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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.
Folks, please call your Congressmen and Senators and
ask them to support this effort on behalf of our Soldiers in
Leavenworth. Please forward and twitter this article too.
Thank You,
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
Texas congressman asks Trump for full review of
'Leavenworth 10' cases
By Perry Chiaramonte
June 2, 2017
FoxNews.com
A
Texas congressman is appealing to President Trump for a full review of
cases involving a group of veterans, known as the Leavenworth 10, who
fought in Afghanistan and Iraq and are now imprisoned for battlefield
crimes.
Rep.
Brian Babin, R-Texas, asked Trump in a letter to consider the immense
pressure the men were under while fighting for their country.
“As
you know, our troops face extremely difficult decisions while serving
in the heat of battle,” reads a copy of the letter, which was obtained
by Fox News.
“These
moments present life-or-death consequences not only for them, but for
the men and women with whom they serve. Far too often, we forget that
a tiny fraction of our society has to shoulder the immense burden of
these wars. These men and women voluntarily joined the military and
answered our nation’s call to duty.”
The Leavenworth 10 are
serving terms in the Fort Leavenworth penitentiary that range from 10
years to life. The soldiers and marines considered to be part of the
Leavenworth 10 changes whenever one of them completes
his sentence and
another convicted veteran takes his place.
Babin’s appeal adds to those of veterans, their families, former
congressmen and
other supporters who believe justice is not always served when young
service members’ fates are sealed in military courtrooms far removed
from the heat of battle.
Many,
including Babin, have taken issue with the imprisonment of these
soldiers as the previous administration emptied the military’s
Guantanamo Bay detention facility of avowed terrorists while these
servicemen have languished in another detention facility for actions
on those same battlefields that their supporters say merit clemency.
“I’m
certainly not excusing what these men may have done,” Babin told Fox
News, “but the previous administration emptied the Guantanamo Bay
facility of terrorists that returned right back to the battlefield.”
“Our
troops face extremely difficult decisions when in battle,” he added.
“These are life and death decisions they have to make. They are in
intense situations that few can understand.”
Babin
said that all he is requesting is a full review of the cases.
“This
is something that should be looked at again,” he said. “Especially in
light of all the clemencies that were issued to convicted terrorists.”
He
also believes that Trump will be very responsive to his request.
“I’ve
met with the President a few times and I know he is a great admirer of
our military,” he said. “I feel confident that he will consider this
issue.”
Sgt.
Derrick Miller of Maryland was on a combat mission in a Taliban-held
area of Afghanistan in September 2010 when he was warned the unit’s
base had been penetrated. An Afghan suspected of being an enemy
combatant was brought to Miller for interrogation and wound up dead.
Miller claimed the suspect tried to grab his gun and that he shot him
in self-defense. But he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
Miller’s mother, Reneé Myers, says that she is relieved that some in
congress are taking up the cause for the families of the Leavenworth
10.
“I’m
overjoyed to see a letter to the president that specifically asks for
action,” Myers told Fox News.
“After
years and years fighting for my son, it’s good to see someone like
Babin fight for us. He has had no type of relief in a sentence
reduction,” she says. “None what-so-ever. At the bare minimum they
should reduce his sentence. The military courts are not good enough at
addressing these issues with these service members.”
Rep.
Babin Requests Review of Cases Involving U.S. Troops Currently
Imprisoned in Federal Prison for Actions Taken in Combat in
Afghanistan and Iraq Wars
Last September, we were able to secure an appointment
with Congressman Babin (R, Texas) regarding relief/release of Sgt.
Derrick Miller from Leavenworth, where his is serving a life sentence
for his defensive actions on the battlefield in Afghanistan.
I cannot put into words how kind, concerned and
respectful Congressman Babin was towards Derrick's parents, Renee and
Craig Meyers. He assured us in that meeting that he would take action
on behalf of our Sons in Leavenworth and the letter
below demonstrates his commitment to us.
It is my hope that a review of Derrick's case will
commence and he will be released to his family or, at the very least,
he will receive a reduction in the egregious life sentence he is
currently serving.
It is
outrageous that terrorists were released from GITMO under the previous
administration, while our Sons were never shown the same mercy and
continue to sit in Leavenworth. It is time our Sons to go home too!
I am
hopeful that Congressman Elijah Cummings will sign onto this effort.
Sgt. Miller is from Maryland and Congressman Cummings told Derrick's
mother he would help her Son. It is time for him to keep this promise
and sign onto this effort!
Please
call your Congressmen and Senators and ask them to support this
effort. This should be a bipartisan effort! Sgt. Miller did not
serve in the military to protect just those who live in Maryland, he
served three deployments serving and protecting every American in
every state!
Please
folks, Please help us with this effort and pick up your phones today,
contact your representatives and ask them to support Congressman
Babin's request to the President.
Congressman Babin's letter to the President is below.
With A
Mother's Heart,
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
Rep. Babin Requests Review of Cases Involving U.S.
Troops Currently Imprisoned in Federal Prison for Actions Taken in
Combat in Afghanistan and Iraq Wars
Washington, DC –
U.S. Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX) sent a letter to
President Trump last week requesting a full review of each case
involving any U.S. service member who is currently imprisoned in U.S.
prisons for certain actions taken during combat in the wars in
Afghanistan and Iraq.
“Under the Obama Administration, we saw the continued
release of violent terrorists from U.S. custody in Guantanamo Bay –
with many of them returning to the battle against U.S. forces,” the
letter states. “Meanwhile, these young American men who answered
the call to duty and put their lives on the line for our freedoms
continue to languish in prison.
“I respectfully ask that your Administration fully
review each case involving any American service member who is
currently imprisoned for actions taken on the battlefield in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Such a review is an appropriate action given their
previous service and sacrifice in defense of the United States.”
President Donald J. Trump The White
House 1600
Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President,
It is with great concern that I write you regarding
U.S. service members currently imprisoned in U.S. prisons for certain
actions taken during combat in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
As you know, our troops face extremely difficult
decisions while serving in the heat of battle. These moments present
life-or-death consequences not only for them, but for the men and
women with whom they serve.
As a veteran myself and the father of a highly
decorated U.S. Navy SEAL with multiple deployments to Iraq, I have
great respect and admiration for the young men and women who have
served in these conflicts.
Far too often, we forget that a tiny fraction of our
society has shouldered the immense burden of these wars. These men
and women voluntarily joined the military and answered our nation’s
call to duty.
Sadly, in some instances, it seems the military and
previous administrations have been too quick and too severe in the
punishments of these service members for certain decisions they made
while serving in combat. These service members were dealing with
extremely intense situations that few can understand.
Let’s not forget that many of these service members,
who remain incarcerated in U.S. prisons, saw their fellow troops
killed or injured during hostilities in Iraq and Afghanistan where
over 6,000 Americans have been killed and over 50,000 injured.
I have met with the parents and friends of some of
these service members who are still incarcerated. They are pleading
for a simple review of these cases in hopes of a possible clemency or
reduction in sentencing. I believe that under the leadership of your
new Administration we should take a fresh look at these cases.
Under the Obama Administration, we saw the continued
release of violent terrorists from U.S. custody in Guantanamo Bay –
with many of them returning to the battle against U.S. forces.
Meanwhile, these young American men who answered the call to duty and
put their lives on the line for our freedoms continue to languish in
prison.
Furthermore, on the way out of office, President Obama
pardoned a traitor in Bradley Manning—someone who put the lives of
American soldiers and allies at risk—while ignoring the pleas of the
families of these American troops to simply review their
incarceration.
I respectfully ask that your Administration fully
review each case involving any American service member who is
currently imprisoned for actions taken on the battlefield in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Such a review is an appropriate action given their
previous service and sacrifice in defense of the United States.
Respectfully, Rep. Brian
Babin
Member of Congress
Annual Cigar night for veterans and supporters at
Shelly’s Back Room in Washington, DC.
Below is the write-up and photos from Pepper Ailor of Freedom
Alliance, who in conjunction with The Band of Mothers, held our annual
Cigar Night for our Warriors at Shelly's Back Room in Washington, Dc
this past Tuesday evening, May 9th. It was a wonderful evening for
all and it was an honor to be among these American Heroes for an
entire evening! We stayed at Shelly's and we closed the place and that
is and always will be our tradition because we relish every moment of
this special night to be among these Heroes. If only we could
celebrate and honor these brave Americans every single night of the
year!
My
special thanks to Shelly's Back Room and their wonderful staff. They
have allowed us to hold Cigar Night for nine years at their legendary
DC establishment and I cannot put into words how warm and kind Bob's
staff is to our Warriors. It is clear Shelly's supports our military
and I am so very grateful for kindness and hospitality of their staff.
Next year will be our 10th anniversary of Cigar Night to honor our
military Heroes and we look forward to a special night at Shelly's to
commemorate this tradition!
To
Katie, thank you for all your help in planning this wonderful event.
Katie was recently given a trophy that named her "The Connector", and
she truly is a behind the scenes force that brings good people
together who support this country and her military! To Chad and Larry
O'Connor and his lovely wife, Lucian Wintrich, Cindy and her son Hero
Son Gavin, Chiefy, Phil and Heather, DC Brian and his Dad, and Maura,
thank you all for attending. I know you all feel as I do, that this
event is an evening to elevate those among us who are so very noble
and it is an absolute honor to be among these Warriors. I thank you
all for coming and making this evening another success.
To
Andrew Marcus, writer/producer of "Hating Breitbart", thank you for
coming all the way from Chicago! You and Katie are the Best! To our
dear friend and huge military supporter, Jeannie Morris, thank you for
coming all the way from Florida. Unfortunately, Jeannie no sooner
arrived and she had to go back to Florida to see about her Hero
husband and Veteran, James. He fell ill but I am happy to report he
is doing okay now and all is well. Next year Jeannie!!
