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It seems that Comcast had decided that most of what is being sent to me is spam. Accordingly, it is returning most of those messages as undeliverable junk. I'm informed that they're “working on the problem.” I am so relieved.  In the meantime, be advised that I have not turned into a hermit, am not, unaccountably, harboring some nameless grudge, or have finally fully entered my dotage and have gone happily off in search of nekkid wimmen. Peace.

--
T. P. Woodfork

Mind-boggling! A battery-powered muscle car! This thing repeatedly blew the doors off a Corvette - among others - in the quarter mile.

Woody

"You can't pray a lie."

--Huckleberry Finn

www.8thwood.com

====================

From: Johel Ortiz
Subject: Fwd: Fw: RE: Electric drag racing.

This is very interesting!!!

 

http://www.opb.org/programs/ofg/videos/view/56-Electric-Drag-Racing

The following article is by Patience Mason:

An article I wrote in 97 which has helped many vets and their families. Please pass it on to anyone it might help.

PTSD and Holidays
Most people do not realize that people with PTSD have anniversary reactions. Holidays may also be anniversaries of trauma and bring up a lot of pain. This is one of the most distressing forms of reexperiencing for survivors and their families.

If the survivor doesn't recognize that this is one of the symptoms of PTSD, he or she may feel like Scrooge instead of like a normal human being who went through hell at that time of the year.

If the family doesn't understand that this is a PTSD anniversary reaction, they may be very angry at the survivor. "What is wrong with you?" is a heart-rending, humiliating question when the survivor doesn't know why s/he reacts like this.

If your veteran spent a particularly horrible Christmas seeing villagers lose all they had, seeing friends die, seeing the fat cats in the rear partying while the troops were suffering, he may have a hard time with Christmas. If your abusive father tore up the Christmas tree every year, if your uncle molested you at the family get together when you were eight, if you got mugged while out Christmas shopping, or date raped after an office party, or if your violent family pretended nothing was wrong during the holidays, these upcoming holidays may be a hard time for you. This is a normal reaction.

Holidays are also a really stressful time for many trauma survivors because they seem to reinforce the outsiderness of being a survivor of trauma. Everyone else seems so happy while your guts are twisted into knots as you think about past events. For veterans and other survivors, this pain can be compounded by grief for lost friends and their families who now face the holidays without those loved ones who didn't survive. Guilt may also rear its painful head. Why did I survive?

The financial difficulties many trauma survivors experience are highlighted by the commercialization of the holidays. There are a lot of pressures to conform.

One of my first healthy actions in my marriage was to decide that Bob didn't have to celebrate Christmas after he came back from Vietnam. I loved it so I should celebrate it and let him be him. I have no idea where that idea came from but it saved me a lot of fights. Today I look back on it as a miracle, accepting Bob as he was, and detaching in a healthy way. I think this is an important point for all trauma survivors and their families: Let the people who love the holiday celebrate it, and the people for whom it brings pain don't have to. This may cause problems with the extended family or the kids, but treating the survivor with respect is one healing way to frame it: "We have to respect other people's feelings and limits," can be a healthy way to put it.

We can also create our own ways of celebrating the holidays. We don't have to conform to a rigid commercial stereotype of piles of expensive gifts and big gatherings. As a matter of fact one thing that trauma can bring you face to face with is the value of people as opposed to things. We're starting a tradition in our crowd this year (a number of whom are trauma survivors and veterans) of homemade, recycled, or under $5 gifts. Ingenuity and fun!

Many survivors are not comfortable in crowds or at parties, but a quiet meaningful celebration, say singing carols in the living room with just the tree lights on, may be something they can participate in. They may not want to trim the tree, but going out to cut it down or pick it out may be okay. I am mentioning Christmas traditions here because that is what I grew up with, but I'm sure that Hanukkah and Kwanzaa celebrations can be as low-keyed and spiritual as the survivor needs them to be.

Survivors may need to create new rituals to help in their healing. For instance a veteran who lost friends in combat on Christmas may want to feed the homeless (many of whom are combat veterans) instead of participating in a big family dinner with people who may or may not appreciate his service. He may need to go to a special place and tell his lost buddies how much he misses them and wishes they had lived. Someone else may want to help provide Christmas presents for children of poor families or for other survivors of trauma. The range of possibilities is limited only by the imagination.

If all you want to do is stay drunk or stoned through the holidays, it might be good to find help instead. No one wants to be providing traumatic memories for the next generation. What you do while drunk or stoned can be pretty unpleasant for others, and especially painful for family members of both the spouse variety and the small-fry variety. 12 step meetings happen even on holidays like Christmas and New Year's. I'm going to be at my ACOA meeting Christmas Eve. Sobriety is better than big presents. Harder, too.

