When Pompous Becomes Idiotic

Garrison Keillor, once known fondly for his Lake Woebegone broadcasts on PBS, now writes a pompous editorial column for the Baltimore Sun. His Memorial Day column is not only pompous, but ignorant. He writes like a smarmy elitist who did not bother to gather any facts and was annoyed only by his own inconvenience. If this editorial does not enrage you, I do question your patriotism. My comments are at the end.

The disturbing roar of hollow patriotism
By Garrison Keillor
May 28, 2008

Three hundred thousand bikers spent Memorial Day weekend roaring around Washington in tribute to our war dead, and I stood on Constitution Avenue on Sunday afternoon watching a river of them go by, waiting for a gap in the procession so I could cross over to the Mall and look at pictures. The street had been closed off for them and they motored on by, some flying the Stars and Stripes and the black MIA-POW flag, honking, revving their engines, an endless celebration of internal combustion.

A patriotic bike rally is sort of like a patriotic toilet-papering or patriotic graffiti; the patriotism somehow gets lost in the sheer irritation of the thing. Somehow a person associates Memorial Day with long moments of silence when you summon up mental images of pilots revving up B-24s and infantrymen crouched behind piles of rubble steeling themselves for the next push.

You don't quite see the connection between that and these fat men with ponytails on Harleys. After hearing a few thousand bikes go by, you think maybe we could airlift these gentlemen to Baghdad to show their support of the troops in a more tangible way. It took 20 minutes until a gap appeared and then a mob of us pedestrians flooded across the street and the parade of bikes had to stop for us, and on we went to show our patriotism by, in my case, hiking around the National Gallery, which, after you've watched a few thousand Harleys pass, seems like an outpost of civilization.

There stood Renoir's ballerina in pale blue chiffon and Monet's children in the garden of sunflowers. And Mary Cassatt's "The Boating Party," which I stood and stared at for a long time. A lady in a white bonnet sits in a green sailboat, holding a contented baby in pink, as a man rows  the boat toward a distant shore. (Perhaps the boat is becalmed.) The man wears a navy blue shirt,  he is preoccupied with his rowing, and the lady looks wan and mildly anxious, as well a mother should be. The baby is looking dreamily over the gunwales. Is the man a hired hand or is he the husband and father?

A work of art can lift you up from the mishmash of life, the weight of the unintelligible world, and vulgarity squats on you like an enormous toad and won't get off. You stroll down past the World War II Memorial, which looks like something ordered out of a catalog, a bland insult to the memory of all who served, and thousands of motorcycles roar by disturbing the Sabbath, and it depresses you for hours.

If anyone cared about the war dead, they could go read David Halberstam's The Coldest Winter or Stephen Ambrose's Citizen Soldiers or any of a hundred other books, and they would get a vision of what it was like to face death for your country, but the bikers riding in formation are more interested in being seen than in learning anything. They are grown men playing soldier, making a great hullabaloo without exposing themselves to danger, other than getting drunk and falling off a bike.

No wonder the Current Occupant welcomed them with open arms at the White House, put on a black leather vest, and gave a manly speech about how he'd just "choppered in" and saw the horde "cranking up their machines," and he thanked them for being so patriotic. They are his kind of guys, full of bluster, giving off noxious fumes, and when they leave town, nobody misses them.

Meanwhile, the man pulls at the oars, the lady wonders if this trip was a good idea or if some disaster is at hand, and the child lolls on her lap, dazed by the sun. They started this trip in 1894 and haven't advanced an inch; meanwhile, half the people who ever stood and watched them have reached that distant shore and the rest of us are getting closer every day.

I am the boatman and maybe you are, too - it is quiet on the water, we lean on the oars, and we are suspended in time, united with every other man, woman and child who ever voyaged afar.

Garrison Keillor's column appears regularly in The Sun.
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First - Memorial Day was on Monday - Rolling Thunder rides on Sunday. It seems Keillor does not know when Memorial Day is. I'm not quite sure how looking at French Impressionist art is an expression of patriotism, but in Keillor's very small frame of reference it is. Does he know that without the sacrifices of men better than he is, he would not get to go to the museums in DC.

Second - Rolling Thunder is made up of Veterans - started by Vietnam Veterans and now joined by more recent Veterans. Keillor chooses to denigrate them and deny them the honor deserved. He calls them drunkards who fall off of bikes, and denies them the honor of their service. Little does he know that these men ride for their POW-MIA brothers and for their fallen comrades. They ride for Veteran's benefits and hold the VA to account at all times. They have played a much wider role in American history than Keillor, or for that matter Halberstam and Ambrose who recorded others actions from the safety of their offices.

And, finally, he insults the World War II Memorial - and while we can agree to disagree, he does not express any respect who served, in fact he calls it a bland insult.


Oh, and don't forget the obligatory liberal insult to the President.

Keillor, you are a small minded, arrogant elitist who knows less about his country than most. You have so much secured for you by these 'fat men' that you will never comprehend. You sicken me and I am sorry you live in my country.

Comment Policy

Comment Policy

I am always astonished when I have to lecture on acceptable behavior to people who are supposed to be adults. I was shocked when I had to put comment moderation into effect.

Since we seem to be a society of people who have no sense whatsoever, I am now forced to write what seems to be the obvious to me and anyone with manners.

1. This is my house - be respectful or leave.

2. Disagreement is not curse words and threats. Calling names is never appropriate.

3. Tributes to the fallen are not appropriate places for your political commentary.

4. Be on topic. It helps if you actually READ the post.

5. Sign your post. If you use annoymous, sign the post at the end - Fred, Howard, Julie, 123, 90210, FluffyKitty - sign something so that you are identifiable in replies.

If you can't take credit in someway for what you are writing, maybe you shouldn't be posting it.

6. If you want to spout vitriol, go to one of the many sites that enjoy that sort of thing.

Comment moderation went into effect on this blog when, on more than one occassion, people left foul remarks on the tributes to the fallen. A tribute to a fallen soldier is not the place for your anti-war, anti-American, anti-whatever comments - it is tantamount to having an anti-war protest in a graveyard - shame on you.

In other words, if you wouldn't say it to your Mother and Grandmother, it shouldn't be said here.
And, if you don't know how to be respectful to your Mother and Grandmother - GO AWAY!

Comments will be moderated as quickly as I can. Thanks for your patience.

President's Day

President's Day or is it Presidents' Day or Presidents Day?

