Motley Moose – Archive

Many of you have probably heard now about Army Maj. Stefan F. Cook, but just in case, please allow me to tell his story as only this patriotic Navy Blue Wife can do.

On July 24, 2009, President Obama designated July 27 to be National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day.  Flags are flying at half-staff around the country in memory of those lost during the Korean War.

President Obama stated in his Proclamation:

Fifty-six years after the signing of the Military Armistice Agreement at Panmunjom, Americans remain grateful for the courage and sacrifice of our Korean War veterans. More than 600,000 United States and allied combatants lost their lives in Korea during the 3 years of bitter warfare that ended on July 27, 1953. Many were also injured, taken as prisoners of war, and missing in action. These dedicated servicemen and women, under the banner of the United Nations, fought to secure the blessings of freedom and democracy on the Korean Peninsula, and they deserve our unending respect and gratitude.

Every day we are reminded of the selfless service of these veterans. The Korean War Veterans Memorial stands in our Nation’s Capital as an enduring tribute to them. Marching among juniper bushes and rows of granite, Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen, and Coast Guardsmen silently remind all who glimpse their faces of the great challenges that so many Americans overcame. The strong partnership between the United States and the Republic of Korea is also a proud testament to our men and women in uniform.

Today we remember and honor the valor of Korean War veterans and the extraordinary sacrifices that they and their families made in the cause of peace.

If you have a chance when you visit the National Mall in Washington, DC, you should visit the Korean War Veterans Memorial.

To my grandfather, thank you for honoring our country with your service in the Army during the Korean War.

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crossposted at Navy Blue Wife

Senator Al Franken has won my heart.  In his first piece of proposed legislation, he demonstrates the true meaning of honoring our injured veterans by seeking to start a three-year pilot program bringing together these veterans and service dogs.

Al Franken during his USO Tour in December 2003.

The sheer genius of the Gingrich/Delay/Rove Republican party over the past 12 years in coming to and retaining their power has been an age old war strategy: divide and conquer.  However, their weapon in the destruction of the masses has been the perversion of LABELS, also known as Spin the Democrat.

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) has started a public awareness campaign for returning veterans, and as part of this campaign, they have released this video (“Alone”) and launched Community of Veterans, a veterans only website dedicated to developing a support network for OIF/OEF veterans.

Please take a moment to sign this petition to help Vote Vets encourage President Elect Barack Obama to find a role in his administration for veterans Tammy Duckworth and Max Cleland.

Our nation is truly magnificent.  Veterans Day is our chance to honor and thank those who dedicated their lives and were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice in service to our great country.

We’ve got a lot of work to do, Moosekateers!

My hope is to use this working thread for all of us to comment and get ideas for moving forward.  I have no answers or opinions, only questions and thoughts at this point.  Thanks to Louisprandtl for jump starting the conversation!

We’ve talked about the issues throughout this extremely long and emotionally and financially costly presidential election, but before permanent exhaustion sets in, let’s begin our progress through politics.

Blasky has a great thread going on promoting Gay Rights, so be sure to leave your thoughts there.

But what other issues are you keeping your eye on?  What are your predictions for the first 100 days of the Obama administration?

Newsweek is out with a lot of revelations of what went on behind the campaigns.  Some are surprising, while others are confirming–as in the case of the responsibility that McCain and Palin have in their use of rhetoric.