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| Our Hero! |
Monday, May 21, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
We are now on Twitter!
Finally! I've been a bit intimidated by Twitter (no real reason, just me), but I finally got brave enough to venture out and set up our account. You can find us at https://twitter.com/#!/Wings4OurTroops and follow us on Twitter now! I will post upcoming events and just as soon as we send another Marine home you will see it there as well!
We do have a fundraiser for WFOT scheduled for June 16, 2012 in Rogers, AR in front of the Harps in downtown Rogers. Whitey will be grilling his famous chicken and the "NUTS" will be there with all their amazing wives (yes, I said wives... some will be married by then), fiances, girlfriends, and all their friends as well as Benton County Sheriff hopeful Mike Jones and his wife Wendy. If you are in town and can spare the time please join us for this very worthy cause.
There are lots of Marines (and hopefully other branches) that need to get home before and/or after deployment and without our help they may not be able to afford their trip. These men and women make a very modest pay check and this visit home is on their own dime. I know it sounds crazy and to me it so is, but it's the facts...
Support our troops and show them we care by helping us raise as much money as we can (this is a non-profit foundation) to get our Marines home!
You can also check out our website at http://www.wingsforourtroops.com/ to check out events past and future as well as the story of our 1st Marine we sent home.
Thank you in advance for all your support and encouragement. It is greatly appreciated not just by us, but I know by all service men and women that will benefit from it.
We do have a fundraiser for WFOT scheduled for June 16, 2012 in Rogers, AR in front of the Harps in downtown Rogers. Whitey will be grilling his famous chicken and the "NUTS" will be there with all their amazing wives (yes, I said wives... some will be married by then), fiances, girlfriends, and all their friends as well as Benton County Sheriff hopeful Mike Jones and his wife Wendy. If you are in town and can spare the time please join us for this very worthy cause.
There are lots of Marines (and hopefully other branches) that need to get home before and/or after deployment and without our help they may not be able to afford their trip. These men and women make a very modest pay check and this visit home is on their own dime. I know it sounds crazy and to me it so is, but it's the facts...
Support our troops and show them we care by helping us raise as much money as we can (this is a non-profit foundation) to get our Marines home!
You can also check out our website at http://www.wingsforourtroops.com/ to check out events past and future as well as the story of our 1st Marine we sent home.
Thank you in advance for all your support and encouragement. It is greatly appreciated not just by us, but I know by all service men and women that will benefit from it.
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| Semper-Fi |
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Spouse Deployment Anthem
I came across this amazing video that a military spouse made regarding deployment. She is a musician (Olivia Perez-Breland) and she composed this heart wrenching deployment video and then just to show she could do it all she directed, produced, and edited the video herself. Warning, this will most likely make you cry, but it is absolutely beautiful. I know it could apply to parents as well as spouses, but it is definitely from a spouse's perspective and worth watching and listening to. I believe as a whole most Americans do a great job of supporting our troops, but I do believe at times the spouses get forgotten about during deployments and field training that takes them away from home sometimes up to 30 days at a time. Let's not forget that they truly sacrifice a lot as well and we need to support and lift them up.
http://spousebuzz.com/blog/2012/05/video-milspouse-deployment-anthem.html
http://spousebuzz.com/blog/2012/05/video-milspouse-deployment-anthem.html
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
1 year anniversary
WOW! It's hard to believe that this week marks a year ago that the guys from Chad's Battalion returned from Afghanistan. As the Radio Operator, Chad did his job! He may have only made it through about 5 weeks of deployment, but he did his job and did it well. I couldn't be more proud of him and couldn't be happier that his brothers in arms made it back safely. They did have some wounded warriors and that makes my heart sad, but they are pushing through like true Marines and making the best of their lives and grateful to have this opportunity as well I'm certain.
I know that all the young men that served with Chad left a piece of themselves in Afghanistan and I know they may in some way even struggle with some survivor's guilt. I hope if any of them ever read my blog that they know they should not ever have survivor's guilt. Chad was doing what he wanted to be doing and he made that choice very clear and he loved each and every one of those guys and would have it no other way.