I liked having Lincoln's Birthday - February 12
I liked having Washington's Birthday - February 22

In school, we talked about the men - we drew log cabins for Abe and Cherry Pies for George - and they became the symbols and memory triggers for the many things we learned

about these great Americans and Presidents.

I always thought (and still do) that, additionally, we needed a Founder's Day.

Now we have this day that no one knows anything about
except that Federal (and some State) Employees get off.

President's Day = a day to celebrate one specific President (which one?)
Presidents' Day = a day to celebrate many specific Presidents (which ones?)
Presidents Day = a day of many Presidents (all of them?)

So now, no one celebrates anything - no one learns anything -
no one knows anything about the Presidents.

How Sad.

John Granville ~ USAID Officer Murdered in Sudan

John Granville was murdered in the Sudan on January 1, 2008. Granville, 33, a USAID (United States Agency for International Development) worker was shot to death, along with his driver, in the area near the UN compound of Khartoum - an area considered safe. Granville was from South Buffalo, New York.

John Granville was in Sudan to bring radios to the population of South Sudan. His family described him as "part of a team trying to negotioate peace in the Sudan. John's life was a celebration of love, hope and peace."

In a country wracked with violence and Islamic extremism, the Sudanese are quoted as saying that the incident was 'isolated and has no political or ideological connotations.'

It is hard to believe that the murder of an American aid worker is not a targeted killing of an American. It is especially difficult to believe it without any investigation whatsoever. After all, this is the same nation that gave us the teddy bear teacher.

We will hold John Granville's family and friends in our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.

Protesters Mar Veterans Day Parades

Veterans Day parades across the country were dealing with the political rather than the honor due to our veterans. A group known as veterans for peace were refused entry into the Veterans Day parade in Boston, which is run by the American Legion. They were also denied a place on the speakers dias.

To express their disdain and disrespect for the American Legion, they marched at the end of the parade with inverted flags on their backs and carrying inverted flags, chanting anti mantras. Then, they took over the speaker's platform and 'gagged' themselves to show that their speech was being restricted because they were not invited into a private event. 18 of them were arrested - and, they are proud of it.

Local groups showed up at many Veterans Day parades across the nation - they were allowed to march in some, not in others, but at all of the parades, they turned it into a political statement. In some they were joined by Code Pink and other anti-war groups.

This type of insertion of politics into an event meant to honor and the blatant disrespect for our flag is pathetic. Veterans Day was not about the anti's favorite topics - Iraq, Bush, Bush, Bush, Iraq - it was about honoring the men and women down through history who have protected us and defended us and, when necessary, fought and bled and died for us. When people behave so despicably, I applaud their exclusion. No one is entitled to take over an event organized by people they disagree with.

Hope Rides Alone by Sgt Eddie Jeffers

Hope Rides Alone

by Sgt Eddie Jeffers

February 1, 2007

I stare out into the darkness from my post, and I watch the city burn to the ground. I smell the familiar smells, I walk through the familiar rubble, and I look at the frightened faces that watch me pass down the streets of their neighborhoods. My nerves hardly rest; my hands are steady on a device that has been given to me from my government for the purpose of taking the lives of others.

I sweat, and I am tired. My back aches from the loads I carry. Young American boys look to me to direct them in a manner that will someday allow them to see their families again...and yet, I too, am just a boy....my age not but a few years more than that of the ones I lead. I am stressed, I am scared, and I am paranoid...because death is everywhere. It waits for me, it calls to me from around street corners and windows, and it is always there.

There are the demons that follow me, and tempt me into thoughts and actions that are not my own...but that are necessary for survival. I've made compromises with my humanity. And I am not alone in this. Miles from me are my brethren in this world, who walk in the same streets...who feel the same things, whether they admit to it or not.

And to think, I volunteered for this...

And I am ignorant to the rest of the world...or so I thought.

But even thousands of miles away, in Ramadi, Iraq, the cries and screams and complaints of the ungrateful reach me. In a year, I will be thrust back into society from a life and mentality that doesn't fit your average man. And then, I will be alone. And then, I will walk down the streets of America, and see the yellow ribbon stickers on the cars of the same people who compare our President to Hitler.

I will watch the television and watch the Cindy Sheehans, and the Al Frankens, and the rest of the ignorant sheep of America spout off their mouths about a subject they know nothing about. It is their right, however, and it is a right that is defended by hundreds of thousands of boys and girls scattered across the world, far from home. I use the word boys and girls, because that's what they are. In the Army, the average age of the infantryman is nineteen years old. The average rank of soldiers killed in action is Private First Class.

People like Cindy Sheehan are ignorant. Not just to this war, but to the results of their idiotic ramblings, or at least I hope they are. They don't realize its effects on this war. In this war, there are no Geneva Conventions, no cease fires. Medics and Chaplains are not spared from the enemy's brutality because it's against the rules. I can only imagine the horrors a military Chaplain would experience at the hands of the enemy. The enemy slinks in the shadows and fights a coward's war against us. It is effective though, as many men and women have died since the start of this war. And the memory of their service to America is tainted by the inconsiderate remarks on our nation's news outlets. And every day, the enemy changes...only now, the enemy is becoming something new. The enemy is transitioning from the Muslim extremists to Americans. The enemy is becoming the very people whom we defend with our lives. And they do not realize it. But in denouncing our actions, denouncing our leaders, denouncing the war we live and fight, they are isolating the military from society...and they are becoming our enemy.

Democrats and peace activists like to toss the word "quagmire" around and compare this war to Vietnam. In a way they are right, this war is becoming like Vietnam. Not the actual war, but in the isolation of country and military. America is not a nation at war; they are a nation with its military at war. Like it or not, we are here, some of us for our second, or third times; some even for their fourth and so on. Americans are so concerned now with politics, that it is interfering with our war.

Terrorists cut the heads off of American citizens on the internet...and there is no outrage, but an American soldier kills an Iraqi in the midst of battle, and there are investigations, and sometimes soldiers are even jailed...for doing their job.

It is absolutely sickening to me to think our country has come to this. Why are we so obsessed with the bad news? Why will people stop at nothing to be against this war, no matter how much evidence of the good we've done is thrown in their face? When is the last time CNN or MSNBC or CBS reported the opening of schools and hospitals in Iraq? Or the leaders of terror cells being detained or killed? It's all happening, but people will not let up their hatred of President Bush. They will ignore the good news, because it just might show people that Bush was right.