To
Dave Madaras, who was present back in 1983 in Beirut when the
terrorists drove a truck into our Marine compound and killed 241
Marines, with all my heart, thank you for coming! Meeting Dave has
been an absolute honor of a lifetime and I'm so very grateful that he
was able to attend Cigar Night with his lovely wife. I've always
worried about the Marines who survived this horrific attack and always
hoped one day I would meet just one of them so I could hug them and
tell them how much we love them and grieved with them. I've got some
good hugs in since meeting Dave. As is so typical of The Band of
Brothers in their dedication to their brothers, Dave advocates for
the release of Sgt. Derrick Miller from Leavenworth. His message
should haunt every American. Dave told us all how he wishes he could
go back and stop that truck that killed his Brothers back in Beirut
and he makes the crucial point that by the actions Sgt. Miller took
that day back in 2010 in Afghanistan, he saved the lives of many
American Sons. They all went home to their families, and to the
detriment of Derrick and his family, he went to Leavenworth. I am
thankful to Dave for his support of Derrick's release from
Leavenworth. I pray that President Trump will hear our plea and grant
Derrick mercy and relief of the egregious life sentence he is serving
in Leavenworth. It is time for Derrick to go home!
To
our military Heroes who attended Cigar Night, I hope with all my heart
you enjoyed yourselves and you felt the love, respect and appreciation
we all feel toward you. I was astounded by a young officer who
attended Tuesday night. He just couldn't believe that a group of
Americans would actually gather for one whole night and shower him and
his brothers with all this love and appreciation. Why, according to
him they are just doing their job. I swear, the humbleness and the
nobility of our military just never ceases to amaze me. I pray that
God smiles on each of you every day of your life and I asked that
young Hero to please spread the word to all his Brothers that there
are those among us who are honored by your presence and we will NEVER
ever take you for granted! God Bless Everyone of You and Thank you
For All You Do and Have Done To Keep Us Safe!
Pepper's write-up is below. I am forever grateful to Pepper and
Freedom Alliance for all they do for our military and for making it
possible every year to be among these Heroes. I look forward to our
10 year anniversary of Cigar Night next year and I know, as in past
years, it will be a great success!
With A Mother's Grateful Heart,
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
~~~
From Pepper:
2017-05-09 Cigar Night with Beverly Perlson
May 9: FA Supporter Beverly Perlson hosted a cigar night for veterans
and supporters
(approximately 30 attended) at Shelly’s Back Room in Washington, DC.
Beverly Perlson of Chicago is not your ordinary military mom. Her son
Johnny served in the 82nd Airborne,
deploying multiple times to bring the fight to our enemies. While he
was fighting overseas, Beverly was fighting at home. Not only had she
started a postcard project to ensure our military knew they were loved
by those at home, but she began seeking out politicians in Washington
to help battle cases of soldiers wrongfully prosecuted for actions
overseas. One such success story is Michael Behenna, who was sent to
Leavenworth after being convicted of murdering a known Al-Queada
operative while questioning him. Behenna had claimed self-defense,
but was found guilty. Beverly was one of those saints leading the
charge on Capitol Hill to have him released, and he was granted parole
in 2014. Today, Beverly continues to storm the halls of congress,
advocating for the release of Sergeant Derrick Miller, who is also
serving time in Leavenworth.
Beverly met Oliver North in 2007 and has been a supporter of Freedom
Alliance ever since. When she travels to DC, each year she hosts an
annual cigar night at Shelly’s Back Room in downtown Washington. This
year, about a dozen veterans in the area joined Beverly and her
friends for a night of shared camaraderie and patriotism. There were
several folks from conservative circles who attended including a White
House correspondent, the writer & director of “Hating Breitbart”
Andrew Marcus, and local talk radio host Larry O’Connor from WMAL
attended with his wife Meredith. Longtime friends Katie O’Malley and
Chad Longell continued their unblemished attendance record with this
event.
We
received a few texts from past participants that could not make it to
this year’s event including retired Colonel Mark Mitchell and retired
Major Eric Burkett. Mark is the recipient of the Distinguished
Service Cross and Eric is a pilot who lost a leg from service in
Africa. Others remarked how the event was well remembered and asked
us to pass on their gratitude to Beverly for continuing her support of
our military.
At
the end of the evening, Beverly addressed the group to thank the
military for their dedication to our country and give them the message
that people stand behind them. Then she asked one of the guests to
come up to say a few words. Dave is a Marine that was featured on the
cover of TIME magazine in 1983 – but it wasn’t a joyous occasion.
Dave was on the scene in Beirut when a terrorist bombed the barracks.
He told the crowd that he would have done anything to prevent that day
from happening. Then he asked if he had taken the lives of those
terrorist, would he be locked in Leavenworth? He echoed Beverly’s
statements that Sergeant Miller should be released, and finished by
giving Beverly a great big bear hug. Retired Marine Colonel Ed Hall,
another guest, raised his cup and toasted Beverly to end the remarks.
We
look forward to next year as Beverly celebrates 10 years of cigar
nights!
Mr. Pepper Ailor| Freedom
Alliance
22570 Markey Court, Ste. 240 | Dulles
| VA | 20166
www.freedomalliance.org
Last week we took a stand on the Cannon Bldg corner in DC for
relief for Sgt. Derrick MIller, currently serving a life sentence in
Leavenworth for his defensive actions on the battlefield in
Afghanistan on September 26, 2010.
We were well received by many Representatives who
passed by on Tuesday and Wednesday, and all expressed support in our
efforts to help Sgt. Miller. On Thursday, we took our efforts indoors
and visited all 35 offices of the Republican House Armed Services
Committee Members. We also dropped info at the offices of Congressman
Moulton and Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth.
You
might ask yourself why only Republican offices. Surely, support for
Soldiers who risk their lives to keep us all safe should not be a
partisan issue, right? One would think that all Representatives would
be on board to seek relief for one of our Son's from Leavenworth,
especially since this administration is releasing terrorists from
Gitmo who have murdered Americans. The answer is that for the past 3
years, Derrick's parents and I have made several trips to DC
attempting to form a Maryland Delegation of Representatives to support
a reduction in the life sentence Sgt. Miller is serving,
but to no avail.
As Derrick is from Maryland, that is the protocol to follow. When we
worked to secure Michael Behenna's release from Leavenworth,
we received support from an Oklahoma Delegation of Representatives
(they all happened to be Republicans who stepped up) and John Hatley
has a Texas Delegation supporting him in his release from Leavenworth.
After many months of correspondence and meetings with
Congressman Van Hollen's office, the Congressman sent a letter in 2014
to Major Gen William Rapp, Chief Army Legislative Liaison. We had
explained to Congressman Van Hollen, in a face to face meeting,
that ALL Appeals had been exhausted and that is why we were seeking
his help. We explained to him that the family had already been to the
last line of appeal, the CAAF Court (Court of Appeals for the Armed
Forces), and the appeal for relief was denied. I quote Congressman
Van Hollen's request in his letter to the Army: "Given the
complicated circumstances concerning Sgt. Miller's conviction, I am
requesting your consideration of whether a reduction in
length of sentence is warranted." We
asked Congressman Van Hollen to fight for a reduction in Derrick's
sentence. Some fight, huh? The Army's response to the Congressman was
that Derrick's mother could seek relief from the CAAF
court. Congressman Van Hollen, who we had already told all appeals
including the CAAF Court were exhausted, sent Derrick's mother a
letter telling her she could go to the CAAF Court to appeal. He tells
her in his letter he knows this isn't what she hoped to hear and
wishes her the best in seeking relief for her son. And that was end
of Congressman Van Hollen's help for Sgt. Miller.
After
chasing Congressman Cumming's office for 2 years, his rep sent a
letter on June 3rd, 2016 to the Acting Secretary of the Army Patrick
Murphy, (I never understood sending to the "Acting" Secretary when
Eric Fanning had already been appointed as the Secretary of the Army)
asking for a clemency hearing for Derrick. That letter was also
signed by the Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus (individual
members would not sign). There has been no response in 4 months and
no follow-up by Cumming's office to date for an answer.
We sought help and met with other offices in Maryland
and received no help whatsoever. One office in particular, staffer
Chris Schloesser in Congresswoman Donna Edwards, was unbelievably
lacking of any compassion. When I asked him what he had to say to
this mother sitting before him who cries herself to sleep at night
because her brave Soldier stays locked up in Leavenworth while this
President is releasing terrorists out of Gitmo, he curtly and with a
raised voice told us "But we're trying to close Gitmo!" His brother
and father are big in the 101st Airborne and he said he would look
into helping us. We NEVER heard from him again and you can be sure we
followed up.
I think it is important, at this point in our efforts,
to share the truth regarding the lack of support among the reps in
Maryland for one of their own Sons who volunteered for 3 deployments
overseas. He fought for their safety, and they have failed to fight
for him. It is disgraceful.
We have now turned our efforts toward Republicans
and already they are asking for info and transcripts.
We met with several Republican Congressmen who offered
support for relief in the stringent life sentence Derrick is serving.
Congressman Gohmert stated he will go and see Derrick in Leavenworth
and Congressman Reichert is working on a letter to President Obama.
Other offices offered their help and support.
All whom we met with expressed sympathy to Renee and
consolation that they will do what they can to get some relief for
Derrick. All agreed it is unfair that Derrick and other American Sons
continue to sit in Leavenworth with no relief while Gitmo detainees
are being released in record numbers from Gitmo.
My
special thanks to Katie, Chris, Chad, Cindy, Phil, Dave (a survivor of
the Marine Barracks bombing, what an honor to meet him), Darrell, and
our very special thanks to John Moloy, Chairman of the National
Vietnam & Gulf War Veterans Coalition for bringing his Coalition's
support and their beautiful banner to carry on the corner! The
support of all these Patriots and this wonderful organization means
the world to Sgt. Miller and his family.
