Wednesday, September 12, 2007                                      
 

Text Box: Veteran Activist
 Bill Gast    USN (ret) DAV Editor@weesupportthevets.com
    
      Read --click here   Today's Editorial    UW students- Jane Fonda "wannabees?"                 

                      THIS WEBSITE MISSION IS THE PASSING AND ENACTMENT
           OF HR 303 THE FULL RESTORATION OF RETIRED PAY  FOR DISABLED VETERANS

Washington, D.C. at 0800 on April 25th, 2006support and participate in the VETERANS MARCH OF 2006  see  http://www.vetmarch2006.com/


Why are vets organizing a March on D.C.? Here is one of the first---Legislators  today defeated the Stabenow Bill (S.Amdt. 3141 to S.Con.Res. 83) for mandatory funding of Veterans health care. Look how your representative voted. Are they voting for the vets they represent or are they (again) playing party politics?. It is pathetic to see how these legislators play political football with the lives of USS VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES. Look here and you can see that it is a party issue ---all Republicans voted against and Demos for. This and many other issues will be brought before the American public from speakers at the March in D. C. and other state capital locations across the United States. Simocast TV will present the subject--its up to you to keep it rolling

U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 109th Congress - 2nd Session

as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate

Vote Summary

Question: On the Amendment (Stabenow Amdt No. 3141 )

Vote Number:

63

Vote Date:

March 16, 2006, 03:28 PM

Required For Majority:

1/2

Vote Result:

Amendment Rejected

Amendment Number:

S.Amdt. 3141 to S.Con.Res. 83

Statement of Purpose:

To provide an assured stream of funding for veteran's health care that will take into account the annual changes in the veteran's population and inflation to be paid for by restoring the pre-2001 top rate for income over $1 million, closing corporate tax loopholes and delaying tax cuts for the wealthy.

 

Vote Counts:

YEAs

46

 

NAYs

54

 

Vote Summary

By Senator Name

By Vote Position

By Home State

Alphabetical by Senator Name

Akaka (D-HI), Yea
Alexander (R-TN), Nay
Allard (R-CO), Nay
Allen (R-VA), Nay
Baucus (D-MT), Yea
Bayh (D-IN), Yea
Bennett (R-UT), Nay
Biden (D-DE), Yea
Bingaman (D-NM), Yea
Bond (R-MO), Nay
Boxer (D-CA), Yea
Brownback (R-KS), Nay
Bunning (R-KY), Nay
Burns (R-MT), Nay
Burr (R-NC), Nay
Byrd (D-WV), Yea
Cantwell (D-WA), Yea
Carper (D-DE), Yea
Chafee (R-RI), Nay
Chambliss (R-GA), Nay
Clinton (D-NY), Yea
Coburn (R-OK), Nay
Cochran (R-MS), Nay
Coleman (R-MN), Nay
Collins (R-ME), Nay
Conrad (D-ND), Yea
Cornyn (R-TX), Nay
Craig (R-ID), Nay
Crapo (R-ID), Nay
Dayton (D-MN), Yea
DeMint (R-SC), Nay
DeWine (R-OH), Nay
Dodd (D-CT), Yea
Dole (R-NC), Nay

Domenici (R-NM), Nay
Dorgan (D-ND), Yea
Durbin (D-IL), Yea
Ensign (R-NV), Nay
Enzi (R-WY), Nay
Feingold (D-WI), Yea
Feinstein (D-CA), Yea
Frist (R-TN), Nay
Graham (R-SC), Nay
Grassley (R-IA), Nay
Gregg (R-NH), Nay
Hagel (R-NE), Nay
Harkin (D-IA), Yea
Hatch (R-UT), Nay
Hutchison (R-TX), Nay
Inhofe (R-OK), Nay
Inouye (D-HI), Yea
Isakson (R-GA), Nay
Jeffords (I-VT), Yea
Johnson (D-SD), Yea
Kennedy (D-MA), Yea
Kerry (D-MA), Yea
Kohl (D-WI), Yea
Kyl (R-AZ), Nay
Landrieu (D-LA), Yea
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea
Leahy (D-VT), Yea
Levin (D-MI), Yea
Lieberman (D-CT), Yea
Lincoln (D-AR), Yea
Lott (R-MS), Nay
Lugar (R-IN), Nay
Martinez (R-FL), Nay
McCain (R-AZ), Nay

