Merry Christmas to Our Troops

December 24, 2008

American Valor Salutes Our Military

Merry Christmas to Our Troops

I would like to take this opportunity to thank those of you serving in the military now, or at any time in the past. Your sacrifices have made it possible for people like me to enjoy a long and prosperous life.

I served in the US Army from 1968 to 1977 during what was quietly referred to as the Second US Civil War. Publicly, in the media, it was a war between the short-haired soldiers and the long-haired students, ‘Hippies". Most, not all, of the young people organized in the protest groups were still in college and had never served their country. Their college professors were teaching them to think for themselves and not swallow the drivel of the "Establishment". They learned well.

They knew it was morally wrong to take a life and God knows the media splashed plenty ‘life-taking’ scenes across the magazines, and newspapers and televisions to cause the whole nation to cower in disgust. They were taught that American soldiers were messengers of death, instruments of war, mercenaries and worst of all…baby killers. They never seemed to understand the connection between war and freedom. The connection between military decisions and politics. The connection between love of country and hatred of aggression. The connection between love of freedom and hatred of oppression. The connection between freedom and the price you must pay to maintain it.

Afghanistan. Iraq. 9/11. Twin towers. Terrorism. Genocide. Dictatorship. Oppression. Do you have a feel for any of it?

Laugh and ridicule the garbage man or the honey dipper for their smelly jobs but try to survive any length of time without them.

Presidential campaign 2008. Do you remember any of the mudslinging that took place then. Some was pretty nasty. You may have even had a few words to spout yourself about people who didn’t agree with your viewpoint. I know I sure did. Do you know how many countries you could live in around the world where you would have been tortured and/or shot for those opinions.
Where the opposition party would have been secretly eliminated, maybe while they slept? The number is staggering.

The Eagle is stilly mourning the losses of 9/11. But as ferocious and monumental as that attack was, it was a first for us. The first time we were attacked at home. People of other countries live with this on a recurring daily basis, and probably will until the end of time.

Do you remember the passage "…and there will be wars and rumors of wars…"

It is OK to hate death. It is OK to disagree with what is going on in Afghanistan and Irag. People want to show their ignorance and belittle what our troops are doing over their by tying it into the greed of the oil companies and big business. For those of you who feel that way I feel sorry for you and your ill-informed ignorance. If you don’t like what you see, then change it at the voting booth. Don’t run your mouth blabbing obscenities and bull mush in front of a TV camera when some ratings seeking moron hold a microphone up to you and asks you "What do you think of the horrible atrocities in Iraq?"

Do you have any idea who really sees and hears that venom? Our troops. If you are sitting in a bunker or a foxhole or behind an adobe wall with rounds flying over your head. With mortars exploding all around you. With your buddy lying beside you with part of his chest missing and gurgling as the blood works it’s way out of his throat and he stares into eternity. You are clasping your hand over your pocket where your small bible resides. Where the picture of your loved ones is protected. Where you are proud to be serving to protect and defend. Then you hear a dispatch from some US politician seeking to gain popular votes by calling you a baby-killer. Or you read the story of some young person screaming obscenities because "innocent" civilians were killed you a recent attack.
Your life is on the line to protect these very people and they are trying to destroy you. I’ll tell you how you feel. Like crap. Disgusted. Wounded. But most of all, betrayed and hurt, painfully and deeply.

People. Wake up. Put down your Wii controllers for a moment. Stop cursing because you were the last in a long line of shoppers to miss out on getting your own High Def 99" Liquid Plasma, flat screen TV with Blue Ray. Wake up and smell the roses.

We have become fat and obnoxious. We have become a lazy people. Too lazy to see the truth. Too self concentrated to see anything but "ME". and "NOW",

As the saying goes:

If you can read…thank a teacher. If you can read in English…thank a soldier.

I can run and scream and cry and shout and curse and jump and complain and learn and disagree all because I am free. I am free ONLY BECAUSE of the men and women serving so proudly and selflessly in the military. The ones who put their lives on the line every moment of every day to pay for my freedom and your freedom and the freedom of our country.