And a very special thank you to Jim Hoft of Gateway
Pundit for posting several articles about Sgt. Miller and especially,
a big thank you for the article posted while we were in DC. Gateway
Pundit ALWAYS supports our Troops and we thank you Jim!
Lastly, to Andrew Marcus and Rebel Pundit, thank you
for coming to DC to cover our action on the Cannon Bldg. corner. It
has been a long hard fight to free Derrick Miller and the support of
people like you from across this great country means a lot to his
family, and I know to all all those who serve to protect us. On a
side note, Jeremy no sooner arrived in DC and he had to catch a flight
right back home as his daughter was about to be born.
He made it!! Congratulations Jeremy and Anne! Another great Patriot
born to wonderful parents!
We
need YOUR help and support now, more than ever. We do believe we
raised quite a bit of
"awareness" up on the hill and it would help tremendously if each of
you on this email string would call your Congressmen and Senators this
week and ask them to sign the letter Congressmen Reichert is
composing regarding Sgt. Miller. This will help tremendously and it
will reinforce the Congressmen who are willing to take a stand for one
of our Sons who deployed 3 times to keep us all safe!
Please also forward this information to all your lists
of contacts to get the word out.
Thank you!
With A Mother's Heart, Beverly
Perlson The
Band of Mothers
"Warriors come From Warriors"
~~~
Below is a statement by Sgt. Derrick Miller's mother, Renee Myers, in
response to the latest release of 15 hardened terrorists with
extremist backgrounds. Senator Ayotte describes these detainees
as “among the worst terrorists who could jeopardize our national
security and the lives of our troops."
Let it
be known, Sgt Miller's mother has applied for a permit to take a stand
in Washington, DC, for the release of her Son. Our hope is to garner
support among legislatures up on the hill. We will gather on the
corner of the Cannon Bldg, New Jersey & Independence, on September 27,
28, 29th. When the permit is issued, we will send out notice. We
hope you will join us.
President Obama needs to show the same compassion and mercy to our
Sons in Leavenworth as he is showering on terrorists complicit in the
deaths of Americans. Please read Renee Myers plea to President Obama
below and Please pass this to all your lists!
Thank
You
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
STATEMENT – IN RESPONSE TO RELEASE OF GUANTANAMO
DETANEES
As I read once more of the continuing release of the
Guantanamo Bay detainees, my thoughts turn to my son
– Sgt. Derrick Miller – who sits in Ft. Leavenworth convicted of
murder for actions he took during
combat in the very same war, waiting for the day that he too will be
able to return to his
family and loved ones.
The irony is that these men, apprehended by brave
fighters like my son, will more than likely return to
continue the violence and conflict that continues to threaten us all.
Derrick, on the other hand, who wants
nothing more than to hold his daughters in his arms, be the best
father and provider he possibly
can, and resume a life of hard work and public service,
remains locked away.
Our enemies continue to swell their ranks with
combatants filled with conviction and confidence that they will be
hailed as heroes for their fight against our way of life. Our brave
men and women in uniform go to battle to defend us, no less committed
to fight and die to protect us, but far less confident that their
leaders will stand behind them when the time comes for them to make
the split second decisions that can mean the difference between life
and death.
President Obama has an historic opportunity to show men
like Derrick that their bravery and sacrifice are not forgotten. As we
continue to show mercy to our adversaries, so too should the same
compassion be extended to our soldiers here at home. Please Mr. Obama…it’s
time for my son to come home too.
From the heart of a Blue Star mother…
Renee Y. Myers
Please read the article below, written by Diana West, a journalist who
has told of the injustices our Sons are enduring on this battlefield.
It hits at the heart of what really happened to Sgt. Derick Miller!
Eating
Our Own Some More
Written by: Diana West
Sunday, July 31, 2011 5:22 PM
Sgt. Derrick Miller, 27, of Hagerstown, MD, was convicted this past
week of the premeditated murder of an Afghan man in 2010. The husband
and father of two was assigned to a Connecticut National Guard unit
and attached to the 101st Airborne Division at the time of the
shooting in Eastern Afghanistan. After joining the National Guard in
2006, Miller had three combat deployments and had recently been
promoted.
~~~
From the AP last week:
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. - A US Army National Guardsman was sentenced
yesterday to life in prison with the chance of parole for the murder
of an Afghan civilian.
Sergeant Derrick Miller, 27, of Hagerstown, Md., shook hands with
several soldiers in his unit after the 10-member military jury
delivered the sentence after two hours of deliberation. He was found
guilty of premeditated murder.
Clue #1 to smelling yet another rat in our military justice system.
Miller is still on good terms with fellow soldiers. Would several
soldiers want to shake hands with a "premeditated murderer"?
His attorney had argued during two days of testimony that Miller acted
in self-defense when he shot a man last September. The military has
identified him as Atta Mohammed but his name was not used in court.
Defense attorney Charles Gittins told the jury that Miller stopped the
man for questioning when he walked through a defensive perimeter that
Miller’s unit had set up around a mortar unit.
What was an innocent bystander doing walking through a defensive
perimeter?
Gittins said Miller believed the man could be a threat to his unit and
that during questioning the man tried to grab Miller’s weapon.
But Specialist Charles Miller, an eyewitness and guardsman from
Maryland, testified he heard Miller threatening to kill the man if he
did not tell the truth and then straddling the man, who was lying on
his back, before shooting him in the head.
He said, he said -- but not much information in between. I decided to
email defense attorney Charles Gittins.
Q:Hello, Mr. Gittins, Saw a brief story about Sgt. Miller's sentencing
(first I'd heard of the story). Can you send me any more information
about his case?
Best wishes,
Diana West
Charles Gittins replied:
In a contested jury trial at Fort Campbell KY, SGT Miller was
sentenced to life in prison with the opportunity for parole (in 10
years) for killing an Afghan civilian when the civilian grabbed his
weapon during harsh questioning. The civilian was identified as a
possible insurgent who had been walking through SGT Miller's platoon
defensive perimeter observing their defensive positions. After the
shooting the unit was attacked in a complex attack and the ANA
soldiers assigned to the platoon pulled back prior to the start of the
shooting and hid behind a building.
The witnesses against SGT Miller were a soldier who originally
supported SGT Miller's version of events, but he changed his story
when he was threatened with being named an accessory and being placed
on legal hold so he could not de-mobilize. The other witness was an
Afghan translator who was promised US Citizenship in exchange for his
testimony. He was brought to the US in January and has been living on
Fort Campbell in a base hotel at $630 per month with a dedicated van
to take him wherever he wants to go, and has been fed at taxpayer
expense. Basically, the two witnesses had every incentive to testify
the way the Government wanted them to -- consistent with guilt rather
than SGT Miller's claim of innocence. SGT Miller cooperated in every
way from the date of the shooting, but his command lacked the moral
courage to stand behind him.
I wrote back:
If I say I'm not shocked, it's only because I've been following such
cases for years now. But I'd also be exaggerating, because what you
describe is shocking in a most disgusting way. Who, in your opinion,
is this show trial designed to play to?
Gittins replied:
The Afghans that run that area of the country. This guy [the victim]
was an insurgent but no one in the fricking military is willing to say
so to the two-faced Afghans. They had a firefight that night that was
designed to kill Americans -- all the while the ANA soldiers were
nowhere to be seen. They disappeared just before the shooting started
and the fire on American positions was such that the guys targeted
were sure that they [the insurgents] had recon of American positions
due to this guy and his two military-aged males accompanying him
reporting on the positions.
That we waste ONE American life in defense of that country is
anathema. The country is completely corrupt; they are cowards
unwilling to defend their own country, and we have gotten so deep in
defending an indefensibly corrupt regime we cannot extricate our
military in a way that allows us to maintain our honor.
If President Karzai was on fire I wouldn't urinate on him to put out
the fire. Feel free to quote me.
CG
This Memorial Day Tribute (below) was sent to me by a dear friend
and Vietnam Veteran, Jim Diehl.
Jim
reminds us of the true meaning of Memorial Day.
Please, as you gather with your family and friends over
this weekend, please remember and say a prayer for our Fallen and
their families, and please keep all those serving now in your
prayers. We live such a beautiful and safe life, so preciously
protected by the brave and selfless Men and Women of The United States
Military. Please never forget those who have given their all to keep
us safe. Please Honor their sacrifice this weekend, and every day.
It is
my greatest hope that we are all an ever so grateful nation, Always &
Forever Grateful, for these beautiful and brave Americans.
Once again The Band of Mothers, along with Col North's outstanding
organization, Freedom Alliance, hosted a group of brave and
glorious Warriors at Shelly's Back Room in Washington, DC on May 3rd.
It is really very difficult to put into words the absolute honor it is
to be in the same room with brave American Warriors such as these
men. All I have are words and they just never seem to be enough to
express how lucky Americans are to have such courageous and noble men,
who willingly risk their lives to face and confront evil in far off
lands, all to protect us and our way of life. These are the real
Heroes of our time and in my book, they are the rock stars of our life
and times!!! Theirs are the stories that should be told for they are
the amazing and incredible American Warriors that make it possible for
each of us to exist day in and day out in a free and safe nation.
They are our Protectors and I shudder to think what our lives would be
like without them. So it is with great humbleness and enormous
respect that once a year, The Band of Mothers gets to host a group of
legendary War Heroes, thanks to the help and assistance of Pepper
Ailor and Freedom Alliance. I met Pepper in 2007 and he has helped me
fulfill my hope to give back in a small way to these wonderful
Warriors. Col North's organization, Freedom Alliance, has
significantly impacted the lives of our wounded Warriors in so many
wonderful ways and I am grateful to them for all they do.
