LATEST NEWS AND INFORMATION FROM OPERATION AMERICA RISING

2008-06-19T19:23:00.008-04:00

www.AmericaRising.org ~Operation:School House~

We have seen the War on Terror waged worldwide by Young Americans defending us at home while toppling dictators abroad. We have seen the darkened horror lifted from the eyes of the dominated to be replaced with the light of hope. We too have felt the loss at home when another soldier dies, another marine who fell in a firefight. The Tree of Liberty, it once was said, must be watered by the blood of both the patriot and of the tyrant. Thus it was in Afghanistan and now it is in Iraq. For wherever American Soldiers tread, there in dusty footprint, oppression’s shed.

But this many have forgotten.

The efforts of freedom have not gone unchallenged since the fall of the Taliban and the toppling of Saddam. The American soldier, however, remains to ensure that the only thing that goes unchallenged is Freedom’s victory; freedom for the people of Afghanistan and Iraq. It is unfortunate that so little reporting is done on the day to day operations of goodness that the American spirit provides to these amazing peoples. New schools, new hospitals, new hope is established yet goes unmentioned. Yet while these soldiers, these young Americans, who provide and defend such hope and freedom to those they have never met, the next generation of Afghans and Iraqis have among their number many who suffer still. Although schools are reopening, many cannot afford the basic necessities our own children enjoy; backpacks, pencils, erasers…all these things we take for granted they simply do not have.

For the small amount of $25.00, we will supply the backpack kit and ship it to an American soldier stationed in Kabul, Afghanistan for disbursement to an Afghan child.

Each backpack contains one pack of 10 pencils, one pencil sharpener, one ruler, three erasers, one box of crayons, and a 250 sheet notebook.

You can help our soldiers make a difference in the lives of the Afghan children by sponsoring a backpack kit today! You can make a secured payment through PayPal on this site or mail a check or money order made payable to Operation America Rising and mail it to:

Operation America Rising
c/o: Operation: School House
PO BOX 2345
Franklin, NC 28744

Each person that sponsors a backpack kit will receive a free "patriots bracelet" and a follow-up thank you letter.

NOTE: To sponsor a backpack kit through PayPal on this website go to the OAR home page, www.AmericaRising.org and click on the backpack image on the left side of the homepage or CLICK HERE.

You may also send us a letter of support, for the Afghan child or the American Soldier disbursing the kits, and we will ship it along with the kit.

For more information regarding this project and how you can help, email me at: ROBERT@AMERICARISING.ORG with Operation School House in the subject line.

2008-06-02T16:38:00.004-04:00

PLEASE - CLICK HERE and SHIP PACKAGES TO OUR TROOPS.

The Best of America...

2008-05-16T22:42:00.000-04:00

I was going through my files and came across this speech that was given by RJ Del Vecchio of the 'Vets to Washington Project' at the 'Operation America Rising' rally on 7/7/07 here in North Carolina. It was a very moving speech to hear in person. There were many speeches given that day but this one was by far the best. We had someone at the event filming the entire rally but unfortunately the tape was left in his car and ended up melting, losing most of the footage from that day. That day the temperature was nearly 100 degrees but that did not keep the hundreds of people from leaving the 6 hour rally.

Enjoy!

Ladies and Gentlemen, good afternoon.

Let me begin by registering some thanks to people. First, to Tina Medlin, who was given the challenge, with zero experience, of putting together this tribute to our troops. To do this, she fulfilled the Marine Corps motto "adapt and overcome", and she deserves great credit for the time, effort, and love she put into this.

Next, I thank the Founders of this nation, whose foresight, courage, sacrifice, and wisdom brought into being the greatest hope for mankind that this world has ever known. And I thank my grandparents, for having the gumption to leave the world they knew, the world of their ancestors, to take the tough trip across the sea to Ellis Island, become Americans, and work hard to make the American dream of a better life for their children and grandchildren.

I thank the many WW2 and Korean veterans I grew up learning from, and the refugees from Hungary, Cuba, and other communist countries who really contributed to my understanding ever more about how precious liberty is.

And I thank all of you for coming today, to show our strong support for those who are in harm's way on our behalf, even as we enjoy all the good moments of a great summer weekend.

Lastly, yet most of all, I thank those men & women who are out there for us now, for every day they spend away from home, for every hour with burning heat and sand in their eyes, for every second of racing pulse when their vehicle starts down the perilous highway, or they go through that door into the shadowy hallway, not knowing what is waiting there for them. And for the times of pain and sorrow when they see their friends bleeding or lying silent and still. I have known those times, and how they leave scars on your heart, and sometimes guilt in your mind, for being the one who survived.

There are many aspects of today's events that can be discussed, and no shortage of controversy about how we got into Iraq and how the war has been handled. But dwelling on those controversies is not useful to understanding where we are now, the prospects before us, and what the possibilities are for the future.

