Back from lunch and presentations. The best part was CPT Chuck Zeigenfuss (ValOUR-IT “patient zero”) tell the story of waking up in the hospital in Germany and then the road to the first laptop used to help someone get back into life. It was a wonderful testimony to the work of Soldier’s Angels and the people who made ValOUR-IT go.

History worth remembering. Too bad lunch wasn’t videoed…:(

The spouse/parent panel is on now, but the father of Sgt Robert Stokley, US Army, KIA in Iraq, spoke about what the MilBlogging community had done for him, and let us know about his son.

I doubt there was a dry eye in the place. It’s about helping those who are connected to troops, too.

Well, Andi pulled off a big one…the President of the United States was the opening speaker…followed by a live web conference with RADM Fox from Iraq.

Note: Live video feed of the conference is here!

Adm Fox and the President thanked all of us for the support we provide and commented on how important it was.

Adm Fox went on to say Anbar Province has come a long way and how Gen Paterus’ strategy has already made a major difference with the “enforce the law” program, and the joint security points, where our troops and the Iraqi security forces will work together. There’s a ways to go, but it’s working. “Added vlaue” of them [Iraqis] operting around our troops. The “center of gravity” in this war is the Iraqi people. The intereaction between the people, the security forces and our troops is gaining greater intel, more weapons being recovered and reduction in the number of attacks.

“We are facing a really evil and diabolical enemy…” The Iraqi people have been very restrained. “al-Qada has become public enemy number one over here.”

“This is going to take time. Gen Pateraus is very sober minded and clear eyed about the threat.”

“Over the summer is when we expect to see the security improvements.”

On the question “what can we do as bloggers to support the mission:”

“To get the truth out.” “Ensuring we describe who we are and what we do. What’s been lost in the debate is that there’s a moral aspcet and we’re the good guys. We found abu Gharib…” “I’m not looking for a free pass, bu when we do something wrong, we do something about it.” “Encourage you all to stay enganed in this endeavor. I think it will only grow in importance.” “I have come to respect what reporters who come over here have to deal with”

“I salute you and appreciate what you’re doing.”

We’re off and running. Lots of hands to shake, some from last year, and the opportunity to put more faces with blog headers.

One group had the opportunity to run off to Walter Reed to do a little counter-protesting, then through a few contacts, got into one of the barracks to shake the hands of some of the soldiers there.

AW1 Tim and I, along with Soldier’s Dad and I sat and told “sea stories,” or in Soldier’s Dad case, “war stories” for a while before the reception began.

And off to the races…

And, I can’t help but thing it is fortuitous that this day is also the anniversary of Desmond Doss’ action that won him the CMOH (see story below) and how fitting that is.

Today, Soldier’s Angels will hand out the 1000th ValOUR-IT laptop computer to a wounded warrior, all made possible by the bloggers who helped spread the word and continue to support that program. I spoke with Jim Riley of Soldier’s Angels Medical Programs last night and he informed me the laptops are being issued to the service members as their own now, and we are out of the “library mode.” He also said the funds from the drive last November allowed them to satisfy the backlog on the books, and then set up for several hundred more, but he’s now back to taking the contributions trickling in and the list is beginning to grow again (hint, hint!).Just think, 1000 laptops in 20 months. Great sponsors and lots of people doing what they can, in large and small donations are making a huge difference in the lives of our troops. BZ to you who have made this happen…

This is a repeated post, but a story worth reading and remembering on this day.

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This is, by necessity, a long post. It is a story to honor those who have braved combat, and displayed great courage. Please read it through, and then tell others about it.Somewhere in a box, I have a picture. It is three elementary school children and a blonde German Shepard-Elkhound mix puppy standing next to a monument. The picture was taken in 1962 or 63, and it is my two sisters and I, and our dog, Scooter.All of that is important, and it’s not. What is not as important is how my life has been intertwined with the name cast on the brass plate, and what is is the bigger story, the story of how that name came to be placed on the monument.

As I sat down to gather the links, I re-read the Medal of Honor citation. It covered a period from April 29th through May 21st. One some web pages, the day of this man’s most significant action, is listed as May 5th, 1945, which, was a Saturday, by the way. Hang on to that fact, you’ll need it by the end of the post.

The monument was then, the day of the picture of my sisters and I, located near a sugar cane field on the island of Okinawa. It was there my father told us a story of an Army Medic by the name of Corporal Desmond T. Doss, who distinguished himself (that day) by climbing an escarpment, repeatedly, venturing out onto a machine gun fire swept battle field of open, relatively flat ground, to recover his fellow soldiers, and lower them down the escarpment to safety. A brave man indeed, but he was braver still, in the context of then, and even today than those key points describe.Desmond T. Doss is (he is still living) a 7th Day Adventist. This Christian denomination does not believe in the taking of life. Desmond Doss could have easily avoided service in WWII. Because of his upbringing and personal faithfulness, a request for CO status would have, most likely, been granted without question. Yet, Desmond T. Doss joined the Army, not to kill, but to save lives.

Note before the “jump:” Desmond Doss passed away 3/23/2006.

Read the rest of the post here in original form