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.



No Marine left behind

   It's Military Monday.  Unfortunately, It's another day in court for USMC SGT Andrew Tahmooressi.  And, unfortunately, its going to be another night in jail for him as well.  Although its difficult to hear (military personnel are used to that), it may be some time for Tahmooressi is freed from a Mexican jail.  I don't like hearing it either, but its the truth.  The case is in the hands of the Mexican judicial system.  Like any judicial system (any government system really) time seems to slow down.  Call it red tape or whatever you want, that is the unfortunate way it is.  Tahmooressi's current lawyer, Fernando Benitez, was highly recommended to him & his family for this case. For a report from Fox News on the case please click here. It is the most comprehensive report that is available right now. 
   One of the most important things now is supporting Tahmooressi here on the home front.  His mother Jill Tahmooressi, was again at the Mexican court house today, as almost any mother would be.  Her trips to Mexico, lodging, etc., don't come cheap.   Bills are piling up.  Plus the previously mentioned attorney isn't working for free.  Lawyers are the same anywhere you go as long as you're not in a third world country ruled by sharia law. 
   All of this adds up to a lot of money.  Not enough for sergents' pay.  In this regard, someone has stepped in to help Tahmooressi and his family.  Honor Air, the organization that created the Honor Flights for Veterans of past wars to visit war memorials, has launched an appeal to help defray the costs Tahmooressi and his family are incurring. The appeal can be found at honorair.com. According to one estimate the expenses for his trial could reach $100,000.  If you don't know why Honor Air is getting involved, Tahmooressi's sister lives in North Carolina, where Honor Air and its founder Jeff Miller are based out of.
  Am I asking you to donate?  Hell yeah.  This is a very unfortunate circumstance.  Tahmooressi is suffering from PTSD and made, literally, a wrong turn.  There are 911 tapes that show he actually called a California 911 center and said he wasn't sure of his location.  Benitez has said his original lawyers could've gotten him out in the first 90 days but they were apparently too inept to do that.  We can only hope and pray that soon he will be freed.  The Honor Air site has a donate button you can click which will take you to a paypal account where you can donate with any major credit card.  There is also an address where you can send checks to help the Tahmooressi's cause.  Times are tough, I know.  It's tougher when your civil rights are being trampled on and you're jailed in a foreign country.
   As I said before, I also hope all of us can pray for Andrew to have strength while he is incarcerated, and to pray for his family which has to endure along with SGT Tahmooressi. 
   That is all.

R and R

   R&R.  Rest and Relaxation is what it usually means and its important to all of us.  We all have to kick back and take it easy.  In this blog we're going to talk about R&R, in some different ways.
   First, lets talk about all of the politicians in Congress.  They passed the joint house bill on "fixing" the VA Scandal.  Soon, those politicians will be enjoying some R&R of their own.  The question of how well deserved it is may depend on your view of the American government. They, however, will pend their 5 week vacation either campaigning for re-election or kicking back somewhere.  No doubt when they come back to Washington, D.C. they will have forgotten (like the media and probably a lot of the American people) about the Veterans Administration. After all, its fixed, right?
   No way.  Although former P&G exec Robert McDonald has also been confirmed to be the next Secretary for the VA (see, I told ya Congress was busy!) I am sure it will take him longer than 5 weeks to "fix" the VA Scandal.  A lot longer.  The VA has been broken longer than some of the Veterans who are now using it have been alive.  We will keep an eye on McDonald's progress.  Ansd we will keep an eye on those who obstruct his progress. 

***

 

   Unfortunately, I know of one service member who isn't on R&R.  That is USMC SGT Andrew Tahmooressi.  He's still locked up in a Mexican jail.  According to his current lawyer, the previous lawyers he had missed a window of opportunity for his freedom.  You can check out that story, and catch up on what is going on in his case, here.

   Efforts continue to help secure his release.  This ordeal has been tremendous for the Marine and his family, as you can imagine.  There have been various rallies and shows of support all across America.  Jill Tahmooressi, the mother of SGT Andrew Tahmooressi, will be at once such rally today in Omaha, NE at 6p.m.  For more details, check this news article. Honor Air, the creator of the Honor Flights to our nation's War Memorials, has gotten involved in Tahmooressi's cause as well.  I hope to have more about their involvement soon.

***

   Carpe Diem.  That Latin phrase is the inspiration for many.  Take life and live it to the max.  Literally it means to seize the day, and that is what one group is doing for our Veterans, although maybe not grammatically. 

   The group is called Operation SEAS The Day.  The SEAS part is very important here.  Its not just a play on words but a reference to what the group does.  In September of 2013 they brought 25 wounded Veterans’ and their families to a beach front area in Delaware in order to show support for the returning wounded servicemen/women for their service to our country and the sacrifice each of them had made during that service.  It was a tremendous success.  Some of the Veterans, who were selected for the experience by the Wounded Warrior Project, the USO & the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes, called the week at Bethany Beach “magical” and “life-changing” according to the group’s website. 

   This year 30 wounded Veterans and their families will spend the week of September 2-7 at Bethany Beach, DE in homes & condos  donated by local residents and homeowners.  Local businesses have also jumped onboard to donate services/goods for the families who will get a chance to SEAS the Day!  Once again, 25 Veterans and their families have been selected and 5 families have been picked to from the inaugural beach week event to come back as “alumni”. 

   Please check out the group and, if you can, show your appreciation for what they are doing to help our wounded Heroes.

   That is all.

 

This blog is about Veteran Issues and I hope to cover not just the problems that our Veterans have, but the good things as well.  If you or someone you know is involved in an organization that is hosting an event for our Veterans (a motorcycle ride for homeless Veterans, your American Legion is hosting a crisis center for the VA, etc.) I'd love to hear about it and possibly interview your organization for the Citizen-Soldier Blog.  Please feel free to email me at bluecorddude@gmail.com