Often we hear about comparisons between the war in Iraq and the past war in Viet Nam. Many of those comparisons are inaccurate or misleading, and I hope to bring some clarity to the reality of the different wars.

In Viet Nam we fought an enemy whose intense focus was simply on taking over the free South and bringing it under the control of the communist politburo of Hanoi. Yes, they were also a tool of international communism in the Cold War, but that was of no real importance to Ho Chi Minh and his faithful supporters. They did not hate us just for being Americans, they were perfectly satisfied to simply get us out of the war so they could overwhelm the South using the massive support of the Soviet Bloc. While the fall of Saigon was a tragedy and subsequent events in Cambodia and Laos were even more appalling, in a way it was like Vegas. What happened in Southeast Asia pretty much stayed in Southeast Asia, with the exception of the VN Boat People who came to our shores as refugees seeking a new life and freedom. Some live here in the Raleigh area, and I am proud to have them as friends; they have become Americans, and many of their grown children have served and are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some of those children have already paid in blood for their citizenship in this, their adopted country.

But Iraq is different in critically important ways. However it started, it has become a hinge point in the conflict between the West and the strangely diverse wave of jihadist Islam. This is a complex movement, sometimes coordinated, often not, based on narrow and totally intense religious fanaticism combined with social/cultural drives founded on myth, systematic brainwashing, and a value system centered more on death than on life. The simple contrast between them and us is that their young people are urged to volunteer to very deliberately kill themselves in order to kill and maim the maximum number of other human beings whom they do not know, most of whom are innocent bystanders. While our men & women in uniform put themselves at risk of dying in the effort to help the Iraqi and Afghan people progress into a stable, secure, and free way of life, and in that way help ensure the safety and security of our way of life.

The Vietnamese communists were our enemy, but primarily because we were in the way of their conquest of the South. The jihadists are radically different, they do not just want us out of the Middle East, they don't want to extort money from us, or achieve economic domination over us, or anything else. Regardless of the hype they put out about the supposed wrongs we have committed against them, going all the way back to the Crusades, in truth they do not hate us for what we do, they hate us for what we are.

In times past people used the phrase "mortal enemy", but we don't hear that phrase much anymore. What it means is not just a particularly tough or nasty enemy, what it means is an enemy whose goal is extremely simple and direct- your death is what he wants, all that he wants, and nothing less will satisfy him. That describes Osama Bin Laden and all the hundreds of thousands of his followers across the world. They do not care what it takes to achieve their fantasy goal of "restoring the Caliphate", that is, world domination of fundamentalist Islamic rule. The deaths of millions of people including any and all Moslems who oppose them in the least way, or even total innocents whose deaths serve their strategy of terror and destabilizing societies, are just a tiny detail to them in their blind and hateful fanaticism.

This is the harsh, ugly, and very scary reality that we in America, and in fact every Western society, need to face. The jihadist mentality has been growing for almost 30 years now, it has achieved a great deal of momentum, and its effects are seen even in Moslem communities that have existed and flourished in Western countries for a couple of generations. It will not go away on its own, and while it would be comforting to think of it as a temporary phase that will wither away in time, to believe that is a pleasant self deception that we cannot afford. It is a kind of communicable mental illness that will continue to spread until some form of countering it becomes truly and widely effective.

Iraq and Afghanistan are complicated struggles in many ways. Tribal and sectarian differences contribute to the chaos, as well as the support from those with their own agendas for gaining power, especially the theocratic regime of Iran. The longstanding conflict over Israel is another major factor that keeps the Middle East at low boil and adds to the growth of blind hatred for the West and the US in particular.

There is no simple answer to eliminating the underlying factors of jihadism. We have no easy way of making it go away. But what we do have is a simple challenge to not encourage it, to deny it key victories that would accelerate its growth and increase its power. Iraq and Afghanistan are now the testing ground for jihadism, for the forces of destruction, for the drive to dominate and ignite more and more of Islam in the flames of cruel and relentless fanaticism.

What happens if we cut and run, as so many politicians and antiwar activists recommend? After all, they say, we got out of Viet Nam and nothing really bad happened, and now itâ€™s a pretty good place, we get along fine, and it's a really cheap place to go for a great vacation. Doesn't that tell us how stupid we are to continue to spend our blood and billions in faraway countries that have their own problems to deal with?

Well, in the first place, plenty of really bad stuff happened in Viet Nam, Cambodia, and Laos after we abandoned the South Vietnamese to their inevitable conquest by the totally militarized North with its endless ocean of supplies from the Soviets. And we get along fine with them now because our leaders, for the sake of business priorities, choose to take little if any notice of the blatant suppression of human rights that goes on there. Yep, it's nice to visit as a tourist, but it was nice to visit Germany in 1936 too, as long as you didn't want to stop by any synagogues or that nice little re-education camp up in Dachau.