McConnell (R-KY), Nay
Menendez (D-NJ), Yea
Mikulski (D-MD), Yea
Murkowski (R-AK), Nay
Murray (D-WA), Yea
Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Nelson (D-NE), Nay
Obama (D-IL), Yea
Pryor (D-AR), Yea
Reed (D-RI), Yea
Reid (D-NV), Yea
Roberts (R-KS), Nay
Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea
Salazar (D-CO), Yea
Santorum (R-PA), Nay
Sarbanes (D-MD), Yea
Schumer (D-NY), Yea
Sessions (R-AL), Nay
Shelby (R-AL), Nay
Smith (R-OR), Nay
Snowe (R-ME), Yea
Specter (R-PA), Yea
Stabenow (D-MI), Yea
Stevens (R-AK), Nay
Sununu (R-NH), Nay
Talent (R-MO), Nay
Thomas (R-WY), Nay
Thune (R-SD), Nay
Vitter (R-LA), Nay
Voinovich (R-OH), Nay
Warner (R-VA), Nay
Wyden (D-OR), Yea

 

Vote Summary

By Senator Name

By Vote Position

By Home State

Grouped By Vote Position

YEAs ---46

Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Carper (D-DE)
Clinton (D-NY)
Conrad (D-ND)
Dayton (D-MN)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)

Feinstein (D-CA)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)

Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Obama (D-IL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Wyden (D-OR)

 

NAYs ---54

Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Allen (R-VA)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burns (R-MT)
Burr (R-NC)
Chafee (R-RI)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)

DeMint (R-SC)
DeWine (R-OH)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Frist (R-TN)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)

Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Nelson (D-NE)
Roberts (R-KS)
Santorum (R-PA)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-OR)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Talent (R-MO)
Thomas (R-WY)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)

 

Vote Summary

By Senator Name

By Vote Position

By Home State

Grouped by Home State

Alabama:

Sessions (R-AL), Nay

Shelby (R-AL), Nay

Alaska:

Murkowski (R-AK), Nay

Stevens (R-AK), Nay

Arizona:

Kyl (R-AZ), Nay

McCain (R-AZ), Nay

Arkansas:

Lincoln (D-AR), Yea

Pryor (D-AR), Yea

California:

Boxer (D-CA), Yea

Feinstein (D-CA), Yea

Colorado:

Allard (R-CO), Nay

Salazar (D-CO), Yea

Connecticut:

Dodd (D-CT), Yea

Lieberman (D-CT), Yea

Delaware:

Biden (D-DE), Yea

Carper (D-DE), Yea

Florida:

Martinez (R-FL), Nay

Nelson (D-FL), Yea

Georgia:

Chambliss (R-GA), Nay

Isakson (R-GA), Nay

Hawaii:

Akaka (D-HI), Yea

Inouye (D-HI), Yea

Idaho:

Craig (R-ID), Nay

Crapo (R-ID), Nay

Illinois:

Durbin (D-IL), Yea

Obama (D-IL), Yea

Indiana:

Bayh (D-IN), Yea

Lugar (R-IN), Nay

Iowa:

Grassley (R-IA), Nay

Harkin (D-IA), Yea

Kansas:

Brownback (R-KS), Nay

Roberts (R-KS), Nay

Kentucky:

Bunning (R-KY), Nay

McConnell (R-KY), Nay

Louisiana:

Landrieu (D-LA), Yea

Vitter (R-LA), Nay

Maine:

Collins (R-ME), Nay

Snowe (R-ME), Yea

Maryland:

Mikulski (D-MD), Yea

Sarbanes (D-MD), Yea

Massachusetts:

Kennedy (D-MA), Yea

Kerry (D-MA), Yea

Michigan:

Levin (D-MI), Yea

Stabenow (D-MI), Yea

Minnesota:

Coleman (R-MN), Nay

Dayton (D-MN), Yea

Mississippi:

Cochran (R-MS), Nay

Lott (R-MS), Nay

Missouri:

Bond (R-MO), Nay

Talent (R-MO), Nay

Montana:

Baucus (D-MT), Yea

Burns (R-MT), Nay

Nebraska:

Hagel (R-NE), Nay

Nelson (D-NE), Nay

Nevada:

Ensign (R-NV), Nay

Reid (D-NV), Yea

New Hampshire:

Gregg (R-NH), Nay

Sununu (R-NH), Nay

New Jersey:

Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea

Menendez (D-NJ), Yea

New Mexico:

