They are disabled Vets
who understand what other disabled Vets need to get “on-the-move”
and remain a productive member of society. They can relate to them,
because They are them.
After
Action Report
When:
September 9, 10 & 11, 2008
Where: The Cannon Building Corner
I am very
proud to say that this event by The Band of Mothers, The Gathering of
Eagles and Free Republic, marks the one year anniversary of our proud
stand on the Cannon Bldg Corner in support of our Heroes, our Brave
Men and Women of the greatest military, the United States Military! I
am even more proud to say we stood proudly these three days to
acknowledge the victories and GREAT accomplishments of our Soldiers...
When:
July 8th, 9th & 10th, 2008
Where: The Cannon Building Corner
The
Band of Mothers and The Gathering of Eagles proudly gathered on the
Cannon Bldg Corner, and reminded all those inside that building we
stand proudly and gratefully for our Soldiers! We had a great
turnout and much support from those who passed by...
When: June
3rd, 4th & 5th 2008
Where: The Cannon Building Corner
The Band of Mothers &
friends stood on Pelosi's corner in DC, the Cannon Bldg corner,
on June 3rd, 4th and 5th to once again remind our legislatures that we
have Soldiers in harm's way and they need all their funding so they
continue their victorious mission!
Our recruiters are our
“First Line of Defense” and need to be recognized for their efforts.
In the past year, our recruiters have been under attack by insurgents
right here at home! As Americans we need to show them that we know
they are important and we appreciate them.
The Band of Mothers stood strong on the corner of the
Cannon Bldg in Washington, DC (Where Nancy Pelosi supposedly
works) from April 7th, 8th and 9th to
remind her and the Congress to support our Soldiers and the General.
We will be among other supporters with Support our Troops signs.
Please consider a
donation to Iraq Star and please forward this website and song all
over. Our Wounded Warriors Deserve All Our Support. What astounds
me the most about every Warrior I have met at Walter Reed is they
all tell me they just wish they could go back and fight with their
Brothers. If you ever want to meet an American Hero, just go to
Walter Reed.
God Bless and Watch Over
Our Warriors and Their Families!
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
Event
Information
What: "Stand Up For
Our Soldiers Against The Iraq Veterans Against The War:
Where: Joliet Library Juliet,
IL When: Feb 28, 2008
The
Berkeley California council on Tuesday passed two resolutions
condemning the Marines as part of a campaign by anti-war activists to
shut down the recruiting center. The council also gave Code Pink, a
leftist group that daily harasses the Marines with hate speech, a free
parking place and noise permit.
I urge all Americans to
visit a recruiting station today and thank these Fine Noble and Brave
Soldiers for their service and let them know "we've got their backs!"
A small group of volunteers in Oak Lawn, IL meet almost every week to
pack and mail boxes to soldiers from the south side area or that have
relatives in the same area. These soldiers in turn pass the material
to their units and several units around them, continuously spreading
out the good will from the community back home. It all started in
March 2003 when a student’s parent from Mrs. Jacky’s early education
classes at the Oak Lawn Park District was sent to Iraq. Items were
collected and sent out weekly in small boxes. The soldiers’ names kept
growing and so did the collections. Soon this group became known as
“Mrs. Jacky’s Soldiers.”
The soldiers who have returned all say the same thing in their thanks to
this group, “It was not what you sent, but that you sent all the time to
show us that someone back home cares about us.” Their families also
expressed their gratefulness that their soldier’s morale was being
positively lifted with each box sent. Stamps, letters and items are
accepted at Oak View Center at 4625 W 110th Street in Oak
Lawn, IL 60453. If you have any questions please feel free to contact
Mrs. Jacky at 708-857-2200. Thank you for your positive thoughts for the
soldiers! Mrs. Jacky: )
"New US battle rule: No
fighting near Afghan homes"
Letter dated June 27, 2009, still waiting for an answer but if anyone
wonders what is wrong in Afghanistan, this is what is wrong!
The
Band of Mothers are the mothers of The Noble and Heroic Soldiers of the
United States Military. We are dedicated in our mission to Step Up, Stand Up
and Stick Up For Our Soldiers.
Goals: To Proudly Seek, Garner
and Nurture Support for our Soldiers.
Honor Flight
I headed to DC Monday
night so I could join an honor Flight coming up from Florida on
Tuesday. Vietnam Veteran John Stewart let me know they would be there
on Tuesday so I went to hug them, thank them, and tell them how very
sorry I was that barricades were being put up to keep them out of
THEIR Memorials. It was absolutely one of the BEST days of my life. I
am ALWAYS in the BEST company when I'm in the company of our Troops
and our Veterans and yesterday I was honored to spend time with both!
This was an AWESOME Honor Flight as many Vietnam Veterans accompanied
their WWII Brothers. I get teary eyed just thinking about it tonight
and I know I will for the rest of my life.
(Click on images above for
larger view)
Some of the photos above are from John Stewart. John is one of the
Vietnam Veterans who accompanied our WWII Heroes to DC on Tuesday.
This was his 6th Honor Flight for the year!
Below are some of John's websites that he manages. He is truly
another example of how our Veterans NEVER stop looking out for their
Brothers.
I gave and received hugs
and kisses that I will cherish forever! I had wonderful conversations
with these Heroes and many told me what they were doing on December
7th and how the whole country came together because that's what
Americans did back then. "We were all in this together and the women
were greater than the men, working in the factories and supporting us
any way they could", was what one Warrior told me. Many of these
Heroes got choked up and said they never ever had so many Americans
coming up to them and thanking them. Some of them expressed anger and
disappointment about the barricades but they said that all the people
thanking them made up for it. One Veteran told me that he was so
disappointed at the attitude of the young people coming up today
because they are taking their precious freedom for grated. This Hero
had a young man chaperoning him that said the kids at his school
really don't even know nor do they care who is in their government or
how it works. He had plans to attend an ROTC program next year.
I met Policemen and Park Rangers who moved barricades and welcomed our
Heroes into THEIR Memorials. I met a wonderful and kind Policeman who
shared his outrage with me regarding these barricades and he was going
to turn his back while I moved a barricade to let these Heroes into
THEIR Memorials! That didn't work out but it was no fault of this
awesome Policeman. This same Policeman let a Japanese tourist group
into that Memorial because they had come to pay their respects to our
WWII Heroes who they credit for the freedoms they enjoy to this day! I
met another Japanese couple at the Air Force Memorial who told me they
were there to pay their respects and show their gratefulness to the
American Heroes who truly saved them! I saw a Park Ranger who moved a
barricade and shook the hand of every Veteran and welcomed them into
THEIR memorial. I was never more proud of Americans than I was
yesterday! I have always maintained that Americans love and revere our
Troops and Veterans and I have 17 Volumes of Post Cards for Soldiers
to prove that is the case! Yesterday we all came together to show our
love and appreciation to these GREAT AMERICAN HEROES and it is by far
one of the greatest days of my life and so many of these precious
Heroes said the same thing.
At the WWII Memorial, nobody paid any attention to a barricade and Our
Veterans went all through the Memorial. I was fortunate to speak to an
active duty Army Ranger and he was worried and concerned regarding all
the classified information being released from this administration. He
shared with me that it was a very hard time to be in the military. I
promised him that I would do everything I could to affect change in
the next election to throw out the Democrats who were making it so
very hard for him and his Brothers. He told me "it sure doesn't seem
they give a damn about us". He thanked me and said he'd appreciate
that. I apologized too that we didn't succeed in getting him a new
Commander-in-Chief last November. We hugged and he said "Thank You
Ma'am". I honestly had to get myself together after that conversation.
At the WWII memorial, we could hear the drums banging over at the SEIU
AFL-CIO Nancy Pelosi Immigration Rally where there were NO barricades
at all. Some of the Veterans expressed anger over that and especially
that the people over there were illegal and they were welcomed in, yet
barricades were put up to keep our Veterans out of THEIR Memorials!
I was told there were 30 Democrats at that Immigration rally and we
need to find out who they are and we need to send them home in the
next election!!!
I want to thank Griff Jenkins of Fox news for coming out to interview
these Heroes. He talked to many of them and hey all seemed to enjoy
talking to him. It didn't surprise me that Fox News was the only news
organization covering this heartwarming and historical event! The
liberal media is NEVER interested in good things happening for our
Troops and Veterans and there was a lot of good happening yesterday at
these Memorials.
I want to thank Chad and Brian, Phil and Heater, and Chief for joining
us. They sure enjoyed it themselves too.
I have attached some photos and if you visit John website at
http://www.operationwelcomehomeveterans.org,
scroll down to the right side for West Central Honor Flight Oct 8th
and you will see some really great pictures John took yesterday.
Thank you to John, for your service to this country and for letting me
know about the trip. This is John's 6th Honor Flight Trip! God Bless
You and All The Great Folks at Honor Flight for all you are doing for
these Great American Heroes!
Special Thanks to all the Noble Heroes who let me hang out with them!
It was truly an honor to spend a day with the Great Americans Who
Truly Saved The World! It truly was one of the best days of my life
and I'll never forget it. I swear I could feel my father's heart
within mine yesterday and he was happy that his daughter let his
brothers know how much we love them, honor them and revere them and
how sorry we are about the disrespectful barricades that nobody paid
attention to.
I'll find you in the morning sun and when the night is through, I'll
be looking at the moon, but I'll be seeing you!
To All Our Troops & Veterans , My Family Loves & Reveres Each &
Everyone of YOU! We are forever grateful!
God Bless You All & God Bless America!
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
Concerned Veterans For America
"Defend Freedom Bus Tour"
I am very proud
to be joining Concerned Veterans For America on their nationwide bus
tour to "Defend Freedom." Throughout October, the "Defend Freedom
Tour" bus will roll through a dozen states over three weeks. You can
follow our route at
http://www.defendfreedomtour.comand we hope you will come out
and join us along the way.
More
and more, with every passing day, I see our freedom and beautiful way
of life eroding. The national debt continues to escalate at an
alarming rate and terrorism and threats to our homeland are
increasing. What I find so disheartening and hard to take is the our
Veterans and our Troops are suffering the most. Our Troops face
benefit/pay cuts and our Veterans can't find jobs and wait years for
benefits they need and so deserve. These brave Warriors fought and
sacrificed enormously to keep us safe and free! This is not
acceptable and we as a nation must fight for them as they have fought
for all of us!
I look
forward to getting my "boots on the ground" on this tour! I am proud
and so honored to be in the company of those who are always the BEST
company, our Veterans, as well as our military families and Great
Patriots!
If
we pass through your town, we hope you'll come out and meet us. We as
Americans must stick together and work to defend our freedom and our
beautiful way of life. They say "you don't know what you got 'til
it's gone" but I believe we all know how precious our freedom is and
the time has come to fight for it before it is gone forever!
Recently I sent many emails asking folks to help out OscarMike and
participate in their Kickstarter program. OscarMike is an Illinois
company owned and operated by Veterans! This company employs Veterans
and they only make American made products! How beautiful is that!!!
Their
Kickstarter campaign went great and was a huge success, thanks to the
huge support of all of you on this email list!
My
husband and I recently met and had dinner with Noah Currier, President
of OscarMike, and employees Renee and Joey . Attached are photos from
our dinner. It was an honor to meet these wonderful Patriots! From
left to right in the photos: Renee (a beautiful lady and "partner" to
Noah), Noah, and Joey! Noah and Joey are both Veterans who have not
let life altering injuries stand in the way of achieving great things
in their life.
You
know, the Veterans at OscarMike are the epitome of what makes America
the great country that it is!!! These Veterans are extraordinary
Americans and it is my hope all of you folks out there will continue
to support OscarMike! Their apparel is awesome and it is all American
Made!
This
video below is an excellent introduction to OscarMike and the Veterans
who work there. Please forward this information to all those on
your contact list and Thank You All for making the OscarMike
Kickstarter Program a success! AND please shop OscarMike for all your
T-shirts and hooded shirts. Your support means the world to these
Veterans and when you wear their shirts, you support Heroes who
support America!!!
I was so
fortunate on the 4th of July, in Philadelphia, to attend the
presentation of the Patriots of the Year Award to most deserving
Veterans, Joe Eastman, Chris Hill and the 2nd Brigade. I would not
have missed this for the world! How appropriate is it that they
received this award in the heart of the city known as the "City of
Brotherly Love!" They love their Brothers, not just in their words,
but in the many deeds they do for them! From assisting our homeless
Vets find a meal, a place to sleep and a job, Joe, Chris and the
wonderful Veterans and Patriots of the 2nd Brigade have arranged a
tremendous amount of Welcome Homes and have escorted many of their
Brothers on their final ride.
(Note, Click on
images for larger view)
Radio talk
show host Dom Giordano presented this award to Chris and Joe, at this
well attended event that drew more of a crowd than the Mayor's event,
as noted by Dom. Photos are attached.
After the
presentation, we walked along the parade route and never was I more
incensed at the lack of respect shown our military than by those
spectators who sat alongside the street during the parade. As all
factions of our military rolled and walked down the parade route,
there was not even the slightest gesture of respect and gratefulness
shown them by the spectators, UNTIL CHRIS HILL & THE GLORIOUS MEMBERS
OF THE 2nd BRIGADE CAME ALONG! Why you haven't heard hooting and
hollering and clapping like that ever in your life! I guarantee you,
thanks to Chris and the 2nd Brigade, our military were regaled as they
should be! It brought tears to my eyes and suddenly, I think out of
shame I hope they felt, some of the spectators began to clap and some
even stood up! I direct you to photo 3085, that is a photo of Veteran
and one of my Heroes, Chris Hill, doing what he spends his life doing,
thanking one of his noble Brothers for his service! Look at photo
3087, that is right about the time the 2nd Brigade's boots hit the
parade route and the clapping and hooting and hollering began. Look
and you can see the Soldier in his tank gazing down with a smile. I
thank God we came along and I pray to God every night that Americans
wake up and realize that without our Troops and our Veterans, they
would NEVER EVER enjoy a day of freedom and liberty!
