Keep 'em Safe

I came across an article about an 11 year boy whose father is deployed to Afghanistan. Xavier Johnson misses his dad very much just as many other children that have parents  deployed to war zones.

Xavier found a way to cope by making a rap song about his father's deployment. He preformed the song at a number of military talent shows and he and his father, Capt. Alfonso Johnson made a video and posted it on YouTube.

I found it very inspriring and I am sure most of you will too. If you are military and have children please let them watch this video. Perhaps it will make them feel a little more comforted knowing they are not alone. Many of these kids feel exactly as Xavier does.

Even if you are not military please pass this video on.

Thank you Capt. Alfonso Johnson for your service and thank you Xavier for having the courage to express your feelings along with the talent to put it in a song.

Gotta Love Mudpuppy

Mudpuppy is a soldier in Afghanistan that used to blog but decided to make his blog private. He still stays in touch with his adopted Mom Airman Mom. That way his followers still get a chance to hear about him. Airman Mom put up a post from Mudpuppy today.

Go here and read it right now.

 

See. Gotta love him.

Comments for Sgt. Daniel Thornhill

I just want to say thank you to everyone who left a comment for Sgt. Daniel Thornhill and all who I know sent him a card. I would like to send the comments to him so please continue to leave comments and even though his birthday will be passed I will print out the comments next Sunday June 14 and mail them to him. He deserves to see the support demonstrated here. Thanks once again and you can leave a comment for Sgt. Daniel Thornhill here

Sgt. Daniel Thornhill - Please help this Patriot

Sgt. Daniel Thornhill was seriously injured in Afghanistan two years agoby a suicide bomber. He lost both legs, is paralyzed from the waist down and suffered severe burns on his hands, arms and body. You can read an article about Sgt. Thornhill here.

His parents are asking for help. No financial help but they would like to help brighten his upcoming birthday. They are asking that people just send their son a card for his birthday. This young man has sacrificed a lot for our country and it would be great if everyone reading this could join in and send him a card. His birthday is next week.

Please help and please pass the word. This is a real simple way to give back to someone who has given so much for the American people. His address is below. Thank you.

Mailing address:
Sgt. Daniel Thornhill
Fort Sam Houston Fisher House
3623 George C. Beach Rd
Fort Sam Houston, Texas 78234

Pink is the New Camo

A soldier sleeping on his post in Afghanistan  was awakened by Taliban terrorists attacking the post. He rushed out to help his fellow soldiers defend the post. Not so unusual but there is a twist. He was wearing pink boxer shorts, a red t-shirt and flip-flops.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates praised Army Specialist Zachery Boyd on Thursday and said he would like to meet the young soldier who is only 19 years old.

Secretary Gates said, "Any soldier who goes into battle against the Taliban in pink boxers and flip-flops has a special kind of courage." He added, "I can only wonder about the impact on the Taliban. Just imagine seeing that: a guy in pink boxers and flip-flops has you in his cross-hairs. What an incredible innovation in psychological warfare."

Read the full story here.

Just another example of courage under fire. It takes quite a man to run out in pink boxers to defend our country. Thank you Spc. Boyd!

I just love this country!

Marines in Training

LCpl Honda is doing some serious month-long training. His unit recently went to 29 Palms to train for their upcoming deployment. He said it is very intense but he is having fun doing it.

He called last weekend to say they were on their way to a base near Oakland to jump out of helicopters. HE was overjoyed! Makes me a little bit queasy. I am just glad he is happy and enjoying his training.

So I was browsing around Marines.mil and I came across this article about his unit and their training. I thought it was interesting. There are a few pictures too and I wondered if LCpl was in any of them. Hard to tell because they all look alike in their camo and gear.

Apparently the training is pretty grueling and challenges both the Marines’ abilities to work in unison as squads and their individual physical endurance. Also,the scenario mirrors combat situations in Afghanistan, where they may be deploying.

“The course is physically exhausting,” said Staff Sgt. Shawn M. Skaggs, 26, from Pilot Grove, Mo. “In combat, you have adrenaline and the will to survive to keep you going. In training, you don’t have that; you have to have that physical will to drive yourself.”

You can read the full article here.

Please say a prayer for my son and his unit. I know they get the best training possible but a little divine intervention can not hurt.

Military Monday

I have decided to start a new weekly addition to my blog. Military Monday. I hope to highlight some event each week on Monday.

But I am going to start this with the focus on my son, LCpl Honda. You see he is in an intense month-long training away from his base. He called me this weekend and I'm sure some of you know that he is supposed to deploy on a ship in Sept and sail around the ocean for a few months.

Side note: This changes on a weekly basis.

So now he is pretty sure the deployment will involve either Iraq of Afghanistan. This does not surprise me. The caveat is he confided in me that he is scared. I am sure this is normal but it is hard when your 29 year son tells you he is afraid. I just continue to be strong and tell him to buck up buddy! He reads this blog sometimes so maybe some of you can pray for him and think about him.