But that aside, the very first consequence of bugging out of Iraq would be the instant proclamation across the world by every fundamentalist cleric in all of Islam that Bin Laden is proven correct, the infidels are weak and corrupt and total victory will assuredly be ours. They will scream in joy that Moslems need only to rise up more and more, purge any of their neighbors who won't join the jihad, raise more money, plant more bombs, create more riots, send more of their young people to massacre innocents in every transport station, sports stadium, and shopping mall in the West, and in time all will be theirs.

The inflow of donations from the rich oil sheiks will jump steeply, as will the number of volunteers for the terrorist training camps, and from there the downhill run into more horrors will begin.

Meanwhile, Iraq will dissolve into total bloody chaos, with all sorts of groups committing massacres for all sorts of reasons, the Syrians will try to take influence with the Sunni, the Iranians will do the same with the Shia, and there will be no safety anywhere for anyone. Just how it will go after that is impossible to predict, but it will be guaranteed to be about as awful as Cambodia was, and the whole Middle East will continue to destabilize. And best of all, who do you think will be blamed for it all? You know the answer- it will be the USA. And those who hate and despise us will have a field day with it, we will be condemned by half the UN, and our ability to exert any influence in the world will be damaged very, very badly.

This is why I believe it is essential for our support to the troops to be as vigorous and continuous as possible, because they stand between the world and those terrible events.

So whether or not everyone appreciates what their service and sacrifice really mean, our people are over there, doing their duty, sometimes devotedly, sometimes doggedly, on repeated tours that weary the spirit, and we can only pray for them, and let them know in every way we can that we respect and appreciate them and everything they do for us. That is why we are all here today, to raise our voices on their behalf, to say as clearly as possible, Thank You, Thank You, and God Bless.

When we came back from Viet Nam, a few of us were subjected to terrible treatment, many of us went through lesser levels of harassment and nastiness, and most of us experienced no feeling of being welcomed, indeed we very often felt unappreciated, and even alienated. I think I speak for all Vietnam vets today when I say NOT THIS TIME! Our troops must hear from us, while there and when returning, that we appreciate and honor them, no matter what other feelings we have about the fight that they are in. They are not there for pay, or glory, or imperialistic conquest. They are there for us.

In conclusion, I would like to give to you the words of one of those who went to safeguard us.

Back on the 14th of November, 2005, in an action along the Syrian border with Iraq, a Marine Major, Ray Mendoza, gave his life in service to his country and his Corps. He left behind a wife and two children. His wife, Karen, wanted the kids to have some more understanding of their father, who and what he was. So she turned eventually to the letters his comrades wrote about him.

Of these, the foremost was by his close friend of all the years together in the Marine Corps, Major Doug Zembiec. Another devoted Marine, famous among his men in Iraq as the Lion of Fallujah because of his stalwart performance in that major battle.

Here is what he wrote...

His letter to the children of a fallen comrade-in-arms:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Kiana and Alek,

Ray and I had a conversation late May in 2004 while we were deployed to Iraq. He spoke of why he fought. He fought to give the people of Iraq a chance. He fought to crush those who would terrorize and enslave others. He fought to protect his fellow Marines.

The last thing he told me that day was, "I don't want any of these people (terrorists) telling my kids how to act, or how to dress. I don't want to worry about the safety of my children." Kiana and Alek, your father fought for many things, but always remember, he fought for you.

As you fight this battle we call life, you will find your challenges greater, your adversity larger, your enemies more numerous. The beautiful thing is, you will grow stronger, smarter, faster, and you will overcome the obstacles in your way.

No one could've better prepared you than your father. In the month and a half your family stayed with me in Laguna Niguel, Calif., while waiting for base housing to open up, I saw how, with the help of your incredible mother, he instilled in you the essentials to life:

Live with integrity, for without integrity we deceive ourselves, we live in a house of cards.
Fight for what you believe, for without valor, we lose our freedom.
Be willing to sacrifice, for anything worthy in life requires sacrifice.
Be disciplined, for it is discipline that builds the foundation of your success.

You will encounter misguided people in your life who may question America's attempt to help the people of Iraq and the Middle East. These pathetic windbags, who have nothing so sacred in their lives that they would be willing to fight for it, will argue and debate endlessly on what we should've done.

While they criticize, they forget the truth, or conveniently overlook the fact that it takes men and women of action, willing to make a sacrifice, to free the enslaved, to advance the cause of freedom.

Our great nation was built on the shoulders of men like your father. While the nay-sayers and cowards hid in the shadows sniveling that nothing was worth dying for, men like your dad carved our liberty away from the English, freed the slaves and kept the Union together, saved Europe from the Germans twice; rescued the Pacific away from the Japanese, defeated communism, and right now, fight terrorism and plant the seeds of democracy in the Middle East.

Your father was a warrior, but being a warrior is not always about fighting. He was patient with those he led, and he understood people make mistakes. He cared about the men he led as if they were his own family. To him, they were. His work ethic was tremendous. But he made time for his family, to enjoy life. He was balanced, at equilibrium. He was an inspiration. He was my friend.

