Blessed and grateful

Sometimes, I am ungrateful.

Sometimes, I feel short with those I love.

Sometimes, I wonder “why me?” when faced with difficulties.

Then, of course, I feel ashamed. I think of those who have less than I do; those with no one to love, or whose difficulties are truly insurmountable.

As I enjoy the blissful freedom of this week’s vacation days, I will be thinking of the young men and women in harm’s way: the ones doing their laundry in an ammo can; the ones sleeping in a hole they dug in the ground, and those who drive down roads laden with unseen bombs.

I will miss my son and his wife at our table on Thanksgiving Day; but I will thank God for putting them in my life, and pray that they--and all our troops-- remain safe.

I will look at the dear faces of my daughter and my husband, and know that I have been blessed beyond anything that I could ever deserve.

Happy Thanksgiving!

--Tiffany

This blog will be on vacation until November 30th.

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FOR ALL IN THE SERVICE OF OUR COUNTRY

O Almighty Lord God, who neither slumberest nor sleepest; Protect and assist, we beseech thee, all those who at home or abroad, by land, by sea, or in the air, are serving this country, that they, being armed with thy defense, may be preserved evermore in all perils; and being filled with wisdom and girded with strength, may do their duty to thy honour and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

From a prayer book printed in 1951 for use by members of the Armed Forces of the Korean War by the Protestant Episcopal Church. For a link to the prayer book, hymns and verses, click here.

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Congratulations, Air Force Grads!

Air Force Airman Joshua D. Miles graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.

The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

He is the son of Barbara Miles of 51st Ave. Drive E., Bradenton, Fla.

Miles is a 2008 graduate of Braden River High School, Bradenton.

Air Force Airman Stephen C. Dodge graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.

The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

Dodge is the son of Christopher Dodge of East Lark St., Ozark, Mo., and the grandson of Susan Ludwig of Singletary Road, Myakka City, Fla.

He is a 2009 graduate of Dodge's Home School, Ozark.

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Around the military:

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Matt Leahart washes his clothes in an ammunition can on Combat Outpost Munoz in Paktika province, Afghanistan, Nov. 13, 2009. Leahart is deployed with Company B, 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry.U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Andrew Smith

U.S. Air Force Capt. Tolan Hicks tests a pair of night-vision goggles before beginning a mission on Joint Base Balad, Iraq, Nov 16, 2009. Hicks is deployed from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, and is a co-pilot assigned to the 362nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron MC-12 Liberty.U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Chris Hubenthal

Members of a rifle detail perform a 21-gun salute during a memorial service for nine Marines and one sailor on Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe, Hawaii, Nov. 17, 2009. The U.S. Marine Corps's 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, held the service for the troops, who were killed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Mark Fayloga

Patience, please!

No communications.

The Bonhomme Richard’s Facebook page is a great way to feel connected to our Marines and Sailors, except when people start to speculate or freak out, and that happens when communications are down for one reason or another.

A letter from the Captain reminded us that there are very important reasons for that, and reassured us that our loved ones are well:

From the Captain...

Greetings family and friends. Life is great on BHR as we sail today. Your Sailors and Marines continue to do remarkable work keeping this great ship humming and ready to perform any mission that comes our way. Rest assured we are safe and mission focused.

I would like to remind you that from time to time we may be out of normal communication opportunities. This is a routine part of sailing ships at sea. The reasons for communication challenges range across an entire spectrum, but they are a fact of life.
I ask for your patience and understanding when we are experiencing limited regular communications.

Our facebook page is a great way to tell the BHR story and share the experiences and challenges of life at sea, an opportunity to communicate with your Sailor, Marine and one another, and a place to develop a community of mutual support, understanding and respect. Let’s keep it that way. It is not a place to speculate about communications, operations or schedules.

The mission, our national security, and the security and safety of your Sailors & Marines are my priorities. I ask for your continued support in this endeavor.

Regards – Captain John Funk

Thanks for the “chin-up,” Captain. We certainly support the mission and our loved ones…we just miss them!

--Tiffany

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An Opportunity to pay your respects:

Today, November 18, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. there will be two funeral services for indigent Veterans with no families at the Sarasota National Cemetery. If you can come to show your support for their service, please do. There are two more services on Friday at 10:30. For questions or directions, go to the website for the Sarasota National Cemetery.

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Around the military:

A U.S. Soldier of the 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, runs to provide security after unloading from a CH-53 Sea Stallion during a static loading exercise at Camp Ramadi, in western Iraq, Nov. 15. Members of the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, and Iraqi army train together loading and unloading on the Sea Stallion to prepare for upcoming missions.


Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Rick West receives the H1N1 vaccination at the Pentagon Nov. 9, 2009. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jennifer A. Villalovos/Released) via Flickr


U.S. Army Spc. Aaron Blasingame, with 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, conducts a dismounted patrol through sectors of Shajoy district, Afghanistan, on Nov. 10, 2009. Blasingame is deployed to Combat Outpost Sangar in Zabul province, Afghanistan, to conduct counterinsurgency operations. DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Christine Jones, U.S. Air Force. (Released)

A final salute for one who served

Have you ever envisioned your funeral? How many people would be there? Would they be sad?

