Barack has stated his support for LuoRaila Odinga (Opposition Leader inKenya who signed a 'Shariah pact' With Muslims and claims to be Obama's cousin) and is married to Ida Odinga. They have four children - two sons andtwo daughters. His oldest son, Fidel, isnamed after Fidel Castro.

Because Of These Brave Souls....

June 2008
VA National Cemeteries – History and Development

On July 17, 1862, in the second summer of a war that few had believed would last more than a few months, Congress enacted legislation authorizing the president to purchase “cemetery grounds … for soldiers who shall have died in the service of the country.” Fourteen national cemeteries were established that first year, including one in Sharpsburg, Md., where 4,476 Union soldiers were laid to rest after the one-day Battle of Antietam. (By comparison, approximately 3,000 American, British and Canadian fighters died on June 6, 1944, during the invasion of Normandy.)

By 1870, the remains of nearly 300,000 Union dead had been buried in 73 national cemeteries. Most of the cemeteries were located in the Southeast, near the battlefields and campgrounds of the Civil War. After the war, Army teams searched the countryside for the remains of soldiers who died in battle. They were buried in the new national cemeteries, which were enclosed by brick walls and entered through ornate gates. Tragically, the identities are unknown for nearly half the Union dead who are buried in national cemeteries.

What would become a national cemetery system operated by the Army evolved slowly after the Civil War. All honorably discharged Union veterans became eligible for burial in 1873. Cemeteries associated with military posts on the western frontier, such as Ft. McPherson, Neb., were added in the late 19th century.

In 1923, Congress established the American Battle Monuments Commission, an independent agency responsible for maintaining burial grounds in foreign countries for U.S. armed forces members who die overseas. The commission maintains 24 American military cemeteries as well as monuments and memorials.

In the 1930s, new national cemeteries were established to serve veterans living in metropolitan areas such as New York, Baltimore, Minneapolis, San Diego, San Francisco and San Antonio. Others associated with battlefields such as Gettysburg and Antietam were transferred from Army control to the National Park Service because of their historical significance.

In 1973, Congress authorized the transfer of 82 national cemeteries from the Department of the Army to the Veterans Administration, now the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Joining with 21 VA cemeteries located at hospitals and nursing homes, the National Cemetery System comprised 103 cemeteries after the transfer.

On Nov. 11, 1998, congressional legislation changed the name of the National Cemetery System (NCS) to the National Cemetery Administration (NCA).

Today, there are 141 national cemeteries. Through its National Cemetery Administration, VA operates 125 of them. Two national cemeteries – Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia and the Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. – are still administered by the Army. Fourteen national cemeteries continue to be maintained by the Department of the Interior’s National Park Service.

More than three million people, including veterans of every war and conflict – from the Revolutionary War to the war in Iraq and Afghanistan – are buried in VA’s national cemeteries, which have a total of more than 17,000 acres of land from Hawaii to Maine and from Alaska to Puerto Rico. More than 300 recipients of the Medal of Honor are buried in VA’s national cemeteries. More than 950 monuments and memorials recall the courage and sacrifice of Americans – from Revolutionary War hero Nathan Hale, at Calverton, N.Y., National Cemetery, to America’s prisoners of war memorialized at Riverside, Calif., National Cemetery.

In April 2007, VA opened its 125th cemetery – South Florida VA National Cemetery. Currently, 65 VA cemeteries in 34 states are able to provide both casket and cremation burials for America’s veterans and their families. An additional 21 provide burial for family members of those already buried and can also bury cremated remains. The remaining 39 provide burials only if a family member is already interred in the cemetery.

In 1999 and 2003, with the passage of two laws, Congress directed VA to establish 12 new national cemeteries. Six have been opened -- at Fort Sill, Okla.; Pittsburgh, Detroit, Atlanta; Sacramento and West Palm Beach, Fla. The rest – one in Alabama, one in California, two in Florida, one in Pennsylvania and one in South Carolina – will be located near large populations of veterans who do not have access currently to burial in a veterans cemetery.

In addition to providing a gravesite, VA opens and closes the grave, provides a headstone or marker, a Presidential Memorial Certificate and a U.S. Flag, and perpetually cares for the grave at no cost to the veteran’s family.