Bingaman (D-NM), Yea

Domenici (R-NM), Nay

New York:

Clinton (D-NY), Yea

Schumer (D-NY), Yea

North Carolina:

Burr (R-NC), Nay

Dole (R-NC), Nay

North Dakota:

Conrad (D-ND), Yea

Dorgan (D-ND), Yea

Ohio:

DeWine (R-OH), Nay

Voinovich (R-OH), Nay

Oklahoma:

Coburn (R-OK), Nay

Inhofe (R-OK), Nay

Oregon:

Smith (R-OR), Nay

Wyden (D-OR), Yea

Pennsylvania:

Santorum (R-PA), Nay

Specter (R-PA), Yea

Rhode Island:

Chafee (R-RI), Nay

Reed (D-RI), Yea

South Carolina:

DeMint (R-SC), Nay

Graham (R-SC), Nay

South Dakota:

Johnson (D-SD), Yea

Thune (R-SD), Nay

Tennessee:

Alexander (R-TN), Nay

Frist (R-TN), Nay

Texas:

Cornyn (R-TX), Nay

Hutchison (R-TX), Nay

Utah:

Bennett (R-UT), Nay

Hatch (R-UT), Nay

Vermont:

Jeffords (I-VT), Yea

Leahy (D-VT), Yea

Virginia:

Allen (R-VA), Nay

Warner (R-VA), Nay

Washington:

Cantwell (D-WA), Yea

Murray (D-WA), Yea

West Virginia:

Byrd (D-WV), Yea

Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea

Wisconsin:

Feingold (D-WI), Yea

Kohl (D-WI), Yea

Wyoming:

Enzi (R-WY), Nay

Thomas (R-WY), Nay

 

 

 

An American tragedy—the plight of the US war wounded
By James Cogan
Feb 7, 2006, 05:31


 
 
 

One of the terrible legacies of the criminal wars in Afghanistan and Iraq is the number of maimed, sick or traumatized former US soldiers—many of them barely in their twenties—who will require medical assistance for the rest of their lives. For political reasons, the scope of the tragedy is barely being reported despite the impact it is having on a significant layer of young men and women, their families and communities.

Due to improvements in surgical techniques, medicine, body armor and transportation, only nine percent of American casualties in Iraq die from their wounds, compared with 17 percent in Vietnam and 23 percent during World War II. The official US death toll since November 2001 stood at 2,513 as of February 7—261 deaths in Afghanistan and 2,252 deaths in Iraq. The official wounded number stood at 17,096—676 in Afghanistan and 16,420 in Iraq.

The lower death rate compared with previous wars means that soldiers are surviving after suffering horrifying injuries. As many as six percent of all wounded in Iraq who could not return to duty have required amputations, compared with three percent in earlier conflicts. In Army hospitals alone, more than 330 troops have had an arm or leg amputated—53 suffered multiple amputations. The total figure of amputations is likely to be higher. The Marine Corp, which does not release casualty data, has engaged in some of the bloodiest fighting in Iraq and suffered a considerable proportion of US casualties.

In features published on October 25, 2005 and January 31 this year, the New York Times has documented the plight of some of the worst cases of wounded soldiers—those who have been classified as “polytrauma” patients. Citing the director of the Veterans hospital in Tampa, Doctor Steven G. Scott, the Times reported that the typical polytrauma case had “head injuries, vision and hearing loss, nerve damage, multiple bone fractures, unhealed body wounds, infections and emotional and or behavioral problems. Some have severed limbs or spinal cords”.

At least 215 soldiers have been treated in four specialist centers dedicated to keeping the most severely wounded alive and rehabilitating them. Several new patients are admitted each week—mainly casualties of roadside bombings in Iraq. Many have major brain damage and have needed to be taught how to speak and walk again, even how to swallow. In a grim indication that the Pentagon has well-advanced plans for future wars, the Department of Veteran Affairs plans to construct 21 more such specialist centres.

One case cited by the Times concerned a 29-year-old marine with profound brain injuries, third-degree burns and a damaged nervous system. He and his young wife will require hundreds of thousands of dollars of assistance each year to ensure adequate care and ongoing treatment and rehab.

Paul Pasquina, a military doctor at Walter Reed Hospital, told the Times in October 2005: “Someone who loses one limb is a challenge to get back to a meaningful, functional lifestyle. But someone who loses three limbs, on top of other types of soft tissue wounds, fractures, head injuries, spinal cord injury, paralysis...?”

