Wednesday, November 19, 2008

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OPERATION LOVE FROM HOME UPDATE 11-19-08 - THE DEADLINE IS IMMINENT!

Today, we mailed out the Thanksgiving cards we received for the troops. We sent out 449 Thanksgiving cards to troops scattered all over the place - Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Phillippines. Total postage costs were $39.25 for our Thanksgiving shipment. WAY TO GO, Y'ALL!

Just a VERY few days left of our Christmas/Holiday card drive - if you haven't sent in a card or twenty (LOL - every single bit helps!) NOW is definitely the time to do it - so go ahead and drop everything, sign some holiday cards, and get them in the mail *ASAP* -- if not sooner! :-)

Currently, our total stands at 6,200. We have several boxes that are in the process of being read and counted, so that is not our "final" figure by any means. Christmas and holiday cards should be sent to the following address:

If you need a physical address for overnight shipping, please contact me at Kat@OperationLoveFromHome.org and I will give it to you. :)

For more details and further information about Operation Love From Home, please check out our website at: www.OperationLoveFromHome.org .

Y'all totally ROCK! Thanks for ALL you do to REALLY support our troops!

Mama Kat Orr
Operation Love From Home
Post Office Box 1660
Loganville, GA 30052

Wreaths Across America event to honor veterans coming to our National Cemeteries on December 13, 2008

Wreaths Across America event to honor veterans coming to our National Cemeteries on December 13, 2008

Each year Wreaths Across America donates over 5000 wreaths to be placed on graves at Arlington National Cemetery. To date over 100,000 donated wreaths have been placed on gravesites during past holiday seasons.

This year the Marines, Gold Star Parents, Blue Star Parents, family members and friends of the 1/8 Marine Support Network have teamed up with Wreaths across America to find sponsorships for additional wreaths to be placed on gravesites in Arlington National Cemetery. Gold Star Parents of 1/8 Marine Sniper Kirk Bosselman have traveled from Maine to Arlington National in past years to place wreaths on gravesites.

1/8 Marines were involved in the November 2004 invasion of Fallujah. Bravo Company alone lost 13 Marines. Many more were seriously injured, some are still recovering from their injuries today. A reunion has been planned for these Marines in July of 2009, hosted at the home of 1/8 Gold Star Parents, Bob & Beth Houck. Some of these Marines, especially those more seriously injured, cannot afford to make this trip. Wreaths Across America will be donating a portion of the funds from wreath sponsorships that include the 1/8 Group ID number to defray the cost for these Marines.

To sponsor a wreath, please follow this link http://contribute.wreaths-across-america.org/ and include group ID number DCSPCC01 & Arlington National in the space provided, or mail the sponsorship form that I have included with this email.

Your help is appreciated in getting as many wreaths to Arlington National as possible, and helping Marines from 1/8 who cannot afford travel costs, to the reunion reunite with their Marine brothers.

You can see video of past wreath laying ceremonies here: http://www.wreaths-across-america.org/index.html
If you would like to make a donation that supports the travel expenses of the Marines without sponsoring a wreath, please contact me directly.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give to honor these heroes both past and present during the holidays.

National Wreath Project

National Wreath Project

On 5 December 2008 Volunteers will gather at the Gettysburg National Cemetery and place 400 Christmas Wreaths on the graves of our Veterans. This project is an extension of a program started 2 years ago by John and Susan McColley and the Sgt Mac Foundation. The McColleys are parents of Gettysburg native and United States Marine Corps Sergeant Eric McColley who was killed along with 7 other Marines and 2 Airmen in a helicopter accident in the Horn of Africa on 17 February 2006. Last year the Foundation placed 2,100 wreaths on graves at Quantico National Cemetery in Virginia were Eric is interred. This year we will do the same as well as expand the project to Gettysburg National Cemetery. With the financial assistance of local and other Veterans organizations, private and business support we are able to expand this program. We will meet at the GIANT FOOD STORE parking lot on Route 30/York Road in Gettysburg, PA at 0800 Friday December 5th, 2008 to tie the bows on the wreaths, after a lunch break we will travel to the Taneytown Road entrance to the Gettysburg National Cemetery and place 400 wreaths on graves at 1:00 PM. The following day, Saturday December 6, 2008 we will meet at Quantico National Cemetery at 0930 and place approximately 2,100 wreaths there. Your attendance and support is most welcome. We would like to expand the program every year but in order to do so, we need additional support financially and logistically. The cost of the wreaths this year is $ 7.00 each. With sufficient support, we would like to expand this project to be able to place a wreath on every headstone in the Cemetery. If you would like to participate in this project, please contact Stan Clark at 717-337-1728 or e-mail at scmb@earthlink.net

Please see attached photo of Eric’s Gravesite and decorated graves in Quantico National Cemetery.

