Knottie's Niche» USMC

This Gold Star Means Something

Knottie — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 04:36:15 +0000

“As a child I always worked hard for a Gold Star..Now I have one and I don’t want it”

Next month on Feb 24^th I will be marking the third year of my family being Gold Stars. We never wanted to be Gold Stars… no one wants to be. In the past years I faced far too often people who have no idea what this Gold Star means. Early on I had a mother on an Army mom support group demand to know why I thought I was so special as to give myself a gold star and demand to know how she too could get one. I stepped away from my computer in tears after reading that email praying this woman never got one. She was very contrite upon being educated. I have had people ask me if my Gold Star service flag in my window was a “Jewish” thing. My husband has been teased by co-workers about how he must be so special to receive a Gold Star parent license plate.

These are just a few of my stories. I have heard similar stories from other Gold star families. So it now my mission to educate the American public…

Since WW1 when our nation has been at war, service flags have been flown in the windows of military families. These flags are a message to the community… it is bordered in Red and the center is a field of white…in the field of white is a Star for each member of the family serving. A Blue Star represents someone serving. A Silver Star means that someone in that family has been wounded in combat. A Gold Star is representative of a Fallen family member.

Imagine a family, who has buried someone they love very much who fought and died for this nation, having to explain repeatedly what the Gold Star they display or wear means. Imagine the pain they feel when people make truly innocent comments that in reality make us feel they do not care that there are men and women fighting and dying for this nation… for them! It’s not anger that makes me write this but pain. You see my son died for something he believed completely in, this Nation, and there are people who are so unaware that lives have been given they don’t even know what a 100 year old symbol born in this nation means. It’s not just the Gold Star we need to educate people on but the real sacrifice and great love of nation that bore that star.

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..

Iranian Bounties On US Troops Shouldn’t be a Shock

Knottie — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 02:46:37 +0000

The headline this morning was Iran pays Taliban fighters in Afghanistan $1000 per head to kill U.S. soldier My first reaction was “No kidding” but as the day goes on and I see more and more people posting this headline and reacting in shock I became more and more annoyed. I want to know where these people have been for the past 7 years while Iran was funding, training, proving fighters and weapons to kill our troops in Iraq. It gets better though.. Iran bankrolls Hezbollah and Hamas too. Shocked? I’m not.

Where was the outrage last year when Obama released Qais Khazali ? Who is Qais Khazali you ask… “Qais Khazali is best known as the former leader of the Iran-backed Special Groups in Iraq from June 2006 until his capture by American forces in March 2007. As head of the Special Groups, Khazali directed arms smuggling, formation of death squads to participate in sectarian violence, kidnappings, and assassinations, most notably the January 20, 2007 attack on American forces in Karbala. A former follower of Moqtada al-Sadr, he was expelled from the Mahdi Army in 2004 for giving “unauthorized orders,” subsequently forming Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq. As head of the Special Groups, he reported to Hajji Yusif, deputy commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force, Department of External Special Operations.” (Wikipedia ) His work in setting up the Iran Iraq connection was key bringing in EFPs (explosive forced projectiles ) to the Sadr City and Shulla Iraq areas, where my son was killed. Yes the Iranian connection is very personal for me.

Why did Pres. Obama release him? Well he traded him for a British journalist that the British government refused to negotiate with terrorist for. Full story on that here: So much for the US not negotiate with terrorist huh? Pres. Obama not only negotiated he gave them back one of their key bad guys who is responsible for so many deaths of our troops.

For years now I have spoken out about how Iran government is funding the majority of terrorism we battle in the world today. especially their role in Iraq. They have been funding the murder of our military men and women for years and for people to be shocked and surprised by today’s headline makes me wonder how we are going to stop this growth of terror and jihad if something like this can go on for years and now just now people are taking note.

Yes Iran is paying bounties on our troops. This is not new information or even a new mode of operation for Iran. But I guess for most Americans it means we may end up in a war with Iran and that is just scary to them… well guess what, we are at war with Iran and have been for many years. I am mad as hell that Iran is putting bounties on our troops. But I’m not surprised. I am a little surprised that this is just now becoming headline news. It’s disappointing that American’s are so out of touch with what our troops face and fight every day.

What keeps playing in my head is that now that we have drawn down in Iraq, Iran will become more powerful there. The Shias will most assuredly be funded by Iran and once again the people of Iraq will fall under evil and sadistic rule like the people of Iran face daily. My only hope is we can have their backs enough in the coming years to help them stand up for themselves and fight for the freedom to live life without fear. I hope my son and all the others did not sacrifice in vain. The only way we can truly win this war is to face the realities of it.

Mahdi fighters funded by Iran in Iraq

Remembering on Memorial Day

Knottie — Sat, 29 May 2010 21:50:31 +0000

A few days ago I received a message from an Army medic.

Angelia.. I tried so hard not to make memorial day a day for Moms to have to remember. I tried really hard to make sure it was a day their sons and daughters came home to see them, not the other way around. I just feel like crap this time of year.

