Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Boys and Girls Scouts help feed 800 people at Camp Pendleton

Thanksgiving Feats: Volunteers, Boys and Girls Scouts help feed 800 people at Camp Pendleton
San Clemente Times
Eric Heinz
November 25, 2015

Food for Thanksgiving piled up on Monday at the commissary at Camp Pendleton in order to provide the holiday feast for U.S. Marines and their families.
People make their way to the donations from the Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway organized by the San Clemente Military Family Outreach on Monday at Camp Pendleton.
For the past eight years the nonprofit San Clemente Military Family Outreach has hosted a Thanksgiving drive to help out the families in the north Camp Pendleton to people living in San Onofre Housing. Many of the families have a relative or loved one who has been deployed. Recently about 2,000 troops were sent to South Pacific Asia.

“It got started by the predecessor by the Friends of San Onofre Marines,” Robert Crittendon, a volunteer with SCMFO, said. “They had started the distribution for units that were being sent overseas. On one occasion, the St. Margaret’s Church had invited them, and there were 250 people who had signed up. The church I think was overwhelmed and they really had to scramble to provide that meal.”
read more here

Thanksgiving meal together at Fort Carson

Fort Carson
"This is my first Thanksgiving away from home, I mean, it sucks, but they do their best to make up for it," Wolf said. "This is the coolest thing ever or at least since I've been in the army."
Soldiers serve families and compete in Thanksgiving culinary competition
FOX 21 News
By Christina Dawidowicz
Published: November 25, 2015

FORT CARSON, Colo. — A full meal compete with dessert and music.
More than 800 people shared a Thanksgiving meal together at Fort Carson’s annual Thanksgiving meal and culinary competition.

“Trying to brighten their spirit since they’re not there with their families,” said Sfc. Francis J Orcutt with the U.S. Army.

“There’s the ham, there’s the turkey, there’s,” said Spc. Francisco Silva, who’s been at Fort Carson for two years now.

Each soldier worked on a project with a team for one of the six dining facilities on post.

“They work on shift, they put out the meal for the day, and then they would come over and help the team after their meal,” Orcutt said.
read more here

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

For one WWII veteran, a day to give thanks for 'one more sunrise'

For one WWII veteran, a day to give thanks for 'one more sunrise' 
The Washington Post
By T. Rees Shapiro
Published: November 25, 2015
"I was not sure I was going to live until morning," Graff said in an interview this week at his home. "I prayed to God for one more sunrise." He saw another dawn on that distant November day. Just as he has for almost 26,000 mornings since.
Richard Graff is a 91 year-old veteran from Ashburn, Va., who has been visiting classrooms to talk with students about his experiences in battle. KATE PATTERSON/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
ASHBURN, Va. — On Thanksgiving Day in 1944, Dick Graff opened his Army-issue mess kit and took comfort in his turkey and mashed potatoes, a welcome respite from the brutal battlefront near Weisweiler, Germany.

As a soldier with the 104th Infantry Division, the 20-year-old who grew up on a hog and cattle farm in Iowa was grateful for the hot meal a world away. Things had changed in the few weeks since he had narrowly survived his first combat experience. The night mission had called for Graff and the other U.S. troops in his unit to maneuver through a forest, and as they moved, German artillery shells began to quake the earth around him.

The bombardment seemed endless. The Army had trained him how to fight and how to shoot machine guns, but the terror of facing enemy fire was like nothing he could have imagined.
read more here

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Giving Thanks For Marines

Happy Thanksgiving Marines!
These are stories about love. A child given wish and young life celebrated. A couple married 75 years died together. A young Marine seeks future with woman he loves and proposes during football game. Marines welcomed into homes to have a family style Thanksgiving meal far from home.

Cherry Point family celebrates son’s birthday, life at Disney resort
Cpl. Unique B. Roberts II Marine Expeditionary Force

Ask any Marine what Nov. 10 means to them and you’re likely to hear a tale of a birth that took place in a Philadelphia tavern in 1775. One Cherry Point family had much more to celebrate this Nov. 10 than the inception of the Marine Corps.