Lastly,
please take a look at photo 3070, look at the eyes of the Veterans
when Chris Hill came out and shared with his Brothers, the Patriots
Award he noted belongs to all of them for all they do! Just look at
the gleam in their eyes and their happiness to know they are regarded
as Patriots of the Year for looking out for their Brothers. They do
what they do out of love for their Brothers and their country and they
do it humbly and without fanfare. But by the look in their eyes, it
is clear to me it means the world to them to know that some Americans
care enough TO THANK A VET!
My deepest
appreciation to Don Giordano for his acknowledgment of all the great
deeds these Veterans do! They carry their Brothers in their hearts
and in their noble deeds!
My Deepest
Respect & Gratefulness To Joe Eastman, Chris Hill and the 2nd Brigade
For All They Do To Show Love & Appreciation to our Veterans!
As noted in
photo 3055, THANK A VET! EVERY CHANCE YOU GET!!!
With
A Grateful Heart I Am & Always Will Be,
The Very
Proud Daughter of a WWII Navy Veteran, the Very Proud Sister of a
Marine, Vietnam, and the Very Proud Mother of a Son, 82nd Airborne,
Beverly
Perlson
The Band of Mothers
Parker Lee "Chip" Gerdes
May 7,
2013
Yesterday morning, the Conservative movement lost a relentless
Warrior. Chip Gerdes was a force to be reckoned with.
I
use to tell him that I was grateful he was on our side
because it would be very very bad for us if he had been fighting on
the other side.
There will NEVER be anyone ever again
like Chip. His loss is a great loss for all Conservatives.
Chip was honored on the floor of Congress
yesterday by Congressman Ann Wagner and that is as it should be. He
fought his heart out in this battle of good vs evil we are in and
nobody understood the battle moves better than Chip and nobody
executed them better either.
When Andrew Breitbart died, Chip sent me
the following song. He said it was his favorite Andrew song. I hope
you'll click on the link below and play it, in honor and memory of two
of the greatest Warriors of our time. I think Chip would like that.
The Iraq Star
Foundation is now officially known as Rebuilding America's Warriors
We have changed our name to better reflect our mission offering
reconstructive surgery to our wounded and disfigured soldiers
returning from all wars from September 11, 2001 forward.
CPAC 2013
The Band of Mothers
attended CPAC this year and what we looked forward to most was the
Friday evening event organized in conjunction with Col North's
organization, Freedom Alliance. The plan was to host several of our
Wounded Warriors from Walter Reed and enable them a night out with
truly appreciative Americans who love them for their courage and
willingness to risk their lives to keep us safe. We met at Shelly's
Back Room in DC and it was a wonderful night we won't ever forget! I
think I speak for all of us who attended, there is no company we would
rather be in than with the very brave Warriors who make our freedom
and safety possible!
To Jeremy, Sgt David, Sgt
Robert C, Marine David C, I know I speak for all of us
who participated in our get-together at Shelly's, we can NEVER THANK
YOU ENOUGH FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE TO KEEP US SAFE! To be in your
company is to be in the company of the most noble and courageous
Americans among us! Thank you for honoring us with your presence and
for allowing us to show our appreciation to you for your service and
sacrifice!
I want to thank the great
Patriots who joined The Band of Mothers and made this a most memorable
evening for these Heroes: Katie, Jeannie and James, Chad, Phil and
Heather, Chris, Francis, Brian and Justin! Thank you all for making
this a wonderful evening!
Below is a great write-up
of the evening by Pepper of Freedom Alliance with a link to photos
included. I really can't thank him and Freedom Alliance enough for
arranging this event and for all they do for our Troops. Attached
please find information on Freedom Alliance and please post and
forward information about this wonderful organization! When I was
growing up, Col North's name was honored in our home for the Hero that
he was then and still is today! Not many folks know all that he and
his organization do for our Troops so please take the time to read the
attached. Consider a donation to Freedom Alliance for it is great
Patriots like these that continue to honor our Troops and give back to
them!
I'll never forget that
Post Card I collected from Col North at my very first CPAC. It read,
"Dear Soldier, Soldier On!" As we witnessed Friday night, that is
what our Heroes do, no matter what obstacles are put in their path,
they Soldier On! We must follow their courageous example and Soldier
On in our support of them and all they do to keep us safe and free!
May God Always Bless Our
Heroes of The United States Military!
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
~~~~~~~~
2013-03-15 Cigar Night
in DC Summary
I met Beverly Perlson at
CPAC in 2007. I was approached by this fiery lady whose only wish was
to get a postcard signed by Colonel North so she could ship it to her
son, a soldier who was deployed to Iraq. Since then, she has
collected hundreds (if not thousands) of postcards from celebrities
and the general public to send overseas in a show of support to our
troops. She has also compiled these postcards into several editions
of books that not only show the gratitude for our troops, but shows
the history of this war in a unique way. Beverly and I have continued
to see each other every year at CPAC. This year, though, Beverly
wanted to sponsor a dinner for a few troops from Walter Reed. Tim was
more than happy to coordinate with the troops and secure a
reservation.
On Friday night, March 15,
I picked up Marine Jeremy Lattimer at his home in Arlington and we
cruised into the city for what would be an entertaining night of good
food, great company, and fine cigars. “Latz” as he is known to us,
has been on multiple Freedom Alliance events and outings. We have
been supporting his recovery for over a year. We were introduced to
him through Doc Fowler, Col North’s corpsman from Vietnam who now runs
a TBI clinic at Walter Reed. Latz has several deployments under his
belt, including Iraq, Afghanistan, and a Marine Expeditionary Unit.
He was exposed to multiple IED blasts that resulted in a brain injury.
Arriving in the dim, smoky
atmosphere of Shelly’s Backroom, one of the few cigar bars in our
nation’s capital, we found the reserved section for Freedom Alliance
and waited for the rest of the group to show. Shortly thereafter, we
saw the “high and tight” haircuts of two Marines approaching us – two
staff members of the detachment at Walter Reed. In an effort to gauge
their familiarity with Freedom Alliance, I asked if they ever heard of
us. “Oh yes, I see your name on events all the time,” replied GySgt
David, “you all are taking some of our Marines to Costa Rica, right?”
Word gets around. GySgt David Hendin not only is a staff member of
the detachment, but was also wounded in Iraq. The other Gunnery
Sergeant, Gunny Robert Cruz, had arrived at Walter Reed merely three
weeks ago to join the staff, and has one more year before retirement.
As we were getting to know
each other, the kind-hearted and strongly devoted Beverly Perlson,
along with a dozen or so of her friends, entered the area to fill the
rest of the seats. Among her guests were very patriotic folk that are
staunch advocates of our military. All were in DC for CPAC, but each
admitted that this night was what they were truly looking forward to.
Several of Bev’s friends were veterans, including Chad, a veteran of
the Iraq war who brightened to be in the company of fellow warriors.
As the night got started,
Bev passed around fine Camacho and Pepin Garcia cigars for the troops
to enjoy, selected by her husband Judd who is an expert connoisseur of
all things tobacco. At that moment, another guest arrived: Marine
David Crouse, an Explosive Ordinance Disposal technician who lost a
hand and an eye in a tragic training accident in Cambodia. David and
his friend Chris joined the banter.
Jeremy and Gunny David
started swapping war stories. I watched as they joked back and forth
about Iraq, then Jeremy turned to me saying, “The Gunny was in the
same unit as me, at the same time, in Iraq…2d Battalion, 2d Marines!”
David nodded, adding, “Small Corps.” I spoke at length to the new
addition to the detachment staff, Gunny Robert Cruz, who said working
at Walter Reed has been one of the most inspiring jobs of his life.
“These guys come to me talking about their accomplishment of the day,
with big grins, about how they just completed this activity or that –
guys without legs, wheeling down the hallway with a smile. Their
character trumps the struggle of everyday life.”
Around 10pm we called it a
night, hugging Beverly and her crew and thanking them for a fun
evening. I feel that this will become a cherished annual tradition
for Beverly and Freedom Alliance.
Today this
American Hero, this larger than life Warrior, will be laid to rest. I
have no doubt God and his Brothers will be waiting for him with open
arms. I once asked a Chaplain how he viewed our Warriors, whose job
it is to kill the enemy. He told me something I will never forget.
They are Shepherds of Peace, he said, for without their
courage and resolve, evil would rule our world.
"I had
a job to do as a SEAL. I killed the enemy--an enemy I saw day in and
day out plotting to kill my fellow Americans. I'm haunted by the
enemy's successes. They were few, but even a single American life is
one too many lost."
Chris
Kyle, quote from his book, "American Sniper."
I am
so deeply grateful for the courage and most noble resolve of this
brave American Hero, Chris Kyle, who risked his life countless times
to keep my family and my country safe. Words are not enough and never
will be to adequately express my deepest love and appreciation to Him
and his Brothers for their willingness to confront and fight pure
evil on behalf of my family and all Americans.
Please
keep the family of this Hero in your prayers. As it is finally
prominent in the news the last two days, our Seals and all our
Veteran's suffer shabby treatment by this nation when their noble
service ends. IT IS SHAMEFUL!!!!!! It is my hope all Americans will
buy Chris's book, "American Sniper." The proceeds will help take care
of the family he leaves behind.
WE MUST TAKE CARE OF OUR VETERANS AND THE FAMILIES OF
OUR FALLEN!IT
IS SHAMEFUL AND DESPICABLE TO TAKE FOR GRANTED THE SERVICE & SACRIFICE
OF THOSE WHO WILLINGLY RISK THEIR LIFE TO KEEP YOU SAFE!
This organization of Patriots is 100% Volunteer and 100% Non Profit!
"Since 2007,
OJC has sourced, packed and mailed over 300,000 lbs of
product directly to individual servicemen/women to be shared with
their fellow warriors in combat zones and field hospitals. Donations
include food, personal care items, clothing, blankets, phone cards,
DVDs, stationary, magazines, paperbacks, and gift bags. Motorized
scooters and electric wheelchairs have been donated to Veteran’s
Nursing Homes.
It
is very rare to find an organization like this where 100% donations go
toward the Troops. This is possible as no staff are paid salaries, all
participation is 100% volunteer! God Bless These folks!
Below is a recent letter Operation Jersey Cares received and it will
bring tears to your eyes. It speaks to the heartwarming effect the
efforts by these Volunteers and this organization have on our Troops
and our Wounded Warriors.
Please visit their website and consider sending a Donation, every dime
goes to the Troops!
And if you will, please forward to all your lists.
Thank You
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
Letter to Operation Jersey Cares:
Dear Operation Jersey Cares,
Hi, my name is LTJG Amy Nowakowski and I am a Navy nurse serving in
Kandahar, Afghanistan. I work in a Role III NATO hospital, and I have
been in country for over five months now. I received two huge boxes a
couple weeks ago with all sorts of goodies packed in them from your
organization and I wanted to share with you an email (below) I wrote
my friends and family regarding your thoughtfulness. Wow! I cannot
tell you enough how much we appreciated it. We enjoyed reading the
cards and everything went to GREAT use. We were able to give some of
the packages to wounded soldiers before flying out to Germany. Many
physicians, nurses, and corpsmen enjoyed the packages. Thank you from
everyone here at Role III Multi-national hospital in Kandahar,
Afghanistan!
Very Respectfully,
LTJG Amy Nowakowski
Letter to my family
Just a quick update to let you know I am still alive and
kicking! Sorry it has been so long! Just when I think we cannot get
any more busier, we do. Yesterday I was called in to work for over 12
hours after we received three very critical ALPHAS, all bilateral and
triple amputees. My patient was a 20 year old Army soldier who lost
both legs above the knee and an arm above the elbow. He received over
80 units of blood and was very unstable when I received him from the
OR. Unfortunately, there was something wrong with the plane and he
was unable to fly out as an urgent. It will now be another three to
four days before he makes it to Germany. We do not think he has that
long. Same goes for the other two soldiers. I wish we had our own
personal plane to fly these guys out. Unfortunately, they will be
delayed in receiving the care they need. I pray they make it out of
this country alive. They deserve to pass away in a place of comfort
surrounded by their loved ones, not escorted home in a coffin.
I have been taking care of a 13 year old Afghan boy for the past
two weeks now. Let me tell you, this kid is a fighter! He had an
appendectomy out in town which became horribly infected. When we
received him he was extremely septic. When we placed a chest tube for
example, purulent drainage spilled out of his thoracic cavity like I
have never seen before. They ended up doing a decortication
thoracotomy, opened his abdomen to washout an abscess and placed an
abdominal wound vac amongst various other procedures. This kid
literally has 6 drains coming from his chest and belly. I have never
seen anything like it. His abdomen is hugely distended and necrotic.
We were finally able to extubate him and switch him over to a trach
which he is tolerating much better and we have weaned him off the
ventilator! He makes eye contact with me now and it is really nice to
finally get to see him awake. He is such sweet boy. Even after I
finish doing painful dressing changes (we are treating his belly like
a burn) which I cannot even imagine enduring, he puts his hand to
his chest to say "thank you." This is a sign of endearment in Afghan
culture, they put their hand to their heart to signify gratitude and
love. Sometimes he gets anxious and the only thing he wants is for
someone to sit with him. So yesterday we did just that. Hand in
hand, we watched Shrek and Over the Hedge until I could practically
recite the movie verbatim. He squeezed my hand a couple times during
the movie. It is a good feeling to see him regain his strength. He
is definitely on the road to recovery. I cannot wait to hear his
sweet voice. His prognosis was not good in the beginning but now we
might actually see him walk out of the ICU. I have been asked to
accompany him in transfer to KRMH when he gets better. Even though
the mentor program has been canceled (more on this to follow) I am
going to ensure the nurses know how to properly take care of his
wounds, drains, etc. It will be a treat just to see him well I am
sure, but I think the experience will be eye opening. I have never
seen the hospital nor do I know what conditions they work under or how
their patients are treated. I hear by word of mouth, but now I get to
see for myself!