Stop focusing on everyone’s differences. Get over it. We are getting ready to enter a new time in our history in one of the most devastating financial times we have ever known. And who did we, as an American public elect? An American man! Now he does just happen to be black, but he is an American. He is not an African-American or a German-American or a Cuban-American. Praise be to God he is an American. Maybe now we can put slavery and the civil war to rest. I am sick and tired of all the Hispanic translation signs in the stores today. Get over it. You are in America. Good grief people, I am part Cherokee, where are my signs? Where are the signs for all the other foreign ingredients that contribute to our culture? Get over it!
We are not a "tossed salad", we are a "Melting Pot" of cultures. Every culture of every person who comes to American adds to the richness of our heritage, it doesn’t give them the right to segregate it and hold it up and get special treatment. And that is the glory of freedom. I can call any left-winged liberal who wants to break America down into separate isolated segments a blooming idiot. If you aren’t representing the people as a whole, get out of office. You have no right to be in office and spearhead special interests.

OK folks. Dad has had his say. Keep checking back and you will see that I spout off every now and then. But more important is the fact that I am free to do so. You don’t have to agree with me, nor I you. You have the right to disagree with me, but you will never have the right to gag me. That is the glory and the beauty of freedom.

Now put the self centeredness and the hatred and the politics and the hurt and the pain and the tears behind you. Get down on bended knee and give thanks for our freedom and for the men and women who are willing to risk their lives for our freedom. Let us remember those in the military and the separation they are enduing at this time of year. Say a special prayer of thanks for them. Take a moment out of your busy schedules and share some kindness with their families here at home. Lend a helping hand. Volunteer some time. Share your gifts. Share your love and gratitude. Show your appreciation.

We are all Americans, through and through and proud of it!

Wow! All I wanted to do was give a patriotic thank you to our troops away from home for the holidays! I just wanted to pledge my eternal support and gratitude to them for their sacrifice. If I have offended everyone in America, but gotten my message through, then it was all worth it.

Thank you! Merry Christmas to all of you! May God keep you and bless you abundantly in the year to come!

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Pearl Harbor Day

December 07, 2008

Pearl Harbor Day

Today is the 67th anniversary of the Japanese navy’s horrible bombing of our U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor. Many people still shudder when they recall the "attacks that struck too close to home".

What a horrific day, one that " will live in infamy"

Looking at a correlation with today…

…a really bad economy

…millions unemployed

…fear of further attacks at home

…secure employment in the military

Such an eerie part of our history and it still shrouds us in intrigue and dark remembrances. Make no mistake about it, the main similarity between then and now…

…men and women of all origins and beliefs enlisting in the US military to protect our country from enemies, both foreign and domestic.

American Valor lifts a half-mast flag today in remembrance of the horrible day when so many of our family members and friends lost their lives in service to our country.

May God keep and bless those that went before us and may He strengthen those of us who remain to carry on the fight.

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A Military Tribute to Veterans

December 04, 2008

A Military Tribute to Veterans

KFYR-TV, Bismarck, ND’s first television station provided this military tribute to their veterans.
You can read the full story at their site

It`s only fitting that the new bridge, which is in honor of veterans, was dedicated on Veterans Day.

Members of the military say the bridge inspired by Veterans of World War I, will create a place for all veterans and those currently enlisted to reflect on their service.

Ferdinand Luger, or "Red" to those who know him, served with the Army in World War II in 1942. He says he remembers well his time in combat in Africa and Italy and being at the bridge dedication brings back some of those memories.

"The Germans would stay in the monastery and fire at the infantry," Luger says.

The new bridge is inspired by veterans like "Red." On the west end of the bridge eleven spires symbolize the Armistice, which is the peace agreement reached at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day in the eleventh month of 1918 to end World War I.

"People will be able to come and reflect and recognize that people fight for our freedom and put their lives on the line and North Dakotans do that so well," says Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, of the ND National Guard.

In addition to the spires, five overlooks on the south side of the bridge each represent and recognize the service branches of the United States Military… Army, Marine Corp., Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. The old Memorial Bridge which opened in 1922 was also dedicated to Veterans of World War I. It was meant to be a symbol of something that would stand forever after a turbulent time in history. Red says it`s an honor for the bridge to be dedicated to him and the men who served beside him.

