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This duo is being raffled off to raise funds for the Healing Heroes Network, a charity that benefits injured Veterans. Grand Prize is BOTH cars! A ticket is only $3.00, and is a chance to win these fantastic Shelbys and support a very worthy cause. The 1967 example is a verified Shelby original, number 3139 in the Shelby Registry. The 2010 GT is a one-of-a-kind special edition done up in the same Wimbledon White with Guardsman Blue stripes as the old-timer. It has been dubbed the Patriot Edition and features a host of aftermarket changes that make it more...

There was an international uproar when, on Sept. 4, in Afghanistan's Kunduz province, an American fighter jet under NATO command bombed a group of Taliban fighters who had hijacked two fuel tanker trucks. The trucks exploded, the fighters were killed, and so were a still-undetermined number of Afghan civilians. When McChrystal met with local leaders in Kunduz, a few days after the bombing, he got an earful -- but not what he expected. McChrystal began the meeting with a show of sympathy for those who had been killed or wounded. The general didn't get very far before he was interrupted...

In an update to his post, which resulted in an update to my post, Chuck notes that shafting Soldiers' Angels and our wounded troops has turned out to be a bit of a PR problem for PayPal/E-Bay: Paypal is owned by eBay. Their PR department is at (408) 376-7458. Please be polite. This is turning into a big PR mess for them, and a couple thousand voice messages suggesting that, while we don’t think they hate wounded soldiers, we’d love it if they could, you know, confirm that.// Heck with a couple, how about a few thousand polite voicemails along...

Remains of Seven U.S. Troops Killed in Afghanistan Returned Home By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Benjamin J. Matwey Special to American Forces Press Service DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del., July 8, 2009 - The remains of seven American troops killed July 6 during combat operations in Afghanistan returned to their nation during a dignified transfer this afternoon at Dover Air Force Base, Del. Today's dignified returns were of the following seven servicemembers: U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Tony M. Randolph, of Henryetta, Okla., assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Eight, Sigonella, Italy. U.S. Army Capt. Mark A. Garner,...

HEREFORD — Nearly three decades ago, a two-story barracks on Fort Huachuca was carefully dismantled. There was no tearing the structure down without regard for ensuring the pieces couldn’t be used again. For 78-year-old Darl Goode, the object was to reassemble, with slight modifications, the structure on a piece of property off of Green Oak Lane in Stump Canyon. The old barracks, once part of what was called Splinter Village on the post, wooden structures constructed in the 1940s to house two black divisions that trained in Arizona during World War II, was put together on an acre of land...

BRUSSELS, Belgium, June 12, 2009 – NATO officials dedicated a monument here today to personnel killed during alliance operations. NATO officials dedicate a memorial to those who have lost their lives in alliance operations during a ceremony at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, June 12, 2009. DoD photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Jerry Morrison  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the stone marker outside the front door of the alliance’s headquarters will serve as a reminder of the weight of the decisions made in the facility. Danish Defense Minister Soren...

Boys who have a so-called "warrior gene" are more likely to join gangs and also more likely to be among the most violent members and to use weapons, a new study finds. "While gangs typically have been regarded as a sociological phenomenon, our investigation shows that variants of a specific MAOA gene, known as a 'low-activity 3-repeat allele,' play a significant role," said biosocial criminologist Kevin M. Beaver of Florida State University. In 2006, the controversial warrior gene was implicated in the violence of the indigenous Maori people in New Zealand, a claim that Maori leaders dismissed. But it's no...

WASHINGTON, May 8, 2009 – Surfs up! Military children of wounded or fallen servicemembers will be able to catch their first wave this summer, thanks to Freedom Is Not Free, a California-based troop-support group. Military chidren take time to pose after riding the waves during a 2007 "Little Warriors" Surf Camp. This year the camp will host 100 military children of wounded or fallen servicemembers Aug. 10-14 in La Jolla Shores, Calif. Photo courtesy of Freedom Is Not Free  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The “Little Warriors” Surf Camp will host 100 military children ages 8 to 15...

