Massacre at Fort Hood

I am still deeply saddened by the horrific massacre that occured at Fort Hood. In addition to being sad, I am so angry. In my opinion this was a terrorist attack on an American military base on American soil. I feel that Nidal Hasan should be treated as a terrorist.

It sickens me to see Hasan's picture on the news in an Army Uniform. It sickens me when they call him Major. I am so sick of the finger pointing as to who is the blame. The blame is with Nidal Malik Hasan and no one else. Nidal Hasan is the one who entered into the Soldier Readiness Center and murdered our soldiers and wounded so many others. Nidal Hasan is a well trained psychiatrist, who's extensive education was paid for by the Military with our tax dollars. How does Hasan show his gratitude to our Military, he murders unarmed Soldiers. Hasan, being a trained professional, should have recognized the warning signs of his own thoughts/actions and should have seeked help. However, I believe he knew exactly what he was doing and planned out the attack. I believe that this was a premeditated attack based on his actions earlier that morning, when he was giving away his possessions and handing out copies of his Koran. I believe he knew exactly what he was going to do and where he was going to do it. I will never believe that he could have PTSD by hearing our soldiers stories when he himself did not live or see them. Hearing and seeing are two totally different things. I have to wonder how much damage Nidal Hasan did to our soldiers that he did treat for PTSD.

So now Hasan's family has lawyered up which is to be expected. However, what I didn't not expect was a Retired Colonel to take the case. Which makes me wonder if this lawyer has taken the case because it is such a high profile, high dollar case or is it because he really thinks he can win this case? I don't understand how someone who is retired from the military, could willingly represent someone who, without remorse, murdered unarmed soldiers. There is no amount of money that could lead me to defend this coward, traitor and terrorist named Nidal Malik Hasan. Now, Hasan is going to be treated with kit gloves because of his civil rights. What about the civil rights to life of those that he murdered in cold blood? I heard Hasan's lawyer say he was worried about the quality of care his client was receiving. Excuse me, but I don't care about his client's medical treatment. If it were up to me Hasan would be last on the list to get any type of medical treatment. But, again this is just my opinion.

Some of you may not agree with what I am about to say but this is my opinion and it is not open for discussion. I am entitled to my opinion as you are entitled to yours.

I feel that it is time to stop calling Nidal Hasan, Major. It's time to strip that title from him. It is time they stop referring to this terrorist as "Army Major" and start referring to him as a "traitor" in the U.S. Army. In my opinion Nidal Hasan is a coward who murdered 13 of our brave men and women soldiers on American soil.

I don't feel that this coward, traitor and terrorist, Nidal Hasan is a "Good American" as was stated by his cousin. Nidal Hasan's actions are the actions of someone who is Anti-American. When Nidal Hasan's cousin called him a "Good American" it actually made me sick to my stomach.

I do not care that I am not being politically correct. In my opinion Nidal Hasan murdered, in cold blood, unarmed American Soldiers. However, I think the murder total should be 14 and not 13. The life of the soldier's unborn child should also be counted.

Support Our Troops

I have heard and read so many opinions about the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. I really don't care if you support the wars or not because you are entitled to your opinion as I am entitled to mine.

However, whether you support the wars or not, YOU SHOULD SUPPORT OUR TROOPS. After all they are the ones who are giving their all everyday to secure our freedoms. Our troops that returned from Viet-Nam are just now getting the recognition that they so justly deserve. I have heard so many Viet-Nam veterans say that their mission is that the troops today never have to feel the way they did when they returned to American soil. No soldier should ever have to feel like the American people don't care about them.

Politics or your party of choice should not be the deciding factor as to if you will or won't support our troops. Supporting our troops has nothing to do with politics. Supporting our troops is about showing appreciation to these men and women who sacrifice everyday so we remain a free country.

Some of you may ask if I would feel the same way if I didn't have a son in the military. To those, my answer is YES, I would. I love my country and I am proud to be an American and I am grateful that I live in the best country in the world. If it were not for the men and women of the Armed Forces, past and present, America would not be the greatest country in the world.

