Michigan became a state on January 26, 1837. A year later, January 1838, the militia, under the state organization, was in active operations during the "Patriot War." Although it was not a major campaign, this war did furnish some action for the soldiers.
The "Patriot War' was brought about by some residents of both upper Canada and the United States, of Irish descent or birth, and United States citizens who had moved to Canada. These "Patriots," as they called themselves, planned to detach the peninsula lying between the Michigan frontier and the Niagara frontier from Canada and attach it to the United States. Their base of operations was located in Michigan and they were organized into secret groups known as "Hunters Lodges."
The points of assembly were Fort Gratiot (Port Huron), Mount Clemens, Detroit, and Gibralter. Meetings were called, secret military organizations created, and Dr. E.A. Theller, an Irish enthusiast for anything opposed to Great Britain, committed some overt acts for which he was arrested, tried, convicted, and sentenced to the citadel of Quebec; he later escaped and fled to Detroit.
In the early winter of 1837-38, straggling parties of armed men waited along the border for the ice to form on the St. Clair river. This was the route over which they planned to enter Canada, unfurl their flag, and establish a temporary government in rebellion against the British crown. They attempted to seize Fort Gratiot, but were foiled by a detachment of the Brady Guards. Their arms and ammunition were taken to Detroit.
In the latter part of December 1837, the "Patriots" used a small steamboat to cross into Canada and landed a short distance above Windsor. They marched down to the village opposite Detroit and in the engagement that followed--the Battle of Windsor--a number of men on both sides were killed and wounded. The "Patriots" scattered to the woods.
A plot was then discovered to capture the United States Arsenal at Dearborn and take possession of the arms stored there. To thwart this action, a company of the Michigan Militia was assigned guard duty at the arsenal. The excitement continued through 1838, however the "Battle of Windsor" is considered the closing of the war.
During its fourth session in 1839, the state legislature enacted legislation that provided more effective defense for the state. This action, most likely inspired by the frontier troubles during the "Patriot War," provided for the organization of a brigade of "State Guards." These troops were to be a sort of superior militia and were to have the preference in the distribution of arms and accoutrements.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Heroes
Our Nation has many heroes. We can read about them in our History Books. We, at FAFSOM believe we have many heroes that never receive much recognition. For that reason, we want to highlight as manyb local heroes as we can. Here are just a few of our local heroes. All of these either lived in or had close family and friends in or very near the area served by FAFSOM. Please visit our website, www.fafsom.org for more information about our local area.
The Honor Roll:
Army 1st Lt. Jonathan W. Edds24, of White Pigeon, Mich.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.; died Aug. 17, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his vehicle using an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire. On that very day FAFSOM was hosting its first dinner to Honor our Local Military Heroes.
Lance Cpl. Craig N. Watson, 21, Union City, MI was killed in action on 12/1/2005 in Fallujah, Iraq. Craig's mom is now the owner and proprietor of the Magi Cafe in Colon, MI. Craig was a Marine with the rank of Lance Cpl. assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division based out of Twentynine Palms, Calif.
In August (2007), Major Douglas Sloan comforted his soldiers during an emotional funeral for three fallen men in Afghanistan.“Three of our comrades have made the ultimate sacrifice,” Sloan said. “We will mourn them but continue to take the fight to the enemy.”In an article in the “Fort Drum Blizzard,” he described the men as selfless in their service and irreplaceable.Nearly three months later the Charlevoix major joined his fallen men. Sloan was Company Commander of Battle Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry, 10th Mountain Division at the time of his death.
Sloan was killed instantly by an explosive device on Halloween. Sloan who was stationed at Camp Blessing in northeast Afghanistan's Pesch Valley was preparing for a relocation to Bagram. He was on a final trip showing the new captain the surrounding villages.
Staff Sgt. Brian L. Morris, 38, 360th Transportation Company, 68th Corps Support Battalion, 43rd Area Support Group from Centreville, Michigan. Brian was one of two soldiers killed when their M915A1 tractor pulling a 7,500-gallon tanker accidentally rolled over in Mosul, Iraq, on August 21, 2005.
Pfc. James L. Arnold, 21, 1st Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division from Mattawan, Michigan. James was one of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their unit during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 15, 2007 .
Tech. Sgt. Ryan A. Balmer, 33, Special Agent to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations
Mishawaka, Indiana. Ryan was one of two airmen killed when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in Kirkuk, Iraq, on June 5, 2007.