A couple days ago I picked up two gigantic boxes from our post
office. I could hardly manage to pick up the package myself it was so
heavy! The box was labeled "Operation Jersey Cares." I thought
to myself, "I don't know anyone in Jersey!?" Inside the box was
individually wrapped bags filled with toiletries, snacks, gum, socks
etc. Teachers, students, and families from different cities
throughout the area made these care packages to support our troops!
It was so cute to read some of these cards written by second graders
or admire their masterpieces (drawings with randomly placed blobs of
color.) Oh their imaginations! One said, "Thank you soldier for
saving the world." "Feel better." "You are in my prayers soldier, I
love you." Seeing their little chicken scratch hand writing was
adorable. Some of my co-workers got teary eyed, some laughed at their
innocence and choice of words, and others just smiled from ear to
ear. Wow, what a nice feeling to know you have so much
support! Everyone got a little treat that day that we shared with
soldiers on the ward waiting for a flight out, our flight docs and
nurses, and the OR staff. A huge THANK YOU goes out to my godfather
and godmother, or the Crow Flock as they call themselves. You guys
are awesome! It really lifted our spirits and allowed us to forget
about work for a couple minutes. Little treasures and comforts from
home is sometimes all it takes to give us a jump start. It reminds us
again why we are here. Thank you for your continued support. I love
you guys!
Amy
Belated Thanksgiving Day Message:
This email was scheduled to go out on Wednesday, but the hackers have
been busy! The Band of Mothers may have been down for awhile, but
don't ever count us out!
Thanksgiving Day is a wonderful pause in our busy lives to give
thanks, and when it comes to our Troops, who serve every single day of
the year, we should give thanks for all they do, every single day of
the year!
Belated Thanksgiving Day Message:
I
have attached a list of organizations sent to me by Jessica Allen,
wife of Wounded Warrior Chaz Allen (above). All I can say is what a
woman and what a Hero! At my Thanksgiving day table, my family will
give thanks for Brave American families such as theirs that exemplify
the sheer will and great spirit of the American Warrior! It was an
honor to receive Jessica's email.
Jessica was kind enough to send this list to me so that those of us
who want to support organizations that truly do make a difference in
our Heroes lives, we would have a good guide. I know there has been
some controversy regarding Wounded Warrior Project recently, but in
Jessica's words "they are very visible at the hospital." I understand
too they are having second thoughts regarding the "gun" controversy!
I
would add to her list
http://www.buildingforamericasbravest.org/,
an organization of the Stephen Siller Tunnell For Towers Foundations
and the Gary Sinise Foundation. They just completed a smart home for
Marine Sgt John Peck from the state of Illinois and this is one of
several!
There is one organization I would like to highlight and this news
comes from Skip Hermann here in Illinois:
www.woundedheroesfund.net
In
Skip's words "97 cents of every dollar goes directly to the troops!!"
( 4 yrs in a row now !!)
What an outstanding organization, it really doesn't get any better
than that!
Please remember too those organizations sending Care Packages To our
Troops this Christmas!
What Col North continues to do so very well is remind us of the tough,
honorable Americans who sacrifice so very much on our behalf, and they
do so willingly and with great humility and pride:
As
we move forward into the new year, please keep our Troops in your
hearts and in your prayers. Please consider donations to these
organizations, for they support our Troops.
God Bless Our Gold Star Families, Our Blue Star Families, and And God
Please Bless & Watch Over Troops!
My
family is so very thankful and so very grateful for all they do to
keep us safe!
I received an email recently from an enraged father of a soon to be
deployed Marine. He was upset by Obama's speech at Sandy Hook. I
didn't and just couldn't watch the latest narcissistic performance by
the Campaigner-in-Chief who runs to photo ops with our Troops and then
abandons them. I just couldn't stomach him exploiting the deaths of
little children to further more of his destructive agenda.
I was deeply troubled by
this Father's email that I had to remain silent for awhile. My
civility has returned and I apologize to this father for my delay in
addressing his request.
Below are excerpts of that
email from the Father. Unlike our current Commander-in-Chief, I am
fiercely protective of our Troops and divulging all of his email might
endanger his Son:
" The other night I
watched and listened to this poor excuse for a President. During his
speech he mentioned that he has had to address these horrible attacks
4 times since he has been President and then he named the 4. What he
left out was one of the worst mass killings in our history that
occurred during his presidency. The killings at Fort Hood!!!!!
I was on the road all day
yesterday traveling on business. I turned my satellite radio station
from channel to channel. Not one single news media outlet mentioned
Fort Hood. Why? I believe I know why, because he is a Muslim. What was
his reasoning for killing 13 people and wounding 35 others? Islam was
his reason."
and:
"The families of the Fort
Hood killer don't even get death benefits or the wounded a purple
heart because this Traitor-in-Chief had it called Work Place
Violence."
This Marine Father's words
are heartbreaking and it severely pains me to hear how much Obama and
his reckless cronies are hurting our Troops and their families.
What happened at Ft Hood
tears at the heart of any American who loves our Troops and loves this
country. The slaughter of our Soldiers on American soil, on their
base, was one of the most horrific tragedies in the history of this
country. The fact that this President, the Commander-in-Chief of our
Armed Forces, ignores this slaughter of our Troops is despicable,
deplorable and gut wrenching, especially for the brave men and women
who he commands, and their families! This Father's Son is about to
deploy and his Son will be risking his life under the appease and
apologize policies of this reckless Commander-in-Chief. The COIN
strategy, written by the shamed General Petraeus, is a failed policy
that has resulted in the maiming, killing and incarceration of our
Sons! As I have stated countless times, this President and this
reckless COIN policy affords all the advantages to this enemy on the
battlefield.
Our Sons were gunned down
at Ft Hood on November 5, 2009. The shooter, Major Hasan, yelled "Allahu
Akbar" before killing 13 American Sons and wounding others. Since that
horrific day, this jihadist continues to receive Army pay! Further, he
has thrown tantrums demanding to wear his jihadist beard, resulting in
the postponement of his day of judgment, and finally appeasement! And
what does the "Traitor-in-Chief" have to say about all this! Nothing,
except to refuse to call this the terrorist attack it was. This was
"workplace violence" according to the him. That is a punch in the gut
and a slap in the face to our Troops and those of us who love and
revere them.
This Marine father is
outraged and his fury is more aimed at the media, and rightfully so.
Where have they been? Following this reckless President wherever he
points them, that is where they have been! Look, I'm over here, the
narcissist President says, and they all run and follow his lead. He
never talks about the deaths of our troops or the bombings in
Afghanistan, no way, we can't have that, the media will report it so
don't mention those brave Warriors fighting and dying in Afghanistan!
Keep that lapdog media distracted, and they are so easily distracted!
This Marine father is
right to be outraged at this reckless and dangerous President and he
is right to express outrage at the media! There is one great man who
lived among us for a short time and who summed up really well what was
happening to our Troops.
That man was Andrew
Breitbart. He was bold and brave and NOBODY led him around, ever! He
loved our Troops and he told their stories. I have often shared the
post card Andrew wrote to our Troops back in 2009. As a matter of
fact, when I attended Andrew's funeral, I gave a copy of this post
card to several of his friends and colleagues at Breitbart.com. It was
my hope Andrew's words to our Troops would be posted in a prominent
place on HIS website. His words were a message of love and admiration
to our Troops, and his message to the media was profound and so true!
You can find the words to
that post card on the Band of Mothers website and it is my hope those
of you on this email string will forward Andrew's words to any and all
service members you know. Please post it on your websites so that our
Troops see it and know there are those of us who feel they have, in
Andrew's words "exhibited heroism".
Andrew apologized for the
"putrid behavior of the mainstream media" and, to this Marine father,
his Son, and to all our Troops, I too apologize.
Andrew's Post Card To Our
Troops (2009):
"Dear
Soldier,
I
apologize from the bottom of my heart for the putrid behavior of the
American media. You have exhibited heroism and they took the lowest
road. I have committed all of my resources to undo that wrong. And the
mainstream media and Hollywood will have been exposed as the traitors
they are."
Andrew
Breitbart
With A Mother's Heart, I
am so very very sorry,
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
As you celebrate
Christmas, please hold our Brave Warriors in your thoughts and in your
prayers. There isn't a day that goes by that they don't think of you.
My family wishes all our
Troops a Merry Christmas and I promise there isn't a day goes by that
we don't think of all of you and pray for your safe return. In this
household, you are revered and held in the highest regard. We love
you all and at our dinner table, we will pray for you and thank God
there are such brave and noble Americans such as YOU!
May God Bless & Watch Over
Each and Everyone of You.
Merry Christmas and I hope
for a New Year filled with deep appreciation from all Americans for
your noble service and sacrifice!
This past Saturday my husband and I were so very honored to attend the
presentation of the Silver Star to the family of Lt Ron Ross. John
Ross, the son of Lt Ron Ross, was just a newborn when his father gave
his life for his country at Fire base Kate back in 1969. John, his
wife and daughter came from Iowa to receive this most honorable and
long overdue award. They are a lovely family and it was such an honor
to meet them. You can read the details of this most distinguished
ceremony written by Laura Anderson Shaw at Quad-Cities Online:
I want to add a special
thank you to Congressman Bobby Schilling and his Veteran's Affairs
Officer, Ken Moffett, for their diligence in making folks aware of
the story of LZ Kate and the heroic sacrifice by Lt Ross at that fire
base back in 1969.
However, I want the world to know about another Hero who performed so
very courageously at LZ Kate. Lt Ross died in the arms of the
extraordinary and courageous 21 year old Army Special Forces Capt
William Albracht. After the death of Lt Ross, Capt Albracht carried
on that dreadful day and due to his remarkable and brave actions, this
Son from Illinois led the evacuation from Fire base Kate that saved
the lives of 150 Soldiers and Montgnards.
It is remarkable to me
what this brave young American did! What is most astounding to this
mother is that Capt Albracht never made it to the ceremony to accept
his "Impact Award" at Ban Me That. He was picked up by helicopter on
his way to the ceremony when a call came in that four gravely wounded
US Soldiers needed transport. In his unwavering devotion to his
Brothers , this young brave Captain told the pilot to take the wounded
and transport them first. By the time Capt Albracht arrived at
the ceremony at Ban Me Thuot, the Commanding General was long gone.
I want folks to know that
right in our midst is a true American Hero from the Vietnam War. Capt
Albracht's story is about a young and most courageous young man from
Illinois who in the heat of battle and surrounded by the enemy,
thought nothing of himself and only of his Brothers. He saved 150
lives at LZ Kate back in 1969 and those brave young Americans made it
home to their mothers. My heart breaks for the family of Lt
Ross but there is no doubt that, just like those four gravely wounded
Soldiers, Capt Albracht's heroism on LZ Kate saved the lives of so
many!
It is time for Capt
Albracht to receive a Medal of Honor for his courage and heroism at
Fire base Kate back in 1969. I had the honor to meet Capt Albracht and some of
his crew on Saturday and I am always in the BEST company when I am in
the company of our Veterans! I have attached some photos of this most
memorable day that I will never forget! It was truly an honor to be
in the company of such brave Americans!
Plan To Help lst
Lt Michael Behenna & All our Troops!
The news last week that lst
Lt Michael Behenna's conviction was upheld was devastating to Michael,
his devoted girlfriend Shannon, his family, and all of you folks who
have stood by Michael and supported him. I was heartbroken for
Michael and Shannon and his family, but frankly, I was not surprised.
I have made it known that a Chief of Staff on the hill had told me
last year that I would not like the eventual outcome for the guys in
Leavenworth. As much as I hated his remark and fought in every way I
knew how to prove him wrong, in the back of my mind I feared he knew
something I didn't. Turns out, he knew what he was talking about.
Now we can rant and rave
about the injustice of this decision, but I am laser focused on what
we can do now to help secure Mike's release and those of the
Leavenworth 10.
So...I called the Chief of
Staff who knew the outcome for Mike and asked him, what is the best
way to help Michael and the guys in Leavenworth now? His answer did
not surprise me and I had already begun to work in this direction 6
months ago. His answer was simple and sensible, appeal to Mitt
Romney. If he wins the election in November he is the man who holds
the key to the doors of Leavenworth. Write him, get close to him if
you can, and speak about the injustice our Soldiers have endured under
this administration's current Roe's and catch and release policies.
So...I have written a
letter to Anne and Mitt Romney. They are both parents who love their
children and love this country. I write to them as a mother whose son
served 4 deployments in this war. My letter is below. I ask you
to use the info in my letter to write your own, or just use my
letter. You can post your letter at Romney's website under Issues:
http://www.mittromney.com/forms/site-issues
I do not have an address on
the Romneys yet so if any of you out there do, please email it to me.
Send your letter to the Romney campaign manger in your state and send
it to Congressmen/Senators you might know who will pass this to the
Romneys. Send anywhere you think it will do some good. AND most
important, whether you print my letter or write your own, carry it
with you. If you are at a fundraiser for Romney, pass it to the most
senior person you can. I passed a letter to Paul Ryan a couple of
months ago regarding Michael Behenna and the insane policies of this
war. He listened in earnest and he took my information.
Please engage in this
campaign to help these Warriors. We need your help desperately now.
All of us together all across this nation can make a tremendous
difference for Michael and all our Troops! Please remember, these
young men in Leavenworth were living a happy wonderful life until one
day they decided they would risk their life for you, to keep you and
your family safe. Michael Behenna did just that until the day he was
charged for killing a terrorist. I heard Michael's mother say
recently that when Michael heard the news that his conviction was
upheld, he said he was okay; he was in a "good place" within
himself. I believe Michael endures with his soul intact because he
knows if Ali Mansur had made it back to his village, he would have
killed more of Michael's men, more of our American Sons. He knows he
saved the lives of his Soldiers and he helped send them home to their
families. Now we need to do everything we can to send Michael home
too.
In the meantime, please pray
for Mike and the Leavenworth 10. Please pray for Green Beret Kelly
Stewart, awaiting his decision any day now, and lst Sgt Walter Taylor,
(Purple Heart Recipient and the worst victim of military injustice
yet) who is waiting to see if he is on his way to Leavenworth. AND
Derrick Miller, who received a life sentence for protecting his unit
from an attack. And his unit was attacked that night!!
