USMC MISSING

My best friends husband is missing. His active duty, Marine Corps.He is very emotionally unstable right now, faced with many things in his life that caused him to make suicide threats. He has 2 very scared little children at home and a distraught wife. He is currently UA. We are trying to get the word out as much as possible. We are scared for his safety.His Missing Person's Myspace is:http://www.myspace.com/pleasecomehometim

American Airlines Relents

American Airlines relents on charging troops for bags
now if we could just get the Union that hijacked Tyson Foods to relent and repent ;D

Read about the turnabout of American Airlines here

http://www.melaniemorgan.com/

Semper Fund events

4th Annual Injured Marine Golf Benefit

October 06, 2008
Costa Mesa Golf Course, Costa Mesa, CA

The 4th Annual Injured Marine Golf Benefit is scheduled for Monday, Oct 6th, 2008. It will be held at 11:00 at the Costa Mesa Golf Course. The Benefit is limited to 36 teams of four, and will be a scramble format. The awards ceremony, with dinner and dancing, will be at the American Legion Post 291 in Newport Beach. The three previous golf benefits have helped to raise over $100,000 for the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. For more information about this event, please contact Fred Arnold at 949.689.3570 or Karen Voigt at 949.689.3588.

Ride for Semper Fi

October 22-26, 2008
Pheonix, AZ to Oceanside, CA

The "Ride for Semper Fi", chaired by John Greenway, is a charity bicycle ride that will take place October 22nd thru 26th. As a team, they will ride from Phoenix, Arizona to Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California. Upon reaching their destination, riders will present the donations received for this event to the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. The objective of this ride is to raise funds and awareness for the IMSFF. Please visit their website at www.therideforsemperfi.com to learn more about this ride, to meet the team, make donations in support of a team member, or to contact the team. Semper Fi!

AMERICAN AIRLINES CHARGES SOLDIERS FOR DUFFLE BAGS

The new American Airlines rules - posted on the Washington Times and other blog spots ~
This is despicable -we all know that the "Military Discount" is the biggest joke on the planet. I cannot give one example from any military families I personally know being able to benefit from the "discount" and never has my own son been able to do so either - IN FACT - I have been told that usually if you go by way of military discount they tend to "Bump" you more often when they overbook - Just another example of "America is not at war, America's Armed Forces are at war". When will the industrial giants actually put their money where their mouth is and show it?

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/aug/12/soldiers-pay-bag-fee-on-travel-to-war/

Southwest Veterans' Business Resource Center

Josh,

Please visit this link http://membersproject.com/project/view/JMPXIG and cast your vote! And please share with everyone you know!My project idea is Communities Serving Veterans Reintegration Program. There are 95 worldwide project ideas and we are ranked 5th! With your help we will rank NUMBER 1!I really need your help and this is the best way you and your community can serve veterans. All the best,

AlAlbert R. Renteria

CEO

Southwest Veterans' Business Resource Center

Where Communities Serve Veterans™

http://www.swvbrc.org/
760.468.1315

1st Annual Wounded Warriors Car Chow

Long Beach -

1st Annual Wounded Warrior Car Show -

2161 Technology Place -

9AM - 3PM - Flyer

You volunteered to send mail to the 1/2

THANK YOU SO MUCH for volunteering to send care packages, toys, school supplies, letters, to the 1/2. Our contact person is Chaplain Michael Tomlinson.

I have an FPO address for Chaplain Tomlinson but -- he wants to verify that address one more time. As soon as he confirms the address for me I will forward it to you.

Chaplain Tomlinson will be traveling to the battalion's forward operating positions in the very near future. When he returns to his base he will let me know what the Marines in the outlying areas need/wish for. I sent a list of possible care package items to Chaplain Tomlinson and he will review it with the outlying Marines. More as I know it.

Chaplain Tomlinson tells me that at the main base "we have plenty of food, our laundry is done for us and there is plenty of ice cream and cake."

Chaplain Tomlinson stressed that what the Marines at the main base, at any base, really appreciate is individual serving size packages of snacks. He tells me that when they receive a large container, say a large container of peanuts, they use spoons to scoop out peanuts. They will not put their hand into a container to grab some peanuts if someone else has already had their hand in that container.

