It’s the 11th…but not November 11th. Doesn’t much matter, the soldiers, sailors, airmen, coast guardsmen and Marines still need your support daily.

I happen to be a fan of the life returning and future society changing program of ValOUR-IT:

If you’d like a full page, printable quality picture of MEGEN in at night, in the amphibious environment, click here and save it!
It’s one of my categories, so it’s easy to see all that has been blogged about here, in case you need to catch up. Over 1000 served, more to follow!But maybe you’re rather contribute in some other way, such as sending beef jerky and powdered energy drinks to the 4th Recon Platoon (see a detailed post here).Are you good at sewing? It gets cold in those MEDEVAC planes, especially when “normal” clothing doesn’t fit anymore. Break out the machine and the knitting needles and help out with Sew Much Comfort.

Maybe you’d like the truth to prevail when a man or woman we sent into combat is accused of something? Then Defend the Defenders, started for Ilario Pantano, but has continued to serve the legal needs of other service members might just be the ticket for you.

You can help the families left behind in several ways, by providing living quarters via the Fisher House, or for their children’s future financial and education needs in several funds.

I have made up a page just for the troop support charities I have come across, so hopefully you can find a place for your passion or talents or money can be useful, not just on special occasions, but year ’round.

I heard about this program at the 2006 MilBlogs Conference, yet no one could tell me the link. I emailed VFW for an answer and none showed up. Reading a magazine yesterday, where Gunny Ermey was interviewed, he discussed the program set up by the VFW to help families stateside. He said not a single request had been turned down to date.

Your hands, fix-it know how and/or money would help take care of the families who have members in the fight, not available to get on with crossing off taskers on the “Honey-Do” list.

Get over to Unmet Needs and get smart, maybe there’s a family down your block that needs a lawn mowed or a leaking toilet fixed.

If you’re a family in need of help, the site has the button to get you to the help request form.

P.S. Like ValOUR-IT 100% of donations go directly to help the families!

Pass the Word!

Again, stumbling over links:

GI Film Festival scheduled for 16-18 April, 2008.

Check out the people that will be there on the home page. Michael Yon is one of them!

Thanks to Flag Gazer and her diligence in highlighting the heroes who serve us, I found out SSG Bagge is up for an award and surely could use your vote.

SSG Christian Bagge, US Army and the Commander-in-ChiefThe award? The Energizer® Keep Going® Award.SSG Bagge is the man who, while in a hospital bed at Brooke Army Medical Center, told the President he wanted to run with him. A year later, the picture above is the evidence of a man who just kept going, and going, and going….The whole post on SSG Christian Bagge is here on Flag Gazer’s blog…Oh, have you voted yet? GET ON IT!!! (and tell your friends)

I just caught wind of this yesterday on the radio:

Operation DVD, a program of AMVETS.

Used or new, the plan is to get them to the sandbox, so there’s something for the troops to pick through during their down time. Children’s videos dropped off will be sent to families stateside.

Some background, about one person making a difference:

“Op DVD Kid” Provides Entertainment for Troops
Above is a picture of Zach Cohen, a seventh grader at Charles Boehm Middle School in Yardley, Pennsylvania.

Zach got involved with AMVETS, Operation DVD while searching the internet to find a suitable “mitzvah project” in preparation for his upcoming Bar Mitzvah. When he stumbled upon the Operation DVD website, he knew he had found his match.

As someone who loves to hang out and watch movies with his friends, this effort proved to combine the leisure activities he loved most, with something he thought was very important – supporting our Troops.

“The soldiers do so much for us and for our country, and I want them to get to enjoy whatever free time they have. I can hang out with my friends and watch a movie or listen to music whenever I want, but our soldiers aren’t so lucky. Not only are they fighting in a very dangerous place, but when they have some time off, they don’t have much to do. Hopefully, AMVETS, Operation DVD will make their free time more enjoyable and will make them realize that we really care about them and appreciate what they do”, Zach explains.

“The best part about this effort is that people don’t have to dip into their pockets to help. After you watch a movie once or twice, are you really going to keep watching it? That movie can be enjoyed over and over again by many soldiers, if you just donate it to AMVETS, Operation DVD.”

“The best places to organize collections are anywhere where there is a lot of repeat traffic – such as places of worship, office buildings, health clubs, libraries, etc. Schools have made a huge impact on this effort and more and more are getting involved everyday.”

Zach has already collected over 2,000 DVDs for our Troops (even his local Honor Society has become involved). He is now in the process of working with other school districts and his Congressman.

A big round of applause for Zach Cohen!!!!!

You can donate cash via the site, or drop them off.

COLLECTION BOXES

Specially designed “Collection Boxes” for donated new and used DVDs will be located across the nation at large chains, retail stores, churches and car dealers.

The “Collection Boxes” are 26” high and “vinyl-wrapped” on the four vertical sides with a description of AMVETS, Operation DVD and logos of major sponsors.