It tore my heart out because I know to him he is seeing Memorial Day as a mark of his failures. I want nothing more than to make him understand that he never failed. He did it all perfectly and yes there were those who died but not because he did not do his job well, perfectly, but because sometimes they were just too broken to fix.

I know he and many others who served are not only remembering our Fallen this weekend but wrestling with their demons and yes even remembering the times of laughter and brotherhood. I hope they will focus on the memories of laughter and make Memorial Day a day more about celebrating those we lost and the lives they lived even as we mourn them. Even in death they are touching lives if we celebrate them and share their stories.

I went to the cemetery today to visit my son and place the proper 6 flags for a Fallen soldier that are placed for Memorial Day. I hate that I know these traditions now but I am also grateful there are such traditions. I know that now that my son is one who is to be remembered on Memorial Day the meaning of the day is more powerful to me than ever before.

Yes there will be BBQs and get togethers. There will be laughter and fun.. there will be celebrations. I only ask that while you enjoy these celebrations think of those who served.. those who wrote a check to this nation payable up to and including their lives. Remember they gave their tomorrows for your today.

Honor and Remember those who have gone before us in protection of all those things we hold dear in this Nation.

If you can save for them a place inside of you and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go. Be not ashamed to say you loved them, though you may or may not have always. Take what they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own, and in that time when men decide and feel safe to call the war insane, take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind. ( Via Chris Hill)

Enjoy Your Vacation Mr. President

Knottie — Wed, 26 May 2010 01:29:53 +0000

Memorial Day is next Monday. It is a day to remember and honor those who have given the ultimate sacrifice in service of this nation. It is tradition that a wreath is laid at the memorial in Arlington each year .

I started quite the rant earlier this evening about how Pres. Obama is not going to be laying the wreath at Arlington on Memorial Day so he can go to Chicago and have a vacation.

I was infuriated when I read Pres. Obama was going to a family get together rather than Honor our Fallen as Commander and Chief. My first thought was “unforgivable”. Now I know he will not be the first President to not attend the wreath laying. But others had reasons that were not “vacations”. Then I thought about Pres. Obama’s treatment of our troops and it occurred to me that if he does lay the wreath it will be play acting as he has no gratitude for those who it is laid in Honor of. It would be fake and I don’t want that wreath laid for my son and his brothers and sisters by someone who so obviously despises everything my son stood for and died for.

Pres. Obama’s loathing of our troops has been evident from the very beginning of his presidency when he was the First President to skip the Inauguration night ball Honoring Medal of Honor Recipients in over 50 years. Then there was his punishment of Gen. Stanly McChyrstal for publicly outing the fact he had ignored our Military commanders request for more troops in Afghanistan by making them wait months for an answer which was simple. That cost more lives than we probably know. Then there is the treasonous Rules of Engagement imposed on our troops.

It would be the greats Honor of my life to lay that wreath. I would be humbled to simply attend the service. But you see I love those men. I may not know their names but I know them. They are my son’s brothers and they stood and died for the same Love of Nation he did.

Enjoy your vacation Mr. President. Someday I hope you realize you are free to do so because of the men you refuse to honor.In the meantime I am glad someone with an ounce of respect for our troops is laying the Wreath at Arlington this Memorial Day.

THANK YOU to those who lay in peace now.. Thank you so very much my dear sons and daughters

Marine’s Dad Ordered to Pay Funeral Protesters’ Court Fees (UPDATED)

Knottie — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 17:09:45 +0000

As an American I have always been sickened by the disrespect and cruelty of the behavior of Westboro Baptist Church. I will uphold their right to their opinion no matter how evil and sick I think it is but I cannot allow the picketing of Funerals.. Anyone’s funeral not just our military. Funerals are not for the dead but for the living and a very private personal time that should never been intruded upon.

Well a while back a Father of a Fallen Marine sued those who intruded upon his son’s funeral. And he won. But in an appeal the decision was overturned and now the group that protested his son’s funeral are to be paid legal fees by him adding insult to injury.(Story Below)

I am sending a donation in to help this Man. He has given enough to this nation… the very least we owe him is a few dollars to help with this.I have not confirmed this link to make donation at but it has come to me through reliable sources American Legion Burn Pit

Associated Press
Stars and Stripes online edition, Tuesday, March 30, 2010

BALTIMORE — The father of a Marine killed in Iraq and whose funeral was picketed by anti-gay protesters was ordered to pay the protesters’ appeal costs, his lawyers said Monday.

On Friday, Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ordered Snyder to pay $16,510 to Fred Phelps. Phelps is the leader of the Westboro Baptist Church, which conducted protests at Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder’s funeral in 2006.

The two-page decision supplied by attorneys for Albert Snyder of York, Pa., offered no details on how the court came to its decision.

Attorneys also said Snyder is struggling to come up with fees associated with filing a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court.

The decision adds “insult to injury,” said Sean Summers, one of Snyder’s lawyers.

The high court agreed to consider whether the protesters’ message is protected by the First Amendment or limited by the competing privacy and religious rights of the mourners.

