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Patriotic Songs

Hello, my name is Cathy Michener and I am preschool teacher in Conshohocken, PA. It is a shame that young school children do not know the word to our old Pattritic songs like "God bless America" and other. This gave me a idea to start teaching my 3 year old class these songs. Nothing sounds better the a 3 year old singing "God Bless Amreca". It brings a small tear to your eye. i am so proud to teach these song to my class and they love to sing them. We also remember to Thank the soilders every day.

cathy Michener
Norristown, PA

veterans

VETERANS
This letter is written by a 12yr old girl dedicated to her grandpas.

Veterans are most commonly misunderstood. They are not violent and mean. There only doing there job and that is to protect this country and I say there doing a pretty good of a job. People need to stop sterotyping and start thanking the veterans for what a good place this earth has become and how safe we can sleep at night knowing how safe we are and how protected we are knowing that we are safe because of them. And we should thank them for what a good of a job there doing. I am writing this story because people misunderstand veterans and I think that is just plain old wrong because they dont deserve that. And i know also that they have served and who are awsome veterans but and i dont think that they relize that they are told that from you. Because they know that how bad some of the world is not there fault and its not and they need to learn that. And i dont think they will unless you and me help them learn that. They are awsome veterans and no one or anything is better or is going to be better then them.

THIS IS TO ALL THE VETERANS OUT THERE SERVING AND FIGHTING FOR OUR FREEDOM AND I APRRECIATE IT SO THANK YOU.

Anonymous
duluth, MN

Change of Perception

Until four years ago, I didn't really know the feeling of pride in our country. Sure I saw the news and was glad I didn't live in another country where women are little more then indentured servants or something similar. But didn't know the true feeling of pride. June 2007, on a whim, tired of my daily grind I applied for a job out of the paper, and was hired by a national veteran's organization that works closely with our US veterans. Then I started to truly know pride in our military and soldier. I heard the stories, met the men and women who have sacrificed so much, and felt their pride and love of country.
A year ago, that feeling intensified a little more as the stories became a bit more personal. My 2nd cousin, serving in the Army, in Kundar Providence, Afghanistan was killed in small arms battle. I didn't really know him at all in life, but have started to know his legacy after death. He death has brought my family closer together as we all are very proud of him. He selflessly sacrificed everything for his beliefs. He left two small children and a young wife, as well as a huge extended family behind, but will forever be proud and honored of him.
I have an uncle who served in the Navy some time ago, and his sons went on to serve as well. One who was in the Air Force, one who is a Marine, and another who is in the Navy. As well as the brother of the cousin who died who was also in the Army.
I am proud of not only my cousins, but also of "my veterans" who I work with and for everyday!

A.S.
Wichita, KS

Saying Goodbye for 1 year

Last November, shortly after Thanksgiving, my 11 year daughter went with me to see her Dad and his unit leave for Fort Hood - later to be deployed to the Gulf. She waited patiently during the farewell ceremony, clingy to him at every opportunity. He gave her one of his hats to wear and she finally smiled. The day was somber and the temporary good-bye was upcoming. The families watched them load the Blackhawks and gave a final hug. After this, we would pray Skype and Majic Jack would work to keep us united as a family. We went to the flight line and someone handed her a flag. I was standing behind her and took this picture. There were MANY tears from my child this day. She misses him terribly. His safety is always in the back of our minds. We focus on the positive. We focus on the day he will be back home. During this year, as a family...I can assure everyone that it is very true, "freedom is not free". Thank you to all our brothers and sisters (and families) fighting this fight.

Tracy Ussery
Atlanta, GA

He is homeless...

Today, while on my lunch hour, I saw a man with a piece of cardboard stating he was homeless and his picture in uniform was pasted on it. I asked him if this is true - are you homeless and served in the Army? He said yes for 8 years I was in the Army. The VA helps with medical, even though he needs to pay 40% of his dental...but they can't find him a job. He's a chef and has put in applications at most restaurants from end of the city to the other. Since he doesn't have a real address, public assistance of any kind is tricky. He gets a motel room when he's had a good day begging for money. He didn't retire from the Army and is not disabled so there is no monthly check. It saddened me deeply- I knew there were/are homeless vets but before talking to Greg, it didn't have such a personal feeling. I pray for him and all veterans to get the help, whether it be financial and/or emotional, they need and deserve!.