In that being said I am also so very thankful for our police, firefighters, EMS and Truckers. These are the ones who keep our neighborhoods safe, save our homes, save our lifes and keep America moving.

Obama wants to pay the Taliban?!?!?!?

While watching the evening news I heard that the President will sign bill which will pay the Taliban to switch sides. I had to hit the rewind button to make sure that I heard right. Now before I begin please remember this is "Just My Opinion" on this topic.

Please bare with me while I go back to Iraq to make my point. Several recent attacks in Iraq have been traced back to the some Iraq Police, some Iraqi Soldiers and possible higher. The terrorist infiltrated and gained knowledge of troop movements and tactics. So if this happened in Iraq who's to say the same thing will not happen in Afghanistan when you pay the Taliban to switch sides.

Now the President of the United States wants to pay the Taliban (terrorist) to switch sides. What makes him think that they can be trusted. These terrorist are killing our troops without remorse. These terrorist have our captured warrior. Our troops are giving their all everyday not excluding some giving their lives in the name of freedom. I don't think we should reward the Taliban for killing our troops by paying them.

Now I haven't personally talked with General McChrystal but I don't think he intended to pay the Taliban. I heard the General on 60 minutes when he stated that he wanted to reach the people of Afghanistan, but I didn't hear him say he wanted to pay the Taliban to switch sides.

In my opinion these terrorist cannot and should not be trusted. They will take the money to fund their terrorist groups, learn inside knowledge of troop movement and tatics. Paying the Taliban is putting our troops lives in more danger. Why not take that same money and send more troops, equipment and whatever else they need to get the job done.

While Obama is taking his time making the decision, troops and civilians are dying. Waiting to make the decision until the election in Afghanistan or before leaving for his trip to Asia is just allowing the Taliban to grow stronger.

General McChrystal has said what he needs to get the job done. He has said if he gets what he needs we can win in Afghanistan. If Obama respected General McChrystal's knowledge enough to send him to access the situation in Afghanistan, then he should respect his knowledge enough to grant his request.

Do Not Play Politics With Our Troops Lives. Candidate Obama said he would take the fight to the Taliban, but President Obama is taking his time making a decision that is costing our troops with their lives.

Terrorist are like termites!

I don't understand why you send a man to assess a situation and have him report back to you if you are not going to listen to him and send him what he needs to get the job done or if you are not going to heed his warning. General McChrystal has said he needs more troops on the ground in Afghanistan to get the job done or we will fail in Afghanistan. What is it going to take. Have they forgotten 9-11? Is it going to take another attack on American soil before they do the right thing. As the mother of an American Soldier I do not take any of this lightly. Did I want my son to go to war? NO! Do I support what he does? YES! No mother wants to see their child go to war but in his words, someone has to do it. He has told me repeatedly that he would rather die on his feet than to live on his knees. I think I can say that most all of us feel the same way.

We have the best military men and women in the world. They have had the best training in the world. Why don't they send them the troops, equipment and whatever else they need to get the job done. How many more troops have to die before they do what is right? I often wonder how those in congress sleep at night knowing they are not doing right by our troops. It is very frustrating to me that these people who are making or should I say not making these decision have very little regard for our military's needs!

Yes, war is ugly, It is very very ugly, but so was Sept. 11, 2001. I get so pissed off when I hear people ask why are we even in Afghanistan? Have you forgotten? Those monsters that took all those innocent lives were trained in Afghanistan. Do you not think if given the opportunity they will not do another attack on American soil? They are like termites, you have to stop them before they make it inside your home!

