End of Year Trustee’s Report – The Association ended 2006 on
a very positive not with the election of new Board Members and the induction of
a new Honorary Colonel of the Regiment. For those who might not yet have heard,
Phil Greenwell, C/1/6 is our new Association President, and Mick Daley A/2/16
and John Copeland, CW are the two new Vice Presidents. Retired Col. Skip Baker
is our new HCOR and Commanded the 5th Battalion is Desert Storm.
We can expect some new ideas to help grow our Association and lead us into the
future. What they need most is our support of the on going program like the
Soldier’s Christmas Fund, support for soldiers and their families in Iraq and
other program through your donations. I remind the DMORs that it’s time for them
to send in their DMOR Contributions to Skip.
Now that I am less involved in the day to day business of the Association I am
off on another new mission. You can read about that in the next Paragraph.
Although it is not part of the Association it shares in one of the Associations
goals; to help service members and their families, as well as fallen police
officers and their families. I am hoping that I can get the core of our
Membership for the new Group from riding members of the Association.
We have two companies from 1/16 in Iraq on Convoy Security duty and one company
from 1/16 located in the Horn of Africa. In all likelihood 2/16 will be deployed
sometime after the first of the year. So let’s not forget them in our prayers
and help support them by send your Soldier Support Fund checks to Ken Alderson
our Treasurer.
I hope everyone has a great new year. Let’s make this a big year for the
Association by all recruiting a former member to join the Association.
Band of Brothers Riders – We are forging ahead with our Riders Association. At
this point we have about fifteen members who are interested. We are hoping that
we reach our goal of thirty-five by the time Rolling Thunder come around next
May. If you are interested in join this new group of riding veterans email Jerry
Griffin at gkgpag@msn.com for more information. We would also appreciate it if
you would pass the word to other riders who have served in the military at
anytime and in any branch. Although thus far the members are predominately 16th
Infantry we really would like to have members of other units and branch. For the
past two years I have be riding to raise money for a Police Charity and believe
me when I tell you it is great to be helping in some small way. I also ride to
Walter Reed and visit service men and women from all branches of service. They
really appreciate having a fellow veterans stop by to visit with them.
Additionally, riding across country to get to see just how beautiful this great
country of ours is and see what we have to be thankful for instead of reading
and seeing on our TVs so much negativity. By the way, in March Steve and I will
be heading to Key West for about 10 days. Once we hit Florida we will be camping
out in State Parks in the Keys where you can get up in the morning and have a
nice swim before breakfast. What to join us, email me?
Seen at a recent West Point Football Game
Senator Kerry has given all Americans regardless of party
affiliation another reason not to support him in any election, especially a
President Election. He knew what he was saying when he made his remarks about
serving in Iraq, and the only joke is John Kerry.
Speak Out – I am sure there are those that we read this and be out raged. My
advice is, be outraged, because I am, with both political parties, who have more
loyalty to their political party than they do to the country they serve. Voters
do the same.
Why is it that Americans seem to be more concerned about the welfare of their
political Party than about the welfare of this great nation of ours? It seems in
today’s America, voters show more loyalty to their Political Party than to their
country. We have become a nation more focused on personal wealth and success
than we about the security of our nation. ‘Political Correctness’ is American’s
prime concern, not the fact that we are losing our identity as Americans. In
today’s America those that come here because it is America, now tell us what we
must do because they have different beliefs than us. We must change to
accommodate them. You can be assured that if you more to their country this
nonsense wouldn’t be tolerated for one-minute. Only in America is this sort of
madness tolerated. Enough already!
Far too many Americans remain silent while members of both parties talk about
‘Cutting and Running’. No one, especially those serving in harms way enjoys war,
but we can fight in the Middle East, or at some point we can fight here in
America. What I don’t understand about either those that talk about withdrawing
from Iraq, or those against the war is how we should stop Islamic Fundamentalist
from killing us. Having lived in the Middle East for a little over five-years I
can tell you that nothing short of forces will stop them, yet many Americans
lack the staying power and courage it takes to really win the war on tear. I
hear so many Americans talking about needing to continue and win the fight in
Iraq, but they never write letters to their elected representatives in the House
or Senate. Who does, those that oppose the war and want our troops out of Iraq
at all cost. They will be the same Americans when the next terrorist attack
occurs, and I do mean when not if, the next terrorist attack occurs will protest
the loudest saying we should have done more. The debate about whether we should
have gone to Iraq in the first place is a different issue, and we need to stay
focused on what to do now to win this war on terror in Iraq and around the
world, or sure as the sun rises and sets, we will fight them again here in
America. .
Make a New Year’s Resolution and keep it, I am going to become more vocal and
let those that I elected know where I stand on major issues that impact on us,
our children and our grandchildren.
One Nation under God with Liberty and Justice for All - The flag of our Country
is the American Flag, our language is English, and we were founded as a
Christian Nation. Since the founding of American men and women have died in
defense of our Flag and so other could live as free people. Now people come from
other countries to live free here and want to change American because it’s
different from whence they came. I can assure all those that believe we should
stop saying Merry Christ, In God We Trust, and all the other silly ideas that,
if you go to where these people have come, you wouldn’t find any such stupid
changes being made by their home country. What you’ll find is jail or
deportation. Your children, grandchildren and their children will grow-up in a
much different and less tolerant nation, thanks to you.
Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.
"In the first place, we should
insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American
and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with
everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because
of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's
becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be
no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something
else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American
flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English
language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to
the
American people."
Theodore Roosevelt 1907