Lance Cpl. Brent E. Beeler, 22, 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve from Jackson, Michigan. Brent was killed during combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq, on December 7, 2006.
Sgt. 1st Class Craig A. Boling, 38, Company C, 1st Battalion, 152nd Infantry Regiment, Indiana Army National Guard, Elkhart, Indiana. Died of a non-combat related cause at Camp Wolf, Kuwait on July 8, 2003.
Lance Cpl. Luis J. Castillo, 20, 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve from Lawton, Michigan. Luis died of wounds received during combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq, on January 20, 2007.
Spc. Jeffrey W. Corban, 30, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division from Elkhart, Indiana. Jeffrey was one of five soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their M2A2 Bradley fighting vehicle during combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq, on October 15, 2005.
Sgt. Gabriel G. DeRoo, 25, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division from Paw Paw, Michigan. Gabriel died of injuries suffered when he encountered enemy forces using small arms fire during combat operations in Mosul, Iraq, on August 20, 2006.
Staff Sgt. Michael A. Dickinson II, 26, 9th Psychological Operations Battalion, 4th Psychological Operations Group, U.S. Army Special Operations Command from Battle Creek, Michigan. Michael was killed when his dismounted patrol encountered enemy forces small arms fire in Ramadi, Iraq, on July 17, 2006.
Pfc. Nicholas S. Hartge, 20, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Rome City, Indiana. Nicholas died of wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using grenades and a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 14, 2007.
Sgt. Michael P. Hodshire, 25, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force from North Adams, Michigan. Michael died of wounds sustained from the detonation of a roadside bomb during combat operations near Nasser Wa Salaam, Iraq, on October 29, 2005.
1st. Sgt. Aaron D. Jagger, 43, 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment, 1st Armored Division from
Hillsdale, Michigan. Aaron was one of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their Humvee during combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq, on August 9, 2006.
Lance Cpl. Jason T. Little, 20, 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force from Climax, Michigan. Jason was killed when his tank was attacked with a homemade bomb during combat operations near Ferris, Iraq, on January 7, 2006.
Spc. Christopher T. Monroe, 19, 785th Military Police Battalion, Army Reserve from Kendallville, Indiana. Christopher was killed when his five-ton truck was involved in an automobile accident with a civilian vehicle in Basra, Iraq, on October 25, 2005.
Master Sgt. William L. Payne, 46, Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division from Otsego, Michigan. Bill was killed on May 16, 2003, in Haswah, Iraq, when ordnance he was examining exploded.
Cpl. Aaron L. Seal, 23, 6th Engineer Support Battalion, 4th Marine Logistics Group, Marine Forces Reserve, from Elkhart, Indiana. Aaron died of injuries sustained due to enemy action in Anbar province, Iraq, on October 1, 2006.
Sgt. Matthew Soper, 25, 1461st Transportation Company (Combat Heavy Equipment), Michigan Army National Guard, from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Matthew died of wounds suffered from a roadside bomb in Bayji, Iraq, on June 6, 2007.
Staff Sgt. Vincent E. Summers, 38, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division from South Haven, Michigan. Vincent was one of five soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their M2A2 Bradley fighting vehicle during combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq, on October 15, 2005.
Staff Sgt. Marvin L. Trost III, 28, Company B, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division from Goshen, Indiana. Marvin was killed when a roadside bomb detonated near his Humvee in Habbaniya, Iraq, on December 5, 2004.
Sgt. Matthew A. Webber, 23, 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment (Mechanized), Michigan Army National Guard from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Matthew died at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, on April 27, 2006, of injuries sustained when a roadside bomb detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Habbaniya, Iraq, on November 21, 2005.
Pfc. David A. Wilkey Jr. , 22, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade, 1st Infantry Division from Elkhart, Indiana. David died on June 18, 2007, of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb exploded near his unit in Baghdad, Iraq, on June 17, 2007.
The Honor Roll:
Army 1st Lt. Jonathan W. Edds24, of White Pigeon, Mich.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.; died Aug. 17, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his vehicle using an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire. On that very day FAFSOM was hosting its first dinner to Honor our Local Military Heroes.
Lance Cpl. Craig N. Watson, 21, Union City, MI was killed in action on 12/1/2005 in Fallujah, Iraq. Craig's mom is now the owner and proprietor of the Magi Cafe in Colon, MI. Craig was a Marine with the rank of Lance Cpl. assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division based out of Twentynine Palms, Calif.