"We treat every moment like it’s going to be the last moment because no one knows," said Cpl. Devon Morse, whose 3-year-old son, David, spent his birthday with his family at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, courtesy of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

David, who shares his birthday with the Corps, was diagnosed with extra-ventricular neurocytoma, a rare form of cancerous brain tumor, in March. The rambunctious toddler with an infectious smile has since endured radiation therapy and two brain surgeries.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation held a party for David at the Trinity Presbyterian Church in Havelock, North Carolina, Nov. 2, to grant his wish and ensure he and his family got to spend the week at Walt Disney World.

2nd Marine Division Band to spread holiday joy The 2nd Marine Division Band perform an arrangement of the Nutcracker Suite during the Holiday Concert at the Base Theater aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Dec. 15. The program featured a variety of traditional and modern Christmas and holiday music performed by the full concert band, jazz ensemble, party band and soloists.
Locals open homes to Marines for holidays
JDN News
By Adelina Colbert
Published: Sunday, November 23, 2014

Turkey, stuffing, pie — you name it and they will have it.

Thanksgiving Day, about 500 Camp Lejeune Marines will be able to enjoy warm, home-cooked dinners, watch football and enjoy other leisure activities as they spend the holiday in the homes of local residents.

Susan Goodrich, branch head for the Single Marine Program at Camp Lejeune and New River said the Marines for Thanksgiving program allows families in the region to host students from Camp Geiger, Camp Johnson and Courthouse Bay.

“Marines will be placed two to a family if not more,” Goodrich said. “(They) will not only have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day dinner, some of the Marines will be able to play golf. Some plan to have boating activities.”

Goodrich said the program, which started about seven years ago, has grown exponentially. When the program began, families from one community hosted Marines for the holidays.

“I now work with four major communities,” she said.

Chartered buses on the morning of Thanksgiving Day will take Marines to communities in Wilmington, Wallace and New Bern. There, Marines will be greeted by their host families and spend an average of about 10 to 12 hours with the family.
read more here
Married 75 years, couple die together in Mount Holly wreck
Charlotte Observer
By Joe DePriest
Posted: Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2014

MOUNT HOLLY Married 75 years, Jim and Kate Frazier, both 94, were headed from a lunch date on Monday when their car ran off a road only a few miles from their Mount Holly home.

Both were killed.

On Thanksgiving, family members will remember a loving, hardworking couple who stuck close to their textile roots.

“They were happily married for 75 years, had lunch together that day and passed together,” Ronald Frazier said of his parents. “I take some comfort in that.”

Mount Holly police reported the vehicle that Jim Frazier was driving ran off the left side of East Charlotte Avenue at 1:53 p.m. and went down an embankment, landing in a creek. Kate Frazier was pronounced dead at the scene and Jim Frazier died later at CaroMont Regional Medical Center in Gastonia.
The couple were already married, and Jim had a job at Acme when he joined the Marines during World War II.

It would be a long separation for the couple.

When Jim Frazier landed on the Japanese-held island of Iwo Jima in February 1945, one of his brothers, Paul, was also with the invasion force.

That epic battle would deliver a devastating blow to the family.

An exploding mortar spewed shrapnel into Jim Frazier’s legs and chest. Recovering from serious injuries on a hospital ship, he didn’t know that his brother, also wounded in battle, had died on the same vessel. Paul was buried at sea.

Ronald Frazier said shrapnel from Iwo Jima remained in his father’s body.
read more here

Marine's proposal accepted at Worcester football game
TELEGRAM and GAZETTE STAFF
By Bill Doyle
November 26, 2014
Marine Eric Kline leans in to kiss Alyha Pomales after she accepted his marriage proposal at half time during the game between North and South High School Wednesday. ((T and G Staff/CHRISTINE PETERSON))

WORCESTER — With snow falling, Eric Kline, a private first class in the U.S. Marine Corps, stood in his military uniform at the 50-yard line at Commerce Bank Field at Foley Stadium during halftime of the North High-South High football game Wednesday morning.

