Archive for the 'Military' Category
January 13th, 2010 by Mike Redding
Hundreds and hundreds of our neighbors and friends, who have been in Iraq serving, are almost home.
Most don’t like to talk about it before they walk off a transport onto American soil. Can you imagine what that must feel like? You sign up to serve your country, get shipped off to a war that has no defined geographic boundaries, no enemy in an identifiable uniform, and your rules of engagement are shall we say complicated. Your life hangs in the balance every day but you don’t know where to point your gun. “Who goes there? Friend or foe?” No way of knowing.
The insanity that is war today is nothing like the WW2 movies we all watched growing up. The saying used to be, “War is hell.” If hell is “the absence of hope” as one old friend once told me, than I’d say this war is every bit of hell. It must be maddening to sit over there and feel like you’re playing Russian Roulette with your life. God bless the men and women of our armed forces. The things we ask of them are impossible to accomplish. And they accomplish it anyway.
Later this week and much of next Anna and I will be writing about these homecomings. SASTP Unpaid Employee #5 will be on the ground at the homecoming shooting pictures and you’ll see the tears and the joy right here in this space.
These are the days where husbands and wives are reunited and children squeeze mommy or daddy’s neck so tight they might never let go.
But please keep them all in your prayers. These men and women have been exposed to stress like none of us can relate to. If you think their transition from war to home is a snap, it won’t be. There will be marriages that were once strong dropped on the rocks. There will be sleeplessness and anxiety beyond what any of us civilians have ever experienced. They didn’t just march off and play war somewhere. They spent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for months on end wondering if they’re number is up. They sat in blistering hot tents on the phone, tears rolling down their cheeks listening in as their babies celebrated birthdays… only to have the line go dead because of another sand storm.
We all sit here and bitch about health care reform and wonder whether or not our politicians are hypocrites. Let me connect the dots for you. The answer is yes, they are. Get over it. They’re just like you and me. Imperfect. On the other hand, our servicemen and woman are sent to hell and back. Drop what you are doing and tell them thank you. Tell them you’re honored and humbled by their sacrifice. The family down the street who sit waiting for daddy or mommy to come home, bring them a meal, a hug, a kind note in the mailbox.
The “Gratitude Waves” this website has spawned were awesome but too easy. We type a few words and move on with our day. Well, our soldiers are coming home this week and next. By the end of the month, all 4000 of our North Carolina National Guard will be back where they belong. Make sure they know the people they have been protecting (you and me) are thankful.
Do something that says “I’m grateful.” MR
December 15th, 2009 by Mike Redding
This poem has been sent to me now by about a dozen people. I can take a hint! It’s a great story with a complicated, touching and important message. If you like, send it along to your friends… MR
The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn’t loud, and it wasn’t too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn’t quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
“What are you doing?” I asked without fear,
“Come in this moment, it’s freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!”
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire’s light
Then he sighed and he said “Its really all right,
I’m out here by choice. I’m here every night.”
“It’s my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I’m proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ‘Pearl on a day in December,”
Then he sighed, “That’s a Christmas ‘Gram always remembers.”
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ‘Nam’,
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I’ve not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he’s sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue… an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother.
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall..”
“So go back inside,” he said, “harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I’ll be all right.”
“But isn’t there something I can do, at the least,
“Give you money,” I asked, “or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you’ve done,
For being away from your wife and your son.”
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
“Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we’re gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.”
December 9th, 2009 by Mike Redding
We use the word hero so much I’m not even sure I should use it here. Not because it may not apply. Because I’m not sure if the word means enough anymore.
I met a man Tuesday who has never won a Super Bowl. Never won a “major” in golf or tennis. Never won an Olympic Gold Medal. He’s never had a reality television show. He has never had a hit record or played music in front of a sold-out crowd. He’s never won an Oscar or an Emmy or a Grammy. He’s done none of the things we associate with today’s “heroes.”
By today’s standards he’s pretty much a simple old man with a lot of memories. In fact of you saw him on a park bench or fetching his mail you’d think, “Hmmm, wonder how old that man is? Looks 90!”
