The following are the various links within The American Wars Conglomerate.

The Web address is http://www.theamericanwars.org.
You can get to the blog from the Web site.
The social network is http://theamericanwars.ning.com/
Facebook group is http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=9493135179.
YouTube Channel is http://www.youtube.com/user/theamericanwars.
Photo album is http://picasaweb.google.com/TheAmericanWars.
Skype name is theamericanwars.
Twitter name is theamericanwars.
Library Thing is http://www.librarything.com/catalog/theamericanwars.
There’s just an account for Blog Talk Radio, so not really anything there, but that url is http://www.blogtalkradio.com/user/home.aspx. I’m not sure if this will actually pull up my account or not, but that’s what’s listed.

Pearl Harbor: Day Of Infamy

Victoria B. Roberts

Sunday, December 7, 1941

Was a day like any other

Nothing new under the sun

But the silence was shattered

By the roaring of warplane engines filling the air

We thought they were our own

Until something happened

That told us this just wasn’t so

A rain of bullets fell upon aircraft, ships, and land

Destroying the life we knew

Thundering bombs fell to the harbor

Bursting holes into our ships

That were docked here at Pearl Harbor

The Arizona was hit

Wrenching it upwards then sinking it to the bottom of the harbor

The Oklahoma rolled over on its side

With men trapped in the capsized hull

Complete chaos spread across the land

Fighters manned their battle-stations

As the medical staff worked to patch up the wounded

We saw our friends, our family, our comrades

As they fought and died

Then just as suddenly as it began the attack was over

REMEMBER…
Victoria Beth Roberts

Remember the Alamo, the cry was heard
We remembered for awhile, then forgot all the lessons we learned
Remember the Lusitania, rang out loud and strong
We remembered it then, but no longer recall the ship that was sunk
Remember Pearl Harbor, was heard in a march
We recalled for awhile, then the lessons were lost
Remember 911, was heard across the land
We recalled for a time, then forgot what happened that day
We forgot the Alamo and the stand those people took
We forgot the Lusitania and all those who died
We forgot Pearl Harbor and the lives that were lost
We forgot 911 and the tragedies that occurred
Let’s remember the past in order to prevent further attacks
Let’s remember the past so as not to make the same mistakes as others
Let the horrors of war flash before our eyes
Lest we forget those who fought, died, and won the freedoms we enjoy

Early in the morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941, the people of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii were getting ready for Christmas, for Church, or just enjoying a relaxing and restful day.  Suddenly, from out of nowhere, planes appeared overhead.  Many thought they were from the mainland to augment the troops stationed here, but they weren’t.  The peaceful morning was swiftly interrupted when bombs began to explode all around.  The place was in utter chaos as people ran screaming for safety or, in the case of those in the military and medical professions, running to work.  While those in the military rushed to defend the land, the medical personnel rushed to tend the wounded.

It was sixty-seven years ago on this day, that Japanese forces attacked and bombed Pearl Harbor leading us to join the fight of World War II.  To all those who served at Pearl Harbor, THANK YOU!!  I will never forget.

This past Saturday, my family and I went to a local restraunt.  When we entered the restraunt I took a (figurative) step back.  Why? you ask.  Because I was met by a sea of green camoflauge.  I don’t think I had ever seen so many people wearing green camoflauge in my life.  Who were these people?  None other than members of the National Guard.  I was overwhelmed.  I followed my family in and joined them in finding a place to sit (there were a total of eight of us and I wasn’t sure we’d find a place for us all to sit together).  I sat for a few minutes or so and decided to go back to my car and grab my camera.  On my way out, I happened to glance down and noticed something yellow on the upper left-hand side of my t-shirt.  What I discovered (which made me laugh considering) was that I was wearing my “I support the troops” t-shirt.  I had planned to wear it just because, but it didn’t really dawn on me until then the significance of the whole thing.

