The Cool Blue Blog

Veterans VALOUR

Veterans Day is a time for you to thank those who have sacrificed being comfortable in order to assure your ability to live and breathe free. They give up family and friends, if only for a time, and the comfort they provide in exchange for an environment where people try to kill them and blow them up. And they do it not because they love it, but because of you: their fellow country-men and women.

Some of them give up more. Some give up their lives. And some give up their limbs.

On this Veterans Day, I ask you to remember these heroes. But I also have a special bleg: help those who have either permanently or temporarily lost the use of their hands by giving to Soldier's Angels Project VALOUR-IT.

We are in an age of increased connectedness and interconnectedness. The Internet Age.

People get their news from it, and most importantly stay in touch with family and friends world wide: in peace zones and war zones.

Sometimes, getting injured means having to be disconnected from this network. This is exactly the situation that Project Valour-IT is attempting to mitigate for our wounded soldiers.

Blackfive says it

Project Valour-IT, in memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss (Captain Chuck Ziegenfuss' father), provides voice-controlled software and laptop computers to wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand and arm injuries or amputations at major military medical centers. Operating laptops by speaking into a microphone, our wounded heroes are able to send and receive messages from friends and loved ones, surf the 'Net, and communicate with buddies still in the field without having to press a key or move a mouse.

Every cent raised for Project Valour-IT goes directly to the purchase and shipment of voice-activated laptops for wounded servicemembers. As of October 2006, Valour-IT has distributed nearly 600 laptops to severely wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines across the country.

And Bloodspite has put together a video to jerk your tears and your cash for this worthy cause.

Our veterans have remained vigilant and true to you. Help in this effort to return the favor.

And let me take this time to thank my son, Specialist Stephen LoPinto (pictured on the left), formerly of the 1-14th Infantry (Light) who served 13 months in Iraq, and is now a member of the Vermont Army National Guard (1-86^th FA), for his service to our country.

Ice Angel

Russia's Irina Slutskaya is the odds on favorite for winning the gold in Olympic Ice Dancing. But there's a little problem she must overcome first

a fraction ahead of her after the short program is a perky Californian.

That would be American Sasha Cohen

The thing is, Sasha's not just a champion skater, she's also a Soldier's Angel.

I also support Soldiers' Angels. I can’t imagine the danger our soldiers face at home and all over the world. How would you feel if your mom or dad were ordered overseas and you didn’t know when they would return home?;

Adopting a soldier is the best way I can say to our soldiers that I support you and I don’t take for granted your  personal sacrifice to make my world safe.

Blogger and Angel her own self, Holly Aho notes that Sasha's been an Angel since 2004.

Thursday night Sasha goes for the gold. But for the soldiers she helped through their deployment overseas in a war zone, she's already won it.

You too can go for the gold.

Support Sasha and become an Angel yourself.

Please?

Greyhawk has more. And so does Blackfive.

And did I mention that clicking on the first photo of Sasha will play a video of her skating? Oooops Sorry.

Be an Angel, Give support

What did it mean for Staff Sgt. Wilson Ramirez to be supported by Soldiers' Angels while deployed in Iraq?

Ramirez, who was stationed at Camp Buehring in Kuwait from 2004-5, said the "innocence" of the letters was what touched him the most.

"They asked me things like, 'Have you seen a camel?' 'Why don't you like basketball?' " said Ramirez, who works as an army wire system installer or "cable dog." "Their letters were a welcome break. You need something to remind you of the side of yourself that's not all tied up with the war."

His Angels were Kay Swenon's fifth grade class from Pearsontown Elementary School in North Carolina.

"My favorite part about writing him was learning what he liked to do," Briana said. "I know he likes wrestling. He doesn't like basketball, but that's OK, really. I don't like basketball either."...

"They learned about what it was like for him to be alone and away from home -- they were excited and interested in his life," Swenson said. "We never discussed the politics of the war. This was a way to learn that no matter what you think about a war, you must support your troops."

And what did it mean for Army Capt. Latonya Walker to be supported by Soldiers Angels

"I was touched by the fact that this family was writing," said Walker, who recalled the gist of Sarah's first correspondence. "She said, 'I appreciate all you do for our country.' Out of all the letters that I got, the only ones I responded to and kept in touch with on a continuous basis was the Hartung family."

Why? Because

"I started getting cards," Walker said, recalling that some were addressed to "any soldier," some were addressed to "any wounded soldier," and some, including those from the Hartungs, were addressed to her in particular.

Soldiers Angels pairs volunteers with particular Soldiers who are deployed in service to their country. The Hatungs were such a family who volunteered.

Olivia and Sarah Hartung became pen pals with Army Capt. Latonya Walker through Soldiers Angels, a program that invites Americans to show their support to deployed soldiers by sending them letters, cards and gifts.

Lauren Hartung, who home-schools her 11-year-old daughters (Sarah had a birthday in January; Olivia will be 12 in March) through Life Christian Academy, read about the program in The Times and suggested the idea to her daughters as an academic pursuit.

