Veteran's Day Reflections 2011

This post today has several purposes:
To remind us all to take time this 2011 Veterans Day, and at every opportunity, to thank our veterans.

To remind us all that throughout our history the vast majority of our veterans well understood and followed their oaths. (A trait that NONE of our DC 545 have demonstrated since at least early 2008!)

To remind all current and future voters that the No. 1 job of our President is to defend this country from threats from without and within.

And that we the people and our elected officials therefore put our nation at great risk, and dishonor any who now serve and have ever served when we elect any person to fill that highest office on our land who has no concept of leadership responsibility and accountability.

I hope you'll take the time to read the two "wake up" articles included below that make that point, and were written by veterans who have served their country well.

When you've finished your review of the items below, please consider contributing to the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund. You'll find a direct link to their site on each page of my blog and book website.

To walk my talk, when my book first became available for sale I committed to them to donate $1.00 to their fund from the proceeds of every book sold. I can't think of a better way to honor all veterans than to use this fund to help the children of those veterans who have fallen or been severely disabled.

First I invite you to read the Dedication from my book to the WWII veterans in my family. I posted it on Veterans Day 2009. It will be shared each year in some form as long as I'm able to do so.

Veterans Day Reflections

Next I've shared a link to a poem that was forwarded and posted in 2009 and 2010. Believe it is one for our archives.

THE FINAL INSPECTION

Here's another previous post link to a video about reaching out to those who serve us. You've likely seen it. It's now been been viewed almost 8,700,000 times!

Thanks to Our Military

Next see this link to a Nov. 7, 2010 wake up call letter written to every voter from a 22 year veteran named Mike Banzet. Hope you'll take the time to honor his service by reading it and giving his thoughts your full consideration.

- Then share them with your elected members of Congress and your Governor! (Thanks to CR in IA for sharing this!)

Why I Quit...

Desert Storm vet explains decision to leave Air Force after 22 years

And here's a past post of a classic 2009 letter to "Hoops" by Harold B. Estes who was 95 years old when it was written. Mr. Estes pulls no punches to remind our President...and all who voted for him...what his/their responsibility is to "we the people", and to the nation those in our military have protected and enabled for several centuries. One for our archives.

Harold B. Estes Letter

I'll close this 2011 Veteran's Day tribute with a series of timeless cartoons by various cartoonists as shared with me by JB here in TN. Thanks to each cartoonist for their great work!