Crass commercialization and shop till you drop take the fun out of the holiday for me. So does having religion shoved down my throat, but I find that I can celebrate the birth of a child who represents all children to me and use it as an opportunity for me to do good in the world. Perhaps you and your family can do the same.
Holiday Helps: Asking for input and creating family traditions:

As I mentioned before, when Jack was a kid, he and I had our own Christmas without making Bob participate. This is called politeness, although my principal reason was selfishness, wanting my kind of Christmas. Selfishness created a healthy boundary in that case.

Something I didn't think of at the time was asking for input, which is also polite. Rituals For Our Times, by Evan Imber-Black and Janine Roberts (Harper, 1992, $12.00) has a wonderful chapter on holidays and a whole section called "Making Meaningful Rituals." Among other things, they suggest that planning, discussing and getting input from family members can prevent disappointments. Planning small changes in existing family traditions instead of trying to change everything at once is also easier.

Sometimes family traditions are out of balance and only please one side of the family or one spouse or whatever. To fix this, ask what the other person would like to do for the holidays. Say something like: "Maybe we could figure out some new things we could do that we would all like and could do together. Then the kids and I could do the stuff we like without pushing you to be involved."

Your spouse may never have thought about what he or she would like to do. I suggest not expecting an answer right away-maybe not even till next year. Just let him or her know you are interested in discussing it and open to change. People resist doing things they haven't been involved in. Planning or contributing to an event can give them a sense of being valued and having some control.

One final point, without them being aware of it, some traditional activities may clash with issues of safety for survivors. For instance, if Vince Veteran never puts up the Christmas lights despite endless nagging, perhaps it is because in Vietnam the night belonged to Charlie. By lighting up the house at night, he is attracting attention to his nearest and dearest, the kind of attention that could get you killed in Vietnam. Bringing this to consciousness--the need to keep the family safe--may help him get such a natural need met in a more appropriate way--like buying new tires for the car or better locks for the doors. Examining your traditions with that in mind can be rewarding.

Let go of outdated traditions or modify them to suit today. With our without the help of your survivor, you can sit down with whoever else in the family wants to celebrate. Have each person list what is fun for him or her. Do the things everyone likes doing. Let go of what has become a burden or what you think others should do or you should do. You can always go back to doing something if you miss it! Example: I like filling stockings for everyone and I thought they should fill mine. Now I get my own stocking stuffers. It is a lot of fun getting a stocking full of stuff I really like instead of an empty one full of hard feelings. I've also dropped creamed onions, cornbread dressing and mince pie!

Discussing what the family might like to do can be empowering for your children because it gives them a chance to move on to more age appropriate activities as they grow up. This may be hard for the parents, but I suggest that you can hang your own stockings or have your own quiet holiday dinner.

Some new family traditions you might try:

Looking up at the stars can be a beautiful experience of the glory of nature. According to December's Discover magazine, this December [1997] the sky is going to be swarming with planets at twilight. "Every bright 'star' to the left of the sunset is a planet... This is a show that airs before prime time, so observe early. After 9 PM only Saturn remains... This year the natural holiday lights are on display for even the youngest of Earth's appreciative sky watchers."

Get out of the house: Making snow angels is one of my favorite pastimes. There is nothing that helps me recreate the feeling of being a happy kid again like falling over backwards into the snow and waving my arms and legs. Too bad it never snows in Florida! Snow men, snowball fights (no ice balls, please), snow forts, snowy walks, cross country skiing, sledding, ice skating all can be family fun activities. In the south, walks in the woods, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, bicycle rides are still options.

Decorating with natural materials is another thing I like to do. Grapevine wreaths with gold or silver pinecones, magnolia cones, acorns, berries and any weird seed pods I can find give me a sense of satisfaction no store bought wreath ever brought. Look around and be inventive. I also have a wreath made of rusty barbwire which my friend Marci gave me. As a survivor, she feels a little Scroogey at Christmas. I like it!

Recycled and home made decorations (and gifts) bring family members together, minimize the wastage of natural resources, and increase our own resourcefulness and independence in a healthy creative way. For some of us it is important not to contribute to corporate profits. Paper chains and pomanders (oranges covered with cloves) are great home made decorations. Buying cloves in bulk at an oriental grocery store or a health food store makes pomanders affordable. They smell great!

Doing stuff for others. One veteran I know has been feeding the homeless for the last nine years on holidays.

