"Never again will the mothers of this country, tolerate or forgive the ill-treatment of sons and daughters returning home from war". Angela Lashley....Jon's Mom
Recently while sitting on a bench outside an airport in Washington D.C. I became engaged in conversation with a stranger.Sporting a "no war in Iran" pin on his tam, and clad in the fashions of the 60's, I would guess his age to have been about 55 years old...
I was waiting for a flight home to Nashville. On my shoulder I carried a tote bag boldly printed with the logo of Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission, www.familiesunitedmission.org ...
It was September. Merrillee Carlson, director of this organization, invited hundreds of Americans to come to Washington for good purpose...
Representative of the vast majority of American citizens, members and guests of Families United Mission had been seen on the Hill, at the White House, and all around D.C. for days. Proudly, I had been among these people...
Looking back now on that conversation at the airport, I am confident this "stranger" took issue with that red white and blue logo on my bag. That is at least one explanation for what turn a chat between this man and I into the public display I will probably never forget...
It was my 3rd trip to Washington in 6 months,and after days of dealing with disinterested congressional aids, mean spirited women in "PROTESTER PINK", and the YELLOW T-SHIRT gang, my Christian patience had been worn thin...
The "stranger" asked politely, "So what brought you to D.C.?"
It took him about 2 minutes to gather all the intelligence he needed, including the fact that I was the mother of a soldier somewhere in Iraq...
So,...about the war...did you know?! Did you know?! Do you know?!
Like Jeckle turned Hyde, he transformed into an arrogant self - appointed barker of what he called "THE TRUTH". His lack of consideration about who he was talking to, "a woman with a SON in a WAR ZONE", and his endless inaccuracies finally triggered my less than dignified response...
I jumped up stomping a foot, probably looking like a tantruming 2 year old. Then, admittedly, I nearly screamed it, "Stop saying that those who support the troops are in some minority, and please don't talk to me about TRUTH..everything you've said...is a lie!"
The reaction that followed proved to me that nearly everyone who had easily overheard our exchange, was in agreement with what I had just said. And when the soldiers' mom who'd also been sitting on that bench, rose to give me a supportive hug as she ran to catch a plane, my tears were all it took to set the stage for what happened next...
Policemen, porters, and a variety of travelers,..each shot him a look of disgust. I stood there thinking of my son in Iraq. The old porter who had my luggage, offered his arm and escorted me the few feet to the shuttle headed for my terminal....whispering as we walked, "God Bless your son Ma'am"...
The "stranger", still on the bench was working rather hard trying to deflect the eyeballs of people boring holes through his self esteem as my shuttle pulled away...
Very recently, my son Jonathan arrived home from his second deployment to Iraq. All who love him, are grateful to God for his safe return...
For a second year in a row, he has made it home from Iraq safely, and in time for Christmas...
During his absence, at the invitation of the GOE, and actor Gary Sinise, I have gone to Washington to sing 'SO BRAVE', the song my son and his best friend Brandon inspired...
The boys have both spent the better part of the last 2 years serving in Iraq. SO BRAVE, a mother's, song is about hope, and courage. Through it, I have come to know military families from all over the country...
There is concern about a renaissance of the Viet Nam style ill- treatment of soldiers returning home from war. Fortunately, the majority of Americans are dedicated to building the morale of this country's military,so I am encouraged that ultimately, all will be well...
So for those who are not beneath trying to "orchestrate" a repeat of that despicable and unjust atmosphere here at home, I have a message for you...
The women of this country who have raised the American soldiers serving in our time want you to know. "This is my child, he is a valiant...deserving of the respect of his countrymen. Never again will the mothers of this country, tolerate or forgive, the ill-treatment of sons and daughters returning home from war"...
Someday I may sit down with my son and share all that I have experienced while he has been 6,000 miles away. But I am not sure if I will ever tell him that for reasons I do not understand, his mom was called "mother of a baby-killer" by a protester in a yellow moveon.org t-shirt, outside a recruiting office in D.C...
Having witnessed the lifelong conduct of my son, I know this was the greatest of all lies I have heard from self-absorbed people while in Washington D.C...
It will be a long time before I forget the many strange encounters and hard lessons in humanity that have contributed to the emotional days I have lived during my season as a soldier's mother.
To you and yours, God Speed, Angela Lashley...Jonathan's Mom
ADDITIONAL INFO:
In 2004 after raising their 2 children in Wisconsin, songwriter Angela and her husband Jeff Wisniewski, moved to Nashville.Their son Jonathan's decision to leave school in 2005 to enlist in the Army inspired Angela, and Grammy nominee Byron House, to co-write the song SO BRAVE...
