Thinking about Charities?

As everyone knows, I am a veteran of the United States Army. As such, military matters mean a good deal to me. Everyone of them matters. Tonight on the news there was a story about a soldier running in the Philadelphia Marathon to raise money for charity.



His website: http://www.takepride.com/home.php

His Blog: http://takepride.tumblr.com/

Story in Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/23/AR2006072300630.html



The name of the movement is called Take Pride, the mission is to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project and other military related charities. These soldiers are stationed in Afghanistan and have a lot to worry about in their day to day lives. However, these men have taken the time to worry about other soldiers who have been seriously wounded. I can't say enough about how moved I am.

It is easy to forget that Americans are in harms way every day; they are. The wars we fight overseas these days are done in such a way so that they do not interfere with everyday life here in the States. But we are at war. The soldiers fighting these wars do so without asking for anything in return. I know I care and I know a lot of other people out there care as well. So I am taking the money I would have spent on a registration fee for out virtual blogging run on the 8th of December and spending it on a T-shirt to help this project. I would urge everyone to do the same. We all give money to causes every year. I give money to various charities throughout the year, this will now be another.

So please buy a t-shirt for a very good cause, the good news is that it won't go to your butt or gut like chocolate for school fund raisers. These men and women may have been doing their duty; the least we can do is let them know we as Americans care and appreciate it. Check it out, please.

I have added links for your convenience.

Happy Veteran's Day

I don't usually give too many details about my life beyond running and exercise efforts on this blog. Today, I am going to break that trend. Today is Veteran's Day and as a Veteran I take this day pretty seriously. Additionally it is not just me.

• My father was in the 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam in the early 1960's


• My step father served in the Korean War


• My Uncle served on the Nimitz during the Vietnam War


• Two other uncles served in the post Vietnam era in the Army


• My Grandfather served in Alaska during World War II, he was one of seven brothers 6 served during World War II (3 died one at Normandy, one in Submarine service and one in the European theatre)

I come from a military family, it means something. I don't take things for granted in my life. During my service I served in Saudi Arabia and Iraq as a Scout in the 2nd Armored Division. It is not my part to talk about the nobility of war or the honor of service. There may some truth to the second but not the first. In war there is only death and destruction, there is nothing else to read into it. Soldiers serve where ordered, it is no different today. However, today I want to talk about my friends. When I served I had the good fortune to be stationed with Sam and Steve. Although I am not related to these two men, they are my brothers. We served on Bradley Fighting Vehicles (pictured to the left). I was promoted to Sergeant during the War and Sam and Steve were Specialists.

During our time in Saudi Arabia and Iraq, we lived on these Bradleys for months. Not exactly plush accommodations. The best sleeping spot was on stacked boxes of 25 mm ammunition. The best food was luke warm soup sent my our friends at the Campbell's Soup Company. I don't know why they send all that soup to us, but I was grateful. Today, I still eat it even though it is not the healthiest you can find on the market. The desert was filled with nasties even when there was no combat (i.e. desert vipers and scorpions). Sometimes we would play volleyball, but this was before we were on the line. After that we would spend our time watching and feeling the payloads of B-52's carpet bombing miles away, the ground would shake. Sometimes British Tornados would whip over our position at incredibly low levels heading to drop some unpleasantness. In short we lived in some strange circumstances that at times were intense. This may have had something to do with the depth of the friendships we formed.

We were friends before we went to war and after we were friends for life. I can say that I feel fortunate to have such good friends. In life you are mainly on your own. We don't want to think this is true but it is a lot. Friends that last a life time are a rare thing in this world of diminishing relation to community. I feel fortunate to have friends like Sam and Steve. I know that no matter what happens I can depend on these guys. I know this because when it really mattered they were there for me. They have been there since and I hope that I have as well. We have become a family of sorts. The bonds that we made during this time, now more than 15 years ago, mean more to me than almost anything.

Sam and I talk almost every week, Steve less frequently. On Veteran's Day I call them both. It is special. I don't know if it was that we were friends and then shared a few near death experiences. I am not sure. But I know that they are my best friends and that will always be true. Sam and Steve, here is to you, take care my good friends. Also, here is to the guys who have served there since and to those that are still there. Take care.

Respectfully,

Rob - formerly Sergeant Rob

---- Also, today I ran 5.5 miles on the treadmill at the gym. I didn't like it but I did it.

I'll take the .50 cal

When I was in the army, I was a scout. That is exactly what you think it is: sneak up ahead of everyone else spot the enemy and report back. Sometimes shoot at them and sometimes call for artillery or air support. The first unit I was in was at Fort Polk, Louisiana. This is not a pleasant place. No offence to folks who live in Louisiana, I did like the state. But the post was awful, infested with bugs, humid all the time, mud up to your knees and more than its fair share of snakes.

But it was here that I learned to be a soldier and that means pulling your weight and not giving up. The vehicles we used for our craft, it feels cool to call soldiering a craft so I'll do it here, were M113's. Most folks have never heard of them as they were obsolete 10 years before I ever joined the army. They are big aluminum boxes on tracks, kind of like an armored bull dozer with a big machine gun. Well after we would get back from the field, i.e. playing in the woods with automatic weapons, we would need to carry the equipment back from the motor pool to the armory. Sometimes there was a Jeep and sometimes not. If not you would need to lug the .50 cal a half mile to the armory (read 84 pounds - 60 pound gun and 24 pound barrel). I would volunteer for the gun. Mostly I did this for selfish reasons, first it was like earning good will to get out of more unpleasant stuff, second I could do it). So I take the .50 cal because I can and because I don't quit. I carried that hunk of metal over my back for half a mile. Quitting is for others, not this kid.

So tonight, I ran 4 miles beginning at 11 pm.

Mile 1: 11:58
Mile 2: 11: 37
Mile 3: 11:50
Mile 4: 11: 45

I could have gone to bed, I was tired after putting in a long day today. Nobody would have said I word if I did. But I didn't. Just like when I was 18, I can carry the .50 cal so I do. I don't give in, I don't break. I may back off for a little bit, like the last 2 weeks. But I don't quit, that is for others. I'll never be the fastest guy out there but I won't quit. I have some bend but no break.