Finding Comfort

As I sit here drinking my morning coffee, I am reflecting on the events of the past year. In the past year I have lost a mother, brother, family friend, a beloved family pet and sent my only son into a war zone. I have had a heart attack, had a stent put in place while struggling daily with lupus, fibromyalgia and RA. Some days I wake up thinking "what's next?" and then I have to get myself in check and be grateful for the good things I have in my life. I know God never gives us more than we can handle. As you all know I lost my Glory girl day before yesterday but I have to tell you what almost happened on that same day. I got a message from my son saying "I almost died today"! My heart almost stopped when I read those words. I immediately responded, "OMG are you ok? What happened if you can tell me"? You always think the worse from a war zone, "did he get bombed?" "was it an IED?" "did he take small arms fire?" but this was not the case. He says. "while walking to work the driver of a humvee came hauling ass out of the motor pool and almost hit 4 of us walking on side the road. I had to pull one of my soldiers with me while jumping out of the way"! He said, " you are always on your toes because of where you are and had we not been "on guard" we would all be dead or seriously hurt". I asked if they were walking on the road and he said no they were on the side of the road on base. I am sure there is more than what he is saying being he mentioned it. But he felt he needed to tell me so I am not taking it lightly. I am not laying blame on anyone because that will be taken care of in Iraq. My point is that although I lost my pet it could have been so much worse. I believe things happen for a reason and even though I lost a family pet, my son's life was spared and that is a gift from from a higher power. He has a dangerous job and has had many close calls and I am sure he does not tell me everything. So while I grieve the loss of a pet, God blessed me by sparing the life of my child. It's easy to get on a pitty party because it seems easier to focus on the negative. But if we take time to find the positive things it our lives all to often the good out weighs the bad. I read blogs and realize how fortunate I am for having a love and support of a caring family. I am blessed with a son who has morals and values, who is willing to fight for what is right. I am blessed with a wonderful husband who is a cancer survivor of 12 yrs. I am blessed to have had a mother who taught me the importance of family values but yet could still be my best friend. Although I have lost both of my parents I am so grateful for the way they raised me and the lessons they taught that I was able to pass on to my child. Some days are so much harder than other that I will admit but then I will read a comment on twitter and it will bring me comfort when I didn't realize that was what I needed. I am blessed by my online family who all to often do not know the comfort they bring by their tweets or emails.

It's OK Not To Be OK!

Sorry but I am having one of those days. I am sorry that I can't say it's OK! I am sorry that I can't be strong today and you know what, that's OK! It's NOT OK that, due to the beliefs of some that I cannot send my son, my soldier a food that he is craving because of some's religious belief's. It's NOT OK that these same people step all over my religious belief's, starting with "thou shalt not kill" like the Sept 11th terrorist attacks on innocent people! It's NOT OK that these people come to my country and step all over American's and our belief's, yet we have to accept theirs in our own country and in theirs! It's NOT OK that this is their belief's not mine but yet I still have to abide by it. It's NOT OK that I am supposed to respect their Koran, yet they don't have to respect my Holy Bible! It's NOT OK for them to celebrate U.S. Troop withdrawl yelling "We Won, We Won" when our troops did the work. It's NOT OK for them to want the US Troops gone yet still want my tax dollars to rebuild their ecomony. IT's NOT OK that MSM is not honoring our fallen as it should, yet you know who is still making headlines. (Sorry I refuse to say his name aloud due to the fact he has had enough publicity!) It's NOT OK for anyone to disgrace my flag in the name of freedom of expression! It's NOT OK that our veterans are not getting the health care that they have earned. It's NOT OK that there are homeless veterans while those on welfare, who did nothing for this country get a free ride! So, NO I am NOT OK and that is OK!

Feelings of the Mom of a Deployed Soldier!

I am not really sure that I can put the feelings into words. Being over-whelmed with emotions of fear, anxiety, stress and pride are just a few of the emotions that you experience for months prior to the deployment date. The fear of the unknown has always been my biggest fear. A different type of anxiety and stress are now a regular part of your daily life. It's not something you have any control over but you somehow have to learn to live with. The pride I feel for what he is doing makes my heart swell and my eyes tear. You learn to live in faith and prayer becomes your second language. Some days you pray more than others but your faith never waivers. You find yourself praying while doing your chores, you realize you just missed half the movie you were watching or you can't remember what you just read because you started thinking about your child and immediately start praying for his safety and for his brothers in arms. It seems like the only thing that can hold your concentration is your soldier. I have written before of how I get angry over comments or remarks made about our troops but then I have to get myself in check and remember that one of the reasons our troops do what they do is so we can have freedom of speech even though we don't always like what some people have to say. When your soldier is deployed you are never far away from the phone or the internet because you don't want to miss any opportunity to hear from him. You go into panic mode when you hear of bombing in the area where your soldier is. Once you finally hear from your soldier you breath a sign of relief and you hold on to every word. You find yourself scouring the internet hoping for just a glimpse of your soldier. Sleep is not something that comes easily. I think the best rest I have had since January was the 2 weeks he was home on R&R. You become very friendly with your post master because you are in there more than ever before. Holidays aren't the same. It doesn't matter how many care packages you send or what the contents are you never feel like you are doing enough. Being the mother (parent) of a Soldier is a like being on an emotional roller coaster ride. Proud to be a Soldiers Mom!

