Monday, February 20, 2006

What Can You Do?

Laurie over at Soldiers’ Angels New York has a post up about a new 501(c)(3) organization called Vets for Freedom. Since Laurie is a straight-shooter, I surfed on over to Vets for Freedom and checked out their mission statement and read the letter from their Executive Director. This letter says, in part:

The Global War on Terror is being fought on two fronts. Our troops are performing magnificently in Iraq fighting a tough and dirty enemy. We are winning in Iraq through a combined military, political, diplomatic and economic effort . However, we are losing the war for the will of the American public to see this conflict through because of the distorted means by which it is too often portrayed.

Inaccurate or politically inflamed media reports and policymaker statements based on rumor, speculation and even nonexistent events place an almost singular focus on negative aspects of the conflict versus any attention to many successes that take place almost daily. Those of us from the frontline have a much different view, but for reasons beyond our understanding, our perspective has been largely ignored. Vets for Freedom seeks to change this environment, providing viewpoints both positive and negative on what will be needed to achieve victory.

Enough said. One cannot argue the points made by Vets for Freedom Exec Director Wade Zirkle, a former Marine who served in Iraq. I agree with everything he says in his letter, and more to the point: I signed up.

There’s a couple of other things you could do, too.

If you’re a Mom with a child in service, consider joining Blue Star Mothers. Their official site is here. And here’s a DoD Press Release about the Blue Star Mothers. From the press release:

Membership is at an all time low. “We have about 1,200 members nationwide,” Naill said. “There were about 30,000 members during World War II and several thousand during the Korean War and Vietnam War.”

“You can find support, the joy of giving and also find people who will understand if something
happens,” Naill said. “Even in peacetime they don’t always come back as they left. We have strength in our sisters. We also feel a kindred spirit to our Gold Star Mothers.”

The point about the membership of Blue Star Mothers being at an all time low may not be accurate. The press release is well over five years old, and, hopefully, membership in this fine organization has grown.

If you have a son or daughter in service, consider buying and displaying a Service Star Flag. You say you never heard of a “service star flag?” Well, follow the link! And here’s a brief history:

Display of the Service Star Banner first came about during World War I. During WWI and WWII most flags were hand made by mothers across the nation. One of the most famous flags was that of the five Sullivan brothers who all perished on the U.S.S. Juneau.

Each blue star on the flag represents a service member in active duty. A gold star is displayed if a service member is killed in action or dies in service. If several stars are displayed in one family the gold star takes the honor of being placed at the top.

Display of a Service Star Banner is done during times of war. Once again families are displaying banners at home. Banners may be purchased through the internet, at stores, or made by hand.

I don’t think I’ve seen a single Service Star Flag displayed, ever. I’ve seen them in windows of homes depicted in World War II movies, but never in real life. I ordered my flag (at the Service Star Flag link above) this evening and it will be displayed proudly in the front window of El Casa Móvil de Pennington. It’s the least I can do.

1 comment:

Just be polite... that's all I ask.