Category: Gold-star-families

Teaming Up to Give Bikes to Kids

8/3/2018

Bike Rehab Ministry at work!

It’s amazing what can be done when kind and industrious people get together to help others!

Occasionally, when I’m not watching my grandkids, maintaining my farmhouse, or writing about the importance of fatherhood on this blog, I am a volunteer and board member of “Little Patriots Embraced (LPE)”. LPE has a mission to support, with recognition and acts of kindness, the kids and families of the military, many of whom sacrifice as much or more as their military parents. With my military background and my dedication to helping families, LPE was a perfect charity for me.

This week LPE, with the leadership of founder Carol Watanabe, joined forces with the Bike Rehab Ministry of Manchester United Methodist Church to donate 20 bikes to the Airman’s Attic at Scott AFB, IL. Airman’s Attic offers junior enlisted airmen and their families at Scott Air Force Base place to go to receive free donated goods. All items are free for airmen who are E-5 and below and available items range from baby supplies to military uniforms. I would place bikes right in the middle of that range! Carol was the link between the Bike Ministry and the Airman Attic. LPE Volunteer Ray Amanat, Carol and myself rented a truck and transported the bikes to Scott AFB.

Bike Rehab Ministry

I was blown away by the Bike Rehab Ministry! Their goal is to provide the opportunity for people of all ages to have the joy of riding a bicycle when financial constraints would otherwise make it impossible. It works like this. Since 2000, the Bike Rehab Ministry has accepted donated bikes. Volunteers, currently about 100, recondition the bikes and distribute them through other charitable agencies like LPE. They are approaching the amazing number 6500 like-new bikes having been given to both children and adults. And they always supply a helmet with each bike!

How you can help and get a great deal!

One way you can help all three organizations is first to donate to them. Another very cool and financially smart way to help is to buy a reconditioned bike from the Bike Rehab Ministry. Bike Rehab sells some of their bikes to the public to raise money to keep the program running. The bikes are so well reconditioned that your kids won’t know they are used. They have everything from toddler bikes to hybrids to bike for cross country enthusiasts and everyone is welcomed to shop. They are located at 201 Creve Coeur Ave. across from Manchester UMC in Ballwin, MO. You can visit them by calling Ray Lembke at 314-660-6022 to schedule a tour.

Government helping people is good, but people helping people is always better. And you meet the nicest folks!!

Hover over each photo.

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'Little Patriots' Embrace 'Dadhood'

10/30/2017

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It was a fortuitous day some three years ago. It was on that day that I walked into the office of Little Patriots Embraced (LPE) with my friend Sue to see if a book that I had just had published could be useful to them in meeting their goals. It was the last stop of about nine that day, going to various charities that had the betterment of children and families as part of their mission.

I had written a book on the importance of involved fathers and how to meet some of the challenges all men face as parents. The title of the book is “The Power of Dadhood”, in which I discuss both the obvious, and sometimes very subtle, powers that fathers have within their families; and which, if not understood, could have serious repercussions on the well-being of their children.

Our goal was to not to sell the book, but to sell the idea of the book as a tool to help in the various missions of these charities. We had left copies with all the charities we had visited. The only response came from Carol Watanabe, the founder and president of LPE.

The mission of Little Patriots Embraced is to enhance the lives of our Military Families in need while, and because, their loved one(s) are protecting our freedom. It was clear to Carol that military parents have a clear disadvantage over most parents, who are often not with their families due to frequent travel, training, and long deployments. Particularly at risk are the relationships of the fathers who are more often the parent in the military.

I decided, after meeting with Carol, to donate 150 books to be given free to military families upon LPE’s visits to installations around the country. A few months later, a retired USAF Colonel friend of mine and his wife donated $2000 to buy more books to be given away to military families. As a retired USAF Colonel myself, and a strong champion of the military, this match-up of helping fathers and military families became a match made in heaven. Eventually, I became a proud board member of LPE.