Below
is Pepper's write-up of this wonderful night at Shelly's Back
Room, photos included.
To Bob, and all the
staff at Shelly's, I can never thank you enough for the regal
treatment our Warriors receive from you folks. If you are in the DC
area and wish to enjoy great cigars and the BEST food in DC, you must
visit Shelly's. If you were present on the evening of May 3rd, you
would have witnessed the absolute best treatment, the most attentive
staff, that our Warriors should enjoy wherever they go. Shelly's is
the standard bearer of an American establishment that truly
appreciates our military and knocks itself out to show their love. I
am so very grateful to Bob and his hard working staff for making this
evening so memorable!
http://shellysbackroom.com/
My
deepest appreciation to Katie O'Malley, my dearest friend and Irish
mother who loves each of our Warriors as her own, to Chad, a beloved
Warrior himself who has always helped us fight the good fight for his
brothers, to Chief, who has always been a part of the fight, I love
each of you and am so very grateful to you for all you do to support
this effort and so many fights over the years for our Troops. And to
Diana West and her awesome husband, thank you for attending this year
and hope you join us every year hereafter. While Katie, Chad, Chief,
myself and many others have relentlessly walked the halls of Congress
on behalf of our Troops, Diana West has used her journalistic skills
to pen so many articles regarding the restrictive and insane rules of
engagement and she has fought along with us to right the injustices of
our Sons in Leavenworth. I include a piece Diana published on the
very day we celebrated our Warriors at Shelly's. Reading this you
will understand why I felt it important to introduce Dian to the brave
men we hosted on May 3rd. She fights for our military and shames the
injustices they are subjected to:
One
more thing, while in DC we made a trip to Congressman Rangel's office
to ask for help on behalf of Sgt. Derrick Miller, who continues to sit
in Leavenworth with a life sentence for defending himself and his
Brothers on the battlefield. In spite of all our efforts and so many
trips up to the hill, Derrick still has not received any relief
whatsoever regarding his life sentence. As this administration
continues to release the worst of the worst terrorists out of Gitmo,
our Sons continue to serve horrendous sentences in Leavenworth.
Please, I beg of each of you, please make one phone call on behalf of
our Sons in Leavenworth. Please call Congressman Charlie Rangel and
ask him to wield his power up on the hill on behalf of his Brothers
and ask that our Sons be released from Leavenworth. Congressman
Rangel is a Veteran and he did pen one letter on Derrick's behalf, in
2012, for a clemency hearing, of which Derrick was denied. Please
help us fight for our own Sons, America's Sons, to be released.
Congressman Charlie Rangel....202-225-4365. Thank You!
Without further ado, I give you Pepper's wonderful write-up below of
the BEST night we will have until next year, same time, same
place! Until then, May God Bless and Watch Over all our Warriors who
serve to keep us all safe and free. It is my hope that next year
Major Eric Burnett will be able to join us because we all missed him
so!!
With A
Mother's Heart,
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
In
addition to storming Capitol Hill to fight for servicemen in need of
an advocate (like Derrick Miller and Charles Martland), Band of
Mothers founder and Chicago native Beverly Perlson has another
favorite pastime when visiting Washington, DC – cigar night at
Shelly’s. As the mother of an American soldier who served four combat
deployments with the 82nd Airborne, Beverly understands the need for
the American public to show its support of our men and women in
uniform. On a Tuesday night last week, amidst a spring drizzling
rain, twelve warriors entered one of the only smoking establishments
in the District, guests of Freedom Alliance and our hostess Beverly.
There was a mix of soldiers and Marines. Their common
thread was a shared experience: combat in the Global War on Terror.
Several of them have transitioned out of the service to find jobs
amongst the ubiquitous government and defense jobs in the area, and a
few are still making the transition. In the crowd were officers and
enlisted, including those with Purple Heart medals and one with a
Silver Star. Five of them had a long history with Freedom Alliance,
while the others were just being introduced to us. No matter their
background, wounds, or branch of service, Beverly treated them to
dinner, beverages, and 70-gauge Connecticut-wrapped cigars.
Previous attendees that could not be there promised to
make the next one. Major Eric Burkett, a Marine who attended in 2015
but has since moved away from Walter Reed to North Carolina, sent a
text stating “Please give my very best to Miss Beverly – cigar night
was truly one of the very few events that I looked forward to
attending!”
Towards the end of the evening, Beverly asked the crowd
for a moment to express her feelings about her guests. The mood
became somber as she told them while they were fighting overseas, she
and many others across the country were fighting the restricting
policies of this administration, lobbying on their behalf to ensure
American sovereignty stayed with us. It was a clear message that
Beverly, her friends, and Freedom Alliance and her supporters will
fight the battles that take place in the halls of Congress while they
fight on the battlefield.
V/r,
Pepper
In response to the
National Review "attempt" to take down Donald Trump,
I respond with my official endorsement of Donald J. Trump for
President.
From the moment he
entered the race, Donald Trump is the only candidate that has
repeatedly and consistently put our beloved men and women of the
United States Military on the national pedestal where they belong.
From the moment he announced his candidacy, he has sang their praises
and these men and women deserve every bit of his praise! In spite of
all the abuse and mistreatment our Sons and Daughters have endured
over the last 7 years, they remain loyal and true to this country and
their mission. In spite of a dangerous and derelict administration and
too many cowards on the other side of the aisle, they stoically serve
the likes of all these "politicians" and "We The People." They remain
loyal, no matter what "We The People" serve up to them.
National Review should study the resolve and loyalty of the brave men
and women of our military and learn from it:
The bottom line is the National Review folks are some of the the very
people who insisted Trump sign their pledge to support whoever the
candidate ends up being. Trump signed it, to their dismay.
Now they are the ones violating their own Pledge.
Finally, in Donald J. Trump we will have a Commander-in-Chief worthy
to lead our Brave Sons and Daughters into battle, and truly a leader
who will let them win! Finally, and most important of all, a Leader
who is concerned about their hearts and minds!
AS IT SHOULD BE! How refreshing!
To Michael D, the families of these Beautiful
Brave American Sons, and all our military, my family offers you our
deepest condolences.
The Flag flying in my front yard is lowered and it will remain lowered
for 12 days. I will think of each of you and I will thank God that we
were all so fortunate that you graced this earth and honored us in
your willingness to serve and protect.
Thank you Robert for looking after these Marines, all the way. God
Bless You.
With A Mother's Heart,
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
Below, From Robert, the only real reporting we had until Monday. The
media should be ashamed.
Flags should be lowered at our White House and all over this country.
CH-53E Incident Press Conference
Marine Corps base Hawaii
Memorial Service planned for Friday @ Marines Corps base Hawaii
In the five days of
continuous searching, crews located some crash debris as well as
helicopter wreckage on the sea floor, two miles offshore in about 325
feet of water. “So far we’ve found widespread debris field on the
ocean floor with parts of aircraft, and that’s the extent of it at
this point in time,”
YOU Can Let The World Know The Death of 4 Brave Americans WILL ALWAYS
MATTER! SEE The Movie
"13 Hours The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi" Begins Friday January 15th in
Theatres!
While
4 Brave Americans were under attack by savage terrorists and
desperately fighting for their lives, Hillary Clinton, then Secretary
of State, left her state department office and went home. While brave
American Sons were desperately fighting and hoping the leaders of the
country they so loved were sending help to them, the reckless and
detached Secretary of State Hillary Clinton went home and went to bed
and the whereabouts of the Crybaby-in-Chief in our White House to this
day is sketchy, but we do know he was getting ready for a big
fundraiser for himself the next day, of which he attended!
This
next disgusting display, watch as the detached,
cavalier monster who wants to be our next President jokes and laughs
about the evening when 4 Americans were murdered in Benghazi:
Then please make it a point, that if you
don't do anything else next weekend, please go see the movie "13 Hours
The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi". You have the power next weekend to
let Hillary Clinton, Barak Obama and all the disgraceful Democrats who
keep telling us that we're tired of hearing about the disgraceful
events of the night that 4 Americans died in Benghazi, that what
happened in Benghazi makes a difference to all Americans. You hold the power
next weekend to let this despicable bunch of reckless traitors know
that American's lives matter above all else and we will NEVER FORGIVE
AND NEVER FORGET that this traitorous and cavalier bunch left our
fellow Americans to die!
Please show your support for the brave
actions of the Secret Soldiers of Benghazi and see this movie. I can
only imagine that horrific night and the heartache of all those on the
ground as they realized that they had been abandoned. Please see this
movie and in doing so,
YOU can let them know that WE, their fellow Americans, did not and
will not ever abandon those who risk their lives to keep us all safe!
YOU will let them know that their lives and safety mean the world to
us and they do and always will make a difference!
My
husband and I saw the movie "13 Hours The Secret Soldiers of
Benghazi" last Friday. We were both "affected."
My
youngest Son and his wife saw the movie last night, I watched the
grandchildren.
God I
do love my Sons, amazing men, both of them. I could tell when he came
home, Mike was "affected" too by the movie and he said as much. He
too was angry, about those that died and shouldn't have and about the
pathetic "Bob" character. But then he said...
that
he was so proud to be an American and to know that six Americans could
take on hundreds of these morons and beat them back.
That
helped loosen the vice grip wrapped around my head and heart since
last Friday.
The
final disgusting blow for these Heroes of Benghazi came in the
end when the battle was finally over. In the end, when the character
Jack Silva is at the airstrip with the body of one of his fallen
Brothers, he looks at the plane that zips up in front of him, and he
says "Still no Americans."
It was
a Libyan plane.