And he is. Bill Overstreet is every bit of 90… and looks it. But talk with him and you’ll be dumbfounded. Bill Overstreet did something when he was in his early 20s that people in France still remember. I’m not sure which of his 102 missions it was that he flew over Europe during World War II, but he was in a dogfight with a German Messerschmitt over Paris when the most preposterous thing I’ve ever heard of happened.
Here’s the scene: Hitler’s army occupied Paris. In the air above, Americans were starting their bombing runs into the heart of Hitler’s strongholds. These were missions only those with titanium nerves flew. You knew going in that you hade a 50-50 chance of not returning.
Bill Overstreet flew a P-51 Mustang. His job was to accompany bombers and keep them safe from German fighter groups. He painted the name, “Berlin Express” on the side of his plane. He wanted to be the one who chased Hitler from his bunker. But on this day, over Paris, Bill Overstreet was outnumbered and under fire. It didn’t matter. He didn’t turn back and head for safety. He got on the tail of a German Messerschmitt and he chased him right into the heart of Paris. He knew this is where the Germans had placed their heaviest anti aircraft artillery. It didn’t matter. He dove on that Messerschmitt with bombs exploding all around him… Continue reading ‘I met a hero yesterday.’
November 26th, 2009 by Mike Redding
According to data from our website the Gratitude Wave was far less compact this time around. In August GW1 was powerful but very compact, concentrated mostly in the Southeastern United States. GW2 was bigger than GW1 in the Southeastern footprint, but it also saw significant numbers in Texas, California, Washington DC and New York. That’s remarkable for only two waves. On a side note, SASTP is now getting regular traffic from 48 nations around the globe. On a side note to the side note, Russia is in our Top 10. I’m serious. So here’s a shout out to all my comrades in Moskva!
How big the wave got on Facebook and Twitter is not easy to quantify. There were so many different “hashtags” (a device that allows tracking) that I don’t know where to start or stop measuring. On Facebook back in August GW1 lasted about 25 minutes from the first post to the last. GW2 went on for more than an hour. In fact the wave spread out so far and long that there were a smattering of FB posts thanking the troops right through the evening hours.
So it was at least successful in the sense that many more people participated. And you’d probably be surprised at how many people it takes to create a GW.
Unpaid Employees
I’ll start by thanking SASTP staff. And by staff I mean people who give copious amounts of their time to help Anna and I… for free! I call them “Unpaid Employees.” Anna and I are UE1 & 2.
UE3 through 6 are Eric Belongia, Chip Haynes, Brian Christianson and Barbara Mason Van. These people deserve more than I can give them. Of course I give them pretty much squat, so that’s not saying much. And yet they keep helping! Perhaps they have all been sentenced to community service and picked my website as the way to do their time. Whatever the case, I couldn’t do this website or any GW without them.
Media
Media peeps have been very kind to us. The following are my media heroes who selflessly use their influence to promote GW2: Larry Sprinkle and Colleen Odegaard at WCNC-TV. Lindsey Planer and John Hancock of News Talk Radio 11-10. Ainsley Earhart at FOX News. Randy, Marci and John Boy & Billy of “The Big Show.” Jen Byrum and Jim Shafer at AM Carolina on Lite 102.9. Charles Jenkin, Al Gardner and Stacey Simms at Charlotte’s Morning News at News Talk 11-10.
Do you know how many people constantly approach these folks to get stories on air? It touches me that they stopped to help.
SASTP Nation
The readers of this website really take this cause to heart. They hound their family and friends until everyone they know gets on board.
The Reason We Did It
The Troops on the front-lines and all the loved ones left at home worried and wondering. GW1 was a wild idea and it caught on. The idea was if we can get enough people to change their Facebook and Twitter status at the same time, maybe some of our soldiers and some of their family members will feel we still care about them. After Ft. Hood we realized GW2 should take place Thanksgiving week.