Here we go again.

I am sitting here stewing over the missing media coverage. With the elections approaching in Aghanistan, our troops fighting the taliban, our fallen warriors in Afghanistan and Iraq and the bombings this morning in Iraq you would think that the MSM would give more than 2 minutes of news coverage. I am not taking anything away from those reporters who try so hard to report on the War On Terror. We American's are strong and we can handle the truth. Why is it that controversy dominates the airways? Why is it that "Cash for Clunkers" makes the headlines everyday? Doesn't our fallen deserve to be honored and mentioned in the MSM? Doesn't our brave men and woman deserve to be recognized for the great jobs they are doing? However, if a soldier suffers from PTSD, the media is all to happy to report the negative side of that. If a Soldier breaks the law MSM is all to willing to report that also. The MSM is so willing to report the negative side of our military instead of reporting all the positive things about our military. What is it going to take for the MSM to report the news and not government programs?

The Sack Lunches

This was sent to me by a very good friend of mine and I wanted to share it with you. Sometimes its the little things that make the biggest impact.

The Sack Lunches

I put my carry-on in the luggage

Compartment and sat down in my

Assigned seat. It was going to be a

Long flight..

'I'm glad I have a

Good book to read. Perhaps I will get

A short nap,' I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of Soldiers came down the aisle and Filled all the vacant seats, totally Surrounding me. I decided to Start a conversation. 'Where are you headed? ' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me.

'Petawawa. We'll be there for two Weeks for special training, and then We're being deployed to Afghanistan

After flying for about an hour, an Announcement was made that sack Lunches were available for five Dollars. It would be several hours Before we reached the east, and I Quickly decided a lunch would help Pass the time..

As I reached for my wallet, I Overheard soldier ask his buddy if he Planned to buy lunch. 'No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably Wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to base '

His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other Soldiers. None were buying lunch. I Walked to the back of the plane and Handed the flight attendant a Fifty dollar bill. 'Take a lunch to all those soldiers.' She grabbed my arms and squeezed Tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. 'My son was a Soldier in Iraq ; it's almost like you are doing it for him.'

Picking up ten sacks, she headed up The aisle to where the soldiers Were seated. She stopped at my seat And asked, 'Which do you likeBest - beef or chicken?'

'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why She asked. She turned and went to The front of plane, returning a Minute later with a dinner plate from First class. 'This is your thanks.'

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, Heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. 'I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.' He handed me twenty-five dollars.

Soon after I returned to my seat, I Saw the Flight Captain coming down The aisle, looking at the aisle Numbers as he walked, I hoped he was Not looking for me, but noticed he Was looking at the numbers only on My side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, and said, 'I want to shake your hand.'

Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I Stood and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, 'I was A soldier and I was a military Pilot. Once, someone bought me a Lunch. It was an act of kindness I Never forgot.' I was embarrassed When applause was heard from all of The passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the Plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows In front of me reached out his Hand, wanting to shake mine. He left Another twenty-five dollars in my palm..

When we landed I gathered my Belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door Was a man who stopped me, put Something in my shirt pocket, turned, And walked away without saying a Word. Another twenty-five dollars!

Upon entering the terminal, I saw the Soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them And handed them seventy-five dollars. 'It will take you some time to Reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.'

Ten young men left that flight Feeling the love and respect of their Fellow travelers. As I walked Briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only Give them a couple of meals.

It seemed so little...

A veteran is someone who, at one Point in his life, wrote a blank check Made payable to 'The United States of America ' for an amount of 'up to and including My life.'

