You can read the whole thing at the Move America Forward Blog, The Daily File Blog, but I am going to show you some excerpts here about Day tree and who is attending this Victory Tour and the caravan across the country ending on the hill on the 15th to show support for our troops, General Petraeus and their mission:
Written by Danny, a staffer for Move America Forward-
The rally was very good. We had Howard Kaloogian on hand he is the founder of Move America Forward and was on hand to speak to the crowd. I think we had about 50 people around San Diego. When we first pulled up I was a little worried but people kept coming and coming. Howard talked a lot about the history America has had with terrorism and how long it has taken America to wake up. Since the mid to late 70s there have been more and more terrorist attacks at different times in our nation’s history. Howard reminded us about the 1979 storming of the US Embassy in Iran by Islamic militants and the bungling of the situation by President Carter. He cited the 82 Pan Am bombing, the 93 World Trade Center bombing, the bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 and the USS Cole bombing in Yemen in 2000. All of these are examples of America being under attack by the same breed of terrorists that perpetrated 9/11 and are now engineering and manipulating the insurgency in Iraq with help and financial support from Iran.
[...]
He said something else that I thought was VERY true, and people need to know it…especially those that say we are losing the war or that we are creating more terrorists than we can kill. Howard said that the terrorists KNOW they CANNOT ever beat our military toe to toe, that their only hope of beating America is to create a ‘sense of defeat’ among the people by creating chaos, targeting civilians, and taking advantage of the defeatist attitudes of the left which they KNOW demoralizes our troops and their will to win.
This is Sandra Aceves. She had three loving son’s until her youngest was tragically cut down in Iraq, heroically defending his brothers in arms. Sandra’s eldest son Rodrigo Mendes-Aceves is a photographer and lives in San Diego where Sandra also resides. Her second son Enrique is an Officer in the US Air Force, serving proudly in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her youngest boy Petty Officer 3rd Class Fernando A. Mendes-Aceves, a Navy Corpsman, 2nd Battalion attached to the 4th Marine Regiment in the First Marine Expeditionary Force. Basically that means that Sandra’s son was a Navy man who served in a combat role as a medic for the Marine Corps which has no ‘medics’ of its own.
This is one of the most dangerous jobs in the military, reserved for the bravest. This is especially true in Iraq because of the tactics the insurgents use. Like the Japanese defenders of Iwo Jima, the terrorist insurgents in Iraq often do not shoot to kill their targets, they attempt to simply would them. They know that Americans never leave a fellow soldier behind, and that our soldiers will always help and look out for one another. So when a terrorist takes aim and wounds one of our men, it takes at least two Americans out of the battle because at least one or often several of his fellow soldiers will always stop and try to get that wounded man to safety.
On April 6th 2004 Fernando went out with a quick response team to aid a team of Marines that were pinned down in an ambush out in Ramadi Al-Anbar. They successfully helped that force to overcome the enemy and continue their mission but on the way back home Fernando’s unit was ambushed by another force of insurgents. Their driver was shot by a sniper and a firefight broke out. When one of Fernando’s good friends Alan Walker was shot and injured, Fernando leapt right into the line of fire to help. Tragically the whole fire team was cut down and Fernando’s body was found together with his friend whom he risked and gave his life trying to save.
Sandra pays tribute to her son every day, and finds some comfort and support in the families of other brave soldiers, all friends of Fernando’s, who also lost their lives that day. Moms from Palmdale and Fremont, CA and Minnesota all stay in contact to remember their boys and emulate the same bonds of love and friendship that held all these men together tightly, even in the face of danger in Iraq.
Sandra remembers that the men of that battalion were all good friends of her son’s and affectionately nicknamed him “Doc Mendes.” Before making the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms Doc Mendes was famous in his battalion for encouraging the rest of the guys to lift weights on their off-time, which he himself loved, and also taught his fellow soldiers several old Mexican songs which he would make them sing. He was a very patriotic young man who loved America. He believed in bringing liberty and democracy to the people of Iraq and loved the Iraqi people. Even though he was born in Mexico, just like his older brothers, he decided to immigrate to America and his love of America and the freedoms that this nation gave him and family were what made him so patriotic and what motivated him to serve.
Go read everything...these people are not getting paid to support the troops and their mission. These people have lost family to our fight against terror.
These patriots have but one goal, supporting our troops and their mission because they understand that Victory is the only acceptable outcome.
These people have paid dearly to have their voices heard and they deserve the respect of being listened to.
Wounded Veteran:
Wife who has lost her husband:
Another Wounded Veteran speaks about anger at Congress and Victory:
Gold Star Mother:
They are touching and they are from a group that has been under represented in the debate...until now.
