A Distant Soil by Colleen Doran

To all our wonderful soldiers, flyboys, sailors, and Marines, I wish you a safe return home to the arms of people who love you and appreciate you.

That is one happy Marine!

And, as always, our prayers and love for all those who sacrificed so much for so many.

If you would like to remember our serviceman in a meaningful way today, please consider Operation Homefront, recipient of a four star rating at Charity Navigator.

Operation Homefront provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of our service members and wounded warriors. Through generous, widespread public support and a collaborative team of exceptional staff and volunteers, we aspire to become the provider of choice for emergency financial and other assistance to the families of our service members and wounded warriors. Where there is a need we do not provide, we will partner with others for the benefit of our military families. In 2009, we met 160,536 needs for military families. Since its inception, Operation Homefront has provided more than $92 million dollars of funding to programs to benefit military families.

Also consider Operation Iraqi Children, co-founded by actor Gary Sinise.

Founded to give concerned citizens of the world a way to reach out to children in war-stricken countries and support American troops in their efforts to assist them…You can make a simple, tax-deductible monetary donation, 100% of which will go to purchase supplies for children and offset shipping costs. You can build and send school supply kits yourself or start a school supply kit drive in your community.

Operation Iriaqi Children is administered by People to People International, a program created by President Dwight D Eisenhower in 1956. The Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Report rates this organization as meeting all 20 standards for accountability.

Remember the human cost of political aims. Remember the price others pay for how you live today.

Thank you.

Once more, with squealing. Gary Sinise with the LT Dan Band.