I did
not need to see this movie to know what happened that horrific night
in Benghazi. I, like all Americans who care about our brave men and
women serving already know that 4 Americans died there AND THE COWARDS
IN CHARGE KNEW THEY WERE FIGHTING ALL NIGHT AND NEVER SENT HELP TO
THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!
So
many times over the years I have heard these words "It is my honor and
privilege to serve, ma'am." And every single time I've heard these
words I get a little choked up and I thank God for such brave souls.
If
you haven't seen this movie, you are truly missing one of the greatest
movies ever made about the brave heart and soul of the American
Warrior. It was an honor and a privilege to see the movie and in the
very small way we could, we let the Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, and
all their courageous Brothers-in-Arms stationed in very dangerous
places all over this world know, that whatever happens to them MATTERS
SO VERY MUCH TO US.
On the
very day that our Special Forces Warriors were fighting the Taliban in
Afghanistan, on the very day that we lost one of our beloved American
Sons in this battle, this is the face the pathetic little boy in our
White House presented to the world.
As a
mother who raised a brave Son who fought through 4 deployments in this
war, it is extremely hard to put into "civil" words my reaction, but,
out of respect and love for our brave Warriors, I must try!
When I
saw this narcissistic coward who commands the greatest military on the
face of this earth crying like a little baby, while America's bravest
Sons were fighting off the Taliban in the hell hole of Afghanistan, my
angry verbalizations I dare not repeat here. My anger was coupled
with an overwhelming pain in my heart and soul for the BEST OF THE
BEST Americans among us fighting off savages who live to kill
Americans. I thought of the Americans whose heads have literally been
sawed off by these putrid animals that live for the day they can
torture and kill Americans. I thought of all the Heroes who have
given their precious life in this fight and I thought of all the
Wounded Warriors who are forever affected because they have lost
precious limbs. As I watched the leader of the free world crying for
all the world to see, I immediately thought of the hearts and souls of
the bravest among us. How horrendous it must be for our military who
in the very moment they are engaged in a vicious and brutal
fight, their Commander-in-Chief is weeping on national TV.
I
thought of Sgt. Derrick Miller and lst Lt Clint Lorance sitting in
Leavenworth, Derrick for life, because they dared to act boldly and
bravely to protect their Brothers, as this derelict petulant
Child-in-Chief releases the worst of the worst butchers out of Gitmo.
The constant appeasement of terrorist by Obama is despicable and let's
cut the crap that Gitmo is a recruiting tool. There was no Gitmo
before these savages brutally slaughtered thousands of Americans on
9/11. There was no Gitmo in the 90's under President Clinton when
the terrorists bombed the World Trade Center, the Khobar Towers, the
bombing of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and the October 12,
2000, attack on the USS Cole! And what the hell is the excuse for the
1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Beruit that resulted in the
murder of 241 American Sons!!! Those beautiful American Sons were
slaughtered and the dangerous and reckless Obama and his "JV" team of
dudes and dudettes with their college degrees continue to aid and abet
these rabid terrorist dogs!
So
I write this for their brave hearts and I remind
Americans that we are and will continue to be the greatest nation on
the face of this earth and it is so and will continue to be so thanks
to the brave men and women of the United States Military. I write
this to remind all Americans that if we want to continue to live in a
country where we are safe and free, then we must as a nation realize,
acknowledge and appreciate daily that they only thing standing between
and pure evil are the brave Warriors who continue to risk their lives
to provide us this beautiful way of life.
I
write this to remind Americans that it is imperative that we as voters
get to the polls in November and elect a Commander-in-Chief that is
worthy to lead the bravest men and women of the United States
Military. They desperately need a bold and brave General like Patton
who will allow them to decimate these savages, once and for all!
In
honor of our Special Forces and all our military serving all over the
world, I leave you with this excellent video that exemplifies why
America will continue to be the greatest nation on the face of this
earth. I love with all my heart these brave men and women and I
invite you to pray for them and their families and I beg you to vote
in November and vote for a BRAVE leader who is concerned and dedicated
to the welfare of the hearts and minds of these precious American
Warriors!
My
families deepest condolences to the families of the two Special Forces
Heroes who lost their lives in this recent battle. Please keep their
families in your prayers and every night, please pray for all our
military.
I am
one fed up mother, sister and daughter of real men who fought in wars
to protect our precious way of life. They didn't cry and mope, they
acted on their love of God, country and family and they fought to
ensure that good must and will overcome evil! I am so very proud of
them and all our military and I will never take my freedom and our
protectors of liberty for granted!
Oh,
and to those who say we created these evil savages, I say pack your
bags and head over to Afghanistan and tell them you're sorry and you
will make it up to them. Before you go, get your affairs in order and
take out a life insurance policy because you won't be coming back.
Either put up, or shut up!
December 7, 1941: In Memory & Tribute to All Our WWII Veterans!
On the morning of December 7, 1941, the
United States Naval Base at Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan. This
was a "surprise" attack on our unsuspecting military who were busy
going about their morning duties. In this horrific attack on our
naval force, 2,403 Americans were killed and 1,178 others were
wounded. On December 8, 1941, the United States declared war on
Japan.
Just 4
years later, the war was over! It is obvious winning hearts and minds
was not the strategy of General George Patton, a fearless LEADER who,
among others, led our military to a swift defeat of the brutal enemy
who attacked us! Nope, political correctness NEVER entered Patton's
mind and there is no doubt in my mind that is clearly why our nation
secured a swift victory and an end to WWII!
The horrific events of
December 7, 1941, should live
in infamy,
as President Roosevelt declared on December 7, 1941. Today, however,
there is not much mention of this historical day in the news. Today,
the lame stream media is busy reporting on the pathetic speech
the little boy in the White House made last night. Well, they report,
we decide, and my understanding is that since the San
Bernardino terrorist attack on Americans last week, gun sales are
through the roof! The American people obviously do not believe they
are safe, as the Child-in-Chief declared last night. They are now
arming themselves to the teeth! I've heard it said that Mr. Obama is
the greatest gun salesman ever in the history of this country and I
believe the facts will bear that out!
In
memory and tribute to my father, and all the Veterans of WWII, my
family thanks you from the bottom of our hearts. What brave Americans
you were and are! It is because of brave Warriors like you, and your
Son and Grandson, and all their Brothers, that we live free! I am
proud to say, and I know my father would be proud too, to know that
Americans will take up arms and protect their families right here on
this soil! We will prevail and we will not become sacrificial lambs
for a president who fails to see the reality of the danger we all are
in.
Here's
to you Dad, and To All Those Who Serve and Have Served and Sacrificed
to Keep America Safe & Free:
The Latest in the Sexual Assault Witch Hunt of Another Good Soldier!
Please read these stories about Army Maj. Christian "Kit" Martin as
reported by former Air Force officer-turned investigative journalist
and author Bob McCarty.
If you have time only to read one article, read this one, Army
Soldier-Aviator Faces Possible 58-Year Sentence As Pentagon’s Sexual
Assault Witch Hunt Seeks New Victim, and then read the remainder of my
message below.
Major Christian "Kit' Martin is an exemplary 29-year Soldier and a man
who General Ray Odierno, recently retired Army Chief of Staff, once
described as being of "unquestionable integrity," has been accused of
sexual assault by his ex-wife who, in October, pleaded guilty to one
count of felony bigamy! And this is the woman upon whose word the Army
is basing its prosecution!
When you read about this case, you'll find It is outrageous and
diabolical what the Army has allowed to go on in this case. It is a
witch hunt driven by a shameless special victim's prosecutor, one Army
Major James Bashore. This is the same nutcase who drove the
prosecution of another highly decorated Soldier and Green Beret, Sgt.
1st Class Kelly Stewart. In Stewart's case, the accuser had a long
history of mental illness yet her disturbing record of mental
instability was not allowed to be introduced at trial. Thus, Stewart
was convicted and to this day lives under the false label of a violent
sex offender!
What a record this Bashore has, eh? Destroying the lives of American
Heroes based on the lies of a convicted felony bigamist and a lying,
mentally unstable woman who had lifetime benefits to gain in Germany
if she succeeded in her vengeful attack on the good Soldier, Stewart.
Oh, and did I mention, she was pissed off because Kelly didn't return
her calls after a consensual night together. Let's remember, too, that
when Kelly was convicted, the lying accuser's friends contacted the
court to advise that she lied throughout the trial. Their explanation
for not coming forward during trial was they were certain the court
would never find Kelly guilty. They sure underestimated the
prosecutors and members of his court-martial panel ("jury"), who had
just come off a deployment with the despicable prosecutor Major
Bashore!!!
Please folks, pick up your phones next week and express your outrage
over this continued outrageous destruction of good American Sons who
are willing to die protecting all of us. Major Martin was an attack
helicopter pilot and flew many dangerous combat missions in his
personal commitment and devotion to keeping America safe! The latest
development in this case, since 3 dead bodies have been discovered
last Thursday in Christian County, Kentucky, is that Major Martin's
military trial has been postponed.
Please help us fight to get all these insane charges against this good
man and Soldier dropped. Sooner or later, it is my hope that the
horrendous label Kelly Stewart lives under will be cleared too! This
railroading and destruction of good Soldiers has got to stop and the
only way I believe it will is if the American people raise their
voices in outrage, or we elect President Trump!
One final note, Sgt Derrick Miller continues to rot in Leavenworth,
with no reduction in his life sentence and lst Lt Clint Lorance
continues serving his sentence, with no relief. All because these two
good Soldiers defied the rules of engagement and protected their
Brothers!!! I ask each of you to fight for these good Soldiers until
they get home to their families. In an update, I recently reached out
to Alveda King for help in Derrick's case and her office has been
receptive and most helpful. That is all I can reveal presently.