So -- Chaplain Tomlinson's FPO address willl be coming your way. He will distribute package contents to 1/2 Marines and Sailors at the main base and send them on out to the forward operating positions. A list of what the Marines and Sailors would appreciate receiving will come your way just as soon as I have it.

This is not "your father's" Iraq. Conditions are much improved. I reassured Chaplain Tomlinson that the 1/2 will be held in prayer -- the dangers have diminished but are not gone.

In contrast, our Marines in Afghanistan are in need of everything we can send their way, and of course are in need of prayers. Afghanistan is a very dangerous place to be right now.

THANK YOU!!! Karen

PS -- Jeff, I will let you know when you can start mailing to our nephew Sam.

PPS --- About to click on "Send" and I received this message from Chaplain Tomlinson -- hot off the press!

Karen

Please let everyone know how much we appreciate their support. I’ve been telling everybody how much y’all want to do and just telling them that brings a smile to their face and makes them happy.
I was talking to our Medical Officer and he wondered if you knew of a group that collected unwanted prescription glasses? It seems the Iraqis really need glasses and this is a way to make friends.
I start traveling this week and will be able to let you know what is needed from your list. I think your kindness means more than things.

God bless
Chaps T

OC Register-" Coveting the Evangelical vote"

Good Sunday to all,

In light of the importance of this years Presidential Election, the upcoming August 16th Saddleback Church "Compassion and Leadership civil forum" with Senators John McCain and Barack Obama ; will be held in Orange County CA and broadcast on National Television.

I have written an Op-ed about the Presidential candidates and their views concerning evangelical Christians. It runs in Sundays OC Register. I believe that everyone -Including Evangelicals, has an Important vote and role to play in their community. Angelica and I send our Blessings and thank you once again for supporting all our Veterans!


Shawn Black
Founder
Project Prayer Flag
www.projectprayerflag.org

WILL YOU SEND CARE PACKAGES TO:

Hello everyone ---

I am in communication with 1/2 Chaplain Michael Tomlinson. 1st Battalion 2nd Marine Regiment deployed to Iraq 2 weeks ago. Included among the Marines serving with 1/2 is our nephew Sam.

At this time we are looking for people willing to send care packages to Chaplain Tomlinson for distribution to 1/2 Marines and Sailors. I have a message in to Chaplain Tomlinson confirming his FPO address. If you wish to send care packages his way, school supplies and/or toys for the Iraqi children please let me know. I will then send his FPO address to you. You can volunteer to send packages throughout the deployment, to gather and send new school supplies and/or toys, or to send a one time package. I would encourage anyone sending care packages to include letter(s) to individual Marines and Sailors. You might want to enclose a pre-addressed envelope in which a Marine or Sailor can place a return letter to you. No stamps are required on the envelope coming back to you. Do enclose paper and pens in your care package as well.

We will help you with a list of items you may want to send, instructions re packing the boxes and completing customs forms.

I have been unable to participate in the last few 1/2 chats on marineparents.com. If any of you have participated in the chats and have ideas for care packages please share them with me. If you wish to share an FPO address for a 1/2 Marine or Sailor feel free to do that as well.

Chaplain Tomlinson's wife had this input for us: Apparently, at the moment, they are craving salty snacks -- popcorn, planters peanuts and cashews, pretzels (if bagged must be packed to protect them). He also reminded me to bag items separately -- they got some bubblegum-flavored tootsie rolls, so he reminded me that strongly flavored items such as bubblegum, mints, etc., should definitely be separated from other items.

And I received this from Chaplain Tomlinson: if you know of someone wanting to donate school supplies or toys we could use them to build bridges of friendship with the Iraqis. The war is moving into a new phase as our success produces greater stability and its paramount we succeed in a war where the kinetic response is not always the best response.

As for Marine care packages individual portion things are a real plus. For hygiene reasons we’re reluctant to dip our hands in say a big can of nuts after one another.

We have had a wonderful response to our request to send packages to 2/7 (Sgt. Nathan Guite) in Afghanistan. I hope we will have an equally wonderful response to our request on behalf of the 1/2. Again, let me know if you wish to send packages and I will give you Chaplain Tomlinson's address, care package ideas and mailing instructions. Thank to those of you who are sending packages to LCpl. Daniel Hodges and Sgt. Mike Sicard. We may have other individual Marine's addresses for you in the near future so stay tuned.

