Department of IL Unveils a Movable memorial Wall
The Military Order of the Purple Heart State of IL has created a Movable Memorial Wall to Honor the Fallen Warriors from the State of IL. Several panels display the portraits of the Faces of the Fallen, through photographic images embedded into ceramic tiles. The Inaugural unveiling was strictly for the Gold Star Families, invited guests and Military Order of the Purple Heart Organization members. The ceremony consisted of Musical Tributes, Chaplain’s message, the Unveiling, Sharing Beautiful blooms compliments of the Flowers for Heroes, Organization & “Patriotic Memorial Pillows” for each Family member in attendance.
We also too distributed pages for the Families of the Fallen to share their loved one’s amazing attributes and fond memories. These pages will be compiled into a Memorial Memory Book. Each Family member that submits a page will receive a copy of the “MOPH Memory Memorial” Book featuring their remembrances. These pages will be duplicated in the family members own hand. It is their Stories that will bring to life the wonderful characteristics that set their Beloved apart. All of the Fallen Warriors will then be bound together by this common thread. Each has Served their Nation, paying the ultimate Sacrifice to Defend Liberty and Freedom. We Honor them Yesterday, Today and Always. This group of Proud Patriots all Combat Wounded Veterans know from their own history what it is to have Served & Sacrificed. They Remember, and will always be here for Support.
Any and All Gold Star Family members from the State of IL that would care to share their Remembrances, Please contact us……I will mail the form up to 9/11 Patriots Day. We need lead time to print the books and get them delivered in time for Veterans’ Day November 11, 2009. Gold Star Mothers’ Sunday will be the last day that we will collect the “MOPH Memory Memorial” pages. Thank you for contacting any Gold Star Families here in the State of IL that you may know and letting them know about this program. The Books will be a gift from the State of IL Military Order of the Purple Heart Organization; State of Illinois.
If you are interested in the upcoming schedule for where and when the Movable Memorial Wall of Honor, will be on display Please visit the Purple Heart site:
WWW.MOPH-IL.ORG
Veterans Helping Veterans!
Never Forget…
Video of the Week!
This tribute was selected by Christina, please enjoy!
A Tribute to the American, British, Australian and Israeli Forces.
Also to the Multi-National Coalition Forces fighting for the cause of Freedom and Liberty in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Hallowed Ground documentary to see this Memorial Day evening!
From these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion.
— Abraham Lincoln
Many people are aware of the famous American military cemetery at Omaha Beach, Normandy, site of one of the D-Day landings in 1944. But few know there are twenty-one other American military cemeteries in eight different countries memorializing those who were not brought back to the United States after World War I and World War II. Each of these commemorative places is powerful and unique, and has is own stories to tell.
These cemeteries, created and maintained by the U.S. government through the American Battle Monuments Commission, are permanent memorial sites, built to stand the test of time. Collectively they contain the remains of 125,000 Americans. There are 94,000 more names commemorated on Walls of the Missing. Dignified and serene, they were created to honor America’s fallen, but they are also intended to inspire and teach the living.
Hallowed Grounds is the first major documentary made about these remarkable shrines, and brings them all to life with stunning visuals and powerful storytelling. The program weaves elements of a historical documentary with contemporary scenes of the cemeteries.
There are American World War I and World War II cemeteries in England, France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, Italy, Tunisia and the Philippines. All are places of astonishing natural beauty, embellished with great architecture and powerful works of art. It is the contrast of these remarkable burial grounds with the horrors of war that gives them their profound impact.
The documentary moves chronologically through both world wars of the 20th century. Most of the cemeteries are located on or near the major battlefields. The narrative provides a general history of the wars, and briefly recounts the battles and operations that took place in the areas where the cemeteries are located.
Each cemetery contains tales of courage and unselfish service to comrades and country. Some of the fallen profiled in the program are well known: the poet Joyce Kilmer, the bandleader Glenn Miller, the five Sullivan Brothers, General George S. Patton. But most were ordinary men and women caught up in the calamity of war.
A statue of an American soldier stands watch over the graves at Florence American Cemetery.
These military cemeteries also personify American diversity, and the program includes portraits of some of the many African-American, Hispanic-American, Japanese-American, Native-American, and Anglo-Americans who are buried in them.