*** Kudos to Bill O’Reilly

No. 1 cable news host Bill O’Reilly said Tuesday that he will personally write a check to cover $16,500 in legal costs for the father of a fallen U.S. Marine who sued the members of a church who picketed his son’s funeral. ( Full Story)
Please write Mr. O’Reilly and thank him for this tremendous act. Words are cheap and Mr. O’Reilly truly stepped up!

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.

Opsecs people OPSECS!!!!

Knottie — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 04:14:56 +0000

Opsecs people OPSECS!!!! … if you don’t know what those are and are in the military or love someone in the military it means Operational Security. It’s information our enemies would LOVE to have! This solider could have gotten his entire unit killed. Military personnel can’t always tell you where they are what they are doing or when they will be flying to or from. It’s for their safety and the safety of others. So please DO NOT ask them and if you feel someone int he military is sharing too much information… question them on it.

IDF calls off West Bank raid due to Facebook leak

The Israel Defense Forces called off a raid in Palestinian territory after a soldier posted details, including the time and place, on the social networking website Facebook, Army Radio reported on Wednesday.

The soldier – since relieved of combat duty – described in a status update how his unit planned a “clean-up” arrest raid in a West Bank area, Army Radio said.

“On Wednesday we clean up Qatanah, and on Thursday, god willing, we come home,” the soldier wrote on his Facebook page, refering to a West Bank village near Ramallah.
The soldier also disclosed the name of the combat unit, the place of the operation and the time it will take place. Facebook friends then reported him to military authorities.

The Israeli military spokesman’s office had no immediate comment.

Israel says raids in the West Bank are aimed at detaining militants suspected of planning attacks on Israelis. Palestinian officials say the incursions undermine efforts by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority to enforce law and order in the territory.

Full Story

Whose War Is This?

Knottie — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 03:43:17 +0000

As we go into the eighth year of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan I read more and more about how this is Bush’s War or now it’s Obama’s War and even read the statement by a British Military mom stating how proud she was her son who had joined the military and it wasn’t even “their war”. Which got me to thinking… whose war is it?

On Sept. 11, 2001 3164 people died in the attacks. More than 90 countries lost citizens that fateful day. So again I ask whose war is this?

The Muslim terrorist are not centering out Americans. They are targeting anyone from any country that does not believe as they do and does not live their lives as muslims. And being muslim will not keep you safe from their acts of terror. Click on this Link to the 12 faces of Sharia Law.(Graphic) to see how a woman who refuses a marriage proposal is treated by muslims. To me this is Humanity’s war. This is the time when if good men do nothing evil will win. All people who have any humanity should be calling this their war. This is not a disagreement between two nations this is a battle of good and evil. I have read extensively the statements of those who have left the practice of Islam and one of the things that stood out to me is that when they were able to read and understand the quran they realized how hateful and wrong the religion is. There are those in parts of the world who will never know the true words of the quran. To them is it simply a way of life and they have no true evil intent. They are simply surviving in a culture that they know nothing different. And yes there are even those who practice islam who will only find the good of it and implement it. About now someone reading this is scream there is no good in islam… to them I say… Islam does focus on strong family ties and when not bastardized by extremist that can be a good thing and something we should all strive for. You have to understand that most people in the muslim world have been brainwashed to believe the evil translation and implementation of islam. So yes we need to reach these people through education not only of how we live but how they have been lied to and made to believe things about their faith that are not true.

Yesterday Michael Yon posted this picture on his website.

Major “Lucy” Lehker is an American Combat nurse whispering comforting words to a Canadian Soldier. ( By the way I have the upmost respect for Combat medical personnel . They are Angels and Heroes in one package) This picture is HUMANITY. It’s caring for and comforting another. It’s defending that which is right and good.

Looking at this picture I saw multiple nations represented. No one was worried about what uniform was worn they only knew that this was a fight that has to be fought. This war is not about fighting the Afghanistan people nor was Iraq about fighting the Iraqi people . It’s about stopping a virus of evil from spreading and giving all people a chance to live without fear and terror. Those over there fighting and risking their lives daily know this is not someone’s war. They understand that is a war against the inhumane and the war belongs to all of HUMANITY.

*** I want to thank Michael Yon for giving me permission to use his photo in this blog. Please take a moment to visit Michael Yon’s site and read his dispatches. I respect his honest reporting of the War in Afghanistan. If you can please donate a few dollars to help him continue to bring the truth about what the Coalition Forces are doing over there. http://www.michaelyon-online.com/ Michael.. as always Take Luck **

The Pledge by James Hooker

Knottie — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 02:34:19 +0000

I was asked by James Hooker if he could include a picture of my son in his most recent video. Now I have been familiar with James’ music for a little more than a year now and I know his love and respect for our troops so I did not have to think twice about it. I hope you enjoy this video as much as I did. If you haven’t heard James Hooker’s music before go check out more of it at http://www.tipjarmusic.com/1/home.html He has some really great music…

The Pledge from James Hooker on Vimeo.