America has lost its will to fight. It has lost its will to defend what is right and just in the world. The crazy thing of it all is that the American people have not even been asked to sacrifice a single thing. It's not like World War II, where people rationed food and turned in cars to be made into metal for tanks. The American people have not been asked to sacrifice anything. Unless you are in the military or the family member of a servicemember, its life as usual...the war doesn't affect you.

But it affects us. And when it is over and the troops come home and they try to piece together what's left of them after their service...where will the detractors be then? Where will the Cindy Sheehans be to comfort and talk to soldiers and help them sort out the last couple years of their lives, most of which have been spent dodging death and wading through the deaths of their friends? They will be where they always are, somewhere far away, where the horrors of the world can't touch them. Somewhere where they can complain about things they will never experience in their lifetime; things that the young men and women of America have willingly taken upon their shoulders.

We are the hope of the Iraqi people. They want what everyone else wants in life: safety, security, somewhere to call home. They want a country that is safe to raise their children in. Not a place where their children will be abducted, raped and murdered if they do not comply with the terrorists demands. They want to live on, rebuild and prosper. And America has given them the opportunity, but only if we stay true to the cause and see it to its end. But the country must unite in this endeavor...we cannot place the burden on our military alone. We must all stand up and fight, whether in uniform or not. And supporting us is more than sticking yellow ribbon stickers on your cars. It's supporting our President, our troops and our cause.

Right now, the burden is all on the American soldiers. Right now, hope rides alone. But it can change, it must change. Because there is only failure and darkness ahead for us as a country, as a people, if it doesn't.

Let's stop all the political nonsense, let's stop all the bickering, let's stop all the bad news and let's stand and fight!

Isn't that what America is about anyway?

-Sergeant Eddie Jeffers is a US Army Infantryman serving in Ramadi, Iraq

Editor's Note: Eddie was killed in Iraq today in a vehicle rollover accident.

Go here to read the tribute to him.

Freedom Feels Good by Sgt Eddie Jeffers

Freedom Feels Good

by Sgt Eddie Jeffers

February 10, 2007

Everyday, I live, I breathe, and I think Iraq. It is my life...more so than many of the so called experts who rant and rave about it. I walk these streets, I trudge through this darkness that so much of my life has seemed to become. And I am frustrated. It is hard to battle on the behalf of the ungrateful.

The Iraqis are just as guilty as the Americans in this. It infuriates me to no end to try so hard, to put myself and the ones I lead into the line of fire, and to be forsaken by the ones I am here to save. They turn their heads when we ask questions. They say there are no terrorists...but there are...everywhere. The Iraqi people unfortunately respond only to force, violence, dominance...it has been their life for so long. Our cultures and religions alone widen the gap between our struggles over here.

The ones who have stepped up to fight are few...the Army and police are small, and struggling to grow. They are the hope of their nation ever leaving our control.

But more than anyone, I sometimes see futility in my actions. I fight, I kill, I scar myself emotionally, psychologically, and in some ways physically...and as I lay in the dark at night, I wonder what it's for. I wonder if the Iraqi people will ever get it together or if the country will collapse on itself whether I am here or not. It makes me angry, and a big part of me is content to let it fall apart. Part of me doesn't care what happens to this God-forsaken city after I leave it...as long as "me and my boys" make it out in one piece.

But that is the viewpoint of a man who wishes his actions to be in vain. I do not. I have lost very close friends over here. I don't want their lives to have been given in vain. Simply put, we are fighters. We are all in the same place for various reasons, for me, it's personal. I am in a modern day crusade to exterminate evil. People whose atrocities I cannot even begin to name cannot be allowed to exist among us. As long as these people are here, everything that is just and good is at risk.

I am not naive...not anymore, too many people who believe in good are unaffected by evil. I have faced it and compromised with it and even felt its poison flow in my veins at times. But this is for a purpose; if anything to provide the example. If the Iraqi people have learned one thing, it is that the Americans will not quit. They gun us down and we advance without blinking, through homes, living rooms, kitchens, into the streets, courtyards, palm groves and back into their face. That example of unrelenting spirit is our greatest gift to the Iraqi people. Some of them have taken the example to heart and signed up for the Army and police.

Things can't change overnight and we can't expect a country whose culture has been dominated by state mandated way of thinking to change in an instance...take the Japanese in World War Two for example. Our example as warriors for the just and good, who will never quit no matter what is thrown at us or no matter how many fall will pay off eventually. But first we have to break the back of a way of thinking that has been in place for decades...it took some very horrible things to break the "yamato damashii" of the Japanese in our Second World War, but we succeeded and look at them now.

The Iraqis are capable of free government but we cannot call it quits because we think they aren't. Someone has to believe in them, someone has to help them out; someone has to provide the example. We are showing it to them. Some have taken it, many haven't, but it will spread...because freedom feels good.

"Blessed be the Lord my Strength, who teaches my hands to war, and my fingers to fight." Psalm 144:1

-Sergeant Eddie Jeffers is a US Army Infantryman serving in Ramadi, Iraq.

Editor's Note: Eddie was killed today in Iraq in a vehicle rollover accident.

Go here to read his tribute.

The Real Deal in Ramadi by SGT Eddie Jeffers

The Real Deal in Ramadi

by SGT Eddie Jeffers

April 17, 2007

At the behest of my father, I wrote down some notes to be included in a little situation report (SITREP) on Iraq. I decided to address this letter to everyone because by now, you all have probably heard every news station popping off about this and that. So here's to give you an update and clear up some stuff.

First off, in the last six months, 1-9 Infantry has pushed itself into limelight and set the example for victory in Iraq. When we got here six months ago, lesser units that came before us held very little ground in East Ramadi. We pushed in and slowly began taking ground in the northern districts, which were definitely safer. We made nice with some sheiks up there, got them on our team and pushed them into near autonomy in their regions. All this was done for the task of securing those areas and pushing the insurgents there into the fortified and deadly southern district of our sector. Going back was deja vu, as this same area is where I cut my teeth as a private.

So off we went; raid after raid. Plenty of bombs, rockets, IEDs, machine guns and everything else you hear about in Iraq, all within an area roughly the size of six to eight football fields. It was hard, and a good bit of American blood had to get spilled in order to accomplish our mission. My company footed a good bit of that bill and our numbers reflect our actions. The enemy got it worse though.