THANK YOU!!

Karen

PS -- 1/2 will be in Iraq for Christmas. 2/7 should be, better be, home in time for Christmas.

BIG FAVOR

I have a big favor to ask, if you know or have an email address of anyone serving in Iraq I'd really appreciate your getting it to me.

I am trying to get a program off the ground to where we can communicate and support them.

Also, please check out my new Forum

Semper Fi
Robert (Gunny) Hiles
Please visit "The Gunny Shack"

Navy Seals shoot out in IRAQ

A team of U.S. Navy SEALs fires on insurgents from a rooftop Friday, April 21, 2006 in Ramadi 115 km (70 miles) west of Baghdad, Iraq. U.S. soldiers patrolling in Ramadi say that enemy contact is so regular, they can make accurate estimates of how long it will take to be shot at after the start of their patrols. Estimates range from 45 minutes for one company to just 8 minutes for another

Video

Iraqi Freedom Veteran treated like second class citizen at local VFW

To whom it may concern,

My name is Joseph G. VanDyck and I am a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army Reserve and a member of VFW Post 2031 in Statesville North Carolina. I have served 2 back to back tours in Iraq, to include a 3 month extension last fall. I am currently here in Pennsylvania working my civilian job. One of my coworkers who is a Vietnam Veteran and a member of the Fred Barley VFW Post 5667 told me about the great PrimeRib dinners, the cold beer, and the friendly members and staff at the VFW post. I went there last night to have dinner. Everything went great until they found out I wasn't a member of their post. I was then rudely moved to the back banquet room out of view of everyone. I was also told that I could not order anything else sinceI wasn't a member. I produced my current VFW membership card and my military id card. They really didn't care about this.

This is the first time I have ever felt like a second class citizen for having been away from my family and done 2 back to back tours of Iraq. This is to include being medevacced from theater during my first tour for injuries received. If this is how the local VFW Post treats out of town combat veterans, I never want to return to this area again. I travel quite frequently for my career and have been to many VFW Posts with out being made to feel like this. I am writing a formal complaint letter to Post 5667's Commander, my Post's Commander, and the National Commander of the VFW in Kansas City.

I just wanted to let the people of Elizabethtown and Hershey know how a veteran from out of state is treated at a local VFW Post. Thank you for letting me express my point of view.

V/r,

Joseph G. VanDyck

I’ve known Joe VanDyck since November 2006 when he along with his (NPTT) National Police Transition Team arrived from the states to conduct a (RIP-TOA) relief in place-transfer of authority with an Army (SPTT-NPTT) Special Police Transition Team-National Police Transition Team (Commandos) that I was attached to as a civilian police adviser.

I had three Army teams and one Marine SPTT, pronounced (Spit’s) teams. I spent twenty years in the Marine Corps, (16) in Reconnaissance before retiring and becoming a High Point Police Officer. I am currently a police officer with Guilford Technical Community College . We trained, advised and ran missions with the Iraqi’s on a daily basis. This was very dangerous work and long before the “Surge”.

I spent 18 months straight in Iraq and left in January 2007. I have included four pictures of myself and Joe who is in each of these. I’m the guy in (Mar-Pat) Marine-Pattern digital camouflage. Joe is to my left in three of the four photos. Also there is one photo that he sent me while he was in Iraq after I went home. Yes, that is General Petraeus reenlisting Joe in Baghdad . I looked quickly for these photos and I’m sure there are many more that I haven’t located as of this e-mail. In-fact, I don’t think Joe has ever seen these pictures that were taken of us.

I have been in contact with Joe often over the last 20 months and am saddened to hear from him about this incident that recently happened to him and another VFW member. I have been a VFW member since I returned from Vietnam many, many years ago and I have never received this kind of treatment from any VFW post I ever visited or attended. I have absolutely no reason not to believe what Joe wrote in this e-mail.

We are veterans and have served this great country in war. We above all others know what service means! This must never happen to one of our own. Please take the time to read Joe’s e-mail and then pass it on to other VFW members and for that matter any other veteran across this country. If we don’t look out for each other, then who will?


Johnny M. Russo
VFW Post 9899
High Point , NC