Background information and photos at www.sgtmac.org

Holiday Help

It's almost time for the holidays! We have some special ways for you to get involved.

Each year at Christmas, my family adopts a small unit of deployed Marines. Marine Corps Moms hosts Operation Santa USMC on a yearly basis. That is where we originally got involved and if you'd like to adopt your own unit, I'd be happy to send you the MCMom's information. However, this year we've chosen to adopt the unit we've all come to think of as "Bigfoot." We send a Christmas Tree, decorations, hats, candy and snacks, as well as a stocking for each individual stuffed with small presents and Christmas Cards from back home. This is where I need your help! I want to gather lots of Christmas cards for each individual. The following is a list of names and where they are from. There are 15 Marines and 4 civilian translators.

CPT Darryl Ayers
Chalmette, Louisiana

1LT Jake Cosme
Ranch Cucamonga, California

1LT Juan Cabrera
New York, New York

1LT Glenn Cruz-Cancel
New Britain, Connecticut

1LT Ryan Cooper
Jacksonville, Florida

SSgt Larry Voss
Glenn Burnie, Maryland

Sgt Cody Yates
Bowling Green, Ohio

Sgt Victor Fernandez
San Antonio, Texas

Sgt Jaime Luna
Dallas, Texas

Cpl Nicholas Baldwin
Laguna Nigel, California

Cpl Adam Berbric
Palmetto Bay, Florida

LCpl Shawn Kronebusch
Melbourne, Florida

LCpl Benjamin Killman
Carthage, Michigan

LCpl Kevin Marin
Las Vegas, Nevada

There are four Civilian Linguists and they provide invaluable support for these Marines. We want to make sure they are not left out. They are living under the same primitive conditions and are an integral part of Bigfoot.

Omed Sorani
Alexandria, Virginia

Mark Saheb
Montreal, Canada

Moe "Jimbo Gates" Salim
St. Louis, Missouri

Moe Al-Talibi
Montreal, Canada

I am asking for Christmas cards. However, if you would like to donate stockings, a tree, anything, please let me know and you can either ship to me or directly to them. **I need to know what you are sending so that I don't go buy double. Please let me know as soon as possible. My goal is to ship everything by December 8, which gives us exactly three weeks.** Anything you can do would be greatly appreciated! As for the cards, I would like to put them in their stockings. Please do not seal them; just tuck the envelopes closed, and mail them to me in a larger envelope.

Please e-mail me back and let me know what you are sending and I will respond with the appropriate addresses. If you are mailing to me, I will send you my address or if you are sending something such as a Christmas tree directly to them, I will send you theirs. Theirs is also located in the most recent update list that was sent out.

I'm attaching a copy of the October issue (to date, the most recent) of the Bigfoot Gazette.

Lastly, here is a list from 1LT Cosme.

As far as specifics go, I went around to see the junior Marines and asked what would help make the deployment smoother. Hopefully we're not being too needy, but the key morale boosters are MWR type items.

-XBOX 360 Games, (Guitar Hero if you can, this was listed several times, go figure?)
-Actual guitars for the Marines to play when they're not on patrol
-DVDs
-Printers (for their computers)
-Place mats
-Knife set (any real knives to be exact... using plastic for everything grows tiresome)
-Table covers (all our tables we built with left over wood, so anything we can throw on and wipe off easy would be great).
-Carpets, rugs, towels
-Blankets (for the upcoming winter, it gets cold out here on the Western Desert)
-Socks (any kind)
-extension cords
-Any and all snacks you can think of

Please let me know how you can help! I'll send out updates as I get information.