Within three to four days we racked up 69 confirmed (key word is confirmed) enemy killed-in-action. Countless more severely injured and even more detained. Some serious whackin' and stackin' by some pissed off infantry boys. We broke the infrastructure of their insurgency by seizing roughly fifteen to twenty caches, each one containing enough guns, mines and explosives to equip a small army. We called in airstrike after airstrike, catching them in their homes and safehouses. Through the magic of the Air Force and Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS), we brought down destruction worthy of the Old Testament. Over the course of the deployment so far, we have had sixteen KIAs across the task force and over 100 seriously wounded. No small price, but a lot better than the enemy.

So now, the war has changed on us. Transitioning into a new role, we strapped on the guise of military advisors, security guards and bringers of goodies to the Iraqi people. After the push we established a Joint Security Station and reintroduced the Iraqi Army and the Iraqi Police back into the area. They've been doing patrols and keeping the peace and doing a damn fine job of it. We go out with them here and there but we leave it mostly to them.

We've been recruiting more police and outfitting them with better vehicles and equipment. We've been going around, getting the citizens to take a little charge and fix their city up. We've tossed around a little money and hired day laborers so to speak. The people have grown to trust us. They make citizen's arrests of insurgents and turn them over to us. We received little to no contact since the push and we have implemented a system that is working now.

All across Iraq, units are taking note. Everyone from the media to General Petraeus himself has come out here to see what we've done. We're winning the war and setting a good example of how to do it. Although my boys are bored because there aren't any doors to kick in or insurgents to shoot, they realize that this is the ticket out of this country in the right way. Overall, things are going good.

Now on to some bad news...

Anyone who has watched the news in the past few days has probably seen it, so I will clear up any rumors now. Due to a leak in the Pentagon, the secretary of Defense had to make a very abrupt announcement or risk the New York Times or someone else spilling the story.

The Army is going to fifteen month deployments to assist the surge in Iraq. Does that affect me? Yes it does. What does this mean? Expect me home around January. Every active Army unit will serve 15 months, including the ones over here now. It may change, as is the Army's way, but we will have to see. In the meantime, expect January 2008 to be my return time.

So, three more months than originally planned.Nothing that can be done about it except what we're doing now; continuing the mission and insuring America's success in this war.

-Sergeant Eddie Jeffers is a US Army Infantryman serving in Ramadi, Iraq

Editor's Note - Eddie died in Iraq today in a vehicle accident.

Read his tribute.

A Must Read Post from a Soldier

If you only read one post this weekend, this should be the one.

And Then, We Were Home...

http://www.justicesoldier.com/?p=76

This is my friend's blog. Troy was with the Redbulls and deployed for 22 months.
He returned from Iraq earlier this summer and this is his first post.

If you want to know what the troops think and what coming home is like,
Troy will tell you.

Welcome Home, Troy.
You are still in our prayers...

September Eleventh ~ Six Years Later

Some pictures will be engraved permantly in the collective memory of those who observed the events of September Eleventh. These same pictures will eventually make their way into history books and movies. People will be asked if they remember September Eleventh - where they were - what they thought. For many, they will let it fade into distant recesses, while others will struggle to keep it in the forefront of the reality of the world they live in. There are those that were personally touched by loss and injury that day who will forever grieve. For most of us, we were touched by the attack on the American Spirit. We have fought back and tried to move forward, building a stronger American Spirit. Some seem to be waiting for defeat. Each of us should go back to that day to remember how we felt and we should learn the stories of those who died and those who survived.

Last year's Tribute on September Eleventh:

http://gazingattheflag.blogspot.com/2006/09/september-eleventh-five-years-later.html

Story from Stephanie L Hoehne about her day in the Pentagon:

http://gazingattheflag.blogspot.com/2006/09/history-is-our-stories-one-from.html

Tributes to Major Dwayne Williams - lost at the Pentagon:

I remember Major Dwayne Williams

http://gazingattheflag.blogspot.com/2006/09/major-dwayne-williams-i-remember.html

Memorials to Major Dwayne Williams

http://gazingattheflag.blogspot.com/2006/09/major-dwayne-williams-memorials.html

The Family of Major Dwayne Williams

http://gazingattheflag.blogspot.com/2006/09/major-dwayne-williams-family-remembers.html

Memories from the friends of Major Dwayne Williams

http://gazingattheflag.blogspot.com/2006/09/major-dwayne-williams-friends-remember.html

Visiting the grave of Major Dwayne Williams

http://gazingattheflag.blogspot.com/2006/10/final-farewell-and-god-speed.html

This year I am paying tribute to Angelene C Carter who lost her life in the Pentagon.

http://gazingattheflag.blogspot.com/2007/09/remembering-angelene-c-carter.html

Luciano Pavarotti, Farewell

Famed Opera singer Luciano Pavarotti has lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. Pavarotti brought a depth and dimension to Opera that elevated it and broadened its appeal. He appeared on the Opera stage and in concerts around the world, toured as part of the Three Tenors, did performances with Barry White, U2 and Bono, and other popular musicians. In addition to his amazing voice, he had a endearing persona and charisma.

I first heard Pavarotti when he was building his career. His singing was like listening to the sound of the angels. And, when he sang, you were sure that it was just for you. Over the years, I took every opportunity to see him perform. He delighted my soul.

Tonight, Luciano, I pray that you are singing with the Angels....

Thank you for the joy you brought into my life and the life of so many others.

You will be missed.

UPDATE:
Last night in the wee hours I heard about the death of Luciano Pavarotti and did this post. As I have visited my friends' blogs and seen their tributes and seen the tributes on TV, I am so glad to know how many people were blessed with the joy of this man's voice.

I first saw Luciano early in his career - when people said, "Luciano who?". I was fortunate to be doing some work at a college when he was there to perform and it caused our paths to cross. I was taken with the charisma and the presence of the man - drawn towards him. So, I attended the concert. You may read many pieces today that will tell how Luciano sent them off towards a love of Opera... a Salon writer called it "The Gateway Drug to Opera." I was raised on Opera and Classical Music. But, Luciano brought to it a joy I had never seen before.

The magic of Luciano Pavarotti extended beyond his talent. He loved what he it and brought that joy to every note. He gifted it to us if we were willing to reach out and take it.

If you are one who has never heard him sing - go to You Tube and listen - you will be glad you did.

Anonymous was here.....