It is based on her memories of the displays of courage she witnessed throughout her son's youth...
While Jonathan has been to war, Angela's experiences during her 2 years as a soldier's mother, have inspired the writing of other songs in tribute to the military and their loved ones...
In September of this year, her release SOLDIERS' MOMS was launched by Ivy Music International on Music Row in Nashville...
Available on ITUNES, the album is a celebration of the American service member and those who raise them...
Angela describes the sisterhood of the mothers' of soldiers, as "The beautiful majority" in the UTUBE video, SOLDIERS' MOMS a song by A.Lashley....a video by Mike Connelly...
It is once again time for America to remember the reason why we celebrate Memorial Day...
From the current War On Terror, to World War's I & II, along with Vietnam, Korea, Grenada and even the Spanish American and Civil War's we honor the memory of all of those who have died serving America in our Armed Forces so that we might now all be free and safe...
To those of us who have survived serving in the Military during combat or peace, we take the time to stop and remember those brave young men and women who served right along beside us who are no longer with us...
We also all look forward to what their sacrifices have done in helping keep America the greatest Country on the face of the Earth...
A Country that people are willing to risk their lives crossing hundreds of miles of desert just to get in to...
Once again the true spirit of American comes shining through for the World to see. We all come together, united in our resolve to help keep America the home of the brave and land of the free..
That took sacrifices, sacrifices from young men and women willing to die for their Country so that those of living today could enjoy our freedoms...
When our Country need us, there were young men and women who answered the call. To those who haven't served, I say you missed the chance of a lifetime to be a part of something great...
When our fellow citizens needed us the most, we were there. The caring, determination and sharing we had by serving our Country has been seen by Americans.
That is what America is all about, those who serve America when we are needed. America remembers, Veterans, remember, Families remember, the World remembers what none of us who have served America have even forgotten...
Let's remember why we celebrate Memorial Day because so many have forgotten the real reason...
We are not Democrats, Republicans, Conservatives or Liberals on Memorial Day. We are all Americans honoring those who did not return home to be able to celebrate with us...
So we celebrate and honor those who died protecting our great Country, the United States of America...
I will be remembering 3 of my fellow Soldiers who are still to this day POW-MIA from Vietnam, John, 'Digger' and Steve. You guys will never be forgotten by me...
I will also be remembering my Father who volunteered to speak French and wound up jumping with the 82nd Airborne during D-Day in WWII, as well as all of those lost during that battle that shaped the War and the World for years to come. Had we lost that battle we might have all been speaking German today except for the sacrifices made by our brave Military men and women...
To my son Michael and his men in Iraq, please be careful and stay safe...
Please be careful, drive and play safe and here's hoping that have a great Memorial Day wherever you are...
Let's also not forget those who protect and serve us each and every day in our civilian sector. Our EMS, Firefighters and Police who do a very difficult job everyday...
They, just like our Military Men and Women scattered around the World, keep all of 'US' free and safe too...
When you go out this Memorial Day and your path crosses one of those who I've just mentioned, walk up to them and say "thank you"...
Just watch their faces light up and look for the smile, because you've just made 'their' day..
For Now, That's Just 'our' Opinion...
Matt Bruce is a 2-time combat wounded Vietnam veteran, managing editor & publisher of News Sarasota.com and host of "The Captain's AMERICA" Show heard on the radio, satellite & around the world.
God Bless Our Military...
ANGELALASHLEY IS NOW THE FEATURED ARTIST ON THE HOME PAGE OF SOLDIER'S ANGELS.
HER SONG 'SO BRAVE' CAN NOW BE PURCHASED FROM THE SOLDIERS ANGELS STORE. THIS WILL RESULT IN A DONATION TO THIS ORGANIZATION. GO TO WWW.SOLDIERSANGELS.ORG
God Bless Each & Every One Of You Who Are Currently Serving America In Our Military Helping Keep Us Free And Safe In The War Against Terrorism. We Appreciate The Job You Are Doing And Wish You And Your Families All The Best & Continued Success. God Bless America...
Matt Bruce
'The Captain'
News Sarasota.com
Managing Editor
POW-MIA New Book, "An Enormous Crime"...
A special message from former Congressman John Leboutillier...
FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 2007
TO: ALL AMERICAN PATRIOTS WHO CARE ABOUT THE LIVING POWS STILL ALIVE IN VIETNAM AND LAOS
FR: FORMER CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEBOUTILLIER
RE: AN ENORMOUS CRIME
Indeed, the abandonment of 600 of our living American Prisoners-of-War in 1973 was - and still is - an enormous crime. And that is the title of the single best book - ever written - about the criminal behavior of our government beginning 35 years ago and continuing right up to the present.
On Memorial Day, AN ENORMOUS CRIME; The Definitive Account of American POWs Abandoned in Southeast Asia, written by Former Congressman Bill Hendon and Beth Stewart, will be published by St. Martin's Press.
The first reviews - enclosed below - summarize this meticulously-researched book: >From Publishers Weekly: "Controversial former North Carolina Congressman Hendon and attorney Stewart make the case that the U.S. knowingly left hundreds of POWs in Vietnam and Laos in 1973, and that every presidential administration since then has covered it up."
And from Kirkus Reviews: "A sprawling indictment of eight U.S. administrations...a convincing, urgent argument."
I have been involved with this book since its inception; I have read every draft and am very familiar with the research done by Bill Hendon and Beth Stewart. The beauty of this book is that it is based totally on US Government documents. In fact, Hendon and Stewart spent years in the National Archives digging out previously-classified and never-before-published documents. So, when USG officials and former officials try to attack this book they are going to have a difficult time: the book isn't Hendon and Stewart's opinions; it is from the intelligence gathered through radio intercepts, satellite and aerial imagery, and thousands of reports from HUMINT sources (human intelligence) - and given to all our high-level officials from the Oval Office on down.
In other words, they all knew.
And they have all lied and covered-up the existence of our POWs to this day.
They all knew that the USG knowingly left 600 POWs behind - and this crime has been systematically covered up ever since by officials from both parties in every administration.
AN ENORMOUS CRIME is based on 66,000 pages of never-before-published USG intelligence reports.
A companion web site will allow readers - and critics - to see all these documents and judge for themselves. Every intelligence report and government memorandum mentioned or discussed in the book will appear in its entirety on the web site for every reader to read and study - and decide for him/herself who is telling the truth about live POWs: the intelligence sources or those who have debunked the intelligence and covered up the existence of live pows through eight presidential administrations.
This web site will also contain other information not contained in the book.
Here is what I am asking you to do:
1) Spread the word about this book to everyone you know who cares about our abandoned brothers;
3) Pray - as a community of POW activists - for the successful return of all our POWs.
4) Start to regain our sense of life-and-death desperation and our fighting spirit - the spirit we POW/MIA activists used to have when we took on our corrupt and arrogant government officials in the past - liars like McCain, Kerry, Kissinger, George "Sit Down and Shut Up!" Bush and those DIA Debunkers - and get ready to make one last push to get our POWs home - alive - now - beginning on Memorial Day when this book comes out.
This book is NOT about crash site excavations, bones, or a couple of teeth-used-to-identify-an-eight-man- flight-crew!
AN ENORMOUS CRIME is about one thing - and one thing only: living US POWs still held against their will by the North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao - and covered-up by a corrupt government in Washington, DC.
In fact, the Pentagon is still receiving new, up-to-date, credible reports of sightings of US POWs this year!(Of course, they're hiding those reports from the public.)
So we owe it to these brave American heroes to make one more concerted effort to get them home.
What can you do?
Some people will call for War Crimes Trials for former and current US Government officials who abandoned our men and covered up their fate;
Others will call for the impeachment and removal from the US Senate of John McCain and John Kerry;
Some will agree with Hendon/Stewart's suggestion to urge a Presidential-level delegation of all former Presidents and high-level officials to go to Hanoi and Vientiane and "stay there and negotiate until they get the POWs released."
Some will join the current effort to create a new US House Committee on POW/MIA Affairs.
Some will want to return to the in-the-streets activism of the 1980's and 1990's - staging demonstrations aimed at making the media and the government pay attention to the Live POW issue.
Others will get on their computers and spread the word through the blogosphere in an effort to - finally - get the truth about our living POWs out there with thousands of supporting documents to back us up.
Some might write supportive letters-to-the-editors to their newspapers and magazines and urge them to cover the live POW issue - truthfully and fairly.
Others will come up with other ideas and ways to get the Live POW issue back into our national consciousness.
Whatever you do, DO SOMETHING!
The POWs need our help - so it is up to us to do whatever we can do to help get this issue back on the front pages and back in the news.