Jessica, ready for the kids!

We have supported individual families with sick children, families with financial burdens, Gold Star families, and been a part of just saying thank you, especially to military kids who serve through their parents by giving up so much of their time with them! This past week, we gave away 160 signature Little Patriot Bears to kids and 75 copies of my book at a Fall Festival at Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri. We intend to continue helping kids in military families with the help of others.

If you find it in your heart, help us reduce the emotional stress that military family members have due to separation, relocation, or death of a loved one with a donation through our website or Facebook page. Also, what better way to help any family than to help them to mentor and help each other. This was my personal message in writing my book on fatherhood.

Text: 501501
Subject: LPE
Press Send
Respond: YES.
It’s that easy!

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Protesting and/or Disrespecting – There is a Difference

9/28/2017

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A young Marine who died serving his country.

I’m a father, grandfather, and a military veteran. I was very dismayed by the kneeling of NFL players during the National Anthem. I also don’t think the President should have brought up the topic in the way he did. His words made things worse! But I do agree with his sentiment.

Our kids need to know the difference between protesting and disrespect. They can protest by not eating broccoli, but they should never disrespect their mother and/or father by telling them they are terrible parents for serving it.

Protesting is a right. Disrespecting is a choice made through hate. I think the most effective protests do not involve disrespecting. It seems some people don’t know the difference between protesting and disrespecting. Or maybe they do.

To protest is to express an objection or disapproval. A right everyone should have.
Respect, by one definition, is to hold something or someone in esteem or honor e.g. your country or parents.
Disrespect is showing discourtesy, rudeness towards something or someone.

Protest

When, in someone’s mind, an injustice has taken place, it is the right of a citizen to protest. In the US this is one of the stalwarts of our democracy. Whether or not you are correct in your view of the facts or the particulars of the potential injustice does not matter. Your protest raises the visibility of your objections and the particular society involved will be, in large, convinced or not. Protests and the right to be heard (free speech) is what made the US such a strong country and a force in the world.

We all protest something or other. Usually it is in quiet conversations with friends or acquaintances. We can protest through voting or boycotting. Other times a protest is organized with speeches, marches, and/or signs. These types of communications are all good. Sometimes a protest will get our attention and we join in. Other times a protest will make us angry because we disagree with the protester or believe the facts are being misconstrued. Nothing wrong with either reaction as long as we are respectful.

Disrespect

Now let’s discuss disrespect. Most of us hold certain things and ideals with respect. Of course, one of those is the right to protest. Others include respect for the right to privacy, the right to vote, the pursuit of happiness, and to be treated with respect. Too often with protests disrespect creeps in - and sometimes storms in, belittling the protest and what it stands for.

Common protests these days are about 1) police shootings and, 2) preventing someone’s right to speak about something with which you may disagree. In the first scenario, protests resulting from police shootings are an understandable protest when one thinks an injustice has taken place. But when violence and/or vandalism takes place, it is no longer a protest but an act of disrespect for the law and the private property of people and businesses.

In the second scenario, demonstrations like those at U.C. Berkeley, attempting and sometimes succeeding in preventing someone from speaking is disrespect for our First Amendment. These type of demonstrations at UC Berkeley are not a protest, it is a civil disturbance. To show your displeasure with ideas is fair and your First Amendment right. Preventing those with alternative views from speaking - at all - is not a protest, it is disrespect in the highest order of our democratic way of life.

NFL ‘Protests’?

This brings me to the NFL and why the actions of their players, by kneeling or sitting during our National Anthem, is disrespectful and not simply an act of protest.

First of all, when NFL players kneel in their team uniform, they are doing so using a platform they don’t own. If a team owner supports a certain protest and every team member agrees in that protest, then they can protest in that uniform. Otherwise, they do not have the right to drag the team’s uniform into it. They are disrespecting the team ownership and the fans who do not agree with them. When Jerry Jones kneeled with his team, he owned the act, he gave his permission to his players as their boss. Another owner may not appreciate his logo being used to give weight to their opinions.