Yesterday, we went off on a day trip - really had a great time and saw some amazing things!! I had planned to share our travels with you, until this came up.

When I got home, I found that our gutless friend ANONYMOUS had pooped all over my blog, commenting on several old posts. While attempting to show me that I was wrong and stupid, it revealed itself to be shallow, thoughtless, inconsistent in thought, rather ignorant at even correctly relating the standard talking points and totally unaware of the belief system it says it ascribes to.

1. It's contention is that the Democrat party is Pro-Victory. Obviously written by someone who has NO idea who these people are: Harry Reid, Al Gore, John Kerry, John Murtha, John Edwards, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton... need I go on? Additionally, the Democrat party - national and local branches, are organizing and anti-war counter rally to the Move America Forward Pro-Victory tour which starts this week. Yep, that sounds Pro-Victory.

2. Did you know that 'Bush' (FYI, it is President Bush) has been creating Jihadists? - I guess he is using his underground bunker to do this. No one creates a Jihadist - it is a belief system based on a perversion of Islam.

3. It wanted me to know that I 'despise democrats'. This was news to me. I obviously respect them more that it does as I capitalize the 'D' when I write the name - if I ever do, which is quite rare. I do not care enough about them to despise them. I don't respect many individuals who belong to the party. I don't respect the platform of nanny state realities. I don't respect most politicians at all. But, despise - that takes far more emotion that I am willing to give to them.

4. One of my favorites - my posts 'stir hatred and contempt'. Would those posts be the tributes to the fallen or the good news about our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan?

5. Then, it attacked my friend Sgt Vaughn and his editorial. It totally missed the point of the post and since it took exactly 1 minute to read it, I wonder how that happened? Then, it started typing incoherently and comes up with some bizarre conclusions.

6. But, it was humorous as well.... "Please can we all remember that Democrats are also loyal Americans." Since I never said they weren't, the paranoia takes over and truly stupid things get written. I think that a great many Americans are far too selfish and self-absorbed to be loyal to much of anything - their family, their marriage, their children, their jobs, let alone their country. But, I have not cast the term to anyone on this blog.

7. The saga ends with, "Shouldn't we be focusing aggression (anger and hatred if it makes you feel better) against our enemies?" Yes, we should. Maybe you could talk to our 'friends' in government about trying to do that. And, for the record, the only 'anger and hatred' that has been expressed is yours.

ANONYMOUS - you are an idiot... a coward... without substance to your angry typings, and not terribly capable of reading comprehension. Most of all, you are not welcome here. If you want to comment SIGN YOUR NAME - if you are not proud enough to sign it, then maybe it isn't worth saying.

Frauds and Liars....

Reggie Buddle in tan uniform after leading prayer

at the opening of the Washington State Senae.

Meet Reggie Buddle....

Reggie posed as a decorated Captain in the Marine Corps. He wore the uniform and medals. He posed as a Chaplain and performed weddings, baptisms and funerals of servicement. He even led the opening prayer at the Washington State Senate on February 27, 2006. He even has a Live Space

The problem - Reggie was never in the Marine Corps. The medals belonged to his late brother who served in Vietnam. He purchased the uniform at a surplus store. And, he was never ordained as a minister.

Reggie's days as a fraud and a liar are over. He admitted in court this week that he was a fake. US Magistrate Kelly Armold in the US District Court in Tacoma, Washington, sentenced the counterfeit vet to two years' probation and 500 hours laboring at Tahoma Natonal Cemetery. He will now serve those who rest at the military cemetery, but must avoid any interaction with families and visitors at the cemetery.

Last year, a Whitefish, Montana man, William Horvath claimed he was a Marine. His actions didn't rise to the creativity of Reggie, but he was sentenced harshly as well. He had to write letters of apology to the commandant of the Marine Corps, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion in Kalispell - he had to admit in writing that he lied repeatedly about serving and being wounded. Additionally, he had to spend 50 hours in front of the US courthouse in Missoula, during business hours, wearing a sandwich board reading:

"I AM A LIAR. I AM NOT A MARINE." (front)
"I HAVE NEVER SERVED MY COUNTRY.
I HAVE DISHONORED VETERANS OF ALL WARS." (back)

"Falsely claiming medals is stealing valor from those who put themselves in harm's way protecting this great country," said Douglas Carver, special agent in charge of the Inspector General's Office of the Department of Veteran Affairs who helped prosecute Reggie. "We must continue to recognize our veterans for the true and actual sacrifices they have made and to publicly condemn those who tarnish that service by stealing their valor."

They were caught in this life, but I dare say, they will find a special place in hell....

Not Even a Contest by Russ Vaughn

Not Even a Contest

I’m a soldier; haven’t been in uniform in forty years but the six years of active duty I did serve and the ensuing thirty-plus years I’ve spent working with the U.S. military, instilled in me certain qualities and beliefs that have grown and persisted within me all these decades and provide me with the basis for my stance on the war on terror. I may now be only an armchair warrior, but I’m still a soldier. As such, I understand the value of a rapid counterattack when your enemy has struck and badly hurt you. I say this as a brief, prefatory explanation of why I believe the Bush Administration has done the right thing in carrying the war on terror into the heart of terrorism itself. Yes, I know there are legions of liberals, so blinded by their certainty that the Supreme Court cheated Al Gore out of the presidency that they actually profess to believe that there were no ties between Al Qaeda and Iraq. To them I would say consider this: Syria had ties to Al Qaeda; Jordan had ties to Al Qaeda; Egypt had ties to Al Qaeda; Yemen had ties to Al Qaeda; Somalia had ties to Al Qaeda; Saudi Arabia had ties to Al Qaeda; the various Gulf monarchies had ties to Al Qaeda; Iran had ties to Al Qaeda; Pakistan had ties to Al Qaeda; Indonesia, the Philippines, North Korea and several of the former Soviet satellites under Muslim rule had ties to Al Qaeda.

But not Iraq.

That’s right, according to Democrat politicians and the liberal Left in America and Europe, only one country in the Middle East, Iraq, a country under the iron-fisted control of an absolute dictator who had reason to hate the American government far more bitterly than any of the leaders of the above nations, and yep, sitting smack dab in the middle of all these other terrorist harboring countries, only America-hating Iraq, was lily white clean according to liberal Democrats when it came to affiliation with Al Qaeda.

Excuse me folks, but Old Sarge’s bullshit detector is going off like a Geiger counter at ground zero in Chernobyl.