Complicating the physical rehabilitation are the emotional and psychological problems provoked by memories of how they were wounded and the extent of their injuries. Doctor Scott told the Times last month: “We expect to follow these patients for the rest of their lives. But I have a great deal of concern about our country’s long-term commitment to these individuals. Will the resources be there over time?”

Concern over the long-term fate of the wounded is compounded when the true dimensions of the casualties that have been suffered by the US military in Afghanistan and Iraq are considered. On top of the official figure of close to 20,000 killed or wounded-in-action since November 2001, there are now tens of thousands of soldiers who have been evacuated from Central Asia or the Middle East for “non-battle injuries” or disease, and tens of thousands more who have developed psychological problems since their return to the United States.

US Transportation Command statistics, cited by journalist Mark Benjamin in a Salon article on December 13, showed that at least another 25,289 troops had been evacuated from Afghanistan and Iraq for injuries that were not sustained in combat.

The most recent figures from the US Army Medical Department, for example, show that from March 19, 2003 to November 30, 2005, there had been 21,610 evacuations of Army personnel from Iraq—i.e., the figure does include marine, navy or air force personnel. A total of 6,087 had been evacuated for “non-battle injuries”, such as back injuries, broken bones, soft tissue wounds and sight and hearing defects. Another 12,417 had been evacuated under the category “disease”. The diseases include cases of general surgery, neurological disorders, heart and lung problems and psychiatric illnesses such as depression, suicidal tendencies and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The extent of war casualties soars once soldiers return. The number of Afghanistan and Iraq veterans who have sought health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has already passed 100,000—or close to one out of every four of the troops who has served in the occupied countries and subsequently left the US military.

An unknown number may be related to what was called Gulf War Syndrome by veterans of the 1991 war—various ailments that some specialists believe have been caused by exposure to depleted uranium or side-effects from anthrax vaccines. By 1999, over 100,000 First Gulf War veterans had sought VA medical treatment for conditions such as leukemia, lung cancer, chronic kidney and liver disorders, respiratory ailments, chronic fatigue, skin spotting and joint pain.

According to VA statistics cited in December by the Dallas Morning News, some 9,600 Afghanistan and Iraq veterans were being treated for PTSD. The number who should be receiving treatment for the disorder is believed to be far higher. An Army study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that, due to the stigma that surrounds psychiatric care, only 25 to 50 percent of soldiers who develop PTSD seek assistance. The Defense Department estimates that 18 percent of Iraq veterans and 11 percent of Afghanistan veterans will develop PTSD symptoms at some point. This suggests that tens of thousands of ex-service personnel may already be attempting to cope by themselves with a highly debilitating disease which can lead to self-harm, emotional crisis, and, in severe cases, suicide or acts of violence.

In the Minnesota town of Hibbing, the local Daily Tribune reported this month on an address by a National Guardsman, Keith Huff, who served a year in Iraq and returned in January 2005. Huff told a February Rotary meeting: “We had a hard time adjusting to your world and we felt alienated. I couldn’t tell my wife she was married to a killer and that I was good at it. I had a hard time reengaging in the community. I can’t explain what it was like to be over there and come back.” (Editor's Note from wesupportthevets.com...does this sound familiar???)

An internal army survey, cited in Stars and Stripes in December 2005, showed alcohol abuse among returned veterans was 21 percent one year after returning from the war zone; 22 percent suffered from anger and aggression issues; and 15 percent intended to break up with their partner.

The wave of new victims of American militarism arriving home and needing treatment at VA hospitals and clinics comes at a time of growing need of the VA system by veterans of earlier wars. An increased numbers of veterans of the Vietnam War and the 1991 Gulf War are registering for VA health care, possibly because falling living standards are making more eligible for the means-tested assistance. As well, the surviving veterans of WWII are at an advanced age.

The Bush administration’s proposed budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs in fiscal year 2007 is $US80.6 billion, with some $US34.3 billion being requested for health care—an 11 percent increase. The soaring cost of benefits and medical treatment for the war wounded will more than likely be met by cutbacks to other programs, such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/feb2006/wiac-f07.shtml


     The Medal Of HonorOur  nations highest military award      was awarded to Col Pappy Boyington USMC and also the Navy Cross           Veterans OUTRAGED!!!  

