On behalf of NFTT, it is my honor today to host this diary, which is written to serve two purposes, to honor two fallen American veterans who passed away this week after years of service to our nation, and to support those heroes who still serve in every way we can.
This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.
-Elmer Davis
It is for those brave men and women who serve and sacrifice for our nation both today and in the past that I proudly present this humble memorial to two men who passed away recently after serving our nation with honor, and to those who still serve and sacrifice for our nation to this very day. In honoring them, we honor all the other American patriots who have come before them, as well as ourselves.
Rest In Peace Marine Colonel Jack Murtha
Murtha was born June 17, 1932 in New Martinsville, West Virginia, near the Pennsylvania border, and grew up in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh. He left Washington and Jefferson College in 1952 to join the Marines during the Korean War. There he earned the American Spirit Honor Medal. He rose through the ranks to become a drill instructor at Parris Island and was selected for Officer Candidate School at Quantico, Virginia. He then was assigned to the Second Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
After his service, he ran a small carwash business and attended the University of Pittsburgh on the GI Bill, receiving degree in economics from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Murtha remained in the Marine Corps Reserves. In 1959, then-Captain Murtha took command of the 34th Special Infantry Company, Marine Corps Reserves, in Johnstown. He remained in the Reserves after his discharge from active duty until he volunteered for service in Vietnam in 1966-67, serving as a battalion staff officer(S-2 Intelligence Section), receiving the Bronze Star with Combat "V" for valor in combat, two Purple Hearts and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. He retired from the Reserves as a colonel in 1990, receiving the Navy Distinguished Service Medal.
sourcewatch.org
A country that treats its servicemen fairly and humanely is a better country. It is also, according to Murtha’s logic, a safer country. For both we should be grateful to the service he gave.
americanprogress.org
You can also honor John Murtha here with IGTNT. They have done a great job in paying their respects to John Murtha, and I encourage one and all to join them.
Rest In Peace Navy Lieutenant Charlie Wilson
Charles Wilson was born June 1, 1933 in the small town of Trinity, Texas. He attended public schools there and graduated from Trinity High Schoolin 1951.
While attending Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, Wilson was appointed to the United States Naval Academy. Wilson received a B.S. degree, graduating eighth from the bottom of his class in 1956.
From 1956 to 1960, Wilson served in the U.S. Navy, attaining the rank of lieutenant. Having graduated as a gunnery office, he was assigned to a destroyer that searched for Soviet submarines. He then took a top secret post the Pentagon as part of an intelligence unit that evaluated the Soviet Union's nuclear forces.
Biography.com
He (Wilson) went on to serve as a gunnery officer on a destroyer, patrolling the eastern Mediterranean. He soon became famous, through practice sessions, for running out of ammunition long before the end of each voyage. His service turned him into a first-class gunner . . .
guardian.co.uk
Tonight I ask you to join us in honoring those who honor us with their service, both those who are gone, and those who carry on that spirit that crossed the Potomac on a snowy night many many winters before. As I write this, I feel certain that were I thrust into the boots of these men and women I would feel afraid, at all times facing often insurmountable odds. But they did it. They do it. At all hours and in all places these men and women in the same spirit of rugged individualism and tenacity as those who came before them, they managed to do it. That gives me hope. That gives me strength, and that gives me the hope that the struggles we face today can be overcome, just as those before us and around us face even greater fears and threats, and yet still they find a way to persevere in the face of uncertain odds. Such are the things that honor is made of. For this and much more, we pay memorial to thee, dear soldier.
My father was a Navy Helmsman during Vietnam on the U.S.S. Ranger. His father served in the Navy before him. I have military blood in my veins going back to the Civil War when one of my forefathers fought for the Union at the battle of Antietam. All of these people sacrificed something in their lifetimes to preserve the freedoms we enjoy today.
I value the contribution made by each and every American patriot who has donned their uniform to serve and protect our nation. They have, and still do, sacrifice for all of us as American citizens. I feel it is our duty to honor these brave souls by sharing in their sacrifice, even if it is only in some small way. By doing so we honor their sacrifices, and in honoring the sacrifices made by the men and women who act selflessly for their nation and it's citizens we honor ourselves as well.
And so we come this day to honor our noble soldiers, both those who still sacrifice to this day, and those who are gone that live on in our hearts and memories. The best way to honor those who are gone, in my humble opinion, is to support those who still fight on, and thus it is that I implore you, as friends, as my countrymen and fellow patriots, to honor our troops and show your support for their sacrifice with more than just words, but with deeds.
Thus, I leave you with these two quotes, as the final part of my meager contribution in honoring our brave American soldiers, who have sacrificed so much over the 200 and more years of our nation's history. If I could sacrifice as much as a tenth of my life as these brave men and my forefathers who came before me I would consider myself still truly honored to stand with such noble and valiant Americans as these.
