Or, as another poster said, "You Support the troops by Supporting the Mission! ~ If you Don't support the mission, have the guts to say you Don't support the troops."
I am a proud cousin, sister, wife, and mother of military men who Freely and proudly ENLISTED - they were not drafted!
My cousin Joe was in the Marines during Vietnam, my two brothers Jesse and Pro were in Vietnam (Army), my husband John was in the Army during the Vietnam War. I am terribly proud to have such great patriots as my relatives.
I forgot to add - my Uncle Ramon (father of the Marine) was in the Air Force, my uncle Stan was also in the Air Force, my brother-in-law Richard (was a Marine), his sons Steve, Rick, and Jon (also Marines), my brother-in-law Cyril and my father-in-law Henry were also in the military (Navy), and one of our sons, Henry Cyril, was also in the Navy.
Three generations of soldiers!
I guess I have been a conservative all my life only I didn't know it...now everyone knows it! :)
And I am certainly glad to have come upon so many like-minded people as are here in Freerepublic!
If I could have, I would have been a pilot too!
True Story - MILITARY CHARLIE BROWN
I think this story is incredible. I think you'll appreciate this...especially the final paragraph. God bless America & ME-109 pilot Franz Stigler.
This a true story, checked out at Snopes.com
Look carefully at the B-17 and note how shot up it is - one engine dead, tail, horizontal stabilizer and nose shot up.. It was ready to fall out of the sky. (This is a painting done by an artist from the description of both pilots many years later.) Then realize that there is a German ME-109 fighter flying next to it. Now read the story below. I think you'll be surprised......
Charlie Brown was a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot with the 379th Bomber Group at Kimbolton , England . His B-17 was called 'Ye Old Pub' and was in a terrible state, having been hit by flak and fighters. The compass was damaged and they were flying deeper over enemy territory instead of heading home to Kimbolton.
After flying the B-17 over an enemy airfield, a German pilot named Franz Steigler was ordered to take off and shoot down the B-17. When he got near the B-17, he could not believe his eyes. In his words, he 'had never seen a plane in such a bad state'. The tail and rear section was severely damaged, and the tail gunner wounded. The top gunner was all over the top of the fuselage. The nose was smashed and there were holes everywhere.
Despite having ammunition, Franz flew to the side of the B-17 and looked at Charlie Brown, the pilot. Brown was scared and struggling to control his damaged and blood-stained plane.
Aware that they had no idea where they were going, Franz waved at Charlie to turn 180 degrees. Franz escorted and guided the stricken plane to, and slightly over, the North Sea towards England . He then saluted Charlie Brown and turned away, back to Europe . When Franz landed he told the CO that the plane had been shot down over the sea, and never told the truth to anybody. Charlie Brown and the remaining of his crew told all at their briefing, but were ordered never to talk about it.
More than 40 years later, Charlie Brown wanted to find the Luftwaffe pilot who saved the crew. After years of research, Franz was found. He had never talked about the incident, not even at post-war reunions. They met in the USA at a 379th Bomber Group reunion, together with 25 people who are alive now - all because Franz never fired his guns that day.
When asked why he didn’t shoot them down, Stigler later said, “I didn’t have the heart to finish those brave men. I flew beside them for a long time. They were trying desperately to get home and I was going to let them do that. I could not have shot at them. It would have been the same as shooting at a man in a parachute.”
Both men died in 2008.
This is a true story:
www.snopes.com/military/charliebrown.asp
THIS WAS BACK IN THE DAYS WHEN THERE WAS HONOR IN BEING A WARRIOR...THEY PROUDLY WORE UNIFORMS, AND THEY DIDN'T HIDE IN AMBUSH INSIDE A MOSQUE, OR BEHIND WOMEN AND CHILDREN, NOR DID THEY USE MENTALLY RETARDED WOMEN AS SUICIDE BOMBERS TO TARGET AND KILL INNOCENT CIVILIANS...HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED......