I buy books to contribute to the local newspaper's Christmas book giving program for disadvantaged kids. This is a living amends to a poor little girl to whom Jack wanted to give one of his books when he was 5. I wouldn't let him.

Battered women's shelters always need stuff as do homeless shelters, nursing homes, hospitals and churches.

You can adopt a family if you are well off, or contribute a few cans of food or a toy if you are not. Whatever you give will benefit you as well as those you help. Altruistic people actually are healthier than those who are not!

You can do any of these as a memorial to someone who was lost or abused.

Doing stuff for yourself: Provide yourself with something you didn't get that you needed. Maybe this is a grown woman buying her inner child a Barbie doll, maybe it is a veteran presenting himself with a certificate of thanks for his service. Look inside. People who love you would like to do this for you, too. Let them know if they can help somehow.

Ask people what you could get them within your price range. Tell people what you want. Talking about presents is hard for some of us. I thought I should be able to find the perfect present with no input. Now I ask. I used to expect Bob to know what I liked and wanted. Now I give him guidelines.

Our crowd is having a homemade, recycled or under $5.00 Christmas again. We gave each other some really funny presents last year. If someone has given you something expensive you hated, this year you can recycle it to someone who might like it. I get wonderful containers at garage sales and fill them with cookies or rum balls or spiced pecans so it is homemade and recycled!

Talk to each other: Go for the quiet evening at home together. Many of us never sit down and talk because we are so swept away in the demands of daily living. Make a date and simply talk. What about? About what the holidays and/or the family means to you.

Accept the fact that kids are naturally self-centered and needy but can develop great kindness. A parents job is not to suppress these natural characteristics, but to encourage awareness of others and empathy. People used to think small children were little demons, but they are actually very kind and willing to give of themselves and help others. One great family tradition is to tell them that some little kids need toys and help them weed out ones they want to give away.

Give each child something that will give him or her a feeling of specialness. It needn't be expensive. Magic markers and a pad of paper gave Jack many wonderful hours of fun. I still treasure his creations.¦

Happy Holidays

Patience Mason

Copyright Patience H. C, Mason, 1997. First published in The Post-Traumatic Gazette #16.
All rights reserved, except that permission is hereby granted to freely reproduce and distribute this document, provided the text is reproduced unaltered and entire (including this notice) http://www.patiencepress.com

Patience Mason, Editor and Publisher
Patience Press
P O Box 2757
High Springs, FL 32655
386-454-1651
ptg@...
www.patiencepress.com
Publisher of information on recovering from PTSD
Member:
The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies
American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress
============================================================

T.P. Woodfork
www.8thwood.com
"You can't pray a lie."
-- Hucklerry Finn

Sounds like a plan, to me.

--
Woody
"You can't pray a lie"
~Huckleberry Finn
www.8thwood.com

=====================

From: Vern

HOW BIG IS WAL-MART?


This should boggle your mind!!
And scare you as well!

  HOW BIG IS WAL-MART?

1 .
At Wal-Mart,
Americans spend $36,000,000 every hour
of every day.

2 .
This works out to $20,928 profit
every minute!

3.
Wal-Mart will sell more
from January 1 to St. Patrick's Day (March 17th)
than Target sells all year.

4.
Wal-Mart is bigger than Home Depot +
Kroger + Target + Sears + Costco +
K-Mart combined.

5.
Wal-Mart employs 1.6 million people
and is the largest private employer. And most can't speak English

6.
Wal-Mart is the largest company
in the history of the World.

7.
Wal-Mart now sells more food
than Kroger & Safeway combined,
and keep in mind they did this
in only 15 years.

8.
During this same period,
31 Supermarket chains sought bankruptcy
(including Winn-Dixie).

9.
Wal-Mart now sells more food
than any other store in the world.

10.
Wal-Mart has approx 3,900 stores
in the USA of which 1,906 are SuperCenters;
this is 1,000 more than it had 5 years ago.

11.
This year, 7.2 billion different
purchasing experiences will occur
at a Wal-Mart store.
(Earth's population is approximately
6.5 billion.)

12.
90% of all Americans live
within 15 miles of a Wal-Mart

13
Let Wal Mart bail out GM

Have a good one.

