Free Republic

<p>Contact your Senators and let them know what you think!</p> <p>U.S. veterans or subsidies for United Nations (U.N.) bureaucracy.</p>

Mike Forgach doesn't remember exactly when he was exposed to Agent Orange, but he knows the experience changed him forever. The 65-year-old Newington resident blames Agent Orange, a defoliant with a dioxin byproduct used during the Vietnam War, for the prostate cancer that he was diagnosed with in 2003. Acknowledging the association, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has granted Forgach, who served in the Army in Vietnam in the 1960s, health benefits and disability compensation. Forgach is one of millions of Vietnam War veterans who are getting benefits because of diseases that have been traced to Agent Orange exposure....

Contact: media@vetsforfreedom / (202) 338-4070 (Washington, DC) – Today, Vets For Freedom—the largest Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans organization in America—released an online petition urging President Obama to follow the request of the commanders on the ground in Afghanistan and allocate the troop-strength necessary to turn the war around. The “Give Our Generals What They Need” Petition calls upon the President to honor the forthcoming troop-level recommendations of General Stanley McChrystal and give our troops the same chance to succeed in Afghanistan that they had in Iraq following the Surge. The full petition can be found at: www.vetsforfreedom.org/give_them_what_they_need “Unlike Iraq,...

Please join us in the campaign to show Gratitude to our US Military. Go the following link to the Gratitude Campaign and email the link to everyone you know: THE GRATITUDE FOR OUR MILITARY CAMPAIGNLet's show our military how grateful we are for their service all over this country. It's a neat video you can download to distribute in emails, thumbdrives, and any other way you can too. Thank you.

CONSTITUTIONAL RESTORATION STATEMENT OF PURPOSE, PETITION AND DEMANDS We, the People of these United States, who are the source of authority for the Federal Government and its very existence, do hereby petition and demand that all Federal officials, elected and appointed, review their Oaths of Office which they freely and solemnly swore to or affirmed, without mental reservation of purpose of evasion, to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic and bear true faith and allegiance to the same. We petition and demand that these Federal officials, who are but agents of...

View Current Signatures   -   Sign the Petition To:  Secretary of the Navy On March 5, 2009 Congressman John Murtha was awarded the Department of the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award by the Secretary of the Navy, Donald C. Winter. From the press release: It is the highest form of public service recognition bestowed by the Department of the Navy for a non-employee. According to the Department, nominations for this award will be limited to those extraordinary cases where individuals have demonstrated exceptionally outstanding service of substantial and long term benefit to the Navy, Marine Corps, or as Department...

We weren't going to say a word about bank, automaker or insurance company bailouts with taxpayer dollars; economics are not really our thing. But an administration plan to save $540 million by forcing civilian insurance companies to cover claims by military veterans for service-related injuries is beyond the pale. For our government to propose such a scheme at the same time it is spending BILLIONS with not much accountability is disgusting. The idea surfaced in testimony by Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki - a retired Army general who should know better. He told a Senate committee that the plan...

Leadership America is Longing ForPhil Orenstein • August 3, 2008 • Uncategorized“Get to know him. Campaign for him. This is the leadership America is dying for,” says political blogger Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs who has been so electrified by the candidacy of Lieutenant Colonel Allen B. West (US Army, Ret) that she has devoted an ongoing blog to the man and his message and to get Republicans and Conservatives from every corner of the country to focus on this race. I too am very excited from what I’ve recently learned about this man of integrity and his candidacy. Ultimately,...

Public Law 110-181, Section 594: SEC. 594. CONDUCT BY MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES AND VETERANS OUT OF UNIFORM DURING HOISTING, LOWERING, OR PASSING OF UNITED STATES FLAG. Section 9 of title 4, United States Code, is amended by striking ``all persons present'' and all that follows through the end of the section and inserting the following: ``all persons present in uniform should render the military salute. Members of the Armed Forces [[Page 122 STAT. 139]] and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute. All other persons present should face the flag and stand...

In response to Obama's claim that Republicans will use race to stoke fear, Lt. Col Allen West, candidate for Congress in Florida's 22 District issued this release: My advice to Senator Obama is to run as a Man and Leader, and the American people will evaluate you as such, not as a victim. This is a Presidential race, based solely on a capacity to lead the United States of America. It is not about skin tone...however, perhaps we should come to expect these immature statements. It also seems rather humorous that the Presidential candidate who was supposed to be such...

