Weekly Newsletter 6/22/2008

Greetings!!

Another fabulous weekend! We sure have been blessed with good weather for all our activities, so far! Let's hope we continue to be so blessed through the Fourth of July! Speaking of blessings--I want to say what a blessing it is for me to be involved with such a fabulous group of individuals that make up our organization! I ask for help--and people come through! I asked for people to join HHAFFA Hoofers (not heifers, as my brother said!!!), and about 20 people came through, raising funds, helping with set up and tear down, and participating in the Relay For Life event on June 20-21! I had a wonderful time, but our success could not have been accomplished without you!

Reminders--

1) Our "Tour of Iraq" continues every Tuesday evening. We meet at the Thornton Pavilion at 7 pm and walk about 3 miles. If that is too much or too little--no problem!! Walk as little or as much as you care to!! If you have a loved one in Iraq, please let me know the location, I will mark it on the map, and we will be sure to stop by for a "visit" on our tour. I have received about 6 pictures of service members who are presently in Iraq, and if you would like your loved one to be included in the display (our map of Iraq) to be set up in the Regions Bank window for the month of July--get me a picture, along with rank and location this week!

2) QUARTERLY MEETING!!! Our organization's quarterly meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 24th at 6:15 pm at the Thornton Park Pavilion (right before the "Tour"). Please plan to attend to ask questions, input suggestions, hear the treasurer's report, and hear the minutes from the last quarterly meeting. If you have been "itching" to say something--this is your chance!! We are always looking for ways to improve our support of troops!!!!

3) The Limestone Girls Club will be holding a "Support The Troops" week. You may help by donating money or items (including crew socks, chapstick, deodorant, lotion, magazines, cards, crossword and Suduko puzzle books, paperback books, candy, gum, snacks, etc). You may take your donations to the Girls Club any time this week! 105.5 Super Oldies will be at the Limestone Girls Club on June 24th from 4 pm to 6 pm with a live broadcast. Please call the Girls' Club (279-6123), if you have any questions.

Also--ATTN: parents whose husbands/wives are deployed: The Girls Club is offering "Hero Packs" to children whose parents are deployed. The "Hero Packs" include items for your child to help with the absence of a parent while deployed, and also includes a camera, so the child can take pictures, have them developed, and send them off to Mom or Dad! You may pick these up at the Girls Club on Friday or anytime (8 am - 5 pm) the week after the 4th!

4) Sunday, June 29th, HHAFFA will once again hold its Candlelight Ceremony on the west side of the Bedford Courthouse square at 9 pm to honor our troops! I now have more DETAILS!!!: The Dulcimer Society of Bedford will play a prelude and postlude of patriotic music, Eric Koch will be the guest speaker, and Steve Kopp will provide music. We light a candle to honor our loved ones serving in the active military--state side or deployed. This year, I would like you to bring a picture of your loved one, so when you light your candle, you may show everyone your loved one's picture while saying their name and location. (I'm going to bring my favorite picture of RP in a frame that's hanging up on my living room wall!)

5) Friday, July 4th, we will again be participating in the LHF 4th of July parade. I NEED YOUR PARTICIPATION!!! If the dozen "regulars" show up to participate--that's great, but I would LOVE to have 100 people walk (or ride in our truck, if unable to walk) and show support for our troops!!!! Dress in red/white/blue or khaki, make signs, and come with an attitude--an attitude of pride for our young men and women who are serving and let's take advantage of this opportunity to show our support for our troops to the Lawrence County community. And maybe other mothers/fathers/sons/daughters/grandparents, etc will see us, want to join, and we can help them out also!!6) HELP!! Roger Gales needs your help!! (And I do, too!) I promised Roger that I could come up with enough volunteers to pass out programs, man the HHAFFA table and carry flags for his FABULOUS production of "Home of the Brave" which will be held on Monday, June 30th and Tuesday, July 1st. I have only had 3 people volunteer to hand out programs and only 1 person who said they could man the HHAFFA table. Sometimes I think people think that "someone else" will volunteer, so they are not needed! Hasn't happened this time--I need you!!!! Please let me know if you can pass out programs or man the table either or BOTH nights!!! Also--Roger needs men/women in uniform! We found a Navy man (Thanks, Joe Henley) and an Air Force representative (can't remember who?!?!?), and we have a Coast Guard representative who is willing but needs proper shoes for the uniform (size 10). I'm disappointed to say that no Army or Marine representative has stepped forward to volunteer. If you have the proper shoes or if you could be the Army or Marine representative, please let me know ASAP, so that is one less thing Roger need worry about!!!

