Flag Still Stands For Freedom » How To Support Our Troops

Stand at Attention! Calling all Civilians!

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:05:58 +0000

Hey Everyone!

This is an announcement to introduce a very new organization that helps veterans who are ill. Sometimes soldiers are exposed to biological warfare and suffer the debilitating effects of such toxic chemical exposure long after they return home from war. Although the Veteran’s Hospital is a wonderful resource, this type of illness can cause symptoms and overall malaise that traditional medicine cannot treat or cure.

“Nutritional Intervention for Veterans” is made up of a panel of doctors who are experts in treating this type of illness. And they are donating their time and offering their services and nutrients free of charge to those who have offered and donated their services to our country. Who is more deserving than our veterans to receive free care for what they have sacrificed to make us all safe? Stand on the frontline of our campaign! If you would like to help with a donation of any denomination, please go to our online campaign at: http://www.indiegogo.com/Nutritional-Intervention-For-Veterans?a=361678&i=reli&key=a4XGB3qE

Thank You Troops and Veterans!

admin — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 13:36:45 +0000

Please visit SemperFiFund.org

Let’s Not Continue to Fail Our Returning Soldiers

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:05:03 +0000

Welcome to our U.S. soldiers returning home in hopes of returning to a “normal” life back on friendly soil….

Many will be rejoicing over the holidays but in the back of their minds they know the New Year will bring them another battle to fight…finding a job in an already broken economy.

Below is a video of just one of the stories of how this new war is impacting our heroes…Are we going to let the same thing happen to these soldiers too?

Department of Veterans Affairs is launching a new public awareness campaign

admin — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:34:31 +0000

Department of Veterans Affairs is launching a new public awareness campaign and website, MakeTheConnection.net aimed to reduce the stigma that some Veterans associate with seeking mental health treatment and support. To do this, they have compiled over one hundred real stories from Veterans of all eras, genders and backgrounds explaining how they overcame their various post deployment challenges and improved their lives by seeking care.

Take a couple moments to visit the website and watch some of the videos. If you find the site valuable, you can help by linking to the campaign. Additionally if you know of a Veteran who is going through any the situations explained, please forward the appropriate video to them so they can view how a fellow Veteran found the care and support they needed to improve their lives.

This is just one of the videos you will find there…

Can you share a Sack Lunch?

admin — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:17:37 +0000

This was shared with me via email this past Veterans Day and I couldn’t help but share it with all of you!!!!

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. ‘I’m glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap,’ I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation.

‘Where are you headed?’ I asked the soldier seated nearest to me.

‘Petawawa. We’ll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we’re being deployed to Afghanistan.

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time…

As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. ‘No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn’t be worth five bucks. I’ll wait till we get to base.’

His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. ‘Take a lunch to all those soldiers.’ She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. ‘My son was a soldier in Iraq ; it’s almost like you are doing it for him.’

Picking up ten sacks, sheheaded up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, ’Which do you like best – beef or chicken?’

‘Chicken,’ I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class.

‘This is your thanks.’

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. ‘I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.’ He handed me twenty-five dollars.

Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand and said, ’I want to shake your hand.’ Quickly unfastening my seat belt I stood and took the Captain’s hand.

With a booming voice he said, ‘I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.’ I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.

When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!

Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base.

I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. ‘It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.’

Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers.

As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little…

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to ‘The United States of America ’ for an amount of ‘up to and including my life.’

That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.

Veterans Crisis Line – Help Pass the Word

admin — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:46:42 +0000

The Veterans Crisis Line is a free, confidential hotline and online chat, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for Veterans, Service members, and their loved, ones, even if they are not registered with VA or enrolled in VA healthcare. Veterans and their friends and family can call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1 or chat online at www.VeteransCrisisLine.net to connect with a trained VA responder.

All Veterans need to know that confidential support from the Veterans Crisis Line is always available in times of emotional or personal crisis. We ask that you include a Veterans Crisis Line link or web banner to your page located at http://retiretheuniformnotyou.com/medical/ptsd/ or to a prominent location on your website so you can he Also, by adding a Veterans Crisis Line link, you can provide a direct portal to the specialized VA crisis support services for those in need.

With 23 million Veterans in the United States, and more returning home each day from active duty, it is increasingly important that these men and women receive the specialized support they deserve. Since its launch in 2007, the Veterans Crisis Line has answered more than 450,000 calls and made more than 16,000 life-saving rescues. An anonymous online chat service was added in 2009 and it has helped more than 20,000 people.