Public address announcer Jim O'Donoghue said that Pfc. Kline would be involved in a special ceremony on the field and asked that Pfc. Kline's girlfriend, North High senior Alyha Pomales, join him on the field.

The South High Community School cheerleaders gathered behind Pfc. Kline and the North and South players looked while as he got on one knee in the snow and proposed to Ms. Pomales as he slipped an engagement ring onto her finger. She immediately said yes while everyone on the field and in the stands cheered. Then Pfc. Kline stood up and hugged his fiancée. Then they held hands and raised them to the cheering fans.
read more here
Injured vet, family find reasons to be thankful through hard times
THE WICHITA EAGLE
BY RICK PLUMLEE
11/26/2014


Members of the Blank family gather at their home on Sept. 21, the day Nathanial, front left, left for Army boot camp. The rest of the family are Karen, front center; Abbie, front right; Linden, back left; Jonathon, back center; and Matthew. COURTESY PHOTO


Would you still be thankful if your body had been cut nearly in half by war, wrecking your life’s plans?

Would you still be thankful if you saw your brother or son live in pain daily, struggling to do things as simple as opening a door?

You would if you were Jonathon Blank and his family.

“Of course,” Jonathon said. “My life isn’t over. There’s a possibility of anything happening tomorrow. And I love that, rather than there being nothing because I’m dead.”

Linden Blank said he’s thankful his brother didn’t die in Afghanistan. “I’m thankful to God every day that didn’t happen. I’m thankful for my own survival.”

Among other things, Thanksgiving is a day to remember why we should be thankful. That can be harder some Thanksgivings than others.

This is the Blanks’ fifth Thanksgiving since a hidden bomb exploded under Jonathon on Oct. 26, 2010, during his Marine recon unit’s final mission in Afghanistan. It blew off his legs and a hip, tore up his intestines and ripped apart his left elbow.
read more here

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Blessed are the peacemakers

Blessed are the peacemakers
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
November 28, 2013

"Blessed are the peacemakers" as well they should be. They possess every attribute in the list Christ said would be blessed.
Matthew 5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes

He said:


3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
After you come home it is very hard for you to remember the reason you went. It was to save the lives of the others you were with.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
If you mourn or grieve for the loss and over the horrors you endured, then you shall be comforted for the love you were able to keep alive inside of you. If you did not love, if you did not care, you would not mourn and grieve.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Being meek does not make you weak. You did what you had to do when you had to do it and then, then you fought no more.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
You hunger and thirst for a day when all mankind lives together and wars will be fought no more. You know the price paid all too well.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
You showed mercy to those you were with and even to the people you did not trust.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
No man is pure but some are pure in heart when they do not seek riches and glory for themselves but do what they are compelled to do for the sake of others.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
You are peacemakers and keepers because you were prepared to stop when your job was done and prayed for peace in the land you stood in.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Your actions were for a righteous sake because it was for the sake of the others you were with.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
There are some that want to accuse you. Some want to walk away from you. Some want to ignore you but when you look around you'll see what was inside you the day you decided to serve and that came from a place of love, honor, courage and compassion.
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

John 15 13

"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.



This you were willing to do.
So why do so many veterans feel cursed instead of blessed? Why is it so hard for you to understand the very fact you mourn is a reflection of that same ability to care that allowed them to be able to risk your lives for someone else?

Everything you need to heal is inside of you already. All you need to do is seek help to reconnect to it and see.

Fort Campbell Giving thanks loudly for safe return of 345 soldiers

Giving thanks loudly for safe return of 345 soldiers
'Currahees' bring hundreds home to Fort Campbell for holiday
Leaf-Chronicle
Written by
Philip Grey
November 28, 2013

FORT CAMPBELL, KY. — The biggest return flight of soldiers from Afghanistan in recent memory could not have come at a better time than the evening before Thanksgiving.

And the hundreds of family members, friends and comrades waiting for 345 soldiers could not have been more unanimously in agreement on that point.