I believe we are on the
precipice of justice for these Soldiers and I believe it is only
possible with the election of Mitt Romney. Thanks to all of you for
your devoted support of our Soldiers. It means the world to them! And
please be sure to vote to elect Mitt Romney on November 6th!
Appeal
Hearings for lst Lt Michael Behenna &
SFC Soldier Kelly Stewart!!
I believe
the hearings for lst Lt Michael Behenna and SFC Soldier Kelly Stewart
went well. You can visit their websites at www.savethissoldier.com
and www.defendmichael.com
for further information. Now we wait and pray. Decisions could come
down anywhere from 6 weeks to one year.
Please pray
for these Warriors and their families, and please pray for all our
Troops. It is a very sad day in America when the enemy has more
leverage on the battlefield than our own Warriors! It is a very sad
day in America when our Troops have to fight with both hands tied
behind their backs! It is an extremely sad day in America when the
very enemy who has killed and tortured our Sons is released, yet our
Sons are imprisoned for defending their Brothers and defending their
country!! I believe with all my heart that in November we will
nominate a new Commander-in-Chief for our Brave Warriors who will
treat them with the respect they deserve!
I am so very proud to be
an American and my family is forever grateful to all who serve and
risk their lives to keep us safe and free! To our Gold Star Families,
my family is beholden to each of you for the great sacrifice your
loved ones made to keep us free. There is nothing I can say to ease
your pain but I can promise to continue to honor their precious lives
and sacrifice by fighting for their Brothers!
With A Mother's
Heart,
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
What a
beautiful heart this man has. I love you Jon Kahn and Thank
You! Your beautiful words mean the world to our Troops, our Veterans
and our Gold Star Families. God Bless You!
Thanks to Katie O'Malley,
I first met Andrew Breitbart at CPAC in 2009. I was collecting post
cards for our troops and I asked Andrew if he would fill one out. At
the end of the evening Andrew handed me his handwritten post card and
what he wrote grabbed hold of this mother's heart forever. I
knew what he had written was profound and that standing in my presence
was a great man, a brave man, the George Washington of my lifetime! I
felt at that moment that we were freezing on the banks of the
Delaware, the Soldiers were downtrodden and beaten up and before me
stood this man of great courage who let me know that this battle was
just beginning and he would lead us through the icy biting
waters boldly and we would win this fight! Here is what he wrote to
our troops back in 2009 at CPAC:
"Dear
Soldier,
I
apologize from the bottom of my heart for the putrid behavior of the
American media. You have exhibited heroism and they took the lowest
road. I have committed all of my resources to undo that wrong. And
the mainstream media and Hollywood will have been exposed as the
traitors they are."
Andrew Breitbart
We lost our General on March
lst with the passing of Andrew Breitbart. We must forge on and
continue in the battle for TRUTH that Andrew so bravely and
relentlessly fought!
I didn't hear from you when our
recruiters were gunned down at their recruiting station right here in
this country. I don't ever hear from you day to day when we lose
precious young American Heroes in Afghanistan. I don't ever hear from
you when a precious young American Hero loses his legs, his arms or
his genitals, trying to beat back this brutal enemy who doesn't have
to abide by any rules as he blows up our Sons, our Daughters, and his
own people.
CPAC 2012: Breitbart:
There are Two Paths, One is America, The Other is Occupy!
I headed to CPAC with a
heavy but hopeful heart. I was looking for Conservatives who know that
the Occupy people are not "delightful" as John Tillman described them.
I was looking for Conservatives who stand by our troops ALWAYS, no
matter what, and would never use the word Marine and vile in the same
sentence! I was looking for Conservatives who would never tell me
that I have something in common with the radical Occupy "freaks" as
Andrew Breitbart so accurately described them. I was looking for
Conservatives who are loyal to our troops and who would never abandon
them to pacify freaks. I was looking for loyalty among our ranks. I
am sick and tired of listening to men like John Tillman who try and
make nice with freaks and who stab our troops in the back and who stab
their brave defenders in the back. I am sick and tired of listening
to those who continuously beat up on John Boehner and the Republicans,
who have passed tons of legislation, but I hear not a peep out of them
that Harry Reid sits in the Senate with all that legislation shoved in
his drawer!!! The Democrats love these folks and as they beat up on
this Republican Congress, they beat down a golden opportunity we have
to lead this country out of the darkest days we have ever seen. The
outrageous and irresponsible actions of Obama and this administration
could fill volumes and is so much fodder for Conservatives,
yet beating up on Republicans is the norm is some groups and to such a
degree, I am convinced they have been infiltrated by the lefties!!
That is clear to many of us Conservatives. I went to CPAC looking for
loyalty among our ranks and my heart came away rejuvenated and
certain that we will leave in the dust those that choose to do the
work of the left! I encourage Mr Tillman and those who
think Conservatives have anything in common with the Occupy "freaks"
to listen to Andrew Breitbart's speech at CPAC.
To All Our Brave Men and Women Serving All Over The World, May
God Keep You Safe and Warm.
Until You Are Home, May God Hold You In The Palm of His Hand.
This Family Honors You and Prays For You, Every Single Day of The
Year!
May God Bless You and Keep you Safe!
With A Mother's Heart,
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
A Special
Tribute to My Dear Friend & Supporter of our Troops, Katie O'Malley!
As the
founder of The Band of Mothers, I have met so many great Patriots, but
none as great and humble as my dear friend, Katie O'Malley. On the
eve of Christmas, I pay tribute to this wonderful mother and steadfast
Warrior whose heart beats as one with our brave men and women of the
United States Military.
I met
Katie back in 2007. It was our Irish roots that bonded us from
the very first moment we met. Like Katie, I too am Irish, my mother's
maiden was Carty. It is I think the norm that mother's are protective
of their young, but I believe Irish mothers are a little more fierce
about it! Katie and I share that common bond: when it comes to our
children, "katy bar the door" best expresses the trouble headed your
way if you even think of messing with our children! I've often
wondered why they just don't suit us up and send us to fight! When
you hear the expression "the fighting Irish", remember, it all begins
with "Ma!" Katie O'Malley is an Irish mother in every sense of the
word and God help you if you mess with her children! That fierce
protectiveness extends to our sons and daughters of the United States
Military too!
Over
the years, I cannot tell you how many times and in so many ways Katie
O'Malley has made a difference for our brave Warriors! Katie has this
unique gift of bringing folks together and building bridges among us,
all in her personal pursuit to do everything she can to help our
troops. I have met so many great men and women in this country who
support our troops and it is Katie who opened those doors for
me.
On
December 3rd, is but one example. In Washington DC, Katie, Teresa,
Chad and I had the honor of attending Sean Hannity's Holiday Tribute
to the Troops (special thanks to Teresa for this great idea!) This is
a wonderful patriotic event that warms your heart and makes you darn
proud to live in a country represented by the Greatest Military On The
Face of This Earth! Sean Hannity's concerts celebrate the bravery and
selfless sacrifice of the Heroes among us and it is a wonderful
experience to sit among these Warriors and be a part of a tribute to
them! You will NEVER be in better company! These concerts help
benefit Col Oliver North's organization, Freedom Alliance
http://www.freedomalliance.org/.
Freedom Alliance provides scholarships to the children of our fallen
and wounded Heroes. For the past 8 years, Sean Hannity has been
instrumental in raising over $10 million to support the Freedom
Alliance Scholarship Fund.
It was
a wonderful evening!
All
our Heroes were honored at this concert and it was a thrill to be a
part of this tribute. Afterward, we had the distinct honor to meet
U.S. Army Private First Class Brian Dilberian of the 10th Mountain
Division. In July 2011, Brian lost both his legs and and left hand to
an IED. Every American should meet this Warrior! He is an
inspiration and he is a true American Hero!
Col
North presented his beautiful tribute "This Is What A Patriot Looks
Like", and I dare any American to watch this without a tear in your
eye.
http://www.blackfive.net/main/2011/12/thats-what-we-do-were-americans.html. Featured
were three-time GRAMMY winner Michael W. Smith, combat-decorated
Marine/best-selling author Oliver North, and a performance from
platinum-selling recording artist John Ondrasik of Five For Fighting.
Andrew Breitbart was also present. As a great supporter of the troops,
a man with great vision and courage, who single handily takes on the
leftist media, he is one of my personal Heroes. Thanks to Katie
O'Malley, I had first met Andrew Breitbart in 2009 when he wrote the
most profound Post Card to our troops I ever received. You can only
imagine my utter shock when he called my name out from the stage and
thanked me for my support of the troops. He warmed my heart when he
mentioned my son's beautiful silver wings I always wear proudly. He
asked me to stand and I did. It was one of the most beautiful moments
of my life! However, there is one person who should have stood with
me, and that is my fighting Irish sister, Katie O'Malley, who made
that beautiful moment happen!
Before
the concert, Katie was noticeably absent. Where was Katie? Behind the
scenes, where she always is, promoting someone else, never herself.
That is what Katie O'Malley does and that is what defines her. When
you look at the picture below with Sean Hannity, Katie is not in that
picture because she took the picture. She is selfless, tireless and a
relentless Warrior who has done more for our Troops than anyone I
know.
So on
this Christmas Eve, as I thank our Troops for all they do, I bow to my
dear friend Katie O'Malley. We made a pact from the moment we met that
we would fight together to make certain our Troops would never suffer
as their brothers in VietNam did! We've made a difference Sister!
As the
year ends Katie O'Malley, take a bow for all YOU have done for our
troops!
I sign
off with this tribute to You Katie. You share the Warrior spirit with
our brave men and women. The song is appropriately called "The
Warrior Song""
There is now a hauntingly
beautiful song written about lst Lt Michael Behenna, "The
Ballad of Michael Behenna." This was written by Chad Evan
Todd, who performed at the rally in Leavenworth for Michael Behenna
and the Leavenworth 10. Chad is a good man and a humble man. Chad
has turned publishing rights over to the Behenna family so that any
royalties paid can be used toward Michael's legal defense. So every
time this song plays on the radio, royalties will be paid to the
Behenna family.
Please send this song all
over! Ask folks to purchase this song and please forward this to any
and all radio stations you know. If
we can get the radio stations playing this song, those doors of
Leavenworth just might open for this Hero! This song tells the story
of the dangerous and insane "catch and release" policy that is maiming
and killing our Soldiers and, as in Michael's case, has led to the
imprisonment of some of our Soldiers.
A stanza from the song:
A fine young Soldier sits in Leavenworth tonight,
"Step up and lend your voice
To the right side of right
There's something worth doing something about,
Let the voice of truth lead the way
and lead Michael out!
Free Michael Behenna!
Please help us spread this
song all over!!! We need to get every American saying "FREE
MICHAEL BEHENNA!!"
Please forward to all your
lists and forward to any radio stations you think might play this
song!
Thank You!
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
Laptops for Wounded
Worriors
On Tuesday, November
1st, 2011 I had the honor of attending a Laptop Presentation at Ft
Bragg, North Carolina. This wonderful program was conceived by
Vietnam Veteran and GOE member George Samek. George is a
wonderful man who not only had a dream to help his Wounded Brothers,
he made his dream come true. Since the inception of the Laptop
For Wounded Warriors Program, 250 laptops have been presented to the
brave men and women wounded in this war. George has gone into
somewhat semi-retirement (although as long as his Brothers are in
need, I don't really see George ever fully retired!) and Dawn West has
taken this truly therapeutic program to new levels. The
difference George and Dawn have made in the lives of our wounded is
remarkable. Their next presentation is at Portsmouth Naval where they
will present 10 laptops to our wounded Marines. George has even
reached over to England and a laptop will be presented to a wounded
British Warrior! You can donate to the Laptop For Wounded Warriors at http://www.gatheringofeagles.org/view535574711.html, or
by mail at
GOE/Laptop for Wounded
Warriors
C/O Dawn M. West 1217 Sunset Drive Norfolk, Va 23503
I am most grateful to
George and Dawn and Capt Larry Bailey, Chairman of the Gathering of
Eagles. Larry has been instrumental in securing donations for the
Laptop Program and I am forever grateful to him for heading up a truly
great organization that takes a stand for their Brothers. Thanks to
GOE member Robert Gowan over in Hawaii, our men and women in uniform
have received tons and tons of Kona coffee on their deployments!
Thanks to Chris Hill, Nat'l Director of GOE, our homeless Veterans in
Philadelphia are getting help and assistance!
I must mention Kathy of
GOE, who has contributed endless amounts of time posting on the GOE
website. I was honored at Ft Bragg to meet her daughter, who will be
deploying to South Korea next year. Thank you Kathy and God Bless and
Watch over your brave daughter! I will keep you both in my prayers.
Below are some
pictures from the Ft Bragg presentation. This was a special honor and
privilege for me to attend as my Son served with the 82nd Airborne. A
very special THANK YOU to the Womens' Auxiliary of the North Carolina
VFW whose donation made this presentation at Ft. Bragg possible. God
Bless You Ladies!
Thank you George for your
service and for making your dream to help your Brothers come
true! Through the Gathering of Eagles, I have come to know that
George and all our Veterans just never stop serving. Thank you
Gathering of Eagles for all you do and have done for our military!
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
"Three Days in August" by Bob
McCarty
I hope
you'll order this book. SFC Soldier Kelly Stewart's story is a tragic
one and just another glaring example of how our military is letting
our Soldiers down!
I just ordered 35 copies of this book and I will send these to every
Republican Congressmen on the House Armed Services Committee! We have
got to take a stand for our troops! What happened to Kelly Stewart
is wrong and I believe the only way to right these wrongs is for
Americans to be informed!
We've
just got to keep fighting for SFC Soldier Kelly Stewart, lst Lt
Michael Behenna, and the Leavenworth 10! They stepped up to the plate
to serve and protect us, now we need to fight to protect them!
Just
click here for all
of your ordering options and click here for the
PAPERBACK version only.
Thank
you and please forward!