SNOWMASS VILLAGE, Colo., April 2, 2009 – Marine Lance Cpl. Louis Stamatelos realized he had two choices after waking up two years ago with severe wounds in the intensive care unit at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. Army Staff Sgt. Ramon Padillamunguia, one of three patients at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, D.C., attending this year’s National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic at Snowmass Village, Colo., skis down a slope proving the therapeutic benefit of a positive mental mindset. The six-day clinic wraps up April 3, 2009. VA photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Stamatelos...

ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 20, 2009 – The National Amputee Golf Association’s First Swing program's mission is twofold: to help military golf instructors learn how to work with wounded warriors and to encourage wounded servicemembers to get back into the swing of an active lifestyle. National Amputee Golf Association founder and President Bob Wilson, a double below-the-knee amputee, demonstrates an iron shot during a First Swing Golf Clinic for wounded warriors on the driving range at Admiral Baker Golf Course in San Diego in February 2009. The next stop on the tour is March 22 and 23, 2009, at Fort...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2009 – Army Spc. Sergio Trejo always dreamed of owning his own home. US Army Spc. Sergio Trejo and his family stand outside their new home in Houston. The Helping a Hero troop support group presented the home to the family, December 2008. Courtesy photo   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. But after he was injured by a homemade bomb during his second tour of duty in Iraq, he said he felt his dream was out of reach. The explosion left him with a broken back, traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. “My [Veterans...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1, 2008 – Air Force family liaison officers have an important role in assisting wounded warriors and their families, a San Antonio-based Air Force senior noncommissioned officer said. The Air Force’s family liaison officer program “truly is the lifeblood of taking care of our war wounded,” said Chief Master Sgt. Stephen B. Page, assigned to the 12th Flying Training Wing at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. Page has assisted in the selection of family liaison officers that serve in his area. Family liaison officers, or as FLOs, are appointed by local commanders, according to the Air Force’s survivor...

11/26/2008 - SAN ANTONIO (AFNS) -- When her husband deployed to Iraq in January of 2006, Sonja McDonald decided to spend her time waiting for his return home, raising money to help wounded warriors and their families. Mrs. McDonald is married to Capt. Jim McDonald, a nurse at San Antonio Military Medical Center-North, formally known as Brooke Army Medical Center. Mrs. McDonald and her husband are working to help make the war-torn lives of those who are in Irag and Afghanistan and returning from there a little bit better. "He was trying to make a difference for them over there,...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 25, 2008 – When an airman is seriously injured in combat it is not only their life, but also their family’s, that is suddenly turned upside down. While the airman is whisked away for critical medical care, it is the family that must juggle the housing, child care and financial arrangements necessary to be by the airman’s bedside during recovery. For many, the experience is at best chaotic, and at its worst, a nightmare. More than 440 airmen have been wounded in combat since the start of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. Of those, about 80 are...

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 23, 2008 – A handful of civilian executives got an up-close look at the state-of-the-art warrior care facilities Nov. 21 at the Naval Medical Center San Diego. Navy Rear Adm. Christine S. Hunter, commander of Naval Medical Center San Diego, talks with alumni of the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference, a DoD community outreach program, during their trip there Nov. 21, 2008. The group received an insider’s look at the state-of-the-art warrior care provided at the facility. DoD photo by Fred W. Baker III  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The group of alumni of the Joint...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2008 – Recent changes to the Family and Medical Leave Act will extend the period of unpaid, job-protected leave that eligible family members can take to care for wounded warrior spouses, Labor Department officials said. Legislative amendments to the act signed into law by President Bush provide new entitlements that pertain to military families and enable them to take caregiver leave, officials said. The Labor Department administers FMLA for private-sector workers. The changes, authorized by the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008, are slated to be published in the Federal Register Nov. 17. “This final rule,...

NEW YORK, Nov. 10, 2008 – Before the first dancing reindeer set a tap-shoe-clad hoof on Radio City Music Hall’s stage for a special performance yesterday, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff acknowledged some VIPs in the audience. Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, applauds a group of wounded warriors in the audience at New York's Radio City Music Hall on Nov. 8, 2008. The 25 warriors were joined by nearly 5,000 other servicemembers and their families for a special preview of the theater’s "Christmas Spectacular," featuring the Rockettes....

