Knottie's Niche» Military children

Veteran’s Day.. A Civics Lesson

Knottie — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 02:33:27 +0000

In the United States we have 3 National holidays that celebrate our military. Unfortunately it seems most people either don’t know anything about them or they get them all mixed up and push them together. Ok so here is a civics lesson

Memorial Day is the last Monday in May every year. This is the day we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice and gave their life for this nation in the face of an enemy. This is a day of mourning and remembrance. For far too many it’s the welcoming of summer, a long weekend and a chance to drink beer and bbq. But for many they do take a moment to remember and recognize the Fallen.

Armed Forces day is the 2^nd Saturday of May. This is the day we THANK those currently serving. It’s a chance to shake the hand of a man or woman in uniform and thank them for the job they doing.

Veterans Day is Nov 11^th every year. It’s a day to thank those who served and came home. It a day to embrace them and say we are glad you came home and job well done. As the mother of a fallen soldier I want this one day to be happy and celebrate my son’s brother who came home. To be happy that these men are here and to thank them and all those who have served and came home. This is not a sad day.. it’s a day of gratitude and celebration.

What people do not seem to understand, when they center us Gold Star Families out on Veterans day, is that they are taking a moment from those who served and came home and from us. A Moment that we want to celebrate others not mourn our own. Yes, we want our sons and daughters remembered but for this one day we want our Veterans celebrated and we want to sit quietly in the back ground and just take in the celebration of gratitude towards these men and women who wore the uniform, protected this nation and came home to carry on. Leave the mourning of our sons and daughters who are Fallen for Memorial day and the rest of the year.. but for today ..Veterans Day… honor them by focusing your full attention and gratitude to their brothers and sisters in arms who came home.

Thank you Veterans.. I am glad you are home..

Grandbabies…

Knottie — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 02:36:06 +0000

For the past few days I have been crocheting a baby blanket for a friend of my son David’s soon to be here son. I love making baby blankets and such. But today for some reason working on it has opened the anger and hurt. I wonder what Micheal’s children would have looked like. What they would have smelled like. I want to hear their cries and laughter. I want to hold them and love them.

Two years after his death, it is a new thought to me that I not only lost my son but my grandchildren from him. I suppose because so many of his friends are getting married and starting families is why I am thinking of it now. I’m jealous of other Gold Star moms who have grandchildren to stay connected to their sons and daughters through their grandchildren. But at the same time I am so happy for them that they have that connection. It feels like all I have is memories and things. Oh I have his brothers and sister and his dad. I have his friends who still come around but it’s not a part of him…. And I do see them all as the blessings they are.

I was talking to my sister earlier about coming to terms with things in life. I to explained her we don’t have to like certain things or even accept them but we do have to come to terms with them. Not ever being able to see Micheal get married and not being able to hold his children is something I have to come to terms with. And part of that process is going to be sadness and anger. I am learning how this works far too well. It’s funny right after Micheal was killed I craved holding babies, it was healing to look upon new life. I still do. But there will forever be a part of me that grieves not only for my son but for his unborn children.

Westboro Baptist.. You Know the Ones Who Picket Military Funerals

Knottie — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 23:23:30 +0000

Ok I have despised Westboro Baptist Church for years. anyone who can find glee in the death of a soldier or Marine is just sick in my humble opinion. They have the right to protest and to their opinions but there is a time and a place for everything and funerals are not it. For many years I stated that giving these jerks no coverage is the quickest way to shut them up since to me they are little more than attention whores. But there is a young man by the name of Jason Connell who has come up with a very positive way of striking back at these scums. Please watch this video and then if the Westboro jerks show up near you Implement his plan. If by chance they show up at a funeral then please be respectful of the family but find a way to do as Jason suggest.

Dear Pres. Bush….

Knottie — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 03:13:36 +0000

I was not going to post this but decided maybe I should. It is a letter to Former Pres. George W Bush.

Dear Pres. Bush,

I’ve put off writing this letter for two years but two events this week have made me see that I truly need share my words. One was walking into the middle of an anti-war protest; the other was receiving a beautiful gift that honored my Fallen son.

Thank you. Thank you for being a strong Commander and Chief of this nation. My son, Spc Micheal Phillips served under you and respected you a great deal. On 24 Feb 08 he was killed in the line of duty in Iraq. I will not go into the details as they are not necessary nor what I want to share with you. You see I choose to celebrate my son’s life and the man he was and the gifts (his brothers in arms being the most precious of those gifts) he left behind for me. I honor him not by mourning but by taking care of his brothers in arms still serving, their families and those who come home, especially our wounded. I have seen you do just that and when I hear the stories of your visits to our wounded and their families I feel you are honoring my son too. Again Thank You.

At 17 years of age my son knew why we had gone to fight this war on terror. He loved studying history and was well educated in it. He saw through his studies how the attacks of terror had grown more and more bold over many year while far too many appeased or ignored them. He saw the abuse of the people of Iraq and was infuriated by it. You see my son hated bullies more than anything and he saw the terrorist as the ultimate bullies.