To complement national cemeteries and expand burial options for veterans, VA assists states in building or improving state veterans cemeteries through its State Cemetery Grants Program. VA will pay for construction costs in exchange for states providing the land and operating the cemeteries. VA has helped establish 69 veterans cemeteries in 37 states and U.S. territories, which provided more than 23,000 burials in fiscal year 2007. Since the program began in 1980, VA has awarded 163 grants totaling more than $315 million.

Today, more than 23 million veterans, and current and former Reservists and National Guard members with 20 years of service, have earned the right to burial in a national cemetery. Veterans with discharges “other than dishonorable,” their spouses and dependent children are eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery. Those who die on active duty may also be buried in a national cemetery.

For more information, contact the nearest national cemetery or a VA regional office at 1-800-827-1000. Information also is available on VA’s home page at http://www.cem.va.gov/.
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From The President Of The United States

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Congress will soon vote on legislation to fund our troops serving on the front lines of the war on terror. This is an opportunity for Congress to give our men and women in uniform the tools they need to protect us, and Congress should approve these vital funds immediately.
Congress has had this funding request for more than a year, and there is no reason for further delay. This money is urgently needed to support military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. I put forward some reasonable requirements this bill must meet. First, this bill must give our troops the resources they need to defeat the terrorists and extremists. Second, the bill must not tie the hands of our commanders. Third, the bill must not exceed the reasonable and responsible funding levels I have requested.
Congress has had 16 months to decide how they will meet these requirements, and now the time has come for them to support our troops in harm's way. If Congress does not act, critical accounts at the Department of Defense will soon run dry. At the beginning of next month, civilian employees may face temporary layoffs. The department will have to close down a vital program that is getting potential insurgents off the streets and into jobs. The Pentagon will run out of money it needs to support critical day-to-day operations that help keep our Nation safe. And after July, the department will no longer be able to pay our troops -- including those serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Our men and women in uniform and their families deserve better than this. Around the world, our troops are taking on dangerous missions with skill and determination. In Afghanistan, they are delivering blows to the Taliban and al Qaeda. In Iraq, they've helped bring violence down to its lowest point since late March of 2004. Civilian deaths are down. Sectarian killings are down. As security has improved, the economy has improved as well, and political reconciliation is taking place at the grassroots and national levels. The Iraqi security forces are becoming more capable, and as they do, our troops are beginning to come home under a policy of return on success.
Each day, the men and women of our Armed Forces risk their lives to make sure their fellow citizens are safer. They serve with courage and honor. They've earned the respect of all Americans. And they deserve the full support of Congress. I often hear members of Congress say they oppose the war, but still support the troops. Now they have a chance to prove it. Congress should pass a responsible funding bill that gives our men and women in uniform the resources they need -- and the support they have earned.

Hero: With 5,521 Hours, He’s a ‘Driven’ Volunteer for Veterans

HOUSTON - Roy Fikes begins his volunteer day with a 2:30 a.m. wake up.
He gets ready, completes his paperwork, picks up his riders, and is on his way to Houston. Fikes plays a key role in making sure fellow veterans receive health care.
He is a volunteer; driving veterans from Bay City, Tx. for their appointments at Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC).
At the MEDVAMC, Fikes waits patiently for all passengers to finish their appointments before loading up to head home. No one is ever left behind, even if their appointments run late. He drives 180 miles round trip, at least three days a week.
Over the last four years, Fikes has volunteered 5,521 hours for the MEDVAMC’s Veterans Transportation Network.
Described by fellow veterans as easy going and always with a smile on his face, Fikes, 68, says he simply likes to help people, and realizes that he himself may someday need help. At times he faces challenges, such as getting caught in Hurricane Rita evacuation traffic because a patient
needed dialysis, or having to stay late because a veteran needed an unscheduled procedure, or driving a patient on Christmas day for life-saving dialysis.
Sometimes, he does not get home to his wife of 50 years until late in the evening, but she understands her husband is on a mission. “It feels good to do what I do,” said Fikes. “I know people need my help and I’m glad to give it.”
Bryan Dyck, Voluntary Service Program manager at the DeBakey VA Medical Center, says Fikes is “one of those extraordinary volunteers, who’s willing to do whatever it takes. I wish
we had ten more just like him.” For these reasons and for his
dedication to fellow veterans, Fikes was chosen as the MEDVAMC Volunteer of
the Year for 2007. To learn more about becoming a MEDVAMC volunteer, contact
Voluntary Services at (713) 794-7135 or vhahouvolunteer@va.gov. 􀂍