NEW YORK, Nov. 9, 2008 – The grey sky had been trying to hold back the rain forecasters had promised yesterday, but it couldn’t stave off the drops any longer as wounded servicemembers worked to check their tears during a ceremony at Ground Zero here, where the twin towers of the World Trade Center stood until Sept. 11, 2001. Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, the Army's vice chief of staff, presents a flag flown over Ground Zero in New York to Army Sgt. Joel Dulashanti after a brief ceremony at the site for a group of wounded veterans. The ceremony...

I watched the movie The Warriors last night and I was struck by how much of the crap spoken by "The One" Obama, is similar to the crap spoken by "The One" Cyrus, the leader of all the gangs. They even look alike, if you can imagine some funky hair on Barry O.Here are some great movie quotes: "Cowboy – What do you know about Cyrus? Cochise – Magic, whole lot o’ magic. Cowboy – What do you know about Cyrus? Rembrandt – He’s the one and only. Cyrus – Can you count suckers? I say the future, is ours!...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9, 2008 – Operation Life Transformed honored six scholarship recipients, including the recipient of the 100th “Caregivers of War Wounded Training Scholarship,” during its “Celebrate 100” reception held here recently. Operation Life Transformed provides education and resources to wounded-warrior caregivers and military spouses through private and corporate entities. Its focus is to enable caregivers and military spouses to create a portable lifestyle. “Forty-three percent of our applicants are moms and dads that move across several states [and] give up their jobs so that they can sit bedside with the loved one,” said Tania Mercurio, chief executive officer...

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq, Oct. 9, 2008 – They stand everywhere the eye can see -- brave warriors, tall and proud. Never flinching, never surrendering, these protectors never take time off – the thought never even crosses their minds. T-walls protect servicemembers and civilians outside the Multinational Division Center headquarters at Camp Liberty, Iraq. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Josh LeCappelain  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Of course, not a lot crosses your mind when you are made of concrete. They are called T-walls, named after their unique, upside-down “T” shape. All over Iraq, wherever you see coalition forces...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8, 2008 – Dozens of injured troops set out on a seven-day, 420-mile trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles on Sept. 28 to raise funds to support outdoor cycling programs and to let other wounded servicemembers know they can be active. Wounded troops and Road2Recovery volunteers get a little morale from Shell Beach Elementary students and teachers as they arrive in Pismo Beach, Calif., on one leg of their seven-day, 420-mile ride between San Francisco and Los Angeles, Oct. 1, 2008. The Road2Recovery California Challenge supports military and veterans outdoor cycling programs. Courtesy photo by Road2Recovery...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2008 – Wounded servicemembers and their families in San Diego will have a second “home away from home” during the recovery process when Naval Medical Center San Diego celebrates the grand opening of Fisher House II on Oct. 3. Fisher House II, the second Fisher House facility serving Naval Medical Center San Diego, stands ready for its Oct. 3, 2008, grand opening. Courtesy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The Fisher Houses provide respite and accommodations for families of active and retired military patients who have been admitted for medical care. “This facility represents the...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2008 – Since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have begun, thousands of American soldiers have been welcomed home with elaborate parades, gymnasiums packed with tearful spouses and children, and commanders proclaiming from podiums great deeds done in battle. Navy Rear Adm. Donna L. Crisp, who commands the JPAC, talks about emerging technologies that are boosting efforts to recover and identify missing servicemembers. Defense Dept. photo by Fred W. Baker III  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Still others have had more tragic homecomings, instead returning in flag-draped coffins to grieving spouses and families; their ceremonies...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2008 – President Bush visited Walter Reed Army Medical Center here today to pay respects to wounded soldiers and their families, and to the medical personnel who care for the injured. After his visit, Bush commented on the paradoxical human conditions produced by combat wounds. “On the one hand, you see the horrors of war; on the other hand, you see the courage of the people that have volunteered to serve,” he said. “I marvel when I come to Walter Reed. I marvel at the fact that people say to me, ‘Mr. President, I'd do it...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3, 2008 – Based on the idea that with their grace, elegance and unconditional acceptance, horses may be just what many servicemembers and veterans need, a former Marine has formed an organization to introduce them to what he calls “the power of partnership with horses.” “Horses have an incredible way of teaching and healing humans,” said Brad Myers, president of Operation Silver Spurs. A third-generation veteran, Myers started the endeavor after consulting with a master therapeutic riding instructor. Operation Silver Spurs is open not only to all veterans, but also to active-duty personnel, reservists, Guardsmen and their...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 2008 – More than 100 runners are expected to participate in a 99-mile run Aug. 23-24 hosted by a Greenville, N.C.-based care package group in honor of the 117 North Carolinians who have lost their lives serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Barbara Whitehead, director of the North Carolina branch of Give2theTroops, said the group’s run is scheduled to coincide with the last two days of the national “Run for the Fallen.” The national event will cover more than 4,000 miles, one mile for each servicemember killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, by the time it ends at...