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
The Band of Mothers
and the Gathering of Eagles extend their deepest appreciation to
all theorganizations that
signed onto "The 3000" letter. As President Obama announced
yesterday that ALL troops will exit Iraq bythe
end of December, "The 3000" letter's mission has come to a successful
end. No members of our military will be left behind!
We
are supremely proud of the service of our brave soldiers, sailors,
airmen, and Marines, and we recognize the debt that all Americans owe
them.
As sponsors of "The 3000"
letter, Larry Bailey and I say "Thank you" to each of the signatories
who signed onto this letter. Thank you for taking a stand for our
brave men and women! Your support for their safety means the world to
these warriors.
Let us all pray that their
journey home is a safe one.
Godspeed to them,
and God bless the United States military!
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
Larry Bailey
The Gathering of Eagles
CALL TO ACTION
Sadr has threatened the
lives of any troops left behind after December of this year! We need
your support and if you know of any organizations/bloggers who will
sign on, please forward to them. We already lost 3000 brave Americans
on one day, we cannot sit idly by and allow this President to
leave 3000 Soldiers in such a vulnerable and dangerous position.
We, the
undersigned, stand in stark and unified opposition to your proposed
plan to leave 3000 combat troops behind in Iraq following the
scheduled withdrawal of American troops from that country on December
31, 2011.
As we approach
December 31, there are increasing debates about the exact nature of
our withdrawal from Iraq. A recent development in these debates is
your proposal to leave 3000 combat troops behind in Iraq, following
the withdrawal of the main combat forces. Of great concern are the
reports that this proposal is in direct opposition to the advice of
your own military commanders, who have warned you of the dangers of
leaving such a reduced number of troops in Iraq.
It is our
understanding that you have not yet presented your rationale for
leaving those 3000 troops behind. However, onthe
face of it, your proposal appears to be reckless and disregarding of
the safety of those brave American Soldiers who have already given so
much for their country during this war.
It is our position
that thewithdrawal
of US combat forces from Iraq must, and should, be governed and
executed with total consideration for the safety of our troops. Further,
we believe that, in the best interests of the safety of our troops,
you should either pull ALL of the troops out, or you should follow the
“level of troop strength” recommendations advised to you by your
Generals on the ground.
We are continuing
to monitor this situation closely as we continue to pray for the
safety of our Soldiers.
Sincerely,
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
Larry Bailey
The Gathering of Eagles
Signatories of "The 3000" Letter:
Algonquin, IL
Tea Party
American Defense League (ADL)
American Freedom Defense Initiative
Any Street
Atlas Shrugs
Bare Naked Islam
Bloomington
Tea Party
Chandler’s Watch
Cold Spring
Conservative
Crystal Lake
Tea Party
Eagles UP
English Defence League (EDL)
Free Republic
Hawaii
Chapter-Gathering of Eagles
Logan’s Warning
Stop Islamization of America
Streetsweeper Chronicles
The Snooper Report
Urban Infidel
Veterans in Defense of Liberty
Viper’s Vietnam Veterans Pages
West Suburban Patriots
What Bubba Knows
In Memory of all the Most
Precious Lives Lost on 9/11 and in Memory of all our Brave Men and
Women Who Have Fought and Died to Keep Us Safe Since.
I WILL NEVER FORGIVE AND I
WILL NEVER FORGET.
9/11 Will Always Be A DAY
OF REMEMBRANCE!
Please fly your flag on
9/11 and Everyday. So that this enemy knows that OUR FLAG IS STILL
THERE!
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
After Action Report: The
Band of Mothers Stand in Support Of Troops, Cannon Bldg Corner July
25th, 26th & 27th
Before I begin, allow me to engage
you in a Tribute to All Our Brave Warriors who voluntarily put on the
uniform of the United States Military every single day and
risk their lives to protect YOU. I believe this is in the spirit they
would want you to remember them:
The United States Military is the
Greatest Military force on the face of this earth and it is made up of
the most noble among us. The Band of Brothers is the Best company I
am ever in. Please keep these Heroes in your prayers.
The Band of
Mothers After Action Report
Washington, DC
July 18 - July 27, 2011
When
I formed The Band of Mothers back in 2007, it was the raw and
protective instincts of a mother for her Son and his Brothers that
fueled my passion to establish The Band of Mothers. Someone once said
the most dangerous place in all the world is between a mother and her
children. I concur. As it is the
nature of the lioness to protect and defend her cubs, so is the way of
The Band of Mothers.
(Note: Click on images for larger
view)
From the Mission Statement on The Band
of Mothers website, established 2007:
"As
our Soldiers fight to preserve our way of life in a far off land, some
“politicians” have undermined their mission and their efforts. This
behavior is intolerable and unacceptable to The Band of Mothers. In
the interests and welfare of our Noble Heroes, it is necessary and
essential that these “politicians” allow our Generals and those
trained in warfare to conduct this war. We propose that the careless
ranting by these reckless politicians is aiding and abetting the enemy
and undermining the morale of our troops. The Band of Mothers takes
issue with this behavior. We believe warriors do come from warriors
and it is the role of warriors to protect and defend those they care
about. So is the way of The Band of Brothers and so is the way of The
Band of Mothers."
When
this President announced the recent draw down of our troops in the
heat of the battle season, at a time when the enemy fights most
ferociously, the protective instincts of this mother arose and
engaged! When General Allen stated "The option of this President was
NOT the option of his Generals" my most primitive instincts were fully
engaged. Adding insult to injury, this President not only announced
his draw down of troop levels but brazenly announced to the whole
world when the draw down would take place and exactly how many troops
he would withdraw! I actually had a soon to be deployed Soldier
comment to me that he wondered if President Obama gave the GPS
coordinates of the untis he was withdrawing. What a troubling mindset
to have as you go off to war!
So,
once again, The Band of Mothers secured a permit and headed to the
Cannon Bldg corner in DC the end of July. The reckless and dangerous
course this President has taken endangers and seriously puts
in jeopardy the lives of our troops left behind. War is not community
organizing, Mr President, precious lives are at stake, and your ear
should be tilted to the Generals, not your campaign advisers!!! These
noble and brave Americans who willingly and stoically risk their lives
everyday to protect us and our way of life deserve better than this!
Their lives are precious and they believe, obviously, that our lives
are precious too, because they are willing to die to protect us and
keep us safe. AND that they have done! It is not coincidence
that we sleep safely in our beds at night, it is not coincidence that
we walk the streets freely and without fear of stepping on IED's! It
is not coincidence, Mr President, that we have been safe on this soil
since 9/11!!!
It is because of the Bravery of the
most noble among us, it is solely because of the gutsy and determined
noble Warriors of the United States Military, that we bask in the
glory of freedom, everyday!
Now, many Americans are engulfed in
the complacency of safety our Warriors have provided. Now, as these
Heroes continue their extremely successful mission to keep us all
safe, this Community Organizer -in- Chief pulls the rug out from
under them and seriously endangers their lives! It is with this
sentiment that The Band of Mothers proudly stood, once again, on the
Cannon Bldg corner in Washington, DC on July 25th, 26th and 27th.
It was a most successful stand, in more
ways than one. I am extremely proud to relate that The Band of
Mothers were available to provide cover for Ambassador John Bolton
from the vile circus act of Code Pink! My special thanks to Jim Hoft
of Gateway Pundit and my dear friend and comrade-in-arms, Katie
O'Malley, for the on line coverage of this most memorable event!
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2011/07/code-pink-commies-harass-john-bolton-outside-congressional-building-video/
The signs we carried provided a nice
little blockade for Ambassador Bolton as he waited for his ride. He
really enjoyed the support and the blockade! I can assure you our
signs made old Suzi Benjamin's blood boil! As The Band of Mothers
carried a permit for the corner, the Capitol Police stepped in and
chased the varmints away! As always, thank you Dan, and all the
Capitol Police! You are our Heroes too. You keep our nation's
Capitol safe and I honestly don't know how you keep your hands to
yourselves. The restraint you practice daily is worthy of a Medal!
Over the course of our 3 day stand we
were greeted with so many thumbs up from Congressmen and Senators and
passersby, I honestly lost track of the count! It is imperative
that I impart to our noble Warriors in Iraq and Afghanistan that so
many legislators support this mission you are on and know it is
important that we get this mission right. Unfortunately, we have hit
somewhat of a roadblock in that this President's priority seems to be
his poll numbers and his re-election. It is my belief and my hope
that he will hit a roadblock!
My
very special thanks to Ron Kirby and Chad, of The Gathering of Eagles,
who ALWAYS stands with The Band of Mothers. God Bless you both for
your dedication and support of our Heroes, and for your service to
this country! I am always honored by your presence! We were also
joined and honored by the presence of Gold Star Mom Debbie Lee, who
continues to take a stand and fight for her Brave Son's Brothers. She
came a long way and we are very grateful! We celebrated Debbie's
birthday while in DC and it was a lovely evening. A very special
thank you to Chief (the best weatherman in this country, AND of
course, he is a retired Navy Chief!), Ida, Joyce and Beth and her
beautiful children! And last but not least, a most heartfelt thanks
to Jeannie and James, who came all the way from Florida, and who
helped me way beyond the call of duty! Count yourself super lucky if
this awesome couple stand with you and support you because when they
put their boots on the ground, they are firmly planted. I cannot
thank you both enough for all your help! To all who came and offered
support, encouragement and a thumbs up, thank you!
One of the most enjoyable and proud
moments of the trip for all of us was our stand outside Water Reed.
To join with the MOST dedicated Patriots of all, Troop Rally, Mrs
Troop Rally, and all the great Patriots of Free Republic, this is a
moment of my life that is frozen in time. No matter what happens from
here on in, I hope I can always retain my memories of proudly standing
with the most dedicated Americans of our time, and that would be the
members of Free Republic. If you have never stood outside Walter Reed
with these American Patriots, You missed one of the most
important events of American history. We were able to join in on one
of the last stands at Walter Reed before it's closing. It was an
honor to stand in support of, and in protection of, the Heroes and
Warriors of Walter Reed Army Medical Center. It is our hope that each
and every one these Warriors finds superior care and comfort at
Bethesda! A heartfelt and stealth Salute to you Warriors and the
Patriots at Free Republic, who NEVER missed a Friday night out in
front of Walter Reed supporting you, in rain, and sleet and snow!
They provided each of you brave Warriors the honorable treatment you
are so deserving of!
After our stand ended Friday evening,
Gold Star mom Debbie Lee, Chad (this Great Army Soldier who NEVER
stops looking out for his Brothers) and myself were able to visit with
Sgt John Peck and his mother Lisa, at Mologne House. Sgt Peck is an
amazing Marine and a two time Purple Heart Recipient! You can read
about him at my website (www.thebandofmothers.com).
John hails from Antioch, Illinois. My husband and I were lucky enough
to provide John a voice activated laptop through the GREAT program
provided by The Gathering of Eagles, Laptops for Wounded Warriors
Program ( http://gatheringofeagles.org/).
This program, which has become
an essential element in the therapeutic recovery of our Wounded
Warriors, was started by Vietnam Veteran and GOE member George Samek
and now is under the excellent direction of Daw West! George and
Dawn, my utmost respect and gratitude to you for all you have done for
America's bravest! Now I have aged George a bit here but don't you
ever underestimate him. If you haven't dealt with George, I
challenge every one of you to do just that! It is an experience unto
itself!
I must tell you that Sgt Peck is an
amazing young American and his remarkable progress speaks to his
Warrior heart! Congratulations Sgt Peck on your promotion and your
progress! I will never know the hurdles you have overcome but I
promise I will heed your words:
“Give a damn about your troops. Don’t just say it. Stop griping about
the little crap in your life. There is so much being done by our
military for your benefit, and nobody understands its extent unless
they see it themselves or a loved one goes through it. Put your little
differences aside and care about someone else besides yourself.”
Folks can send
donations to Sgt Peck at Sgt Peck
Fund,
State Bank of the Lakes,
440 Lakes St. Antioch, IL 60002.
John is troubled
that he had to send his beloved dog back home as Walter Reed would no
longer allow his best friend to stay at Walter Reed with him. I
am hoping Bethesda will see the light and see that his beautiful dog
is his companion and Vitally important to the success and further
progress of one of the bravest young men I have ever met. As I said
before, Sgt Peck IS THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORP!
The Band of
Mothers had several missions while in DC and attending the Military
Voting Rights Conference hosted by Military Families United and The
Heritage Foundation on July 19 in Washington DC, was one of them. I
am grateful to Eric Eversole, Executive Director of Military Voter
Protection Project (MVP) and his team, for their excellent and
"scathing" report, "Military Voting in 2010." You can read the
report here and please be sure to take a good look at Appendix A:
It is clear that much more work needs
to be done! Of all the Americans who should most certainly have
their votes counted, it is the very Brave Men and Women of the United
States Military! Senator Cornyn's remarks should be noted. Please
pick up the phone and thank this Senator, who is clearly dedicated to
ensuring our military get their votes counted! Further, WE NEED YOUR
HELP! The DOD will be issuing their own report on Military Voting
2010, in September, and based on the rosy picture Bob Carey of the DOD
painted at this conference, it is expected their report will be quite
different from MVPP's. Please send this report around to everyone on
your list and be familiar with it. The comparison to the DOD's report
should be, well, is should be interesting. As Senator Cornyn points
out, if Secretary Gates can ask for progress reports every two weeks
on how sensitivity training was progressing on the new Don't Ask Don't
Tell law, then it stands to reason the DOD can do better on ensuring
our men and women are provided better opportunities to register an
absentee ballot!
I
want to thank Carol Davis of West Suburban Patriots, Wheaton,
Illinois, for making the trip from Illinois and attending the Heritage
Conference on the Military vote. We in Illinois know how important
the military vote was in the last election. I firmly believe that we
would not be saddled with Gov Quinn if the MOVE Act had been complied
with in St. Clair County! Special thanks to Denise Cattoni, National
Coordinator of
www.IllinoisTea.org, and Dana, who helped
make it possible for Carol to make the trip. AND Carol, thank you for
making the trip and thank you for your resolve to make a
difference for our Heroes and their right to have their votes
counted.