Earlier this week when I walked into the middle of a war protest, I was not prepared to face, I realized how much you have faced over the years. It strikes me that as emotional as seeing it was for me you too had to have had a similar reaction to the hateful angry words spewed unfairly at you. In that moment I realized I needed to thank you and assure you that as a military parent I understand why you made the choices you did as President and I still support those choices.

Someday I would like to shake your hand and thank you personally. I would also like to share with you a little about my son and who he was. I would like to tell you about his brothers in arms and how 2 years after my son’s death they still call Momma Ang and share their love and lives with me. I lost one son and gained a company of sons to help fill the hole in my life. As much as I miss my son and hurt for him I am that proud of him and the job he did. And I am proud to say he served under a Commander and Chief who was as strong as he was and who understood the American values and the Humanity of having to take on this fight.

This was not your war. This was not America’s war.. this was and is Humanity’s war. Hopefully more people will understand that soon. I fear for us all if they do not.

Respectfully,

Angelia Phillips
Gold Star Mom of
SPC Micheal “Pokey” Phillips
KIA 24 Feb. 2008
Shulla, Iraq
http://knottiesniche.com/

Anti-war Protests…Next Time Just Slap me

Knottie — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:32:20 +0000

It’s one thing to hear about or even see pictures and video of something, it’s something completely different to actually experience it. I have read about anti war protest.. I’ve seen the videos and pictures. .. and yes they were upsetting. I have listened to others talk about their experiences at antiwar protest and thought I understood how bad they were… but it was not until this past Saturday that I truly understood how devastating they are to the families of the Fallen.

Saturday was our 6^th day of vacation in California. ( great vacation by the way) and we decided to go to Santa Monica Pier. We started with the promenade and did a little shopping. We enjoyed the street performers and was having a really nice time.. till we hit the pier. Not sure why but I knew something was up. I felt it. I looked down on to the beach when we hit the pier and there it was.. the anti war protest.. hundreds of crosses.. the flag draped coffins. I knew somewhere down there in the mist of it my son’s name was on one of the crosses. I felt as if someone had slapped me and punched me in the gut. My first instinct was to go down onto the beach and confront those putting this display on. I thought better of it. I knew if I did in the emotional state I was in I would end up in jail and those asshats were not worth it.

I wanted to go and ask those holding this event if they could name just one name on the crosses they displayed. I wanted to know if they cared so much for the Fallen if they ever considered the affect on the families of those who they claimed to care so much about. I wanted to ask if a single penny they raised went to take care of my son’s brothers or their families.

I knew my son better than anyone and I know he would have been mortified to have his name used in such an manner. I was physically affected seeing this anti war protest. It is an experience I never want to go through again but I know I will. And I know that in the future I need to be prepared to deal with it in a less emotional manner.

Fact is these anti war protesters who say they care so much about the troops don’t give a shit about them. If they did they would take in consideration the people those who serve loved and who love them. All I can say to them is next time you want to hurt the families of the fallen just slap us.. it hurts less.

Everything Happens For A Reason

Knottie — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:39:52 +0000

There are things that happen that I know is Micheal just messing with me and then there are things that happen and I know there is a reason. And then sometimes the most unexpected things happen and I have to wonder how much of a hand Micheal has had in these events. And yet I know he did….

At the end of January I saw some post on facebook regarding the death of Devin Rowe. He had been killed in a hunting accident. It seemed cruel to me that he had survived 2 tours in Iraq only to die here doing something I somehow knew he loved.

Devin had served with Micheal in Iraq. He was one of the members of the company I had not met. But I saw the pain my other solider sons had at the news of his death. I reached out to them and we all tried to find a means to contact his family. I learned from them what an good man Devin was. He was highly regarded and respected.

Today in the mail my father in law received a package and in it was a letter from Devin’s father and a memorial bracelet bearing my son’s name. Devin had worn the bracelet until his discharge from the Army. I understand why he stopped wearing it. At some point these men need to move on and put away the reminders of their lives in war and the sadness some of it holds. The bracelet now sits on Micheal’s memory table. When I look at it I will not only remember my son but Devin also.

I somehow feel that Micheal put this in my hands for a reason. Not completely sure what it is yet but I know when things like this happen there is a reason. I have something to learn or give.. or both.

Tomorrow I will call Devin’s father. I will offer comfort and friendship If I said I wasn’t scared I would be lying. But somehow I know I have to do this.

I can almost picture Micheal and Devin sitting in heaven sitting at a camp fire plotting…

A Christmas Poem

Knottie — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:13:35 +0000

Christmas Wishes Do Come True

Knottie — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 02:55:16 +0000

Get your tissues! Santa makes this 3 yr old’s Christmas wish come true by delivering Sgt. Daddy.