Living (and Dying) by the Code

   The U.S. Military lives by a code. All of us. Army, Marines, Navy Air Force & Coast Guard.  It's kinda unwritten, but it is written down in a lot of places, especially Washington, D.C.  You see, when that code is written down it is on monuments and a very long (too long) Wall.  It is written in the names of those who have died defending this country.  When those names are etched into the Vietnam Memorial, or any memorial anywhere in the U.S., the code that those men and women lived by is how they chose to live their lives.  When you join the U.S. Armed Forces you take an Oath to protect the United States.  That is part of the code of the U.S. Military.  Loyalty.  Bravery.  Courage.  Those are just some of the words that mean everything to the men and women of the U.S. Military.  Unfortunately, most of those words mean nothing to politicians and bureaucrats.
   Take Loyalty, for example.  It means nothing what-so-ever to most politicians & bureaucrats.  The bureaucrats in the Veterans Administration don't feel loyalty toward our Veterans.  That's why we have the VA Scandal.  I didn't say "had" because, until the VA is changed, it is still a scandal.  The bureaucrats misreported numbers of those Veterans who died waiting for medical care.  A recent op-ed in the Washington Examiner by Concerned Veterans of America CEO Pete Hegseth points out how both politicians & bureaucrats have led to problems which are now the hallmark of the VA.  The politicians have passed the VA Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014, including the President's signing the bill into law.  Make no mistake, we have to hold the politicians, and those who come in their footsteps in the coming years, to this law.  VA Secretary McDonald will need our help if he is to change the culture of corruption, dishonesty, cowardice, and greed (the list of words can go on and on)once and for all.  The President and Congress will need to help McDonald in the future.  I don't think its a distant future either.  That is where we will play our part.  As the electorate, we have to let our representatives and senators know that we want the VA (in essence the U.S. itself) to live by the same code our Military Veterans live and die by.  That's the same code that is embodied in every Veterans memorial in the U.S.

   Mail Call
   So far, I've talked about words that our Military Veterans live by.  One Marine that is exemplifying the word perseverance is SGT Andrew Tahmooressi.  Still being held in prison in Mexico.  Please check my previous blog about how you can help Tahmooressi and his family financially during his confinement and courtroom delays.  Here is a way that you can maybe help to cheer up the Devil Dog SGT himself.  It's something that cheers up almost any service member.  It's mail call.  Here is the address where you can write SGT Tahmooressi:



SGT Andrew Tahmooressi

Carretera LibreRumorasa Tecate

SN Francisco Villa, El Hongo 2’ 21452

Tecate’ Baja California Norte, Mexico

   There are some rules both official and unofficial.  The official rules are that letters may not be more than 3 pages in length.  They need to be on white paper.  They will also be read by prison staff prior to Andrew receiving them(Reading inmate mail is standard practice in almost any jail in the U.S. also).  The unofficial rules I am asking of you is to keep the badmouthing of the Mexican legal system to a minimum.  It won't really help anything.  Please keep the letters positive, just as you would when writing a soldier overseas. 

EVENTS:

   The Marine Corps League of Scranton PA will host an Open Pit Beef BBQ on 16 August 2014 from 1300-1700 (1p.m.-5p.m. for civilian folks).  It is being held at the Marine Corps Detachment at Alder St & Bloucher St in Scranton PA.  Tickets are on sale the day of the BBQ and are $9.

   If you know of an upcoming events that will benefit Veterans and their organizations please let me know.  It doesn't have to be a National event, statewide and local events are accepted as well.  Please send them to me at bluecorddude@gmail.com.  I will publish them as I have room and time.  Thank you!

   That is all.