Anonymous
Cincinnati, OH

Who my Mom works for

My daughter was stationed in Iraq and her daughter was staying with me. We went to one of my son's basketball games and as we stood to satute the flag and give the Pledge of Allegiance, my grand daugher who was 3 at the time pointed to the flag and yelled "Look Grandma, that is who my Mom Works for!"

Deborah Perkins
Coudersport, PA

Our Dads

My father was a medic in WWII. Because he died of a brain tumor when I was four, and his records were lost in the fire at the St. Louis records center, I can't tell you too much about his service. He was promoted to 2nd Lt. in the field. He helped liberate one of the concentration camps, which was especially hard for him because his grandparents were German.
My husband's father landed at Normandy on D-Day. He and a Native American were the only two on the craft who didn't drown because they were carrying illegal knifes and were able to cut off their packs. He never forgave himself for surviving. He was a "Bastard of Bastonge" and later helped to liberate the concentration camp at Dachau. There, he saw his best friend beheaded by enemy machine gun fire. He went AWOL for a while, and the Army removed his Silver Star. He threw his other awards after the war anyway. He said he didn't deserve them--the guys who died did.

Anonymous
Concord,, NC

Desert Shield 1990

On September 23, 1990, my reserve unit was loading buses bound for our mob site at Ft Polk, LA. This day also happened to be my 2nd wedding anniversary. As I was saying my good byes to my family, small tears started to form in my eyes. Later my wife told me, that was the first time she remember seeing tears in my eyes.

Anonymous
Camden, AR

A Good Man Needs Our Help!

Jim needs serious prayers and I ask you to please make your congregation aware of this need. When he was active duty for the first 14 years, he was exposed to a deadly chemical called Trichloroethylene (TCE) and now has full blown Cirrhosis and will need a liver transplant in the very near future. He almost died twice due to bleeding out and has had many surgeries to correct it and blood transfusions. We went to a transplant class yesterday and he will be put on the list for the transplant probably next month. The wait for a liver is 3 to 6 months! This is the greatest challenge of our lives so please pray for him and me as I struggle with this everyday. He is by far my best friend and I hate to see him suffer. He is now considered "Unemployable" and not permitted to work. We are trying to get his VA disability as it was already denied once. Hard to believe, huh? After 20 years serving his country we have to fight for this right. It hasn't been easy. We are loosing our home and will move in with my sister for a while until after his disability comes in which could take a year. I lost my job after 5 years working front office administration for an Ob/Gyn private practice that was going through financial difficulties. They had to let the last two people hired go and I was one of them. Now I stay home and take care of Jim and take him to his weekly many doctor's appointments and procedures. I have Fibromyalgia and it has flared up so bad in the recent months causing me a great deal of pain mostly in my legs and back where I had my surgery.

Brenda Sandefur Leonard
Abingdon, VA

Looking Around

My husband was in Afghanistan on a 12 month tour and, he was finally coming home on Labor Day weekend and arriving in Fort Polk at 8pm. I drove to Fort Polk from Houston and arrived at the hotel, he arranged for us, around 5:30pm as I started to get ready I got a phone call from him saying their flight had been delayed and won't arrive til 5am the next morning. When the time arrived I went on post and waited in a gym full of families and friends of the entire unit, as we waited they showed a slideshow of pictures of the soldiers. Then someone got on the microphone to say they just went through the gate and will be arriving soon, after the announcement was made a video of them getting off the plane started to play. As it finished the unit marched in and when they released them I looked around for my husband, then I felt a tap on my shoulder I whipped around and there he was standing behind me. He immediately wrapped his arms around me, it was one of the happiest moments of my life.

Stephanie R
Fort Polk, LA