Happy Birthday...Happy Birthday....Happy Birthday!

I hope that you are able to enjoy the big 21 off of the base!

Enjoy that first "legal" beer....but only one! (what can I say - I am still your mom!)

Missing you a whole lot!

Love,

Mom

America Stands with Cindy

Across the United States, people stood with Cindy to ask: "For what Noble Cause did Casey and nearly 1900 other Americans die for?" These pictures were taken at one Chicagoland vigil.

Get Well!

Get well wishes are being sent from Illinois to Cindy's mom in California. Hope you are up and about soon!

More Families Grieve

Last week, we wrote about the unspeakably sad story of Gennaro Pellegrini Jr. -- Philly cop, welterweight boxer, and National Guardsman. The 31-year-old's life was hitting full stride when he received a fateful phone call ordering him to serve in Iraq, just two weeks before his hitch was supposed to end. Pellegrini was quite unhappy, but he went -- and he paid with his life, along with three of his Pennsylvania National Guard colleagues who were killed in a ruthless ambush near the Iraqi town of Beiji.

Read the rest of the story here

Vigils, Vandalism and Intimidation

I attended one of several vigils in my area in support of discovering "what noble cause" Casey Sheehan died for. With me, at the vigil were people young and old...we lined both sides of a street with candles, signs and flowers. In the crowd were parents of other military members. One dad's shirt read "Proud Airforce Dad." He said that his son and family were "counting down the days" until his son re-entered civilian life next month. The other dad, I knew. His son, a Marine reservist had completed a tour in Iraq last year. This year, he attends film school. Dad firmly hopes he is not called back and can continue his schooling. His mom is currently in Crawford and plans to return home on Friday.

Earlier in the week, a Bush supporter decided to mow down a few crosses at Camp Casey in Crawford. I guess he considered this a display of support for the President. Another man, posing as a law enforcement official made threats to the folks at Camp Casey. Both were arrested.

Our demonstration, too, had a few local Bush supporters "make a statement". One pretended to veer his car toward those lining the street, laying on his horn and giving all, the one finger salute. The demonstrators, who numbered about 200, seemed largely unimpressed. The event organizer read a letter from Cindy Sheehan....and a poem from Casey's sister (posted on another thread in this blog). I lit candles for three soldiers: my son, the son of a friend who left for Iraq earlier in the week and one to remember Casey. Casey's candle would not stay lit.

Pictures will follow - later.

Adventures in Camp Casey

Well, it would seem that the "Freepers" from Texas left...a neighbor signaled his displeasure by shooting off his gun....and his mouth. The media pictures were priceless - a red pick up truck, a box of shells and a case of beer.

Cindy was pictured embracing a counter-protestor who also lost his son in Iraq. I guess that pretty much sums up what our President doesn't get: Grief trancends politics. Staying "on message" isn't going to cut it. As parents of soldiers we have questions. Often they are saved for those last moments before we sleep. They are very scary questions. Cindy is asking them. Bush, whether or not he knows it, is answering them. Too bad it is the wrong answer.

The Wild Eyed Liberals down in Crawford

Ah....another one of those "wild eyed liberal" protesters who took over the ranch in Crawford

Archie Goodwin, WWII Vet, served his country. He believes that the President should talk to Cindy. He believes that someone lied...and like many others in the US - we would like to know just who that was.

The picture is from CindyWatch on the Lone Star Iconoclast website: Bush's "hometown" newspaper. Oh...they endorsed Kerry for President last year.

Nearly A Week: Bush a "No Show" at Camp Casey

Several friends have joined Cindy in Crawford.

President Bush drove past on his way to raise a couple of million dollars for his political friends.

The police, in riot gear, held the dangerous group of bereaved families and supporters behind a yellow police tape line. The President did not stop.

Word has it that "counter-protesters" are on the way. I wonder if the "true believers" will be invited on the ranch for a pig roast....

Soldier's Moms Are STILL Waiting!

And we are not going anywhere, George!

President Bush: Meet With Cindy!

This weekend Cindy Sheehan, the mother of Casey Austin Sheehan who was killed in Iraq in April of last year, went visiting and took along a few friends. Cindy has been trying to talk with President Bush about the war that killed her son. Cindy has been trying to discuss the war with Mr. Bush for awhile. She tried to set up an appointment with Mr. Rumsfeld and Mr. Bush in January but recieved no answer. She tried again in June...but again no response.