Hero: Corporal Moses Cardenas

On one hot August morning near Rawah, Iraq, Lance Corporal Moses Cardenas of the Marines 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion found his platoon barraged by an insurgent suicide bomb, numerous rocket-propelled grenades, and heavy machine gun fire. In the chaotic moments that followed, Cardenas would have to decide between attempting the rescue of his wounded sergeant or remain in his covered position until reinforcements arrived. The choice was simple.
Cardenas thought, "He was my sergeant; I had to do something," and with that he courageously charged 50 meters through the kill-zone to his wounded comrade. Running the gauntlet through enemy fire, he was shot in the neck by the spray of weapons’ fire. Undeterred, he arrived at Sgt. Randy Roedema’s exposed position and performed first-aid to stop the flow of blood from Roedema’s severe wounds.
With both Marines wounded and under the sights of numerous insurgents, Cardenas knew if he was to save his friend he must evacuate both of them to safety. With his M249 Squad Automatic Weapon charged and a grip on his injured sergeant, Cardenas rotated between firing his machine gun and pulling Roedema across the battlefield. Reaching the relative safety of his platoon’s convoy, Cardenas continued laying down suppressive fire until the situation came under control and medics could tend to the wounded Marines.
Cardenas was awarded the Silver Star, the third highest military award. Roedema would later reflect "I owe him my life." Four days after Cardenas saved his life, Roedema’s wife gave birth to their first child – a child that will have a father because of the selfless act preformed by Cardenas on that summer morning in Iraq.

Wounded Warrior & Hero: James Stuck

James Stuck


After two years at Fort Campbell, Ky, James was deployed to Iraq in October 2005. His unit was doing operations and convoys in and around Kirkuk, and basically saw no action before Dec. 20, 2005, the day they were assigned to escort a team of Army engineers who were going out to do road repair.
“You wouldn’t believe the holes in the roads due to bomb damage,” said Jim. “You could drop a VW beetle in them upside down, they were that big.”
James was driving an up-armored Humvee that hit an improved explosive device (IED). There was an explosion, and the next thing he remembers is waking up at the Army’s Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. James had been in-country two months and 23 days when he was injured.
He suffered amputation of his right foot, as well as injuries to his left foot and elbow.
As of this interview (12/8/06), James was slated to be medically discharged from the Army on December 20, 2006, exactly one year following his injury. On that day, he planned to be with the people he loved and “celebrate being alive.”
Recuperation: James had four surgeries in all. “In the beginning, rehab is really hard,” he said, “But if you beat the mental game, you’ve got it. You need to think of what you can do, not about what you lost.”

Sergeant Cameron Davis

While stationed in Iraq as a combat engineer, Sgt. Davis operated the Buffalo Armored Vehicle. Sgt. Cameron Davis was tasked with the dangerous and difficult duty of clearing improvised explosive devises – the number one killer on the battlefield-- for his following comrades on ground military missions. As a Buffalo arm operator, Davis noticed that most IED’s were buried and the Buffalo were inefficient in retrieving them.
Sgt. Davis used his engineering and operating background to design and build a new piece of equipment called the "claw" to dig out buried IED’s. The "claw" attached to the Buffalo arm allowed the soldiers to pick up objects and IED’s just like a hand would. The claw was more efficient, weighed less, moved faster, could pick up heavier objects and allowed the combat engineers to spend less time on target in the kill zone, saving the lives of the Buffalo operators as well as soldiers on follow-on ground missions.
Davis modestly shares credit with his entire unit saying, "Every one of the soldiers in my unit including the command was extremely supportive while I was building the claw and gave me all the tools and resources I needed. A fellow soldier named Sgt. Morgan helped me assemble the claw."
Sgt. Davis’ invention was recommended to a four-star general of supply. Davis created a manual on how to build the claw so other route clearance teams could construct them and assist the manufacture of the Buffalo to possibly integrate the "claw" into its design. Sgt. Davis used brains and brawn inventing the "claw" and should be honored for the impact he made on the safety of soldiers in Iraq.