Certainly, for the soldiers who came home to Fort Campbell on Wednesday – nearly all from the 4th Brigade Combat Team “Currahee, 101st Airborne Division – the pumpkin pie will taste a little sweeter on this side of the world for this particular holiday.

What was even sweeter for all involved was a deployment cut short, from nine months to six months, for the best possible reason – mission accomplishment.

More Currahees are on the way home soon. Most will be in time for Christmas, as the transition of more areas of Afghanistan to Afghan self-sufficiency proceeds apace.
read more here

Happy Thanksgiving, Team Rubicon Nation

Happy Thanksgiving, TR Nation!
November has been a busy month for us; our volunteers have been mucking out flooded homes in Austin, TX, providing medical relief to those affected by Typhoon Haiyan, and helping homeowners rebuild after the tornado in Washington, IL.

Whether we're sharing a Thanksgiving turkey with friends and family from the comfort of our home or splitting a pack of Turkey jerky and a cornbread MRE with our fellow volunteers in Illinois or the Philippines, we're incredibly thankful for your support.

Because of you, we've deployed volunteers on over fifty operations around the world and here at home. Over 13,000 veterans, first responders, and medical professionals have joined TR to answer the call of continued service.

Thank you, and from our family to yours,
Happy Thanksgiving!

- The Team

Friday, November 23, 2012

Members of Massachusetts National Guards come home

National Guard company returns to Florence from Afghanistan in time for Thanksgiving
By Fred Contrada
The Republican
November 22, 2012

By Dave Roback, The Republican 11/22/12-Florence-Staff Photo by Dave Roback-Michael Robert meets his nephew Bradley Ray Bletz, of Enfield, age 6 months for the first time as Robert's company, the 182nd Engineeer Company returned to Florence from Afghanistan on Thanksgiving Day
NORTHAMPTON -- Jason Tierney was looking forward to a peaceful Thanksgiving with his family in the Berkshires. Michael Robert was so set on relaxing that he and wife Kayla decided to put their holiday off until Friday.

Tierney and Robert, both sergeants in the 182nd Engineer Company of the Massachusetts National Guard, spent the last year with some 80 fellow soldiers clearing roadside bombs in Afghanistan. They came Thursday home to a quiet, sunny November day, and that was thanks enough for them and their families.
read more here

Obama calls 10 service members in Afghanistan to offer thanks

Obama calls 10 service members in Afghanistan to offer thanks
By The Associated Press

President Barack Obama celebrated Thanksgiving quietly at the White House with his family, friends and some White House staff members after phoning 10 members of the U.S. armed services in Afghanistan.

Obama, as has been his practice during previous holidays, reached out to service members from the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy.
read more here

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Thursday, November 22, 2012

Fort Carson Soldiers Return Home For Thanksgiving

Fort Carson Soldiers Return Home For Thanksgiving
CBS Denver News
November 21, 2012

Thankful for inner peace today

Thankful for inner peace today
by Chaplain Kathie
Wounded Times Blog
November 22, 2012

When we have bad memories, the whole world can look pretty bleak until somehow we get past the memories and move on. I doubt there is a single person on this earth without a bad memory. The human spirit thrives on the expression "what doesn't kill us makes us stronger" so it is very hard for people to understand what living with PTSD is like. They got over what happened in their lives so why can't you?

The truth is, they really didn't get over it. When I am talking to a group of regular civilians trying to get them to understand the difference between PTSD and temporary shock, I get them to remember events in their own lives so they can begin to understand. My past came with me even if I didn't notice it chasing me.

There is usually at least one event a person can connect to when I mention it and often, they connect to several but have managed to put the even out of their thoughts. A car accident, sudden death of someone they loved, verbal or physical abuse, crimes, witnessing something horrific, getting fired or laid off and divorce. The list goes on.

Once they are connected to something in their own life, I ask them to remember how it felt. Then I ask them what it would be like for them if that event happened over and over again and when it was not happening they had to worry about being repeated.