Lastly, Michael Behenna continues to
sit in Leavenworth, along with the Leavenworth 10. The Band of Mothers
stand in support of the release of our Soldiers incarcerated at
Leavenworth. Why, you ask? When this military releases terrorists,
as they are now doing according to the testimony by Vice Admiral
William McRaven to the Senate Armed Services Committee in late June:
I ask,
Why Not? Why are terrorists shown more consideration and kindness
than our American Sons?! Why are terrorists captured right off the
battlefield shown more forgiveness than our America's Sons?!!!!
Why did we ever give the enemy we fight a Pledge to sign, stating they
won't return to the battlefield, and then release them and turn them
over to their village elder?!!! What is good enough for the
terrorists darn sure should be good enough for our Sons!
The doors of Leavenworth should open
retroactive May 23, 2010! Since we are releasing terrorists, we
should release our Sons!
I accompanied Michael Behenna's
mother, Vickie Behenna, on several appointments with legislators.
Michael Behenna continues to sit in Leavenworth as the recent Appeals
court upheld his conviction. His case now goes to a civilian court,
if they agree to hear his case. He also has a clemency hearing in
December. Please pray for positive outcomes for this lst
Lieutenant! I believe the appointments on the hill may yield good
results.
There are several Congressman who
have been extremely helpful and supportive of Michael Behenna and the
devastating effects the "catch and release" policy has had on our
brave men and women. Congressmen Steve King, Duncan Hunter, Trent
Franks, Tom Cole, and Joe Wilson have all been so very supportive in
more ways than one. Col West has been working hard on Michael's
behalf and hopefully his efforts will reap results soon. Please pick
up the phone, call these legislators and thank them. AND please call
your Senators and Congressmen on behalf of Michael Behenna and the
Leavenworth 10. It is clear that the best hope these Warriors have is
your voice!
One of the things we have asked for
when meeting with legislators are Congressional hearings on the insane
and dangerous catch and release policy and the rules of engagement.
Please call your Senators and Congressmen and request these hearings!
The number of terrorists who are released and who return to the
battlefield are outrageous. This policy has devastating effects on
our troops. It is time this administration started worrying about
the hearts and minds of our brave men and women on the battlefield! I
am reminded of the words of one of my personal Heroes, Marcus
Luttrell, from his book "Lone Survivor," who lost his beloved
Brothers because they all feared murder charges and convictions from
the liberal left in the country who they died fighting to keep safe:
"Look at me, right
now in my story. Helpless, tortured, shot, blown up, my best buddies
all dead, and all because we were afraid of the liberals back home,
afraid to do what was necessary to save our own lives. Afraid of
American civilian lawyers. I have only one piece of advice for what
it's worth: if you don't want to get into a war where things go
wrong, where the wrong people sometimes get killed, where innocent
people sometimes have to die, then stay the hell out of it in the
first place.
I have a bit of good news regarding
Michael Behenna. There is a song written about Michael, called "The
Ballad of Michael Behenna". I conceived the idea as a way to get his
story out to the public. A wonderful singer/songwriter liked my
title and wrote a moving song, soon to be recorded. That's all I can
tell you right now but you can bet the minute it is recorded, you will
know. We'll need your help getting it out there and played on every
radio station in this country. We are convinced it is YOU, the
American people, who will make a difference for our Warriors in
Leavenworth.
All who know me know I support our
troops and their mission, all day, everyday. A dear friend and
excellent writer, Marinka Peschmann, summed up my feelings on this war
when she said "National Security Trumps the Economy Everytime." I ask
you, what price do you put on the security and safety of your
children, your family? Isn't their safety priceless? Our Troops have
done such a remarkable job that unfortunately for them, many Americans
are now lulled by the safety and security they provide and many now
complain about the cost of this war. Wrong thinking! What you are
paying for is the safety and security our Troops provide your
family everyday. Please support our Troops and support their
mission. Continue to enjoy your beautiful freedom and safe and
peaceful life, it is paid for daily by the grit, guts and sacrifice of
the Greatest Military on the face of this earth, The United States
Military!
Please keep our Military in your
prayers. Thank Them and Hug Them, Every Chance You Get!
I sign off with this beautiful song
called "Lucky Me", it speaks to how lucky I am to have the protection
of all those who wear the uniform of The United States Military!
I was thinking that all of us who love our country and our troops
could take part in an easy campaign that will enable us to identify
each other in our love of our country and our troops. Display your
American flag on your house, on your car and on your person (flag
pins are wonderful). AND keep your flag flying after Memorial Day,
keep it flying forever or at least until we take back the White House
in November 2012! Wear your flag pin everywhere you go too! That is
how we will identify each other, with our beautiful flag that
represents our beautiful America! Please see the tribute below to our
troops and please keep this going. Thanks Scott for sending.
Friday night I had the utmost pleasure to spend the evening at Joe's
Bar in Chicago with Cpl Peck, a two time (Yes TWO TIME!!!) Purple
Heart Recipient who hails from Antioch, Illinois. Cpl Peck is on
leave from Walter Reed Army Medical Center in DC where he is
recuperating from injuries sustained in his last deployment. It was
an absolute honor to meet Cpl Peck's family, and again see
his mother! Cpl Peck and his Mom truly
represent the motto of the The Band of Mothers, "Warriors Come From
Warriors!"
Gary
Sinise and The Lt Dan Band entertained to a rollicking crowd! Several
Heroes who have served came up to the mike and thanked all of us for
our support! Our Heroes never cease to amaze me, they are so
very gracious and humble!!! I hope they know how much we appreciate
all they have done to keep us safe! Their sacrifice shall never be in
vain, not as long as there is breath in me!!!!!!!!!!!
Special thanks to Gary Sinise and his band for all they do to support
our troops and make sure they feel a lot of love! I have said this
before and I'll say it again, Gary Sinise is the Greatest Patriot of
our time and I am forever grateful for all he and his band do for our
troops!!!
Special
thanks too to my very patriotic younger Son Mike, for taking such a
great picture of all of us out in front of Joe's Bar! Thanks Mike,
you have always supported our troops and when your Brother was
deployed, you will never know how much your strength meant to me! You
too are a Warrior!
So To Cpl Peck and All Our Warriors Who Are Home: WELCOME HOME AND
THANK YOU WITH ALL MY HEART FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE TO KEEP US SAFE!
(I apologize for the order of the photos, I tried to get Sgt Peck and
his beautiful dog Misha first, but this photobucket seems to have it's
own idea in what order the photos post!)
Yesterday was the official
Welcome Home and Fundraiser for Sgt John Peck (formerly Cpl Peck, yes
this two time Purple Heart Recipient was promoted and the official
ceremony will take place at Walter Reed upon his return there).
If
you missed this opportunity yesterday to Welcome Sgt Peck Home, you
really missed out!! This Brave Warrior from Antioch, Illinois
is truly a man of courage who defines the word Hero! I have never met
anyone like him and I know I never will again. HE IS THE UNITED STATES
MARINE CORPS!
Sgt Peck's Mother is a
Marine too and this Mother and Son truly do exemplify The Band of
Mother's motto "Warriors Come From Warriors!" I remember what John's
mother told me when I saw her at Walter Reed in February: I asked her
when does she have to return to work and her answer was so stoic and
strong, "When my Son doesn't need me anymore." There is no doubt in
my mind where Sgt Peck's gets his will and backbone from!
The Welcome Home was a
beautiful event and I think the entire town came out to line the
escort route. I cannot recall the last time I saw that many children
and young people all in one place, waving flags!!! To all who came, I
say thank you with a mother's heart! To my husband and Ralph, thank
you for taking time off work to accompany me. There wasn't a dry eye
in our car during the escort!
To my friend's in DC and
those who might be traveling to DC, you can email me anytime for Sgt
Peck's contact info. I believe it is incumbent on all of us to keep
an eye on Sgt Peck. He fought ferociously for all of us and if he
needs us now or ever, we need to answer that call and be there for
him! It is important he knows he can always count on us, no matter
what!
Donations for Sgt Peck can be sent to:
Sgt Peck Fund
State Bank of the Lakes, 440 Lakes St. Antioch, IL 60002
Lastly, just a glimpse
into the heart of the greatest Americans among us, The Band of
Brothers:
Sgt Peck's steadfast
dedication to his country and the Corps is foremost in this Warrior
and that was evident yesterday when he instructed the magnificent
Marines in their dress blues to go get their recruitment brochures and
bring them to the VFW hall so they could use this event to try and
recruit new Marines!
Sgt John Peck, Semper Fi!
Take heed of Sgt
Peck's words, which exemplify what a Braveheart he truly is:
What does he want people
to know about his experience and his new reality?
“Give a damn about your
troops. Don’t just say it. Stop griping about the little crap in your
life. There is so much being done by our military for your benefit,
and nobody understands its extent unless they see it themselves or a
loved one goes through it. Put your little differences aside and care
about someone else besides yourself.”
He said that if every
person in the U.S. gave a one-time $5 donation to a charity that
supports the troops it would be really helpful.
“My arm, which is only a
temporary arm, costs $10,000. There are a lot of expenses that must be
paid to equip an injured soldier. Give to charities, or otherwise go
up to someone in the military and offer to pay for a meal or do
something special for them. Get to know them. Write them letters. Send
care packages to random troops you don’t know because guys are really
bummed out when mail call comes and there is no package for them.”
Again, thank you to all
who attended this Welcome Home! May God Bless and Watch Over Sgt
Peck, his Mother and Family, and All Our Troops! Hug them and thank
them, every chance you get!!!
TO ALL OUR VIETNAM
VETERANS AND HEROES:
WELCOME HOME
AND A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU!
This day is a long
long time coming for all of you glorious Warriors who so proudly
served and who were treated so horribly when you came home. If it is
any consolation to you Heroes, YOU are the reason the
anti-war miscreants did not succeed in doing to my Son what they did
to all of You and my Brother, a proud Marine who served during this
disgraceful time in America's history!
I hope with all my heart
that each and everyone of you know that what these vile and ungrateful
bomb throwing ingrates did to you, they did to all of us.. Mothers,
fathers, sisters, brothers, cousins, aunts, uncles, friends and
neighbors, we suffered with you and our hearts broke for all of you
and for our country. We all promised ourselves, NEVER AGAIN!
I was 13 years old at the
time and I saw my father shed tears over the way his Son and his
Brothers were treated by a bunch of tantrum throwing spoiled brats!
It was the ONLY time I heard my father shed tears and he never knew I
heard him. I promised myself then that when I got older, if these
ungrateful brats threw their tantrums again, I would fight them with
everything in me! I loved my Father and my Brother and even at 13, I
wanted to punch all these reckless ingrates in the nose! My father
was a WWII Navy Veteran who was fortunate to have served his
country when ALL Americans were grateful and proud to be Americans. I
have always known why they are called the Greatest Generation! God,
country and family was everything and the only thing to them. Sadly,
for my Brother and all his Brothers, the capitalist Ayers and Dohrn
family raised a bunch of spoiled monster kids that were never taught
love of God, Country and Family! Their bomb throwing tantrums led to
death, destruction and the abuse of the most Noble of all
Americans, the Heroes of their time who served to protect and defend
their country!
BIG MISTAKE! The mothers,
fathers, sisters, brothers, aunt, uncles, friends and neighbors, we
never forgot what they did to You, Our Heroes!
I formed The Band of
Mothers after my Son proudly stepped up to the plate to defend his
country. He joined the Army right after the attack on 9/11 and I was
very proud of him. When I saw Cindy Sheehan down in Texas carrying
signs calling my Son the terrorist, my heart raged from the aching
scars left always there for all of YOU! It is in that moment that
The Band of Mothers was formed and I left my living room that day and
I fought for my Son and his Brothers like we all should have fought
for all of you back then!
I hope with all my heart
that we have done you proud. All of you, The Band of Brothers, You
did us all proud! I hope we've showed you that NEVER AGAIN will we
allow these ungrateful miscreants to harm the honor and dignity of
brave men and women who risk their lives everyday to keep us
safe.
WELCOME HOME VIETNAM
VETERANS AND WITH ALL MY HEART, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DID TO KEEP MY
FAMILY SAFE. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SO VERY PROUD OF ALL OF YOU AND SO
VERY GRATEFUL FOR HEROES LIKE YOU!
I am always in the BEST
company when I'm in the company of THE BAND OF BROTHERS!
The Very Proud Daughter of
a WWII Navy Veteran, the Very Proud Sister of a Marine, Vietnam, and
the Very Proud Mother of a Son, 82nd Airborne,
With A Mother's
Heart,
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
Great video, Kids seeing
their Dad's Come Home From the War!!!!
The Band of Mothers After Action Report: Supporting Our Troops,
Washington DC March 18th & 19th
If you have never stood
out in front of Walter Reed in support of our troops, it is one action
I suggest you engage in before the doors close later this year! For
the last 6 years, members of Free Republic have religiously stood in
front of Walter Reed in support of our troops, in rain and sleet and
snow, every single Friday night! They do this because on the other
side of the street the anti-war Code Pink/IVAW moonbats gather to
protest the war. That they choose to spew their anti-war, anti-troop
venom on what is no doubt one of the most hallowed grounds in all of
America speaks to their sheer ignorance and lack of depth. In spite
of their immature tantrums and lack of respect and gratitude for the
selfless sacrifice of our Healing Heroes inside Walter Reed, the
voice of Patriots is what our Heroes hear loud and clear when
they return from their Friday night dinners! It is always an absolute
honor to join the members of Free Republic and Protest Warriors on
Friday night whenever I am in DC. I must say we had a nice turnout
of Patriots, including members of The Gathering of Eagles and Uncle
Jimbo of Blackfive. We definitely outnumbered the pathetic 13
moonbats (hey, they've been busy showing up in Madison, Wisconsin
these days, they gotta follow those cameras!!!!). Special thanks to
TJ who serenaded them behind the gates of Walter Reed with her stereo
blasting "Praise The Lord and Pass The Ammunition!" Drove them
crazy!!!! God Bless You TJ!
