One of the many organizations I belong to is the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). I qualify because of the two tours of duty I spent in the Republic of Korea (ROK) - South Korea. Most of my VFW experience is with my local post and it’s been an exhilarating experience being around and associated with the many veterans in this group. BUT there are some unfortunate aspects of being a member of this group in that there has to be a war - or occupation - outside the US in order to qualify to join. Ironically many of the members in the group are WWII veterans followed by Korea and of course Viet Nam. Another sad irony is that as these veterans age and pass away we need the newer veterans from wars such as Iraq and Afghanistan to join and help keep the organization viable. The VFW exists to help veterans and their families and while we’d like nothing more than to see the need for this type of effort to fade away, we know that wars will continue to occur and veterans and their families will continue to be in need.
I’m also a member of the American Legion. So what’s the difference? Well, as stated earlier, the VFW represents veterans of foreign wars but the American Legion is open to all members of the military and of course there are the auxiliaries for the spouses of these veterans.
All these organizations provide much needed services and friendship for the military, our veterans and their families. So, as Memorial Day approaches please take a moment and visit the following links and see what opportunities exist to help and support our military and our veterans. The opportunities range from attending events open to the public that are fund raisers to donating blood at drives designated to helping the VA Hospitals and active duty military personnel.
I can’t think of a better memorial to these folks than to support these organizations not only on Memorial Day but each and every day. So, thank a veteran and their family for their sacrifices that have given us all the freedom we live with each day.
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) - www.vfw.org
American Legion - www.legion.org
Operation Support Our Troops (OSOT) - www.operation-support-our-troops.org
United Service Organizations (USO) - www.uso.org
See you there.
Showing posts with label VFW. Show all posts
Showing posts with label VFW. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Why we SHOULD Honor Our Veterans
I'm in the process of helping judge the entries for the Patriot's Pen Essay Contest sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). I'm a member of my local chapter due to my two tours in The Republic of South Korea in the mid 1980's. Here's the link for this contest and while this years contest is closed, this is an annual contest that all middle school students really should enter. The link also provides information on other contests such as the Voice of Democracy for High School students.
http://www.napervfw.org/youthPrograms.html
As you would expect there are some interesting entries given the grade level of the participants but I have to take a moment and mention just how impressed I am with quite a few of the entries and the insight that these young people have as to why we should honor our veterans which is the theme of the contest. I want to say a great big thanks to all the students and teachers who put so much energy and attention into the essays that were submitted.
I recently gave a speech at a local middle school and when I introduced myself I shared with the students that there are many heros in society and my first heros were my teachers starting with kindergarten. I even remember most of their names. The reasons they're my heros are simple. They showed me attention and cared about my future while my parents did not. I've mentioned in previous posts that I grew up rough and tough in L.A. but that's mostly because of the chronic dysfuncitonal family from whence I came. In fact, today my parents - especially my father - would most likely serve jail time for what they did to their children.
So, on this Veterans Day I'd like to take a moment and say a great big thanks to all my teachers and to all the teachers out there who continue to touch a child's life. I believe that teachers have a very tough and challenging job and I don't think it's getting any easier.
So back to our veterans. Well, as I told the middle school class last week, the most important way to honor all veterans is to be an informed citizen and vote. You've also seen my posts about voting and I stand firm on my assertion that voting is the single most important effort any citizen can make to strengthen our democracy. Don't give into complacency and start chanting the mantra that your vote doesn't count. Of course it does! Change your mantra to "My vote counts!" and exercise it freely. If you don't exercise your right to vote then absolutely your vote doesn't count - you've just lived up to your mantra by not voting. Don't know much about the candidates then do your research. Read papers, talk to people, have a discussion along the way and you will know something about the candidates regardless the election. If military personnel - past, present and future - can leave their families to fight for their country then everyone can make the effort to vote.
Why should we honor our veterans? Take a moment and think about that question and explore your answers. But I want you to keep something in mind - politicians start wars, the military doesn't. The decision to go to war is not made by the military, it's made by the politicians who are the only ones that have the power to make the funding and deployment decisions to start a war on any level. By the time the military as a whole becomes involved, whether or not the military SHOULD go is almost a mute point. We had a saying in the military - "Ours is not to question why. Ours is but to do or die." So, honor our veterans, especially future ones by voting for politicians who will make the best decisions when it comes to going to war.
Happy Veterans Day!
http://www.napervfw.org/youthPrograms.html
As you would expect there are some interesting entries given the grade level of the participants but I have to take a moment and mention just how impressed I am with quite a few of the entries and the insight that these young people have as to why we should honor our veterans which is the theme of the contest. I want to say a great big thanks to all the students and teachers who put so much energy and attention into the essays that were submitted.
I recently gave a speech at a local middle school and when I introduced myself I shared with the students that there are many heros in society and my first heros were my teachers starting with kindergarten. I even remember most of their names. The reasons they're my heros are simple. They showed me attention and cared about my future while my parents did not. I've mentioned in previous posts that I grew up rough and tough in L.A. but that's mostly because of the chronic dysfuncitonal family from whence I came. In fact, today my parents - especially my father - would most likely serve jail time for what they did to their children.
So, on this Veterans Day I'd like to take a moment and say a great big thanks to all my teachers and to all the teachers out there who continue to touch a child's life. I believe that teachers have a very tough and challenging job and I don't think it's getting any easier.