That's what it is like for the troops and that is how they end up not being able to just get over it. As the audience re-experience their own events and discover they have not really gotten past them, what they have discovered is that they have made peace with that part of their lives.

My Mom was born 11-21-21 and passed away in 2007. Yesterday I was depressed thinking about my youth and how hard it was growing up. My Dad was a Korean War veteran and a violent alcoholic. I made peace with him when he stopped drinking when I was 13. My Mom never really did. My brothers didn't forgive him and they died younger than they should have with all that anger. I don't think about those times until I am reminded of them by an anniversary date or holiday reminds me. For the rest of the year, I'm ok but the bad memories never really go away.

I don't remember the bad times in my marriage when PTSD was trying to destroy my husband until I have to take a look at it especially when I am talking to another veteran or a family member or when I have to talk about my book. Ten years ago forcing myself to remember all of it was the hardest thing I even had to do, but when it was done, I let it go for most of the time, yet all that pain is still there even if I do not feel it on a daily basis. I have too many things to be happy about now. The darkest times in my life are not gone but I have made peace with them just like I did with my Dad.

For veterans, depending on what they went through, most of the time they are able to "move on" but all the memories are still there. For them it never really ends because there are constant reminders of the hardest times in their lives. It is very hard for them because they have not been told how to make peace with that part of their lives. We expect them to do what we do and just get over it because that is what we were able to do. Yet when we are honest with ourselves we realize that we didn't really get over times in our own lives either.

When my Dad was drinking, it was horrible and I couldn't forgive him because there was the constant threat of him coming home drunk and starting fights with my oldest brother or arguing with my Mom. I couldn't start to forgive him until I for the most part I knew there was no danger of repeats. That came slowly and took years before I was able to trust he wouldn't drink again.

In 1980 after a series of heart attacks and strokes, he was told that he was on borrowed time because his heart was so weak. Even knowing he was dying, he refused to drink because he didn't want to hurt his family again. He lived until 1987.

I have made peace with every rotten thing that has happened in my life but I have not really forgotten them. I bet you haven't either. Today take a look at what is still haunting you and try to make peace with it. The veterans I help start to heal when they do. So many times they are angry with me because they think they are getting worse because they cry. Crying is a good thing because it releases all the pain we are feeling and then we all start healing. Forgiving what others did to us as much as we forgive what they wouldn't do for us helps us find peace but forgiving ourselves is often the hardest thing to do. When we manage to do that, then we find real peace within our memories.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Thanksgiving: Have an Attitude of Gratitude

Nov 20, 2012 by usarmy
Capt. Chaplain Scott Norman, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA), sends Thanksgiving greetings to his wife in Newport News, Virginia from Afghanistan.

US Army Alaska Command Team Thanksgiving Message
Nov 20, 2012
by USArmyAlaska
Gratitude and Thanksgiving
Maj. Gen. Michael X. Garrett, U.S. Army Alaska Commanding General

Nov 12, 2012 by hourlyupdates
Soldier Surprises Wife, It's going to be a very happy Thanksgiving for a San Antonio couple.

A soldier fighting in Afghanistan paid his wife back home a special surprise just in time for the holidays.

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jonathan Gillis surprised his wife Giselle with flowers at the end of the finish line at the fifth annual Rock "N" Roll marathon in San Antonio Sunday.

Gillis, a member of the 1/143rd Infantry Unit in Austin, Texas, had left Afghanistan last week but had told his wife his arrival would be delayed due to dental surgery.

Once his wife saw him, she was overwhelmed with joy and ran into his arms.

Gillis had been away on deployment in Afghanistan since January.



Nov 20, 2012 by TownsquareUtica
Service Men and Women say hello for Thanksgiving - courtesy of the Dept of Defense.

Ft. Sam Houston, Lt. Gen William B. Caldwell IV, Thanksgiving Message
Nov 10, 2012
by TheUSARMYNorth
Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, commanding general, U.S. Army North and Fort Sam Houston would like to extend his mesage to the Ft. Sam Houston Community during the Thanksgiving celebrations.