Radarsite is fortunate to have made a lot of good friends in this small part of the blogosphere. Many of these friends and fellow bloggers are veterans. Some from the deadly jungles of Vietnam. And some from unheralded battles and wars that must still remain classified. These people are special. They all seem to share some common fundamental traits: a certain toughness of mind, coupled with a deep hard-won humility. And one common trait which I particularly value -- an absolute and uncompromising self-honesty, and a correspondingly low threshold for bulls**t. It's almost as though they've developed a sixth sense...

OMAHA, Neb., July 29, 2008 – Recently wounded combat troops are here getting advice and encouragement from those who understand best what they’re up against: other disabled veterans who have learned to live with their disabilities. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Anthony Felder, who lost his leg in a motorcycle accident after returning from a Middle East deployment, said he finds inspiration among disabled veterans participating in the 28th National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Omaha, Neb. Defense Dept. photo by Donna Miles  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Veterans of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, including five current patients at...

OMAHA, Neb., July 29, 2008 – About 500 disabled veterans, including recently wounded warriors from Iraq and Afghanistan, are entering their final day of competition here today at the 28th National Veterans Wheelchair Games. William Kafka, a disabled veteran from El Paso, Texas, prepares to take a shot during nine-ball pool at the 28th National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Omaha, Neb. Department of Veterans Affairs photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The event is the world’s largest annual wheelchair sports competition. It brings together veterans with spinal cord injuries, amputations or other mobility or neurological conditions to compete...

WASHINGTON, July 17, 2008 – Servicemembers being treated at military medical facilities in the national capital region now can recuperate with their families thanks to one group’s ingenuity and the generosity of corporate donors. Christopher Payne Jr. enjoys his new home in the Operation Homefront Village serving Washington’s Water Reed Army Medical Center and the National Naval Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md., July 15, 2008. The village offers transitioning wounded warriors rent-free housing while they recuperate at one of the medical facilities. Photo courtesy of Operation Homefront   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Operation Homefront welcomed wounded warriors...

WASHINGTON, July 16, 2008 – Wounded veterans and their families looking for help reentering civilian life can turn to an organization in Huntsville, Ala., that takes a holistic approach to that task. “Still Serving Veterans” enables and empowers wounded veterans and their families by helping them reintegrate into the work force and community via counseling, coaching, guiding, job transition, and assistance in obtaining all Veterans Affairs benefits to which they are entitled, Werner W. Baker, the organization’s executive director, said. This holistic approach begins with a case manager, who documents individual needs, desires, abilities and limitations of the veteran...

WASHINGTON, July 11, 2008 – More than 400 guests attended a dedication ceremony for the 39th Fisher House recently built on the grounds of Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center, in Richmond, Va., one of the VA’s four Level 1 polytrauma centers. This artist’s rendering depicts the 16,000 square-foot, 21-suite Fisher House built on the grounds of Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center, in Richmond, Va. The 39th Fisher House was dedicated in a ceremony July 10, 2008, at the house. Courtesy of Fisher House Foundation  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “It was an opportunity to be...

