Teacher Cindy: Happy Veteran's Day

A BIG thank you;

To all of you that are serving our country at home and abroad.

Through the years

Granny's Grandpa Whitney during the Civil War.

Granddad in the middle, in France during WWII
He told me lots of stories while I lived with them in Arizona

Granddad the youngest WWI Vet with the oldest.

Granddad, a Cousin and my Father

I remember enjoy going with Granddad and Granny to the VFW meetings.

My son, Jesse in Baghdad. 2003

Some of the boys of Baghdad running out to see Jesse
whom they called Yessid.

Jesse less then a month home and on his wedding day.

The heart of most our soldiers.

The Elections – In Iraq - 2005

This was written my a young man who is a good friend of my sons. He went over when my son came home. We have had many of our family members and friends in Iraq over the years. They are there to help the country and we have many over there right now. After all it is the country our Father Abraham is originally from. What he wrote -

The Elections:Today’s been a very long day with the election and everything, but I want to tell you all some of the things I saw today. I know that not everyone supports President Bush or what we’re doing here, but I see things here with my own two eyes. Today I saw a people who, despite fears and rumors that insurgents would bomb the voting centers and poison the water, came out in the thousands to vote. Today I saw a people prove to France and Germany and all of the other countries that have tried to put a grim view of the situation here, that yes the Iraqis want democracy and yes the risks are worth it. I wish that the people in the U.S.A. would look at what is happening here and see that we have a wonderful thing in democracy. No, it’s not perfect, but nothing that is man made is. To know that you may be killed just for putting some check marks on a piece of paper is a very humbling thing and when I saw people come out in numbers I have not seen since I’ve been here, it showed me that what I’m doing here is worth it. It is worth the risk of my life because they too are willing to risk theirs for a better future for their children. What is even more humbling is that these people know that there is still a hard road that lies ahead. They know that more people will die and that progress will be slow, yet they still move forward. So to the people that do feel we're doing the wrong thing by being here, I think that you should try living in a state of oppression for 30 to 40 years and see entire families wiped out for being Kurdish or what ever race you may be. For those of you who have supported us and the Iraqi people, thank you. This has been one of the toughest and most rewarding times in my life and one of much spiritual growth and a lesson in appreciation and maturity.