That is Honor, and there are way too Many people in this country who No longer understand it.'

May God give you the strength and Courage to pass this along to everyone on your email buddy list....... I JUST DID

What #militarymon Means to Me

To me #militarymon is not about one person or one branch of the Armed Forces. It is not about one blog, who tweets or who retweets the most. It is so much bigger than that. #MilitaryMon is about Supporting Our Troops in every aspect, from those who work behind the scenes to the ones who are engaged it the War on Terror. It is about bringing awareness to Support our Troops and the sacrifices that they make to ensure our freedom. It is about saying "Thank You" to our Veterans. It is about showing respect to the families of our Armed Forces and thanking them for their sacrifices as well. During #militarymon people from all walks of life, with different political views, different religious views as well as different personal views and social status all come together for one goal and that is to show their support. It is about supporting our Allies who walk side by side with the U.S. Armed Forces. It's about bringing awareness to all the Organizations and the hard work they do for Our Armed Forcecs. It's about Soldiers (past and present) sharing their stories with us. It is about ideas for care packages, letters and needs that need to be met. It is about bringing awareness of what our Troops do besides fighting on the battle field. #MilitaryMon is about showing the strength and the hearts of our brave men and women in all branches of the military. #Militarymon gives our Soldiers the recognition that is denied to them by the media. It is about Honoring our Fallen Warriors and never forgetting their sacrifice. My life has been blessed by the people I have met thanks to #militarymon.

Stop and think!

While engaged in a conversation at the grocery store a few days ago my converstion was interrupted by an un-welcomed comment. This person and myself were discussing how hot it was outside and we really hated complaining about it because our troops had it so much worse than we could even imagine when this kid probably 18 or 19 years old, interrupts and says, "its not as bad for them because they don't have to deal with the humidity". Needless to say this did not sit well at all with me or the other person I was talking to. If this kid in his white shirt, jeans and tennis shoes, who pushes a grocery cart, who is in the heat no longer than 5 minutes before going back into an air-conditioned store is going to say something as stupid as that deserves my wrath. After I thanked this kid for interruping my conversation I asked this him to explained to me how dealing with the clothing, boots, body armor, 80lb back pack, carrying a weapon walking miles in the desert while looking for terrorist, is not that bad? He gives me this dumb look like what do you mean? So I had to put it in simple terms for him. Humidity or no humidity this is what our troops do everyday. They can't just sit down because they get hot or because they are tired. They have to keep on keeping on. They don't have a grocery cart to carry their necessities, their backs are their grocery carts. Again he says, but they don't have the humity. Ok, by this time I am "hot" and it had nothing to do with the heat or the humidity. I asked him if he was really that stupid or was he just in denial. I told him if it wasn't that bad and if he was so concerned about the humidity then maybe he should join one the branches of the Armed Forces and go where there was no humidity. I quickly recanted that statement. The manager came and we went into his office where the conversation continued for a bit longer. Needless to say the manager apologized for the kids interruption and stupid remark. It's really sad that we get so caught up in our everyday lives that we don't stop and think what our troops endure everyday to assure that we can go on with our lives without being in fear. We can get in our cars and go to the grocery store and not fear that some terrorist is gonna put a bomb in front of the store where we are shopping. To often we forget how lucky we are to be American's. Thanks to our troops I was able to use my freedom of speech to defend those who gave me that right. I decided that I would push my own cart out because I didn't want this kid to get over heated because of the heat and humidity.

Worry in Silence!