In August (2007), Major Douglas Sloan comforted his soldiers during an emotional funeral for three fallen men in Afghanistan.“Three of our comrades have made the ultimate sacrifice,” Sloan said. “We will mourn them but continue to take the fight to the enemy.”In an article in the “Fort Drum Blizzard,” he described the men as selfless in their service and irreplaceable.Nearly three months later the Charlevoix major joined his fallen men. Sloan was Company Commander of Battle Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry, 10th Mountain Division at the time of his death.
Sloan was killed instantly by an explosive device on Halloween. Sloan who was stationed at Camp Blessing in northeast Afghanistan's Pesch Valley was preparing for a relocation to Bagram. He was on a final trip showing the new captain the surrounding villages.
Staff Sgt. Brian L. Morris, 38, 360th Transportation Company, 68th Corps Support Battalion, 43rd Area Support Group from Centreville, Michigan. Brian was one of two soldiers killed when their M915A1 tractor pulling a 7,500-gallon tanker accidentally rolled over in Mosul, Iraq, on August 21, 2005.
Pfc. James L. Arnold, 21, 1st Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division from Mattawan, Michigan. James was one of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their unit during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 15, 2007 .
Tech. Sgt. Ryan A. Balmer, 33, Special Agent to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations
Mishawaka, Indiana. Ryan was one of two airmen killed when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in Kirkuk, Iraq, on June 5, 2007.
Lance Cpl. Brent E. Beeler, 22, 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve from Jackson, Michigan. Brent was killed during combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq, on December 7, 2006.
Sgt. 1st Class Craig A. Boling, 38, Company C, 1st Battalion, 152nd Infantry Regiment, Indiana Army National Guard, Elkhart, Indiana. Died of a non-combat related cause at Camp Wolf, Kuwait on July 8, 2003.
Lance Cpl. Luis J. Castillo, 20, 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve from Lawton, Michigan. Luis died of wounds received during combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq, on January 20, 2007.
Spc. Jeffrey W. Corban, 30, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division from Elkhart, Indiana. Jeffrey was one of five soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their M2A2 Bradley fighting vehicle during combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq, on October 15, 2005.
Sgt. Gabriel G. DeRoo, 25, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division from Paw Paw, Michigan. Gabriel died of injuries suffered when he encountered enemy forces using small arms fire during combat operations in Mosul, Iraq, on August 20, 2006.
Staff Sgt. Michael A. Dickinson II, 26, 9th Psychological Operations Battalion, 4th Psychological Operations Group, U.S. Army Special Operations Command from Battle Creek, Michigan. Michael was killed when his dismounted patrol encountered enemy forces small arms fire in Ramadi, Iraq, on July 17, 2006.
Pfc. Nicholas S. Hartge, 20, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Rome City, Indiana. Nicholas died of wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using grenades and a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 14, 2007.
Sgt. Michael P. Hodshire, 25, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force from North Adams, Michigan. Michael died of wounds sustained from the detonation of a roadside bomb during combat operations near Nasser Wa Salaam, Iraq, on October 29, 2005.
1st. Sgt. Aaron D. Jagger, 43, 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment, 1st Armored Division from
Hillsdale, Michigan. Aaron was one of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their Humvee during combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq, on August 9, 2006.
Lance Cpl. Jason T. Little, 20, 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force from Climax, Michigan. Jason was killed when his tank was attacked with a homemade bomb during combat operations near Ferris, Iraq, on January 7, 2006.
Spc. Christopher T. Monroe, 19, 785th Military Police Battalion, Army Reserve from Kendallville, Indiana. Christopher was killed when his five-ton truck was involved in an automobile accident with a civilian vehicle in Basra, Iraq, on October 25, 2005.
Master Sgt. William L. Payne, 46, Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division from Otsego, Michigan. Bill was killed on May 16, 2003, in Haswah, Iraq, when ordnance he was examining exploded.
Cpl. Aaron L. Seal, 23, 6th Engineer Support Battalion, 4th Marine Logistics Group, Marine Forces Reserve, from Elkhart, Indiana. Aaron died of injuries sustained due to enemy action in Anbar province, Iraq, on October 1, 2006.
Sgt. Matthew Soper, 25, 1461st Transportation Company (Combat Heavy Equipment), Michigan Army National Guard, from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Matthew died of wounds suffered from a roadside bomb in Bayji, Iraq, on June 6, 2007.