Now, of all the countries listed above, one of you Democrats, real quick, tell me which of them is absolutely known to have used weapons of mass destruction against a foreign enemy and dissident elements within its own borders. Hmmm, only one? Really? Only Iraq? Imagine that…chemical weapons used in conjunction with modern weapons delivery systems against Iranian forces and rebellious Kurds? Trust me folks, Old Sarge’s specialty in the Army was chemical, biological and radiological warfare and he knows quite well that the use of lethal, disabling and disfiguring gases in bombs, rockets and artillery warheads constitutes the use of weapons of mass destruction under the rules of land warfare. Never mind that Saddam Hussein blew the world a huge raspberry as he was gassing his enemies without and within. Nah…this guy didn’t have any weapons of mass destruction. Ask any Bush-hating Democrat.

So, contrary to all these liberals, whose only chance of seeing the light is when some proctologist’s probing proctoscope finally manages to locate their deeply-embedded eyes, this old grunt sees the value in hitting our enemies smack-dab in the middle of the threat; and that central target, folks, in this war on terror, just happened to be Iraq. And yes, Iraq has become a killing field, but far more so for radical Jihadists than for America and her allies. Potential bombers of Western cities flock like flies to the flypaper of a martyr’s death, not in New York or London, but on the killing field we have created for them. Remember one thing very well, Senators Reid, Durbin and Schumer: every single jihadist who dies in Iraq will never have the opportunity to die in one of our cities taking hundreds if not thousands of your potential voters with him.

And for all you armchair, liberal strategists who continue to throw up that canard that our military efforts should be entirely focused on capturing or killing the Al Qaeda leadership, Osama bin Laden and Zayman Al Zawahiri, in Afghanistan and Pakistan; may I inquire as to where you obtained your advanced degrees in military science? Madam Chair, would perhaps that have been at Berkeley’s famed War College? We know Congressman Murtha obtained his multiple military degrees from a rural Pennsylvania diploma mill, established and funded entirely by earmarks in federal legislation, but that’s a topic for another essay.

So, a simple question: did George Washington seek to capture King George? Did Abraham Lincoln focus all his military strategies on the capture or elimination of Jefferson Davis? In WWI, if we were hell-bent on capturing the Kaiser, why did we spend so many months in the hellish, intransigence of those trenches? Why on earth did MacArthur spend all that time and those American boys’ lives to move systematically up the Pacific archipelago in WWII if all we had to do was focus on capturing Emperor Hirohito? Would modern-day Democrat strategists label Eisenhower a fool and a loser for moving indirectly through Africa, Italy and the soft underbelly of Europe, Southern France, when all he had to do was attack Berlin directly and put Hitler in chains?

The truth is, all you Democrat military geniuses, is that none of those enemy leaders was captured until the fighting was over and the respective war was won; truth is, most of them never suffered any ill effects other than the ignominy of losing. Hell, if we did capture Osama, you liberal turkeys would be clamoring for the Bush administration to give him a fair and speedy trial, afforded all the rights of a U.S. citizen, and the ACLU would be appealing his conviction long beyond his natural death.

So what does this show America about its Democrat leadership? Well, it shows this old combat infantryman that you liberal wienies don’t know jack about fighting wars. It’s a far cry from forging voters’ registration certificates, stuffing ballot boxes and buying minority votes to standing solid under fire and defeating a lethal enemy on the battlefield. But since so very few of you have ever even worn the uniform, much less served in combat, you wouldn’t have any way of knowing that would you, ladies? I’ll make a wager right now: the average, enlisted, American military volunteer has more courage, integrity and patriotism than the U.S. congressman who supposedly represents him.

Hell, forget the bet; that’s not even a contest.

Russ Vaughn
2d Bn, 327th Parachute Infantry Regiment
101st Airborne Division
Vietnam 65-66

The Involunteers by Russ Vaughn

The Involunteers

One thing to me rings loud and clear
Through mainstream media sources:
Libs don’t understand, Volunteer,
When it comes to our fighting forces.
Their memories hark to former days,
Dubious deferments due to classes,
Craven cowering in cynical ways,
Just to cover their cowardly asses.

Pony-tailed pundits of treason foregoing,
Now scoff and condemn with derision,
Volunteer warriors, warned and knowing,
Who’ve made a fateful decision,
Foregoing the comforts liberals love,
That very succor to preserve,
A concept Libs are ignorant of:
To reap benefits, one should serve.

Ever fearful, Libs cower in classrooms,
Proclaiming the due of the masses;
On graves of the brave, toxic mushrooms,
Still cravenly covering their asses.
Preaching, protesting, showing their ire,
Cat-box covering all their worst fears,
Cowardly curs afraid of war’s fire,
They’re our nation’s Involunteers.

I know a truth from mankind’s past,
A truth that sure prevails;
Those who fight are those will last,
Throughout all man’s travails.
But those making phony excuses,
As false and fearful disguise,
Will feel history’s worst abuses,
Enslaved by their cowardly lies.

Russ Vaughn
2d Bn, 327th Parachute Infantry Regiment
101st Airborne Division
Vietnam 65-66

************************

Russ kindly shared his great poem for me to share with you.

Thank you, Russ.

Message from the President.... And, he's not happy

Normally, I start these things out by saying "My Fellow Americans."

Not doing it this time. If the polls are any indication, I don't know who more than half of you are anymore.

I do know something terrible has happened, and that you're really not fellow Americans any longer.

I'll cut right to the chase here: I quit. Now before anyone gets all in a lather about me quitting to avoid impeachment, or to avoid prosecution or something, let me assure you: there's been no breaking of laws or impeachable offenses in this office.

The reason I'm quitting is simple. I'm fed up with you people.

I'm fed up because you have no understanding of what's really going on in the world. Or of what's going on in this once-great nation of ours. And the majority of you are too damned lazy to do your homework and figure it out.

Let's start local. You've been sold a bill of goods by politicians and the news media.

Despite the shock to our economy of 9/11, the stock market has rebounded to record levels and more Americans than ever are participating in these markets. Meanwhile, all you can do is whine about gas prices, and most of you are too damn stupid to realize that gas prices are high because there's increased demand in other parts of the world, and because a small handful of noisy idiots are more worried about polar bears and beachfront property than your economic security.