"It makes me feel good. It`s a beautiful bridge," Luger says. "I knew the old one for a long time."

And this bridge dedication will be another memory "Red" will hold on to for the rest of his life.

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Victor Laverne Miller Honored at last

November 09, 2008

Victor Laverne Miller Honored at last

When the World War II veteran died in 1985, his stories did, too.No more hearing about how he would stall his Curtiss Helldiver, slipping sideways to avoid the Japanese gunners. No more hearing about how the bombs he dropped blew up a ship and caused so much death.

No more seeing his face soften when he talked about flying in wispy clouds. Like kissing heaven, he’d say.

His grownup children held a simple memorial service. Victor Laverne Miller, 67, dive bomber pilot, Navy Cross recipient, piano player. He willed his body to the University of Kansas School of Medicine.

No remains to bury. No casket. Just a few prayers and hymns and memories.

But over the years, remembering the stories became harder and harder. Like millions of other families whose loved ones fought in one war or another, the Miller family had no documents, nothing on paper proving what he had done.

They didn’t even have a gravesite where they could go to remember him.

At their family gatherings, the question kept coming back: Dad was eligible to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery, wasn’t he? Shouldn’t somebody check on it?

Burial now? Without a body? What about the tangle of paperwork? How would you gather all the documents? Where would you even begin?

It all seemed too hard, too intimidating, too time-consuming to try to dig out what they needed. With no military connections in the family, no one to help them through the labyrinth of military archives, it was easier to let go.

Until Jan Girando of Overland Park, the oldest of Miller’s five children, saw a newspaper article on how the national cemetery at Arlington, Va., was filling up. If they were going to get their father the recognition he deserved, now was the time.

Her three sisters and one brother tried. A sister was told it was probably too late. No ashes, no body, no burial. Forget it.

But Girando couldn’t forget. She couldn’t explain why, but she knew gaining this honor for her father would mean a lot to her family, now scattered across the country.

He and their mother had divorced. She died years before he did. And because she also had donated her body to a medical school, the family had no gravesite, no touchstone, no link tying everyone together except fading memories.

Like other service members whose stories have been forgotten, whose honors have been overlooked, he deserved recognition.

She vowed she wouldn’t give up until she had exhausted every possibility. But she had no idea it would take nearly a year from start to finish.

Read the rest of the Victor Miller story in the Kansas City Star here

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Veterans Day

October 26, 2008

Remember Veterans Day

With Veterans Day approaching, Dad wanted to share a site with you that, like American Valor, promotes respect and thanks for our veterans.

VetFriends.com — the largest Web site for reuniting veterans — has created an online Veterans Day Forum reaching out to U.S. veterans and anyone else interested in contributing their thoughts and insights in regards to our U.S. military personnel and Veterans Day. Personal stories, sentiments and words of thanks can be found online in a Veterans Day collection throughout October and November
at www.vetfriends.com/veteransday. VetFriends.com invites members of the media to visit the forum and utilize the quotes in their Veterans Day news stories.

In addition to the forum, VetFriends.com has posted a U.S. veteran and military tribute video thanking and honoring the many brave men and women who have and are currently serving the nation. The theme of the video: What do U.S. veterans and military mean to VetFriends.com, and moreover to America.

What does Veterans Day mean to you? They welcome you to add your thoughts and comments about Veterans Day, about people who serve or have served in the U.S. Military. Many of these additions will be shared on VetFriends.com and with television stations and newspapers.

Other features available on www.VetFriends.com include: search over 893,000 members to make contact with old friends; information on how to obtain military records and medals; message boards; upload past and present photos; military jokes; search and post reunions; military products and discounts; along with a variety of other features and services.

Founded in 2000 by Marine Corps veteran of Desert Storm, Dale F. Sutcliffe, thousands of people have been reconnected through VetFriends.com, spanning from World War II through to Operation Desert Storm and the present.

For further information and/or interview opportunities please contact Maynard Anderson at (843) 856-2867 or via e-mail at: publicrelations @ vetfriends.com.