To be blunt, all I care about is one person. I care about the one soldier, or that one Army wife who feels forgotten. If because of a Gratitude Wave a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend types out some words of thanks and that one forgotten person reads them and realizes they are not alone, that’s enough for me.
One Last Thing
In my SASTP inbox last night was one unopened e-mail from a woman I have never met. Not sure why I didn’t see it earlier. She asked me to add her thoughts to the wave. As far as I know these are the only words of gratitude which haven’t made it on to Facebook or Twitter of SASTP. Until now.
“Thank you for serving and protecting our country. Be Safe. Be Strong. And remember you are greatly loved and appreciated. Becky Kahle – Virginia”
Have a safe Thanksgiving everyone. As you gather with your loved ones, offer up a prayer for our brothers and sisters standing on that wall so very far from home… MR
November 24th, 2009 by Mike Redding
Anti or Pro war doesn't matter today. What matters is our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, sons and daughters are standing in the line of fire. Send them your gratitude.
UPDATE #2, 11-24-09 4:50PM: Wow! More later.
UPDATE #1, 11-24-09 11:40AM: The Wave of Gratitude is about to start on Facebook & Twitter. As you can see by the outpouring of comments here at SASTP.com people are hungry to express their deep appreciation for our men and women in uniform, and for their families.
If you need a pick me up or a nice healing hug, start reading through the comments made here. I’m sitting here with tears in my eyes trying to get through them all… MR
If you don’t have Facebook or Twitter you can leave your message to the troops right here. Just click “comments” below this entry and scroll to the very bottom and type away. The floor is yours.
On The Radio Today:
•At 6:40 this morning you can catch me talking about the “Wave of Gratitude” on 102.9 FM’s “AM Carolina” with Jim & Jen.
•At 8:30 this morning I’ll be on “The Big Show” with John Boy and Billy.
If you want to read the story that started the Wave of Gratitude click here.
Let “The Wave” begin… MR
November 23rd, 2009 by Anna Redding
UPDATE 11-24: “Wave of Gratitude” is today at noon. Now is a good time to start reminding your family and friends that at Noon we are all changing our Facebook status’ and Tweeting some simple words of thanks to our military all around the globe… and to the “Silent Rank” (read below).
For those of you who don’t have a Facebook or Twitter account, you’ll be able to make your comments of gratitude to our troops right here. We’ll open up the StopandSmellthePeople.com homepage for your thoughts.
The Silent Rank…
SSG Daniel Blasky with daughter Jackie
“There are many restless nights and lots of tears shed but I would not change it one bit.”
Meet April Blasky. She is a one woman force to be reckoned with, a champion of the ‘silent rank’ made up of all the husbands, wives, children and so many others who are left to carry on when our troops deploy.
She is married to SSG Daniel Blasky, the love of her life, the father of her three children and a U.S. Soldier serving his third deployment in Iraq.
Married some ten years now. April knows a thing or two about sacrifice. “Danny and I have 3 amazing children: Jackie 8, Josiah 4 and Juliana 3. Danny has missed all their birthdays on deployment. He will miss the Holidays and our 10 year anniversary. He misses all kinds events in our lives but my children love their daddy so much,” she says.
SSG Daniel Blasky is currently on his 3rd deployment in Iraq.
“I will not say it’s easy because it’s not.” You have to get used to shouldering the home life on your own, April explains, which can mean acting as a single parent and doing things you never dreamt you were capable of.
So how does she get through three deployments? Simple. April says it’s her mission. It’s the way that she serves our country. The silent rank.
“Its a great honor for me to make sacrifices for my husband to serve our country. It brings me great joy to support him,” she said.
Apparently one mission wasn’t enough for April. She took on another… Continue reading ‘The Silent Rank’
November 19th, 2009 by Mike Redding
Before I get to today’s disjointed, meandering post I want to send out a big ole reminder: We’re only a few days from the next Gratitude Wave for the troops! For first-time readers, a “Gratitude Wave” is a social media hug from all of us to our military troops and families all over the world.