--
Woody
"You can't pray a lie"
~Huckleberry Finn
www.8thwood.com

I think I have to see this one in person before I can believe it's not trick
photography:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK27aknWVI4
--
T. P. Woodfork
"You can't pray a lie."
-Huckleberry Finn
www.8thwood.com

http://www.flashfunpages.com/couple.swf

For Veterans Day - The First American Killed Vietnam

On September 26, 1945, Lt. Col. A. Peter Dewey became the first American soldier
to die in Vietnam. Apparently mistaken for a Frenchman, Dewey was gunned down by
Vietminh troops while driving a jeep to the airport. The son of a former
Illinois congressman, he had been the head of the American O.S.S. mission.
However, because the conflict had not yet fully developed at this time, some
sources consider the first U.S. casualties of the Vietnam War to be Major Dale
R. Buis and Master Sergeant Chester M. Ovnand who were killed in 1959 during a
guerilla attack at Bienhoa.
http://www.usefultrivia.com/war_trivia/vietnam_war_trivia_002a.html
~~~~~~~~

Lt. Col. Peter Dewey, a U.S. Army officer with the Office of Strategic Services
(OSS) in Vietnam, is shot and killed in Saigon. Dewey was the head of a
seven-man team sent to Vietnam to search for missing American pilots and to
gather information on the situation in the country after the surrender of the
Japanese.

According to the provisions of the Potsdam Conference, the British were assigned
the responsibility of disarming Japanese soldiers south of the 16th parallel.
However, with the surrender of the Japanese, Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Minh
declared themselves the rightful government of Vietnam. This angered the French
colonial officials and the remaining French soldiers who had been disarmed and
imprisoned by the Japanese. They urged British Maj. Gen. Douglas D. Gracey to
help them regain control. Gracey, not fond of the Viet Minh or their cause,
rearmed 1,400 French soldiers to help his troops maintain order. The next day
these forces ousted the Viet Minh from the offices that they had only recently
occupied. Dewey's sympathies lay with the Viet Minh, many of whom were
nationalists who did not want a return to French colonial rule. The American
officer was an outspoken man who soon angered Gracey, eventually resulting in
the British general ordering him to leave Indochina. On the way to
  the airport, accompanied by another OSS officer, Capt. Henry Bluechel, Dewey
refused to stop at a roadblock manned by three Viet Minh soldiers. He yelled
back at them in French and they opened fire, killing Dewey instantly. Bluechel
was unhurt and escaped on foot. It was later determined that the Viet Minh had
fired on Dewey thinking he was French. He would prove to be the first of nearly
59,000 Americans killed in Vietnam.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=1381.
~~~~~~~~~~

James B. McGovern Jr., was one of the first two Americans killed in the Vietnam
conflict. His remains were recovered from an unmarked grave in a remote northern
Laos village in 2002 and identified last year by forensic experts at the Joint
POW/MIA Accounting Command's laboratory at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.

McGovern, known as "Earthquake McGoon ",  weighed 260 pounds and was nicknamed
after a hulking character in the hillbilly comic strip "Li'l Abner," was killed
May 6, 1954, while air-dropping an artillery piece to the trapped French
garrison at Dien Bien Phu. His C-119 "Flying Boxcar" cargo plane, crippled by
anti-aircraft fire, continued 75 miles into Laos and crashed on a hillside.

The crash also killed his co-pilot, Wallace Buford, and a French flight
engineer. Three other French Legionnaires survived the crash and were captured
by communist troops, but one died later. The remains of Buford, of Kansas City,
Mo., were never found.

McGovern and Buford, both civilians at the time, were the first two Americans
killed in fighting in Vietnam, where ensuing warfare would kill nearly 60,000
Americans and more than a million Vietnamese over the next two decades.

Earthquake McGoon was a flamboyant figure who became famous in the early 1950s
for his escapades. As a member of an Air Force squadron descended from the famed
Flying Tigers, he shot down four Japanese planes and destroyed others on the
ground.