Staff Sgt. Vincent E. Summers, 38, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division from South Haven, Michigan. Vincent was one of five soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their M2A2 Bradley fighting vehicle during combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq, on October 15, 2005.
Staff Sgt. Marvin L. Trost III, 28, Company B, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division from Goshen, Indiana. Marvin was killed when a roadside bomb detonated near his Humvee in Habbaniya, Iraq, on December 5, 2004.
Sgt. Matthew A. Webber, 23, 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment (Mechanized), Michigan Army National Guard from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Matthew died at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, on April 27, 2006, of injuries sustained when a roadside bomb detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Habbaniya, Iraq, on November 21, 2005.
Pfc. David A. Wilkey Jr. , 22, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade, 1st Infantry Division from Elkhart, Indiana. David died on June 18, 2007, of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb exploded near his unit in Baghdad, Iraq, on June 17, 2007.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Paying it Back by Paying it Forward:
There has been an extraordinary response to the publicity our Family and Friends Supporting Our Military group has received. I have received many suggestions and many phone calls, letters, and emails of support. One of the ideas that has surfaced is to repay all of our military men and women by insuring that their children can get the education they want beyond high school.
I realize that not every kid is going to go on for a 4 year college degree. But I know that every kid will need additional training beyond high school. I also realize that some kids never think about going on to college, trade school, or technical school because they don’t think they can afford the huge costs.
Our military has the GI Bill to help them. There are also student loans. But what if there was a scholarship fund set up so that every son or daughter of a person who served and was honorably discharged from the military had at least part of their post high school education paid for. This was the idea that was presented to me and I think it is a fantastic idea.
I need look no farther than my son-in-law to see how this type of scholarship program could help. Andy is a great kid and his dad served in the Navy during the late 1960 and early 1970s. Had such a scholarship program existed for Andy, he would have far less in student loans to repay.
Every kid deserves the chance to make the most of the future. A scholarship would help at least those kids whose parents have committed to serve our Country through military service. Based on the few people I’ve talked to, I believe it would be fairly easy to create a scholarship fund that would give these kids at least $500 a year for up to 4 years of college, community college, trade or technical school. Who knows, maybe there are enough generous people out there that we could give them $1,000, $2,000, or more.
Our family had great grandfathers, grandfathers, fathers, uncles, cousins, and sons who have all served in the military. I am sure many other families can say the same thing. I believe that all of these people will be interested in helping to make sure that “Children of our Michigan Heroes” have a chance for a brighter future through education beyond high school.
Let me know what you think. Is this a good idea? Why not send me an email and let me know what you think. If it looks like there is enough support for this idea, we’ll talk about it at our next FAFSOM meeting (on April 19). From there, we’ll put the wheels into motion and see what we can do. Email me at jnewman@civilitycenter.org. This week my hat is off to all those kids whose moms and dads are helping to preserve our “American Way of Life.”
For more information on FAFSOM visit www.FAFSOM.org
I realize that not every kid is going to go on for a 4 year college degree. But I know that every kid will need additional training beyond high school. I also realize that some kids never think about going on to college, trade school, or technical school because they don’t think they can afford the huge costs.
Our military has the GI Bill to help them. There are also student loans. But what if there was a scholarship fund set up so that every son or daughter of a person who served and was honorably discharged from the military had at least part of their post high school education paid for. This was the idea that was presented to me and I think it is a fantastic idea.
I need look no farther than my son-in-law to see how this type of scholarship program could help. Andy is a great kid and his dad served in the Navy during the late 1960 and early 1970s. Had such a scholarship program existed for Andy, he would have far less in student loans to repay.
Every kid deserves the chance to make the most of the future. A scholarship would help at least those kids whose parents have committed to serve our Country through military service. Based on the few people I’ve talked to, I believe it would be fairly easy to create a scholarship fund that would give these kids at least $500 a year for up to 4 years of college, community college, trade or technical school. Who knows, maybe there are enough generous people out there that we could give them $1,000, $2,000, or more.
Our family had great grandfathers, grandfathers, fathers, uncles, cousins, and sons who have all served in the military. I am sure many other families can say the same thing. I believe that all of these people will be interested in helping to make sure that “Children of our Michigan Heroes” have a chance for a brighter future through education beyond high school.
