Blue Star Tee Shirts

Interested in a Blue Star Tee Shirt? Thanks to Bonnielee, Mere Images Az will donate 10% of all monies received to Chapter One (except Polo shirt orders).

Contact Joan Page, Gilda Cork, or Rosa Van Coillie at:
Mere Images AZ,
1880 W. American Ave., P.O. Box 5108,
Oracle, AZ. 85623
Office Cell: 520-730-8079
Joan's Cell: 480-773-2349

joan@mereimagesaz.com
rosa@mereimagesaz.com
info@mereimagesaz.com


Shirts are available in various sizes. Call for prices.

Make Memorial Day Memorable.

Make this Memorial Day really memorable.

Go and find a soldier's grave.

It shouldn't be too hard. If you're not near a military cemetery, just about any cemetery will do.

Look for the little American flags fluttering by the stones or the little bronze markers placed by the veterans' organizations.

Or walk the rows and look for those stones that impart terse histories of short lives -- "Killed in Action on the Island of Iwo Jima," or "KIA Republic of Viet Nam," or "Iraq 2003."

I know, I know. You do plan to watch that short parade, and the ceremony at the flagpole. But then relatives are going to be over for that big cookout. There's baseball and auto racing on TV, not to mention the "Memorial Day Mattress Event" or the "Memorial Day SUV Salesathon."

Look, just take an hour away from all that. An hour. Go out early in the morning if you have to.

Go and find a soldier's grave.

Put some flowers there. Or just pause and say a prayer. Nothing elaborate. "Thanks" will do.

Or just stop and think about what it means; what it really means to give your life, in its prime, for your country. Look at that name there on the stone. Think what might have been... and what was.

Some of these men and women were in uniform by choice. Some because they had no choice. Some were heroes. Some were not.

But they were there where all hell was breaking loose. They probably had no idea they were giving "the last full measure of devotion." They just had some instant, desperate job to do. In a cockpit or a turret or a hole in the ground.

Did they grasp the "policy implications" of their presence on the high seas, in the air or on some foreign soil? Did they have time for a curse or a prayer when they saw the muzzle flashes or heard that rushing sound, or when the bomb sent the Humvee into the air?

Go and find a soldier's grave.

You can have that hamburger and beer later, and maybe relax in the hammock and not give a thought to that one whose life span is now an incised line in stone -- that one who represented you, like no Congressman could.

Go and find a soldier's grave.

Remember what duty costs.

Then just bow your head and, as Gen. George S. Patton said, do not mourn that such men died, but thank God that such men lived.

Ralph Bennett is a TCS Contributing Editor.
http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=052606E

One of the good guys!

A war veteran that goes to Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport daily to welcome the troops home. I bet that you can't watch it with a dry eye!

Armed Forces Day

This Saturday, May 19, is Armed Forces Day. For their dedication to protecting America, we offer our gratitude to all the men and women of the military, especially those risking their lives. From the Department of Defense.

On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy and Air Force Days. The single-day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under one department -- the Department of Defense. Each of the military leagues and orders was asked to drop sponsorship of its specific service day in order to celebrate the newly announced Armed Forces Day. ...

The theme of the first Armed Forces Day was "Teamed for Defense." It was chosen as a means of expressing the unification of all the military forces under a single department of the government. Although this was the theme for the day, there were several other purposes for holding Armed Forces Day. It was a type of "educational program for civilians," one in which there would be an increased awareness of the Armed Forces. It was designed to expand public understanding of what type of job is performed and the role of the military in civilian life. It was a day for the military to show "state-of-the-art" equipment to the civilian population they were protecting. And it was a day to honor and acknowledge the people of the Armed Forces of the United States.

Meetings: Last Tuesday of every month.

Put it on your calender!

May 29th, 6:30-8:30 pm at the VFW, 345 E. Roger Road.

Agenda for the meeting:

Tax ID update (Our non-profit status is official!)
Blue Star Applications and dues. $10.00
Pack boxes for soldiers
Update on our Soldiers
News/Ideas/Suggestions/Open discussion

If anyone has anything you'd like to add to the list, let Debbie know. You can also post it here in comments or email her.