We face real threats in the world. Don't give me this "blood for oil" thing. If I was trading blood for oil I would've already seized Iraq's oil fields and let the rest of the country go to hell. And don't give me this 'Bush Lied People Died' crap either. If I was the liar you morons take me for, I could've easily had chemical weapons planted in Iraq so they could be 'discovered.' Instead, I owned up to the fact that the intelligence was faulty. Let me remind you that the rest of the world thought Saddam had the goods, same as me. Let me also remind you that regime change in Iraq was official US policy before I came into office. Some guy named 'Clinton' established that policy. Bet you didn't know that, did you?

You idiots need to understand that we face a unique enemy. Back during the cold war, there were two major competing political and economic models squaring off. We won that war, but we did so because fundamentally, the Communists wanted to survive, just as we do. We were simply able to outspend and out-tech them.

That's not the case this time. The soldiers of our new enemy don't care if they survive. In fact, they want to die. That'd be fine, as long as they weren't also committed to taking as many of you with them as they can. But they are. They want to kill you. And the bastards are all over the globe.

You should be grateful that they haven't gotten any more of us here in the United States since September 11. But you're not. That's because you've got no idea how hard a small number of intelligence, military, law enforcement and homeland security people have worked to make sure of that. When this whole mess started, I warned you that this would be a long and difficult fight. I'm disappointed how many of you people think a long and difficult fight amounts to a single season of 'Survivor'.

Instead, you've grown impatient. You're incapable of seeing things through the long lens of history, the way our enemies do. You think that wars should last a few months, a few years, tops.

Making matters worse, you actively support those who help the enemy. Every time you buy the New York Times, every time you send a donation to a cut-and-run Democrat's political campaign, well, dammit, you might just as well Fedex a grenade launcher to a Jihadist. It amounts to the same thing.

In this day and age, it's easy enough to find the truth. It's all over the Internet. It just isn't on the pages of the New York Times or on NBC News. But even if it were, I doubt you'd be any smarter. Most of you would rather watch American Idol.

I could say more about your expectations that the government will always be there to bail you out, even if you're too stupid to leave a city that's below sea level and has a hurricane approaching.

I could say more about your insane belief that government, not your own wallet, is where the money comes from. But I've come to the conclusion that were I to do so, it would sail right over your heads.

So I quit. I'm going back to Crawford. I've got an energy-efficient house down there (Al Gore could only dream) and the capability to be fully self-sufficient. No one ever heard of Crawford before I got elected, and as soon as I'm done here pretty much no one will ever hear of it again. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to die of old age before the last pillars of America fall.

Oh, and by the way, Cheney's quitting too. That means Pelosi is your new President. You asked for it. Watch what she does carefully, because I still have a glimmer of hope that there're just enough of you remaining who are smart enough to turn this thing around in 2008.

So that's it.

God bless what's left of America. Some of you know what I mean.

***********************

I stole this from Soldier's Angels Germany. Thank you!

A Special Corner of Hell.....

There has to be a special corner of hell for people who scam off of other people's losses.

I've seen some ugly ones around our fallen warriors and their families. This is the latest - news release from the Oregon National Guard....

The family of Cpl. Kory Wiens has discovered more than one local business in Dallas, Ore. was contacted yesterday by someone asking for monetary donations on their behalf. An individual unknown to the Wiens family has made telephone calls asking for assistance with burial costs for Kory's search dog, Cooper.

The alleged fraudulant activity has been reported to the Charitable Organizations Section of the Oregon Attorney General's Office for a preliminary investigation.

The family is not requesting monetary assistance with Cooper's burial. As a member of an Army unit, Cooper will be rendered proper military funeral honors.

I truly hope that they catch this piece of slime...

It has just been sad...

This has been a tough period for me. I am normally able to grieve and go forward, to stand up for what is right and defend it, to be supportive at all times, but the past couple of weeks have taken a toll on me.

I have written far too many obituaries for fallen American soldiers from Oregon the past two weeks, including our first woman and a K-9 team. I take these very seriously. These are people who have made the ultimate sacrifice for us. They chose to be there. They are better Americans than the rest of us for their willingness to endanger their lives for the rest of us and for the larger idea of what America is. Most Americans don't think that deeply.

An Airman I supported on his deployments committed suicide at his home base. This is the second of the hundreds and hundreds, nay, thousands, I have written to that has died. Many have been wounded, but this death is such a horrid one. The first was Captain Alex Funkhouser. He was the soldier killed when a journalist was wounded. We hear much about her, but how odd that his name was not reported. You can read about his wonderful life here: http://www.theyhavenames.com/index.php?item=james.alex.funkhouser

The Minnesota Redbulls, extended last winter are FINALLY coming home. While they are excited to be in the outprocessing phase, they are anxious about the return after close to two years of being away from their homes and families. Their early return group has suffered tragedies at home: Captain Carta was involved in a freak car accident on the way home from the airport, which cost the life of his eight year-old daughter, Stephen Major and his family were victims of an arsonist who set their home on fire on the third night he was home - thankfully, he, his wife, the two year-old and eleven month-old twins escaped, but they are homeless, and SSG Sheda was brutally murdered in his home town. You can read the details at my friends blog, http://www.justicesoldier.com/ You can read in the comments an idiotic commenter who wanted to parse and debate the story in a tribute to a fallen friend.

An Airman fighting for his life who was shot in front of his home by an anti-war activist on Independence Day. The idiot murderer wanted to make a statement - the press has made a statement by failing to report the story. You can read about it here: http://michellemalkin.com/2007/07/09/unhinged-anti-war-zealot-shoots-airman-kills-self/

My Republican Senator is leading the charge for tucking tail and running away in Iraq. Congress, in general, is made up of self-serving people who will say and do anything that they think will keep them in office. Few of them represent their constituents or listen to them. Fewer still are willing to stand up for what they believe in - if they believe in anything at all. They have no long term vision - they think and act in sound bites to immediate impulses. Yet, we vote to return them to office.

Half of Congress is rooting for defeat in Iraq and Afghanistan and starting to root for a major attack on our soil. Why? To embarass the President. To win big in 2008. Damn, you all need to be Americans first!

On top of that, America is far too selfish to care about anything or anyone outside of their own little orb of self-interest. We used to be better than that. We have turned into quitters and defeatists. We have no respect for what is important. Christians will ram their religion down your throat as long as you don't ask them to obey the Golden Rule or to Love Thy Neighbor. No one thinks twice about hating - hate the President, hate the Military, hate those who don't hate. And, they are much too willing to spew their hatred anywhere they can - some of it has ended up on my blog. I am not talking about disagreement. I am talking about vile hatred and vile language and vile thought.

