Daily Life of a Marine Mom

A Piece of My Heart is home from Iraq

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Tuesday, December 06, 2005

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[See updated info concerning this post at bottom]

I know ... I have been neglectful on posting here. But facing another Thanksgiving and Christmas without Eric here has gotten me a bit depressed. Let's not even go into the fact that I haven't heard from him in over five weeks. NNIGN (you know, no news is good news). I do hope everyone is having a happy holdiay season though!


I did attend an ABATE (American Bikers Aimed Toward Education) Toys for Tots party last weekend and donate toys and some money to them to help others this holiday season. I also got together some phone cards and sent them to Walter Reed Medical Center for our wounded soldiers that are there. But all in all my holiday cheer or spirit seems lost this year, especially with the loss of ten of our Marines in Fallujah last week. My heart and prayers go out to the families of those we lost. I know one local mom in my area who has a son in the 2/7 (the Marines lost and hurt were members of the 2/7) and her son is okay, but all the losses they have endured lately have saddened him greatly. Several of his friends have died, with each one he loses, his resolve to make sure that they HAVE NOT died in vain strengthens. He told her that the news reports were not accurate about the ambush last week near Fallujah where we lost those young men (ages 19 to 29). So far I haven't heard what the inaccuracies were but if I do get that info I will pass it on. Scott, my prayers are with you and the rest of the 2/7 also, I know how hard this is on you from what your mom tells us. Its tearing her up too.

For those of you that want something simple to do to help our troops, how about sending a phone card to Walter Reed? Its easy, here's the info I have on that.


Date: 1 Dec 2005 11:04:21 -0000
From: MFO_In_Action
Subject: File - Phone Cards

This is from Dave Chung, head of one of the Committees forVeterans Affairs in D.C.

Yellow ribbons tied around trees and red, white and blue stickers on the backs SUVs saying "Support our Troops" are things that make civilians feel good but do nothing for the men and women actually in uniform. So please consider the following:

The number ONE request at Walter Reed hospital is phone cards. The government doesn't pay long distance phone charges and these wounded soldiers are rationing their calls home. Many will be there throughout the holidays. Really support our troops -- Send phone cards of any amount to:

Medical Family Assistance Center
Walter Reed Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20307-5001


They say they need an "endless" supply of these -- any amount even $5 is greatly appreciated. Walmart has good prices on AT&T cards, Sams Club is even better, if you are a member.

I am sure doing this will lift your spirit!

Semper Fi and God bless you all.

NOTE: Reuters Update on the ten Marines we lost in Fallujah last week. Scott was right .. the news didn't report it correctly. I just received this info and it makes this loss even sadder than it already was if that is possible.

By REUTERS

Published: December 6, 2005

BAGHDAD, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Ten U.S. Marines killed near the Iraqi city of Falluja last week had been at a promotion ceremony and were not on foot patrol as initially reported, the U.S. military said on Tuesday.


The Marines were in a disused flour mill on the outskirts of the city to celebrate the promotion of three soldiers, a military statement said.

As the ceremony ended, the Marines dispersed and one of them is thought to have stepped on a buried pressure plate linked to explosives that caused the devastating blast.

The death toll was the largest suffered by U.S. soldiers in Iraq in a single incident since August.

Eleven Marines were wounded in the explosion, which the military initially blamed on "an improvised explosive device (IED) fashioned from several large artillery shells".

The attack was particularly ill-timed for the Americans, coming just a day after President George W. Bush had given a speech outlining his strategy for Iraq and saying he would settle for "nothing less than complete victory".




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