WASHINGTON, July 9, 2008 – An organization that focuses on helping severely injured veterans channels its efforts toward providing the kinds of assistance they don’t otherwise get. The Independence Fund provides “the tools, therapies and guidance that they are otherwise not receiving,” said Steve Danyluk, the organization’s president. The Independence Fund, he explained, is built upon three pillars of support. These pillars, according to the Independence Fund Web site, include providing specialized tools and therapies to troops and veterans, promoting the overall well-being of severely injured veterans through physical and leisure activity, and providing advocacy and guidance through veterans...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq, June 30, 2008 – Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers and Iraqi National Police officers share the stresses and successes of providing security and stability in Iraq as they work side by side every day to protect the people of Baghdad. Army Sgt. Brent Mann (far left), of Austin, Texas, and Army Spc. Octavio Torres, of New York, share water with a policeman from 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st National Police Division, near a checkpoint at a major intersection in eastern Baghdad. Mann and Torres are assigned to Multinational Division Baghdad in Company D, 2nd Battalion,...

WASHINGTON, June 17, 2008 – Mental Health practitioners nationwide are donating their time and services to provide free, confidential counseling to military people and their families. “Combat affects everyone in one way or another,” explained Dr. Barbara Romberg in an “ASY Live” interview on BlogTalkRadio. “Most people react when exposed to a situation where there are extreme or horrific events; it is a human reaction to abnormal situations.” ASY Live is part of the Defense Department’s America Supports You program, which connects citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad. Romberg, founder and president...

WASHINGTON, June 16, 2008 – The relationship between servicemembers and their coffee is so storied that the hot black liquid has a role in nearly every war movie ever made. With a desire to support the troops and an understanding of that relationship, the mother and daughter team of Tamra Gravitt and Crystal Espiritu started GI Java. The coffee shop serves its brew to each customer with honor, integrity and excellence above the call of duty, according to a news release from the coffee shop. The company, with five locations in Washington state, offers coffee in military-themed sizes: the...

WASHINGTON, June 12, 2008 – An offshoot of a nonprofit educational program founded in England during World War II to prepare young sailors to endure adversity at sea during wartime is helping U.S. war veterans today. Kyle Stozek climbs Turtle Rock near Buena Vista, Colo. He was one of several veterans participating in an Outward Bound veteran expedition. Courtesy photo by Michael Brands for Outward Bound  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “‘Outward Bound’ expeditions specifically designed for veterans and supported by the Sierra Club are an extension of this effort,” said Meg Ryan, project manager for the Colorado-based...

With this documentary, photo exhibit and book our aim is to raise funding for and awareness of the men and women warriors that have given so much to protect our freedoms. Freedom is not free. www.freedomisnotfree.com

WASHINGTON, June 5, 2008 – Walter Reed Army Medical Center rolled out a sophisticated new vehicle today that will make wounded soldiers’ ride to the Army hospital safer and smoother. Army Maj. Gen. Carla G. Hawley-Bowland, commander of North Atlantic Regional Medical Command and Walter Reed Army Medical Center, left, and Army Col. Patricia Horoho, commander of the Walter Reed Health Care System, center, give Army Secretary Pete Geren a tour of a Patient Evacuation Vehicle. Unveiled June 5, 2008, during a ceremony at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., the PEV is a semi-trailer-sized hospital on...

6/3/2008 - BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- The Air Force vice chief of staff traveled to the Air Force Theater Hospital at Balad Air Base May 29 to visit wounded warriors and accompany them on a flight back to Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Representing Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. T. Michael Moseley, Gen. Duncan J. McNabb carried a message of appreciation and respect for the dedication and sacrifice of injured military personnel serving in the war on terrorism. "I don't have the words to express my deep...

WASHINGTON, June 3, 2008 – The University of Kansas national champion men's basketball team began their victory lap in the nation’s capital yesterday by visiting wounded warriors and signing autographs at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here. The University of Kansas national champion men's basketball team poses for a picture with injured soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. The team and coaching staff kicked off their two-day tour of the nation's capital by visiting wounded warriors June 2, 2008. Defense Department photo by John J. Kruzel  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Towering players in...