For my anti-war, anti-America 'friend' who recently wrote to me and asked if any of the troops I have written to have died - YES, but for those who haven't died, more often than not, those they loved have. They have been wounded - some critically, some not so badly. Most have come home with scars that can not be seen. I have had a First Sergeant sit in my living room and weep over the death of two of his men. I had a medic who would write to me in detail about her experiences in unedited candor. And, they are volunteering to return to the war zone. In the past couple of weeks, I have been contacted by over a dozen of the troops we have supported who are either back in war zone or are headed back in the next several weeks. Save one, their spirit and outlook is amazingly positive and strong.

For my aunt who thinks the military is beneath her, you should get down on your knees and praise God that men and women are willing to fight and die for the luxury of your life and your arrogance. Isn't it funny that you can be so disrespectful to them, while the opulent luxury you live in was provided by them? And, it more direct ways than most - my uncle was a weapons system designer and aviation designer.

When SPC Tom Tucker was kidnapped and murdered, I swore I would always pay tribute to those without a voice, those who have given so much to our country, to each of us, that they would never be forgotten. The untimely ripping of their lives out of the fabric of America will change us - change us in ways that we may never be able to identify. From some survivors comes a need to do something greater in their lives, for others, it becomes a destiny of destructive despair. We need to remember the full price of freedom. WE OWE THESE PEOPLE - we owe them for everything we take for granted, for our hopes and dreams, for our successes and joys. The returning warriors, the wounded, the fallen, the families of those men and women - WE OWE THEM.

I am past angry. I almost felt a hopelessness seeping into my soul, but then I think of these marvelous young men and women who still believe and it would make me a traitor to them if I loose hope. I was just feeling sad... very sad.

Then, a comment by a father to his son on one of my tribute pages, an announcement of an upcoming birth from a soldier we love and care about, and the circle of life continues and we regain hope, we find joy again, and purpose. I just wish we could all root for America.

Conspiracy or Lunacy?

People love a good conspiracy theory, which may be one of the reasons that actor Charlie Sheen is going to narrate a documentary about how the World Trade Towers were brought down by the U.S. government. About the same time, Rosie O'Donnell added her credibility to the project... A lot of the tin-foil hat crowd, have at least a little in common with Sheen and O'Donnell. They just don't like to think about how much our enemies actually hate us. It's easier to escape down a rabbit hole to a land where our own government is tricking us into thinking the world is a dangerous place." -Sen. Fred Thompson

They Did God's Work ~ Ben Stein on Memorial Day

They Did God's Work
By Ben Stein
Published 5/26/06
Remarks delivered on Saturday evening in Arlington, Virginia, at the Memorial Day weekend seminar and grief camp of TAPS -- the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors.

THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME be a part of your family. This is the most important family on the planet right now. There is a First Family on Pennsylvania Avenue, but this is the real first family. The family of those who have paid the ultimate price to keep us free and dignified and alive.

A bad day for me is when I get stuck in traffic or have a toothache or notice that I have gained weight or my teenage son is surly.

A bad day for you is realizing that the only man or woman you have ever loved is gone for this lifetime.

A difficult day for me with my wife is when she's out at her bridge lesson and comes home late so my dinner is late.

A difficult day for you is when you wake up from a dream that your husband or wife or son or daughter or mother or father was alive and laughing with you and realize you'll never see that loveable person again for the rest of your natural lives.

A bad day for an ordinary American is seeing the stock market go down or watching his son sneak a beer.

A bad day for you is a sort of loneliness, a hopeless, cruel loneliness that cuts right to the bone like the cut of a knife, that tells you that there is no one there to hug you, no one to kiss you, no one to fix the kids' bikes, no one to wipe away the tears that just come uncontrollably when you least expect them.

A bad day for me is getting stuck in an airport security line. A bad day for you is being on the plane alone.

Yet your loneliness has meaning. Your loneliness, your pain, is the mortar and concrete that anchors the nation. The sacrifice your loved ones made, the sacrifice you made, that your kids made, is what makes the whole American world safe from terror.

Your loved ones' lives had what we all want: meaning. The knowledge you were doing something big for others. That is EVERYTHING in life.

Wall Street does not have it. Hollywood does not have it. They're just in it for the fame and the money.

Your loved ones were in it for unselfishness, for kindness, for love of one's fellow man. There is no higher meaning on this earth.

The media try to rob your husbands' and wives' and kids' lives of meaning saying this war is not about anything.

They're wrong and they say what they say because they don't see the truth. They print a story on the front page about Marines killing civilians in a town in Iraq and if they did, it was wrong. But the big media never report a MARINE throwing himself on a bomb to protect an Iraqi child, or a Marine giving his life to rid a town of murderers or a Marine or an Army man or woman or a Navy Seal or a Coast Guardsman offering up his life so that Iraqi human beings can have the same freedoms and rights we take for granted here in America.

The media are like grave robbers, robbing you of the certain knowledge that your spouses gave their lives for something deeply worthwhile: human dignity.

Your loved ones' lives and deaths had as much meaning at the lives and deaths of every American who died for freedom from Valley Forge to the Battle of the Bulge to Cho-Sin Reservoir to the Cu Chi tunnels to the Balkans to Kabul, Afghanistan, to Falluja, Iraq.

And if the media doesn't know it, every other American does. This is a very difficult fight, but the ordinary American knows what your loved ones have done and respects them.

Your families, your loved one, your children have more respect than Sean Penn and Barbra Streisand and the Dixie Chicks all put together times a million. And the media like to criticize because they know -- in their hearts -- that they will never have the guts that the man and woman in uniform have. I think media envy of your loved ones' courage has a lot do with media mockery of the war.

To heck with them. Your husbands are the real stars. Your wives and kids are the real stars. They burn brightly forever as long as there are free men and women and the longing for human freedom burns bright in the human heart.

John F. Kennedy said that here on earth, God's work is our work. That doesn't mean Wall Street's work. It doesn't mean the Washington Post's work. It doesn't mean Hollywood's work. It means the work you guys do and the work of your husbands and wives and kids. Living and dying for your fellow man. That is God's work in the deepest sense, and God bless you for what you do, and God keep you until you are with your loved ones again.