Go to:Allen West on Dan Rea's Boston Radio Show 9 PM EST tonightClick LIVE

[Editor's Note: We ran this last year for Memorial Day and received wonderful feedback from members who enjoyed showing soldiers that they are appreciated. We've decided to rerun it this year and ask you to let us know your experiences.] Memorial Day is the time to remember our war dead and the causes for which they "gave their last full measure of devotion." Because we are now at war, the wounds of the families are fresh and the national mood will be somber on Monday - even while people take advantage of furniture sales and good weather. We will remember...

Go to the blue box--Blog Talk Radio-- at the top of the right column. Move the time to 30 minutes into the show and enjoy listening to Col. Allen West, an American hero and REAL LEADER who tells it like it is! Col. West's platform IS what all Republicans should be running on.  If you want to help Col. West, go HERE. Allen West(Rep) for U.S. Congress Welcome to Allen West's campaign for Florida's 22nd Congressional District! This site will give you the opportunity to learn more about Allen and his vision for the future of America. Please take a...

Vetertans for Constitutional Restoration (VetsCoR) is re-organizing to further our purpose and goals. We are firm in our cause and now require professional writers to express our position. VetCoR is looking for volunteers who can articulate our goals and inform Joe-six-pack & Soccor Mom and all Americans about the loss of rights they continue to lose. If you are interested and have the writing skills, please reply on this thread or privately to my screen name or ping Neil E. Wright. We need professional writers to make our point. Thank you for any assistance.

It is my profound honor, and undeserved privilege, to present this months featured Patriot of the Month at the Thompson Coalition. It has been a blessing to have conversed on two occasions, through email, with Lieutenant Colonel Allen B. West (US Army, Ret). In reading candidate West’s emails, reviewing his web site, and reading articles about this contemporary American hero, I feel a sense of profound gratitude. I struggle to put into words how this man of strength, conviction, and humbleness has touched my life from three thousand miles away. His words and sincerity stir me to strive at being...

Lt. Col. Allen West is a candidate for the U.S. Congress, 22nd District of Florida. To learn more about Col. West, see: Allen West for CongressCandidates: selfless or selfish? Ponder the difference between a "politician" and a "statesman" Strategic Observations of World Affairs (Part 1) Strategic Observations on World Affairs (Part 2) Strategic Observations on World Affairs (Part 3)

Allen West for Congress Blog Ryan SmithApr 17, 06:39 PM by Allen WestLt. Col. West,You probably don’t remember me, but I was in 2/20FA (one of the 13M “lightfighters from Bravo Battery” specifically) with you in Iraq in 2003. I just wanted to tell you that I remember your kindness to me, specifically the fact that you always took time to ask me by name how I was doing and how my day was going, and that was something that most officers wouldn’t do for a young enlisted soldier. I never had the opportunity to thank you for what you...

VetsCoR Founding Ideals VetsCoR was founded in 2002 because the original members believe, as did our Founding Fathers, in individual Freedom and Liberty, with the individual solely responsible for his or her life. The vision of the Founding Fathers of this great nation was one of free men and women, pursuing life, liberty, and their own vision of happiness, constrained only by their responsibility to do no harm to others. To this end, the Founders wrote one of the most important documents in the history of mankind! Wisely, it specifically limited the role of centralized government and maximized the power...

To All,Lt. Col. Allen West is a candidate for the U.S. Congress,  22nd District of Florida.  I have been very impressed with what I have learned about Col. West and think he may have a real chance against his one-term opponent.  Here are some links and information to introduce you to this hero and to someone whom I believe will make an outstanding Congressman:  ALLEN WEST FOR CONGRESS-website (Note Col. West not only served in the military in Afghanistan and Iraq, but  was also a teacher!)  Meet Lt. Col. West through this VIDEO  There’s a case to be made against...

A recent guest on my talk show reminded me of just how simple the test really is to help decide for whom to cast a vote. My guest was Allen West (Lt. Col., US Army, Retired). He came into the national spotlight after he took decisive action during the 2003 interrogation of a turncoat Iraqi police officer. While an infantry battalion commander, LTC West fired a pistol near the head of Officer Yahya Jhodri Hamoody, who had been passing American military information to Iraqi insurgent terror cells. The treasonous Hamoody decided that he did not want to meet Allah that...

Before Thanksgiving, many JINSA Reports readers took the time to nominate Hal Koster, formerly of Fran O'Brien's, for the "Above and Beyond Award" sponsored by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. (See JINSA Reports #720 and 721) This month, Hal was chosen as the representative of the District of Columbia. The citation from the Society reads, in part: Hal Koster of Washington, DC for going above and beyond with his unwavering commitment to wounded American soldiers and their loved ones. Koster, a Vietnam veteran, has hosted Friday night dinners for wounded soldiers and their families for the past five years....