Soldier's Wish List

Items you can donate:

• PRE-SWEETENED powdered drink mixes (Gatorade, KoolAid)
• Coffee (ground; vacuum packs or small cans)
• Canned chili, ravioli, spaghetti-o's, stew, etc.
• Boxed or canned potato chips
• Canned salsa, bean dip or other dip for chips.
  
• Canned fruit. Canned meat products.
  
• Canned tuna or pouches of tuna
• Chicken or tuna "Lunches To Go"
• Power, Energy, Granola, or Breakfast Bars.
  
• Boxed or canned cookies
• BEEF JERKY
• Kellogg® Pop Tarts
• Trail mix
• Chewing gum
• Candy bars (NO chocolate candy in the summertime!)
• Peanut butter in plastic container
• Jelly in plastic container
• Ritz or Wheat Thin crackers
• BREAKFAST CEREAL individual sized
• SMALL size hot sauce in plastic jars
• 
  
• PERSONAL & HYGENE: (new, preferably in mfg packaging)
• "Cool Tie" type neck wraps
• Insoles for shoes
• Eye drops (for desert environment)
• Lip balm (Blistex, Carmex, Burt’s Bees doesn’t melt, etc.)
• Eye wash
• Travel size pillows and pillowcases (new only please)
• 1" paint brushes (to clean fine dust out of guns)
• Fine makeup brushes (also to clean guns)
• Talcum powder - small size
• Deodorant
• Body wash - small size, plastic container
• Hand sanitizer - small to medium size
• Mouthwash - small plastic containers
• Toothpaste (trial size is great!)
• Toothbrushes, individually boxed
• T-shirts (new only please)
• Bath towels and washcloths (new)
• Hand Lotion - small to medium size
• Body Lotion - small to medium size
• SOFT 2-ply toilet paper
  (Charmin, Northern, etc...)
• Personal/body wipes (or baby wipes)
• Band aids
• Shampoo (small to medium size bottles)
• QuattroPro razors and refills
• Mach 3 razors and refills
• Disposable razors, double or more bladed
• Shaving gel (not aerosol)
• Aftershave gel (no glass bottles)
• Thick cotton black socks
• White crew socks for exercising
• Black shoe polish
• Soft cotton boxer shorts (funnier the better) M to XL sizes (new only)
• Nail clippers
• Eyeglass cleaner
• Bounce sheets (for fleas), flypaper, etc...
• Lysol/Clorox cleaning wipes, etc.
• Laundry detergent TABLETS or in SMALL boxes
• Insect and mosquito repellant wipes
• anti-itch cream
  
• Table top flashlights
• Mag lights
• 
  
• FOR FEMALE PERSONNEL:
• Hair bands
• Hair clips
• Small mirrors
• Non-aerosol hair spray
• Hair gel
• Facial cleanser
• Facial moisturizer lotion
• 
  
• RECREATION:
• Disposable cameras
• Hand held video games (poker, solitaire, etc.)
• Playing cards
• Poker chips, dominos
  
• Board games (used okay) up to 10" long box
• Crossword puzzles
• AA -AAA -C-D batteries
• Compact Disc players (used ok)
• Personal size DVD players (used ok)
• Laptop computers (used okay)
• Model car or airplane kits
• Glue, paint & brushes for model kits
• CURRENT sport or computer magazines
• Frisbees, baseballs & softballs, Nerf type.
  
• Stationery, pens, envelopes, etc.
• Beanie Baby or small stuffed toys (for soldiers to give to local children)
• Toy cars, matchbox size (for the children)
• AT&T International PHONE CARDS (Be sure they are the kind you can use to call FROM the mideast TO the United States )

Also needed:
Ziplock baggies (to preserve freshness) in snack size, quart size, gallon size and jumbo size (these are used to pack spillable items.

• !Please Note!
• All merchandise donated should be NEW and preferably in original manufacturer's packaging, with a few exceptions as noted above. We are able to accept GENTLY used books, CDs, DVDs, DVD players, and laptops.
• We cannot send alcohol, x-rated material, or pressurized items.
• Please avoid donating items in glass containers.
• Please avoid larger items. Plastic containers are best.
• Cigarettes are also a desirable item because they are high-value trade items!

Remember to save your reciept. Donations are tax deductable.