Help spread the word with these great ads that the VA has made available for us to put on our websites! For your convenience, they have developed a website where you can download their web banners in a variety of sizes and styles. Just go to http://veteranscrisisline.net/banners/public/ and select the banner that you would like to display and copy/paste the HTML into your site code.

Statistics suggest that 18 Veterans die by suicide each day, but together we can make a difference and help save lives. Please post a banner on your website to let your online visitors know that round-the-clock support is only a call or click away whenever, if ever, they need it.

36,000 Folding Canes Free of Charge for U.S. Military Veterans

admin — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 17:50:55 +0000

National Veterans Day Program To Give Away 36,000 Canes

Free of Charge to Those Who Served

Small Georgia Based Company Honors U.S. Military Veterans

U.S. Military Veterans will be honored this Veterans Day in a national program in which 36,000 state of the art folding canes will be given free of charge to Veterans in need of mobility assistance. “Hugo Salutes Our Veterans” will give out Hugo^® Folding Canes to U.S. Military Veterans at all U.S. Sam’s Club locations nationwide from November 9, 2011 through Veterans Day, November 11, 2011. Sam’s Club Membership is not required. Proof of U.S. military service may be required to be eligible.

Hugo Salutes Our Veterans is a patriotic annual tradition launched by AMG Medical Inc., an Alpharetta, Georgia headquartered company. AMG Medical started the program in 2007, giving out 5,000 canes to honor the parents and relatives of the company’s employees who served in the U.S. military. Hugo Salutes grew to 25,000 canes in 2009 and 36,000 canes in 2010. This year, with the backing of Hugo, Sam’s Club, Os-Cal, Tums, MegaRed, Move Free, Aleve, Zantac 150, Neosporin, Band-Aid, Gas-X, Centrum Men’s and Centrum Women’s, Hugo Salutes Our Veterans will again give out 36,000 Hugo Folding Canes over three days, November 9, 10 and 11, 2011, while supplies last. Each Sam’s Club location will have 60 Hugo Folding Canes to give out and they will be available on a first-come basis. To find a Sam’s Club near you, visit SamsClub.com.

The Hugo Folding Cane that will be given out retails for $29.99 and is a beautiful patriotic blue. Its ergonomic soft-grip handle provides superior comfort, is appropriate for both left and right hand users and includes a wrist strap for extra confidence. Sturdy, functional and stylish, the Hugo Folding Cane has multiple settings to accommodate people between 5’ and 6’3” in height. The cane automatically unfolds and locks into place for use. To store, the cane conveniently folds into four sections.

Philip delBuey, Global President of AMG Medical Inc., said, “For all of us at AMG Medical, Hugo Salutes Our Veterans is a way to express our deepest appreciation to all Veterans for their selfless contributions to our country. Our company’s mission is all about helping people stay active and connected to family, friends and their community. With this year’s program, we will have given out more than 100,000 canes. We hope that many Veterans will benefit from Hugo Salutes this year.”

“The Department of Veterans Affairs is grateful for the generosity of citizens and businesses that honor the service and sacrifice of Veterans and their families. Actions such as those of Hugo Folding Cane, which has been involved in this effort for a number of years, are appreciated by VA because they support VA’s mission to honor our Nation’s promises to America’s heroes,” said Josh Taylor, Press Secretary for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

AMG Medical Inc., (www.amgmedical.com) offers a wide selection of safe, high quality and innovative durable medical equipment products, including Hugo^® Anywhere, Airgo^®Mobility, AquaSense^® Bath Safety, PhysioLogic^® Fever-Bugz^® Stick-On Fever Indicators, SlumberCare^® Pillows and MedPro^® Personal Care brands, available at retailers nationwide.

For additional information about the Hugo Salutes Our Veterans program, please visit www.HugoSalutes.com.

Texas Veterans Won’t Have to Carry Their DD214 to Prove They are a Vet!

admin — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 14:05:51 +0000

Rep. Isaac Passes Legislation for Veteran’s Driver’s License

AUSTIN, TX – During the 82nd legislative session, Rep. Jason Isaac (R-Dripping Springs) was successful in passing legislation that will allow veterans to add an endorsement to their Texas driver’s license. House Bill 1514 will help honorably discharged veterans of the United States Armed Forces more easily prove their status.

