This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Category: Soldiers Angels

  • Gold Star Mothers Day

    Gold Star Mothers Day

    Gold Star Mother’s Sunday September 30, 2018

    The organization was named after the Gold Star that families hung in their windows in honor of the deceased veteran.
    After years of planning, June 4, 1928, twenty-five mothers met in Washington, DC to establish the national organization, American Gold Star Mothers, Inc.
    The success of our organization continues because of the bond of mutual love, sympathy, and support of the many loyal, capable, and patriotic mothers who while sharing their grief and their pride, have channeled their time, efforts and gifts to lessening the pain of others.
    We stand tall and proud by honoring our children, assisting our veterans, supporting our nation, and healing with each other.
    On May 28, 1918, President Wilson approved a suggestion made by the Women’s Committee of the Council of National Defenses that, instead of wearing conventional mourning for relatives who have died in the service of their country, American women should wear a black band on the left arm with a gilt star on the band for each member of the family who has given his life for the nation. After years of planning, June 4, 1928, twenty-five mothers met in Washington, DC to establish the national organization, American Gold Star Mothers, Inc.

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  • A Soldier’s Angel

    Some of us us here have had the pleasure of meeting her, others have worked with her.

    LANDSTUHL, Germany — Mary Ann Phillips does not think of herself as extraordinary, yet she is.

    Every week in Landstuhl, Germany she collects gifts given with love. They include everything from cards to clothing, blankets to books.

    Phillips volunteers for the not-for-profit Soldiers’ Angels, which is based in Central Texas.

    “We feel very strongly about trying to make a strong connection between the civilian world and the military world,” she said.

    Started in 2003, Soldiers’ Angels sends packages to service men and women, including those in Landstuhl.

    Definitely an Angel! Full article with video is here.

  • VALOUR-IT update

    Yeah, so those grungy-assed Marines are leading in the competition between the services to get voice-activated laptops to our wounded troops, but that’s only because most Army guys are paying for at least one ex-wife;

    The competition ends on Veterans’ Day, so there’s still time to help the Army team out. Do like you did when you were on active duty-go downtown and pawn your TA-50. Let your ex- slide for one month on her alimony check. Ripoff five gallons of Mogas from the motor pool and send in the money you saved. You were all privates, so you know how to squeeze out a couple of bucks from your paychecks.

    Click on the link in our sidebar and give as generously as you can for a great cause and join a great team of donors.

  • Valour-IT time again

    I’m a little late to the party, but it’s Valour-IT competition time again. If you’re not familiar with Valour-IT, I’ll let Blackfive explain;

    WHAT IS VALOUR-IT?
    (more…)

  • TSO to “run” Soldiers Angels

    It was announced yesterday that TSO has been accepted to the Board of Trustees of the most excellent soldier support group Soldiers’ Angels;

    Soldiers’ Angels announces the appointment of military veteran, new media expert and lobbyist Mark Seavey to the Board of Trustees. Drawing on thirteen years’ experience advocating for veterans, Seavey will work closely with COL (ret) Henry Cook on legislative liaison efforts.

    A strong advocate for veterans, Seavey began his career with The American Legion in 1997 as an Appeals Representative and later served with the National Legislative Commission as an Assistant Director and Grassroots Coordinator. Recently promoted to New Media Manager, Seavey serves as steward of The Burn Pit and also runs a highly-respected personal milblog which specializes in debunking fraudulent military service claims.

    “I couldn’t be happier about being selected for the Board of Soldiers’ Angels,” says Seavey, who first encountered Soldiers’ Angels through his work with military blogs.

    I guess this is one more excuse for him to avoid posting here. And since he “runs” This Ain’t Hell, I’m waiting for some checks to reimburse my expenses over the last four years. I swear….

    But congratulations to my buddy…I guess Soldiers’ Angels and the American Legion see the potential that I saw more than two years ago when I asked TSO join us here. Now we can all wait together for that potential to come to fruition.

  • Why we have no pity for Phony Soldiers.

    Medals don’t make the hero

    That is what a blog post by a author named Mark McCarter.

    He talks about a Marine by the name Greg Suedmeyer

    He did a tour in Iraq. When he got back to the states, he was at Camp Lejeune, N.C. He was headed home to Huntsville from there last weekend.

    Then, on Saturday evening, because a 71-year-old man was inexplicably going the wrong way on I-20 outside Atlanta, Suedmeyer was killed.

    There’s the life lesson for us all on the fragility of it all, the “you never know” that sobers us all. You sign up to be a Marine, you get sent to Iraq, the odds slide against you. Bombs, rockets, insane insurgents.

    Then you lose your life on a Georgia freeway because somebody is driving the wrong way. Your wife is at your side. Your dog is in the back seat. It’s not supposed to happen.

    People like Skyler Tarquin Smith

    He claimed that he had several awards to include two Purple Hearts. But seems he went AWOL before his unit deployed.

    But here is the real reason that caused me to write this post. Also the caption for this next photo is so perfect that I cannot say anything better.

    Why do we expose frauds and phonies?

    Take a good look at this picture and then tell us a phony has a constitutional right – “Freedom of Speech” –
    to say he earned a Purple Heart when he did not.

    That says it all right there.

  • More VALOUR-IT

    Cox and Forkum Valour IT

    In case you’d thought you’d missed your opportunity to give to VALOUR-IT, it’s still going on, so what are you waiting for? The Marines are still ahead of The Army – I think they all pawned their K-pots and their roomies’ stereoes.

    But here’s some motivators to get you Army guys to send some money – your exwife’s boyfriend can wait for a month for his beer money, can’t she?

    The Ballad of Captain Z;

    Are you going to let these guys beat you?

  • Um, VALOUR-IT

    We went to Little Creek, Virginia a few decades ago where the Marines introduced us to amphibious warfare. They began by taking us to their obstacle course and bragging about the course record set by a Marine and daring us to beat it. The instructors stood gape-jawed at the finish line as every person in the company beat their “course record”.

    I wrote that to write this;

    I’m not accustomed to not beating a Marine challenge. The Marines are a several hundred dollars ahead of the Army in the VALOUR-IT fundraiser, so what with it being payday and such, how about digging in. We’re almost at a third of our goal – so lets kick some Marine ass;

    I have other Marine stories I might relate through the weekend.