So back to our veterans. Well, as I told the middle school class last week, the most important way to honor all veterans is to be an informed citizen and vote. You've also seen my posts about voting and I stand firm on my assertion that voting is the single most important effort any citizen can make to strengthen our democracy. Don't give into complacency and start chanting the mantra that your vote doesn't count. Of course it does! Change your mantra to "My vote counts!" and exercise it freely. If you don't exercise your right to vote then absolutely your vote doesn't count - you've just lived up to your mantra by not voting. Don't know much about the candidates then do your research. Read papers, talk to people, have a discussion along the way and you will know something about the candidates regardless the election. If military personnel - past, present and future - can leave their families to fight for their country then everyone can make the effort to vote.
Why should we honor our veterans? Take a moment and think about that question and explore your answers. But I want you to keep something in mind - politicians start wars, the military doesn't. The decision to go to war is not made by the military, it's made by the politicians who are the only ones that have the power to make the funding and deployment decisions to start a war on any level. By the time the military as a whole becomes involved, whether or not the military SHOULD go is almost a mute point. We had a saying in the military - "Ours is not to question why. Ours is but to do or die." So, honor our veterans, especially future ones by voting for politicians who will make the best decisions when it comes to going to war.
Happy Veterans Day!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Are you ready?
Hold onto your seats cuz here we go! We're headed for a bumby ride on the policitcal campaign express. I'm seriously considering disconnecting my television until the election is over because it's "gonna git nasty" to say the least. The time we have left leading up to the November elections is going to be the political equivalent of a dog fight with blood spilled and innocent by-standers getting hurt in the process.
So, how do you protect yourself? The first thing you need to do is make sure you are an informed voter. Most people don't realize that the whole agenda behind all the negative campaigning is to turn undecided voters off so that they DON'T vote, leaving the field wide open for that party's base to get more impact with their votes. So, VOTE - don't stay home and whine. If every single registered voter in this country actually voted it would really shake the entire system up - talk about power to the people!
How you vote is up to you and please don't tell me you're not voting because your vote doesn't count. The best way to make sure your vote doesn't count is to not vote. Don't make me call you a dummy over this! Get off your butt, do some basic research, talk to people you trust and respect and make a decision. Be involved in the process of this great country and vote out of respect for all the men and women of all walks of life and color who have fought so hard for all of us.
Why am I so passionate about encouraging people to actually vote? Well I'm a veteran and I take the whole concept of our right to vote very seriously. I'm also female and in the early 1900's some very brave people (both women and men) sacrificed quite a bit to make sure women had the right to vote. If you are a female of voting age and you do not excercise this very important right then shame on you.
I'm on my way tonight for my first visit to the Hines VA Hospital with the VFW (Veteran's of Foreign Wars) in Naperville - a group I joined about six months ago. I served two tours in South Korea in the mid 1980's so I qualify to join the VFW. We're visiting the Spinal Cord Injury Unit and I'm both excited and a bit apprehensive because I'm not sure what to expect. I plan to blog about this experience next week. Here's the link to the VA site - http://www.hines.med.va.gov/
Part of my apprehension is due to the experience of losing my youngest brother to bone cancer in 1986. In fact, I came back from Korea on emergency leave twice during this time. It's always difficult to see young people experiencing a terminal disease or serious injury. I suspect that I'm going to be in awe of how brave all the patients will be and I'll walk away better from having met them. I'd like to encourage everyone to consider volunteer work either in a VA hospital or for an organization associated with veterans, because when you see what's at stake, especially if you don't vote, it just might encourage you to be a more responsible citizen.
Freedom isn't free. It comes with rights but also responsibilities. I hope everyone gets out and votes and proves just how responsbile they can be.
Take care - Terri Stone.
So, how do you protect yourself? The first thing you need to do is make sure you are an informed voter. Most people don't realize that the whole agenda behind all the negative campaigning is to turn undecided voters off so that they DON'T vote, leaving the field wide open for that party's base to get more impact with their votes. So, VOTE - don't stay home and whine. If every single registered voter in this country actually voted it would really shake the entire system up - talk about power to the people!
How you vote is up to you and please don't tell me you're not voting because your vote doesn't count. The best way to make sure your vote doesn't count is to not vote. Don't make me call you a dummy over this! Get off your butt, do some basic research, talk to people you trust and respect and make a decision. Be involved in the process of this great country and vote out of respect for all the men and women of all walks of life and color who have fought so hard for all of us.
Why am I so passionate about encouraging people to actually vote? Well I'm a veteran and I take the whole concept of our right to vote very seriously. I'm also female and in the early 1900's some very brave people (both women and men) sacrificed quite a bit to make sure women had the right to vote. If you are a female of voting age and you do not excercise this very important right then shame on you.
I'm on my way tonight for my first visit to the Hines VA Hospital with the VFW (Veteran's of Foreign Wars) in Naperville - a group I joined about six months ago. I served two tours in South Korea in the mid 1980's so I qualify to join the VFW. We're visiting the Spinal Cord Injury Unit and I'm both excited and a bit apprehensive because I'm not sure what to expect. I plan to blog about this experience next week. Here's the link to the VA site - http://www.hines.med.va.gov/
Part of my apprehension is due to the experience of losing my youngest brother to bone cancer in 1986. In fact, I came back from Korea on emergency leave twice during this time. It's always difficult to see young people experiencing a terminal disease or serious injury. I suspect that I'm going to be in awe of how brave all the patients will be and I'll walk away better from having met them. I'd like to encourage everyone to consider volunteer work either in a VA hospital or for an organization associated with veterans, because when you see what's at stake, especially if you don't vote, it just might encourage you to be a more responsible citizen.
Freedom isn't free. It comes with rights but also responsibilities. I hope everyone gets out and votes and proves just how responsbile they can be.
Take care - Terri Stone.
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