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We Are Soldiers Still

August 24, 2008

We Are Soldiers Still

A Sequel to "We Were Soldiers Once…and Young"

Legendary war reporter — and current military columnist for McClatchy — Joseph L. Galloway has written, with Lt. Gen. Harold Moore (Ret.), a sequel to their 1990s bestseller "We Were Soldiers Once…and Young," to be published by HarperCollins on August 19. The first book was made into a movie starring Mel Gibson as Moore and Barry Pepper as Galloway.

In the new book, "We Are Soldiers Still," Galloway and Moore explore their relationships with 10 American veterans of the 1965 battle at Ia Drang Valley in Vietnam, along with Lt. Gen. Nguyen Hu An, who commanded the North Vietnamese Army troops. Galloway was awarded a Bronze Star for valor for his actions then, a rare honor for any journalist.

Galloway is a frequent columnist at E&P. He covered at least seven wars after Vietnam and recently retired at Knight Ridder/McClatchy. In a note to me this week, he described Chapter 12, titled "On War," a "distillation of our combined 75 plus years of firsthand experience of wars and warriors and offers some lessons applicable to today."

In a pre-publication review, Publishers Weekly observed: "It would be a monumental task for Moore and Galloway to top their classic 1992 memoir… But they come close in this sterling sequel." Kirkus Reviews: "A worthy and wise successor to one of the best books ever about combat in Vietnam."

The publicity release explains: "Traveling back to the red-dirt battlefields, commanders and veterans from both sides make the long and difficult journey from old enemies to new friends. After a trip in a Russian-made helicopter to the Ia Drang Valley in the Central Highlands, with the Vietnamese pilots using Moore’s vintage U.S. Army maps and Galloway’s Boy Scout compass to guide them, they reach the hallowed ground where so many died….As darkness falls, the unthinkable happens—the authors and many of their old comrades are stranded overnight, alone, left to confront the ghosts of the departed among the termite hills and creek bed.

"Moore and Galloway combine gritty and vivid detail with reverence and respect for their comrades. Their ability to capture man’s sense of heroism and brotherhood, their love for their men and their former enemies, and their fascination with the history of this enigmatic country make for riveting reading. With sixteen pages of photos, tributes to departed friends and loved ones, and General Moore’s reflections on lessons learned throughout his military career, We Are Soldiers Still puts a human face on warfare in a way that will not soon be forgotten."

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War Hero Remembered

August 23, 2008

War Hero Remembered

The following article was written by KATY MOELLER of the Hattiesburg American:

As Ed “Too Tall” Freeman lay ill in a Boise hospital over the past few weeks, many came to pay their respects to the 80-year-old national war hero and former helicopter pilot.One unexpected visitor offered a very personal thank you to Freeman, a veteran of three wars and recipient of the highest military award - the Medal of Honor - for his actions on Nov. 14, 1965, at Landing Zone X-Ray, Ia Drang Valley, Vietnam.

“A guy came into the hospital and said, ‘You don’t know me, but I was one of those people you hauled out of the X-Ray,’” said Mike Freeman, 54, one of Ed’s two sons. “He said, ‘Thanks for my life.’”

Freeman, who was born and raised in Greene County, Miss., died Wednesday of complications from Parkinson’s disease.

His Medal of Honor citation credits him with helping save 30 seriously wounded soldiers in 14 separate rescue missions in an unarmed helicopter.

The heroics of Freeman and the others involved in the Ia Drang campaign are immortalized in the Mel Gibson movie “We Were Soldiers,” which is based on the book “We Were Soldiers Once … And Young.” A sequel, “We Are Soldiers Still,” was released this month…

Continue reading the full story here

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A Veterans Salute

August 23, 2008

‘A Veterans Salute’

Jennifer Linn, a staff writer for the Ludington Daily Newswrote this article about "A veterans Salute"

Friday, August 22, 2008, MANISTEE —

“A Veterans Salute” kicked off the Mason County Veterans Endowment Fund Friday night at the Ramsdell Theatre in Manistee.

Captain Tad Reed of the U.S. Army who served in Iraq was the keynote speaker during the program and shared a message of hope for the future of veterans and their families.

Just before taking the stage, Reed said he wrote his speech focusing on the endowment, which was created to help ease any burdens or sacrifices from serving the country for veterans and their families.