Your precious voices are needed and especially, if you live in
Kentucky, please contact the Louisville office of Senator Mitch
McConnell (502) 582-6304 and the Bowling Green office of Senator Rand
Paul (270) 782-8303 and let them know that as a constituent, you want
these charges against this good Soldier dropped!!!
Thank you!
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
23 November 2015
To All Presidential Candidates: It's Damn Time the Rules of Engagement
Prioritize the Protection of Our Troops, At All Cost!
At the G20 Summit, Obama, the Boy-in-Chief, was pointedly asked if he
would widen the rules of engagement for US forces to take more
aggressive action. In his rambling "lecture" response, he pathetically
reiterated his dangerous and reckless ideology to pander and appease
this enemy, of which our Troops could defeat in a heartbeat, if he
UNTIED THEIR HANDS! In all his rambling, He NEVER answered the
question from the reporter about the rules of engagement. As the press
conference went on, the failed leader became irritated and annoyed
that his usual adoring press "fans" were not bowing at his altar. He
looked like the bad little boy who gets caught with his hand in the
cookie jar. His entire lecture was the most revealing display of his
incompetence yet! And when all else fails, as he stammers and
stumbles, he has the unmitigated audacity to tell us he visits our
Wounded Warriors at Walter Reed. There are no bounds to the political
cards this sick narcissist will play. It's horrific enough that the
rules of engagement dictate our Warriors protect the so called
"civilians" at great risk of being killed or maimed, but I can't even
imagine what it must be like for one of our Heroes when they are
greeted at Walter Reed by the very coward whose terrorist appeasing
politics landed them at Walter Reed! That may be the only advantage to
Soldiers like Sgt. Derrick Miller and lst Lt Clint Lorance, who
decided, in spite of the rules of engagement, to protect their
Brothers at all costs. Their decision landed them in Leavenworth and
as we continue to fight to try and get them home, and as they continue
to endure the insanity of their unjust incarceration, there is one
bright spot, at least they don't have to stomach a visit from the
Boy-in-Chief!
Under this dangerous and delusional bunch of amateurs in the Obama
administration, the number of our Sons and Daughters killed and maimed
has tripled!!! The rules of engagement under the Bush administration
were atrocious, and at the time, we fought them, but it is clear this
administration has further tightened the cuffs on our Warriors hands
and the result has been devastating for our Sons and Daughters and
their families!!!
The Obama rules of engagement protect the enemy, period!!! They serve
up our Sons and Daughters like sacrificial lambs to the psychotic
butchers wo brutalize anyone in their path!
Obama and his flunkies claim he must protect the civilians who the
savages are hiding among:
"The Pentagon has defended, and largely refused to get into details
about, the current rules of engagement, saying that tight rules are
needed to prevent civilian casualties when Islamic State fighters are
known for hiding in public places where striking would cause
collateral damage and the deaths of civilians."
It is sickening what our brave Warriors have endured on this terrorist
appeasing battlefield under a Commander-in-Chief who runs around the
world insulting and apologizing for the very country these men and
women proudly and bravely fight to protect!!! Obama is a disgrace to
America and the only good thing to say is his run is almost over. Only
11 more months left of his community organizing and I'm certain for
our military it will seem like forever!
So on to my point: I am getting concerned when I hear the likes of
John Kasich and Lindsey Graham and other presidential candidates
announce that "boots on the ground" are needed to defeat this enemy. I
heard Lindsey Graham state he's been to the Middle East 35 times and
he knows we need "boots on the ground" over there. My blood boils
listening to this and I am sickened by his generic term "boots on the
ground". Hey Senator Graham, do you know those "boots on the ground"
that protected your ass over there through 35 visits are living
breathing Americans Heroes trying desperately to protect themselves
and their Brothers from psychotic butchers that think nothing of
blowing to smithereens any civilians, if it means they can kill one
American Soldier????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I hear these big shots committing more of America's bravest to
this insane battlefield what I don't hear from most is any discussion
whatsoever to rewrite the rules of engagement to prioritize and
safeguard the lives of our Sons and Daughters!
I am betting Americans are fed up with this failed "winning hearts and
minds" campaign and I'm certain the Troops are. The time is long
overdue to rewrite the terrorist appeasing rules of engagement to
prioritize and safeguard the lives of our Troops and to enable them to
do what they do best, FIGHT &
WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So I ask each of you, as this presidential campaign moves forward,
whenever and wherever you can, please confront and ask these
candidates if they plan to order a complete revamping of the rules of
engagement to prioritize the precious lives of the men and women of
our military who are willing to die to keep us safe. Ask them if they
plan to let our Troops win this fight, or do they plan to continue to
sacrifice our Sons and Daughters to the failed strategy of "winning
hearts and minds". Please help make this part of the dialogue as the
campaign moves forward for the next President.
And one last thing, please do what you can to advocate that all our
military are guaranteed their right to bear arms on their military
installations. It is wrong and so very dangerous that those willing to
die to protect our second amendment rights are denied this most basic
right! Please write, blog, and radio your voice to this cause. Each
and every American owes it to our Troops to fight for them as they
fight to keep us safe! Ft. Hood should NEVER have happened and I fear
it may happen again if our precious Sons and Daughters are not given
their weapons to protect themselves!
Please keep our military in your daily and nightly prayers, and please
be vigilant yourselves in these dangerous times!
The links below demonstrate the military Donald Trump advocates for
and I'm with him 100%! Americans are damn tired of losing and we want
to see our military so feared that, like Mr. Trump says, "nobody will
mess with us!" This winning strategy is known as "Peace Through
Strength!"
Thank You, and May God Bless America and May God Please Bless and
Watch Over Our Troops!
I remain always 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 Who Served 4 deployments with the 82nd Airborne in this war!
On February 25th at
Shelly's Back Room in DC, The Band of Mothers, along with Freedom
Alliance, was honored to host 19 Glorious Wounded Warriors for our
annual Cigar Night. It was the BEST OF TIMES! Below is the awesome
write-up from Pepper of Freedom Alliance. I have always said this and
it will ALWAYS be true, I am in the best company on this planet when I
am in the company of our Warriors of the United States Military!!
My very special thanks to one of the most beautiful Patriots I know,
Katie O'Malley (just look at the love in her eyes for our Heroes!!),
Chad Longell, Brian Wrenn, Larry O'Connor, Meredith Dake, Heather
Smith, TJ, and the many more Patriots who stopped by throughout the
night to celebrate and thank these Heroes among us!
My heartfelt thanks to Chad Longell for the beautiful flag he
presented me with that was flown in my name over the Combined Joint
Special Operations Task Force - Afghanistan Fallen Comrade Memorial,
at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan on March 4, 2014. I hold it close to
my heart forever, and it is an absolute honor to have received it from
Chad. I must mention here a flag flown in Helmund Province presented
to me by SSgt Michael Drummond back on March 11, 2013. To both Chad
and Michael, words are just not ever good enough to express what these
flags mean to me, they are sacred, and I thank you with all my heart.
To Bob and Justin and Bob's lovely wife and staff at Shelly's Back
Room, you are the BEST Patriots in DC! You can just look at these
wonderful photos and see how much everyone who attended enjoyed
themselves. Shelly's has to have one of the most warm and
accommodating staff in DC and they sure do love our Warriors! To all
you Patriots out there, when you go to DC, you are really missing out
if you don't stop in at Shelly's. These folks truly love our Troops!
http://shellysbackroom.com
I am forever grateful to Pepper and Amy, Tom and Col North and all the
folks at Freedom Alliance, for all they continue to do for our Troops.
These folks look out for our military and their days are filled with
honoring their service and sacrifice. Please visit their website and
read up on all they are doing for our Wounded and the families of our
Fallen. These are great Americans who truly make a difference for all
the courageous men and women who serve our country, as well as their
families. You can visit their website at http://freedomalliance.org/.
As you look at the slideshow from Cigar Night, you will see our
Warriors enjoying the great Cigars my wonderful husband sent as his
special thank you to our Warriors. Judd is my biggest supporter and
although he doesn't make the trip to DC, he sends his love and support
in his own very special way! The guys told me the cigars were
"phenomenal!!"
Lastly, to all of you
Glorious Heroes who came out on a very cold night in DC, thank you for
honoring us with your presence and thank you especially for allowing
us the opportunity to show you how much we revere you and love you for
all you have done to keep our families safe! YOU ARE THE VERY BEST OF
AMERICA and WE ARE BEHOLDEN TO YOU FOREVER!
Pepper's write-up is below! You will love the photos!
With A Mother's Heart,
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
From Pepper:
February 25: Hosted 19 veterans and friends for dinner, drinks, and
cigars at Shelly’s Back Room in downtown Washington, DC.
Photos:
http://photos.freedomalliance.org/SupportOurTroopsProgram/2015/2015-02-25-Cigar-Night-at
Each year, as conservatives from across the country descend into
Washington, DC, to attend their base’s conference, one such
conservative ensures she keeps our warfighters in the forefront of
their concerns. Beverly Perlson met Oliver North at CPAC (Conservative
Political Action Conference) in 2007, while her son was deployed. Col
North signed one of the hundreds of postcards she would send to her
and his unit, who were fighting in Iraq, to show them the support they
had at home. Her son returned safely from the war, but Beverly has not
stopped fighting for the rights of our veterans and military.
In addition to attending CPAC, Beverly has an annual tradition of
hosting veterans and injured troops to a night of camaraderie at the
famous Shelly’s Backroom cigar bar and tavern. Located a few blocks
from the White House, Shelly’s has a reputation for fine smokes, great
food, and a place of gathering for “The Potentates on the Potomac” as
Ollie would say. But on Wednesday night, the politicians, lobbyists,
and DC socialites were sectioned off from a room reserved for our
members of the military who have sacrificed flesh and spirit. Patients
from Walter Reed, veterans, military personnel and loved ones (19 in
all) were treated to a relaxing night, enjoying the freedoms they
fought for.