Sad Commentary...
BRAVE NEW SCHOOLS?????
Students reject honor to WWII hero
Member of Marines not 'sort of person UW wanted to produce'
Posted: February 14, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2006 WorldNetDaily.com
The University of Washington's student senate rejected a memorial for alumnus Gregory "Pappy" Boyington of "Black Sheep Squadron" fame amid concerns a military hero who shot down enemy planes was not the right kind of person to represent the school.
Student senator Jill Edwards, according to minutes of the student government's meeting last week, said she "didn't believe a member of the Marine Corps was an example of the sort of person UW wanted to produce."
Ashley Miller, another senator, argued "many monuments at UW already commemorate rich white men."
Senate member Karl Smith amended the resolution to eliminate a clause that said Boyington "was credited with destroying 26 enemy aircraft, tying the record for most aircraft destroyed by a pilot in American Uniform," for which he was awarded the Navy Cross.
Smith, according to the minutes, said "the resolution should commend Colonel Boyington's service, not his killing of others."
The senate's decision was reported first by Seattle radio talk-host Kirby Wilbur of KVI, whose listeners were "absolutely incensed," according to producer Matt Haver.
Brent Ludeman, president of the university's College Republicans, told WND in an e-mail the decision "reflects poorly on the university."
"Pappy Boyington went beyond the call of duty to serve and protect this country – he simply deserves better," Ludeman said. "Just last year, the university erected a memorial to diversity. Why can't we do the same for Pappy Boyington and others who have defended our country?"
The resolution points out Boyington, a student at the UW from 1930-34, served as a combat pilot in the 1st Squadron, American Volunteer Group – the "Flying Tigers of China" – and later as a Marine Corps combat pilot in charge of Marine Fighting Squadron 214, "The Black Sheep Squadron."
Along with the Navy Cross, Boyington was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Franklin D. Roosevelt for his heroism. He was shot down and spent 20 months in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp.
The resolution says, "Be it resolved … [t]hat we consider Col. Gregory Boyington, United States Marine Corps, to be a prime example of the excellence that this university represents and strives to impart upon its students, and, That we desire for a memorial for Col. Boyington be commenced by the University of Washington by 11 January 2008, the twentieth anniversary of his death, which will be publicly displayed, so that all who come here in future years will know that the University of Washington produced one of this country's bravest men, and that we as a community hold this fact in the highest esteem."
Commenting on the decision, a blogger who says he met Boyington on numerous occasions at a museum and air show over the years noted the famous flyer "was no rich boy," having grown up in a struggling family in which he was forced to work hard to make it through school. The blogger, who hosts the website Paradosis, also pointed out Boyington was part Sioux.
Boyington was open about his marital problems and alcohol abuse, saying notably, "Just name a hero and I'll prove he's a bum."
The blogger wondered, "have our Washington youth revised history so much as this? To compare Boyington – or for that matter any of our WW2 vets – to murderers? What are these kids being taught today? They don't deserve those 20 months Pappy spent being tortured and beaten in a Japanese prison camp ... they don't deserve any of what our grandfathers and grandmothers sacrificed to free Europe and the Pacific."
Boyington wrote a book in 1958 that reached the best-seller list, "Baa Baa, Black Sheep." In 1976, he sold rights to Universal, which aired a TV series for two seasons of the same name.
Boyington, who died Jan. 11, 1988, is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
 

So, you are sending your kids to WASHINGTON STATE for an education??? Great!!! Take a look at what they are exposed to. I'd have a letter to the Alumnus Association and the Dean   tonight.!! 

Let these people know of your reaction;  Kirby Wilbur  (KVI Radio Talk- Seattle) kwilbur@fishradio.com

M Haver-Kirby's producer; mhaver@fisherradio.com

Editors at Worldnetdaily.com ( Published this story to the public) letters@worldnetdaily.com


*Release No. 3-04-06*
*March 16, 2006***

*Group trumpets final honors at vets' funerals

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

*At age 99, Leonard "Rosie" Ross attends his share of funerals. But in
most cases, it's not for a friend or loved one. Ross, in his American
Legion uniform, trumpets "Taps" for fellow veterans he's never met,
representing a nonprofit group called Bugles Across America.

Ross is the oldest of thousands of horn players nationwide who believe a
recorded rendition of "Taps" playing from a "boombox" just doesn't
deliver the proper gravesite tribute to veterans who sacrificed for
their country. So they volunteer their time, toting their trumpets,
cornets, flugelhorns and bugles to gravesites across the country to play
the soulful 24 notes known as "Taps" at veterans' funerals.

