In family, a sense of military tradition dates to the Revolution

Happy Veterans Day to those who serve and who have served.As children, my brother and I had the run of a big old family home with a large front porch—it wasn’t fancy but it was solid. Families were larger then and as a result of both our parents' numerous brothers and sisters, we enjoyed a great deal of attention. In sharp contrast to today, we spent a lot of time with the men in our family. I suspect they wanted to get us out from underfoot when the women were canning, quilting or taking care of other domestic business. We children were only too happy to oblige. If you've ever snapped peas or removed the strings from beans, you'll know what I mean.

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Vets for Freedom highlights congressional winners who are veterans

The Veterans Memorial at Billard Park in Jacksonville.Vets for Freedom focuses on public education about the global war on terrorism, with a singular difference from other groups. The organization has first hand knowledge of the war because members have served. Eight VFF members returned to Iraq this summer and the trip culminated with a report, “Report from Iraq: Results and Lessons of the Surge." A statement at the VFF website said, “Using our first hand accounts of the facts on the ground today--juxtaposed against the differences from when we served in Iraq as Soldiers and Marines--we created a document that examines the observable progress of the counter insurgency strategy from the unique perspective of the veteran. These observations are further substantiated by the milestones and benchmarks achieved by both the Iraqi military and government in the past year.”

The VFF website also features a congratulatory message to 6 veterans elected to congressional office Nov. 6:
•Jim Marshall (D-GA)
•Duncan Hunter (R-CA)
•Senator James Inhofe (R-OK)
•Steve Stivers (R-OH)
•John Kline (R-MN)
•Tom Rooney (R-FL)

The US Report sends thanks to all veterans and active troops. Our freedom rests on your shoulders. And for those who want first-hand accounts of US veterans in action, the VFF is an excellent resource.