Rep. Isaac commented, “I have many veterans in my family, and it was recently brought to my attention that they often must carry their discharge form (DD-214) with them at all times in order to prove their status. Many businesses, organizations, and events provide certain benefits to this honorable group of citizens and it seems unnecessary that this cumbersome form is the only proof of service that they currently have. Adding a small endorsement to a veteran’s driver’s license is a common sense solution to this issue.”

The bill take effect on September 1st, but because the Department of Public Safety (DPS) will need to establish and approve rules as well as develop software for the new license, it may not be available until several months later. DPS is already working on the implementation of the bill and veterans across the state are welcome to call Rep. Isaac’s office or request to join his email newsletter list for updates on the progress of the license.

When the development is complete, veterans will simply have to present proof of honorable service at the DPS office when they renew their license in order to have the endorsement added.

Rep. Isaac continued, “My hope is that this will not only make day to day life more convenient for veterans, but also cut down on instances of fraud in which non-veterans seek benefits reserved for those who have bravely served our country. Although no license, tax exemption, or benefit can ever repay the debt owed to our veterans, I hope these efforts are a small token of appreciation for their service.”

The “Coin of the Military Brat” Helps Them to Share Their Story

admin — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:03:09 +0000

The Coin of the Military Brat recognizes the unique personal strengths of Military Brats and honors them for the great sacrifices they make by sharing their parents with the nation they have chosen to serve. These are sacrifices that Brats do not make by choice, but ones they accept with courage, love and dignity. The Coin of the Military Brat was developed to help commanders as well as soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guardsmen, at all levels, recognize and honor their family members for the strength and support they provide. It makes a priceless gift for presentation at hails & farewells, promotions, retirements or any other ceremony at which family members may be honored.

The video below was produced by a university student, Chelsie Johnson who wanted to give recognition to our youngest soldiers….

First Living Marine to Receive the Nation’s Highest Award

admin — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:06:52 +0000

Mother says son is “humbled” to receive Medal of Honor

By Claudia Grisales | Thursday, July 21, 2011, 11:24 AM

Felicia Gilliam didn’t know her son was selected as a Medal of Honor recipient — the first living Marine to receive the nation’s highest award for valor in 41 years —- until reporters called her Kentucky home Wednesday morning.

President Obama had called Dakota Meyer on Monday to tell him the news, she said.

That’s Meyer: an adventure-seeking but humble 23-year-old who doesn’t brag about his accomplishments, she said.

“He’s very humble about it,” said Gilliam, 42, whose son moved to Austin when he left the military last year to work for a private employer here. “He doesn’t see himself as a hero. This isn’t for him. It’s for the men that died that day, his friends.”

Obama will present the Medal of Honor to Meyer for braving enemy fire in a bid to find and retrieve the bodies of three missing Marines and a Navy corpsman on Sept. 8, 2009, in Ganjgal, Afghanistan, a remote village near the Pakistan border in violent Kunar province.

He charged into a kill zone on foot and alone and carried the four men out of the area, which had been under fire for hours, The Military Times reported.

“He was very close to them,” Gilliam said of Meyer’s Marine comrades. “These men live, eat and sleep together and they become very close.”

Killed in the September battle were Gunnery Sgts. Edwin Johnson, 31, and Aaron Kenefick, 30; 1st Lt. Michael Johnson, 25; Hospitalman 3rd Class James Layton, 22; an Afghan interpreter and at least eight Afghan security forces members, according to the Military Times.

Meyer, originally from Greensburg, Ky., signed up in 2006 for the Marines out of Green County High School, where he played football and was selected to play in the Pigskin Classic all-star high school football game. He was drawn to the Marines thanks to his appetite for adventure, Gilliam said.

“Dakota has been the adventure-seeker and the military offered him everything he wanted and it would give him goals and skill and an opportunity to serve his country,” she said. “I think he chose the Marines because they were the biggest and the baddest.”

Growing up, he enjoyed four-wheeling, skydiving and rock-climbing, she said.

He was later based in Hawaii for the Marines and stayed until he left in June 2010 to work for a weapons developer in Austin, Gilliam said.

Only two living recipients — Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta and Army Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry — have received the award for actions in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to The Associated Press.

“We are all very proud of Dakota,” Gilliam said. “He went above and beyond the call of duty and to say that his actions were selfless is an understatement. But he did what he did because he loved the men he worked with.”