As his mom, I would have given my own life for Chad (as I am sure any parent would do), but that was not in God's plan. There isn't a moment that I take a breath that I don't miss my son, but I do find some peace in knowing he is in God's arms and that he is finally safe.
I also know that I have been blessed with about 100 Marines that will forever be "bonus sons" to me and Tebo. They go out of their way to check in with us on a regular basis and there aren't many people who can say that about their child's friends/brothers. I hear from at least one of them every other week and some times more often and I heard from every one of them on Mother's Day. It's amazing what just a text, phone call, or Face Book message does for a mom when her own son can't reach out. I guess in a way he did, just through them.
I'm not angry that the other guys came home. In fact, completely the opposite. I'm so thankful and happy that they made it home and most of them have re-joined the civilian life and I believe they have all secured jobs or are attending college now. I couldn't be more proud of them all. They are moving forward and living life and that is exactly what I know for a fact that Chad wanted for them.
I do wonder what Chad would be doing right now. He might be in law enforcement somewhere (something he always wanted to do) or starting a family (he would have been an amazing father) or just living the dream somewhere, but instead he will forever be 22 1/2 years old and living in heaven with the angels and never hurting or being afraid again.
So for all my "bonus sons" congratulations for coming home and for your 1 year anniversary back on US Soil and for those that are still serving, you stay safe and know that you always have a cheerleader in me... To all of you, THANK YOU! Thank you for your service, your sacrifices, loving me & Tebo, and most importantly, for loving my son the way you do. You are never far from my thoughts and always in my heart.
Chad, you have always been my heart, always my hero, now you are my angel!
I know that all the young men that served with Chad left a piece of themselves in Afghanistan and I know they may in some way even struggle with some survivor's guilt. I hope if any of them ever read my blog that they know they should not ever have survivor's guilt. Chad was doing what he wanted to be doing and he made that choice very clear and he loved each and every one of those guys and would have it no other way.
As his mom, I would have given my own life for Chad (as I am sure any parent would do), but that was not in God's plan. There isn't a moment that I take a breath that I don't miss my son, but I do find some peace in knowing he is in God's arms and that he is finally safe.
I also know that I have been blessed with about 100 Marines that will forever be "bonus sons" to me and Tebo. They go out of their way to check in with us on a regular basis and there aren't many people who can say that about their child's friends/brothers. I hear from at least one of them every other week and some times more often and I heard from every one of them on Mother's Day. It's amazing what just a text, phone call, or Face Book message does for a mom when her own son can't reach out. I guess in a way he did, just through them.
I'm not angry that the other guys came home. In fact, completely the opposite. I'm so thankful and happy that they made it home and most of them have re-joined the civilian life and I believe they have all secured jobs or are attending college now. I couldn't be more proud of them all. They are moving forward and living life and that is exactly what I know for a fact that Chad wanted for them.
I do wonder what Chad would be doing right now. He might be in law enforcement somewhere (something he always wanted to do) or starting a family (he would have been an amazing father) or just living the dream somewhere, but instead he will forever be 22 1/2 years old and living in heaven with the angels and never hurting or being afraid again.
So for all my "bonus sons" congratulations for coming home and for your 1 year anniversary back on US Soil and for those that are still serving, you stay safe and know that you always have a cheerleader in me... To all of you, THANK YOU! Thank you for your service, your sacrifices, loving me & Tebo, and most importantly, for loving my son the way you do. You are never far from my thoughts and always in my heart.
Chad, you have always been my heart, always my hero, now you are my angel!
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| At Camp Pendleton before boarding the bus to leave for Afghanistan 2010 |
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| In Afghanistan 2010 |
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| Chad on the radio in Afghanistan 2010 |
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| Chad's memorial 5-25-2011... Seth, Zach S, Zach W, Shawn |
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