So, when you see story after story about the Democrats being newly willing to compromise on Iraq, or that Democrats are willing to retreat on the war end, and when we see that General Petraeus and his report won't even be considered fairly, understand that for these Blue Star parents, Gold star families, wounded veterans and widows of Iraq, there is no compromise on Victory, there is no retreat in defeat, there is no option except to win and bring our troops home in triumph..... they have earned the right to say that.
They have sacrificed dearly, what have you sacrificed for the war on terror?
[Update] Move America Forward has sent an email out showing some media attention the Victory Tour is receiving:
Good Wednesday morning from Tucson, Arizona. We've woken up early and are getting ready to host the Tucson pro-troop rally for the "Fight for Victory Tour." Today we have a veteran recently back from Operation Iraqi Freedom and so we're very excited.
People keep asking us where they can join the caravan, or how to get more info about the upcoming pro-troop rally stops. All the details on the "Fight for Victory Tour" are available at the Move America Forward website: http://www.MoveAmericaForward.org
We'll put out a more comprehensive report on the progress of the cross-country, pro-troop caravan, but here's what we can update you on for right now...
*** FOX NEWS CHANNEL: We've now learned that Fox News Channel aired a report on our national caravan and pro-troop rallies! And after national radio exposure for the tour on Mark Levin's and Jim Bohannon's shows, we were pleased to receive an invitation today from G. Gordon Liddy's Show. We're working to get a live report from the caravan broadcast on his show. And yesterday we had C-SPAN calling to ask about the "Gathering of Eagles" rally on September 15th - and they told us they're discussing the option of broadcasting that pro-troop/pro-veteran rally live to the nation!
*** MEDIA GETTING EVEN STRONGER: At our last several stops we've always had 2 or more television cameras and usually radio and newspaper reporters there as well! Our military mothers have been doing interviews with BBC radio as they travel down the road. We pick up reporters from other European news services in Texas, who travel with us. These reporters say that European audiences find it fascinating to see such a vibrant pro-troop movement here in the United States as there is not too much in the way of pro-troop activities across the Atlantic.
*** NATIONAL REVIEW TO THE RESCUE: National Review joined in the multi-front effort to get the message out with this posting at their website: http://tank.nationalreview.com/post/?q=OWMwZGQ5ZGYzNjY2MjY4M GU2ZjgzODU2MTcwYWU0YjM=
*** AND THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER: Previously we passed along word that the Washington Times had a piece on the national "Fight for Victory Tour." Add to that the Washington Examiner now:
http://www.examiner.com/a-919204~Antrim__Move_America _Forward_rallies_troops.html
*** SUNDAY IN COLORADO: A pro-troop rally takes place at 7:00 AM in Boulder, Colorado (1048 Pearl Street) with the local patriots leaving after the rally ends in their own caravan to join the "Fight for Victory Tour." If you live in Colorado, you've got to do whatever you can to make it to the rally. Then jump in your own vehicle at the rally's end and caravan on over to Wichita, Kansas for a big pro-troop rally with the "main spoke" of the Move America Forward "Fight for Victory Tour" caravan. Meet our band of road travelers and speakers and help give us that positive boost to march onwards!
Complete Details Here: http://colorado.gatheringofeagles.org/?p=37
*** SUNDAY MORNING IN LOS ANGELES:
The 6th Annual - 'WE REMEMBER WALK'
Sunday September 9th - Sherman Oaks Galleria
Honoring Victims, Families & Survivors of the September 11th attacks
U.S. Military, Coalition Partners and All First Responders
and praying for all affected by terrorism, worldwide
10:00am: Assemble at Sherman Oaks Galleria (Sepulveda & Ventura, Sherman Oaks, CA)
11:00am: The short walk begins, accompanied by Fire Engines to the 9/11 Memorial located at Fire Station 88 (5101 Sepulveda Blvd)
11:30am: Program
The memorial fountain contains a 750 pound piece of the WTC steel beam and a 100 pound piece of the Pentagon. Fire Station 88 is home to California Task Force 1 Team who were the "FIRST" urban search and rescue team to be called to respond to the acts of terrorism on September 11, 2001.
The Memorial is available for any and all visitors day or night, who wish to come to pray, sit and hopefully find peace and NEVER FORGET.... For additional information: Laura Burkett - 818-995-1306 or Carrie Konjoyan 818-406-8013
*** Packages from Home Rallies Faithful in Arizona: The "Fight for Victory Tour" pulled into Phoenix, Arizona tonight to find a wonderfully enthusiastic crowd. Front and center was the great group from Packages from Home who we've been honored to work with many times prior - to help get the word out that we love and support our troops. Show your appreciation for our troops, and these patriots back home, at the Packages from Home website: http://www.packagesfromhome.org/
Tracked back by:
Victory Forces vs. Defeatists from Right Truth...
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