Wounded Warrior & Hero: Eric Browy

Eric Browy

Eric’s first tour of duty in Iraq lasted from March 2003 to March 2004. Eric’s unit was part of an operation that took the town of Taj and held it during this period. The unit did many missions and patrols, provided security for rocket systems, and set up and manned operations posts (OPs). Engaging in any number of firefights with insurgents and foreign fighters, Eric’s unit sustained nine killed in action, as well as four wounded. Three Bradleys assigned to his unit hit improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
During his second tour of duty in Iraq, which began in December 2005, Eric served as a scout in the southern part of Baghdad, doing patrols, OPs, and other scouting tasks. In March 2006, Eric was setting up observation posts. He was walking atop a wall 25 feet above the ground, carrying 80 pounds of gear while, at the same time, keeping track of a suspicious guy on the ground through his night vision goggles. He missed a step, falling from the wall and severely damaging both feet.
A helicopter took him to an Army hospital in Baghdad. From there he was flown to the Army’s Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, where he stabilized for a week. He then went to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where his right leg was amputated below the knee. Because his left foot was so severely damaged, amputation of great toe and ball of that foot was also required.
Eric had ten surgeries in all.
Eric received medical retirement from the Army on December 28, 2006.
Recuperation: “Walter Reed’s rehabilitation system rocks,” Eric said enthusiastically. "I was walking without limping within two months. It was painful. It was work. But the system is great.”
Involvement with Wounded Warrior Project: “WWP was awesome because, when I got back I didn’t even have underwear. So when WWP came by with a backpack, it contained something I definitely needed, and a whole lot more. And when I was in a wheelchair, I used that backpack as a wheelchair backpack.”
“WWP makes sure everything’s okay.”
Employment Narrative: Eric plans to do volunteer work until he begins college in the fall. He will study engineering.
Feelings about Military Service: “Loved it.”
Feelings about Helping Other Vets thru WWP: “Now that I’m further along in recovery, the WWP rep tells me about other veterans who need help, and I go talk to them: what happened to me and how I recovered. There are a lot of people like me, who are facing recovery, and they need to talk to somebody who’s been down that road. I know I would not have had as much confidence as I made my own decision about amputation if I hadn’t talked to other amputees. So I know how important it is now for me to talk with others who are facing that decision.”

Dude! Where's My Recession? Part #264

Wall Street rises on stronger economic data

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks edged higher on Wednesday after data showed unexpected expansion in the sprawling U.S. services sector and a surprise increase in job growth

Massive Turnout For Cindy Sheehan Bid For Congress

Hero: Captain Daniel Burkhart

More than a quarter century of war and discontent has left Afghanistan’s once well-established villages and cities derelict, dilapidated and in need of brave humanitarians. Army Captain Daniel Burkhart, on his second tour supporting the war on terror, went above and beyond his role in the Combined Security Transition Command and gave his free time to the Voluntary Community Relations Project (VCR) with an open heart and helping hand.

Burkhart always believed it was a privilege to serve as a conduit through which the goodwill and generosity of the American people was able to flow to Afghanistan, improving the lives of these war-ravaged citizens. Started by an Army Chaplain, the VCR project distributes clothes and other goods to displaced refugees in and around Kabul – all donated by the American people.

Burkhart considered the time away from his loving wife and infant to be daunting. Seeing the face of his young daughter in that of every needy Afghani youngster, he knew he could not ignore them. As a part of VCR, he has helped facilitate the delivery and distribution of thousands of items to this war-torn country. These tokens of support by the American public are one of the many ways Burkhart and his fellow soldiers help the Afghan people resist the pressures of the poppy industry, or worse, acquiesce to the Taliban’s insurgency.

When asked about his experience in Afghanistan, he does not tell tales of the fanatical Taliban fighters or the despicable acts of al Qaeda terrorists, but instead the hospitality and work ethic of the local populous. He reflects on the many cups of chai he has shared with refugees and villagers alike, and the many games of soccer he has played with energetic children.