Ross, who remembers playing retreat on his trumpet outside Gen. Dwight
D. Eisenhower's window in London during World War II when he served with
8th Air Force, calls it a privilege to play "Taps" for fellow veterans.

"I'm glad to do it for the family and for the veterans. They deserve
it," said the Mayer, Ariz. , native. "I'll do it as long as I can, and I
thank God I'm still able to. "

Tom Day, a World War II veteran from suburban Chicago, founded Bugles
Across America in 2001 to keep up with the demand for buglers at
funerals for the estimated 1,800 veterans who die each day nationwide.
With about 900 requests for buglers every day, and just 500 active-duty
buglers available for funeral duty as well as other events, there simply
weren't enough live horn players available to meet the need, he said.

After Congress mandated in 2000 that every veteran's family who wanted
it was entitled to graveside military honors for their loved one, the
"Taps" played during the service too often was pre-recorded, Day said.
Other times, it was played through a digital device inserted into a
bugle that, although it looked more authentic, was still recorded, he said.

"That just wasn't right," he said. "When you have a live horn, you have
emotion. And it tells the family that somebody came to the funeral and
played in person to honor the veteran personally. That's a whole lot
better than pressing a button and getting 'Taps' on a CD. "

So Day sent out a call to musicians, urging them to join Bugles Across
America as a tribute to veterans. They responded in droves. Today the
organization's 5,000 members -- which include musicians, drill teams and
color guards -- support about 1,000 funerals a month throughout the
United States.

During the past four years, the buglers, who range in age from 10 to 99
and represent every race, creed and color, have played "Taps" at about
55,000 funerals, including about 60 percent of those for casualties of
Operation Iraqi Freedom, Day said. They also play at other military
events, including Veterans Day and Memorial Day observances.

Participation in the organization is free, open to everyone able to play
"Taps" with dignity and willing to volunteer their time, Day said. He
regularly scours pawnshops and flea markets in search of secondhand
horns, then cleans them up and donates them to buglers who don't have
their own instruments but want to participate.

"People want to do this. They recognize this as something they can do to
play tribute to those who served," said Day, whose long affiliation with
the military includes eight years in the Marine Corps, four years in the
Navy, three years in the Coast Guard, and eight years teaching Junior ROTC.

"It's a way for them to honor veterans and their families when veterans
go to God's army in the sky," he said.

Mark Paradis, a former Marine Corps corporal who lives in northern New
Jersey, said he feels honored to play at veterans' funerals through
Bugles Across America.

"To me, it's a way to pay respect to that veteran and provide closure
and comfort to that family," said Paradis, a regional director for
Bugles Across America. "It's also a way for me to say thank you and to
give back to our community and to our veterans. The Marine Corps gave so
much to me, and this is my way of giving something back. "

Day, who played "Taps" at a military funeral for the first time when he
was just 10 years old, has since played at more than 4,000 funerals,
seeing no end in sight. "This brings people comfort, and it's something
I can do for them," he said.

"After all, you know that it's the Marines who guard the gates of
heaven," Day said, his smile resonating through the telephone line as he
spoke.

"And when they hear live 'Taps,' you're in immediately. If it's fake,
you have to wait in line," he said. "So you've got to have live 'Taps.'"


Related Sites:

Bugles Across America <http://www.24notes.org>



 



 

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The other part of the sham assembled by the house conferees to keep from

giving disabled veterans their earned retired pay. They call it S13IS we call it a slap at veterans for raising our voices in protest                    

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    Feb 23,  1945  was the 61st anniversary of the Flag Raising On Mt. Suribachi (Iwo Jima) --
 
 
       
Lest we forget
 
 
QUOTE OF THE DAY
General, on behalf of all Americans, I want a message sent to every member of your Corps.to every clime or place where the words "Semper Fidelis" are a way of life. General, tell it to the Marines, whether in Dress Blues, service greens or combat camouflage, whether they serve in the air, on land or at sea. Tell them their countrymen are grateful. Tell them we stand behind them. Tell them that we are proud of the proudest.
--- President Ronald Reagan to General P.  X. Kelley, 28th Commandant of Marine Corps
 
 
Flag Raising On Mt. Suribachi (Iwo Jima)  --  Feb 23, 1945
 
The following was posted on the internet and circulated with e-mails.  I checked with James Bradley via his webpage http://www.iwojima.com/ and he said this story is essentially true:
 
"A Tale of Six Boys"
 
Each year I am hired to go to Washington, DC, with the eighth grade class from Clinton, WI. where I grew up, to videotape their trip. I greatly enjoy visiting our nation's capitol, and each year I take some special memories back with me. This fall's trip was especially memorable.
 