Nov 21, 2012 by MyMommyDays
The boys were so happy mommy and daddy came to have Thanksgiving lunch with them at their school :) #GoodTimes

Nov 21, 2012 by tullylegal
Albany, NY Law Firm Tully Rinckey PLLC teamed up with Hannaford Supermarkets on Tuesday November 20, 2012 to give thanks to Capital Region veterans by handing out free Thanksgiving turkeys.
The firm provided more than 100 free turkeys to active and retired military personnel for the fourth annual giveaway. Members of the law firm said that this is the highlight of their year.
Since the giveaway began, the "turkeys for veterans" program has donated to more than 300 servicemen and servicewomen.

If you thought your Thanksgiving prep was hard, read this

Thanksgiving Army-style at remote base in Afghanistan
By STEVEN BEARDSLEY
Stars and Stripes
Published: November 21, 2012

COMBAT OUTPOST BOWRI TANA, Afghanistan — As she prepares Thanksgiving lunch and dinner here, Spc. Nikki Barthelemey faces a few holiday challenges — cooking the turkey evenly, finishing side dishes on time, avoiding incoming mortar fire.

Wait — what?

Barthelemey is head cook for an Army infantry company at this outpost in remote east Afghanistan near the Pakistan border, a transit region for militants entering the country, and an unlikely setting for a traditional American Thanksgiving.

Yet that’s how Barthelemey is spending the day, cooking a meal that rivals what Company C, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, is missing during deployment.
read more here

Here are some pictures from around the web.
In This Photo: Joshua Korder Joshua Korder of Winona, MN with Blackfoot Company 1st Battalion 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment has Thanksgiving dinner while standing watch in a guard tower November 26, 2009 in Matakhan, Afghanistan. The soldiers of Blackfoot were served pre-packaged turkey breasts, cranberries, potatoes, stuffing and pie.


DynCorp International Helps U.S. Troops Celebrate Thanksgiving in Afghanistan served this last year.
On Thanksgiving Day, DI’s food service staff prepared and served a total of:
13,030 pounds of turkey
5,488 pounds of rib eye steaks
3,618 pounds of steamship round beef
3,570 pounds of pit smoked ham
3,000 pounds of shrimp
2,256 assorted pies (apple, cherry, pecan and sweet potato)
1,785 pounds of stuffing
1,739 pounds of mixed nuts
735 gallons of eggnog
588 pounds of marshmallows for candied yams


To all the men and women serving tomorrow and everyday,,,,, Happy Thanksgiving and I give thanks for all of you!

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Orlando Semper Fidelis gives thanks for veterans

Yesterday Semper Fidelis of Orlando gave a thanksgiving feast to some local heroes.
 Great day and great company as always.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Families step up for Thanksgiving and 165 Camp Lejeune Marines

81 families step up to host Marines at Thanksgiving
WWAY News
Submitted by Marissa Jasek
11/05/2012

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) -- Port City Java has enough families to host Marines for its second annual Make a Marine's Thanksgiving drive.

Port City Java CEO Steve Schnitzler says all 165 Marines from Camp Lejeune will have a family to spend the day with.
Thanksgiving click for more

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Military Outreach Donates Meals to 1,000 Pendleton Families

Military Outreach Donates Meals to 1,000 Pendleton Families
Dec 03, 2011
Marine Cpl. Jessica Logan carries her Thanksgiving meal fixings and turkey during San Clemente Military Family Outreach giveaway. Photo courtesy Bob Meese
About 1,000 military families in north Camp Pendleton received the fixings for Thanksgiving turkey dinners from the San Clemente Military Family Outreach. “I think what they’re doing here is awesome,” said Cpl. Sarah Logan of the ninth annual event. “It really helps a lot of families.”

Many families agreed, saying they were unsure they could have afforded a full Thanksgiving meal otherwise.

read more here

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Deployed Camp Pendleton Marine's Thanksgiving Message

Deployed Camp Pendleton Marine's Thanksgiving Message
A Marine in Afghanistan sends home a holiday message
By Lea Sutton
Thursday, Nov 24, 2011

Source: Deployed Camp Pendleton Marine's Thanksgiving Message | NBC San Diego
While we're here at home, enjoying the holiday with friends and family, many of our military men and women are deployed overseas.