His adventures included being captured by communist Chinese troops who freed him
because he called them "liars" for not letting him go; winning a clutch of
dancing girls in a poker game; and setting free a group of Japanese POWs on a
beach rather than follow orders to "dump cargo" after he developed engine
trouble.
Source:  military.com
http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,136797,00.html?ESRC=airforce.nl
~~~~~~~~~~

Information from The Wall Website:

Largest per-capita Loss
     Beallsville, Ohio (pop. 475) gained unwanted national attention between 1966
and 1971 by having suffered the largest per-capita loss of life in the Vietnam
War. Six young men lost their lives in the war, a terrible and profound loss for
this small town.
Highest State Casualties
     West Virginia had the highest casualty rate in the nation, according to the
U.S. Department of Defense. The state had 711 casualties -- 39.9 deaths per
100,000 people. Oklahoma had the second-highest casualty rate.

Highest High School Casualties
     Thomas Edison High School in Philadelphia sustained the largest number of
Vietnam war casualties of any high school in the nation with 54.

The Marines of Morenci
     They led some of the scrappiest high school football and basketball teams
that the little Arizona copper town of Morenci (pop. 5,058) had ever known and
cheered. They enjoyed roaring beer busts. In quieter moments, they rode horses
along the Coronado Trail, stalked deer in the Apache National Forest. And in the
patriotic camaraderie typical of Morenci's mining families, the nine graduates
of Morenci High enlisted as a group in the Marine Corps. Their service began on
Independence Day, 1966. Only 3 returned home.
Robert Dale Draper, 19, was killed in an ambush.
Stan King, 21, was killed less than a week after reaching Vietnam.
Alfred Van Whitmer, 21, was killed while on patrol.
Larry J. West, 19 was shot near Quang Nam.
Jose Moncayo, 22, was part of an entire platoon wiped out.
Clive Garcia, 22, was killed by a booby trap while leading a patrol.

The Buddies from Midvale
     LeRoy Tafoya, Jimmy Martinez, Tom Gonzales were all boyhood friends and
lived on three consecutive streets in Midvale, Utah on Fifth, Sixth and Seventh
avenues. They lived only a few yards apart. They played ball at the adjacent
sandlot ball field. And they all went to Vietnam..
     In a span of 16 dark days in late 1967, all three would be killed. LeRoy was
killed on Wednesday, Nov. 22, the fourth anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s
assassination. Jimmy died less than 24 hours later on Thanksgiving Day. Tom was
shot dead assaulting the enemy on Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Three
hallmark all-American days. Three more names to be placed on the The Wall

The First and the Last
     The first American soldier killed in the Vietnam War was Air Force T-Sgt.
Richard B. Fitzgibbon Jr. He is listed by the U.S. Department of Defense as
having a casualty date of June 8, 1956. His name was added to the Wall on
Memorial Day 1999.
     First battlefield fatality was Specialist 4 James T. Davis who was killed on
December 22, 1961.

     The last American soldier killed in the Vietnam War was Kelton Rena Turner,
an 18-year old Marine. He was killed in action on May 15, 1975, two weeks after
the evacuation of Saigon, in what became known as the Mayaguez incident.
Others list Gary L. Hall, Joseph N. Hargrove and Danny G. Marshall as the last
to die in Vietnam. These three US Marines Corps veterans were mistakenly left
behind on Koh Tang Island during the Mayaguez incident. They were last seen
together but unfortunately to date, their fate is unknown. They are located on
panel 1W, lines 130 - 131.

     Last pilot casualty occured during the Embassy evacuation in Saigon, William
C. Nystal and Michael J. Shea both died on the helicopter on April 30, 1975
approaching the USS Hancock in the China Sea (both are located at 1W, 124).

The youngest Vietnam KIA is believed to be Dan Bullock at 15 years old.
The oldest person on the Wall is believed to be Dwaine McGriff at 63 years old.