Lastly (finally)--We received two very nice "Thank You's" this past week. One was from Kayla Guffin who said, "You all are really wonderful. I love getting letters--reminds me that we are missed back home". The other was from Michael Ledden who said, "We've been on active duty for 6 months now. Everyone is in good spirits but it's nice to know that the folks back home are thinking of us". If you would like to read these letters, or any others, in their entirety, I have them, and you are welcome to read them!!

During our Fourth of July festivities--enjoy your freedom and independence, but NEVER take them for granted!

Make sure to keep all our military personnel and their families in your thoughts and prayers!

God Bless Our Troops!!

Nancy Peabody

Micheal Scott Update

Dear Friends and Family, Greetings!! :)
How is everyone doing?? Things are going well here. Dayson is growing like a weed. He'll be 5 months old Wednesday! I can hardly believe it... Just about to crawl! We leave for vacation on the 27th to go to Florida for a week, so that should be loads of fun! But, that's not the reason I'm writting. LOL This is a MICHAEL update! We just passed the halfway point of the deployment! Time has gone fairly quickly. They keep him quite busy. He pretty much runs supply. The best news I can present right now came yesterday morning. Michael was finally promoted from specialist to CORPORAL!!! Im so proud of him! This has been a long time coming and he's worked hard and grown a lot in the last year. He's taken on a huge amount of responsibility since he's been there and has done an incredible job. My heart is just overflowing with pride for him right now. He'll soon have pictures of the promotion for me so when i get them i'll pass them along. Also, if you have been or want to write him or send him anything, you must address it to CPL not SPC now this is how they should be addressed:
CPL Kirby, Michael S.
C-Troop CAV RSTA
APO AE 09333-3359
He loves hearing from home, as you can imagine. You can also email him at mkirby57@hotmail.com I've attached pictures he sent me of the recent sandstorms they've had. He says that they have two different types of sand. The ground itself is of the normal hard brownish sand. Whats blown up in these sandstorms is what the soldiers call "Moondust". He says its somewhat like the raw components of concrete and about that color. Very fine... kind of like baby powder. Its unreal! That's what the big "clouds" are in the background of the pictures. Its all sand. It's been very hot over there. Over 100 every day. The only upside of the sandstorms is that it blocks some sun so as a result its a bit cooler. Last Sunday Michael said it was only 88! Well, that's about all the updates I have at the moment. Please keep Michael, the rest of the 76th brigade, and ALL our military and their families in your thoughts and prayers every day.
Love you all, Amanda (and Dayson :)
Proud Military Wife...Faithfully Supporting and Waiting for Her Soldier....I love You CPL Kirby!

Weekly Newsletter 6/15/2008

Greetings! Another beautiful weekend in Southern Indiana!

HAPPY FATHERS DAY to all the fathers of service members and all the fathers who are service members! God Bless each and every one of you!

Reminders--1) Every Tuesday evening, anyone interested in walking (and talking) is invited to meet at the Thornton Park Pavilion at 7 pm for our "Tour of Iraq". If you have a loved one in Iraq, please let me know the location, I will mark it on our map, and we will be sure to stop by for a "visit" on our tour. If you have a picture of your service member, I would also like to have that, so that I may make a display with our map, our loved ones' pictures and their location in Iraq. I would like to put that in the window of the Regions Bank for the month of July! If you would also like to write a brief biography about your service member, I can include that on the display!

2) Relay For Life is scheduled for June 20-21 at the Parkview Track. I will set up the tent at 3 pm (if anyone would like to volunteer to help--that would be GREAT!!), I will hand in any other money collected for the Relay, and I will get our t-shirts. If you are a HHAFFA Hoofer, please be there by 6 pm for the Opening Ceremonies (5:30 would be better!!), and we will have our team photo taken soon after! I've sent all my Hoofers a copy of the evening's schedule, but if you need more information, please visit the Relay For Life website, or email me with your questions! In a nutshell--we meet, have opening ceremonies, we get our picture taken, we participate in as many (or few) activities as we so choose, we sit at our tent selling magnets and getting the word out about HHAFFA! It should be a good time!! If you come, bring a lawn chair, sun screen, bug spray, and a hat!

3) Be on the lookout for information about the Limestone Girls Club and their Support the Troops Week! I haven't been given any further information, except the dates: June 23-27!

4) Sunday, June 29th, HHAFFA will once again hold its Candlelight Ceremony on the west side of the Courthouse Square in Bedford to honor our troops! We will have a guest speaker, music and we will light candles to honor our loved ones in the military! I will give you the time and details, as soon as I receive them!

5) Monday June 30th and Tuesday, July 1st, HHAFFA will be participating in "The Home of the Brave", a musical production to honor our troops! Roger Gales needs help!! He still needs men or women in uniform to carry their flags on stage, and he needs 4 - 6 members of HHAFFA to hand out programs each night!!! If you can be of assistance--please let me know, so that I may pass the word on to Roger!!! Let's not let him down--this is a fabulous production!!! Also, HHAFFA will have a table set up in the lobby where we will collect monetary donations, sell magnets and collect names, answer questions and hand out our cards! If you can help out at the table either of those nights--let me know--WE need your help!!

