it may play a significant role in lifting our soldiers morale. To my cousin Sgt. Robin Smith who is currently serving in Iraq., to all soldiers, and veterans, We salute you! You NEVER forgot what Honor, Courage and Committment means to you. May God protect you wherever you are!"
…"Thank you Lexxi!! I am an Army veteran who served in 3 combat tours between1989-1997. I appreciate this as I know all who are graced by your blessed message. I know as a veteran when you are called to perform your duty, you have to do what you are sworn in to do. I am sure your gifts from God will continue to be a blessing to not only our troops but all who get a chance to listen and learn as well. So Thank You lil’ maam!! God Bless you and your family continually."
…"Lexxi, I am a soldier in the army. I served eleven months in Iraq and it is people like yourself that keep us strong and remind us exactly what we are fighting for. I was very touched by your song and i thank you from the bottom of my heart. Not many people are as talented and as compassionate as yourself, I hope nothing changes. God bless and have a wonderful year."
Dad has always said you don’t have to support the war or the administration, but you certainly owe a debt of gratitude to the men and women who serve in the military to protect our freedom. Additionally I wish not only to say "Thank you" to all of them who are currently serving, or ever have, but also to the many thousands of people who are brave enough to stand up and show their thanks and gratitude with their own tributes.
Thank You Lexxi!
Little is known about Fred Dulevitz’s life.
It is unclear when his family moved to the United States from Russia, how long he lived in Massachusetts, or whether he graduated from high school.
More is known about his death, however.
Military records show that US Army Private Dulevitz was just 19 years old and had already earned the French Croix de Guerre award for bravery when he died during one of the deadliest battles of World War I, at Verdun in northeast France.
He volunteered for what was surely a suicidal mission: going through the German trenches to get a message to an American battalion commander.
He also earned a Purple Heart and, after his death on Oct. 28, 1918, was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Those accolades were recognized on a new tombstone dedicated yesterday at the unmarked grave in Glenwood cemetery where he has lain for decades.
Dulevitz’s bravery is no longer buried in obscurity.
The honors he received came to light because of the efforts of Ernie Sullivan, a retired Chelsea High School teacher who has made tracking down local veterans a personal crusade. He made sure that Dulevitz received the headstone that recognized his service.
"I think they justly deserve to be recognized," he said. "These gentlemen gave their lives."
Read the full story about Fred Dulevitz here in the Boston Globe
Sept. 11 (Bloomberg) — Families and friends of the 2,751 people who perished when two hijacked jets slammed into the World Trade Center’s twin towers convened at Ground Zero today to observe the seventh anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil.Bells tolled in Zuccotti Park, a block from Ground Zero, at 8:46 and 9:03 a.m., marking the moments when planes crashed into each tower. They tolled again at 9:59 and 10:29 a.m., when the buildings collapsed into a fiery cloud of smoke and debris.
Although 2007 was to be the final opportunity for family members to descend a ramp and touch the ground where the towers stood, construction delays at the 16-acre site permitted one last visit this year. Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama were to mark the occasion at the scene this afternoon, their campaigns said.
“It’s very emotional, every day of my life is emotional,” said Sally Regenhard, whose son Christian Regenhard, a probationary New York City firefighter, died at 28 while helping in the rescue of 25,000 who evacuated the towers safely.
In what’s become a yearly ritual, friends and family read the names of the dead, and government officials recited poems with an occasional musical interlude. Four blocks away, the New York Stock Exchange marked a minute of silence at 9:25 a.m. before trading began.
America has marked the seventh anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks as relatives of those who died at the World Trade Centre in New York gathered at the site for a remembrance ceremony.
Michael Bloomberg, New York’s mayor, led the first of four silences at "Ground Zero" which marked the moments the Twin Towers were hit by the hijacked airliners and the moments they collapsed.
Family members and students representing more than 90 countries, including Britain, that lost citizens in the attack read the names of the 2,974 people who died – a tribute which was due to last about four hours.
At the New York Stock Exchange, the usually frenetic activity came to an abrupt halt as traders bowed their heads in silence.
In Washington, President Bush led for the last time a White House gathering to remember an event that defined his presidency. Services were also held in Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon, where a new memorial was unveiled.
Later in the day, the presidential candidates John McCain abdBarack Obama were due at Ground Zero to pay silent respects together "as Americans".
Never forget 9/11 and the World Trade Center. Many died that fateful day. Many have died since then in the pursuit and apprehension of the terrorists responsible. This day was truly an Armageddon in the lives of many millions of families.
Never, ever forget this day. Never forget the innocents who lost their lives. Never forget the rescue police and fire departments who died while trying to save the thousands of people in the World Trade Center. Never forget the thousands on men and women serving in the armed forces who have lost their lives in the pursuit of these terrorists.
Never belittle their deaths with the cheap stories of government conspiracies. Never belittle their deaths with your opposition to the current political administration.
These good Americans lost their lives both during the Attack on America and in the pursuit of justice.
Justice an freedom shall prevail.
NEVER CROSS THE EAGLE!