This week, Mr. Bush retired to his ranch for a 5 week vacation. Cindy thought she would drop in. She brought a few friends for the ride out to Crawford. A few more came by car. Then the media showed up. By Sunday, the story was all over the press, television and radio. So as not to appear rude, Mr. Bush dispatched a few of his aides to listen to Cindy's concerns. But no dice, Cindy wants to talk to the man who sent her son to die in Iraq. She has been camping in a ditch about three miles from the Presidential ranch in Texas. She has been given a nice warm ditch to pitch her tent in and the Secret Service is keeping their eye on her. On Thursday, if she is still there, she has been told she will be arrested because she represents a "threat to National Security." (I wonder how she will become suddenly more threatening on Thursday....she has been peacefully demonstrating since her arrival on Friday...from her designated ditch....complete with fire ants.)

Cindy is hanging tough. She will stay as long as the President stays, baking in the hot Texas sun waiting to take her concerns to the President. If he doesn't talk with her, she will move her camp to Washington and wait there. If she is arrested...and released before the end of August, she will be back at the ranch....waiting.

Her son is dead: sent to war based on what seems to be false intelligence...and many believe flat out lies. The President doesn't want to talk about that either. He wants to "stay the course." He is willing to let more young Americans die. Cindy lives with the pain of her son's death...and she doesn't want anymore families to experience her gut wrenching grief.

Mr. Bush...MEET WITH CINDY. If you dare.

Cindy's interview with NPRs Morning Edition can be linked here

Links

Several weeks ago, the Military ordered all milbloggers that were in combat areas to "register" their blogs with their command. This was in appearant response to alleged OPSEC violations. Some bloggers, rather than registering their sites, elected instead to stop posting and/or remove their blog sites as opposed to possibly having their blogs reviewed by their command.

One such blogger was Red2Alpha who was an eloquent reporter of the events around him. I was aware that he did not intend to update his blog after the orders were written, but I did not realize that he was going to pull his blog from cyberspace. But it is gone.

Red2Alpha, much thanks for your insights...often scary and sometimes grim and gritty. Our politics and world views were different...but you gave me a glimpse into your world that was invaluable in helping me understand. May you come home soon... and safe.

I will look for other bloggers from the field. I expect that the comments will be a bit less forthcoming...and more measured than in the past. It appears that those who fight for our freedoms are a bit less free to express their experiences and beliefs.

Down the Rabbit Hole - Preparing for War

First, to those who read this blog, I apologize for my tardiness in posting. A visit home from my soldier, supporting a mom whose son's deployment is imminent, family obligations and work have rather gotten in the way of the blog of late.

As I prepare for the difficult months ahead...and sometimes gasp at current events I am reminded often of how quickly things can change. My soldier, after a nice visit home, was quickly sent to the field for a two week training exercise. A few days into the exercise - which of course means I can't contact my son, I heard of a casualty on the field. Unlike the one in the exercises in April/May, this one did not result in a fatality. It does not lessen the strain, however. While my son was home, I also learned where he would be stationed...a particularly nasty area in Afghanistan which due to OPSEC considerations, I will not mention. Once he is "in country", I will post a bit more information.

During our visit, we were able to discuss a few things as the reality of deployment sets in. My son is a single soldier (hopefully, he will stay that way for a bit longer) who has a very dangerous job that could result in serious injury or death. I have read enough accounts of "snafus" in caring for wounded soldiers and decided to educate my son on "advanced directives" for healthcare. We discussed what HE considered to be life...and how to proceed if he were injured in such a matter that he could not reasonably be expected to recover. This was to my mind at least both important and bizzare. We also discussed what type of a funeral he would want (military...not my choice but I would honor his request)

And so I added another thing to my list of things "to do" - obtain a passport because I promised I would be in Germany at his side to make sure, in the event of injury, he would receive proper care.

Happily, the rest of the visit was much less intense. He fretted about getting his new driver's license that takes the red (under 21) background out of the picture - another milestone as he "comes of age".

Over the next few months, there will be more training exercises, a likely trip to Ranger school, a board for "Soldier of the Quarter", and a loving....but very worried mom back at home. I will post more often - sometimes personal - other times political since too often these days the two seem to converge in my life.

Best of luck to Cindy S. in Crawford. I will post more about her story later but I hope she gets the answers she seeks....from the person she seeks them from. It is pretty hot on the prairie in Texas these days....and the stonewall is not a very good example of how to support the family members of those who have served this country.