"We have been studying world history and world geography," Hartung said. "We've been discussing the war in Iraq. I thought this was a fantastic opportunity to do something with a social commitment."

Hartung and her daughters were paired through Soldiers Angels with Walker, a registered nurse who deployed to Baghdad with the 86th Combat Support Hospital based in Ft. Campbell, Ky., only months after being assigned to Redstone Arsenal.

Hartung told her daughters not to expect a reply to their letters, but encouraged them to stay active in the program. Within a month after sending their first letter, the family received a response from Walker, who was working in a trauma unit in a hospital once operated by Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

Being a Soldiers Angel makes a difference; to the deployed soldiers and to you

Olivia recalled some of the things the family enclosed in their overseas care packages. "We bought her some popcorn and she loved that," she said. "We bought her some chips. We bought her some laundry soap for her to clean her clothes. We gave her a lot of magazines. She really likes magazines."

Walker always expressed appreciation for the gifts she received and shared news from the front line. "We would get a letter about once a month," said Hartung, who even sent Walker a disposable camera with return postage in one mailing. "We wanted to see what her life was like."...

The Hartungs' efforts to comfort her during her deployment were extraordinary, Walker said. "That means a lot to you," she said. "They are being raised to care about other people."

Right now Soldiers Angels is in dire need of volunteers. Sign up now, why don't ya?

Make a difference.

 

 

Be an Angel

Troop rotations throughout the world means that some get to come home to their families while others get deployed. As a result of the recent troops rotations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, thousands of new soldiers have been added to the rolls of the people that Soldier's Angels support. Consequently, Angels are needed to lend their support by sending cards, letters and care packages to those on the pointy end of the spear and all those who support them in the field.

So piss off Joel Stein and sign up to support a soldier, or a company or a whole battalion.

And remember, Generals need lovin' too.

Oh, and while you're at it, take a minute and participate in Operation: Love Our Troops and be among those who's message

will count as part of a Guinness Book of Records attempt to be the world's largest digital Valentine's card.

It will make Joel Stein sad.

Publicity Stunt

Here's a communication from the Captain

Mkay... I dragged my drugged and temporarily one-handed body out of the hospital bed to tell ya'll about something most important.

Carren is gonna be on national TV (and live national TV at that) to let everyone know about Project Valour-IT. She will represent me (the nerd who thought of this project), and the many people who have made this project a success.

She is going to be on "Connected coast to coast" a show run by MSNBC. Don't know how long she'll be on, but for the love of god, please tune in, put your hands on the top of your TV, and talk to Jebus when the show is over. The show runs from 1200-1300 (noon to one fer ya civlians out there)(and that's eastern time) My beloved is supposed to be on around 1240, but I will rest assured that her looks, personality, and general charm will either get her on early, or the show will go into extra rounds like Rocky and the Big Ruskie in Rocky IV.

Here's how you can help. Send this to every one you know, post it on your blog, get them to post it on theirs. One side will say it's a failure of the gummint to not prvide this for the soldiers, others just see it as a way to help our brothers and sisters who have fallen but will be getting up. However they spin it, just get the word out.

There's less than 18 hours to game time, so let's get our blog on!

--Chuck

p.s. I met the Secrtary of the Army a few days ago. I don't remember most of our conversation (because pain killers do that to you, espcially at the level I'm taking them...think chevy chase (or was it Dan Akroyd?) in "Modern Problems". But I brought two things to his attention: 1. It's stupid and a waste of manpower to hold a medical review board for a guy who's lost a finger 2. I pitched Valour-IT to him. He thinks it's a great idea. He was pressed for time, so his aide took the info sheets we gave him and gave us his card...and told us to call if we don't hear anything about it in two weeks!

--
Charles W. Ziegenfuss
Former Commander, C/2-34 AR, 3BCT
(Currently on the mend in KS)

By the way, have I mentioned that you should donate to Project VALOUR-IT through the one and only Air Force Team? (Click on the graphic below)

 

Keeping the supplies rolling

Air Force on the ground and in their keep the supply lines open

11/3/2005 - BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (AFPN) -- Age, weather and more than 3,000 operations every week take their toll on the busiest runway in Afghanistan.

Without a continual effort to repair the runway here, the mission would virtually come to a halt.

A nine-man spall-repair team from the 455th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron spends more than two hours every day maintaining the runway. A spall is a shallow break in the concrete, usually found along a joint.

“We’ve made more than 200 repairs in the last two months,” said Tech. Sgt. Jason Benbrook, the noncommissioned officer in charge of airfield maintenance who’s deployed here from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. “This is an ongoing effort to support the mission until the new runway is completed.”

And here at home, we need to keep the thunder rolling on Project VALOUR-IT.

Please give what you can via the Air Force Team)

The Real Numbers

Getting the real story about Iraq is difficult. Getting the real story regarding casualties in Iraq is even more difficult since the Media dictum is "if it bleeds it leads". Between this and the general antipathy most of the media has against the war, it is no surprise that the situation is made to look as bad as possible. But that is one reason MilBlogs exist.