At least 5 men killed in Vietnam were 16 years old.
At least 12 men killed in Vietnam were 17 years old.
There are 120 persons who listed foreign countries as their home of record.
At least 25,000 of those killed were 20 years old or younger.
More than 17,000 of those killed were married.
Veterans killed on their first day in Vietnam 997 (unconfirmed)
Veterans killed on their last day in Vietnam 1,448 (unconfirmed)
Number of Chaplains on the Wall -- 16 (2 Medal Of Honor)
Number of Women on the Wall -- 8 (7 Army, 1 USAF - 7,484 served)
There are 226 Native Americans on the Memorial.
There are 22 countries represented on the Memorial.
Most common name on the Memorial "Smith" with 667 veterans.
The most casualties for a single day was on January 31, 1968 ~ 245 casualties.
The most casualties for a single month was May 1968, 2,415 casualties were
incurred.

       Corporal William T. Perkins Jr. of Sepulveda, California was a Marine
combat photographer. He is the only military photographer to be awarded the
Medal of Honor. He was killed in action on October 12, 1967.

       Corporal Thomas W. Bennett of Morgantown, West Virginia was a U.S. Army
medic and was the only conscientious objector to be awarded the Medal of Honor
during the Vietnam war. He was killed in action on February 11, 1969.

       BUDDIES:
Steven E. Amescua and Anthony J. Blevins joined the Marine Corp on the buddy
plan. Steven was KIA May 15, 1968 and Anthony was KIA August 23, 1968.

John A. Jensen and Charles D. Turnbough were buddies who graduated from high
school together and joined the Marines together. John was KIA August 27, 1967
and Charles was KIA three days later on August 30, 1967.

       BROTHERS:
Brothers Charles and Philip Tank of Ecorse, Michigan were both killed in
Vietnam. Charles on April 19, 1969 Philip on September 12, 1968.

Brothers Kenneth and Paul Olenzuk were both killed in Vietnam. Kenneth on
December 25, 1967 and Paul on August 10, 1968

Brothers Marlin and Norman Eversgerd were both killed in Vietnam. Marlin on
March 19, 1967 and Norman on August 18, 1968

Brothers Bennett and Dennis Herrick were both killed in Vietnam. Bennett on
March 25, 1968 and Dennis on August 02, 1970

Brothers Gabriel and Paul Trujillo were both killed in Vietnam. Gabriel on
February 23, 1971 and Paul on November 04, 1971

Brothers Benjamin and Francisco Montano were both killed in Vietnam. Francisco
on April 08, 1967 and Benjamin on May 15, 1969

Brothers James and John Rowden were both killed in Vietnam. James on March 05,
1966 and John on February 10, 1968

Brothers Michael and William Francis were both killed in Vietnam. Michael on
September 30, 1967 and William on March 09, 1970

Brothers Robert and Steven Gaftunik were both killed in Vietnam. Robert on
August 25, 1969 and Steven on March 27, 1968

Brothers Rudy and Stanley Sagon were both killed in Vietnam. Rudy on December
10, 1965 and Stanley on May 20, 1966

Brothers Robert and Phillip Wyatt were both killed in Vietnam. Robert on July
10, 1967 and Phillip on May 28, 1968

Brothers Samuel and William Nixon were both killed in Vietnam. Samuel on March
21, 1968 and William on May 8, 1968

Brothers Kirby and Lanny Hamby were both killed in Vietnam. Kirby on June 8,
1968 and Lanny on October 14, 1969

Brothers John and David Banks were both killed in Vietnam. John on March 28,
1966 and David on April 21, 1969

Brothers George and James Wright were both killed in Vietnam. George on May 21,
1967 and James on May 31, 1969

Brothers Donald and Cordis White were both killed in Vietnam. Donald on March 5,
1967 and Cordis on September 18, 1969

Brothers Clyde and Edward Withee were both killed in Vietnam. Clyde on February
5, 1966 and Edward on October 6, 1970

Brothers Richard and Larry Land were both killed in Vietnam. Richard on May 18,
1967 and Larry on March 28, 1971

Brothers Robert and Harold Musselman were both killed in Vietnam. Robert on
October 25, 1967 and Harold on March 3, 1969

Brothers David and Otis Morgan were both killed in Vietnam. David on January 20,