In your future, when you are pushed against a wall, in a tight spot, outnumbered and seemingly overwhelmed, it may be tempting to give up, or even use the absence of your father as a crutch, as an excuse for failure.

Don't. Your father's passing, while tragic, serves as an endless source of your empowerment. Your father would not want you to wallow in self-pity. I know you will honor him by living your life in the positive example he set. Respect and remember him. Drive on with your lives. Serve something greater than yourself. Enjoy all the good things that life has to offer. That is what he would want.

Kiana! I have never met a more capable young lady in my life. You are the most well-read, articulate, disciplined young person I know. Often I tell people of the arm-bar you demonstrated on me in your parents' garage. When you become a worldwide Judo champion, I will say with great pride, "that woman nearly torqued my shoulder out when she was 11 years old!"

If my daughter grows up with a quarter of the strength of your principles, determination and intelligence, she will be an incredible human being. Like your mother, you are a beautiful woman, a fact of which you should be proud.

Alek! You are blessed with your father's strength of character and his unbreakable will and his broad shoulders. Your mother gave you her determination and unwavering mental toughness.

Your mother told me the story of you hanging up the sign, "Be a leader, not a follower." My eyes well up every time that I think of you doing that. My eyes fill not with tears of sadness, but of pride, to know you grasped the mindset your father passed on to you. This mindset will allow you to be a leader and protector like your father, and one day, to raise an upright, solid-as-a-rock family of your own.

When I look in your eyes, I see your father. Courageous, determined and resolute, your father embodied all that is virtuous in a warrior. Even now, you strive to embody his same character. Remember, there will never be any pressure for you to be exactly like your father. Be your own man, but build your character in his image.

Many people may be concerned about your future because of the early passing of your father. I don't worry at all. Your dad gave you all you ever need to become a great woman and a great man. I know your father would have told you to be your own hero/heroine. Don't wait for someone to rise up and lead you to victory, to your goals. If you do, you might wait for a very long time.

Ray died as a warrior, sword in hand, in service of his country, his comrades and you, his loved ones. His spirit and example give us all hope, reaffirms our faith. Your father reminds us there are men willing to fight for people that they don't even know so that all may live in peace.

I joined the Corps to serve beside men like your father. There is no other Marine I'd rather have protecting my flank in combat than your dad. Even now, as I write this letter in Iraq, I will honor him on the field of battle by slaying as many of our enemies as possible, and fight until our mission is accomplished.

You will always be in our lives. Please stay in touch. We will always be in your corner for assistance, advice or just conversation. Pam and I plan to retire in Idaho and would love for you to visit us so we can take you white-water rafting and mountain climbing.

Very Respectfully, Doug

The sad final note to this wonderful letter is that its author has gone to join his friend. Marine Maj. Doug Zembiec was killed May 11 leading a raid on Baghdad insurgents.

I am honored to have been able to read these words to you, and I will always honor the memory of men like these two Marine officers. They represent the best of America, and it is bitter indeed for us to have lost them and what else they might have brought to our nation in the future. When our country was founded, it was said that the Tree of Liberty must be watered from time to time with blood... the blood of tyrants and patriots. That's a hard view to take, but I think it was valid then, and it is valid still. Let us all be thankful for having still amongst us those who will serve, and serve well, for us.

God Bless America!

Speech by: RJ Del Vecchio, 'Vets to Washington Project', at the 'Operation America Rising', North Carolina rally on 7/7/07.

SOT

2008-05-05T18:30:00.001-04:00

SupportOurTroops.Org has just shipped 36,000 tubes of sunblock to the troops in Iraq!

SupportOurTroops.Org, CFC#31529, has just shipped 36,000 tubes of free sunblock to the men and women in the U. S. Military serving in

Iraq

. $139,625 worth!

Let's do for those who do for us!

"It's time to show them how much we care" said Support Our Troops Chairman Martin C. Boire.

Every case is labeled with "thank-you" signage from the folks here at home.

"They spend their day in the desert sun. We're glad to send something to help them with it," said Boire.

About SupportOurTroops.Org

Support Our Troops® is a patriotic family organization aimed at protecting the well-being of the troops and their families. They Support Us Let's Support Them! Civilian-led, SOT enthusiastically welcomes civilians, active-duty families, veterans, and folks from all political parties. Join SupportOurTroops.Org and show support today. We offer simple, easy, everyday methods through which folks can stick up for those who stick up for all of us: official license plates, ribbons, magnets, apparel, and accessories, knowing that it works to benefit the deployed troops (our neighbors) and their families. Support Our Troops is a nation-wide 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with chapters in 37 states to date. Donations at SupportOurTroops.Org help us do wonderful things like this for the troops and their families.

What Else Are We Doing?