Does anyone still think that we the people have any real influence on the self-serving interests of our own Federal government? If you believe so, please don't bother to read further. You need not be a political junkie to see that every time Congress is in session, it takes away more and more of your inherent rights with their socialist programs. I'm not going to preach to this choir, because I know the readers of this forum are probably THE most politically and socially astute persons on the Internet. But I do have one question for you beyond the rhetoric...

VetsCoR is in the process of re-organizing and re-directing its focus. Below is a draft of our new Home page text. We would like to invite all the Patriots of Free Republic to give VetsCoR their input. Please feel free to condense, expand, eliminate, and/or modify as you think it should read. VetsCoR Home page with Lorraine cemetery photo that includes the below. LEST WE FORGET: Lorraine American Cemetery & Memorial, Saint Avold, France HERE WE AND ALL WHO SHALL HEREAFTER LIVE IN FREEDOM WILL BE REMINDED THAT TO THESE MEN AND THEIR COMRADES WE OWE A DEBT TO BE...

Just wanted to remind the good people of this forum that throughout all the nastiness of politics; the ugliness of some of our own humanity; the cynicism we read about, talk about, and fall under its influence... This time of the year is a time to thank those who unselfishly give to our Troops, as well as, many many others. Operation GratitudeSalvation Army MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

Mclean, VA - Today on the steps of the State House in Columbia, SC, surrounded by numerous veterans, Senator Fred Thompson was joined by Major General James Livingston and Lieutenant Colonel Joe Repya to launch Veterans for Fred Thompson. Major General James Livingston, a 33 year veteran of the United States Marine Corps, will serve as the National Co-Chair of Veterans for Fred Thompson. On May 2, 1968, while serving as the Commanding Officer, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, he distinguished himself above and beyond the call of duty in action against enemy forces and earned the Congressional Medal...

The Small Business Administration (SBA) enlisted banks across the country to participate in a new loan program reserved for military veterans. The program features fast approval times, low interest rates and up to $500,000 to help start a business or expand one. The Patriot Express Loans Program offers rates of 2.25 percent - 4.75 percent over the prime interest rate, depending upon the size and maturity of the loan. The SBA also offers counseling and training for entrepreneurial veterans. For more information, visit the Patriot Express website.

Four thousand marched against the Iraq war in Kennebunkport Saturday, an event that I surely would have missed except for being in Maine, where the Portland Press-Herald had multiple days of respectful page one coverage. The Kennebunkport march isn't the kind of event that makes national news -- and indeed it didn't -- but it got me thinking: How many other similar protests and marches are going on out there? With public opinion so overwhelmingly against the Iraq war, even with crystal clear results in last November's elections, surely these protesters must see by now that the war isn't going...

The truth behind Bush's mangling of Cold War history. The Soviet Union was in its final days of existence when I visited Vietnam in late December of 1991. The cold war was about to end forever with the collapse of one of the two adversaries that had kept it going for 40-odd years. A lot had changed in Vietnam, too, I discovered during my trip. The coziness between Moscow and Hanoi, once comrades within the Soviet bloc, had curdled into mutual hatred. Throughout the country, but especially in the North, the Vietnamese had come to despise the large resident Russian...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The U.S. must rebuild its military to fight global terrorism because leaders "took a holiday" in the 1990s after the end of the Cold War, undeclared presidential candidate Fred Thompson told war veterans Tuesday. "Some people in this country think if we can pull out of Iraq, our problems will be over," Thompson told the Veterans of Foreign Wars. "You and I know better than that." "Now we're stretched too thin, and our equipment is wearing out," said Thompson, the former Tennessee senator who is expected to announce a decision soon on whether to seek the...

Veteran actress and feminist Jane Fonda has been slammed for not paying her female employees working in the actress' radio network Green Stone Media. The twice Oscar winner and the radio network's co-founder Gloria Steinem have been accused of "putting their own reputations above their female employees' finances." According to the New York Post, Fonda and Steinem are 'refusing to pay severance, and the founders won't file for bankruptcy protection because it would publicly embarrass Jane and Gloria.' However, the 'Klute' star's spokesperson has denied the reports and said that the accusations are unfounded. "This is pure speculation. There is...