6) Friday, July 4th, HHAFFA will again be participating in the Fourth of July parade. We need everyone to participate! Dress in red/white/blue, make signs, and lets have fun, while calling attention to our service members and our organization!!! My goal is 100 walkers!!!! Can you help me achieve that goal??? I can't do it without YOU!! --I stopped in Copy Trolley to pick up my HHAFFA business cards (where they gave me a GREAT deal, because they support our organization!!!--so please support them!!), and I was told that they would like to have a display with local service members pictures with a brief bio--name, rank, division, location, etc to display in their store! I'll be taking my son's picture and info in this week. Please take yours in this week, also!

--The Flag Day Ceremony, which was held on the Courthouse Square on Friday, was wonderful! Local government, firemen, and policemen were all well represented! Mayor Girgis did a beautiful job detailing how Flag Day was established and then singing the National Anthem!

--Come out to Wendy's on Wednesday, June 18th from 4 pm to 8 pm and 20% of the total receipts, above the normal sales, will be donated to the local Family Readiness Group for the National Guard's 76th Brigade. Join us at Wendy's in Bedford, and show your support for the troops! Items you might find interesting

--In WWII, there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every night at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people, and peace. This had an amazing effect as bombing stopped. There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America. If you would like to participate: each evening at 9 pm (Eastern Time), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens and for peace in the world. Thank you. Please pass this on.

--A poem you cannot hear too often:

I watched the flag pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it, and then he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform--so young, so tall, so proud,
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.
I heard the sound of Taps one night
When everything was still.
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant "Amen".
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of Fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea,
Of unmarked graves in Arlington,
No, freedom isn't free.
Enjoy your freedom, but NEVER take it for granted.

Make sure to keep all our military personnel and their families in your thoughts and prayers! God Bless Our Troops!
See you soon!
Nancy Peabody

Weekly Newsletter 06/08/2008

Greetings and Salutations!

HHAFFA had a table at the Visteon picnic on Saturday to say a BIG Thank You to all the Visteon employees who have been such a great support to our organization! We saw quite a few familiar faces, and we met a lot of new friends! We wish all Visteon employees well!

I would like to remind everyone to make sure to keep us updated on your service members current address. Please let us know when your service member is deployed and when they return! We love to send cards, letters and boxes, but it is disappointing to have one returned, because of address change!

Get your calendars out, and mark the following dates--

1) Every Tuesday evening at 7 pm (NOTE NEW TIME!!!) we meet at the Thornton Park Pavilion for our "Tour of Iraq". Please plan to join us, but if you cannot, please walk on your own and email me with your mileage every Sunday. If you have a loved one in Iraq, please email me with their location, I will mark it on the map, and we will make sure we stop by for a visit! I will bring the map every Tuesday, so we may see our progress!

2) Relay For Life is scheduled for June 20 - June 21st at the Parkview Track. All the HHAFFA Hoofers should have received information about the Relay schedule, but for all other HHAFFA members--we welcome you to join us during the following activities: 6 pm--Opening Ceremony (includes flag presentation, National Anthem, guest speaker, survivor lap, relay photos); dusk--Luminaria Ceremony (tribute to those who are fighting cancer and those we have lost); and other activities throughout the night! HHAFFA will have a table (decorated in red/white/blue) where we will sell magnets with the proceeds going to the Relay For Life! Please join us during the Opening Ceremony and all other activities! We plan on spending the night, so bring a lawn chair and be ready for some fun!!

3) The Limestone Girls Club has designated the week of June 23-27 as Support The Troops Week! The week prior to Support The Troops Week, the Girls Club will have a car wash to raise money for postage. Be on the lookout for further information, and get involved!

4) Sunday, June 29th, HHAFFA will once again hold a Candlelight Ceremony on the Courthouse Square in Bedford to honor our troops! We will have a guest speaker, music and we will light candles to honor our loved ones in the military!

5) Monday, June 30th and Tuesday, July 1st, HHAFFA will be participating in "The Home of the Brave", a musical production to honor our troops. Roger Gales (the man in charge!!) needs some help! He needs men or women IN UNIFORM from each of the branches (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard) to carry a flag on stage!! Please let me know if there is someone who can help!!

6) Friday, July 4th, HHAFFA will again participate in the Limestone Heritage Festival's Fourth of July Parade! We need EVERYONE to walk with us!! Dress in red/white/blue, carry signs, make some noise!!! If you cannot walk, we will have a truck, where you can ride!!!! Imagine if we had everyone who receives this newsletter (about 200), along with their family and friends participate!!!!!!!!! What a sight to see!!!