“They earned the right to expect their nation to take care of them,” the Ludington native said of veterans.

“Freedom isn’t free, tens of thousands of boys have died for it.”

Reed highlighted the importance of the fund by describing his responsibilities as a soldier and leader and how important it is to provide support for veterans and their families.

“My hope is that our young men and women of the armed forces return home and receive the care and counseling from the military services that they require. However, many will return to their home towns with great needs,” Reed said during his speech. “These needs, coupled with the needs of the veterans who have resided in our communities for years, and these recently returned veterans and wounded veterans, will be great, and the endowment will be there to assist the vets, assist their spouses and their dependents.”

The Veterans Administration is solid, Reed said, but is not always able to provide everything that veterans need. Wounds that are not visible to the naked eye are often challenging Reed said. The toll of post traumatic stress disorder can be more debilitating than physical wounds.

“One of my greatest challenges was learning to discern the wounds of my soldiers that were often below the skin so to speak,” Reed said. “These wounds, the wounds of the sight, the mind and the heart are often the most profound and dangerous.”

You may contact Jennifer here or read the rest of the full story here

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Don’t Settle for Failure

August 16, 2008

Don’t Settle for Failure

Senator John McCain recently spoke at a meeting of the Disabled American Veterans in Las Vegas. He said:

"I’m sure many of you will also recall from your experiences in war, as I do from mine, that when you’re somewhere on the other side of the world in the service of America you pay attention to the news from back home. It affects morale. And even during this election season, with sharp differences on the wisdom and success of the surge in Iraq, Americans need to speak as one in praise of the men and women who fight our battles.”

Much dependes on "the good judment of the next president,” McCain told the veterans. See his speech here:

"Though victory in Iraq is finally in sight, a great deal still depends on the decisions and good judgment of the next president,” McCain said. "The hard-won gains of our troops hang in the balance. The advantage of a peaceful and democratic ally in the heart of the Middle East could still be squandered by hasty withdrawal and arbitrary timelines.

Read the full context of his speech here. Thanks to the ChicagoTribune.com for their excellent story.

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Military Tribute to All Veterans

August 08, 2008

Dad’s Tribute to All Veterans

"I have stared into the face of death and it spewed out flames to engulf me.

The smell of death and burning flesh and the cries, my God in heaven, please make the cries go away.

The pain never stops and the memories are as fresh as today’s sunrise. They keep coming back.

I cannot sleep at night. I must watch over you.

Sleep my precious child. I will keep death from your house tonight.

Please love me. Never forget I do what I do because I must.

I love you. I shed your tears. I will eventually die for you.

I am your first line of defense to keep death from your door.

Death will never take you, I stand ever in the way.

Death hates me and tries ever to trick me but I will never fail you my precious child.

Sleep well in the arms of love while I stand guard.

Ever vigilant. Ever there. I am your life, your love, your protector.

God is ever strong within me.

I am a soldier!"

…Dad

A moving Tribute to the Vietnam Veterans and all who serve.

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When I Last Visited France

July 28, 2008

A group of Americans, retired teachers, recently went to France on a tour.

Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on.

‘You have been to France before, monsieur?’ the customs officer asked sarcastically. Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously. ‘Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.’

The American said, ‘The last time I was here, I didn’t have to show it.’

‘Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France!’

The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained. ‘Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in ‘44 to help liberate this country, I couldn’t find any Frenchmen to show it to.’

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Our Young Military Soldiers

July 23, 2008

We just received this write up from John C. yesterday. Thanks for sharing this with us about our young soldiers who are "Half Man and Half Boy"

The average age of the military man is 19 years. He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father’s, but he has never collected unemployment either.

He’s a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a world away. He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and a 155mm howitzer.

He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk. He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark. He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must..

He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional.

He can march until he is told to stop, or stop until he is told to march.

He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without spirit or individual dignity. He is self-sufficient.

He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry.

He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts.

If you’re thirsty, he’ll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food. He’ll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low.

He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they were his hands.

He can save your life - or take it, because that is his job.

He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay, and still find ironic humor in it all.

He has seen more suffering and death than he should have in his short lifetime.