Each “Collection Boxes” is designed in such a way that DVDs can be inserted — but not removed. Each box will hold over 250 donated DVDs for our troops.

Pre-paid shipping labels are attached to each “Collection Boxes” for transportation to sorting centers where “Children Titles” will be separated to be sent to the families (stateside) of soldiers serving overseas.
COLLECTION POINTS

Smaller rural areas (with no large chains) will be served by local AMVET posts. Material is supplied on the AMVETS, Operation DVD website for local Press Releases and Media coverage.

I bet you have a few DVDs you know they’d like and you haven’t watched in a while…help them out…it’s lonely when you’re far from home…

If you’re a regular reader of Black Five you may have already destroyed your keyboard. Tough. Tell the chaplain later and get your card punched.

If not, get over to this post and the beginning digital warfare between the world changing United States Marine Corps and the guys who always wanted to be the Nation’s “door kickers” that land after the Marines have done the hard work.

***WARNING*** Regardless of your service background/affiliation/preferences: REMOVE ALL LIQUIDS AND BREAKABLE OBJECTS FROM THE VICINITY OF YOUR COMPUTER. TAKE YOUR LAST SWALLOW OF YOUR COFFEE/MILK (for you Army guys)/BEER or LIQUOR/SODA/ETC BEFORE YOU BEGIN READING THE POST AND THE COMMENTS****

You have been warned. If you can’t follow directions, either buy cheap keyboards, or just quit using a computer.

Oh: The Origin? Writer “Grim” posted a way to send emails to deployed Marines, and Matt decided to send one of his own. You can get the gouge on supporting our troops forward, the ones proud to call themselves Marines by going here.

Between work, and too many grand ideas, and being engrossed in the story of Preble and Decatur working over Tripoli, I haven’t gotten much up her the last two days.

MEGEN is still lurking about. A new, diabolical plot is being hatched. Some digital editing has already happened, but I need some organizational graphics to add before the roll out of the project, suggested by an astute member of Team Navy.

Fun for all, mind you, and many will be able to participate.

Last night I took time off to view the idiot box and settled in on “Creature Tech.” Vanderwall’s force. Learn it and get with the program, it will help you with attaching in the future!

MEGEN is no longer in a dark USPS box. MEGEN is far north, and has a busy schedule planned for this week, and arrangements have been made to be seen around some very memorable Navy related locations….

Plans are in the works for printable pictures of MEGEN, to be used to pose and be posed with, at the suggestion of Flag Gazer (who has a wonderful blog to memorialize those who have fallen).

Details to follow….as well as some OUTSTANDING! pictures next week – or sooner if it works out.

Stay tuned.

I’m glad you asked….especially you from the Marine, Army and Air Force ValOUR-IT Teams.

“MEGEN” (say it sort of like like a girl’s name) is the “Most Exhaulted Golden NotEbook,” the trophy for the 2006 ValOUR-IT fund drive. (H/T: SteelJaw Scribe for the name)

MEGEN is going to help set up the fund collection efforts for this coming October/November campaign. If you other teams had done better, you wouldn’t be getting snarked by Team Navy like this. So, here’s the deal: MEGEN is going on a trip to many places Navy, to pose for pictures and allow the escorts to tell the story of ValOUR-IT along the way.

Today, MEGAN was fortunate enough to pose for a picture with a person from Navy history, a crewman of the USS MASON (DE-529), a destroyer escort in WWII crewed by African-Americans. Ben Garrison was a Radioman 3/C and plankowner on that ship and therefore is one of the Navy’s icons.We, Team Navy, are going to make a point of getting in contact with many people with strong affiliation to the Navy in order to be ready to flood the coffers of ValOUR-IT right out of the starting gate. Names and emails will be amassed to make sure we smoke you all and then we can plan on a second tour for MEGEN in 2008.Now, just to see how we’ll will douse this wonderful trophy in naval settings, you’ll have to come back here and see what our evil plans are to rub it in for the next several months. We’re not telling in advance, but know the locations will be well picked for maximum PR and donation effect.For any readers, if you’d like to kick in a few bucks to a great project to help the wounded troops, click here! Money is needed all year around, not just near Veteran’s Day. Thanks for your support!And Matt and Jimbo, Cassandra and John, time to get your game on!

He said what? Here’s why:

After effects of the Toby Keith concert: Wrote this country music song while driving around in my humvee. Maybe later I’ll work out the guitar part and record.

The result?

The Free and the Brave
[Greyhawk]

Over in America, home of the free
Land of unlimited opportunity
People in the streets protest whatever they can
While over in Iraq and Afghanistan

The brave, far from home, are standing tall
toeing the line, so they can have it all
Some like to complicate it but it’s simple to me
<b><i>They’re making noise, we’re making history.</i></b>
[…]

(Click here for the rest of the song)

He already “wrote” the words for one song, which a group, 3db Down, used the words from one of his posts of his for his prior trip to the sandbox (2005).

I think he may have a career planned for retirement!