Secondly, the Flag and National Anthem. When is kneeling during the National Anthem a protest and when is it a show of disrespect? The US Flag and National Anthem represent the totality of the United States of America, both its’ glories and its’ warts. If you demonstrate by not honoring the US Flag, you are generalizing and saying the totality of the US is at fault and/or immoral. And by logical extension, you are also disrespecting all those who sacrificed life and limb to support it. Protest a specific flaw, but don’t vilify the entire history of America. If you truly believe the US is utterly flawed, not valuing the life you have ‘earned’, and sometimes been given, then it is truly is a protest against the American way of life. But you have made a serious charge that I don’t think most intend to make.

We know that early settlers took away lands belonging to Native American Indian nations. We know slavery existed for many years and was evil. We know women were not allowed to vote until the 1900’s. Yet, the US overcame these and other things because of the nature of our people under this constitution. Our early mistreatment of Native Indians is a flaw that remains. But this behavior is not unique to America. It started in the annals of the Old Testament. Eventually, slavery became unlawful, women rightly got to vote, and desegregation was ended by the citizens – because of the principles of our country. The US also helped Europe defeat the Nazis of Germany, helped stop the slaughter of Chinese by Imperial Japan, and provides more disaster and humanitarian relief to other countries in need than all the other countries combined.

Yes, the US is a flawed nation among all other flawed nations. In my mind, it is the least flawed nation. The US Flag represents the totality of our nation and to disrespect it is like disowning your little daughter because she bit her brother. She has a flaw in her behavior but you don’t give up on her.

Summary

Understand that ISIS, and individuals in countries that don’t respect the US, can burn our flag without being hypocritical. They are expressing an objection or disapproval, i.e. protesting, to the totality of our way of life. But to accept our way of life, yet use the National Anthem as a place to demonstrate your unhappiness of a specific incident or incidents, is very disrespectful and hypocritical.

Protesting is a right that is honorable when done with respect for others and their opinions. I repeat, to denigrate the flag or National Anthem for a specific grievance ignores every positive aspect, privilege, and opportunity of being an American. If you appreciate the freedoms and rights you have as an American, and honor those who fought and died for these ideals, then kneeling for the National Anthem is thoroughly and embarrassingly disrespectful.

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Little Heroes Day - A Gold Star Experience

7/31/2017

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This past weekend, my wife Kathy and I had the honor of being a part of an event to honor children who have lost a parent in service to our country. It’s difficult to explain the emotions that filled us as we worked with these young patriots. We could not even imagine what these children and spouses of our fallen have gone through and are still going through. This is why it was very difficult for me, at the end of this event, to do something we usually do for military families. I’ll get to that later.

Our goal was to let these Gold Star families know they are not forgotten. For those that don't know, a Gold Star Family is one who has lost a member of their family in service to our country. Three charities banded together to make this day possible. These charities are:

Little Patriots Embraced – Mission: To enhance the lives of our Military families in need…While their loved one is protecting our freedom.
Dogwood Ranch – “A Place Where The Broken Find Redemption.” A family of foster homes and equine therapy at a working ranch.
Dream Riders – “Honoring the Children of Our Fallen Heroes.” Kids that have lost a father, mother, brother or sister in the military are emotionally injured and also need our help. Dream Riders mission is to bring these families together for healing and fellowship in a fun environment.

Dana Lopez (L) Dogwood Ranch - Carol Watanabe (C) Little Patriots Embraced - Julie Vinnedge (R) Dream Riders

These families, whose lives have been shattered as a result of their service to our country, should never be forgotten! As the motto of Dream Riders states, “Because they deserve happy memories”. And happy memories was another goal of Little Heroes Day. Around eighty children, their families, and scores of volunteers spent a gorgeous day together near Springfield, Missouri learning about horses, doing crafts, and learning how to protect themselves from bullies and potential predators. Halfway through the day, the Marines (Marine Corps League, Det. 993, Springfield, MO.) cooked up a spectacular lunch for all with some of the best cookies I’ve ever had for dessert.