"A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers"
~ President John F. Kennedy
from IN MEMORIAM A. H. H
We ceased: a gentler feeling crept
Upon us: surely rest is meet:
"They rest," we said, "their sleep is sweet,"
And silence follow'd, and we wept.
Our voices took a higher range;
Once more we sang: "They do not die
Nor lose their mortal sympathy,
Nor change to us, although they change;
"Rapt from the fickle and the frail
With gather'd power, yet the same,
Pierces the keen seraphic flame
From orb to orb, from veil to veil."
Rise, happy morn, rise, holy morn,
Draw forth the cheerful day from night:
O Father, touch the east, and light
The light that shone when Hope was born.
by Alfred lord Tennyson
Our goal for Netroots For The Troops 2010 is $100,000.00 (cash or in-kind donations).
<<a href="https://services.myngp.com/ngponlineservices/contribution.aspx?X=qsM8TGOmbG%2fVIeL39RZ69XMvWaAKvnV1AHbbiKdZe1I%3d">/a>
Our primary goal with NFTT is assembling Care Packages at Netroots Nation. However, occasionally there arises a need beyond those deployed. Maybe a veteran and his family caught between a need and red tape. llbear et al has shown us several times this year. So as we rises funds this year keep in mind that your donation may very well be helping a veteran in need here at home or help those deployed feel they're remembered here at home.
We realize that you would like to donate something tangible to go inside the packages that will be mailed to the troops. Unfortunately, accepting in-kind donations from individuals is not practical in terms of storage and handling of the items. We will only be accepting corporate donations or cash from YOU to purchase items for the care packages this year.
Here’s how YOU can help:
- Please contact TexDem if you know someone who might be helpful in securing the corporate in-kind donations. To help you think of companies who could donate products, see below* for a list of potential items. Put your thinking caps on and let us hear from you. It takes time to get through the corporate processes so we need to hear from you ASAP!
- We are accepting cash from individuals and
beg ask that you DONATE HERE to contribute to this worthy cause. Your donation will enable us to purchase the things that we are unable to obtain through corporate donations, and will help to pay the costs of shipping them to our troops. This year your donations will be tax deductible, thanks to Netroots Nation and their partner Netroots Arts and Education Initiative, a California 501(c)3 corporation.
- Sign up for a diary! Don’t worry---we’ve made it easy for you. We’ve got a template set up, and all you need to do is add a small introduction telling us why you are donating, sharing a story of someone you know who has served or is serving, or any other thing you want to share that might help motivate others to donate.
- Do you know a service member who would like to receive a care package? Email a request to: NFTT.request@gmail.com before June 30 2010.
Please include all of the following information. Unfortunately we will not be able to process any incomplete requests:
Rank:
Last name:
First name:
APO Address Line 1:
APO Address Line 2:
APO Address Zip:
- Write letters to be included in the packages! If you need some ideas, rbutters wrote an excellent diary with tips on how to write letters to troops and why it’s so important to them.
- Help us assemble the packages in Las Vegas. It's fun! More information will be forthcoming for those of you who are going to be in Las Vegas and would like to help there.
- Please consider joining the NFTT FaceBook Group. Invite your FaceBook and non-FaceBook friends.
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The goal for 2010 is 600 Care Packages assembled in Las Vegas, that equates to approximately $100,000.00. Again this was decided upon after seeing we could assemble 300 in 45 minutes in Pittsburgh. The items we'll be sending will be comparable to what was sent last year. However, that list is subject to modification based on suggestions, request and needs. Last year's boxes had a retail value of about $210.00. Btw, check out the NFTT website.
*The following list contains some of the things we have included in packages. Please let us know if you know someone who might be helpful in securing these corporate in-kind donations. (Please DO NOT send these items yourself! We have no way to accept them. Instead, your cash donation is the very best way to help make this happen on the ground in Las Vegas.)
- Baby wipes
- Mechanix gloves
- LED flashlights
- Gel shoe insoles
- Goop Cleaning Gel
- Powdered energy drinks
- Gel energy food packets
- DVDs and CDs
- Letters to the soldiers
- More suggestions coming soon
Important Note about Successful Online Donations
When you make your online donation, the screen indicates that you are donating to Netroots Nation. This is the right screen! Rest assured all donations WILL go to NFTT. If you wish, feel free to use the comment area provided to note that your donation is intended for Netroots For The Troops. It isn’t necessary to do this however, as this is the only fundraising activity being conducted for Netroots Nation at this time. For further information about online donations, please read TexDem's diary on the subject.
The NFTT diaries are a way for the Daily Kos community to support the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq by sending them packages of items they might not otherwise receive through the normal military process but that they find useful.
This is a non-political diary. While we understand there are differing views on the wars and the warriors, the site gives plenty of opportunity to express those views elsewhere. Furthermore, we would hope that users do not engage with those that attempt to hijack or otherwise disrupt these diaries.
We appreciate your understanding and support. Thanks!