While Burkhart will always remember the brown sand and desolate landscapes of Afghanistan, it is the appreciative children and the hundreds, perhaps thousands of lives he has touched with the VCR project that will always have the most prominent place in his memory.

For his year-long service in Afghanistan, Burkhart received the Bronze Star, the NATO Medal, the Afghan Campaign Medal and the Outstanding Service Medal.

Hero: Chris Ayers

Chris Ayers

A native of Houston, Texas, Chris Ayers joined the Marines in 1995 to find positive direction in his life in a structured environment. Chris loved the work and flourished in the service, becoming a machine gunner. He briefly left the service after the birth of his first child, but re-enlisted in 1999.

In March of 2003, Chris' unit, First Battalion, Fifth Marines, deployed to the Al Anbar Province in Iraq. Two weeks after Chris arrived in Iraq, four Blackwater military contractors were killed in Fallujah, launching Operation Resolve, also known as the First Battle of Fallujah.

During the battle, Chris led a group of Marines to clear an area where supply vehicles had been attacked. Before they could reach the area, they were ambushed. Chris and his fellow Marines ran a gauntlet of fire from rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and small-arms fire. One of the RPGs killed the group's gunner. Another ripped through Chris, blowing off all of the soft tissue on the back of his leg. After the blast, Chris passed in and out of consciousness. He prayed to make it home to see his wife and daughter one more time.

Chris' companions pulled him to a nearby house, where a corpsman applied a tourniquet and radioed for help. The house was surrounded by enemies, and it took nearly an hour and a half for a rescue party to fight their way in. Chris was air lifted out, and he woke up in Landstuhl, Germany before being transferred to Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in Texas, where he stayed for two and a half months.

Luckily, the blast didn't break Chris' femur or sever the femoral artery, and he was able to keep his leg. The injury did damage Chris' sciatic nerve, leaving him with numbness in his leg and a perpetual feeling that his leg is asleep. It was nearly two months before Chris was able to get out of bed, and he had to learn to walk without his hamstring muscle. It took more than six months before Chris was able to walk on his own.

Chris considers himself lucky not only to have his leg, but also to return to his family. He is deeply thankful for the skill of his fellow Marines, whom he credits for saving his life. "For them to do the things they did during that difficult situation was totally phenomenal," Chris explains.
Chris recently joined team WWP to head up the Project's post-traumatic stress initiatives. He first heard about WWP when he received a signature WWP backpack at BAMC. Since his injury, he's been amazed by the increase in programs available to the wounded, and has stepped forward to do what he can to help. "I've met some incredible individuals who want to help veterans and some amazing veterans themselves." Chris' wife Renee has been involved too, talking with spouses of wounded warriors and connecting them with resources and support.

Chris sums it up with, "I'm passionate about what I'm doing, and I just think it's the right thing to do. I really like the Wounded Warrior Project because they're active with veterans and keep them involved. They think outside the box. It's just a phenomenal organization."

Dude! Where's My Recession? Factory Orders Up!

WASHINGTON — Orders for manufactured goods posted a surprisingly strong increase in April as demand rose across a number of industries.
The Commerce Department reported today that orders were up 1.1 percent in April following a 1.5 percent increase in March. Orders had fallen in January and March as a spreading slowdown in the overall economy depressed activity in manufacturing.
The April increase came as a surprise. Analysts had been forecasting a small decline.

Star Parker: America's Generosity is Unmatched

Americans are hearing so much these days about how bad we are that we're starting to believe it.

In a recent Gallup poll, 68 percent said they are "dissatisfied with the position of the United States in the world today," and 55 percent said they think that the rest of the world views us unfavorably.

However, as I page through a publication called the Index of Global Philanthropy, which is produced annually by the Center for Global Prosperity at the Hudson Institute in Washington, it becomes obvious that these American feelings of self-deprecation are misguided.

This is the just released third annual edition of this index. It produces a unique snapshot portraying the full extent of American generosity to developing countries, by amount and by source.