Semper Fi,
Holly Wheat
Help 4th Recon-Founder and Project Coordinator
eMail Our Military (eMOM)-Community Relations Leader
-- Support Our Troops!
Help 4th Reconwww.help4threcon.comNow Proudly Partnering with eMail Our Military (eMOM)www.emailourmilitary.com
www.emailourmilitary.blogspot.com

1/8 Marine Reunion 2009!!!!!

http://marine2009reunion.info/ --- this link will take you to a website in progress. Mary Forester has been working very hard on the website itself and is spearheading our fundraising efforts for the 2009 reunion. When you get to the website please click on "Our Troops Are Worth A Million" to learn more about a way that you can raise funds to help us help our Marines and Sailors attend the 1/8 Bravo reunion. Thank you to Jeff Graham for the suggestion and to Beth Houck for taking the ball and running with it. Let me know if you have questions about "Our Troops Are Worth a Million" and I will send your questions on to Beth.

The Wreaths Across America fundraiser is explained below (press release format that you can edit to reflect the name and hometown of your own 1/8 Bravo Marine/Sailor) and it is also explained on the marine2009reunion website. If you wish to sponsor a wreath(s) you must complete your sponsorship order SOON. The sponsorship form specific to our fundraising efforts is attached.

We have another fundraiser on the horizon so watch for more about that. 1/8 families I will be calling you this week about this fundraiser. Feel free to call me at 231-271-3620 if you do not hear from me soon.

Please please share the website link and our fundraising info with all of your friends and family!

I will be adding photos to the reunion website over the course of the next week. Guys, if you would like to add a photo to the reunion website please email it to me and we'll see what we can do. I am slowly calling all of the 1/8 Bravo Marines I can find to go over details about the reunion, and also to review some other topics you will want to know about. If I have not called you as of yet please feel free to call me at 231-271-3620.


Wreaths Across America event to honor veterans coming to our National Cemeteries on December 13, 2008

Many volunteers across the nation will conduct the WAA ceremony this year at National Cemeteries on Saturday December 13, 2008 . Ceremonial wreaths will be placed to remember those who served, honor their sacrifices, and teach our younger generations about the high price of our freedom. Specially made wreaths for Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines and POW/MIA will be placed on memorials during a unique ceremony that will be coordinated simultaneously at over 350 participating locations all across the Country and around the World.

December 13 will mark the 17th anniversary of wreaths from the state of Maine being donated to decorate the graves at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA, and the third year of a national campaign under the guidance of the not-for-profit WreathsAcrossAmerica.org that will bring the same remembrance wreaths to National and State Veterans cemeteries, monuments, and community centers all across the Nation.

All of these specially made wreaths are donated by Worcester Wreath Company in Harrington, Maine. The full story can be seen and heard online by visiting the website listed below.
In addition to these ceremonial wreaths, a number of civic groups around the Country have joined with Wreaths Across America to promote sponsored wreaths that also will be placed on veterans graves in designated sections of participating cemeteries. Each year the sections are rotated to include all veterans. In 2008 it is projected that over 100,000 wreaths will be placed in the Wreaths Across America mission to Remember; Honor; and Teach.

Traverse City West graduate, Sam Williams, was deployed with 1st Battalion 8th Marines in 2003 and 2004. Sgt Williams' battalion suffered 21 casualties during the 2004 deployment, 17 of those casualties ocurred in the city of Fallujah during the month of November 2004. The unit also suffered numerous wounded.

July 4th 2009. A reunion to be held in North Carolina is planned for the surviving members of the 1/8 Marines. By sponsoring a wreath, you will also help sponsor one of the surviving Marines join the reunion who may not otherwise be able to attend..
Sponsors can donate online at www.WreathsAcrossAmerica.org and insert the Group ID number DCSPCC01 to sponosor a wreath and support bringing the 1/8 Marines together. Our sponsored cemetery is Arlington National.

For immediate Release:
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about supporting the Marines of 1/8 please contact...
Karen Fredrickson
Marine Support Network, LLC
231-271-3620

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Need some help if possible..