Sgt. Bryan Mayorga is spending the holiday in Afghanistan. The Camp Pendleton Marine, a mechanic for “Huey” and “Super Cobra” helicopters, says he's staying busy.

"The tempo is high, we're working a lot. That's our main focus right now. Just focused on getting the job done," said Sgt. Mayorga.

From Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, Sgt. Mayorga says its all work and no play for now.

He leads his Marines to keep helicopters safely flying. Those helicopters provide air support to keep coalition forces safe on the ground.

Bonding helps ease the deployment.

"I've noticed that [camaraderie] has really built up quickly in the past two weeks that we've been here, so that's always a good thing. It helps build a strong work center and a strong bond among the Marines," said Sgt. Mayorga.

read more here

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Thursday, November 24, 2011

Troops have Thanksgiving Day Parade in Afghanistan

Thanksgiving 2011: Troops in Afghanistan chow down

U.S. Army cooks at the Panjwai district center in Afghanistan cook up a Thanksgiving feast for the troops.

By MARTIN KUZ
Stars and Stripes
Published: November 24, 2011

GOSHTA, Afghanistan — Forget the Macy’s parade in New York City. On Thursday morning, soldiers at Combat Outpost Garcia in Nangarhar province may have held Afghanistan’s first-ever Thanksgiving Day parade.

It was, admittedly, a modest affair: a total of four hand-built floats, including a Sherman tank commanded by a Cartman doll. But for troops with Company D of the 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, the event brought a dash of holiday cheer to a war zone.

“It’s just a little something to make you think of home,” said Pfc. Cuyler Slocum, 23, of Warsaw, N.Y., who had suggested the idea of a parade to the company’s command staff a couple of weeks ago.
read more here

Thanksgiving on the Front Lines: No Break for Troops in Afghanistan

Thanksgiving on the Front Lines: No Break for Troops in Afghanistan

By MIKE BOETTCHER -- Zormat, Afghanistan
Nov. 24, 2011
It's business as usual for the Oklahoma National Guard in eastern Afghanistan.

U.S. soldiers and their Afghan police partners show off a Taliban machine gun they captured during a patrol today. They also uncovered a cache of Taliban weapons, all before the Thanksgiving meal.

"We found some IED [Improvised Explosive Device] making materials. Some HME [homemade explosives], and a couple of mortar rounds. It was a good find," one National Guardsman told ABC News.

Americans across the world are celebrating Thanksgiving today, but there is no break for troops on the front lines.

Oklahoma's 45th Brigade has faced a particularly tough fight in east-central Afghanistan. Since it fully deployed last July, 14 of its team have been killed in action. That included the first woman from Oklahoma to die on the battlefied, Pfc. Sarina Butcher, a 19-year-old mother.The previous brigade from Iowa saw four of its soldiers killed in action while it was deployed there.
read more here

Father, Son Return From Afghanistan For Family Thanksgiving

Father, Son Return From Afghanistan For Family Thanksgiving
November 24, 2011

LAGUNA HILLS (CBS) — A father, one of the oldest recruits in the U.S. Army. His son, an infantry marine on the front lines. Their safe return from Afghanistan is what their family will celebrate around the Thanksgiving dinner table. In the midst of a booming dermatology practice in Newport Beach, Dr. Dore Gilbert decided to follow a lifelong dream. He joined the Army at the age of 60.

Gilbert was determined not to let his age hold him back. “I just couldn’t use that as an excuse,” says Gilbert. “I was done with excuses. I wanted to serve my country.” Gilbert knew the last three months he spent serving as a brigade surgeon in Afghanistan could cost him his life. Still it was the safety of another that was constantly on his mind. Gilbert’s 22-year-old son, Kevin is a U.S. Marine who was also assigned to Afghanistan.
read more here