Chairman Martin C. Boire, said, "we're the license plate people. We have completed state approval of Support Our Troops! plates in 24 states to date, and have more underway. Those plates help us do good things like this for our deployed neighbors. Sign up for your plate today. You can find out the status of the effort in your state at www.SupportOurTroops.org."

CFC (Combined Federal Campaign) Member #31529.

Support Our Troops® is an authorized private civilian national and international nonprofit in the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). Federal employees can help Support Our Troops® by designating to code 31529.

Contact:

1-877-879-8882

PR@SupportOurTroops.org

ACTION ALERT!

2008-04-21T20:35:00.001-04:00

Cross posted from Flag Gazer...HERE.

It's time for a new Letters from Home project. This time I will be collecting letters for the Navy. I'll be sending them off to the USS Russell DDG-59. So, just like last time, please click- send generalized supportive emails to me to compose email, and I will make sure that they get to the men and women aboard the Russell. When you send your email, please be sure and put "Letters from Home" in the subject line. We're aiming for about 250 emails, so I'm hoping to have them collected and packed up by the end of the month. As with last time, anything you all can do to help spread the word would be greatly appreciated.

By the way, they have their own blog there on the Russell. There's some great writing going on there! Their crew gives you a good close look at life aboard a modern destroyer at war.

This news comes from Jim at the great blog Thinking Right.

Surely we can each write a supportive email to these sailors and send them some great love from home!

2008-04-09T21:51:00.001-04:00

U.S. Army Personnel in Afghanistan hit with 8.6 TONS of taste from home! Free popcorn gifts via SupportOurTroops.Org!

What a fun way to support those who stick up for all us!

Let's do for those who do for us!

"It's time to show them how much we care" said Support Our Troops Chairman Martin C. Boire.

SupportOurTroops.Org, CFC# 31529, on April 1, 2008 shipped 59,610 free servings of popcorn good-will gifts to the men and women in U. S. Army in Afghanistan . That's 21 pallets. That's 855 cases! $74,846 worth! 8.6 tons!

Every case is labeled with "thank-you" signage from the folks here at home.

"We're glad to give them a simple taste of home," said Boire. "What a fun way to show them how much we think of them! What a tremendous gesture of good will."

What a gesture of our trust in them, and our honest gratitude for everything they do to protect all of us civilians and our families here at home. Join SupportOurTroops.Org and show support today.

About SupportOurTroops.Org

Support Our Troops® is a patriotic family organization aimed at protecting the well-being of the troops and their families. They Support Us Let's Support Them! Civilian-led, SOT enthusiastically welcomes civilians, active-duty families, veterans, and folks from all political parties. We offer simple, easy, everyday methods through which folks can stick up for those who stick up for all of us: official license plates, ribbons, magnets, apparel, and accessories, knowing that it works to benefit the deployed troops (our neighbors) and their families. Support Our Troops is a nation-wide 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with chapters in 37 states to date. Donations at SupportOurTroops.Org help us do wonderful things like this for the troops and their families.

Who manufactured it?

Nothing but the best for our troops! Trail's End popcorn is known as America 's Best Popcorn. It is produced by Weaver Popcorn Company, one of the largest producers and manufacturers of popcorn products in the world. An 80-year-old, family-owned company located in Indiana , Weaver Popcorn distributes its products in more than 90 countries.

How is it getting there?

It was boxed at the factory in Indiana . Each box was labeled with a large colorful thank-you notice. Then it was palletized, plastic-wrapped and loaded into a 40' overseas metal cargo container and trucked to a sea port to then go by freighter to the U. S. Army troops stationed in Afghanistan .

Where did all this popcorn come from?

From the American People! SupportOurTroops.org, the Boy Scouts of America, and the Trails End Popcorn Company teamed up to pull this off. The Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts went door to door across America and asked people if they would like to donate $25 of popcorn treats to the troops. And at $25 a pop this many people did.

What We Don't Do.

Support Our Troops® does not take or express a position for or against any peacekeeping mission, action, natural disaster mobilization, war or the like, including: whether to go into it, how to run it, how to conclude it. The simple moral position of SupportOurTroops.org is that like all good Americans we always support the troops and their families without regard to the particular deployment. Support Our Troops recognizes that America 's troops keep all of our families safe, and Americans always support the families of their troops wherever they are ordered to serve to protect our families here at home.

What else are we doing?

Chairman Martin C. Boire, said, "we're the license plate people. We have completed state-issuance of Support Our Troops! plates in 24 states to date, and have more underway. Those plates help us do good things like this for our deployed neighbors. You can find out the status of the effort in your state at www.SupportOurTroops.org."

High Res images for use in coverage of this can be downloaded through the Popcorn Project area located on the front page of www.SupportOurTroops.org.

CFC (Combined Federal Campaign) Member #31529.

Contact:

1-877-879-8882

PR@SupportOurTroops.org

2008-04-03T19:35:00.000-04:00

We've put out the call to help us raise the $25,000 to pay legal fees to ensure that the laws against those who deliberately seek to impede the work of military recruiters are enforced.