We pick a time and day and everyone tweets or changes their FaceBook status to say a brief thank you to the troops. The next wave is this coming Tuesday, November 24, 12 Noon EST (7 Pm in Iraq and 8 PM in Afghanistan).
If you want to participate start sending this info to your friends on FB or Twitter and get as many people to join us at Noon EST on Tuesday!
For my Charlotte, NC, peeps I’ll be on Charlotte’s Morning News with Al Gardner and Stacey Simms Monday or Tuesday talking about the Gratitude Wave. Tune in and spread the word! The wave is building…
Now for the meandering, disjointed part… Continue reading ‘What in the heck is going on here?’
November 13th, 2009 by Mike Redding
The death of a friend changes a boys life. And years later gives a little girl her name.
Click here for the whole story.
November 13th, 2009 by Mike Redding
Mary Wheat and her husband Brian had been planning a vacation to Yellowstone National Park for some time. It was all set… when their world went to hell. Two men showed up at their door to tell them, their son Bob had been killed.
I’ve said this a hundred times before: there is no pain like the pain parents feel when their child dies. It doesn’t matter if that
A woman at a political rally in Chicago holding Bob's photo.
child dies at birth or at age 35, it’s a pain that never goes away.
On June 29, 2009, Robert Bittiker, a soldier and a family man, was killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) in Baghdad.
Last August I wrote a story about another soldier who died in that same explosion, Carlos Baldeosingh. I hadn’t planned on writing about the other soldiers who died alongside Carlos. Yet here I am, talking to Robert Bittiker’s mother. It’s just an odd coincidence.
So where do you go for healing when your son is killed? Where is there enough comfort to ease your pain? Heaven I suppose.
Mary and Brian struggled through the funeral. After the funeral and burial was a great big nothing. Just quiet, empty sadness. In that sadness they considered canceling their vacation. Why go? We’re a mess emotionally? Why waste a perfectly good vacation on two broken hearts?
They talked and decided that getting away from Eastern North Carolina is just what they needed. Break the routine. Breathe some different air. Wake up in a new place.
Bob's bio and photo end up in Chicago at a political rally.
It was right about then Mary remembered another mom, Patty Dessens, who had lost a son to the war. Patty used photos of her son to create sort of a “living” memorial. Mary wondered if doing something similar would be a way of grieving and honoring her own son at the same time. So Mary wrote down Bob’s bio, attached it to his photo and had a bunch of them reproduced and laminated. On the back of the photo Mary put, “…take this photo and move it someplace special to you…”.
All the way from the Badlands of South Dakota to the Rockies Mary and her husband left photos of Bob. One at the base of a waterfall. One at a lake. He loved to fish. Another at a scenic overlook. Somehow it was healing for them.
But what happened after they got home was truly remarkable… Continue reading ‘Gone… but not forgotten’
November 12th, 2009 by Mike Redding
Had a great time on the John Hancock Show Wednesday night at WBT News Talk Radio 1110! John interviewed me LIVE on air for an hour. When I got home my wife, who listened on the internet, said, “John’s a GREAT interviewer! He knows how to ask the right questions.”
Trevor Redding (left) at his officer commissioning in May 2009. Trevor's commissioning officer (right) was my nephew Air Force CAPT. Jonathan Sawtelle.
We talked a lot about our pending move to Virginia and the upcoming Gratitude Wave for our troops.
Speaking of… today is maybe the proudest day of my life. It’s right up there. Mt #1 son, Trevor, reports for duty today. He graduated from Baylor University in May. A few hours later he was commissioned as an officer into the United States Air Force. But his report date was set for November 12, 2009.
So he’s been working a job and counting down the days… until right now. Today he steps onto the Air Force Base in Columbus, Mississippi, and begins his training to be a Fighter Pilot. The early days will be a bunch of “Wax on, wax off” type work and endless hours of study. He’s ready. He’s mentally prepared for whatever it takes. His goal is clear.
It’s a proud day for me. I love Trevor. Watching him grow into a man and choose such a high calling gives me satisfaction that is hard to put into words.
All the more reason to show my gratitude for our troops… MR