He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and is unashamed.

He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body while at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to ’square-away ‘ those around him who haven’t bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even
stop talking.

In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their right to be disrespectful.

Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom. Beardless or not, he is not a boy. He is the American Fighting Man that has kept this country free for over 200 years.

He has asked nothing in return, except our friendship and understanding. Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood.

And now we even have women over there in danger, doing their part in this tradition of going style="font-family: Arial">to War when our nation calls us to do so.

As you go to bed tonight, remember this shot. . .

A short lull, a little shade and a picture of loved ones in their helmets.

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Military Tribute provided by PRCC

July 20, 2008

PRCC to Hold Military Tribute

This is the kind of public sentiment I like to see in the media. This was just recently posted in the www.HattiesburgAmerican.com online newspaper. Stories like this sholud be seen by all. My heartfelt thanks go out to the Pearl River Community College for this military tribute. It is truly in the spirit of American Valor.

Poplarville - Pearl River Community College will pay homage to those who served in the military at its November Centennial Celebration event.

Organizers of the military tribute are seeking the names of alumni who were killed or listed as missing in action during one of the six wars fought by the United States since PRCC’s founding in 1909.

People who know of anyone who attended Pearl River County Agricultural High School, Pearl River Junior College or Pearl River Community College and died serving his or her country should contact chairman Ronn Hague. The college’s Web site also has a form that can be completed on the Centennial page.

The committee needs the name and rank of the individual who was killed or missing in action, branch of service, date of death and the year(s) he attended Pearl River. Hague can be contacted by phone at (601) 403-1316 or e-mailed at rhague@prcc.edu.

To provide the information on-line, go to www.prcc.edu/centennial/.

By all means, if you know anyone who may be able to provide information, please ask them to contact these folks.

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American Valor Military Tribute

July 18, 2008

American Valor Salutes Our Military

Reading the news recently, I came across a couple articles that heralded the general public’s growing disinterest in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. They cite the public’s growing war fatigue and frustration.

The authors claim the public is disenchanted with our results in both locations. They don’t see Osama Bin Laden captured and facing justice. They do see our troops in Afghanistan chasing terrorists we can’t see. They see us in Iraq, close to oil, but nothing else, obviously forgetting that we caught Saddam Hussein.

They claim people are getting tired of coverage on two war fronts with no obvious victory in either theatre in the near future. The authors claim the general public is worried about the credit crunch, skyrocketing prices, especially oil related products. They are worried about losing their jobs. They are worried about the upcoming elections. They fear that with the two current choices they may have no more rosy future after the elections than they do now.

OK! I promised you in the beginning that I would do this:

THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS ARE STRICTLY AN OPINION OF ‘DAD’.

Now remember, Dad is a tired old veteran and a card carrying member of the Great Silent Majority. Most of all Dad is full of his own opinions and now they are coming out like a cannon ball and it is long-overdue. So here goes…

REMEMBER 9/11. That should be enough to stop the complaining.

Do you remember the crashes?…the smoke?…the screams? …the bodies falling through the air?…the flames?…the tremble in the ground?…the burning stench?…the monumental clouds of dust?…the nearly 3,000 human beings of all creeds and colors and shapes and sizes and beliefs who were violently crushed and cremated?

Have you ever watched newsreels of the Nazi Holocaust furnaces? Have you shivered as survivors likened the airborne ashes falling to the ground like dirty snow? Have you ever thought long and hard about the blood and bones and flesh and hearts and souls that were inside those clouds of dust boiling towards Heaven then collapsing to earth? Covering the streets and buildings and survivors with ashen dust? …and the tears? The tears may never stop.

I have watched. I have listened. I am human. I am guilty as charged. I wept as openly as anyone for days following 9/11. It finally happened "…on our own shores. In our own home! The unspeakable has happened at last."

Now fast forward to 2008. My company is closing our operation in about a year or so. I am nearly 61 and will begin looking for a new job. Frightening. I have watched this year as the "Credit Crisis" has eaten a big, uncomfortable hole in my retirement savings. I will probably have to work now until the day I die. My house is worth maybe half of what it was one year ago.