After welcoming our Heroes
back with much love and fanfare, we decided to visit Mologne House and
were able to enjoy the company of several of our Wounded Warriors.
Sam and Todd, God Bless you both for all you have done for my family
and this great country. These brave Warriors and their Brothers are
who make this life in America so safe and so beautiful and so
possible. I considered myself quite lucky because Friday night I got
to meet Cpl Peck's mother, Lisa. Cpl Peck is from Illinois and is the
Marine Hero and Purple Heart Recipient who suffered injuries on his
first deployment and then on his second deployment hit an IED. As a
result of that explosion, this brave young man lost his limbs.
Through the Gathering of Eagles Laptop Program, The Band of Mothers
were able to donate a voice activated laptop to Cpl Peck and I was
delighted to find his mother at Mologne House Friday night. We
visited for over an hour and I will be sending out a follow-up email
regarding a fundraiser in Antioch, IL on May 9th.
Saturday we gathered at
Freedom Plaza to counter the annual anti-war nuts which we all
agreed numbered about 500. In this mess we encountered the usual
stunts of Code Pink with the Pig Lady, Answer, SDS, IVAW, Veterans For
Peace, 9/11 Truthers, and the Ron Paul groupies. They all want Bradley
Manning released, he is their Hero. I think that sums up the whole
bunch!! I direct you to the video below (thank you Ida!!!), take note
of the gray haired left-over from the 60's hippie speaker surrounded
by flags of Veterans For "Peace" and calls for
smacking the mule and civil disobedience! What a confused Freak
Show!
We wound our day up at
Shelly's Backdoor, a great DC Landmark with good food and great
spirits! Some of the greatest times of my life have been shared with
my fellow Patriots who continue to fight for our troops as they fight
for all of us. They, along with our troops and our Veterans, are
always the BEST company I am ever in! Thank you to all who came and
stood for our troops and my special thanks to new members of The Band
of Mothers: Ida, Kathleen, Sandra, Roy and Dave! Kathleen is a Blue
Star Mom whose brave Son is currently serving in Iraq! Sandra is a
beautiful Patriot and the girlfriend of this lucky Warrior! Please
keep Kathleen, Sandra, and their brave Warrior in your prayers!
Video below by Ida, and
pictures in a photobucket, thanks to Heather!
Before I sign off, Free
Republic and Protest Warriors will gather at Walter Reed on Friday
night, Aprill 8th, for their 6th anniversary. Hope
some of you will join these beautiful Patriots as they stand in
support of our troops and their mission! No matter the weather, they
will be there!
God Bless Our Troops and
God Bless America!
I dedicate this post
to Sal Lanzetta, 4th ID US Army, Vietnam, who I know is in Soldier
Heaven. Rest In Peace Sal, and With A Mother's Heart, Thank You!
The Courtroom was FULL!
Thank you to all who came and special thanks to Chad and Ron Kirby of
GOE and thanks to the members of Free Republic! It was good to see
you Cindy! AND Special thanks to Hon Capt Charles Netsby.
Diana West gives a good
summation of this day in court (below). In my opinion, Michael's
attorney hammered home the reckless error made by the Prosecution in
dismissing their "world renown" forensic "expert" witness, Dr. Herbert
McDonnell. After hearing Michael's testimony at trial, Dr. McDonnell
told the Prosecution that, based on his examination of the forensic
evidence, Michael was telling the truth. The Prosecution sent the
doctor home and he was never allowed to testify! This action by the
Prosecution deeply concerns me and it should concern every American
and every parent of a Soldier serving! It stands to reason that the
testimony by Dr. MacDonnell would have changed the outcome of this
trial and Michael Behenna may very well have been exonerated.
Instruction to the jury
was another issue argued by Jack Zimmerman, Michael's attorney. My
understanding is that the jury was instructed that because Michael
held a gun on Ali Mansur, he gave up his right to self-defense??!!
Think about that...Our Soldiers brandish their weapons all over Iraq
and Afghanistan, does that mean they give up their right to
self-defense??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God Help Our Troops and
God Help Michael Behenna and the Leavenworth 10!
What is MOST UNNERVING
is the decision will be rendered within 3 to 15 months!
Why must this family and
this Soldier, who has sat in Leavenworth now going on two years, have
to wait this long for a decision? Disgraceful!
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
PS My
favorite moment in this hearing was when the Prosecution described
Michael holding a gun on poor defenseless old Ali Mansur and one of
the Judges suggested that shouldn't some consideration be given to the
state of mind of Lt Behenna and PTD issues as his platoon members had
just been killed...the Prosecutor was at a total loss for words and
her PROLONGED silence I thought was golden! I think her thoughts must
have been something like this: "Gee, your honor, why would we give
any thought to the Soldier here, we are governed by concern for the
poor terrorist in this politically correct court!!!!"
Last night
Second Brigade MC made an early Christmas visit to a new apartment
complex for veterans here in Philadelphia. We brought 6, that's right
6, pick up truck loads of furniture, clothing, bedding and various
assorted other items to them. We learned of their opening quite by
serendipity, but as soon as we were alerted we stepped on the gas.
This will not be our last visit to help our brothers and sisters in
arms who have fallen on bad times. My hopes are that once this is
seen, others amongst you will clamor to assist. The newspaper story
with details of the new facility is below. Thanks much to all who
helped last night and know that there was not a dry eye in the house.
Merry Christmas All. Manchu.
Picture taken this past September at Right Nation event in Chicago
(from left to
right:) The lovely Mrs. Hoekstra, Denise Cattoni, Illinois Tea party
State Coordinator (and one of the hardest working woman I know),
myself and Congressman Pete Hoekstra, one of my personal Heroes who
understands the dangers of this enemy we are fighting!
October 24, 2010 - Fox News & Beverly Perlson
Deadline Disgrace
for Mail-In Ballots
Troops only get a one-day extension for mail-in ballots.
Be sure you watch the
first one and number 3, Bert Cattoni sang his beautiful song he wrote
and recorded called "I still believe." In spite of a rat a tat
sound system and wind reminiscent of Chicago, he did a BEAUTIFUL
job!!!!
Like I said in my speech,
NEVER EVER Underestimate the will and spirit of an American
Patriot...Thank You Lei Hennessy Owen, artist and sculptor of the
Magnificent WTC Angel. We were all very proud to be a part of this
historical event.
Beverly Perlson,
The Band of Mothers
The Rededication of the
Ground Zero Angel
On November 9,
2010, artist and sculptor Lei Hennessey Owen, rededicated her
Ground Zero Angel, at the World Trade Center Site. Beverly Perlson,
founder of The Band of Mothers, will be present for this beautiful
rededication.
An Angel Takes Flight
at Ground Zero
11/9 Dedication Ceremony
The Band of Mothers
was been invited to speak and proudly stand among the many Patriots
who will participate. I am very proud to announce that Illinois
resident and Singer/Songwriter Bert Cattoni will be there to sing one
of the most
BEAUTIFUL songs I have heard in a long time and every time I
listen to it, it brings tears to my eyes. Bert wrote this song and it
is called "I Still
Believe"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tReGJwwtt3I.
You can purchase his music at
http://fairwayrecords.com/and
I highly recommend you add this to your Patriotic collection! Bert is
the husband of the hardest working woman I know, Denise Cattoni, State
Coordinator for the Illinois Tea Party (www.illinoistea.org).
In a nutshell, our military is allowing terrorists taken off the
battlefield, who have admitted to killing American Soldiers, to sign a
Pledge TOGETHER WITH THE VILLAGE ELDERS, that they won't return to the
battlefield, and then the terrorist is returned to his mother! This is
outrageous! So the terrorists go home while our Soldiers continue to
sit in Leavenworth and our mothers, American mothers, cry themselves
to sleep at night! What is even worse is that the entire trial for the
terrorist takes 30 minutes while our Soldiers and their families
accrue enormous legal fees and travel expenses trying to defend their
Hero! This is an outrage!
Below is an online petition that William Kelly and Veteran Steve
Ruggiero of Kelly's Truth Squad (Washington Times) have put up online.
They agree that what is good enough for the terrorists should be good
enough for our Sons! We demand our Soldiers in Leavenworth be afforded
the same courtesy and compassion that is being shown to the
terrorists. Let THE AMERICAN PUBLIC BE THE VILLAGE ELDERS FOR THE 8
REMAINING SOLDIERS WHO MAKE UP THE LEAVENWORTH TEN AND SIGN THE PLEDGE
SO THAT THESE SOLDIERS CAN BE RETURNED TO THEIR FAMILIES!
Please click on the link below and sign this petition and forward this
all over the universe. Please post this on websites and just keep this
moving! To all the Veterans Groups out there, We intend to present
this petition to the Secretary of the Army with a Cover Letter from
any and all Veterans Groups who will stand with us! Please stand with
us in support of your brothers. As Diana West pointed out in her
article dated May 31st:
"If this exercise dampens the barbecue-season kickoff, good. Maybe it
will help Americans see the urgent need for clemency in these cases.
And particularly given the mind-boggling fact that the United States
has released and granted clemency in Iraq to tens of thousands of
insurgents, including some of the most dangerous fighters our soldiers
were sent to fight in the first place.
This is a scolding from a mother whose Son served 4 deployments in
this "war on terror": This military and this government had better
start worrying about appeasing the mothers of the Warriors of this
country because if this double standard continues, they won't have any
future Warriors to fight their wars!
With A Mother's Heart,
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
Motto: Warriors Come From Warriors! www.thebandofmothers.com
AFTER
ACTION REPORT ON
THE
L10 FREEDOM RIDE 2010
TO SUPPORT THE LEAVENWORTH 10
After Action Report
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Washington, DC
September 10, 2010 definitely goes down
in my lifetime as
one of the BEST days of my life. The Gathering of
Eagles, The Band of Mothers and Soldiers Angels had the
distinct honor of presenting 19 laptops to our Wounded
Warriors at Walter Reed.
Let me try to
make this clear one more time. John Boehner
NEVER "NEVER" said he will deliver these petitions anywhere. John
Boehner had nothing to do with these petitions. I, let me say that
word again "I" made the suggestion to Chalice that folks mail a copy
of their petition to Boehner's office.
I have now
asked Chalice to remove Congressman
Boehner's name and address off this website. My idea
was simple, mail a copy of the petitions to John Boehner's office, it
is quite a leap to take that simple suggestion and make the statement
that "they
would be received and delivered by Mr. Boehner".
I want to
make this perfectly clear that it was my suggestion folks send a copy
of their letters to Congressman John Boehner as
he is the House Republican Leader. Congressman Boehner is in no way
associated with these petitions.
Thank You,
Beverly
Perlson
The Band of Mothers
On Saturday,
June 26, 2010 The Band of Mothers participated in the presentation of
laptops to our Wounded Warriors at Ft. Bragg, NC. This wonderful
program is the brainstorm of George Samek and The Gathering of
Eagles. We began our first presentation at Walter Reed last September
and have since been joined by the wonderful and patriotic group,
Soldiers Angels.
This was
one of the best days of my life! You know, it was very clear to me
that these Brave Warriors certainly do truly appreciate these
laptops! In addition, it was very clear they really love hearing from
us and how much we appreciate all they do. I can really tell they
don't realize how much many of us stick up for them and when I was
asked to come back and talk to these Warriors, I understood they need
to hear that more and more. They liked hearing that we fight for them
as they fight for us and with all the PC crap they put up with, we
must be like a breath of fresh air.
Please, if you can,
make a donation to the Laptop Program.
Many of our
wounded are far away from their loved ones and these laptops make it
possible for them to communicate with the very loved ones who are
vital to their recuperation and recovery. These laptops are a
therapeutic tool, no doubt about it!
Thank You and
let's hope that General Petraeus will make serious changes to the
Rules of Engagement so that the paramount concern is on the lives of
our troops, and not the terrorists!
Again, if you
can, please join The Band of Mothers as a supporter and donator to the
Laptop Program For Wounded Warriors.
On June 6,
2010, I was honored to stand in New York at Ground Zero with the 9/11
Families, Pam Gellar, Robert Spencer and all the wonderful Patriots
who came from all over to Say
NO
TO A MOSQUE AT GROUND ZERO!
This New York
rally was awesome. Pam Gellar, Robert Spencer, all the speakers were
great. The crowd was awesome!
I cannot even
begin to describe to you the feeling of rousing patriotism among the
Americans who attended this rally. The overwhelming support for the
9/11 families, the New York Firefighters and the New York Policemen by
those who attended inspired me and renewed my fighting
spirit! Patriotism and that good old American fighting spirit beats
in the hearts and minds of those NY firefighters and Policemen. They
will Never Forgive and they will Never Forget!
We Will Never
Forgive and Never Forget! Please join us in speaking out
against this Mosque at Ground Zero. It is a slap in the face
of our beloved Americans who were slaughtered on 9/11. It is a slap
in the face of our Gold Star Families whose Sons and Daughters have
given their lives to keep this evil away from us. It is a slap in the
face of every Brave Warrior who has fought and is fighting these evil
terrorists who even kill their own people, by the thousands! Our
Brave Warriors and their mission are the only thing standing between
us and pure evil.
Thank them and Hug Them, every chance you get!
NO TO A
MOSQUE AT GROUND ZERO!!!!!!!!!
God Bless And
Watch Over Our Troops!
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
I received this from a staunch troop supporter, Betty Kilbride. Betty
is the author of the wonderful and phenomenal book "Soul of American
Warriors" A Writer's Journey Comes Full Circle. YOU NEED TO READ THIS
BOOK!
Corey Clagett is one of The Leavenworth 10.
Please read her note below and
PLEASE SEND COREY POST CARDS EVERYDAY FOR 30 DAYS!
He needs to
hear from grateful Americans.
Thank You....Beverly Perlson, The Band of Mothers
From Betty:
Help us help
cheer up Corey Clagett who was denied his clemency this past week. He
is extremely depressed and feels as though he is alone in the world
and that no one cares. Lets show him we do care!