As I sit here reading so many blogs and stories from Iraq and Afghanistan I have to wonder, "WHO IS THE ENEMY"? Our soldiers are faced with this challenge everyday. We hear about Police in Iraq knowing about bombs being planted, children being sold in Afghanistan to become suicide bombers, militants posing as soldiers, women being recruited as suicide bombers. How do our soldiers deal with this? How do they identify "who is the bad guy"? Are our troops any safer since the "pull-out in Iraq cities" or are they in more danger? As the mother of a soldier I can tell you this is just one of the many questions that play in my head every day. I surf the internet for information because the news agencies feel that we don't need to know I suppose (don't even get me started). I honestly think that our soldiers are less safe now than before and this should be a great concern for everyone. We can't really say whats on our minds because of OpSec so we sit and choose our words carefully. So you worry in silence trying to put on a happy face while you are crying inside. I really get tired of people telling me not to worry yet no one can tell me how to do this. When soldiers first deploy everyone is wanting to know if you have heard from your soldier or how is your soldier doing. But after a few short months (which seems like an eternity) the questions are no longer asked. For those of us who have loved ones engaged in the War on Terror those question never end. For those who support our troops these questions never end. How do you comfort your soldier when he says to you "Mom, I just wanna get out of this shit-hole and come home"? It takes all the strength you can muster not to start crying when you tell him "I understand and I want you home too"! But really how can we understand? We are home where for the most part we can tell who is the enemy and have all the comforts that some take for granted. I know I am rambling here but that is how my mind works. So many questions playing through my mind like one of those songs you just can't get out of your head. So to those who say don't worry, until you can tell me how to do this, please stop saying that. When your only child goes into a war zone and you find a way not to worry please fill me in. Until then, I'll will sit here and worry in silence and pray for all our troops as I have been!

My Soldier

While taking part in #militarymon, someone made a comment that stated, " Soldiers don't die for their county, they die for they paycheck." I was overcome with emotions and actually had to step away from my computer to regroup myself. So here is a little insite on my Soldier. My son always wanted to be in the military. He started talking to recruiters at the age of 16. While other boys his age were doing what boys do, he was studying, reading any and everything he could find on the military. He decided on the Army because his Dad was Army as well as many others in our family. He received his diploma at the age of 17 and on that day he celebrated. He did not celebrate because he was "out of school" but because now he was able to go into the Army. On that same day at about 4pm an Army Recruiter knocks on my door. As we sit at the table discussing what my sons future would be, the Recruiter asks my son "Why do you want to be in the Army" and to this my son replies, "I already serve God and I want to serve my Country so that freedom or our freedom is never taken away!" Needless to say the Recruiter sat back with a look as if he could not believe what he was hearing. The Recruiter's reply was, "I have been doing this for almost 20 yrs and I think that is the first time I have ever heard that." My son did not ask what his pay would be, he did not ask for anything other than the opportunity to serve his country. I cannot say why others have enlisted in the Armed Forces, I can only speak for my son. Ten years ago I had the decision to make, to sign or not sign. I chose to sign because he wanted to do something honorable for his country. My son is now deployed in Iraq along with thousands of other Troops. So when someone says "its only for a pay check" they have no clue what they are talking about.

Fallen Hero's

I was sitting here thinking about how the deaths of some seem to be less acknowledged than others. Ed McMahon, Farrah Faucett and Billy Mays died and we heard very little. Our fallen warriors that have died in battle didnt get acknowledged as much as the above listed. Michael Jackson, Anna Nicole Smith, Steve McNair~all 3 deaths surronded by controversy captured the media attention! What happened to priorities

Men and Women of the Armed Forces put it all on the line everyday for us. The families of these men and women make sacrifices for us just as well. All to often two simple words "Thank You" go unsaid. "Thank You" means so much to those who protect our freedom and cost you nothing.

With all the media frenzy surrounded by the death of Michael Jackson, the media has neglected what his important to most of us American's. I am not saying this just because my son wears combat boots and is deployed now, but as a citizen of the United States of America. My local media covered the MJ frenzy as if he lived in my neighborhood. The town I live in is so small I doubt he ever even passed through. However, in my small corner of the world, there are many many Hero's.

You would think the media would have it's priorities right. You would think they would give our Fallen Hero's the same media coverage. While MJ dominated the air ways our young men and women of the our military were fighting a "battle from hell" in Afghanistan but you would have never know by listening to the news. Does the media think that turning a blind eye or a deaf ear make the war go away. I personally would like to hear about the War on Terror. After Sept. 11th this country came together as one. The color of skin was not a factor but that too soon faded. On 9/11 most of the world mourned with us. Now is seems to me as some have forgotten what we are fighting for.

It is very upsetting that the media has turned its back on the very ones that are protecting their freedom of the press!