Let me know what you think. Is this a good idea? Why not send me an email and let me know what you think. If it looks like there is enough support for this idea, we’ll talk about it at our next FAFSOM meeting (on April 19). From there, we’ll put the wheels into motion and see what we can do. Email me at jnewman@civilitycenter.org. This week my hat is off to all those kids whose moms and dads are helping to preserve our “American Way of Life.”
For more information on FAFSOM visit www.FAFSOM.org
Friday, January 18, 2008
Report on FAFSOM
In August we held a dinner to honor our Military Heroes; those currently serving and those who have served in our past. That dinner was a huge success. We had over 120 people in attendance and even though we never intended it as a fund raiser, we raised over $1,600. After covering our costs, we have enough money left to distribute phone cards to every deployed local military person we can find.
To help us accomplish this we have created a FAFSOM webpage. You can see our webpage and help us build it by going to www.fafsom.org. When you are there you will see an online form to fill out. You can tell us about a family member or friend who is serving in the military. If they are over seas we will send them a 1 hour phone card along with a note to give you a call.
We had such a great time that we’re making the dinner an annual event. We set our 2008 date as Thursday, November 6, 2008. We’ll start advertising and fund raising for this event fairly soon. We learned with this first dinner that many businesses and foundations need several months of planning time to be able to sponsor such an event. So we’ve allowed for 13 months of time for our local businesses to get on Board. This year we had 36 individuals and businesses donate anywhere from $10 to $250 prior to our dinner. We had another 50 people make donations the night of the dinner.
We expect the 2008 dinner to be a larger event. We may out grow the National Guard Armory. If that happens we’ll eat in shifts and then rearrange the place for our speaker. We have an idea for our speaker for next year but I cannot announce that until we get a little closer to the event. If you missed this year’s event then you missed a great affair. General Murray did a great job telling us about today’s Michigan National Guard and we had 4 World War II Veterans. Since that dinner I have discovered that there are several more World War II vets in the county and we’ll do our best to get them all there next year.
In the meantime there are a few things you can do to help. First go to the www.fafsom.org webpage and give us some more information. Second, use GoodSearch.com; this is a search engine on the Internet that pays a non-profit 1 penny for every search people conduct. A lot of people use Yahoo or Google to do their searches but when you do that all the money goes to Yahoo or Google. If you use GoodSearch.com the money goes to a non-profit. The National Civility Center has agreed to share its return from GoodSearch.com until FAFSOM gets its own 501c3 status. So to help out all you have to do is go to GoodSearch.com and put National Civility Center in the WHO DO YOU GOODSERACH FOR box.
FAFSOM has been a great organization doing a great service for all our Military Heroes. So this week my hat is off to the more than 120 people who came to support the Family and Friends of our Local Military this past August 17.
To help us accomplish this we have created a FAFSOM webpage. You can see our webpage and help us build it by going to www.fafsom.org. When you are there you will see an online form to fill out. You can tell us about a family member or friend who is serving in the military. If they are over seas we will send them a 1 hour phone card along with a note to give you a call.
We had such a great time that we’re making the dinner an annual event. We set our 2008 date as Thursday, November 6, 2008. We’ll start advertising and fund raising for this event fairly soon. We learned with this first dinner that many businesses and foundations need several months of planning time to be able to sponsor such an event. So we’ve allowed for 13 months of time for our local businesses to get on Board. This year we had 36 individuals and businesses donate anywhere from $10 to $250 prior to our dinner. We had another 50 people make donations the night of the dinner.
We expect the 2008 dinner to be a larger event. We may out grow the National Guard Armory. If that happens we’ll eat in shifts and then rearrange the place for our speaker. We have an idea for our speaker for next year but I cannot announce that until we get a little closer to the event. If you missed this year’s event then you missed a great affair. General Murray did a great job telling us about today’s Michigan National Guard and we had 4 World War II Veterans. Since that dinner I have discovered that there are several more World War II vets in the county and we’ll do our best to get them all there next year.
In the meantime there are a few things you can do to help. First go to the www.fafsom.org webpage and give us some more information. Second, use GoodSearch.com; this is a search engine on the Internet that pays a non-profit 1 penny for every search people conduct. A lot of people use Yahoo or Google to do their searches but when you do that all the money goes to Yahoo or Google. If you use GoodSearch.com the money goes to a non-profit. The National Civility Center has agreed to share its return from GoodSearch.com until FAFSOM gets its own 501c3 status. So to help out all you have to do is go to GoodSearch.com and put National Civility Center in the WHO DO YOU GOODSERACH FOR box.
