Sometimes we just can not find the words to tell someone how we care. Or to give them solace from the harm that is there. A child's mind can understand but still questions what he hears. So with this we can try and help begin the repair.
Daddy's Not Coming Home by Jeremy LeBon and Illustrated by Morgan Griffin is a book that we wish was not needed. Sadly it is. With kindness, gentle words and soft paintings a story unfolds to explain what has been told. Though this is not a story for many, it is a story that many need to hear. And with great forethought it may be just what starts the conversation that helps.
This is published by Diamond DMT Publishing. They are an independently owned, Christian-based Publishing Company whose main purpose is to seek out exceptional talent in the Arts, especially in writing, music, art and photography. And their goal is to assist worthy individuals with a chance to be published, when they may not otherwise have the opportunity to share their works with the world. I wish to thank them for this book to review. Now that I am done with it I want to send it to TAPS so that it may be able to help families there. I felt that this video was a great attribution to this book. May you be blessed today and remember to always reach out and try to help those around you every day. You may never know that your the kindness they just needed in that moment.
The postcards are then printed on the Xerox iGen3® Digital Production Press and mailed in care packages by military support organization Give2TheTroops®.
The postcards, depicting patriotic scenes and hometown images, were selected from a pool of entries from children across the country.
Thanks to the Dept of Veterans Affairs for the poster.
Today is Veterans Day. Today we will have such an honor. Today we remember.
In our lil town here in Texas we have a yearly ceremony to honor the veterans. It is not fancy but it is moving. At our local high school there is an assembly. Where the students pay tribute to the veterans. We sit quietly and watch them file in. Many old and stooped over. Often with canes, wheel chairs and aids. But there is also the mid age coming in too. Standing tall with a hat or a pin or a vest on, reminders of their time served. And now we have young men and women attending. Dressed in full uniform. Home for a visit, just beginning their tour or having returned from doing their duty.
You see students wipe tears. Others quietly move down the bleachers to hug one they honor. Many place their hands over their hearts. Most hold their breath. It is a quiet time to see so many file in.
Then there is introductions, speeches and much much music. Tributes are paid and a flurry of kids who rush the men and women to say they love them. I am telling you it is quite moving.
Today, I get to help. My Dear Hubby is the commander of our local AmVets organization. And it is arranged to help transport the 20+ veterans from the local nursing home. Half are in wheel chairs. Thankfully the school district is helping provide a handicap bus for them to be transported in. Afterwards we will travel to the local DAV building. There members are putting together a lunch for these folks. Then we will help them return to the home they now have. I hope I can do a service today. I hope I can convey how proud I am to be able to help in a small way. I hope I can let them know how much I honor their service.
use to be called the Nimitz Museum but has been enlarged and added on to include not just Admiral Nimitz but to honor the action of the Pacific Fleets during WWII. They have a memorial walk where plaques that honor different Naval ships are installed. This is something I wanted to share with my Dear Hubby. He is former Navy and quite proud of serving his country. He also followed in his father and mother's footsteps when he joined the Navy.
This particular plaque honored on of the ships that DH served on. The walk looking down this
long wall of plaque after plaque had quite an effect on DH. Before he realized it his "allergies" were working and he was tearing up. I am not sure he expected this but was really quite moved to see so many men and women honored for the service they gave to this country. It is not lost on him or me how many men and women passed on during this war or any other war.
Here DH is in a reflective moment. There is a Japanese garden located here also. It was given to us by the country of Japan to honor Admiral Nimitz. They sent craftsmen from Japan here to construct the garden. It is quite peaceful and wonderful to sit and reflect on the people and things we have in our lives.
Ok, DH again. You can tell I had the camera right. Here is a small section of memorial plaques
that he is gazing at. There was a quite and still over this memorial walk that really was quite palpable. It reminded me of the way I felt when I saw the Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC.
This small cemetery represents all of the lives lost by our country in the Pacific battles. It is constructed to look like a battle zone cemetery. All branches of the armed forces are represented here.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=8e984354-289c-4097-93de-1430c6c970c3)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=7bb2e535-186a-4491-b44a-dd8261c11acf)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=ae84f433-3ce4-42e6-a737-3bf9e735651c)