Sounds like you got a well-deserved break, Mike .. how great. And who knew you're a pie baker?? I'm impressed. Right now, I'm just too darn stuffed... but it's so nice to now gaze at the fridge, full of yummy leftovers.
I see the ditch bums and jobless have gathered in Crawford... and it never dawns on them that they only have the privilege of exercising their dissension because it was bought by the blood and sacrifice for more than 2 centuries of our brave American armed forces, including her brave son. Her stupid "monument" stands as a symbol of aiding the enemy and personal selfishness. I hope one of the residents there accidently backs into it. Casey deserved so much better.
President George W. Bush calls troops from his ranch in Crawford, Texas, Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2005.
THANKSGIVING DINNER IN IRAQ – U.S. Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., Multinational Force Iraq commander, talks with Task Force Baghdad soldiers during the evening Thanksgiving meal at the Rock of the Marne Sports Oasis Dining Facility at Forward Operating Base Prosperity, Iraq, Nov. 24, 2005. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Andrew Miller
Soldiers Say Weapons Caches Were ‘Like a Gun Show’
Excerpt:
"Less than 20 minutes after beginning their mission, the soldiers found a mortar round hidden inside a bus parked in an old garage. Once soldiers began thoroughly searching the vehicle, they could barely believe their eyes.
Inside a hidden compartment was a large cache. The soldiers seized 37 blocks of explosives, 75 demolition charges, 400 feet of detonation cord, hundreds of blasting caps, 33 mortar rounds, 30 hand grenades, 29 RPG rounds, 20 hand-grenade fuses, 86 assorted radios, four night-vision devices, four light anti-tank weapons, three mortar fuses, two submachine guns, a sniper rifle, a video camera, a laser range finder, and several thousands of rounds for different weapons.
“It was a gun show,” Casiano said. “With all the weapons, munitions, improvised explosive device materials and shoulder-launched missiles that were brought out from a hidden panel inside the bus, there were enough weapons to arm at least 30 men.
Thankfully, the hard training of the Iraqi Army battalion allowed them to conduct the searches with success.”
However, the morning had just begun for these troops because less than a half hour passed before the Iraqi and American Soldiers found two more caches in the area.
These smaller caches contained 50 12.7-millimeter rounds, 18 rounds of linked 40-millimeter high-explosive grenades, dozens of mortar fuses, old Iraqi Republican Guard uniforms, five gas masks, five parachutes, two mortar rounds and two artillery shells.
The soldiers also discovered six already-prepared Improvised Explosives Devices waiting to be picked up and used against Iraqi civilians, Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition Forces.
“I feel a considerable dent was put into the local insurgency,” said U.S. Army Pfc. Michael Wilmott, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry. “With the December elections coming up quickly, it is a good thing to have the locals tip us off as to where weapons caches are located.”
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CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq(Nov. 25, 2005) -- Many of America’s men and women in uniform consider their military service a great honor and an experience they will never forget.
Recording that experience with pen and paper is how one Marine has chosen to relay her service to the American population.
Corporal Deanna M. Collazo, the Maintenance Information Systems Coordination Office Chief, for Headquarters and Service Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward), is documenting her feelings by writing a novel titled “American Daughter.”
“I wanted to write a book on a woman and enlisted perspective of my time spent in the military,” the Orlando, Fla. native said. “You see a lot of books written by officers but not many by enlisted.”
Collazo credits her passion of writing to her experiences before the military as a writer for her high school newspaper, she said.
“My book is going to focus a lot on boot camp and my experiences both professional and personal,” Collazo said. “Also it will focus on my experiences here in Iraq.”
As a multi-talented individual she is also pursuing a career in the music industry and has high hopes for success.
“When I go home I do studio work and recording for my demo album,” Collazo said. “I plan on sending the album out to various record companies.”
The album is going to be self titled and is going to consist of basic rock ‘n’ roll accompanied by her singing, she said.
She began her music career at a young age and began participating in chorus in high school. She began receiving instruction from a personal vocal coach at the age of 15.
“My vocal coach’s son was a member of N*SYNC,” Collazo said referring to the late 90’s pop group. “So I felt like she gave me an edge on the music industry.”
Even though she had her sights set high in many facets of her lifestyle, serving her country became a huge priority, but not originally as a Marine.
“Actually I was going to joining the Air Force,” she said. “Someone told me I could not make it through Marine Corps boot camp.”
Being in Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps in high school only fueled her passion to become a Marine, Collazo said.
“I knew that boot camp for the Marines was longer and tougher than that of the Air Force, Army and Navy,” she commented. “I wanted to challenge myself to be part of one of the most elite fighting forces in the world.”
Collazo said she was drawn to put her civilian life on hold to serve her nation in the Global War on Terror and that serving in the Marine Corps has helped her to forge every aspect of her goals whether it be behind the microphone or a pen.
“I felt that I had a duty to serve my country, especially after 9-11,” she said. ===================================
How blessed we are to have fine young people like Corporal Collazo ..they're a direct rebuke to the worthless lot protesting. God bless her and all our brave military...I hold them in special prayers while they're away from home and safety for US.