It also contains numerous interviews with formal and informal historians, visiting relatives, and foreign nationals who act and speak their appreciation on-camera.
Hallowed Grounds allows Americans to see for the first time some of their great national treasures. It seeks to heighten respect for those who lost and continue to lose their lives for America, and reminds viewers of the great and tragic cost of war in the pursuit of liberty.
Hallowed Grounds is a production of New Voyage Communications in Washington, DC. It was directed by national Emmy Award winner Robert Uth, and produced and written by Robert Uth and Glenn Marcus. Peter Thomas, a veteran of both the Normandy landings and the Battle of the Bulge, provides the narration.
Hallowed Grounds premieres Monday, May 25, 2009. Check Local Listings to see when it is airing on your local PBS station.
MOPH Movable Memorial Wall!
Military Order of the Puprle Heart State of IL Movable Memorial Wall:
Sunday Flag Day, June the 14th, 2009 will be a most Special Day a Day of Remembrance. The Department of IL. MOPH has purchased a one of a kind movable Memorial Wall. This Memorial has been created to Honor the Fallen from Operation Enduring Freedom & Operation Iraqi Freedom. Incorporated into a beautiful display are the Faces of the Fallen. An individual portrait of each Brave State of IL Hero will remind all of us, “The Price of Freedom.”
The Memorial Wall of Honor!
For the first time in History
A Memorial Wall showing not only the names
Of Our Fallen Warriors,
But their full color Portraits Eternalized in Porcelain
BRINGING OUR G.I.s HOME WITH HONOR,
ONE STATE AT A TIME…..
A Memorial Service is scheduled for Flag Day in Honor of those that have served and paid the ultimate sacrifice. To pause and Remember, so the families will know their loved one will never be forgotten. The ceremony will begin at 1:00pm, hall opening at Noon. Priority seating will be reserved for the Families of the Fallen & our dignitary guests. There will be a brief reception allowing for fellowship following the service. This event is by invitation only for meeting attendees and those that have received a personal invitation.
The beauty of the Memorial Wall not being stationary is that we may have it’s presence at a variety of State of Illinois venues. This Moving Memorial will certainly touch our visitors in a profound and visceral way.
There are plans for the Memorial to be available to visit Community sites throughout the State of IL. We are planning to have this display for Veterans’ Sunday at the Springfield State Fair in August. Many other wonderful viewings are planned for the summer months. If you think you might have an appropriate event, where this Memorial may be Honored please contact, State of Illinois Commander Daniel T Finn danfinn@moph-il.org Cell # (708) 837-4509 with voice mail.
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The Patriotic Pillow Project will be present to present a “Patriotic Pillow” to each of the Families in attendance that has not received a Memorial Pillow in the past in Honor of their dearly departed!
Never Forget!
Respectfully,
Christina Finn “The Patriotic Pillow MOM!”
FaceBook Page…..
Follow the link below and check out and share our interactive page on Face Book!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=58441966335
Christian Military Wives site:
God Bless All these fine women of Faith!
Respectfully,
Christina Finn “A Patriot & Christian!”
ABC / 4-H Youth Club Makes Patriotic Pillows
April 15, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Please see image attached; Members of 4-H Teen Council and ABC 4-H Club pose with their pillows)
Contact: Jude DeFalco
Marketing & Production
845-340-3990
Local 4-H Youth Clubs Make Patriotic Pillows for U.S. Veterans
Community service plays an important role in being a member of 4-H. Throughout the year 4-H youth members participate in several different community service projects. In its second year, the Patriotic Pillow Project is a sewing project which makes beautiful star spangled pillow cases that resemble the American flag. After the materials are cut to size the pillow cases are sewn together, filled with a pillow, and are then distributed to United States War Veterans along with hand written “thank you” notes in recognition for serving our country. This project encourages community service activity and reinforces basic sewing skills. In 2008, eighty pillows were made and distributed by Ulster County 4-H youth members to all the patients at the Castle Point VA Hospital in Castle Point, NY.
On Thursday, April 9, 2009, members of Ulster County 4-H Teen Council and the ABC 4-H Club gathered at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Ulster County Education Center located at 10 Westbrook Lane in Kingston to cut and sew the pillow cases. The cases along with pillows will be presented to members of the New Paltz VFW at the Memorial Day Parade this May.