For instance, a recent report in the Dallas Morning News stated.

Polls show that the symbols of progress — renovated schools, new sewer lines, expanded electricity grids and restored oil pipelines — tend to be too sporadic and limited to hold Americans' attention and support. But the rising price tag, now exceeding $200 billion, and casualty figures — which include more than 15,000 wounded troops — are resonating with Americans.

And folks like Cindy Sheehan endlessly repeat those numbers

Over 2000 American families have paid the price of our dear loved ones to the insanity. Over 15,000 of our young people are wounded with over 400 of those being amputees.

Britains The Telegraph cites similar numbers

Two and a half years after the fall of Saddam Hussein the Iraq war is proving no exception. While much was made of the US death toll recently reaching 2,000, little has been said of the 15,000 who have returned home mutilated.

Now the fact is, if Cindy Sheehan and The Telegraph are citing numbers like this, they are immediately suspect and need to be checked. And that's what MilBlogs are for.

Milblogs like Mudville Gazette where Greyhawk points to an authoritative site that has the real numbers. Real numbers which paint a different story

Now one thing to note here is the WIA RTD counts the number of people who were wounded and returned to duty within 72 hours. The number that should concern us are those not returned to duty within 72 hours.

They are the ones who are sitting in hospitals. They are the ones who have to suffer not only the recovery process but also the Friends of Cindy who want to exploit the wounded for their own anti-American purposes.

Now some portion of those 7,250 have not returned to service. And some portion of those who are still recovering from their wounds can not use their hands. And it is for those that Project Valour-IT is intended to help.

It will provide voice activated laptops for those who can not type either permanently or temporarily.

Technology advances. Time was you had to wait for months to receive mail from your loved one in a theater of war. Today, they are often an instantaneous email away. Or, sometimes, you are able to message and web cam in real time. When my son was in Iraq all of these occurred.

And with the proliferation of laptops and such, many soldiers, sailors, and airman have blogged of their experience.

Captain Chuck Ziegenfuss is one such soldier blogger. But when a combat injury deprived him of the use of his hands, at least temporarily, he needed new technology to continue blogging. Soldier's Angels came to the rescue.

When Ziegenfuss emerged from the fog of pain medication, Soldiers' Angels got him a computer -- and, because of his heavily bandaged left hand, where he lost a pinky, added voice-activated software. He got back online with his popular blog, Tcoverride.blogspot.com. It's gotten 90,000 hits in the past three months.

Now Soldier's Angels have a new mission (adding to all the rest) to get 150 laptops for each military medical center to be used by recovering personel. And it's not "just" for blogging, or keeping in touch with people. It for anything you regurlarly use a computer for, typing resumes, reports, school whatever a modern person needs to do but can not because of injured hands.

As Veteran's Day approaches, please consider donating to this cause.

Oh yeah, and donate via the Air Force Team because, you know, we're way cooler than those other services.

The Science of Valour

FbL runs down the types of trauma a wounded soldier incurs and how Project Valour-IT helps to mitigate  these while promoting a speedy recovery.

She's done the scientific research so please consider her arguments and donate.

Day by Day

Chris Muir's brilliant right-of-center cartoon strip Day by Day today features the Soldier's Angels Project Valour-IT that I may have mentioned once or twice.

Go see the strip and Kat's brilliant post on the Middle Ground blog entitled The Quiet Majority.

Then donate what you can.

Tally Ho

We are in a new age. One of increased connectedness and interconnectedness. The Internet Age.

People get their news from it, and stay in touch with family and friends world wide: in peace zones and war zones.

Sometimes, getting injured means having to be disconnected from this network. This is exactly the situation that Project Valour-IT is attempting to mitigate for our wounded soldiers. FbL of Fuzzilicious Thinking highlights a comment left at Thoughts by Seawitch that illustrates the need clearly

Seawitch, that is an absolutely amazing and bloody important cause that you are supporting. As I have a high-level spinal cord injury I also use a voice-activated computer. I have my little microphone that I speak into, and because I can move my arms I have a trackball mouse[...]I know what it is like to be stuck in hospital for a long time with nothing to do and no access to the outside world[...]

This project will make a massive difference to the lives of wounded soldiers. Giving them access to the outside world, as well as the independence that voice-activated computers will bring, is such an honourable way to thank them for the sacrifices they have made for our well-being.

So the Fusileers have been promoting this endeavor by Soldier's Angels for over a week now and what have we got to show for it?

Glad you asked.

• We have raised over $7500 (not including checks from this week)
• 10 Laptops, software and bags on the way to Bethesda (4 will be passed on to Walter Reed)

But it ain't enough people. The Soldier's Angel's goal is to raise $600,000 for full implementation which is 150 laptops in every military medical center.

Now, now calm down. You're not alone we have some corporate sponsors too. But, neither they, nor you can do it alone.

Everyone has to pull together to support those who have sacrified greatly for us. So please donate what you can by clicking here.

Thanks and let's roll!

Tally-Ho!