We're not going to allow people like Medea Benjamin and Code Pink or the Marxists of International ANSWER to interfere with the work that our military men and women are doing here in America.

So help us raise the $25,000 we need - we're already about 1/3rd of the way in there. CLICK HERE to DONATE.

>> DONATE ONLINE - HERE

>> DONATE VIA PAYPAL - HERE

>> MAIL IN A DONATION - HERE

2008-04-03T01:16:00.001-04:00

The National Heroes Tour Lands in Fayetteville on Saturday, April 5
On Saturday, April 5 Vets for Freedom and the National Heroes Tour-is coming to Charlotte The Vets for Freedom National Heroes Tour is about going coast-to-coast to generate support for our troops, highlight their successes, and rally the country to complete the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. You will be able to meet and honor some real American heroes, including: David Bellavia, author of House to House, recipient of the Silver Star, and nominee for the Medal of Honor; Steve Russell, recipient of the Bronze Star for Valor and led the battalion that captured Saddam Hussein; Tom Parks, United States Marine Corps, recipient of the Silver Star for heroic actions while under fire in Fallujah These heroes will join local heroes from South Carolina to highlight our military's commitment to completing the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the incredible progress being made under General Petraeus. Not only are we raising awareness and support for the mission during the National Heroes Tour, we want to say Thank You to the military community and their families. The Vets for Freedom National Heroes Tour is rolling through Fayetteville on Saturday, April 5-come out and meet these American heroes at free events and hear their amazing stories. Saturday, April 5 Fayetteville 10:00 AM - Vets for Freedom Town Hall Forum (OPEN TO THE PUBLIC) Retired Military Assocation 120 Elizabeth Road Fayetteville, NC 28306 We hope to see you there! Learn more about the tour at www.vetsforfreedom.org/heroestour

Action Alert

2008-03-11T22:10:00.001-04:00

Live coverage of the patriotic rally and march in Washington D.C. Friday March 14th and Saturday March 15th, 2008. Brought to you by Eagles Up, and A Newt One. Live audio streaming of American Truth Warriors begins Saturday at 1:00 PM Eastern.

The live video stream can be viewed all day Friday and Saturday at www.OperationAmericaRising.com or www.AmericaRising. org along with Saturdays live broadcast from D.C...

Eagles Up!!!

Action Alert

2008-03-07T12:33:00.001-05:00

Famlies United is standing strong beside the Troops at the NY Recruiting Station with Gathering of Eagles. Please join GOE on Saturday! Bring your flag and your patriotism!

If you cannot be there - be sure to write/call your newspaper and ALL elected officials - we must show that these acts are local terrorism that will not be tolerated.

Gathering of Eagles

Fighting the Insurgency at Home
Troop Support Rally at Times Square

To show our support and appreciation for our troops and recruiters we will stage a Troop Support Rally in Times Square directly in front of the bombed Recruiter Station. The NYPD has issued us permits to stage the rally and we are looking into getting large tent(s) to protect against forecast inclement weather.

What: Troop Support Rally
When: Saturday, March 8th, 1- 4pm, Rain or Shine
Where: Times Square Recruiting Station. West 44th St. and Broadway.

Bring flags, signs and voices to raise in support of our troops to demonstrate that New York is NOT BERKELEY!

Dan Maloney
New York State Coordinator
Gathering of Eagles

www.GatheringOfEagles.org

Action Alert from MAF

2008-03-06T18:49:00.001-05:00

U.S. Military Recruiting Center Bombed in New York City !!

ABOVE: Images from the bombing of the

U.S. Military Recruiting Center in New York City .

I'm writing you with an urgent alert. You may have heard already that a recruiting office in New York 's Times Square was bombed this morning with what appears to have been a homemade pipe bombwhat you might call an improvised explosive device.

Nobody knows yet who is responsible, but this office has come under assault before from the radical antiwar left beforebut not like this.

As you know, Move America Forward has been monitoring such "counter-recruitment" campaigns for some time, and we are growing increasingly concerned by the tactics of those who are deliberately trying to undermine the missions of our troops.

They say they support our troops, they just oppose the war. However, does bombing the offices of U.S. troops here at home seem like support to you?

If we are to stem this ugly, offensive, criminal, anti-American, despicable tide, we must have a strong response. Americans everywhere will object to this behavior, but we must bring it to the attention of the masses, and be sure people are aware that this in no accident nor isolated incident.

Our ad confronting the Berkeley city council has been making waves already, and it's still airing, but our effort needs to be much bigger than that. "Counter-recruitment" campaigns are coming to cities across America - if your city hasn't had its recruiting offices attacked yet, it will probably only be a matter of time before it happens. We canot let any of these attacks go unanswered.