FAFSOM has been a great organization doing a great service for all our Military Heroes. So this week my hat is off to the more than 120 people who came to support the Family and Friends of our Local Military this past August 17.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
An American Hero
One of the fundamental principles of a truly sustainable society is to have the freedom to make decisions that are in the best interest of the community. One of the realities of today’s world is that freedom is something that we too often take for granted. We are fortunate, however, that we have young men and women who have always heeded the call of our nation to take on any foe to preserve that freedom.
On October 31, 2006 Major Doug Sloan, Commander of Company B, 1-32 Infantry Battalion, of the 3rd Brigade 10th Mountain Division paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Doug was one of my son Pete’s best friends. He was killed by a road side bomb planted by the Taliban in the Nuristan Province of Afghanistan. Doug was well known in the 10th Mountain Division as one great guy who looked after his men like a father. He had a lot of practice at that with his own 3 kids.
With two sons in the Army there is not a day that goes by that my wife and I don’t pray for the safety of every military person who has been placed in harms way. Within that prayer I also thank God that we have young men and women who are willing to do what so many others dare not do. Freedom is a fickle thing. The people who our soldiers are fighting for have never really known freedom. They have always had to strictly obey the dictates of fanatical rulers and even if they did everything they were told to do there was still a chance that they might be executed at the whim of a despot.
Major Sloan knew danger lurked around every corner but he put his life on the line so that some Afghani citizens might get to taste the type of freedom we take for granted in the US. I remember Doug as the fun loving guy, the dedicated father, a great friend of my son, and as a true American Hero. I must admit that I have shed some serious tears over this tragic death. My Daughter-in-law, my wife, and I are heading to Fort Drum New York for the Memorial Service on November 8. What a coincidence that it is happening as we approach Veterans Day.
If we are to create a more sustainable St. Joseph County, perhaps our first act should be to truly thank every service man and woman, past and present for the sacrifices they have made for our Nation. The death of our Friend, Major Sloan, has made us think about what we should be doing for the families of those serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and every other duty station. Barb and I have been seriously considering trying to put together some kind of gathering for all of the families of St. Joseph County Service Men and Women. During these difficult and frightening times, it can be helpful to meet and talk to people who are dealing with similar issues. To be sustainable, we all need to connect. Here is my thank you to everyone who is serving or has served to preserve our freedom. And last but definitely not least, THANK YOU Major Douglas E. Sloan.
For more information on FAFSOM go to www.fafsom.org
On October 31, 2006 Major Doug Sloan, Commander of Company B, 1-32 Infantry Battalion, of the 3rd Brigade 10th Mountain Division paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Doug was one of my son Pete’s best friends. He was killed by a road side bomb planted by the Taliban in the Nuristan Province of Afghanistan. Doug was well known in the 10th Mountain Division as one great guy who looked after his men like a father. He had a lot of practice at that with his own 3 kids.
With two sons in the Army there is not a day that goes by that my wife and I don’t pray for the safety of every military person who has been placed in harms way. Within that prayer I also thank God that we have young men and women who are willing to do what so many others dare not do. Freedom is a fickle thing. The people who our soldiers are fighting for have never really known freedom. They have always had to strictly obey the dictates of fanatical rulers and even if they did everything they were told to do there was still a chance that they might be executed at the whim of a despot.
Major Sloan knew danger lurked around every corner but he put his life on the line so that some Afghani citizens might get to taste the type of freedom we take for granted in the US. I remember Doug as the fun loving guy, the dedicated father, a great friend of my son, and as a true American Hero. I must admit that I have shed some serious tears over this tragic death. My Daughter-in-law, my wife, and I are heading to Fort Drum New York for the Memorial Service on November 8. What a coincidence that it is happening as we approach Veterans Day.
If we are to create a more sustainable St. Joseph County, perhaps our first act should be to truly thank every service man and woman, past and present for the sacrifices they have made for our Nation. The death of our Friend, Major Sloan, has made us think about what we should be doing for the families of those serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and every other duty station. Barb and I have been seriously considering trying to put together some kind of gathering for all of the families of St. Joseph County Service Men and Women. During these difficult and frightening times, it can be helpful to meet and talk to people who are dealing with similar issues. To be sustainable, we all need to connect. Here is my thank you to everyone who is serving or has served to preserve our freedom. And last but definitely not least, THANK YOU Major Douglas E. Sloan.