Dear partner in reaching the world for Christ,
The following note just arrived from Iraq:
"I am a Navy Chaplain stationed with the Marines in Iraq. My friend ... sent you an email requesting Bibles for our ministry here [to American troops]. Any help you could provide would be very greatly appreciated. There is an amazing hunger for God's Word on this base. We put a literature rack inside our dining facility and we are unable to keep up with the demand. The Bibles are placed in the rack in the morning and, by lunchtime, they are almost all gone!! This is happening almost every day! Thank you in advance for your help, we are running out of Bibles to distribute."
There is an amazing hunger for God's Word ... We are unable to keep up with the demand ... This is happening almost every day. Whenever such a report comes in from the war-zone, the urgency of the situation-the need to reach out to our men and women in uniform with the Gospel-strikes anew.
So many American troops are urgently seeking the Truth. Daily, they face "life-and-death" situations, wondering if the next sniper or IED might target them. Many are separated from loved ones, feeling desperately lonely and seeking comfort-the kind of comfort only Christ can give.
Would you help to offer them this comfort?
Especially in the wake of the Iraq troop surge, the Military Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ is receiving many urgent requests like the one above for Christ-centered materials. In fact, requests for 15,000-20,000 Rapid Deployment Kits (RDKs) are coming in each month-all from Chaplains, soldiers, military families, etc. As you may already know, each RDK includes a camouflage New Testament, a daily devotional, and a Would You Like to Know God Personally? booklet-all packaged in a waterproof bag, the perfect size to slip into a uniform pocket.
Thanks to the help and prayers of people like you, the lives of so many soldiers have already been touched by these gifts; here are just a few more recent letters:
From a soldier: "Your ministry is a blessing to me . . . I love your daily devotionals. I have read for a few years the Our Daily Bread daily devotionals. It gives me strength to continue to carry my cross. Truth is my sword and faith is my shield."
From a chaplain: "Thank you for your ministry. I (know) many service members have been blessed by these Kits. God bless those who are making this ministry happen."
"I'm a Soldier serving in Baghdad. I picked up a Bible today and as I was reading I noticed your sticker in the inside cover... it was nice to have a feeling of something being from home. For that I say thank you. It is the small things that keep us going over here."
This pocket-sized gift has had an enormous, eternal impact on thousands of lives. But the work isn't done; in the words of the first Chaplain's letter, "We are running out of Bibles to distribute." More materials are urgently needed and that's why I'm writing again today.
The war rages on, more soldiers are being deployed to dangerous situations, and spiritual need is growing. As the Chaplain said, they literally cannot keep up with the demand; the stacks of Bibles are almost gone by lunchtime. Thousands more men and women in uniform are eager to hear about the Prince of Peace. Could you again help reach them?
Including shipping and distribution costs, it takes just $3.25 to get an RDK into the hands of a service member-showing them how they might find hope and comfort in Christ. Your gift of $52 would provide 16 RDKs-offering soldiers a simple gift that could very well make a dramatic difference in multiple lives. $130 would help provide 40 RDKs, or perhaps you would even consider a greater gift. Whatever God lays on your heart would show these troops that God is with them even in the most difficult and dark circumstances.
Obviously time is of the essence, as these troops are even now serving, or being deployed into life-and-death circumstances. Thank you again for your prayers for these troops, and for helping them find Christ. May God bless you.
Steve Sellers Vice President of the Americas
P.S. The spiritual hunger among troops is tremendous; another report just came in from a base here in the States that shared what happened during a recent chapel service: "God continues to work miracles among our military personnel... Many of these young men came forward to receive the Lord or to rededicate their lives. My rough estimate would be almost 40%, or nearly 100! As we have seen before, many were on their hands and knees in tears before the Lord." Please prayerfully consider how you might fulfill such longing for Christ around the world, offering His comfort as we are called to do:
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) Thank you again.
It is not our intention that the urgency of this online appeal or any other communication from Campus Crusade For Christ cause feelings of pressure or obligation for financial participation. Readers are invited to join as partners in this project only as they feel led by God to do so. We believe that God will meet the need presented here through those who respond in this way.