Next week, the Move America Forward staff will be in our nation's capitol where we will unveil the next ad in our campaignan ad not just about Berkeley, but about New York City, Pittsburgh, PA, Murfreesboro, TN, and every city where antiwar radicals have been impeding the work of America's military personnel inside the US.

This phenomenon is like a cancer, which is already taking hold in too many places to be treated like a local issue. We must fight back with major national ad buys to put this travesty in the spotlight and energize patriots to draw the line.

This effort will be exciting, honorable, and vitally important, but it will also be exhausting, unpredictable, and endlessly expensive. Please consider giving your maximum contribution today, so we can have an immediate pool of funds to draw from as we mount our response.

MAKE A CONTRIBUTION:

** Donate Online with VISA, Mastercard, American Express:

https://www.completecampaigns.com/FR/contribute.asp?campaignid=Move

** Donate via PayPal:

http://www.moveamericaforward.org/index.php/MAF/Contribute#PayPal

Operation: DISC DRIVE

2008-02-25T17:40:00.001-05:00

The Gathering of Eagles is joining forces with
Operation-A Bit Of Home (www.OperationABitOfHome.com) in support of their efforts to build a new DVD lending library for our troops in Iraq.

Operation A Bit Of Home was founded by Ken Meyer in 2004, while his wife Angel was serving in Iraq. Since then his organization has expanded into many states all across the nation. They have shipped well over 10,000 boxes of supplies to Iraq.

OABOH has helped to build the largest DVD lending library in Iraq for our troops. Unfortunately, it is restricted to the troops attending Freedom Rest. Ken has been asked by the MWR coordinator in Baghdad to help build another facility to reach more troops.

The Gathering of Eagles has partnered with OABOH to launch Operation Disk Drive to collect thousands of DVDs to fill this new library.

Please - take a look around the house, talk to friends and neighbors, gather all the new and used DVDs that you can. We are not looking for children's disks, but drama, musicals, action, and shoot-'em-ups etc. are very welcome for male and female troops. Place them in a box with a few dollars and send them to the address listed below.

The organizers will consolidate the disks, and using the money you send, will ship them to the new lending library in Baghdad.

                                       MAIL/SHIPPING ADDRESS
                                 Send your boxed DVD donations to:

                                                   Del Stutzman
                                          c/o GOP Headquarters
                                                107 Gladden St
                                          Washington, NC 27889

http://www.gatheringofeaglesnc.org/operation_diskdrive.html

2008-01-26T19:35:00.004-05:00

The student council collected thousands of valentine cards for the troops. 7 schools with over 50 classes participated in the valentine card campaign. OAR is proud to assist the students deliver the cards to our troops stationed here and abroad.

If you would like to help out with shipping or award cost, please contact us or you can send a check or money order made payable to: Operation America Rising and mail it to: PO Box 2345 Franklin, NC 28744, you can also make donations on the front web-page of OAR through PayPal.

http://www.americarising.org/

robert@operationamericarisingnc.com

Click article to enlarge!

MAF Arrives in Raleigh, NC.

2007-12-13T13:09:00.000-05:00

MAF-HHH tour arrives in Raleigh

North Carolinas finest patriots

Crowds gather to show their support

MAF's Lt. Col. Buzz Patterson

Blue Star Mother Tina Medlin

pictures courtesy of T. Medlin.

American troops are winning

2007-12-11T15:44:00.001-05:00

By Pete Hegseth - In May and June, overall attacks in Iraq were at their highest levels since the war began, monthly coalition deaths were near an all-time high, and violence against civilians was still at staggering levels. To most observers, the war in Iraq was not going well.

At the same time, members of Congress were already declaring the "surge" a failure and stepping up their "timeline for withdrawal" rhetoric. Anti-war Democrats, and a few Republicans, cited "realities on the ground" as compelling evidence to call for an immediate, or more nuanced "phased," end to the war.

These same "realities," also emboldening anti-war groups to declare an "Iraq Summer," during which they would finally crush domestic support for the war and force Congress to de-fund the mission there. MoveOn.org and others dispatched operatives around the country and harassed members of Congress.

Truthfully, as we now know, these "realities" on the ground were the unfortunate birth pangs of the new counter-insurgency strategy being implemented by Gen. David Petraeus. Some on Capitol Hill understood this fact in June, and their courage in those dark days kept Congress from prematurely declaring defeat in Iraq .

In June, the full compliment of surge forces had just arrived, hence the violence levels hadn't yet ebbed; by June, American forces had moved off of large bases and defensive positions, and into an offensive posture among the population, hence the initially high casualty rate; and in June, al Qaeda had yet to felt the full shock of the surge, hence their continue brutality.

But that was then, and this is now; and Iraq in December 2007 is a drastically different place than Iraq in June 2007. Overall attack levels are now at the lowest levels since 2005, monthly coalition deaths are nearing an all-time low, and violence against Iraqi civilians has been reduced by more than 60 percent, according to the anti-war site icasualties.org

However, the more things change in Iraq, the more they stay the same on Capitol Hill. For the past month, with a few off-handed exceptions, Democratic leadership on Capitol Hill has largely refused to acknowledge success. They are stuck in the talking points of June, and stuck on a narrative of failure.