For more information on FAFSOM go to www.fafsom.org
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
PTSD in Children of Deployed Military
SUSTAINABLY SPEAKING
Military Children:
One of the keys to creating a truly sustainable community is quality education. Our children must learn myriad lessons concerning everything from communication skills to accurate computational skills to scientific methodologies. Unfortunately, many children have too many distractions in their lives so learning what society needs them to learn has become more and more difficult.
Many of the distractions that children deal with are the product of our modern age. Nintendo, X-Box, and Play Station have made an incredible impact on developing minds and most of it does not appear to be good. But some kids have to deal with an entirely different distraction; the disruption of their family structure due to the deployment of a parent.
In past generations only a few military personnel had families and children at home. During World War II only 5% of military personnel were married. Today, 52% of all military personnel are married and many of these have children. When today’s military men and women are deployed, the children are left behind and have deal with all of the fears and anxieties that go along with such events.
Today’s Military Child has to deal with the instability of a home without a father or a mother and the constant fear that mommy or daddy may never come home again. This has led some children to develop all of the symptoms that we would normally attribute to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. We are fortunate because we have been able to arrange for an expert in the field of PTSD in children to come to give us an introduction to this problem.
On the evening of January 28, 2007 at 6:30 pm, FAFSOM will host Alicia Cottrell for an Informational Session on PTSD in children. The event will take place at the Sturgis National Guard Armory. Alicia has first hand experience with PTSD as she experienced the symptoms of PTSD when her father was deployed during Desert Storm. Today, she has made it her mission to help communities and schools recognize the signs of PTSD and to develop strategies for supporting children who are having a difficult time dealing with the stresses of having a deployed parent.
Last week, while attending a seminar presented by the Military Child Education Coalition, the idea of Child PTSD was discussed and many participants, many of whom were school social workers, were quite surprised that children were suffering from PTSD. This helped to reinforce, in my mind, that this event was seriously needed. If we expect kids to be successful in school, we need to make sure we help them feel as safe and secure as possible.
I want to invite all of my readers and their friends and family to attend this event. It is not just for school personnel and military families. It is for anyone who cares about children. If you can attend this event please send me an email so we can make sure we have enough chairs and refreshments for the evening. Send your email to jnewman@fafsom.org. We look forward to seeing all of you there.
For more information go to www.FAFSOM.org
Military Children:
One of the keys to creating a truly sustainable community is quality education. Our children must learn myriad lessons concerning everything from communication skills to accurate computational skills to scientific methodologies. Unfortunately, many children have too many distractions in their lives so learning what society needs them to learn has become more and more difficult.
Many of the distractions that children deal with are the product of our modern age. Nintendo, X-Box, and Play Station have made an incredible impact on developing minds and most of it does not appear to be good. But some kids have to deal with an entirely different distraction; the disruption of their family structure due to the deployment of a parent.
In past generations only a few military personnel had families and children at home. During World War II only 5% of military personnel were married. Today, 52% of all military personnel are married and many of these have children. When today’s military men and women are deployed, the children are left behind and have deal with all of the fears and anxieties that go along with such events.
Today’s Military Child has to deal with the instability of a home without a father or a mother and the constant fear that mommy or daddy may never come home again. This has led some children to develop all of the symptoms that we would normally attribute to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. We are fortunate because we have been able to arrange for an expert in the field of PTSD in children to come to give us an introduction to this problem.
On the evening of January 28, 2007 at 6:30 pm, FAFSOM will host Alicia Cottrell for an Informational Session on PTSD in children. The event will take place at the Sturgis National Guard Armory. Alicia has first hand experience with PTSD as she experienced the symptoms of PTSD when her father was deployed during Desert Storm. Today, she has made it her mission to help communities and schools recognize the signs of PTSD and to develop strategies for supporting children who are having a difficult time dealing with the stresses of having a deployed parent.
Last week, while attending a seminar presented by the Military Child Education Coalition, the idea of Child PTSD was discussed and many participants, many of whom were school social workers, were quite surprised that children were suffering from PTSD. This helped to reinforce, in my mind, that this event was seriously needed. If we expect kids to be successful in school, we need to make sure we help them feel as safe and secure as possible.
I want to invite all of my readers and their friends and family to attend this event. It is not just for school personnel and military families. It is for anyone who cares about children. If you can attend this event please send me an email so we can make sure we have enough chairs and refreshments for the evening. Send your email to jnewman@fafsom.org. We look forward to seeing all of you there.
For more information go to www.FAFSOM.org
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