Tiny in stature, big at heart By KERI WELHAM - The Dominion Post | Saturday, 19 May 2007 BIRTHDAY BOY: War veteran Arthur Stubbs, 103, remembers old comrades at Wellington's Greek Memorial. Arthur Stubbs was too old for World War II so he lied about his age. Now, at 103, he's catching up with 'young' mates from the battle of Crete. It was Arthur Stubbs' birthday yesterday and he turned 103. "That's all," he said, with a little smile. Mr Stubbs walked off a small plane at Wellington International Airport into a media posse. One minder took off his cap,...

War museum bars vet By HEATHER McCRACKEN - Auckland City Harbour News | Saturday, 19 May 2007 OUTCAST: Veteran Harry Corrin must stop his regular protests outside the Auckland War Memorial Museum before he'll be let back in. This is as close as Harry Corrin can get to the Auckland War Memorial Museum. The World War Two veteran has been banned for two years after protesting at a meeting held in the hall of memories. Mr Corrin, 85, says the Armistice Day symposium should not have been held in a sanctuary to honour the fallen. "It's a sacrosanct place. I...

FORT WORTH – Congresswoman Kay Granger Friday announced before a meeting of Downtown Rotary that she has launched a campaign to name one of the U.S. Navy’s new ships the USS Fort Worth in honor of the City of Fort Worth. Granger made her request in a letter to Secretary of Navy Donald Winter. The Secretary of Navy has personally selected the name of all new Navy ships since 1819 when Congress designated that responsibility to the secretary. “Fort Worth has a long history with the U.S. military as it protects America and defends freedom,” Granger said. “During the course...

HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. — When they called her name, she could not move. Sgt. Leana Nishimura intended to walk up proudly, shake the dignitaries' hands and accept their honors for her service in Iraq — a special coin, a lapel pin, a glass-encased U.S. flag. But her son clung to her leg. He cried and held tight...T.J. was 9, her oldest child, and although eight months had passed since she had returned from the war zone, he was still upset by anything that reminded him of her deployment... The faraway move to live with his grandmother. The months that...

Iraq War Veterans Are The Church's Responsibility Too Evangelicals totally dropped the ball with Vietnam veterans a generation ago but we don't have to make the same mistake. It's asinine that Americans expect the Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA), alone, to meet the re-entry needs of Iraq veterans. The government is ill-equipped to address the core needs of veterans and the church needs to man-up and lead the nation in restoring the emotional, marital, familial health, and dignity of Iraq war veterans (Matt 5-7). Missional Christians fighting against the passivity of outsourcing help and restoration to government shout, "Abdication,...

Salute!REMEMBER the United States Marine Corps. 231st Anniversary(You won't see it mentioned in the MSM.)Click below for a moving tribute:http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/holiday/usmc2006/playmovie.asp?isc=gdh1111Semper Fidelis

IT'S BEEN two weeks since I wrote about Bennett and Vivian Levin. But my mailbox is still bursting with reaction to the couple's generosity toward wounded troops from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda Naval Hospital. "I served three tours in Vietnam and can't remember anyone doing anything like this for the injured soldiers, sailors and Marines that came home from the hospital," wrote James L. Wright Jr. "The Levins and others involved in this truly beautiful act of love are loved right back by every one of us who have heard of their selflessness or served in the...

ND NOW, in time for the holidays, I bring you the best Christmas story you never heard. It started last Christmas, when Bennett and Vivian Levin were overwhelmed by sadness while listening to radio reports of injured American troops. "We have to let them know we care," Vivian told Bennett. So they organized a trip to bring soldiers from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda Naval Hospital to the annual Army-Navy football game in Philly, on Dec. 3. The cool part is, they created their own train line to do it. Yes, there are people in this country who...

LAVANNES, France — The gesture was simple and unbidden. With two weathered fingers, French farmer Marcel Jonoux softly touched the lined forehead of Los Angeles amateur artist Gustave "Bud" Plochere. "Ah, bon," Jonoux said, tracing an old wound. "C'est bon." It was the second time the two men were meeting. This encounter Saturday was graced with laughter and storytelling, champagne toasts and an exchange of gifts. Dominique Dutartre, mayor of Lavannes, made Plochere an honorary citizen. Plochere presented Jonoux with a plaque. Each man thanked the other, and in the way of men who have seen so much, there were...

As college students hit campuses across the nation this week, a new generation of young veterans will step off the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan and onto the ideological battlefield of our university campuses. For those on the frontline in the war on terror, the antiwar hostility of liberal professors and campus activists will assuredly prove unsettling. Just ask Marine sergeant Marco Martinez, a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom...