After I grabbed my camera, I returned inside and stopped between two tables with the most guardsmen and told them thank you.  One of them responded by thanking me (which always makes me laugh simply because I have more reason to thank them) and then added “Thank you for wearing the shirt.”  WOW!!!!  That really made my day.  I explained to him that I just realized what shirt I had on while going back out to my car.

Later, as I left the restraunt, I made a point to stop by another table where a couple of guardsmen were sitted and thanked them too.

The whole experience was truly amazing!

To all who read this and either have or are serving in the United States military:  THANK YOU!!!!

I’m gearing up for Memorial Day.  In my last post I mentioned a Memorial Day program held in the front of the County Courthouse.  Well, I have been checking the paper for more information about it for this year, but found nothing.  Then I remembered talking to someone about it last year and that I had learned this was organized (in some way) through the Greater Starkville Development.  So, I decided to check their website for any information and found that the event is on for tomorrow.

The details are as follows: Place: Starkville, MS in front of the Oktibbeha County Courthouse (Main Street)  Time: 11:30 am.

I will be there looking quite patriotic and carrying a camera.

Memorial Day is almost here.  Last year, I learned that Starkville had started having a Memorial Day program in front of the County Courthouse.  I went and wished I had my camera with me.  So far, I haven’t seen any mention about the program for this year, but I will be there if it occurs.  This is how I wish to spend Memorial Day.

Recently, I received an email from the Kitchen Table Gang (http://www.kitchentablegang.org/) which included a quote that I hope will not prove true this Memorial Day (or any day after).  It was written by an unknown soldier and the message from KTG informs that it was “Etched onto the wall of a sentry box in Gibraltar”.

“God and the soldier, all men adore In time of danger and not before. When the danger is passed and all things righted, God is forgotten, and the soldier slighted.” – unknown Soldier

To all those who have served and are serving, thank you.  To those who have lost loved ones in the line of duty I want to say thank you.

Let freedom ring!  “Lest we forget.”

Recently, I was driving on the road that runs behind the local National Guard and started thinking about those in the Guard.  More particularly, what I was thinking about was when they would be out on this road next.  There have been a couple of times when I was driving down the afore mentioned road on a Sunday and those in the Guard were out there running and/or walking down the road (I assume it was a weekend training or something). 

This past Sunday, as I drove down that road, there they were. However, things were different this time.  I didn’t see anyone running or walking down this road (that was seen on the road I turned onto – Industrial Park Road).  Instead, what I saw was at the far end of the road.  A large group of Guardsmen (possibly cadets from the looks of it) were in formation (at least that’s what I assume it was called) with a couple of COs standing right in front of them giving commands.  On the opposite side of the street (that being the side I was on), there were several other COs.

One of these days, I hope I can get up the courage to open my window and yell out a “THANK YOU!!!!”

Tonight I watched an incredible movie called “The Christmas Card”.  However, it was the bonus features that really moved me to take action.  I have been considering for some time creating a Facebook group for this site and have finally found the words to describe the purpose for the group.  The group’s purpose is also the purpose for this site.

The purpose/mission statement:

In memory of those who have served and have gone on before.
In honor of those who have served and are still with us.
In honor of those who are serving still.
With thanks to all in the military.

I guess I should have also added the goals, but I’m still working on those.  One thing I’m hoping to accomplish is to bring those in the military together with those who are not.  I am also hoping to provide a better understanding of the military, the wars America has participated in, and the reason war is sometimes necessary.  Lofty goals, I know.

The other action I took (well, I’ve taken the first step anyway), was to obtain the address of a soldier to correspond with (I know,.  I shouldn’t end a sentence with a preposition.).  I’m hoping that this will work out.  I have the link to the Any Soldier website on the main page for The American Wars website.  I’ve also included it on facebook.  However, I haven’t added it to this blog yet (hopefully it’ll be there before most or any of you read this post), but have decided I should do so as not everyone visiting this blog has visited either of the other locations mentioned above.