There are dozens of elected politicians scrambling to borrow money from our social security so they can pay benefits and subsidies and entitlements to…and provide food and shelter and education and health care for…about twenty million ILLEGAL ALIENS. We live in the greatest country on earth with a great immigration program, not always the most efficient, but it does work. Most of the people living in this country today are descendents of immigrants or immigrants themselves. This is America. We are a melting pot. That is what makes us unique. Our common language, our oneness of spirit and courage. A unique and specially blended heritage. We stand as one nation under GOD!…and we ALWAYS will! But it takes organization and rules and enforcement and discipline. These people made the choice to ignore our rules…our laws…our programs…our entire system. When laws are broken…people are punished. When rules are broken…people are penalized.

In a lot of the countries these twenty million illegals came from,…if they intruded over their own borders they would be put into prison camps, maybe even tortured and shot. But not in America. We are civilized. This is the land of plenty…the land of opportunity…the land of freedom! So, as a result, these twenty million illegals will probably end up being allowed to stay here and ultimately be given citizenship and that is the American way. Hopefully most of them will begin paying taxes on their incomes like the rest of us do and this will all disappear into the night of history. That is the way freedom and liberty work. We may not like it…we may not agree with it…but all humans have rights…and the right to freedom from oppression is one of those basic rights of human life.

But, and this is the most painful truth associated with freedom, "…Someone has to pay for it". One person wants to give all our money to the United Nations to fight global poverty! Very noble indeed. Others want to give freedom to the oppressed countries of the world. Some want to save the animals. Some want to save the environment. Some want world peace. Some want free lunches. Some want one currency, one military force, one bank, one government, one world ruling body, joy, love, peace. As I said, there is always a price to be paid. In the case of the United Nations Millenium Declaration, all of those one this and one that generally come at the cost of one thing: our liberty and freedom.

Such is the case in Afghanistan and Iraq. You don’t have to agree with the wars or their outcomes. You don’t have to agree with anything I say, or anyone else for that matter. But this is the mind numbing, bone chilling truth as proven beyond all shadow of a doubt: 9/11 was our wakeup call! The terrorists caught us napping…off guard…on our own shores. If you do not want 9/11…if you do not want daily bombings…if you do not want daily artillery shells exploding in your neighborhood…if you do not want bombs blowing up in your subway stations or hospitals or schools or churches, then you have to go onto their shores to carry on the battle.

We are dealing with an terrorist enemy whom we cannot threaten. They do not fear death…they welcome it. They do not fear oppression…they thrive upon it. They do not fear anything. They speak openly of wanting to kill all the infidels who dishonor their soil and their way of life.

Now I remind you of a little history; this very same Osama bin Laden was smiling with gratitude when we came to his aid in Afghanistan and trained him and his people and helped them become free from their oppressors. But at the same time he was thinking…as soon as this is over, I am going to eliminate the entire American people for stepping on my soil. That is the reason our young men and women are serving so proudly in all arenas…to keep it out of our homes and off of our shores. Do you hear me?

I worry about losing my job while they face losing their lives. I get upset with my neighbor for spreading fertilizer on his fields while they worry about being sprayed with deadly chemicals. I complain about a lumpy mattress while they sleep on the ground, often in a foxhole for protection. I complain about rush hour traffic on the interstate while they worry about landmines in the roadway and ambushes. I worry about a missed episode of a TV show while they miss their families. I complain if I have to get up a few minutes early, they work days on end with little or no sleep. We complain about everything they do in combat while they do everything they do in combat to protect our freedom to complain.

So complain all you want. You are free to complain all you want and you are free to do it as often as you want. Someone bought and paid for your right to do that. That someone is the US Military with all its men and women serving so proudly. They paid the price for you. Many paid with their lives. Many paid with permanent disabilities and disfigurements and unrelenting pain. Some paid with the suffering of life-lasting mental anguish at all they had seen and done. Some paid the price by coming home to find their families gone. They couldn’t suffer the wait any more.

What price are you willing to pay for freedom? Isn’t it about time we stopped complaining and started constructing? Start constructing a grateful home and a grateful nation to welcome all our heroes home from war. Open our hearts and arms wide open to welcome them back and thank them generously for paying for our freedom!

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