Please continue to keep all our military personnel in your thoughts and prayers!
God Bless Our Troops and their families back home!
And THANK YOU to everyone who, in any way, supports our young men and women serving this great nation of ours!!
See you soon!!
Nancy Peabody

You Ought To Know

YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

… FROM A MARINE PARENT: About three nights ago, my son received a call on our home phone. The person calling said they were from the group that administers health insurance thru the military, "Tri-care". They asked him lots of questions and one of the last questions was 'What is your Social Security Number?" I overheard that question and his response. I suspect the call was bogus and please share with the rest of our community.

ALL, PLEASE BE VERY CAUTIOUS ABOUT ANYONE CLAIMING TO BE FROM AN ORGANIZATION THAT SERVES THE MILITARY AND INFORMATION YOU GIVE THEM. IF THEY ARE WHO THEY SAY THEY ARE, THEY HAVE 800 NUMBERS AND WEBSITES SO THAT YOU CAN CALL THEM BACK. P.S., THEY WOULD ALSO ALREADY HAVE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER. JUST AS AN ASIDE, IN ALL OUR TIME IN THE MARINES, TRICARE HAS NEVER CALLED ME FOR ANY REASON WHATSOEVER! IN FACT, I ALWAYS HAVE TO WAIT FOR A LIVE PERSON WHEN I CALL THEM.

Thank you so much, Marine parent, for sharing this information!

Father, son running across nation for charity Tom Knoll and his son Warren are running across America to raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Project, which assists wounded veterans and their families; the Sunshine Foundation, which grants wishes to seriously ill and abused children; and the Challenged Athlete Foundation, which assists disabled athletes. The Knolls began their 3,300-mile journey March 1 in San Diego en route to Washington, D.C., by July 4 as part of Freedom Run Across America. Tom Knoll, 75, is a former Marine and one of 15 who helped start the Ironman Triathlon competition in Hawaii in 1978.

http://www.tribstar.com/local/local_story_149231925.htmlhttps://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/content/view/757/920/http://www.usathleticevents.org/ Subject:

YouTube - Gene Simmons Military Tribute (profanity bleeped out) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGil7PR59sc&eurl=http://3.gmodules.com/ig/ifr?pid=gatewayr&url=http://www.google.com/ig/modules/youtube_videos.xml&nocache=0&up

Weekly Newsletter 06/01/2008

Happy June!!! We went camping this past weekend at Brown Co. State Park, and the weather was fabulous!! I hated to come back home to face reality, but Monday is right around the corner! And so it begins . . .

--Don't forget the "HHAFFA Hoofers" meeting for Relay For Life, on Monday, June 2nd at 6 pm in the HHAFFA office (620 H St). I will collect your money and orders for luminarias, we will plan for the Relay events, and you will get all your questions answered! See you then!!

--On Tuesday evening at 6 pm, we meet at the Thornton Park Pavilion for our "Tour of Iraq". Please plan to join us, but if you cannot, please walk on your own and email me with your mileage every Sunday. On June 3rd, I will have a map of Iraq with current progress through Iraq marked! If you have a loved one in Iraq, please email me with their location, I will mark it on the map, and we will make sure we stop by for a visit!

--Relay For Life!! Plan on attending the evening's activities on June 20th at the Parkview track.

--Limestone Girls Club will designate the week of June 23-27 as Support The Troops Week! The week prior to Support the Troops Week, the Girls Club will have a car wash to raise money for postage.

--Sunday, June 29th, HHAFFA will once again hold a Candlelight Ceremony on the Courthouse Square to honor our troops!

--Monday, June 30th and Tuesday, July 1st, HHAFFA will be participating in "Home of the Brave" , a musical production to honor our troops.

--Friday, July 4th, HHAFFA will again participate in the Limestone Heritage Festival's Fourth of July Parade .

--We received this from Justin Mann: "Just wanted to say Thank You for the package."

--Don't forget our HHAFFA blog at www.hhaffa.blogspot.com Joyce Daugherty is doing a fabulous job keeping it updated!

--Kim Johnson is in charge of our MySpace page (email: hoosiershelp@hotmail.com) Stop by to see the site!

--Please continue to keep all our military personnel in your thoughts and prayers! God Bless Our Troops and their families back home!

--GREAT article about Jordan, Kiersten and Carsen Wheelock in Sunday's paper!!!

Again, I want to say a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who supports our young men and women serving this great nation of ours!!!
See you soon!!!
Nancy Peabody


(Note from Joyce; I'm sorry this is so late in being posted on the blog. I hope no one missed anything because of this. Please forgive me if you did miss anything. Next week will be better.)