The room was full of our heroes. In attendance were Major Eric Burkett
and Sergeant John Moore, each who lost a leg – one in a training
accident in North Africa and the other to an IED blast in Iraq. Marine
Clark Cavalier, a cigar connoisseur, was excited to attend. Clark lost
both legs to an IED blast in Afghanistan in 2011.
A familiar face from Walter Reed, Adam Keys, pulled up next to Clark
to light up a huge cigar. Adam lost both legs and an arm to an IED
blast while riding in a convoy in Afghanistan. Adam has been in
treatment since the explosion in 2010, and his mother Julie Keys has
been by his side ever since…including at our cigar night!
Jeremy Lattimer, another close friend of Freedom Alliance who recently
retired out of Walter Reed from a Traumatic Brain Injury, invited his
fellow Marine Todd Nicely. Todd lost all four limbs while serving in
Afghanistan and although he has received a smart-home in his home
state of Missouri from the Siller Foundation, he is back in the area
to see if he can be the next bilateral arm transplant recipient – a
procedure initially performed on another quadruple amputee, Brendan
Marrocco. His mother, also named Julie, attend the cigar night with
us.
Several of the military staff of Walter Reed attended, as well as some
veterans in the area. The owner of Shelly’s, Bob Materazzi, along with
Mgr. Justin Russell, made a special visit to thank the veterans for
their service. Towards the end of the night, a toast was made to
Beverly for sponsoring the Freedom Alliance event, and Bret, a patient
at Walter Reed, sang the chorus from Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the USA
– to which everyone added their voices, some rising to their feet.
Thank you Beverly for this great tradition.
October 31, 2014
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1000
Dear Secretary Hagel:
Sgt. Derrick Miller is an American son currently serving a life
sentence in Ft Leavenworth, convicted of premeditated murder for his
defensive actions on the battlefield in Afghanistan on September, 26,
2010. I write to you as the very proud daughter of a father who
served in the Navy in WWII, a very proud sister of a brother who
served in the Marine Corps in Vietnam, and the very proud mother of a
son who served 4 deployments in the 82nd Airborne in this
war. With every inch of my being, I love our military and I understand
and appreciate the tremendous personal risk our noble Sons and
Daughters take who willingly serve to protect this country they must
love so dearly. The great benefits of freedom and safety all Americans
enjoy, delivered up to them by these brave Americans can never, in my
opinion, ever be overstated. I know I will never truly comprehend the
horrors and the enormous stress that the men of my family and their
brothers have witnessed in war. I struggle with that as I do believe
it is the responsibility of every American to appreciate to their
deepest depth what these brave defenders of our freedom endure.
However, and in spite of my great loyalty to these most noble and
courageous Warriors among us, I do believe I am quite capable of
questioning intelligently, the unjust and coercive circumstances
leading to the imprisonment of some of our Sons in Leavenworth. I am
a mother and never have been one for turning Brothers against Brothers
and I am certainly not one who supports sacrificing and punishing our
American Sons to appease the very brutal and sneaky enemy we are
fighting.
My purpose in writing this letter to you is to ask for your review of
the troubling "charge" of premeditated murder in Sgt. Derrick Miller’s
case, and furthermore, the troubling witness testimony that led to the
egregious life sentence of Sgt. Miller. My original intent was to ask
for your consideration of a reduction in the sentence of Sgt. Derrick
Miller. I believe the charge of premeditated murder is absurd, given
the proper protocol this Soldier followed and the coerciveness
involved in the witness testimony of his conviction. In my opinion,
this conviction, considering all the facts of the case, present a
horrifying predicament for all our Soldiers serving in war.
However, as you are presently reviewing the records for transfer of 79
Gitmo detainees out of Gitmo, I respectfully ask for your same review
of Sgt Miller’s record, and for that matter, a review of all our Sons
serving in Leavenworth in relation to their actions on the battlefield
of this war.
I ask that you review Sgt. Derrick Miller's exemplary record
and consider a transfer of Sgt. Derrick Miller from Ft Leavenworth, to
his family home in Maryland. I, and many Americans who have written
letters in support of Sgt. Derrick Miller (150 letters from Americans
hand delivered to Congressman Chris Van Hollen on Sept 30th),
can assure you, Sgt. Miller would have no intention of returning to
the battlefield of Afghanistan. No Sir, Sgt. Derrick Miller is only
interested and would be most grateful to return to his family home so
that he might be with his family and his two beautiful little girls
that he so willingly served 3 deployments to keep safe. I assume that
would be the case too for other Soldiers serving in Leavenworth who
you would deem appropriate for transfer to their family homes.
With regard to the “strange” circumstances of the conviction of Sgt
Miller, I quote the words of Congressman Charlie Rangel, from a letter
(attached) he wrote to General Odinero in September of 2012,
requesting a clemency hearing for Sgt. Miller:
He wrote to the General, “Due to the complicated circumstances of Sgt
Miller’s case, and the extreme nature of war, I believe a clemency
hearing would be appropriate.” These words I believe were carefully
and correctly chosen, and written by a Veteran, a “Brother.” Sgt
Miller was granted a clemency hearing, but clemency was denied.
Complicated circumstances and the extreme nature of war truly do
describe this good Soldier’s predicament on September 26, 2010 in the
region of Watan Gatu, Afghanistan. What is most troubling to me after
reading the trial testimony, is the charge of "premeditated murder."
I ask you Sir, what Soldier who intends to commit murder, asks
permission to pursue further questioning of a suspicious Afghan man
he sees surveilling his perimeter (and according to trial testimony by
Sgt Miller’s fellow Soldiers, their FOB was surrounded on 4 sides by
hostile villages, so it seems Sgt. Miller was doing due diligence to
protect his men), and then takes two witnesses with him to question
the man? And along the way he arms himself. Isn't that required by
our Soldiers, to arm themselves for protection, especially if they
believe they are approaching the enemy? Sgt Miller’s testimony is
that a struggle ensued between himself and the Afghan man Atta
Mohammad, and he shot Mohammad in self-defense. Isn’t that the right
and duty of an American Soldier on this battlefield in this combat
zone when a man (especially one who when questioned claims he’s there
to fix a water pump, he has no tools, then he claims he’s there to fix
a wire, no tools!) tries to grab his gun?
The rest of this story is just horrendous. Both witnesses at trial
admitted changing their story about what happened. At first they said
there was a struggle for the gun. Later, their story changed to
Derrick shot him, no struggle. Spec. Miller was threatened with
prosecution as an accessory to murder, but upon a grant of immunity,
he changed his story. The Interpreter, well that is just disgusting
what went on. He was paid $630 a month, allowed to live on the base,
was promised a VISA to live in the US, was taken to Chicago a couple
months before the trial to look around and see if he would like living
there, and eventually was given the VISA and is living here somewhere
in this country.
There was no forensics done on the body or the gun. In a civilian
court, seems to me all this would lead to the case being thrown out
but this case was tried in a military court. I ask you Secretary
Hagel, what kind of justice is this for a good Soldier who willingly
deployed 3 times to serve and protect his country?
Lastly, within 20 minutes of the incident with Sgt Miller, whose fear
all along was that his base was about to be attacked, their base was
attacked. Since Derrick's gun went off, the base went on 100%
security and everyone had moved out of positions they were previously
in. The blasts landed where Soldiers would have been sitting and we
would have had wounded and possibly killed AMERICAN SONS! However, not
one Soldier was hurt and there were no fatalities. As reported by one
of the Soldiers in his testimony at trial, this attack came from all 4
villages they were surrounded by, and one of those villages is where
Atta Mohammad pointed to as his home.
Sgt. Miller’s NCO report is exemplary. It seems apparent to me that
the military had high regard for Sgt Miller as just weeks prior to
this incident, Derrick Miller was promoted to Sergeant. In trial
testimony, all the Soldiers serving with Sgt. Miller describe him as
"outstanding" military character, “excellent military character”
“truthful”, his demeanor described as “calm and collected and good
head on his shoulders”, and I must add, God Bless the Soldier who,
when asked if Sgt Miller could be rehabilitated, he stated there is
nothing wrong with Derrick, he's fine!
Secretary Hagel, in talking with members of the military, I am told
Sgt. Miller followed proper protocol in this red hot combat zone.
However, due to the testimony of two witnesses who changed their
stories several times, Sgt. Derrick Miller will now serve a life
sentence with the chance of parole in 10 long years.
The trial testimony indicates that this FOB was completely surrounded
by hostile villages, and had received no less than 52 separate reports
of armed insurgents in the area. Testimony from Soldiers at trial was
that their intelligence from numerous previous missions, including the
tragically devastating mission in Watawu Afghanistan, had proven time
and time again that the villagers surrounding the FOB would routinely
wander through with the sole purpose of gathering information on the
weapons, personnel and movements of our troops. The reports from
Watawu even indicated that the local workers would mysteriously fail
to report to work on the days that an attack was imminent. As one
Soldier stated “They were a great indicator for us Sir!” Shortly
thereafter, our men would find themselves under intense, complex
attack. This intelligence, coupled with the hot combat area in which
the FOB that Derrick was assigned in Watangatu, made Atta Mohammed's
presence inside Derrick's FOB on September 26th dangerous
and particularly suspicious. When one Soldier was asked if they were
hit the night of the 26th, the Soldier answered that yes,
it was a complex attack , “We got hit by 4 villages.” He was then
asked, when the complex attack occurred, what did the ANA Soldiers
do? He answered that they hid behind the schoolhouse! A further
question was asked, “Did they participate at all in defending the
Americans?” The answer by the Soldier was “No Sir.”