All contributions to Campus Crusade for Christ are income tax deductible and are made with the understanding that Campus Crusade for Christ has complete discretion and control over the use of all donated funds.
Demonstrators including Daniel Flores of San Jose, Calif., center in black shirt, and Vietnam veteran Ronnie Guyer of Chino, Calif., center in yellow jacket, chant in support of the United States military on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue yesterday in Los Angeles. The rally was about a half a block from the 75th annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre. (Reed Saxon, Associated Press)
Monday, March 24, 2003
By Karen Matthews
NEW YORK -- A day after massive anti-war rallies attracted thousands across the nation -- including more than 100,000 people in a march down Broadway -- hundreds of people gathered in Times Square and other cities yesterday to show support for the war in Iraq.
About 600 people waved American flags and chanted "U-S-A! "U-S-A!" at the Times Square demonstration.
"Thank God we have a president who is a real global leader, protecting our liberty and security, relentless in his pursuit of justice and not bending to the appeasers," said Republican activist Michael Benjamin, who is considering a run for U.S. Senate against Charles Schumer in 2004.
"The entire world community has said time and again that Saddam Hussein is a danger and that he must be disarmed," said former Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler. "But it is the United States and the coalition of the willing which has finally been willing to stand up and say, 'What must be done, let it be done now.' "
On Saturday, a throng 30 city blocks long had marched down Broadway to oppose the war. Organizers put the crowd at 250,000; police said it was 125,000 strong. Police said 91 people were arrested, and 16 officers were hospitalized after they were sprayed with an unknown substance.
Near Richmond, Va., yesterday, police said more than 5,000 people showed up to show their support for the war - something veterans Terry Steer said they could have used during Vietnam.
"I'm here to support the troops because I know what it was like when people didn't," said Steer, 55, who fought during the 1968 Tet Offensive with the 1st Air Calvary Division of the Army. "That can't happen again."
In Washington, about 300 activists turned out for a pro-military rally on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, waving signs saying "God bless our troops" and "Freedom is not free." Republican Congressman Steve King of Iowa said all Americans - even the ones opposing the war - need to stand behind the troops now that the war is underway, and that some protesters have been displaying "un-American values."
Born: May 31, 1948
Party: Republican
Family: Married to Lynne Hunter. They have two sons, Duncan Duane and Sam Hunter.
History: The son of a real estate developer, Duncan Hunter won a congressional seat in 1980, the same year Ronald Reagan became president.
A Californian, too, Hunter is a Vietnam War veteran who won a Bronze Star and, while in Congress, has steadily and aggressively backed a bulkier military budget.
He's backed the B-1 and B-2 bombers, objected to Clinton-era cuts in spending and, in the Bush years, been an ardent supporter of the Iraq War.
Hunter also has made battling illegal immigration a cause, co-authoring a law last year to mandate the construction of a fence along the United States' southern border.
Hunter is an attorney, but he's spent the bulk of his working the halls of Congress. He was 32 when he was elected in a Democratic-leaning district surrounding San Diego and has had relatively little trouble getting re-elected since then.
Hunter became chairman of the House's Armed Services Committee in 2002 and made it a point to try to counter criticism of the Iraq war effort.
Hunter does part from other Republicans in that he's opposed major trade deals over the past 13 years, including the North American Free Trade Act.
Hunter lives in the San Diego area with his wife, Lynne. They have two sons, Duncan Duane and Sam Hunter.
Congressman Hunter's Biography below is worth reading as you're thinking about Presidential candidates you might support.
About Duncan Hunter Since first being elected to Congress in 1980, Duncan Hunter has devoted himself to ensuring that our military is second to none, securing our nation's borders, and protecting American workers from unfair competition. Hunter works on these issues because he believes that America's greatest strength is our freedom and its protection requires our effort in all areas.
A Vietnam veteran, Duncan Hunter served in the 173rd Airborne and 75th Army Rangers and, after coming home, utilized the G.I. Bill to attend Western State University Law School in San Diego (now Thomas Jefferson School of Law). While completing his degree, Hunter supplemented his income by working in farming and construction, and opened a storefront legal office after graduation where he began serving many in the Hispanic community, often without compensation. .