Not at all a question of narcissism, really, but a gauge of the imprint left on your community.

Right?

Wrong.

Recently, there was a funeral with no mourners and no family. No one searched their pockets for a tissue, or blinked away a tear except a small group of funeral and cemetery employees, three soldiers, and a solitary man with a flag.

This was the funeral of a veteran who fought for our country and died alone…alone!

Friend and Patriot Guard Rider Terry Longpre told me about this shameful situation:

“This is the second time I have done one of these burials at Sarasota. Next Wednesday they will bury two Vietnam Veterans who were also indigent and, God willing, I will be there.

I attended one of these burials at Bay Pines Veterans Hospital and Cemetery a few months back and we buried 14 Veterans that day. Bay Pines only does one service a month; Sarasota is going to do each one individually as the need arises.”

Terry wrote to me to get the word out that there are veterans going to their final resting place unnoticed; their funeral a ritual with no mourners.

“If you find it in your heart, attend one of these services; it will change your life, forever. These people served our country, going into harm’s way for all of us. We should not allow them to be buried alone.”

I agree.

At the Sarasota National Cemetery on Wednesday, two Vietnam Veterans will be laid to rest. If you can find the time, go make a difference for two men who made a difference for you.

--Tiffany

provided photo

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From a very proud father, Michael Griffin:

Robert M.B Griffin
U.S. Navy
STG3/ Petty Officer 3rd Class
Yokosuka Japan, USS Cowpens (CG-63)
UCF Grad 2007

Thank you for your service, Sailor.

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Around the military:

Cpl. Scott J. Olson, a Mankato, Minn., native, loads ammunition before firing his rifle on the flight deck of USS Bonhomme Richard Nov. 12. Olson and other Marines with Headquarters and Support Company, Battalion Landing Team 2/4, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit are embarked aboard amphibious ships conducting maritime security operations in the 5th Fleet area of operations. photo by Cpl. Jeffrey Belovarac

A U.S. Marine sounds Taps during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Marine Corps Memorial to honor the 234th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps in Arlington, Va., Nov. 10, 2009.U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Kevin S. O'Brien

Marines with Weapons Company, Battalion Landing Team 2/4, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, fire at targets on the flight deck of USS Bonhomme Richard Nov. 12. The San Diego-based unit is embarked aboard amphibious ships conducting maritime security operations in the 5th Fleet area of operations. photo by Sgt. Scott Biscuiti

Thanks to our Veterans

From the rawest recruit to the saltiest old sailor, today we thank the men and women who served our country.

It doesn’t seem quite enough, one day, to recognize these folks as they strive to keep us secure, strong, safe.

Right now, all around the world, there are U.S. troops who are working hard through the day which was created to honor them.

To them, and to all who served -- past, present and future -- God bless you.

--Tiffany

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A special ceremony

click here to read

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Happy Birthday, Marine Corps!


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Around the military:

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Alexander McCall, a crew chief with the 315th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, searches for discrepancies on top of a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft during an inspection at Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., on Nov. 4, 2009. Inspections are required for all C-17 aircraft to ensure operational integrity during flight. DoD photo by James M. Bowman, U.S. Air Force.

The 11th MEU Color Guard stands at attention during the Marine Corps birthday celebration on USS Bonhomme Richard. credit: 11th MEU twitter page

U.S. Army Pfc. Patrick Camp, left, and Spc. Thomas Garrard relax as they wait, Nov. 3, 2009, to convoy M1 Abrams tanks through the night from Contingency Operating Base Speicher to Forward Operating Base Taji, Iraq. Both are truck drivers assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division's 2025th Transportation Company, 15th Sustainment Brigade.U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Steven King

Another heaping helping of Marine Corps life, please

Sometimes my son surprises me. Not often, but it happens:

“I got my re-enlistment papers to fill out. It’s too good to pass up and I’m good at what I do here. Plus, no civilian job would allow me to be me. I hope to have your support, which I’m sure I will. I know you'll have questions and concerns, but hold off on any doubts and worries.”

That he was re-enlisting did not surprise me in the least; he is good at what he does and is well-suited for the Marine Corps. The surprise was his concern over my reaction.

Typically, Daniel is considerate of my feelings. He is a thoughtful young man and tries hard to think of others — except when it comes to the Marines. That’s a whole different world where mom holds no sway.

I was touched to read his note, explaining the training he would receive and how it would affect the future of his and Ashley’s life and their plans.

He has a plan! Wow -- that apple fell far from the mommy-tree.

I’m so proud; he’s a good son, a good husband, a good man.

--Tiffany

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Don't forget to thank a Veteran on November 11th!