And we pay these ANA Soldiers??!!!!!!! And then when one of our Sons
follows proper protocol to question a suspicious Afghan creeping
around the perimeter where he and his Brothers are doing everything
they can to protect themselves and each other in their desperate
attempt to stay alive and perform their military duties, Sgt. Derrick
Miller ends up in Leavenworth. Based on, in my opinion, coerced
testimony of witnesses, one choosing immunity rather than being
charged as an accessory to murder, and the other, an Afghan
interpreter rewarded with money and freedom to enjoy this beautiful
country with it’s freedom and liberty Sgt Derrick Miller and his
brothers fought and sacrificed to provide! How absurd and disgusting
is the ending of this story!
Secretary Hagel, I’ve read that you volunteered to be drafted into the
Vietnam War, even rejecting the draft board recommendation that you
instead go to college. I also read that you and your brother served
in the same infantry squad and that it is reported you saved each
others lives at some point. As a mother, I know that is what I raised
my Sons to do and I know your mother must have been so very proud of
you both. I also know from the brave men in my family that that pure
love of brotherhood encompasses and extends to their brothers-in-arms.
I read that you earned several awards, including two Purple Hearts.
I honor your heroic service and am so very grateful to you and your
brother, truly with all my heart, both for your service and your brave
willingness to serve during a war that you and all your brothers were
treated with such despicable disrespect. My deepest apologies to you
and your brother for the ignorance of “some” stupid Americans.
I ask you, Sir, as one who has obviously served so nobly in the
extreme nature of war and the horrors of the battlefield, please take
under your review, the records of our American Sons in Leavenworth, as
you are doing for the 79 detainees in Gitmo. President Obama stated
as part of the reason for the release of the 5 top Taliban Commanders
in exchange for Bowe Bergdahl that, after all, the war is winding down
in Afghanistan. Well Sir, then that reasoning should apply to a
review of the records and sentences of our American Sons in
Leavenworth, as the war is winding down for them too. I believe and
hope that if you start your review of Sgt Derrick Miller’s case, you
too will intelligently conclude that this good Sergeant followed
protocol to protect his men, and ultimately, he engaged his right to
defend himself in a combat zone.
With A Mother’s Heart & A Very Proud Supporter of The Brave Men and
Women of the United States Military,
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
On June 30th, 2014, Dana Loesch invited me to join her
in studio on the Glenn Beck Show to discuss the harsh and horrendous
life sentence Sgt Miller is currently serving in Leavenworth for
defending himself on a battlefield in Afghanistan. Throughout this
war on terror, Dana Loesch has been a relentless supporter of our
brave men and women in uniform and her unwavering support of our
Troops means the world to them and to me. I am deeply grateful to
Dana and her husband, Chris, for this opportunity and I truly believe
there is a special place in Soldier Heaven for them both. Below is
the link to the show:
Sgt
Derrick Miller served his country through 3 deployments and he did so
proudly and willingly. Sgt Miller was a good Soldier who secured many
medals and rose to the rank of Sergeant. On his last deployment in
Afghanistan, Sgt Miller detained an Afghan man named Atta Mohammed for
questioning. As Derrick's unit was surrounded by hostile villagers on
all 3 sides, and they had been taking heavy fire over time, the good
Soldier Derrick was concerned when Atta Mohammed came from different
directions entering their perimeter. Derrick became concerned when
Mohammed told him he was there to fix a water pump, no wait, then he
was there to fix a generator, and all the while Atta Mohammed
telling Derrick "I not Taliban, the Soldiers killed my brother, but I
not Taliban." Well the Good Soldier Derrick noticed Atta Mohammed had
no tools. A struggle ensued with a gun and Derrick shot and killed
"the Afghan man" as he was only allowed to be referred to at trial.
I
later asked Derrick if he was sorry he shot Atta Mohammed (I only
asked because that seems to be the ridiculous question the liberals
want answered). Derrick looked me right in the eye and responded "I'm
sorry he tried to get my gun so I had to shoot him. I'm sorry about
that."
Sgt
Derrick defended himself and his Brothers on the battlefield that
day. When the gun went off, the perimeter was put on high alert and
according to Derrick, within 20 minutes the base was attacked. On
high alert, our Soldiers had moved out of their regular positions and
not one American Soldier lost his life in that attack. Many of the
men in Derrick's platoon believed he saved their lives that day.
I
refer you to Sgt Miller's website,
http://www.freederrickmiller.org/ for
further details. With two witnesses who changed their stories and no
forensics done on the gun nor the body, Derrick was convicted of a
life sentence with a chance of parole in 10 years. He can never prove
his story because all the evidence is destroyed.
Sgt
Derrick Miller defended himself on this lopsided battlefield where
winning hearts and minds have cost precious lives and limbs and where
the insane rules of engagement and catch and release policies have
afforded all the advantages to this brutal enemy we are fighting.
This is a battlefield that has left our Sons victims in a lose lose
situation! Derrick asked me to ask the representatives up on hill,
"would they rather it would have been him who was killed?!"
Now as
this brave American Son of ours sits locked up in Leavenworth with
other Soldiers charged for crimes on this battlefield, this President
is releasing terrorists from Gitmo right and left. Why, I had a rep
for Donna Edwards, Chris Schloesser, boldly tell us in a meeting that
the goal of this administration is to close Gitmo!! And that door to
Gitmo has been swinging open constantly since this President has been
elected. And he isn't just releasing terrorists that will go back to
their families, oh no, they will head right back to the battlefield to
kill and maim more of our precious Sons. The reckless release of the
savage Ali Musa DaqDuq by this administration was unconscionable. DaqDuq
killed 5 of our Soldiers but before he killed them he tortured 4 of
them and then dumped their precious bodies on the side of a road. I
guarantee he isn't going home to his mother or family, he is right
back on the battlefield and God help and watch over our Soldiers! His
release by this administration is an outrage and a slap in the face to
every Warrior who has fought and died in this war.
I can
guarantee you this, when Derrick is released, he will return home to
his two daughters and family and he will get a job and live his life
in peace.
What
does Sgt Derrick Miller's mother do to try and secure the release of
her son, because this President never talks about freeing America's
Sons. Renee, Derrick's mother, bakes cupcakes all week and sells them
at her Church socials so that she can try and visit her son and get
him the legal help he so desperately needs and deserves. This wonder
woman who raised a Warrior who proudly wore the uniform of this great
country will be baking cupcakes for a long time as he is now serving
his third year at Leavenworth.
Please
visit:
www.freederrickmiller.org
and hit the donate button on Renee's website for traveling expenses.
It has been one year since Derrick has seen his family and his
beautiful little girls so any donation would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
I have
promised Sgt Miller and his mother that I won't stop until Derrick is
home where he belongs. We will be heading up to the hill in September
for more meetings with representatives and we could sure use your help
and support by ringing those phones up there. I was told by a great
Warrior I love and respect that the reason Michael Behenna walks free
today is because of the constant pressure we Americans generated on
his behalf. We can do this again and the time has come for our Sons
to be treated with the same courtesy and consideration as this
President affords the terrorists and their families. But that will
not happen without your help! We need you to ring those phones up
there and say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, LET OUR SONS GO HOME!
If you
will, please call your Congressmen and Senators and ask them to help
us secure a reduction in this cruel life sentence Derrick is serving,
or better yet, ask them to release Derrick and all our Soldiers of the
Leavenworth 10 who are still serving. What is good enough for the
terrorists should damn well be good enough for America's Sons!!! This
President has given as a reason to release these dangerous terrorists
that the wars are winding down. SO, he needs to extend the same
courtesy to our Sons as he does to the terrorists and open that door
to Leavenworth and let our Sons of the L10 go home!!!
If you
will, please forward this to all your lists and Twitter using the
hashtag #FreeDerrickMiller. This is the beginning of an all out
effort to Free Derrick Miller and we hope you will join us. We need
daily calls, letters, emails, all you radio folks out there, please
invite Renee on your show and give her the opportunity to help her get
her Son's sentence reduced and/or to help her secure her Sons'
release. All you journalists, please step up and write about
Derrick's case. I am so very grateful to Marinka Peschmann for her
excellent article about Sgt Derrick Miller.
She is
another tireless supporter of our Troops and with her help, and
Dana's, and all of you Patriots out there, we can and we will make
great strides on behalf of the mothers of this country who raised
Warriors Sons and now need and deserve to have their Sons come home!
The
motto of The Band of Mothers is "Warriors Come From Warriors". Well,
it is time for the warrior moms in this great country to kick it into
full gear and fight for our warrior Sons!
With A
Mother's Heart, Thank You!
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
I
recently saw the movie "Lone Survivor", based on the book by Navy Seal
Marcus Luttrell. I read the book when it came out and I had the
opportunity to meet Marcus when he spoke at the Union League here in
Chicago in 2012. It was an absolute honor to meet Marcus, his lovely
wife, and Mr Rigby (Marcus's dog who goes with him everywhere)...
The following beautiful
video was sent to me by Jim Diehl, Vietnam Veteran, Gathering of
Eagles, and as he stated, it is most appropriate on this Memorial Day
2014:
“To Fight For Others’
Safety and Freedom Knowing That This Path of Service May Include
Their Life and the Suffering of Their Loved Ones. They Know That
Freedom Has Never Been Free That the Price of Freedom Has Always Been
the Blood of the Warrior.” “The soldier, above all other people, prays
for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and
scars of war.” Douglas MacArthur
As you gather with your
family and friends this Memorial Day, please remember the brave men
and women who laid down their lives so that you and yours may live
free. Say a prayer for their families and please say a prayer for
their Brothers still fighting to protect us and this beautiful way of
life we all enjoy.
“There is no greater love
than this, that a man should lay down his life for his friends.”
John 15:13
With A Mother’s Heart,
Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers
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?