Hi Josh

Every year my biggest "mission" is Merry Christmas Marines" This year I am TRYING to fill 1500 stockings for 3\8 and 5th Mar. With my other endeavor working with the Generals and HQUSMC on their transition team with the new family Readiness Program I talk to many CO's XO with various units. I chose 3\8 this year because I knew they were going to be arriving in Afghanistan just before the holidays.

Neal Boortz in Atlanta is a syndicated radio show host, similar to Sean Hannity.. Every year he jumps on board with my " Merry Christmas Marines" mission. he has my link on the front page of his we site www.boortz.com this is his 3rd year helping me with this effort. Money is BAD! Normally I would have a total of over 70,000-80,000 by now. I have alittle over 13,000! I have companies that sell me their products at a huge discount or wholesale. I was going to have the stoking stuffing day on Nov 22nd. I had to push it back to Dec. 7th, I have very little.... I am praying I can make this happen this year, I cant let our Marines down.

I know how bad the economy is first hand, between you and I, my husband lost his job back in late Jan. WE have pursued every avenue possible he still can not find work after sending our hundreds of his resume. I as you know am medically disabled since 2004, we used his 401K to live on the last several months hoping to buy us time, Well this month we are not paying our mortgage. I have called them, my senators, congresswoman etc.. several times. no hope for us due to the huge cut in income.. So after 30 yrs we are facing foreclosure in a few months. I need all the help you can get to my organization
www.mom4rmarines.org

I take NO income form my non-profit! I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did.. 95% goes directly to Marines or their families in various ways. Last year I raised 240,000!
Please let me know if you have any contacts that may want to help with this effort.. I do all the stockings with identical items..

Look forward to your response.. A little help can go a long way.

Hugs
Patty Lewis


God Bless all our Marines, Sailors and " Special Angels"

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

OPERATION GRATITUDE

Sat-Sun November 15-16: ASSEMBLING (Official kick-off for Media)
Sat November 22: PREP
Fri-Sat November 28-29: ASSEMBLING (Thanksgiving weekend)
**December 6 Prep Day CANCELED
Sat-Sun December 13-14: ASSEMBLING (400,000th package celebration)
Assembly weekend shifts:
9am-12 Noon1pm-4pm
Mandatory Lunch Break from 12-1
If you would like to volunteer in person for the Patriotic and/or Holiday Drives at the Armory, please email Penny, our Volunteer Coordinator, at: pennyalfonso@yahoo.com no earlier than two months prior to the first weekend. Write "Operation Gratitude" in the subject line.
For address and additional details, please email cblashek@aol.com or pennyalfonso@yahoo.com .

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

BAD DAYS AHEAD

FROM NOW ON !

UNTIL OBAMA IS OUT OF OFFICE & THAT WILL NOT BE FOR THE NEXT 8 YEARS.

IF ANYONE ASK ME A QUESTION ....... MY ANSWER WILL BE

ASK OBAMA HE IS FOR CHANGE !

HE IS GOING TO HELP THOSE WHO ARE TO LAZY AND STUPID TO HELP THEM SELF.

I heard some idiot on the radio say she voted for Obama because he will pay her mortgage, put gas in her car and food on her table. I couldn't believe the crap I heard coming out of this woman's mouth.

After Obama takes office ..... within a few days the troops will be home from Iraq and Afghanistan. According to another idiot I heard on the radio & than I saw him saying the same thing on TV. Obama is going to bring the troops home. So instead of taking the fight to the enemy.... the enemy will bring the fight to us.

9/11 ..... 3,000 dead .... get ready for more building coming down, more body bags in the street. A new war is about to start ...... are you ready ?

My brother and I will start processing the paper work to shut down the family business WRIGHT MAPPING INC. Wright Mappings doors opened in 2002, now they will be closed until 2012. Last year we made more than 250K ! I don't feel breaking my neck busting my ass making money I earned, so Obama can give it away to people who are to lazy & stupid to pay their own bills. Spread the wealth ! Fuck That !

Anyone want to take bets on how long Obama will be in office, before the CIA has him killed ?

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

THE ELECTION RESULTS

Barrack Obama has become the new President of the United States of America ...... I only have one thing to say
NOW WE ARE FUCKED !
My brother & I will start processing the paper work to shut down Wright Mapping Inc. I'm not giving away money I work hard for. FUCK THAT !