Please help our brothers!
Sincerely,
Former Congressman John LeBoutillier
Local Soldier Gets Promotion...
Sarasota Soldier's Promotion Announcement...
WASHINGTON, DC (NS/DOD) -
Michael Bounds Jr of Sarasota Florida was promoted to Chief Warrant Officer 3 by LTC. Climer on the 2nd of February with an effective date of rank of 01 February 2007. His selection for the next grade was below the zone and a remarkable achievement. Michael serves in the United States Army Aviation Branch as an Aviation Maintenance Technician Warrant which is very elite. Only 200 Aviation Maintenance Technician Warrant Officers exist in the entire US Army in the world. Mike has 18 years in the United States Army, is highly decorated with the Bronze Star, 6 Army Commendation Medals, 5 Army Achievement Medals, The NATO Bosnia Medal, The Iraq Campaign Medal, Presidential Unit Citation Award Medal (permanent award), 2 Army Superior Unit Awards (permanent award), 3 Army Good Conduct Medal, 2 National Defense Service Medals, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Global War On Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, and the MASTER Aviation Crewman Badge...
Michael is the son of Michael and Linda Bounds of Sarasota, Florida...
Michael has served as a Warrant Officer for the last 6 years, and is presently serving in the 2nd Infantry Division, 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade is Seoul South Korea, and will soon report to the Advanced Course at Fort Rucker Alabama en-route to Germany to return for a 2nd Tour in Iraq...
Congratulations to CW3 Michael Bounds for his outstanding support to this great Nation...
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-13th District, today expressed his
opposition to a resolution that would undermine troop morale while
making America less safe...
In his statement on the floor of the House, Buchanan said, "....Although
legitimate questions can be raised about whether this surge strategy
will prove successful, the stakes are too high and the threat to
America too great to walk away without giving our troops one last
chance to restore order in Iraq. Passage of this resolution will deny
our military leaders and our troops this one last opportunity."
Buchanan closed his speech by saying, "Like all Americans, I want to
bring our troops home safely, successfully and soon. But now is not
the time for immediate withdrawal. Now is the time to support our
troops, support the values they fight for and do everything possible
to give them the best chance to succeed in their mission. This
resolution does nothing to help in those efforts. In fact, it does
the opposite."
Below is the full text of Buchanan's speech:
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to this resolution. I oppose
the resolution not for what it says, but for what it does, and what it
will lead to...
As someone who enlisted at the age of 18 and spent six years as a
member of the Air National Guard, I can tell you first-hand that this
resolution would undermine our troops' morale and diminish their
ability to accomplish their mission. Passage of this resolution is
also a dangerous first step toward cutting off funding for our
troops. And that is something that I cannot support...
Mr. Speaker, the War in Iraq is an important part of the global War on
Terror. Failure in Iraq would go beyond being a disaster for American
foreign policy. Failure would destabilize the country, destabilize
the Middle East, and make America less safe. The American people are
well-aware of Al Qaeda plans to turn Iraq into a staging area to
spread its global terrorism...
Failure in Iraq would also result in diminished influence and
credibility for America at a time when global alliances are critical
to address threats from Iran and North Korea...
Mr. Speaker, this week I have been briefed by U.S. intelligence
officers, foreign ambassadors from the region, and I reached out to
many of my constituents - including Col. John Saputo, who served in
Iraq and Col. Lee Kichen who served in Vietnam...
We all agreed that although legitimate questions can be raised about
whether this surge strategy will prove successful, the stakes are too
high and the threat to America too great to walk away without giving
our troops one last chance to restore order in Iraq. Passage of this
resolution will deny our military leaders and our troops this one last
opportunity...
Like all Americans, I want to bring our troops come home safely,
successfully and soon. But now is not the time for immediate
withdrawal...
Now is the time to support our troops, support the values they fight
for and do everything possible to give them the best chance to succeed
in their mission. This resolution does nothing to help in those
efforts. In fact, it does the opposite...
It is for this reason that I must oppose this resolution...
#########################################
The Draft...
Matt Bruce...
Vietnam Veteran, Retired Fire Captain, Red Cross Disaster Volunteer, ARES & CERT Team Member...
Host Of "The Captain's AMERICA" Show...
Managing Editor Of News Sarasota.com...
Is It Time To Bring Back The 'Draft'???
Is It Time To Bring Back The Draft???