This year's VA poster:

Bradenton's Veterans Day parade info:

Veterans Day Parade
Manatee County Veterans Day Council
9:30 – 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11
3rd Avenue West and Riverfront Blvd.
Contact: Robert Greene – (941) 798-2095

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Around the military:

All the Marines of the USS Bonhomme Richard gather to listen to the Commander of the 11th MEU. via the 11th MEU's Twitter page

Jamie Anderson holds a candle for her daughter, Solana, 4, as her grandmother, Jo Ellen Freleigh, of New York, protects her candle from the wind at Fort Hood, Texas. About 300 people attended a candlelight prayer vigil Nov. 6, 2009, at Hood Stadium to honor those who were killed and wounded Nov. 5, 2009, when a lone gunman opened fire in the Soldier Readiness Processing Center on post. U.S. Army photo by Michael Heckman

Army Lt. Col. Charles Keller, Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, his wife, Sylvie, and their children, Amber and Michael, arrive early for a candlelight prayer vigil Nov. 6, 2009, inside Hood Stadium at Fort Hood, Texas. U.S. Army photo by Michael Heckman

Military moms, serving with love

A flag fluttered in the breeze where there hadn’t been one the day before; it was planted solidly next to a “Welcome Home” banner on the lawn of a house I drive past every day.

Circling around, I drove on auto-pilot back to the little house and was out of my car and knocking on the door before I could have a second thought.

“It’s my son-in-law. He’s coming home from Iraq,” said a smiling woman who invited me inside without hesitation. A child a few months old smiled serenely from his seat in a stroller; the child who had only seen his father once at his birth was about to be reunited.

Boxes filled the entranceway; clearly, preparations of some sort were taking place. “I’m moving out. My daughter and her husband need time to spend together, they need to be alone.”

This is what it is to be a military mom. You do what’s necessary to help your family through the tough times of deployment — then you get out of the way and facilitate a swift return to normalcy.

The woman beamed down at the child and my eyes somehow had tears in them. Happiness for this family, sadness for what they had missed; pride for their strength, their love, their devotion.

Welcome home, soldier.

Mom — job well done; thank you…both of you.

--Tiffany

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Around the military:

U.S. Army members participate in a welcoming ceremony for Army Secretary John McHugh hosted by Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. and presided over by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates on Fort Myer, Arlington, Va., Nov. 2, 2009. DoD photo by Cherie Cullen

Army Pfc. Adam Britt prepares to leave the mock Iraqi town of Medina Wasl during 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Divison's training rotation at the National Training Center. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jared S. Eastman

U.S. Marines prepare to move to a different fighting position after receiving fire during a security patrol through the Nawa district in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Oct. 15, 2009. The Marines, assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, were conducting security patrols to decrease insurgent activity and gain the trust of the Afghan people.U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Artur Shvartsberg

Is that my phone ringing??

Military families can surely relate to the dreadful feeling that sets up shop in the pit of your stomach when you miss a long-awaited phone call.

How could you have missed it?! You’ve been carrying around that darn cell phone like it was a hand grenade that could go off at any second if you didn’t check it and look at it and check it again and again and again. Impossible to miss a call! It was in my HAND, I was LOOKING at it.

When I heard the noise that alerts you to a new voice mail, I knew, just knew, that I had missed the call.

I almost cried when I heard the message; I felt like I got caught sleeping on Mom-Duty.

Well, people will just have to understand; I am not putting this phone down until I speak to my son.

Then I’ll go back to being a normal person — my normal, of course.

--Tiffany
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Holiday Mail for Heroes

A note from Frank McDade who is working with the Red Cross on a campaign to send uplifting mail to our troops:

I am working with Pitney Bowes and wanted to let you know about our 2009 “Holiday Mail for Heroes” campaign with the Red Cross. You may have seen information about this campaign last year, and I wanted to reach out to see if you would be willing to help us send a touch of home to as many soldiers as possible.

The goal of the campaign is to recruit Americans to send holiday cards with their messages of thanks and cheer to service members and their families. It is our hope that, through this campaign, American service men and women in the U.S. and around the world will feel comforted and appreciated during the holiday season.

The post includes information about what types of cards can be sent, how cards should be addressed, and also provides further information regarding how you can get involved. I hope that you will be willing to spread the word about the campaign through your blog, helping us send a touch of home to our U.S. Armed Forces, veterans and their families when they need it most.

Best regards,

Frank McDade

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Around the military:

An enlisted air crew member signals a Marine Corps CH-53E Sea Stallion helicopter as it approaches the flight deck of the amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry during landing qualifications in the South China Sea, Oct. 29, 2009. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Joshua J. Wahl

U.S. Army Pfc. Pherelle Fowler stretches during yoga class on Camp Bundela, India, Oct. 24, 2009. During the two-week exercise, U.S. soldiers participated in Indian sports, ate Indian food and participated in other cultural events. Fowler is assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment. DoD photo by Fred W. Baker III

U.S. Army soldiers conduct a clearing exercise in a newly discovered 150-year-old village near Camp Bundela during Exercise Yudh Abhyas in Babina, India, Oct. 16, 2009.U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Rodney Jackson