Recalling the nation’s unity in a time of peril seven years ago, presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama placed their partisan contest on hold Thursday and spoke as one in honoring of the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
McCain and Obama made ground zero in New York their common ground, joining in homage to the dead from the fallen Twin Towers and the hijacked planes flown into them. The candidates walked down a ramp together to the site where the World Trade Center once stood, and threw flowers into a reflecting pool.
Cindy McCain and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg accompanied the two candidates. McCain and Obama greeted family members of the victims.
Beforehand, McCain spoke briefly at a simple ceremony in remote, rural western Pennsylvania, held on a large hilly field close to where United Airlines Flight 93, the third of four airliners commandeered by terrorists, crashed. Investigators believe some of the 40 passengers and crew rushed the cockpit and thwarted terrorists’ plans to use that plane as a weapon like the ones that hit the World Trade Center and Pentagon. All aboard all planes died.
In remembrance of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, President and Mrs. Bush participated in a moment of silence at the White House and delivered remarks at the dedication of the Pentagon memorial. Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, President Bush recognized the threat posed by terrorists and took action to protect Americans and defeat violent extremism. Because of the actions taken by President Bush, America is safer, more secure, and winning the War on Terror. Seven years later:
50 million people have been liberated, and two totalitarian regimes have been removed;
The al Qaeda network has been weakened;
We have not experienced another attack on American soil;
Our military has been transformed to meet the challenges of the 21st century;
We have expanded our intelligence capabilities to confront today’s enemy; and
We have created new and essential institutions needed to wage the War on Terror, including the Department of Homeland Security and Office of the Director of National Intelligence. We Have Been On The Offense Against Our Enemies Since The 9/11 Attacks
President Bush has kept us safe by weakening al Qaeda and its affiliates. Hundreds of al Qaeda leaders and operatives have been captured or killed, including 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, who is currently awaiting trial by a Military Commission. The United States also apprehended several leading figures in the al Qaeda East Africa network through intelligence sharing and military action.
Since 9/11, more than two dozen terrorists and supporters have been convicted in the United States of terrorism-related crimes. Several key financiers and facilitators of terrorism have been isolated and captured, while more than 400 individuals and entities have had their assets frozen and isolated from the U.S. financial system.
President Bush took the fight to violent extremists in Iraq and Afghanistan and across the world so that we do not have to fight them on American soil. The United States and its coalition partners removed al Qaeda’s safe haven in Afghanistan and al Qaeda is on the run in Iraq, including in its former stronghold of Anbar Province. The United States also acted to prevent al Qaeda safe havens from emerging in the Horn of Africa and Southeast Asia.
There have been no attacks on American soil since 9/11, and the United States and our allies have disrupted key terrorist plots around the world. The President has built a 90-nation coalition to fight terrorism. The United States has partnered with nations in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Latin America on intelligence sharing and law enforcement coordination to break up terrorist networks and bring terrorists to justice. Some of our counterterrorism victories include the following:
September 2007: German authorities disrupted a terrorist cell that was planning attacks on military installations and facilities used by Americans in Germany. The Germans arrested three suspected members of the Islamic Jihad Union, a group that has links to al Qaeda and supports al Qaeda’s global jihadist agenda.
September 2007: Danish authorities disrupted a cell, which included an al Qaeda-trained individual, planning terrorist attacks using explosives.
June 2007: Four individuals were charged with plotting to blow up major fuel tanks at JFK Airport. Three of the individuals have been arrested, and the United States is pursuing extradition of the fourth.
May 2007: The FBI arrested six al Qaeda-inspired individuals plotting to kill soldiers at Fort Dix Army Base in New Jersey. The plotters purchased weapons for the attack, which they had been planning since January 2006.
August 2006: British authorities disrupted a plot to blow up passenger airplanes flying from the UK to the United States.
The United States supported the creation of a democratic Afghan government and fostered broad international support for Afghanistan through NATO and the U.N. Afghanistan has ratified a new democratic Constitution with strong protections for women’s rights and civil liberties; held the country’s first Presidential election; and held the first free and fair legislative elections since 1969. Today, six million Afghans are attending school, and 85 percent of Afghans have access to basic health care. The United States has committed over $10 billion in 2008 and 2009 for political and economic development. The Afghan government is preparing for the next round of elections in 2009 with U.S. and international assistance.
Iraq is now a young democracy and an ally in fighting terrorists. The President’s decision to send an additional 30,000 soldiers and Marines into Iraq as part of the "surge" has resulted in improved security conditions that have opened up space for political and economic advances. Iraq has seen meaningful progress, but this progress is fragile and there will be challenging times ahead. This success has fostered the appropriate conditions for Iraqi authorities to take the lead in all security operations for Anbar province.
President Bush persuaded Libya to dismantle its Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) programs and renounce terrorism, leading to a normalization of our relationship with Libya. Just last week, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made a historic visit to Libya, making her the highest ranking U.S. official to visit the country since 1957.