In 1980, Hunter was asked to mount a challenge for the Congressional seat held by 18-year incumbent Lionel Van Deerlin. Despite the district having a 2-to-1 Democrat registration, Hunter won the seat in an upset. Coming to Washington, Hunter successfully sought a seat on the House Armed Services Committee where he could work on America's national security needs. Serving on this committee throughout his career, Hunter became Chairman of the full committee in 2002, overseeing a $532 billion defense budget. During his chairmanship from 2002-2006, and now as Ranking Member of the committee, Hunter focuses his efforts on providing President Bush with the necessary resources to win our nation's military conflicts, protecting our men and women in uniform, and developing modernization initiatives that will move new and more effective technologies into the field of battle.
Living in a border community, Hunter also came to Congress to make securing the California-Mexico border a top priority. Hunter's goal was to make the region safe for communities on both sides of the border by providing the necessary resources to our border enforcement agencies. September 11th, however, made border security a national security issue and Hunter responded by leading efforts in Congress to seal a porous border susceptible to illegal aliens, drug trafficking and terrorism. Hunter's efforts have resulted in over 59 miles of fencing and border infrastructure to date in San Diego County. Hunter also wrote the Secure Fence Act, extending the San Diego fence 854 miles across California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. These fence provisions were signed into law by President Bush on October 26, 2006.
On the House Armed Services Committee, Hunter has protected U.S. defense jobs in aircraft, ship repair, machine tools, textile, steel and titanium to ensure that what he calls the "Arsenal of Democracy," the U.S. industrial base, is maintained to provide security in time of war. Hunter's other legislative priorities include retaining and increasing jobs across this nation, providing tax relief to hard-working families, keeping our promises to America's veterans, protecting Social Security for present and future generations, and promoting strong family values.
Hunter resides in East San Diego County with his wife Lynne where they, like many of their neighbors, just completed re-building their Alpine home after it was lost in the October 2003 wildfires. In 2006, Duncan and Lynne celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary; they have two sons, Duncan Duane, who served two tours in Iraq in the U.S. Marine Corps, and Sam Hunter, a business student at San Diego State University. Duncan D. and his wife, Margaret, have three children, Duncan Lee, Elizabeth Grace and Sarah Louise, and reside in Boise, Idaho. Sam was married on Valentine's Day 2004 to the former Theresa Heger of Jamul and they had their first child, Marin, in October of 2006.
On a visit to Iraq in June, Rep. Duncan Hunter gave a short speech to Marines in a Fallujah mess hall and told them how important they were in the war on terrorism.
One Marine in the audience found the congressman's talk so inspiring that he wrote about it in an e-mail to his mother. He said it lifted everyone's spirits and "erased all doubts I had about being here."
"I got chills, and thought about how proud I am to be fighting for America in my capacity," he wrote.
The Marine who sent that note was 1st Lt. Duncan Duane Hunter, Hunter s oldest son and one of a handful of troops in Iraq whose father or mother is a member of Congress . . .
Duncan Duane Hunter enlisted in the Marines after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. At the time he was working at a high-tech company and planning to enroll in graduate school. He was also married and the father of an infant son.
"I'd always felt a bit guilty about not joining the military and September 11 gave me a sense of duty that I'd never felt," he said. "That day gave me the reason and the willpower to quit my job and join."
He didn't discuss his decision with his father. Instead, the congressman learned of his son's new career when he saw him running up a canyon in Alpine, trying to get in shape.
Hunter said he wasn't surprised by his son's enlistment, because military service is a tradition in the family.
The congressman is a Vietnam War veteran who served in the Army. One of his brothers was in the Air Force. His father was a Marine officer in World War II.
"My urging for the country is that people from all walks of life should serve the country," said Hunter, R-El Cajon. "That is an important thing."
For the congressman, having a son serving in Iraq "personalizes" his job and gives him insight into what military families are experiencing.
To read the rest of the story -
Click Here - Serving on Two Fronts
Some great reading:
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