2nd Annual Golf Tournament Fundraiser

On your mark, get set, tee off!  Saturday, October 13, 2012 my sister and her friends along with High Vista Country Club Mills River will be hosting our 2nd annual golf tournament for Wings for Our Troops "in loving memory of CPL Chad S Wade"!
If you are in the Asheville, NC area and would like to participate, here are the details:

Wings for Our Troops

2nd Annual Golf Tournament

Saturday October 13th 2012 at

“High Vista Country Club ~ Mills River”

Please contact Amber Banks (828)712-0542, Jennifer Cole (828) 691-5962

Sign up in advance requested. Please contact us!!!!!!! Thank you

~ Shot Gun Start @ 1:30p.m. ~ 12 – 12:30 Registration~

~4 Man Captain’s Choice ~ $320.00 per Team Entry ($80ea) ~

~ $100.00 to sponsor a hole ~

~ Red Tee’s and Mulligans will be sold ~

~ Prizes for: Longest Drive and Closest to the Pin, 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place winners~

~Raffle Tickets for sale $1ea or 6 for $5 ~ Great Gifts~

~ Dinner will be provided to all “Golfers” at the Country Club after the tournament~ Friends or Spouse may join for dinner for $12.00

 ~ Donations accepted ~

Please Contact us in advance to secure your spot, this is a wonderful cause and you can follow us on here at www.wingsforoutroops.com and on Face Book (look for Wings for Our Troops) and like us!

We are hoping this will become an annual event and continue to raise money to help our active marines get home before and/or after deployments.  We are continuing to reach out to find folks to pick up this cause with other military branches allowing us to help all our military service men and women get home! 

I want to give a special thank you to my sister, Amber Paige Banks and her sister in law, Lisa Banks Saye for all their hard work in putting this tournament together and getting all the sponsors and working with High Vista Country Club to make all this happen.

Never Forgotten

Today marks the 11th year of the tragedy of 9/11.  It is certainly a day that everyone will remember and will (if not already) be in our history books.  I believe most all will remember this day for different reasons and have different feelings regarding this day.  There were horrific losses that day and every day since.  For me and my family the way 9/11 has changed our lives is not because that was the day my son would decide to elitist in the Marine Corps.  In fact, we were living in my sister's house in AR and he was at school and while we talked about the events of that day once we were all home, we didn't make it a huge scary thing in front of him.  He didn't talk about being a Marine that day or anything like that, but it is because of 9/11 that would ultimately change our lives forever.
When Chad decided to enlist into the Marine Corps we were at war.  We were at war because of 9/11 and the events that took place that day at the hands of terrorists.  Because of 9/11, my son lost his life in the line of duty.
I am changed forever for the second time in my life along with the rest of my family and it was at the hands of the Taliban that I lost my only child that day on December 1, 2010.
My heart goes out to those families that lost loved ones on this day 11 years ago and for every life lost since that day whether on American soil or foreign soil.  Regardless where or how, 9/11 has changed and touched the lives of so many Americans and in ways that will never go away.
I don't worry about us as a country ever "forgetting" about 9/11, I worry about us forgetting that there were lives lost and still being lost and forgetting about the patriotism we all felt when we all came together again as a united nation as time continues to move along and our men and women are still at war.
Let's not forget that we are still at war and our children, spouses, loved ones are still very much in danger and losing lives every day.  They are still defending and protecting us from terrorists and making it possible for us to do what we do every day.  Fire Fighters still fight fires and protect us, our police continue to serve and protect us and our military continue to put their lives on the line for us each day.  So while we pause on this day to remember, please wake up tomorrow and keep remembering these men and women continuing to serve and protect us and willing to pay the ultimate price for us.

Snow Update

Thank you Lord!  SGT Joe Snow has returned to Camp Pendleton from Afghanistan.  Saturday, September 2, 2012 Molly welcomed her Marine home from deployment.  You might remember SGT Snow more by CPL Joe Snow as the Marine we "Wings for Our Troops" sent home for pre-deployment leave before he left for Afghanistan in January.  While deployed he picked up Sergeant!  CONGRATULATIONS!  
It's not just about SGT Snow, however.  His wife, Molly, stayed behind while he served our country and maintained their home (actually moved while he was gone), worked, went to school, and kept a very positive attitude throughout this deployment.  Many times I think our military wives/families are forgotten about while their Marine/Soldiers are deployed.  They are sacrificing and serving too in a different capacity, but serving and sacrificing none the less.  Good job Molly for being that faithful and sacrificing Marine wife that you are so that Joe could do the job he was charged with.
As Americans and as now your friends, first, welcome home SGT Snow and congratulations for having the other half of your heart back home Molly.
It was not only our pleasure to meet you both and have the privilege of helping you get home before deploying, but it was our honor to do so.
Enjoy your much deserved time together and I pray you get some down time to just be together and enjoy each other.
We are always supporting you and all our military!  Semper Fi