On the last night of our trip, we stopped at the Iwo Jima memorial.  This memorial is the largest bronze statue in the world and depicts one of the most famous photographs in history -- that of the six brave Marines raising the American Flag at the top of a rocky hill on the island of Iwo Jima, Japan, during WW II.
 
Over one hundred students and chaperones piled off the buses and headed towards the memorial. I noticed a solitary figure at the base of the statue, and as I got closer he asked, "Where are you guys from?" I told him that we were from Wisconsin. "Hey, I'm a cheese head, too! Come gather around, Cheese heads, and I will tell you a story." (James Bradley just happened to be in Washington, DC, to speak at the memorial the following day. He was there that night to say good night to his dad, who has since passed away. He was just about to leave when he saw the buses pull up. I videotaped him as he spoke to us, and received his permission to share what he said from my videotape. It is one thing to tour the incredible monuments filled with history in Washington, D.C., but it is quite another to get the kind of insight we received that night).
 
When all had gathered around, he reverently began to speak. (Here are his words that night).
 
"My name is James Bradley and I'm from Antigo, Wisconsin. My dad is on that statue, and I just wrote a book called "Flags of Our Fathers" which is #5 on the New York Times Best Seller list right now. It is the story of the six boys you see behind me.
 
"Six boys raised the flag. The first guy putting the pole in the ground is Harlon Block. Harlon was an all-state football player.  He enlisted in the Marine Corps with all the senior members of his football team. They were off to play another type of game. A game called "War."  But it didn't turn out to be a game.
 
"Harlon, at the age of 21, died with his intestines in his hands.  I don't say that to gross you out.  I say that because there are generals who stand in front of this statue and talk about the glory of war. You guys need to know that most of the boys in Iwo Jima were 17, 18, and 19 years old."
 
(He pointed to the statue) "You see this next guy? That's Rene Gagnon from New Hampshire. If you took Rene's helmet off at the moment this photo was taken and looked in the webbing of that helmet, you would find a photograph. ...a photograph of his girlfriend. Rene put that in there for protection because he was scared. He was 18 years old.  Boys won the battle of Iwo Jima. Boys. Not old men."
 
"The next guy here, the third guy in this tableau, was Sergeant Mike Strank. Mike is my hero. He was the hero of all these guys. They called him the "old man" because he was so old. He was already 24.  When Mike would motivate his boys in training camp, he didn't say, 'Let's go kill some Japanese' or 'Let's die for our country.' He knew he was talking to little boys. Instead he would say, 'You do what I say, and I'll get you home to your mothers.'"
 
"The last guy on this side of the statue is Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian from Arizona. Ira Hayes walked off Iwo Jima. He went into the White House with my dad. President Truman told him, 'You're a hero.' He told reporters, 'How can I feel like a hero when 250 of my buddies hit the island with me and only 27 of us walked off alive?'  So you take your class at school, 250 of you spending a year together having fun, doing everything together. Then all 250 of you hit the beach, but only 27 of your classmates walk off alive. That was Ira Hayes. He had images of horror in his mind.  Ira Hayes died dead drunk, face
down at the age of 32. ...ten years after this picture was taken."
 
"The next guy, going around the statue, is Franklin Sousley from Hilltop, Kentucky. A fun-lovin' hillbilly boy. Franklin died on Iwo Jima a! t the age of 19. When the telegram came to tell his mother that he was dead, it went to the Hilltop General Store. A barefoot boy ran that telegram up to his mother's farm. The neighbors could hear her scream all night and into the morning. The neighbors lived a quarter of a mile away."
 
"The next guy, as we continue to go around the statue, is my dad, John Bradley from Antigo, Wisconsin, where I was raised. My dad lived until 1994, but he would never give interviews. When Walter Cronkite's producers, or the New York Times would call, we were trained as little kids to say, 'No, I'm sorry, sir, my dad's not here. He is in Canada fishing. No, there is no phone there, sir.  No, we don't know when he is coming back.'  My dad never fished or even went to Canada. Usually, he was sitting there right at the table eating his Campbell's soup. But we had to tell the press that he was out fishing. He didn't want to talk to the press."
         