Despite the incredible progress made by our military which has opened the door for real and sustainable political progress in Iraq the Democratic leadership continues to insist that we de-fund the war and bring the troops home no matter what. Beholden to entrenched and noisy anti-war interest groups, the Democrat leadership in Washington seems willing to cut-off much needed funding, placing our brave troops in harms way.

In response to these overtly political threats, the Pentagon recently made plans to lay off more than 100,000 DOD employees across America in order to re-allocate money to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan . What the Democratic leadership seems to forget is that these employees are responsible for training, equipping and supporting the troops in the field.

In short, for the sake of placating MoveOn.org and other radical anti-war groups, the Democratic leadership is willing to lay off thousands of employees in America and under cut the incredible success of our troops in Iraq . Such logic is perverse and infuriating, especially to courageous Democrats like Reps. Brian Baird and Jim Marshall, who have moved beyond partisanship to support the success being achieved in Iraq .

The troops in Iraq today many of whom I served with in 2006 are the finest fighting force the world has ever seen. And today, with a coherent strategy that finally compliments their tactical proficiency, they are defeating al Qaeda and Iranian-proxy groups. How members of Congress, sitting in their air-conditioned offices, can consider cutting off their funding is beyond comprehension.

The Iraq war has been difficult, and it has cost America dearly in lives and treasure. But now is not the time to play politics with the troops and their funding. If the "realities" of June had persisted until December, then talk of a phased withdrawal and funding restrictions would be reasonable.

But reality has changed, and the Democratic leadership needs to have the courage to acknowledge great success in Iraq , and swallow their pride long enough to do what is best for the troops and their important mission. Congress needs to fund the troops immediately, before heading home to enjoy a holiday season that our troops and my fellow soldiers in the 101st Airborne will spend in harm's way.

Lt. Pete Hegseth, who served in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division from 2005 to 2006, is executive director of Vets for Freedom.

A Message from Move America Forward!

2007-12-01T15:48:00.001-05:00

Our Sons Have Served Our Nation Proudly...
And We Won't Let Anyone Undermine Their Missions!

Imagine being more than 7,000 miles away from home at the holidays. That's the situation facing our terrific military men and women serving on the frontlines of the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The holidays are the hardest time of year for our troops - they are far away from their families, their friends and their homes, when everyone else is coming together to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Years.

You can help show our troops we appreciate them, by supporting an effort led by two wonderful military moms standing in honor of our troops. - CLICK HERE to SUPPORT THE EFFORT.

Blue Star Mom Deborah Johns and Gold Star Mom Debbie Lee, just left their families behind for the first day in what will be a 3-week cross-country tour, "Honoring Our Heroes at the Holidays" - organized by the pro-troop organization, Move America Forward.

In the banner on the top of this page are their sons of military moms Deborah Johns and Debbie Lee. Marine Sgt. William Johns (left), stands ready for his 4th tour of duty in Iraq, and Navy Seal Marc Alan Lee (right), was the first Navy Seal killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The "Honoring Our Heroes at the Holidays Tour" will stop for pro-troop rallies and card-signing events in 40 cities across America. We're collecting more than 100,000 Christmas, Hanukkah, and Holiday Greeting cards for our brave troops serving in Iraq & Afghanistan, as well as rallying the American people to stand united in supporting our military men and women - and their missions.

At the end of the cross-country tour, Move America Forward will lead a delegation to Iraq where the final batch of cards will be hand-delivered to our troops on Christmas Day.

The first event of this tour has taken place and you can see the impact it's making in the media coverage - just click the television set below to see the great television coverage their efforts received:

Even the liberal media took notice of this effort in a positive way. Here's an article from a left-leaning "alternative" newspaper on the pro-troop event: READ IT HERE.

Help us replicate scenes like this one featured in these media reports all across America by supporting the "Honoring Our Heroes at the Holidays Tour."

We still have $74,150 we need to raise to keep this tour going and fund the costs for the entire route - the vehicle rentals, the gasoline costs, the fees for rally permits, and of course the travel costs to get to Iraq.

Would you help by making a donation so we can quickly raise the $74,150 we need to keep this effort going forward?

PLEASE DONATE ONLINE - CLICK HERE

Finally, we'd sure love to have you bring these very special greeting cards to the rally locations across our great nation, so we can send them to our troops overseas. You can find the complete route and itinerary here:

SEE OUR TOUR ROUTE & ITINERARY - HERE

P.S. Please don't forget that even though our tour has already started it's trek across America, we have to raise $74,150 to pay for all the costs we will incur. Would you please make a tax-deductible donation to help us raise this amount - DONATE ONLINE HERE.

You can also make a donation via PayPal - RIGHT HERE.