http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/militaryfamilies/ en-us Sat, 26 Dec 2009 22:07:24 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415480/posts ST. ANTHONY -- The family of Evan Vela, an imprisoned former soldier from Parker, is expressing gratitude for a Christmas donation to his wife and children. The donation came about through efforts by a national organization to support soldiers accused of crimes related to the war on terrorism. Vela is being held at the military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. In an e-mail, the organization, United American Patriots, says an anonymous donor has made a cash gift of $1,000 to Vela's wife, Alyssa, along with Christmas presents for the couple's two children, a boy and a girl. snipFor more information,... Standard Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415480/posts#comment Sat, 26 Dec 2009 22:07:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413811/posts After 59 years, Army Master Sgt. Silas W. Wilson is coming home tonight, and the fact he will be in a flag-draped casket does not diminish the feeling of anticipation and closure in the heart of a daughter who never knew him. "When I was a child, from the time I had any memory at all, I knew what had hap­pened," Marie Wilson Cleghorn said Tues­day night. "And for 59 years, I've prayed ev­ery day that my daddy would come home one way or another. "It's 22 years too late for my mother to be this happy, and it's eight... The Birmingham News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413811/posts#comment Wed, 23 Dec 2009 16:47:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405780/posts WASHINGTON, Dec. 11, 2009 – It’s a scene that’s played out in airports across the country numerous times in the past eight years: Families and servicemembers clinging to each other, either sad to leave or happy and vowing to never let go again. The emotion always is appropriate, but the location of the scene – just beyond the airline ticket counters and before the security checkpoint - robs the actors of precious minutes with loved ones. Those lost minutes are unnecessary, at least as far as the Transportation Security Administration is concerned, a TSA spokesman said. “TSA permits the airlines... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405780/posts#comment Fri, 11 Dec 2009 23:27:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400578/posts WASHINGTON, Dec. 4, 2009 – More than 3,000 military families will have a few extra presents under the tree this year thanks to the generous efforts of Operation Homefront and The Wal-Mart Foundation. A military spouse receives assistance from volunteers during the Operation Homefront and Wal-Mart Foundation toy event for military families in the National Guard Armory gymnasium in Fayetteville, N.C., Dec. 4, 2009. Courtesy photo by Shane Dunlap  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Operation Homefront, a troop-support organization, invited spouses of deployed servicemembers to shop for free today in six make-shift toy stores stocked with toys and books... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400578/posts#comment Fri, 4 Dec 2009 23:09:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400249/posts ... Representatives from Operation Homefront and Wreaths Across America joined Walmart in Fort Bragg, N.C. today to launch the program, part of ... "Walmart Gives Back," a holiday giving initiative focused on hunger relief and support for military families. "Walmart has a history of supporting our troops. This holiday season, we recognize the sacrifices of our deployed servicemen and women - and their families back at home," said Margaret McKenna, president of the Walmart Foundation. "We know that many military families have a tough time during the holidays. They miss their loved ones who are away, and we hope that... PRNewsWire http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400249/posts#comment Fri, 4 Dec 2009 16:16:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2395185/posts American ThinkerNovember 26, 2009Senator Conrad's insulting defense of trying KSM in New York David Jeffers:Democrat Senator from North Dakota, Kent Conrad, while defending the Obama Administration's decision to try al Qaeda terrorists in civilian courts, said: "If people don't believe in our system, maybe they ought to go somewhere else."  Really Senator Conrad? Would you like to retract that statement? I am a Gold-Star Father, meaning my son Sergeant Eddie Jeffers was killed in Iraq.  I am opposed to terrorists being tried in civilian courts.  Did I mention that I am a 22 year Army veteran?  Is it okay with... AIPNews.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2395185/posts#comment Fri, 27 Nov 2009 02:40:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2391201/posts Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin will sign copies of her memoir, Going Rogue, for three hours Dec. 4 for members of the military and their families at Fort Hood, base officials said. The event will be from 7 to 10 p.m. Dec. 4 at the base’s Clear Creek Post Exchange, or “PX,” said Bruce Zielsdorf, deputy chief of public affairs at Fort Hood. It is open only to people showing military identification cards, he said. Palin is scheduled to be in Plano earlier that day. Zielsdorf said her appearance will be treated as a simple book signing, which... The Waco Tribune-Herald http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2391201/posts#comment Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:29:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2390058/posts Sarah Palin is rolling her "Going Rogue" book tour into Fort Hood, the site of the Nov. 5 shooting that left 13 dead and dozens wounded. "I'm especially looking forward to meeting our brave men and women in uniform at Fort Hood," Palin, 45, wrote on her Facebook page. She'll be at the base on Dec. 4. "I'm joining the efforts of many others by donating my royalties from the book sales during our stop at Fort Hood to the families of the victims whose lives have been forever changed by the tragic events of November 5th," she wrote. New York Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2390058/posts#comment Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:35:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386030/posts "By the way, how many golf games have you played? How many parties have you had? How many fundraisers and campaign events have you attended in the last ninety days since you were told we needed more troops?" A video by the mother of soldier deployed to Afghanistan posted to You Tube on Veterans Day contains an emotional plea to Barack Obama to send more troops to Afghanistan and rips Obama for partying, golfing and dithering while soldiers like her son are in desperate need of reinforcements. The video is entitled, Mr. Obama, Our Troops are Dying!She calls herself 'Debbie'... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386030/posts#comment Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:16:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385129/posts FORT HOOD, Texas, Nov. 12, 2009 – November 5 began and might have ended like any other day for Kanesha Howard, an Army spouse and mother of two. Instead, she found herself living a nightmare by midday, franticly wondering if she still had a husband. Eventually, she learned that Staff Sgt. Alvin Howard, a heavy-wheeled vehicle mechanic assigned to the 20th Engineer Battalion, had been wounded in the massacre here, while preparing with other troops for their upcoming deployment. Since that fateful day, however, Howard has mustered the strength to smile again. Amid unimaginable frustration and destruction, Howard’s husband’s unit... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385129/posts#comment Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:56:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2382680/posts Dressed as ‘zombie soldiers’ killed in combat, ‘ghosts of war victims,’ witches and healthcare fairies, members of Code Pink menacingly paraded in front of a captive audience of children one block from the White House, who waited along the sidewalk in front of Decatur House just off Lafayette Park for a Halloween party hosted by President Obama.Last Saturday, the President hosted several hundred military families for trick or treating. Also invited were children of White House staff and about 2000 children from eleven D.C. area elementary schools.In a press release published at their website, key Obama ally Code Pink –... Big Government http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2382680/posts#comment Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:51:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2382051/posts "I'm sorry." Those were the first words that U.S. Army Pvt. Najee Hull said to his mother after he was shot Thursday at Fort Hood, according to the Sun-Times. "He thought he had disappointed me. He knew I worried about him [being in the Army]," Yvonne Hull said Sunday. Paramedics rushed the Homewood soldier to a hospital while his mother sought to reassure him. "I said, 'I love you. You can never disappoint me; I'll be right there,' " she said. Hull, 20, says he was the first person shot Thursday when Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan allegedly opened fire at... NBC Chicago http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2382051/posts#comment Mon, 9 Nov 2009 13:06:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2374703/posts ABC News' Pentagon correspondent Luis Martinez reports that Barack Obama brought twenty-four reporters, photographers and videographers from fourteen media outlets to Dover Air Force Base to cover his 'surprise' visit there early Thursday morning.The New York Times reported earlier that there was a "small contingent" of media at Dover. However, two dozen is a crowd, especially when vulnerable grieving families are involved.Liz Cheney is being attacked (and here) for pointing out that Obama imposed the question of media coverage on the families by his presence at Dover. Seventeen out of the eighteen families of the fifteen soldiers and three DEA... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2374703/posts#comment Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:36:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2373908/posts Barack Obama was nearly denied the photo-op he traveled to Dover Air Force Base for early this morning as all but one of the military and civilian families of the fallen refused permission for the media to report on the return of their loved ones.The sole family to allow media coverage was the family of Sgt. Dale R. Griffin.According to media reports, Griffin's casket was the last to be brought off the C-17 cargo plane that carried the bodies of 15 soldiers and 3 DEA agents killed this week in Afghanistan.That is a stark contrast to the reported 60% approval... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2373908/posts#comment Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:27:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2372684/posts It was the last way John Bernard would have wanted his voice to gain prominence in the national debate over the war in Afghanistan. The retired Marine had been writing to lawmakers for weeks complaining of the new rules of engagement he believed put U.S. troops at unacceptable risk in the insurgency-wracked country. He got little response. Then Bernard's only son, 21-year-old Lance Cpl. Joshua Bernard — a Marine like his dad — was killed in an insurgent ambush in Afghanistan's volatile Helmand province, the latest victim of a surge in U.S. combat deaths. Three weeks later, Joshua became the... AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2372684/posts#comment Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:41:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2369565/posts It was 4 years ago today that I kissed him goodbye as he left for boot camp in Parris Island. Can't believe how fast the time has flown! http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2369565/posts#comment Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:07:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2363459/posts NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2009 – To the envy of all the neighborhood kids, I was invited to New York yesterday to attend the taping of a special Sesame Workshop production aimed at helping military children. Elmo's dad, Louie, helps Elmo cope with the loss of his Uncle Jack during the filming of a Sesame Workshop video aimed at helping military children deal with the loss of a loved one. Elmo wears his uncle's hat in memory and celebration of his uncle's life. The video was filmed in Queens, New York, Oct. 14, 2009. Courtesy photo by Gil Vaknin  (Click photo... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2363459/posts#comment Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:34:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2363470/posts NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2009 – As filming for Sesame Workshop’s latest “Talk, Listen, Connect,” video got under way here yesterday, it became clear that while it’s not always sunny on Sesame Street, ultimately the clouds can be swept away. Deborah Mullen, wife of Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, poses with Elmo’s mom, Mae, on the New York set of Sesame Workshop’s third “Talk, Listen, Connect,” video Oct. 15, 2009. The new video in the TLC series addresses the loss of a loved one and offers parents and children alike tools to deal with... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2363470/posts#comment Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:44:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2361697/posts It was the last way John Bernard would have wanted his voice to gain prominence in the national debate over the war in Afghanistan. The retired Marine had been writing to lawmakers for weeks complaining of the new rules of engagement he believed put U.S. troops at unacceptable risk in the insurgency-wracked country. He got little response. Then Bernard's only son, 21-year-old Lance Cpl. Joshua Bernard — a Marine like his dad — was killed in an insurgent ambush in Afghanistan's volatile Helmand province, the latest victim of a surge in U.S. combat deaths. AP/YahooNews http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2361697/posts#comment Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:53:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2361706/posts NEW PORTLAND, Maine – It was the last way John Bernard would have wanted his voice to gain prominence in the national debate over the war in Afghanistan. The retired Marine had been writing to lawmakers for weeks complaining of the new rules of engagement he believed put U.S. troops at unacceptable risk in the insurgency-wracked country. He got little response. Then Bernard's only son, 21-year-old Lance Cpl. Joshua Bernard — a Marine like his dad — was killed in an insurgent ambush in Afghanistan's volatile Helmand province, the latest victim of a surge in U.S. combat deaths. ----- Bernard's... AP Via Yahoo News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2361706/posts#comment Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:04:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-vetscor/2359998/posts Burial of an American Lady Written by Norman Fulkerson    Wednesday, October 7, 2009 Colonel Ripley often referred to Moline as his "queen." On September 25, 2009, a small group of family and friends said their final farewell to Moline Blaylock Ripley. She died at her home in Annapolis, Md., on Saturday, September 12, 2009 at the age of 68. Moline was born in Bluefield, W.Va., on Pearl Harbor day, December 7, 1941, to Arnold Vincent and Edna Pais Blaylock. Her family eventually moved to Radford, Va. where she attended Radford High School and later went on to graduate... Tradition Family and Property http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-vetscor/2359998/posts#comment Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:01:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2360073/posts She should be Secretary of State. Fox News Sunday http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2360073/posts#comment Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:09:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2358598/posts This is a REALLY LONG POST — this came directly from my husband, SGT Daddy (with some minor edits from me for OPSEC reasons) The morning began with the siren signaling incoming. I ignored it. I hate putting on my gear and besides the big boy voice had dutifully reminded me that I should remain in hard shelter. I didn’t argue by deed or word. In the meantime the 155’s began to blaze away in support of some action that did not affect me. Later I was called out of my room to help in the aid station. Two of... Army Household 6 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2358598/posts#comment Fri, 9 Oct 2009 17:31:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2358176/posts Abby Bennethum of Laureldale is pregnant with her third child. She says she got pregnant back in June or July just before her husband, U.S. Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Brett Bennethum, deployed to Iraq with the 733rd Transportation Company, based in Reading. "I've heard of deployment babies, but I never thought I'd be having one," Abby said. If Abby's daughter Paige, who turned 4 last week, is any indication, Abby is going to have her hands full. Abby was wrestling with her second daughter, Lena, 10 months, when I spoke to her. Staff Sgt. Bennethum got a four-day pass just... readingeagle.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2358176/posts#comment Fri, 9 Oct 2009 07:24:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2357797/posts Paige Bennethum, 4, holds her daddy's hand as he lines up in formation before heading to Iraq. Credit: Abby Bennethum Some things are just not allowed when soldiers are standing in formation. One of them is 4-year-old girls. However, there was no soldier stern enough to pry Paige Bennethum of Laureldale, Pa. from her father as he prepared to leave last July for a year-long deployment in Iraq. aol.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2357797/posts#comment Thu, 8 Oct 2009 20:05:09 GMT