Yellow Ribbon America

North Pole South / FOB Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos, CA: – On December 7, 2018 Santa’s Elves, with “Operation Christmas For Our Troops & Their Families” had the wonderful opportunity to spend some time with the Soldiers and families of Company A, 5/19th Special Forces Group (A), California Army National Guard.

What a blessing it was to enjoy the day with them and their families! It was so great to hear some of their stories and enjoy their great sense of humor! They were great hosts to us and were very humble about what they do. We were also able to hand deliver to the Soldiers Christmas Cards that were sent to us from a Girl Scout Troop in Michigan to give to our Troops this Christmas. One 5/19th SFG Soldier said it was the first Christmas Card that he ever received as a Soldier. We had a lot fun with them, we were there to serve and honor them but instead they served and honored us… It was surprising to learn through their great sense of combat humor that a lot of them have been wounded multiple times. Both they and their families have sacrificed so much for all of us American’s… What great and humble real Heroes they and their families are. A special time we will never forget!

Because of Christmas support from people like you we were able to help them with funds for their food and beverage costs for their Unit’s Inaugural Christmas Holiday Parachute Jump for their Soldiers, families and friends. We look forward in helping Our Nation’s Heroes Foundation again in supporting them and many other of our Military Unit’s across America this 2019 year with their Military family days and their 2019 Unit Christmas Parties with their families!

It’s had been a long time sense we had the honor to help support the 5/19th Special Forces Group (A) and long over do! We first learned a little about them because of one of their wounded Soldiers and currant Long Beach Police Training Officer who we were very blessed to meet with his future wife back in December of 2004 our very first Christmas Drive. Through a friend we were asked to help Welcome Home SFC Chris Martin (Ret) by his future wife Deanna. She was going to greet him at 10:00pm at the John Wayne Airport in Orange County California and wanted to do something special for him.

We were able to meet her at the Airport and bring her Starbuck’s coffee and give to her a special Angels Baseball signed by the Team of the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, California, “Thank You” Tim Salmon’s Foundation and Vladimir Guerrero! Because he was wounded in 2002 by an IED in Afghanistan 4+ months into his deployment, SFC Chris Martin (Ret) was medically evacuated to first Germany than to Walter Reed U.S. Army Hospital here in the United States so he never had a “Welcome Home” with his Unit. He spent over 2 years undergoing multiple surgeries and recovering from his wounds.

But sense that time till today he and his family are doing ok. Over the years he has been a great volunteer public speaker on many occasions, encouraging all Americans to support to our Military Unit’s and their families and serves on the Board of the Long Beach Police Officers Association, Our Nation’s Heroes Foundation and other Military associations. And his Son went on to become a United States Marine! SFC Chris Martin (Ret) was one of the first American Soldiers from California to be wounded in Afghanistan in 2002.

Picture 3: SFC Lyons (Ret) who was wounded with Chris in Afghanistan in 2002 is on the left, SFC Martin (Ret) is on the right. At Ground Zero, World Trade Center, New Your City, New York. 2003. On a Department of Defense Public Relations Tour.

Picture 4: SFC Martin (Ret) is on the left and SFC Lyons (Ret) is on the right at Ground Zero, World Trade Center, New Your City, New York. 2003. On a Department of Defense Public Relations Tour.

You too can be ones of Santa’s Christmas Elves and Report for Duty for America’s 1# Christmas Drive “Operation Christmas For Our Troops & Their Families”! Help bring local community based support for America’s Best and their Families this 2019 Christmas Season!

Contact Santa’s Elves at Info@YellowRibbonAmerica.org to learn how YOU can Help Support Your Local Military Units and their families this Christmas!

“Operation Christmas For Our Troops & Their Families” is a community outreach project of Our Nation’s Heroes Foundation and proudly supported by the Yellow Ribbon America News & Campaign for America’s Military members and their families. Our Nation’s Heroes Foundation is a California public benefit nonprofit corporation, with tax-exempt status under Sections 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, EIN: 46-4762128.

Merry Christmas!

On this Day in American History 2003: The War in Iraq begins

History.com

On this day in 2003, the United States, along with coalition forces primarily from the United Kingdom, initiates war on Iraq. Just after explosions began to rock Baghdad, Iraq’s capital, U.S. President George W. Bush announced in a televised address, “At this hour, American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger.” President Bush and his advisors built much of their case for war on the idea that Iraq, under dictator Saddam Hussein, possessed or was in the process of building weapons of mass destruction.

Hostilities began about 90 minutes after the U.S.-imposed deadline for Saddam Hussein to leave Iraq or face war passed. The first targets, which Bush said were “of military importance,” were hit with Tomahawk cruise missiles from U.S. fighter-bombers and warships stationed in the Persian Gulf. In response to the attacks, Republic of Iraq radio in Baghdad announced, “the evil ones, the enemies of God, the homeland and humanity, have committed the stupidity of aggression against our homeland and people.”

Though Saddam Hussein had declared in early March 2003 that, “it is without doubt that the faithful will be victorious against aggression,” he went into hiding soon after the American invasion, speaking to his people only through an occasional audiotape. Coalition forces were able to topple his regime and capture Iraq’s major cities in just three weeks, sustaining few casualties. President Bush declared the end of major combat operations on May 1, 2003. Despite the defeat of conventional military forces in Iraq, an insurgency has continued an intense guerrilla war in the nation in the years since military victory was announced, resulting in thousands of coalition military, insurgent and civilian deaths.

After an intense manhunt, U.S. soldiers found Saddam Hussein hiding in a six-to-eight-foot deep hole, nine miles outside his hometown of Tikrit. He did not resist and was uninjured during the arrest. A soldier at the scene described him as “a man resigned to his fate.” Hussein was arrested and began trial for crimes against his people, including mass killings, in October 2005.

In June 2004, the provisional government in place since soon after Saddam’s ouster transferred power to the Iraqi Interim Government. In January 2005, the Iraqi people elected a 275-member Iraqi National Assembly. A new constitution for the country was ratified that October. On November 6, 2006, Saddam Hussein was found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death by hanging. After an unsuccessful appeal, he was executed on December 30, 2006.

“Acts 17:26 says, ‘Of one blood God made all people, to live together on the face of the earth.’ So we can be brothers and sisters because we are one blood; we are the human race. And I believe if my uncle were here today, he’d like for us to consider ourselves as human beings, not different races. One race, colorblind…” -Alveda King

You too can be ones of Santa’s Christmas Elves and Report for Duty for America’s 1# Christmas Drive “Operation Christmas For Our Troops & Their Families”! Help bring local community based support for America’s Best and their Families this 2018 Christmas Season!

Contact Santa’s Elves at Info@YellowRibbonAmerica.org to learn how YOU can Help Support Your Local Military Units and their families this Christmas!

“Operation Christmas For Our Troops & Their Families” is a community outreach project of Our Nation’s Heroes Foundation and proudly supported by the Yellow Ribbon America News & Campaign for America’s Military members and their families. Our Nation’s Heroes Foundation is a California public benefit nonprofit corporation, with tax-exempt status under Sections 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, EIN: 46-4762128.

Merry Christmas!