"You see, my dad didn't see himself as a hero. Everyone thinks these guys are heroes, 'cause they are in a photo and on a monument. My dad knew better. He was a medic. John Bradley from Wisconsin was a caregiver. In Iwo Jima he probably held over 200 boys as they died. And when boys died in Iwo Jima, they writhed and screamed in pain."
 
"When I was a little boy, my third grade teacher told me that my dad was a hero. When I went home and told my dad that, he looked at me and said, 'I want you always to remember that the heroes of Iwo Jima are the guys who did not come back. Did NOT come back.'"
 
"So that's the story about six nice young boys. Three died on Iwo Jima, and three came back as national heroes. Overall, 7,000 boys died on Iwo Jima in the worst battle in the history of the Marine Corps. My voice is giving out, so I will end here. Thank you for your time."
 
Suddenly, the monument wasn't just a big old piece of metal with a flag sticking out of the top. It came to life before our eyes with the heartfelt words of a son who did indeed have a father who was a hero. Maybe not a hero for the reasons most people would believe, but a hero nonetheless.
 
 
 
Here is a description of the battle for Iwo Jima:
 
The Battle of Iwo Jima was fought between the United States and Japan during February and March of 1945, during the Pacific Campaign of World War II. As a result of the battle, the United States gained control of the island of Iwo Jima and the airfields located there. The battle is famous for the raising of the US flag by U.S. Marines during the battle.
 
In the opening days of 1945, Japan faced the prospect of invasion by the Allied forces. Daily bomber raids from the Marianas hit the mainland in an operation called Scavenger. Iwo Jima served as an early warning station, which would radio reports of incoming bombers back to mainland Japan. When Allied bombers arrived over Japanese cities, the Japanese air defenses would be ready and waiting for them.
 
At the end of the battle of Leyte in the Philippines, the Allies were left with a 2-month lull in their operations prior to the planned invasion of Okinawa, which was considered unacceptable. Thus, the decision was made to invade Iwo Jima. The landing was designated Operation Detachment.
 
The defenders were ready. The island was garrisoned by 22,000 soldiers and fortified with a network of underground bunkers. The aim of the defense of Iwo Jima was to inflict severe casualties on the Allied forces and discourage invasion of the mainland. Each defender was expected to die in defense of the homeland, taking 10 enemy soldiers in the process.
 
The Allies wanted Iwo Jima not only to neutralize threats to its bombers and shipping, but to use its airfields for fighter escort and emergency bomber landings. On February 16, 1945, they commenced a massive three-day air and naval bombardment of the island.
 
At 02:00 on the morning of February 19, battleship guns signaled the commencement of D-Day. Soon 100 bombers attacked the island, followed by another volley from the naval guns. At 08:30, the first of an eventual 30,000 marines of the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions, under V Amphibious Corps, landed on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima and a battle for the island commenced. "Unloading on the beach of Iwo Jima"
 
The Marines faced heavy fire from Suribachi Mountain at the south of the island, and fought over inhospitable terrain: rough volcanic ash which allowed neither secure footing or the digging of a foxhole. Nevertheless, by that evening the mountain had been surrounded and 30,000 Marines had landed. About 40,000 more would follow.
 
The climb up Suribachi was fought by the yard. Gunfire was ineffective against the Japanese, but flame throwers and grenades cleared the bunkers. Finally, on February 23, the summit was reached. Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal took the famous photograph "Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima" of the United States flag being planted on the mountain's summit.
 
With the landing area secure, more Marines and heavy equipment came ashore and the invasion proceeded north to capture the airfields and the remainder of the island. With their customary bravery, most Japanese soldiers fought to the death. Of over 21,800 defenders, only 200 were taken prisoner.
 
The Allied forces suffered 26,000 casualties, with nearly 7,000 dead. Over a quarter of the Medals of Honor awarded to marines in World War II were given for conduct in the invasion of Iwo Jima.
 
The island of Iwo Jima was declared secure on March 26, 1945.
 
"Among the men who fought on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue" -- Admiral Chester W. Nimitz
 
Smashed by Japanese mortar and shellfire, trapped by Iwo's treacherous black-ash sands, amtracs and other vehicles of war lay knocked out on the black sands of the volcanic fortress
 
The United States Navy has commissioned several ships by the