Original Thread here VetsCoR Fundraising Rifle Raffle 2005 VetsCoR will be raffling off a Remington Model 870 Wingmaster shotgun (pictured above, less the sling and butt stock ammo carrier) on November 11, 2005. You don't need to be present to win. Here's the rules: 1) The raffle is open to everyone over 18 years of age who is a) a US Citizen, b) legally competent to own and possess a firearm and c) a resident of a city or state which does not restrict or prohibit firearms ownership. 2) Tickets are $2.00 each, and can be obtained by sending a...

VetsCoR Fundraising Rifle Raffle 2005 VetsCoR will be raffling off a Remington Model 870 Wingmaster shotgun (pictured above, less the sling and butt stock ammo carrier) on November 11, 2005. You don't need to be present to win. Here's the rules: 1) The raffle is open to everyone over 18 years of age who is a) a US Citizen, b) legally competent to own and possess a firearm and c) a resident of a city or state which does not restrict or prohibit firearms ownership. 2) Tickets are $2.00 each, and can be obtained by sending a self-addressed, stamped...

2005 Membership Contest The 2005 membership contest will run from Memorial Day (May 30, 2005) thru Labor Day (September 5, 2005). The winner of the contest will be the member in good standing who brings in the most new members during the contest period. First prize in the contest will be the Eagle/Flag Statuette pictured below and a Certificate of Appreciation. Second prize will be a Portraits of Freedom t-shirt (when available) and a Certificate of Appreciation. Third prize will be a Certificate of Appreciation. Rules: 1. Contest is open to all voting members in good standing (as defined...

Greetings All, I'm posting this announcement to let everyone know that the VetsCoR Public Affairs Officer, Roy Arnold, will be doing a talk radio show on Sunday, June 3 at 1PM (Arizona time). Roy will be on KVOI radio in Tucson with Charles Heller. If anyone is interested in listening, there is a Live stream you can listen to. The live stream is up from 12-2pm (MST) and Roy will be on for 1/2 hour starting at 1pm. Also, VetsCoR needs a Chaplain. 1. We unanimously approved a measure to create a Chaplain position (Non-voting) on the VetsCor Board of...

This afternoon, I walked into the local convenience store, bar, casino, liquor store, video rental, bait shop and ammo dump, (Hey, I live in Bumfuk, Montana. It's all we've got) and as I walked through the bar, I spotted a grizzled fat guy, with a full gray beard and long gray hair tied back in a ponytail sitting at the end of the bar. He was wearing a 1st Cavalry Division/Vietnam t-shirt. Since there were no Harleys parked outside, I figured it was safe to approach him. (Anyhow, I was packing as I usually do.)I tapped him on the shoulder...

As a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, I visited Saturday’s anti-war protest in White Plains and was shocked and disappointed at the hostility and venom with which I was treated by people who claim to support the troops.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Neil E. Wright, Executive Director VetsCoR 1-800-294-4895 1976 Havasu Garden Drive Lake Havasu City, AZ 86404 newright@vetscor.org www.VetsCoR.org VETSCOR ANNOUNCES THE NEWEST ARMED SERVICES INDUCTION into the "PORTRAITS OF FREEDOM" cyber-Tribute Web Site The induction is submitted by Rodger Hunter March 7, 2005 - Veterans for Constitutional Restoration (VetsCoR), Inc. has created a web site dedicated to honoring America's Armed Services, past and present, and recently had the honor of accepting Rodger Hunter’s memorial page for his father, James E. Hunter. This cyber “Tribute” includes photos and text about a “greatest generation” man. Mr. Hunter’s father...

Donate to send Catholic "Faith MREs" to the troops and their Catholic pastors. This looks like a tax-deductible donation. Check the site for other ways to support the troops in Iraq!

Operation Uplink is a unique program that keeps military personnel and hospitalized veterans in touch with their families and loved ones by providing them with a free phone card. Using contributions from supporters like you, Operation Uplink purchases phone cards and distributes them to servicemen and women who are separated from those they care about. Read about how Operation Uplink has helped our military personnel stay connected. Read the Stories >

VetsCoR is pleased to announce the new VetsCoR Junior Auxilary By a vote of the Board of Directors at a regularly scheduled meeting held on Tuesday, July 13, 2004, a new category of membership was established. Previously, there were three categories: Voting members - any Honorably Discharged/Retired veteran Non-voting associate - any Spouse of veteran/any Active Duty Service Member Non-voting associate - Any non-veteran, age 18 or older The new category is non-voting. Any minor dependant of any category of member listed above, may be signed up as a member of the VetsCoR Junior Auxilary, for $10.00 per year....