For more information about Ulster County 4-H Youth Development or to become an adult 4-H Club leader, contact Patti Zellmer at 845-340-3990.
Patriotic pillows give comfort to veterans
JESSICA CEJNAR
Peninsula Clarion
As Soldotna Middle School’s home economics teacher, Jennifer Tabor knows her way around a needle and thread. Sewing is not just part of her career, she says, it’s a hobby and a talent; a talent she and others in the community are able to use to comfort wounded veterans.
“It’s hard to do something here,” she said. “And I sew, so this is where I can take my talents.”
Tabor came across a full page advertisement in the Peninsula Clarion on Veteran’s Day for the Patriotic Pillow Project. The ad directed her to the project’s Web site and after reading about it, she was able to present two pillow cases to Soldotna Community Schools director Carmen Triana.
“I went to Carmen and said we should do this,” Tabor said, adding that the Web site contained explicit directions on how the pillow cases should be made. “I just printed them off (and) made a couple so Carmen could show them around town to people that were interested.”
The Patriotic Pillow Project is a nationwide effort to provide comfort to soldiers who were wounded in Iraq. Each pillow is handstitched to resemble Old Glory and is sent along with a handwritten thank you note to men and women who defended their country. According to the project’s Web site, the folks behind the project have received more than 9,850 pillows and have delivered more than 8,500 since the project began in 2004.
On Feb. 23, Tabor set up sewing machines in her classroom and had different stations where non-sewers could press and cut the fabric or create the thank you cards. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., volunteers created 20 pillows. Tabor said the instructions she printed off the project’s Web site was similar to a pattern and allowed her to show beginners exactly how to cut the fabric and make the thank you cards. Even though the group already put together 20 pillows, Tabor said she hopes the volunteers will present the project to church and sewing groups of their own.
“Twenty pillow cases (is) a good start,” she said. “We just wanted to have a day to get started. (We hope) that it will just snowball.”
Triana said she’s holding onto the 20 pillow cases in hopes that more will trickle in. By getting the word out, she hopes other groups, such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary, would want to pitch in as well.
Rather than mailing the pillows to the project’s headquarters in Chicago, Triana said she hopes Soldotna’s pillows can be used to benefit Alaska veterans. She said Tabor heard of a transitional home for wounded soldiers in Alaska that could use the pillows.
“A lot of them transition back into the military and (the home) is full,” Triana said. “(We’re) hoping that maybe in working with the Patriotic Pillow Project, we could find a way to keep them in Alaska.”
Laura McIndoe, another home economics teacher at Soldotna Middle School, said she helped make pillows and set up the night before the volunteer session. The Patriotic Pillow Project is a great way for elders and others in the community to help out even if they can’t sew, she said.
“I just think it’s a nice comforting thought from home,” she said, adding that if volunteers wanted to sew, no sewing experience is necessary. “If you can learn how to sew a straight line, you can sew strips together. If you can use a drill, you can use a sewing machine.”
Apart from the fact that a Community Schools event is going to help a good cause, Triana said she’s happy that someone from the community came up with the idea in the first place. Community Schools isn’t just a program that offers classes, it’s something members of the community can use to pass on their hobbies and talents to others.
“It’s really like clay,” she said. “It’s molded by the community, by what they want and what they ask for.”
The Patriotic Pillow Project isn’t the only example of the community utilizing the Community Schools for their own projects. Triana said a representative from Hope Community Resources asked to set up a gym night that would give his clients, developmentally disabled individuals, a chance to exercise and shoot some baskets.
“He called me just looking for a room to use,” she said. “(We) partnered with Hope and we are offering a family night, an open gym every Monday.”
Triana said anyone who’s interested in putting together an activity through Soldotna Community Schools should e-mail her. Anyone with a hobby or a talent like scrapbooking or knitting could teach a class.
“(It’s) kind of that finger on the pulse,” Triana said. “What does the community need? What does the community want? Let’s put it together and make it happen.”
For pillow patterns, volunteers can visit www.patrioticpillowproject.org or e-mail Triana at ctriana@ci.soldotna.ak.us.
Jessica Cejnar can be reached at jessica.cejnar@peninsulaclarion.com.