Your
mission, should you accept it will cost you a total of a post card and
a stamp every day for 30 days. Here’s the concept presented to me this
morning by Mark
Williams, a staunch Corey Supporter - “I
came up with the idea for a post card campaign. If we all just sit
down and write out 30 post cards to him with a brief
word of
encouragement like "stay strong" or "thinking about you"
and stamp them all and then for the next 30 days just put one in our
mailbox to him each day, it would blow his mind. If all of his
facebook fans would do this it would be over 78,000 post cards. It
wouldn't cost but about 45 cents a day and if nothing else it would
drive the mailroom at Leavenworth crazy”. I gotta tell ya I LOVE
THIS IDEA.. lets do it people, lets drive that mailroom nuts with all
the mail. Corey’s address is as follows:
Corey
Clagett 82477 <this number is very important it must be in address)
1300 N. Warehouse Road
Ft. Leavenworth, KS 66027
To the
thousands of Michael Behenna supporters:
The New York Times
recently reported (see link below) that the US military has initiated
a policy to “reintegrate” imprisoned Taliban
fighters to their Afghan communities. These Taliban fighters were
caught with evidence that they had killed our soldiers, but are
released to their families in an active war zone
with merely a ‘pledge’ that they will not return to the Taliban. This
appears to be the latest attempt to win the hearts and minds
of our enemies and taking the ‘catch
and release policy’
to a whole new level.
This brings us to Michael’s case. Michael has been incarcerated by
the Army for over a year now. We have asked at every level that
Michael’s constitutional right to a fair trial be granted so that all
the evidence is disclosed to the jury. Doesn’t seem too much to
ask for an American citizen who fought for his country does it?
Yet Michael’s request for a new trial has been stranded. The Army
seems to be in no hurry to have Michael’s case in front of the Army
Court of Appeals
as they have yet to file their response to Michael’s brief which was
filed back in December 2009.
There is a double standard in play here where enemy combatants
are given mercy, but our soldiers/Marines are denied mercy. For
example, Marine SGT Larry Hutchins whose conviction was overturned
several weeks by the Navy Appellate Court is STILL IN CUSTODY while
the Navy appeals the decision to the next appellate level.
During
the past year we have come to know the families of the other
soldiers/Marines who have been charged and convicted of ‘murder’ of
Al-Qaeda or insurgents while in a combat zone. We have watched as
these soldiers/Marines and their families prepare for clemency
hearings before the military clemency boards. (The Armed Forces
have a procedure, independent of the appellate process, where an
incarcerated soldier/Marine can appear before a clemency board and ask
for a reduction of his sentence, or if the individual has served at
least 1/3 of his sentence they may request parole.)
We have heard the hopelessness in the voices of the families when they
learn that their son or husband will not receive ANY reduction in
their sentence. It is difficult for these military families to know
that based on a ‘solemn’ pledge Taliban fighters are released by the
SAME US military leadership and allowed to return home to their
families. What message does the US military send when we punish our
own soldiers more harshly then we punish the combatants who have
killed our brave men and women on the front lines of this war on
terrorism?
Many of the soldiers/Marines I am speaking of, including our son,
would never find themselves involved in the criminal justice system
but for their combat experience. These soldiers/Marines do not have
previous criminal histories, and their military records are replete
with honorable service including purple hearts,
bronze stars,
and multiple deployments in defense of our country. Some of these
soldiers fell victim to the military’s ‘catch and release’ policy that
returns enemy combatants to the battlefield where they return to fight
our soldiers time and time again. Yet others were protecting
themselves or their men in a combat zone. Even if they made mistakes
in judgment during war, should they be sentenced to 10-40 years while
the enemy is totally forgiven? Why shouldn’t the SAME military
leadership afford our combat soldiers/Marines a second chance!
If the US military will release Taliban fighters simply on a pledge by
their families that they will not rejoin the Taliban then we ask the
same for our troops. These soldiers/Marines are not a threat to our
society and deserve to be home with their families. We ask that
you the American public stand with us. Our request is that each of
you vouch for these soldiers/Marines and demand that our
military extend the same mercy to them as they did to the enemy
combatants who are trying to kill our soldiers every day.
Please write a letter to your Senator, Congressman, and the
Secretary of Defense
and advise them that this double-standard will not be tolerated.
GOD
BLESS OUR MILITARY AND THANK YOU ALWAYS AND EVERDAY, THANK YOU
TROOPS FOR KEEPING US SAFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
After Action Report: Michael
Behenna Clemency Hearing
After Action Report:
Michael Behenna Clemency Hearing
Washington,
DC
In Support of lst Lt Michael Behenna
Clemency Hearing
January 7, 2009
Please accept my apologies for the lateness of this report. A matter
came up that required too much attention.
January 6, 2009:
I had the honor and distinct pleasure to have breakfast with the
Behenna family on the morning of January 6th. They are a family with
presence and my thoughts immediately were that the Clemency Board
would be impressed, to say the least. They are a beautiful and loving
family. That did not surprise me at all as I spent a few days with
Vicki Behenna in early December lobbying in support of Michael. Vicki
is a lioness and they have messed with her cub and after meeting the
family, the Clemency Board will know they have stepped into the Lion's
den! They are a close knit family and they are fighters!
After breakfast we headed to the hill and met up with a truly great
group of Patriots who came from all over the country to lobby with us
in support of Michael. I know the Behenna Family joins me in thanking
Beth, Carrie, Stanger, Snooper, Nonnie, and Pastor Ed and Annie B.
These folks came from Pennsylvania, New Jersey Indiana, Texas and
Washington State. God Bless you folks for coming such a long way and
your support was noticed by all we met with and I know it helped
Michael, I have no doubt.
We had no formal appointments as the Congressmen were back in their
districts. That actually worked to our advantage. We were all welcomed
into every office we visited and we got the ear of many staff and
military liaisons. The offices we visited included Mary Falin, Rep
Kline, Rep Thomspon, Duncan Hunter, Steve King, Trent Franks, Mike
Pence, Joe Wilson, Ike Skelton, Darrell Issa, Buck McKeon and Susan
Davis. In each office Vicki told Michael's story. Vicki articulates so
well the injustice done to her Son and she is so very compelling. In
Rep Davis's office, as Vicki made her case, the two aides were so
enthralled they literally stopped everything they were doing,
including answering their phones, to listen and watch Vicki. Michael's
father Scott is a big man and has a commanding presence himself. If
Vicki forgot to mention something, he filled in for her. Curtis, one
of Michael's younger brothers spoke about his brother's credibility
and Shannon, Mike's girlfriend and a beautiful girl, spoke about his
loyalty. Let me just say this, this family is a force to be reckoned
with! Michael's Aunt and Godmother had come along and she filmed the
trip. In my conversations with her, she shed a few tears for her
godson.
The reaction from all we met with was shock, especially at the
ludicrous 25 year sentence Michael received and the fact that not all
the evidence was presented at his trial. All agreed Michael has
certainly been served an injustice. Many had suggestions of
representatives to meet with who could help us further. Special
special thanks to Beth, who arranged our visit with Rep Thompson's
office and who waited on us. They were so very gracious to all of us
and gave us tour passes which the Behenna family utilized on Friday.
Curtis' girlfriend, Candace, a beauty herself, has never been to DC so
the family spent Friday showing her around and those passes were
welcomed and so appreciated.
January 7, 2009:
Our group gathered outside the building where the Clemency Hearing
took place in Arlington, Virginia, about 8am. The hearing began at
9am. We encountered a Swat Team, Police and the Security man in charge
of the building. When they saw what a non-threatening group we were,
and that there were no "pink" people there harassing us, they went on
their way. They were all supportive too! We held our signs "Free
Michael Behenna" and
www.defendmichal.com, and of course, the beautiful "We
Support Our Troops". The Behenna family arrived about 8:15 and they
were delighted to see us all out there. I do believe we gave them that
extra push. The family looked tense and it just made my blood all the
more for what this family has been put through, all because their Hero
Son defended himself against a known Al Qaeda terrorist. We hugged
them and let them know we would not leave until they came back out.
Pastor Ed assured them we would pray for them and we did. The panel
consisted of 5 members, 3 male, two female and two of the members were
civilians. Vicki was originally told she would be given 10 minutes to
fight for her Son's life, but the family was actually given about one
hour. I think that speaks to this families credible and formidable
presence. The panel asked questions relating to Michael's life as he
grew up and what his plans were if he were released. The Behenna
family were told that a decision would be rendered in a week or two
and that Michael is the one who will be notified of the decision. Pray
folks, please pray as if Michael is your Son, because he is, he is all
of our Sons!
To Beth, Carrie, Stanger, Snooper, Nonnie, Pastor Ed and Annie B,
thank you for all your support and for coming such a long way to
support this Hero. I believe there is a special bond between us that
will last a lifetime.
With A Mother's Heart Filled With Love and Respect For lst Lt Michael
Behenna and His Beautiful Family,
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
(Click image for
larger view) Michael's Family
Rest
in Peace PFC Michael Pearson
I want to thank every
Illinois resident who lined the highway from the funeral home to Abe
Lincoln Cemetery. There were hundreds of Patriots! It was
absolutely the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life. It
was a long way from the funeral home to the cemetery but it was the
most heartwarming ride of my life. Marine Jim was riding with me
and he had to grab a tissue. Thank you to all of the Patriots who
lined the highway and all of those who pulled their cars over and
stood at attention.
I'm a fighter, as are my
Sons and my brother, as was my father, and I am mad, mad as hell
that this happened on our soil. Like 9/11, another cowardly act by
the jihadis.
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
To all those who want to
harm America or her Defenders, this is for you...
We took a "Stand For Our Troops" on the Cannon Bldg Corner
Sept 9th & 10th in Washington, DC
Col Robert Brenner, Jr,
Retired
WWII Army Veteran
Battle of the Bulge
D-Day
AMERICAN HERO!
Huge Success, to
see our After Action Report click here.
Strumming for Vets is an
organization that has come up with a way to help restore the feeling
of joy and self-worth that can be lost after extreme trauma. With
donated guitars and teachers donating their time, these vets are given
a new type of therapy that works!
"We
sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm."
-
George Orwell
From the Founder of The Band
of Mothers:
As I watched
Cindy Sheehan and her misguided bunch in Crawford, Texas, she ignited in
this mother my “protective instincts.” I raised three children myself and
well, let’s just say “nobody ever messed with my kids!” I do not believe
there is a force in this world stronger than a mother’s instinct to protect
her children. I have watched these protestors and worry so very much about
how their disrespectful behavior affects our noble Soldier’s morale. I
decided that we cannot afford nor allow their voice to be the only voice
heard! Never a mother who could sit idly by, an idea formulated in my heart
and in my mind that our brave men and women need “The Band of Mothers” to
watch over them, and more importantly, to “Stick Up For Them!”
If You would like
to become a member of the Band of Mothers, simply go to the Ranger UP
website and purchase a T-shirt and wear it often and everywhere! All
proceeds after cost go to The Wounded Warrior Project and The Gathering of
Eagles Organization - which protects our soldiers from the growing
insurgency at home.
We will know each other, and so will others, by our T-Shirts!
The Very Proud Mother of a United
States Soldier 82nd Airborne,
The Very Proud Sister of a United States Marine - Vietnam,
The Very Proud Daughter of a WWII Veteran.
Beverly Perlson
Founder, The Band of Mothers
An email was sent to the
founder of The Band of Mother, Mrs. Perlson, which shows the character
of our brave heroes, our soldiers and serves as an example of why
the United States of America is the GREATEST nation in the world!
We wanted to share it with you - THANKS RYAN, may God's speed and grace
be with you.
Dear Band of Mothers,
Thank you so much for the
support of the troops. Being a mother is not easy; being a mother in a
situation where you know you may never see your beloved son or daughter
again must be torture. You are correct, Warriors come from Warriors.
I am 20 years old and from
Colorado. I am a student at the University of Colorado, and come
November, I am a United States Marine. My mother is terrified; I do not
know what to tell her, but I know that this is something that I have to
do, for America and for myself. Thank you for raising children with the
courage and strength to serve.
I wish the safe return of
all of your children. Despite the efforts of peace groups and
counter-protestors, there are always replacements such as myself. It may
not seem like it, but there are still plenty of kids who know when to
stand up and do what is right. In fact, the Army and USMC were above
their recruitment quotas for last year; I would say there are a lot of
us. It is an honor to follow your children into battle, and to relieve
them so that they may return. Thank you again, you are an amazing group
of women. I think I am going to get my mother a shirt. She is terrified,
as I said; I hope that one day she can come to be proud of me as well.
Thank you all.
To my Brave Son and
all the Brave Men and Women of our Armed Forces:
In the heartfelt words of our parting
President and Your Commander-in-Chief: "This Nation Owes You
A Debt of Gratitude."
With all my heart and soul, thank you for
your service and sacrifice.
To President Bush: We will miss
you. It is my belief that these last 7 1/2 safe
years will soon be more memorable than anytime in our
history. Thank you for keeping my family and my country
safe. History will make you our Hero.
Beverly Perlson
Founder, The Band of Mothers
(Click on image to watch video)
(Click on image for larger
view) Chandler's Watch Radio
Show on
www.sandiego1700.com
On the evening of May 2, 2008, at Louie's
Chop House on the south side of Chicago, I had the honor of dining with
the Producer and Crew of the infamous radio show "Chandler's Watch" on
www.sandiego1700.com. The last time I
had such a memorable and entertaining evening I had visited my Hero
Son and his Hero Brothers at Ft. Bragg! From left to right, yours truly
with Leo McSweeney (Co-Host on SanDiego1700), Tommy Chandler (Host) and
John "Howie" Howell (Producer). These Pro-Victory Marines actively
support their Brothers and ACTIVELY antagonize Suzi and Code Pink every
chance they get!!! Checkout their radio show on Saturday nights at 5pm
pacific time. They are huge supporters of our troops and just the Best
Company you can be in! Thanks with all my heart for all you fellows are
doing for our brave men and women. You are The BEST!
Chandler's Watch website:
http://www.chandlerswatch.com
Washington,
DC
Are you sleeping?