1969 and Otis on January 28, 1970

Brothers John and Dana Jensen were both killed in Vietnam. John on August 27,
1967 and Dana on April 17, 1969

Brothers Stephen and Stanley Barrett were both killed in Vietnam. Stephen on
January 25, 1968 and Stanley on October 3, 1970

Brothers Steven and Randy Mathias were both killed in Vietnam. Steven on July 2,
1967 and Randy on June 18, 1968

Brothers Roger and Stanley Herrell were both killed in Vietnam. Stanley on
November 1, 1968 and Roger on July 29, 1969

Brothers James and Kenneth Stutes were both killed in Vietnam. James on June 6,
1970 and Kenneth on July 5, 1967

Brothers Lane and Joseph Hargrove were both killed in Vietnam. Lane on April 21,
1968 and Joseph on May 15, 1975

Brothers Edmund and Michael Travis were both killed in Vietnam. Edmund on June
27, 1967 and Michael on June 7, 1968

Brothers David and Norman Evans were both killed in Vietnam. David on October
24, 1968 and Norman on November 24, 1970

Brothers Juan and Arthur Garcia were both killed in Vietnam. Juan on Nov 20,
1967 and Arthur on February 7, 1970

Brothers David and John Greeson were both killed in Vietnam. David on Nov 7,
1969 and John on July 22, 1968

Brothers Leonard and Byron McQuinn were both killed in Vietnam. Leonard on Sept
5, 1966 and Byron on Feb 24, 1969

Brothers Rodrick and Garland Whalen were both killed in Vietnam. Rodrick on
October 1, 1966 and Garland on January 31, 1969

       STEP BROTHERS:
Richard Earl Sipes and Raymond Omer Kincannon were step brothers and raised
together in Chula Vista, CA. They were both killed in Vietnam. Richard on Dec
29, 1966 and Raymond on April 1, 1968

       FATHER AND SON:
Richard B. Fitzgibbon Jr. was killed June 08, 1956 his son Richard B. Fitzgibbon
III was KIA September 07, 1965.

Leo Hester Sr. Died March 10, 1967 in a aircraft crash his son Leo Hester Jr.
was KIA November 02, 1969 also in a aircraft crash.

       FATHER NOT ON THE MEMORIAL WITH SON:
Although both father and son served in Vietnam during the same time frame, the
father is not on the Memorial. Lt. Rex Chrisman, US Navy, died of a heart attack
while assigned on the USS Estes that was being serviced in Bangkok. The ship was
waiting for its next maneuver to the China Sea. His son, PFC Rex G. Chrisman
took his father back home for burial. Returning to Vietnam, Rex was killed a
month later.

Number of living whose names are etched on the “wall” in error? TWELVE!

Names Added to Memorial:   Since 1997 78 names of veterans who have died due to
their wounds received during the Vietnam war have been added to the Wall. The
latest names added are listed below.
Added 2005
Army PFC Thomas Joseph Conners
Army Sergeant Richard Edward Daly Jr.
Army PFC John Harold Berg
Army PFC William Ellis Browning

Added 2006
Army SP4 Bobby Gene Barbre
Marine Lance Cpl. George Bryant Givens Jr.
Marine Pfc. Hans Jorg Rudolph Lorenz
Marine Capt. Robert Patrick Rumley Jr.

Added 2007
Army SP4 Wesley Alvin Stiverson
Army Sergeant Richard Monroe Pruett
Navy Fireman Apprentice Joseph Gerald Krywicki

Added 2008
Army SP4 Dennis O. Hargrove
Marine Lance Cpl. Richard M. Goossens
Army SP4 Darrell J. Naylor
Marine Lance Cpl. Raymond C. Mason

     In Memory Day Since the war in Vietnam came to an end, there has been a
growing sense among many veterans and their families that those who served in
this nation's longest war have suffered and are continuing to suffer premature
deaths related to their service. These deaths have been attributed to exposure
to Agent Orange, post- traumatic stress disorder, and a growing list of other
causes.

     The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund's In Memory Day program honors those who
died as a result of the Vietnam War, but whose deaths do not fit the Department
of Defense criteria for inclusion upon the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in
Washington, D.C. Every year there is a ceremony to pay tribute to these men and
women who sacrificed so much for their country. The ceremony is held on the
third Monday in April — In Memory Day.
http://thewall-usa.com/names.asp
~~~~~~~~~~