The President worked with the international community to isolate the regime in Tehran, and won support for three U.N. Security Council resolutions imposing sanctions on Iran because of its failure to suspend its uranium enrichment and other proliferation sensitive activities.
President Bush has teamed with international partners to prevent the proliferation of WMDs. We have expanded international efforts to deny terrorists access to advanced conventional weaponry and to WMDs, their delivery systems, and related materials.
President Bush Has Transformed The Institutions And Tools To Fight Terror And Protect America
The President worked with Congress to implement reforms and create the institutions needed to wage the War on Terror. The President also integrated and unified intelligence gathering; disrupted terrorist financing; and created new legal and law enforcement frameworks to combat terrorism and deny safe haven to terrorist groups. The President:
Transformed the United States military to meet the challenges of the 21st century. President Bush provided our military with the tools, equipment, and resources to combat terrorism and other new challenges. We started moving American forces from Cold War garrisons in Europe and Asia so they can deploy more quickly to any region of the world to confront emerging threats.
Strengthened our ability to protect the American people by directing the most extensive security reorganization of the Federal Government since 1947. President Bush and his Administration have enhanced our homeland security and counterterrorism infrastructure through the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), the Terrorist Screening Center (TSC), the Homeland Security Council (HSC), and U.S. Northern Command, a Department of Defense combatant command focused on homeland defense and civil support.
DHS consolidated 22 Federal entities and 180,000 employees under one roof to foster a comprehensive, coordinated approach to protecting the U.S. homeland. DHS and FBI, in partnership with Federal, State, and local authorities, created a national network of 66 fusion centers in 48 states to facilitate information sharing on terrorist threats and operational planning.
The NCTC leads our Nation’s effort to combat terrorism at home and abroad by analyzing the threat, sharing that information with our partners, and integrating all instruments of national power to ensure unity of effort.
The ODNI coordinates and integrates and leads the work of the Intelligence Community as a unified enterprise, led by the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), to ensure information is shared among intelligence and law enforcement professionals. The TSC maintains the Government’s consolidated list of suspected terrorists and individuals with terrorist links and helps get this information into the hands of State and local law enforcement.
HSC ensures coordination of all homeland security-related activities among executive departments and agencies and promotes the effective development and implementation of homeland security policies.
Modernized the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to provide the tools needed to win the War on Terror and protect America from another attack. This vital legislation allows our law enforcement and intelligence professionals as well as future administrations with the ability to quickly and effectively monitor the plans of terrorists outside the United States, while respecting the privacy and liberties of the American people.
Strengthened our defenses to protect the American people by implementing the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. Together with Congress, the President restructured and reformed the Federal government to focus resources on counterterrorism and took the necessary steps to improve the Nation’s homeland security
The President Has Implemented Programs To Secure Our Homeland And Fight The War On Terror
The President and his Administration have increased border and transportation security. President Bush is implementing an effective system of layered defense by strengthening the screening of people and goods overseas and by tracking and disrupting the international travel of terrorists. The President:
Created the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). TSA instituted a process to screen every commercial air passenger in the country, launched credentialing initiatives to strengthen our ability to identify passengers, and expanded the Federal Air Marshal program. We have hardened cockpit doors, armed pilots to defend the flight deck, and strengthened air cargo security.
Enhanced U.S. port security and increased scanning for radiological and nuclear threats. The President coordinated Federal, State, local, and industry port partners through the establishment of formalized Area Maritime Security Committees and Plans that clarify roles and responsibilities. Today, more than 98 percent of all containers entering the supply chain via U.S. seaports are scanned for potential radiological and nuclear threats – prior to 9/11, zero percent were scanned.
Increased containerized cargo screening overseas. We have worked with our international partners to employ the Container Security Initiative in 58 foreign seaports, screening 86 percent of all U.S.-destined containerized cargo being screened overseas before it enters the U.S. supply chain.
Increased border security and interior enforcement funding more than 110 percent and equipped the Border Patrol with better technology and new infrastructure. We have also added more than 8,000 border patrol agents. The Administration has constructed hundreds of miles of fencing and vehicle barriers along America’s southern border and is moving toward the goal of 670 miles by the end of the year.
U.S. troops in Afghanistan remembered those killed in the Sept. 11 attacks during a ceremony Thursday at an American base in Kabul, where a top U.S. general said terrorism still remains a threat to the world.Maj. Gen. Robert Cone told those gathered for a memorial ceremony at Camp Eggers that terrorists have struck in London, Russia and Bali, Indonesia since the 2001 attacks in the United States.
“These attacks are reminders that the threat of terrorism is real and still a danger to the entire world,” Cone said.
Cone’s command in Kabul trains and equips the fledgling Afghan security forces — the centerpiece of the American strategy of turning Afghanistan into a country that can defend itself and away from the days when Osama bin Laden used it as a safe haven to launch attacks in New York and Washington.
Have you ever really thought about why we were in Afghanistan and Iraq in the first place?
Watch this clip and then think about the phrase "…so that aggression and invasion may never know our shores!"
Click on the Screen above to start the Movie
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