Usually when the question of aid to the developing world arises, we think of government funds. But this index shows that, whereas it may be the rule in the rest of the industrialized world that most aid is government aid, in our country this isn't the case. Most of the contributions that Americans make abroad are private and voluntary. And they are large.

In 2006, the latest year for which data is available, the index reports that Americans contributed privately and voluntarily $34.8 billion to individuals and organizations in developing countries.

Philanthropy is distinct from government aid in that it originates with private citizens and is voluntary, but also the recipients are private individuals and organizations, as opposed to governments. Private to private versus government to government.

The $34.8 billion in philanthropy from private Americans exceeded the $23.5 billion in official U.S. government aid abroad by $11.3 billion, or 48 percent.

This private philanthropy is flowing from foundations, corporations, private and voluntary organizations, universities and colleges, and religious organizations.

Of particular interest in this year's index is the $8.8 billion reported from religious organizations. According to Carol Adelman, who directs this work, the data was produced by commissioning "the first national survey of congregational giving to the developing world" ever done.

The average contribution of congregations was $10,700.

To put this in some kind of perspective, the $8.8 billion in giving from American religious institutions to developing countries was $1.5 billion more than the total giving from all private sources in 30 of the world's major industrialized democratic countries combined.

When consolidating all assistance funds flowing from the United States to developing countries, the total is $129.8 billion. This is the total of government aid, philanthropy, and remittances -- funds sent directly by private individuals to other private parties in developing countries, often family members. A far second in total giving behind the United States is the United Kingdom at $20.7 billion.

There are a couple of important messages here.

First, of course, is the incredible compassion and generosity of Americans. American largesse does not need to be pried or forced by the government. It flows organically from free, civic minded and often religiously motivated citizens. And it comes from citizens of every income strata. The religious giving data shows that whereas the average congregation gives $10,700, the median number is $2,500, indicating that there are many smaller, less wealthy congregations engaged.

The other headline is the central importance of the private sector in both generating prosperity, but also in sharing it.

Bookshelves now strain with studies showing the failures of government-to-government aid.
It is individuals who create wealth. Compassion and personal responsibility reside in the breasts of those same individuals. Neither can be said of government bureaucracies.

Barack Obama spoke at the commencement ceremony at Wesleyan University the other day. He talked about national service and, recalling John F. Kennedy, committed to doubling the size of the Peace Corps if elected president.

From what I see and what the data shows, Americans don't need government to make them care, contribute, and volunteer. If anything, they need less government so they'll retain and keep control of more of what they produce and subsequently share with those in need.

Other countries may have their own motivations for what causes them to view Americans the way they do. But the data is clear. Americans are unmatched in creating prosperity and sharing it.

It's time to pay closer attention to what Americans do rather than what others say.

Michael Yon Has An Open Offer to U.S. Senators

One of the biggest problems with the Iraq War is that politics has frequently triumphed over truth. For instance, we went into Iraq with shoddy intelligence (at best), no reconstruction plan, and perhaps half as many troops as were required. We refused to admit that an insurgency was growing, until the country collapsed into anarchy and civil war. Now the truth is that Iraq is showing real progress on many fronts: Al Qaeda is being defeated and violence is down and continuing to decrease. As a result, the militias have lost their reason for existence and are getting beaten back or co-opted. Shia, Sunni and Kurds are coming together -- although with various stresses -- under the national government. If progress continues at this rate, it is very possible that before 2008 is out, we can finally say "the war has ended." Yes, likely there still will be some American casualties, but if the violence continues to drop and the Iraqi government consolidates its gains, we will be able, in good conscience, to begin bringing more of our people home. I will be paying very close attention to the words of Lieutenant General Raymond Odierno, who is replacing General Petraeus as the overall commander in Iraq.
Whatever we do in Iraq from here forward, we must strive to make better decisions than those made between 2003 and 2006. And one way to achieve that is by making certain that our civilian leaders are fully informed. All three candidates for President are extremely intelligent, but that doesn't mean that all three are tracking the truth on the ground in Iraq. Anyone who wants to be President of the United States needs to see Iraq without the distorting lenses of the media or partisan politics. I would be honored to visit Iraq with Senator Obama, Senator Clinton, Senator McCain or any of their Senate colleagues.