My main duty during the day was to take photos, especially family photos with a Dogwood Ranch horse. Each family decorated their horse themselves, which was quite an experience because many of them had previously never been near a horse. Without prying into such a difficult part of their lives, we learned some of their tragic back stories. One little girl, about three-years-old, was without either parent. Her father was killed in action and not long after her mother was tragically killed by a boyfriend. She was being cared for by a volunteer who brought her to me for a photo of her on a horse. She was the only Gold Star Child to get a photo on a horse (see her in the slideshow). The look on her face when she found herself looking down on the mane of Millie (the horse) brought a happy yet sad tear to my eye. I missed capturing ‘the look’, but I did photograph her beaming smile before she dismounted with the help of Dana Lopez of Dogwood Ranch.

A stepfather of one family came to me to thank us for the day. He had just received a medical retirement after fourteen years of service. This hero married a woman with five children a few years after her first husband was killed in action. Whatever he did in the Army, his heroic deed of taking on a family of five very young children easily challenged the valor of his military service. Not many men would take on such a responsibility!

Kathy talked to a young mother of two girls, around nine and eleven years-of-age, who lost her husband four years ago. This military mom says it is still difficult to deal with his loss and she misses him every day. Needless to say, most of the fallen heroes were fathers. This is where, at the end of this precious day, it became very difficult for me. I’ll explain.

Those who read my blog know that I wrote a book that was published two and a half years ago. Through Little Patriots Embraced (LPE), for which I am a board member, we give away copies of my book at most LPE events. This is possible through the generosity of Carol Watanabe, our LPE founder, and Colonel (ret.) & Mrs. George Niemann, who made a large donation to buy these books. But this was a most unusual event honoring the families of fallen heroes - most of fallen were fathers. The title of my book is “The Power of Dadhood: How to Become the Father Your Child Needs”. Needless to say, most of these families were tragically without a father in the home at no fault of their own. Would my book bring heartache to these families for reasons that were too obvious?

However, we made the book available to those who wanted it as we did with Ray Amanat's book, “Bully, Victim, or Hero”. The kids devoured Ray’s book on bullying and self-defense while many of the parents asked for a copy of my book. I think these Gold Star Wives understand better than most how important it is to have a present and active father in the home. Hopefully, they will find another hero in their lives someday.

Summary

This was one of the most special days in the lives of the volunteers of these three charities. It certainly was to Kathy and me – to give back to those who have given so much! It’s never enough – it can’t ever be so. But these families truly appreciate the little we can do, “Because they deserve happy memories” like everyone else, maybe more so!

Special thanks to a few key people, knowing I am leaving out so many who deserve mention.

Carol Watanabe, founder of “Little Patriots Embraced”
Brian and Dana Lopez, President and Vice President of “Dogwood Ranch”
Julie Vinnedge – “Dream Riders” Executive Director & Treasurer, Gold Star Mother of LCpl Phillip Vinnedge
Steve Presley, a ‘Little Patriots Embraced’ volunteer.

And a very special thanks to our Gold Star Families!

Here is a slideshow of just a few activities of the day.

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Teaming Up to Give Bikes to Kids

'Little Patriots' Embrace 'Dadhood'

Protesting and/or Disrespecting – There is a Difference

Little Heroes Day - A Gold Star Experience

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​Teaming Up to Give Bikes to Kids

'Little Patriots' Embrace 'Dadhood'

Protesting and/or Disrespecting – There is a Difference

​Little Heroes Day - A Gold Star Experience

Archives

Categories

Teaming Up to Give Bikes to Kids

Little Heroes Day - A Gold Star Experience