Category: Support the troops

In the Washington Post, Sebastian Junger, the author of “Restepo” and “War” makes recommendations for trying to bridge the gap between the country’s warriors and those in whose name they go to war. I say “bridge” because it’s fairly obvious to me that the gap can be bridged but never closed completely.

Perhaps war is so obscene that even the people who supported it don’t want to hear the details or acknowledge their role. Soldiers face myriad challenges when they return home, but one of the most destructive is the sense that their country doesn’t quite realize that it — and not just the soldiers — went to war.

That gap can’t be closed mostly because the folks who don’t go to war want to keep that comfortable distance from that which is done at their behest. So Junger writes that the burden of war can be shifted from the shoulders of the warriors to those other folks.

Our enormously complex society can’t just start performing tribal rituals designed to diminish combat trauma, but there may be things we can do. The therapeutic power of storytelling, for example, could give combat veterans an emotional outlet and allow civilians to demonstrate their personal involvement. On Memorial Day or Veterans Day, in addition to traditional parades, communities could make their city or town hall available for vets to tell their stories. Each could get, say, 10 minutes to tell his or her experience at war.

Attendance could not be mandatory, but on that day “I support the troops” would mean spending hours listening to our vets. We would hear a lot of anger and pain. We would also hear a lot of pride. Some of what would be said would make you uncomfortable, whether you are liberal or conservative, military or nonmilitary, young or old. But there is no point in having a conversation about war that is not completely honest.

Of course, it will never happen because those who have kept their veterans at arms length won’t bother to participate in this particular “ritual” because they’ve done their part. The anti-war crowd protested the war and tried to bring the troops, the right fulfilled their obligation by putting a yellow ribbon on the ass-end of their SUV, so those other people should listen to the stories, you know those other people who don’t watch the Military Channel.

For example there’s this comment in response to the Post article;

Not true. I opposed both wars and wrote my representatives accordingly. In addition, I joined in a protest against starting the war in Iraq.

I know I could drop a grenade among the whole group here and not hit a Katie Couric fan, but the folks over at the Katie Show sent us a message that she’s saluting the troops Thursday in preparation for Memorial Day (which I just discovered is the 27th not the 31st this year and it’s the 26th next year) so I thought I’d pass the information along to y’all;

“Katie” salutes our troops and shares amazing stories from the front lines and the homefront in a special episode leading up to Memorial Day, which will be broadcast THURSDAY, MAY 23 (check local listings/ or www.katiecouric.com).

Highlights from the show include:

· The first female soldier amputee of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Melissa Stockwell, tells her story…from wounded warrior to Paralympics champion.

· Sergeant Paul Horton, a bomb specialist who served four combat tours, describes his harrowing battle with PTSD and explains how big the problem is for many men and women returning from active duty.

· ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff discusses his own recovery after a life-threatening injury while covering the Iraq war, and some of the heroes he met along the way.

· Veteran Jaspen Boothe’s crusade to help fellow female solders find work and housing through her “Final Salute” program.

· Meet “The Smileys.” One mom from Maine got creative when her husband was deployed, and created an unforgettable year of special dinners for their three boys. She writes about the experiences and the incredible guests who joined them in the book, Dinner with the Smileys.

I know what you’re going to say, but if we boycott these folks when they do things we don’t like, we have to support them when they do good things, right?

As everyone has been telling me in the comments and emails, today is Armed Forces Day, and I’m sure you all join me in supporting the soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors who are currently doing the job many of us wish we could continue doing, those who are carrying the baton of freedom and security that we passed on to them. They’re doing a wonderful job and we approve.

On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy and Air Force Days. The single-day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under one department — the Department of Defense. Each of the military leagues and orders was asked to drop sponsorship of its specific service day in order to celebrate the newly announced Armed Forces Day. The Army, Navy and Air Force leagues adopted the newly formed day. The Marine Corps League declined to drop support for Marine Corps Day but supports Armed Forces Day, too.

In a speech announcing the formation of the day, President Truman “praised the work of the military services at home and across the seas” and said, “it is vital to the security of the nation and to the establishment of a desirable peace.” In an excerpt from the Presidential Proclamation of Feb. 27, 1950, Mr. Truman stated:

“Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 20, 1950, marks the first combined demonstration by America’s defense team of its progress, under the National Security Act, towards the goal of readiness for any eventuality. It is the first parade of preparedness by the unified forces of our land, sea, and air defense”.