--
T. P. Woodfork
"You can't pray a lie."
-Huckleberry Finn
www.8thwood.com

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Woody

Robin Williams as 'The American Flag',

--
T. P. Woodfork
"You can't pray a lie."
-Huckleberry Finn
www.8thwood.com

-------------- Forwarded Message: --------------
From: "Russell  McDonald Sr"
Subject: Fw: THE AMERICAN FLAG
Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2008 20:04:01 +0000
>
>
>   AFTER ALL THE ELECTION PROPAGANDA EXCHANGES I FOUND THE FOLLOWING CLIP TO
> STIMULATE SOME WORTHWHILE THOUGHT.
>
>
>   Interesting 5 minutes....if you haven't seen it, take the time to view it..
>
>   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_L1vLv84vs
>
>
>

As Fats Waller was wont to say about playing the piano, "Ahh, it's so easy when
you know how!" This guy loses his right wing while stunt flying, and still
manages to land with no further damage to the aircraft. You have to see it to
believe it.

http://www.chilloutzone.de/files/08102703.html
--
T. P. Woodfork
"You can't pray a lie."
-Huckleberry Finn
www.8thwood.com

> http://www.homeloans.va.gov/
>
>
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>
>
>
>
>
> Enhanced VA Mortgage Options Now Available for Veterans
>
>
> Of Potential Benefit to Those in Financial Distress
>
>
> WASHINGTON (Oct.24) -- Veterans with conventional home loans now have new
> options for refinancing to a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) guaranteed
> home loan.  These new options are available as a result of the Veterans'
> Benefits Improvement Act of 2008, which the President signed into law on
> October 10, 2008.
>
>
>
> "These changes will allow VA to assist a substantial number of veterans with
> subprime mortgages refinance into a safer, more affordable, VA guaranteed
> loan," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake.  "Veterans in
> financial distress due to high rate subprime mortgages are potentially the
> greatest beneficiaries."
>
>
>
> VA has never guaranteed subprime loans.  However, as a result of the new law
> VA can now help many more veterans who currently have subprime loans.
>
>
>
> The new law makes changes to VA's home loan refinancing program.  Veterans
> who wish to refinance their subprime or conventional mortgage may now do so
> for up to 100 percent of the value of the property.  These types of loans
> were previously limited to 90 percent of the value.
>
>
>
> Additionally, Congress raised VA's maximum loan amount for these types of
> refinancing loans.  Previously, these refinancing loans were capped at
> $144,000.  With the new legislation, such loans may be made up to $729,750
> depending on where the property is located.
>
>
>
> Increasing the loan-to-value ratio and raising the maximum loan amount will
> allow more qualified veterans to refinance through VA, allowing for savings
> on interest costs or even potentially avoiding foreclosure.
>
>
>
> Originally set to expire at the end of this month, VA's authority to
> guaranty Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs) and Hybrid ARMs was also extended
> under this new law through September 30, 2012.  Unlike conventional ARMs and
> hybrid ARMs, VA limits interest rate increases on these loans from year to
> year, as well as over the life of the loans.
>
> Since 1944, when home loan guaranties were offered with the original GI
> Bill, VA has guaranteed more than 18 million home loans worth over $911
> billion.  This year, about 180,000 veterans, active duty servicemembers, and
> survivors received loans valued at about $36 billion.
>
>
>
> For more information, or to obtain help from a VA Loan Specialist, veterans
> may call VA at 1-877-827-3702 or visit  <http://www.homeloans.va.gov/>
> www.homeloans.va.gov.
>
>
>
> #   #   #
>

--
T. P. Woodfork
"You can't pray a lie."
-Huckleberry Finn
www.8thwood.com

-------------- Forwarded Message: --------------
From: "Johel Ortiz" <johel35@...>
Subject: Fwd: You HAVE to view this...
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2008 07:05:27 +0000
> Astounding!!
>
>
> *Prepare yourself:  some of you may find the music rather loud and jarring,
> but the material is a lollapalooza. *
> **
> *My, what the future holds!!*
> **
> **
>
> *
>
http://release.theplatform.com/content.select?pid=x7aVOMrlfkkijQwcLllwk6WjB5JE0z
> rF
>
*<http://release.theplatform.com/content.select?pid=x7aVOMrlfkkijQwcLllwk6WjB5JE
> 0zrF>

-------------- Forwarded Message: --------------
From: "Colonel Dan" <colonel-dan@...>
To: "Veteran Issues by Colonel Dan" <VeteranIssues@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [VeteranIssues] DOD Handbook, Comp & Benefits for Seriuosly Injured or
ILL Service members
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:47:13 +0000
> http://tinyurl.com/4qbpu5
>
> or
> http://www.transitionassistanceprogram.com/portal/transition/resources/PDF/C
> ompensation_and_Benefits_Handbook.pdf
>
>
> * The Department of Defense (DoD) has developed a comprehensive
> handbook describing compensation and other benefits service members and
> their families would be entitled to upon separation or retirement as a
> result of serious injury or illness.
>
>  The Compensation and Benefits handbook was compiled in cooperation
> with the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Labor, Health and Human Services
> and Education and the Social Security Administration. Additionally, there
> are references to assistance provided by other governmental and
> non-governmental agencies and organizations
>
> * The handbook describes the disability eligibility process, various
> program qualifications, application procedures, and numerous resources with
> associated contact information.  Additionally, there are references to
> assistance provided by other governmental and non-governmental agencies and
> organizations.
>
>
>
>
>  Web sites and toll-free numbers are provided, and the electronic
> version includes hyperlinks. The electronic version of the handbook will be
> updated frequently and the hard copy of the compensation and benefits
> handbook will be updated annually.
>
>  The electronic version of the handbook can be found on the five Web
> sites listed below:
>
> *  <http://turbotap.org/> http://turbotap.org
>
> *  <https://www.nko.navy.mil/> https://www.nko.navy.mil
>
> *  <http://www.npc.navy.mil/> http://www.npc.navy.mil
>
> *  <https://www.aw2.army.mil/> https://www.aw2.army.mil
>
> *
> <https://www.my.af.mil/gcss-af/USAF/AFP40/d/1073755231/Files/C&BHandbook>
> https://www.my.af.mil/gcss-af/USAF/AFP40/d/1073755231/Files/C&BHandbook
>

Senator Barack Obama announced that he and his wife will be celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary next week, joking that "She just about has me trained. Almost." Michelle Obama issued a one-word correction: "Sixteenth." If Senator Obama suddenly suspends his campaign for a few days, it may be that he's waiting for the knot on his head to go down.