Search






Jeff's Amazon.com Wish List

Archive Calendar

October 2024
M T W T F S S
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  

Archives

Happy Veterans Day [Dan Collins]

A big thanks to all those who’ve ever served the United States in uniform. We owe you more than we can say, but that won’t stop us taking a shot. I’m going to repost an idea that I posted in the Pub a week ago, and see if there’s any interest in such a project, or whether it’s already being done. Feel free to add anything you like in the comments.

Veterans Day is coming up, and I’ve been contemplating a project.  I think it would be great to create an online memorial for all of the men and women who’ve lost their lives over there, where they can be remembered and visited by family, friends and colleagues.  I would like to be able to use the project as a fundraising opportunity to donate to the families of those killed and wounded, and perhaps for the people like Yon and Totten and Ardolino and the guys at Outside the Wire.

Format, hosting, expertise, outreach, publicity . . . we’d need all that.  What do you think?

12 Replies to “Happy Veterans Day [Dan Collins]”

  1. happyfeet says:

    Unrelated, but when Save The Children came up yesterday I thought a site that did ongoing profiles of Iraqi kids would be sort of new and different. I remember how NPR “adopted” families after Katrina – well not past tense, they still trot them out when they’re useful – but it never occurred to them to follow Iraqi families similarly. Which means they thought about it, and figured there was too much downside to that, which means it’s very likely a very good idea.

  2. McGehee says:

    OT, but not 100& OT: Today I saw a McClatchy <retch> news item in the Chattanooga Truth- Times-Free Press alleging that Army recruits are getting hard to find. Last I’d heard though, the military was consistently exceeding its recruitment goals. It’s been a while though since I’ve seen anything about this. What’s the truth?

  3. McGehee says:

    Um, that should have read “OT but not 100% OT” — not that anyone can’t tell…

  4. happyfeet says:

    I think this sorta explains…

    I think this is the key part:

    Making it even tougher is the decline in what the Army calls its delayed entry pool, which is the group of enlistees who have signed contracts to join the Army but want to wait before shipping off to basic training. Normally the Army tries to start its recruiting year with a delayed entry pool equal to about 25 percent of its full-year goal, which in this case would equate to 20,000 recruits.

    Instead, the Army began with 7,392 recruits, or about 9 percent of its full-year goal.

    Last year at this time the Army was beginning its recruiting year with 12,062, or about 15 percent.

    Wallace attributed the decline in the number of pre-signed recruits to the Army’s decision last summer to begin offering a “quick ship” bonus of $20,000 to recruits willing to leave for basic training by the end of September. For some recruits that bonus is the equivalent of a year’s pay.

  5. Swede says:

    Naked girls.

    And beer.

    Or in beer.

    That’s what we want.

    Make it happen, America.

  6. Major John says:

    Swede,

    I had to settle for Lone Star’s Amarillo Chees Fries today. But I’m good with that. Tomorrow, it’s off to Ft. Riley…

  7. Tim McNabb says:

    I went to see my nephew graduate from Boot Camp this week. San Diego had a Veteran’s Day parade, which the wife and I watched. Seeing all those old vets march and wave, I was moved to smile in admiration. I am a “Cold War” veteran (and a remarkably unremarkable soldier) and can only imagine the deprivations these men and women endured.

    I need to come up with a special blue hat perhaps – “Cold War Vet – Makin’ the Commies Think Twice”

    Suggestions?

  8. N. O'Brain says:

    Hero:

    http://tinyurl.com/yr7958

    This is the sort of man my son lives among.

  9. Dan Collins says:

    Tim–Maybe, Fighting Global Warming Before It Was Cool

  10. JD says:

    It is the VETERAN , not the preacher,
    who has given us freedom of religion.

    It is the VETERAN , not the reporter,
    who has given us freedom of the press.

    It is the VETERAN , not the poet,
    who has given us freedom of speech.

    It is the VETERAN , not the campus organizer,
    who has given us freedom to assemble.

    It is the VETERAN , not the lawyer,
    who has given us the right to a fair trial.

    It is the VETERAN , not the politician,
    Who has given us the right to vote.

    It is the VETERAN ,
    who salutes the Flag,

    It is the veteran ,
    who serves under the Flag.

    Thank you. Godspeed.

  11. I’m a vet. I had a great time in the military. In fact, it was the best time of my life, in or out of clothes.

    So, for me, thanks for the kudos, but I was doing it for me, and I had a great time.

    Oh, BTW, for the interested, I delivered version #1 of CTAPS. Look it up.

  12. CJ says:

    Dan, have you seen this: http://www.theyhavenames.com

    It’s a project I started about a year ago, but as an active duty Soldier, it takes me awhile to finish a project. We have four writers now that rotate in and out. Instead of reinventing the wheel, I could sure use help in spreading the word about it! Thanks.

Comments are closed.