We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2007 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html Sun, 03 Aug 2008 16:01:03 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2008 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification [Kat - this is a personal letter to our soldiers, veterans and, to some extent, their families on the anniversary of the beginning of the Battle for Iraq and nearly seven years after the invasion of Afghanistan] Dear Soldier and Veteran, Before I begin, I wanted to take this moment to thank you for your service on my behalf. I realize that these brief words cannot do justice to, nor express my feelings about, that service, your time a way from your family, the risks that you have taken, the exhaustion you experienced, the wounds you have suffered, the friends... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html Wed, 19 Mar 2008 02:39:57 -0600 Kat, I saw your reply and called him immediately! He has had a very "colorful past", from deep in the bowels of the unknown history of this Great Nation's Military. I went over, one of his sons answered the door. He simply said, "He's sitting in there, you better go in." I walked in and he's fussing with his compute, like none of us have been there. He turned to me, he had this really neat gleam in his eyes. He said, "Grumpy, THAT LADY GET'S IT!" He also said, "Grumpy, tell BillT, I agree, she is most definitely a keeper!" I must agree, she is a real piece of quality work, She is a keeper! Grumpy http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70965 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70965 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:29:24 -0600 Grumpy, No man can be a failure who raised such sons. Sly...tell him its a job well done. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70933 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70933 Wed, 19 Mar 2008 23:00:04 -0600 HERE. Durned trackback pinger doesn't like me. :(]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70931 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70931 Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:15:42 -0600 Heh. But we were/are just doing our job... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70930 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70930 Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:00:31 -0600 Thank you...Thank YOU! I - also - AM the one..And I never, EVER forget it. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70929 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70929 Wed, 19 Mar 2008 19:55:26 -0600 allergic (runny nose, weepy eyes....yeah, let's go with that.) Marine wife, this is an excellent letter. I will share this with MH this evening. I know he will appreciate your words, but then he'll say,"I'm just doing my job." heh Men. 0>;~}]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70928 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70928 Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:03:23 -0600 Kat, I took the liberty, of printing this post, and taking it to another Disabled Vet. He has 2 sons, one is an NCO w/SF, the other is getting an advanced engineering degree with plans to go into the Military. The father's brother, an uncle has made some kind of arrangement to pay off the student loan providing he went into the military for at least 2 tours. This was already in the young man's plans before the offer by the uncle. As, the uncle would put it, "This is my way to sacrifice to this GREAT Country!" The "mind blowing irony" is this, the father feels like he is a failure! This letter helped him to start putting things away. I took the letter and hand printed the website address. I took a ruler and drew a line from Kat's name to an open space on the page. I wrote, "This is the writer, I do NOT have the brain to write this well." I then signed it, in agreement. I wish you could have seen his eyes light up. This was a really GREAT thing to see in a friend, since we were kids over 50 years ago. Thank you, Grumpy http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70927 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70927 Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:34:32 -0600 You cut out 5 paragraphs?? Dude... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70916 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70916 Wed, 19 Mar 2008 11:21:13 -0600 Thus proving my point. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70914 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70914 Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:30:12 -0600 Dude...I cut out five paragraphs. ;) http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70913 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70913 Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:19:33 -0600 Good 'un, kid. Even if you are congenitally unable to be... *brief*. 8^ ) http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70912 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70912 Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:11:50 -0600 HOOAH! I am the one too... and a damn proud one. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70910 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70910 Wed, 19 Mar 2008 08:43:07 -0600 A definite keeper, and if I ever grow up, I want to be just like her. Thanks for the letter, Kat - and the inspiration. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70909 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70909 Wed, 19 Mar 2008 08:35:33 -0600 hey kat, what a coinky-dink! YOU just happen to be the one i've been doing this for, for the last {mumble-mumble number} of years. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70908 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70908 Wed, 19 Mar 2008 08:02:38 -0600 kat, Thank you for so eloquently putting into words my own thoughts. More importantly, thank YOU, veterans. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70907 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70907 Wed, 19 Mar 2008 07:40:46 -0600 You're a keeper, Lady kat-from-missouri... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70905 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/03/dear_soldier_i.html#comment-70905 Wed, 19 Mar 2008 06:55:37 -0600