YOU ARE A GENUINE HERO ! To all wheel chair user U.S. Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars who live in the region serviced by Salt Lake City VA Hospital. The Square Foot Gardening Foundation, would like to recognize your service to our country and present you - a genuine Hero - with one of our sit-down or stand-up Square Foot Gardens that is elevated on legs. We are certain that despite your wounds, this garden gift will bring you the inspiration and knowledge that anyone and everyone can garden despite all obstacles. Please visit our website often to...

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, May 30, 2008 – When Marine Sgt. Aaron N. Cepeda Sr. lost his life in combat in Iraq on May 7, 2005, his family also lost a son, husband and father. In honor of the sacrifice they were not asked to make, but had to make, Cepeda’s children received a Gold Medal of Remembrance at the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery here during a Memorial Day ceremony May 26. The Cepedas were among five families to be honored with the medal, which is presented to children of fallen servicemembers from operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi...

KIRKUK, Iraq, May 29, 2008 – On opposite sides of the globe, two groups of people in very different environments worked together to raise money for individuals suffering from brain injuries. U.S. Army soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team and U.S. Air Force personnel and civilian contractors begin a two-mile charity Memorial Day run on Forward Operating Base Warrior in northeastern Iraq's Kirkuk region. The deployed Americans joined the 21st annual Amy Thompson Run to Daylight to help those suffering from brain injuries. U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Jason Jordan  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image...

WASHINGTON, May 20, 2008 – Neither rainy May skies nor unseasonably cool temperatures stopped cyclists from beginning the 480-mile “Road 2 Recovery” ride from Walter Reed Army Medical Center here to Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C., today. Army 1st Lt. Ferris Butler takes a lap around the traffic circle just inside Walter Reed Army Medical Center's 16th Street gate before heading for Charlotte, N.C., on May 20, 2008. Butler, who lost half of his right foot and his left leg below the knee in a bomb blast, was one of several wounded warriors who embarked on the 480-mile...

LAUREL, Md., May 20, 2008 – A group of wounded U.S. military veterans gathered at a Maryland ice rink for some fun, camaraderie and exercise May 17. Marine Cpl. Ray Hennagir goes after the puck at the wounded warrior ice hockey clinic at Gardens Ice House, in Laurel, Md., May 17, 2008. Hennagir lost both his legs and four fingers on his left hand on June 16, 2007, near Fallujah, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated. Defense Department photo by Gerry J. Gilmore  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Armed Forces Day is an ideal time to start...

Today's column is for those of us who grew up, unlike Michelle Obama, proud of being American. Some of us have stood at the gentle slopes overlooking Arlington National Cemetery and smelled the freshly cut lawn of summer, felt the blustery wind chill of autumn, and the quiet white of winter's blanket; each season nourishing the stone soldiers. No other place on Earth will make you as proud to be an American patriot. Listen carefully in quiet solitude and you can hear the ping and clack of spent brass ammunition falling on metal and wood. You can hear in the...

BROOKS CITY-BASE, Texas, May 14, 2008 – Starting your own business can be a daunting venture, even under the best of circumstances. But add to that the challenges of being a service-disabled veteran, and the experience can be overwhelming. Professor Mike Morris addresses members of the first Entrepreneurial Bootcamp for Veterans at the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University in July 2007. Morris is the Witting Chair in Entrepreneurship at Whitman. Photo courtesy of Syracuse University  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. That scenario troubled Mike Haynie, a former Air Force major. A few months after beginning his...

WASHINGTON, May 12, 2008 – Two former Marines have set out to provide wounded veterans with a week’s worth of rest and relaxation in luxury homes. Dennis Cline, a wounded veteran, enjoyed a week’s vacation through Vacations for Veterans. The organization works to match Purple Heart recipients from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts with available vacation homes. Homeowners donate at least a week’s worth of free lodging to the veterans and their families through Vacation for Veterans. Courtesy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “Our mission is to pair up recently wounded veterans who are the recipients of...