Written By: Matt Bruce
News Source: News Sarasota, Iraq Study Group, Congress
SARASOTA, FL. (NS) -
After the Iraq Study Group released its report last month, there's been a lot of speculation over whether bringing back the Draft would be something needed to be done...
In its report the Iraq Study Group said, "An extroadinary amount of sacrifice has been asked of our men and women in uniform, and of their families. The American Military has little reserve force to call on if it needs ground forces to respond to other crises around the World."
Immediately after that, Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY), spoke up and started to immediately publicly discuss the option of reinstating the Military Draft...
The Selective Service Act went into effect in 1917 when it required American civilian males between the ages of 21-30 to register for WWI...
The United States hasn't had a military draft since 1973, when Congress eliminated conscription as the Vietnam War was drawing to an end...
For most of its history, the United States has been without a draft. But the times we live in and the Global War on Terror may have forced that all to change...
Many military officers, lawmakers and analyists oppose bringing back the draft. However a larger number of our our elected officials and more ranking members of the military are starting to suggest bringing back the draft...
Today's military has been an all-volunteer force the past 34 years. The demands being brought forward by the Global War on Terror, is now present in at least 60 Countries around the World in one form or another...
The Army had 732,000 active-duty soldiers during the 1991 Persian Gulf War which happened 3 years after President Ronald Reagan was out of office...
During the Clinton years, the force was reduced and now numbers about 512,000 under President Bush...
The Bush administration recognizes there's a problem and has promised to add 92,000 service members to the Army and Marine Corps over the next 5 years...
But how do you do this without mentioning the fact there may be a need for the reactivation of the Military Draft???
This would mean Army and Marine recruiters would have to sign up additional people every year, while they're already struggling to meet recruiting quotas and some standards have had to be dropped to do so...
For example, raising the enlistment age to 42, allowing some lessor criminal charges previously not allowed for recruit eligibility and lowering some of the test scores recruits have to take...
I would like to suggest that IF the United States Government feels the need to reinstate the Military Draft, that we add women between the ages of 18-39 to the list...
Women have already been proven to be able and willing to serve in Combat situations and have performed extremely well under some extremely adverse conditions...
While the Feminist's will never agree with what I've just said, go ask a female soldier what she thinks about what they're doing for America...
I have and they are damn proud to be serving and are willing to do whatever it takes to defend, protect and serve America...
That being said, the men's requirements for instituting a new Draft would probably remain the same as the enlistment requirements. The only thing that might be changed would be the maximum age of 42, which would probably be dropped to 39 as well...
When you start seeing the likes of 'Jane Fonda' back on the anti-war stage, every Vietnam veteran remembers what she meant to our Enemy and how her efforts gave more resolve to the NVA and Viet Cong Forces fighting against us in Vietnam and across Southeast Asia...
It is time for honorable and patriotic men and women across America to stand up for our Military. The fact of the matter is, our young men and women serving in our Military today are keeping the Terrorist's from operating and doing what they're doing over there, right here in our Country...
For the people that don't understand that, I say what rock have you been living under???
The Radical Islamic Muslim Terrorist's are real and they want nothing more than to kill as many of us as they can. They know they can defeat us in the world of public opinion, if we allow them to...
We are not the people running around with suicide bombers, killing hundreds and thousands of people each and every month...
We are also not the people running around beheading those who stand up and fight against them in the name of their Religion...
And finally, what part of the word TERRORIST don't you understand???
These people do not want to talk. They do not want to negotiate. They merely want to kill as many of us as they can and destroy our way of life...
Democracy is not a part of their beliefs or upbringing. We are the 'Great Satan' because we allow women the right to vote. That also applies to women having the ability to express their opinion. You don't have to look very far to understand that either...
Just go to Afghanistan where the Taliban ruled and you'll run across women who have had their tongues cut out for rendering any opinion against the Muslim fanatics that used to run that Country...
These are the facts that are there to be found if you just bother to look. So the fact still remains, do you want to fight them over
there...or over here???
To do what we need to do to destroy the Radical Islamic Terrorist's around the World before they have the chance to destroy us, we 'may' have to bring back the Military Draft...
Think about that when you read the headlines from across the Globe...
Draft proponents say that those whom the Military doesn't need could be used instead to work in Homeland Security guarding our Airports, Seaports and Borders or could even work in understaffed Hospitals or Schools. All of this could be done just by reinstating the Draft...
So, consider the evidence and the facts of what I've written and then stand up for America and our brave Military men and women...
You can either be part of the solution or remain part of the problem. The choice is up to you...