The theme of the first Armed Forces Day was “Teamed for Defense.” It was chosen as a means of expressing the unification of all the military forces under a single department of the government. Although this was the theme for the day, there were several other purposes for holding Armed Forces Day. It was a type of “educational program for civilians,” one in which there would be an increased awareness of the Armed Forces. It was designed to expand public understanding of what type of job is performed and the role of the military in civilian life. It was a day for the military to show “state-of- the-art” equipment to the civilian population they were protecting. And it was a day to honor and acknowledge the people of the Armed Forces of the United States.

This happened up Old Trooper’s way, but the link was sent to us by Jeff. Just watch the video;

Andy sends us a link to the story about Iraq War veterans Dale Beatty and John Gallina who formed Purple Heart Homes, an organization that builds and modifies homes for Purple Heart heroes;

In 2004, Beatty and Gallina nearly died together when their Humvee was blown up by an IED in Iraq. Beatty lost both his legs, and Gallina suffered severe head and back injuries. Beatty in particular found that his home was not suited for his disability. “Before I had a house that was accessible, I crawled around on the floor, or my knuckles scraped on the door every time as the wheelchair was going through,” he said. Beatty’s community rallied together to help build a home for him and his family. “After all the build and project was done, John and I sat back and kind of looked and said, ‘Is every veteran receiving this best-case scenario?’”

Since its start in 2008, Purple Heart Homes has become much more than a foundation that modifies or provides homes for disabled veterans. It also helps bridge them together with their community. Beatty says, “The community is the key.

The folks at Easy Rest Adjustable Beds asked me to help them spread the word about their products. I’m not getting any money for this, but if helps one person, it was worth it;

Wounded Veterans Eligible for Free Adjustable Beds Through Easy Rest Adjustable Sleep System’s Beds For Our Troops Program

More than 50,000 Americans have been combat-wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001. According to Defense Department accounting, more than 16,000 of those injured have been classified as severely wounded and of those more than 1,600 have had limb amputations. These soldiers spend months, and in many cases years, in the hospital before being released to go back home. Once home, these soldiers’s wounds and injuries make sleeping on flat beds difficult and painful. Many come home to beds that are old and uncomfortable and often times these veterans wind up sleeping in separate bedrooms from their partners because of their pain and sleep issues.

To help these wounded soldiers Easy Rest Adjustable Sleep Systems, a leading national retailer of adjustable beds that are made in America, has created a program to help wounded veterans rest easier by donating new adjustable beds to injured service members through their “Beds For Our Troops” program. Each month a new service member receives a free adjustable bed from the Company.

“Quality rest and sleep is an important component in the journey to wellness,” stated Jeff Mowrey, Chief Operating Officer for Easy Rest. “A good nights sleep helps improve mood, performance and concentration, all of which are necessary for rigorous therapy or the completion of everyday tasks. We are honored to be able to help these brave men and women with this gift and thank them for their service to our country.”

Adjustable beds allow users to adjust the head or foot of the bed to just the right position to temporarily alleviate pain or pressure on specific parts of their bodies so that they can maximize the amount of sleep necessary for healing. The Company’s beds come with relaxing massage features that may help to ease the stresses, aches and pains associated with recuperation. Easy Rest’s adjustable beds can be attached to the users head and footboards and when they are in the flat position they look like any other bed on the market. The mattress quality compares to all of the major brands sold in the United States.

Program recipients can choose the bed size of their choice allowing them to once again sleep with their partner. Veterans who have received beds through this program report a significant increase in the amount of sleep they are able to achieve. They report that they are waking with fewer aches and pains and are able to handle their waking hours better since receiving their new beds.

Army Sergeant Justin Bond is one of the veterans helped by this program. He and his wife have both benefited from sleeping in an Easy Rest Adjustable Bed and he reports that he had to dust off his alarm clock for the first time since being injured after receiving his new bed. You can read more of his story here.

The pictures of the beds made me feel like going to sleep. So, however you are led.

Our buddy, Laughing Wolf at Blackfive asked us to help get the word out about Army Week NYC, so you should check the links out.

Tankerswife sends us a link about Corporal Aaron Ripperda, one of the Marines who was killed in Nevada last week in a mortar accident during training. His home town, Highland, Illinois, prepares to welcome him home;

For the family of Corporal Ripperda, this is more than they could have asked for. For the organizer Larry the Flagman, it’s important to him for the families to see the support. He thinks what better way, than a sea of red white and blue.

“It reminds them that there was that many people out there putting up these flags,” says Larry, the Flagman, Eckhardt.

For the past seven years Eckhardt has been traveling across 10 states helping communities show their appreciation.

“I didn’t serve but this is kind of my way of saying thanks for everything that I’ve been able to enjoy throughout my life,” he says.

You can tell from some of the interviews that this is a heart felt tribute, not just going through the motions. I almost wish I could be there among those good and decent Americans.