Hi Janie,

I do have one picture of me from when I was in Saudi. That's me on the left. This pilot just got out of his plane. I'm sure you see that he's not wearing the average flight suit. Unfortunately, due to security concerns, I can't get into details about why he wears a different suit or what plane he was flying. Also, the bottle he's holding in his hand is NON-alcoholic beer of course since there's no alcohol allowed in Saudi. That's the nose of his plane behind us. They use colored chalk and do their own artwork.
And lastly, it looks like I'm holding his hand, BUT I'M NOT! LOL. It's just the angle of the picture!!!
Have a great weekend! John
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~

PLEASE WEAR A POPPY

"Please wear a poppy," the lady said
And held one forth, but I shook my head.
Then I stopped and watched as she offered them there,
And her face was old and lined with care;
But beneath the scars the years had made
There remained a smile that refused to fade.

A boy came whistling down the street,
Bouncing along on care-free feet.
His smile was full of joy and fun,
"Lady," said he, "may I have one?"
When she's pinned it on he turned to say,
"Why do we wear a poppy today?"

The lady smiled in her wistful way
And answered, "This is Remembrance Day,
And the poppy there is the symbol for
The gallant men who died in war.
And because they did, you and I are free -
That's why we wear a poppy, you see.

"I had a boy about your size,
With golden hair and big blue eyes.
He loved to play and jump and shout,
Free as a bird he would race about.
As the years went by he learned and grew
and became a man - as you will, too.

"He was fine and strong, with a boyish smile,
But he'd seemed with us such a little while
When war broke out and he went away.
I still remember his face that day
When he smiled at me and said, Goodbye,
I'll be back soon, Mom, so please don't cry.

"But the war went on and he had to stay,
And all I could do was wait and pray.
His letters told of the awful fight,
(I can see it still in my dreams at night),
With the tanks and guns and cruel barbed wire,
And the mines and bullets, the bombs and fire.

"Till at last, at last, the war was won-
And that's why we wear a poppy son."
The small boy turned as if to go,
Then said, "Thanks, lady, I'm glad to know.
That sure did sound like an awful fight,
But your son - did he come back all right?"

A tear rolled down each faded check;
She shook her head, but didn't speak.
I slunk away in a sort of shame,
And if you were me you'd have done the same;
For our thanks, in giving, if oft delayed,
Thought our freedom was bought - and thousands paid!

And so when we see a poppy worn,
Let us reflect on the burden borne,
By those who gave their very all
When asked to answer their country's call
That we at home in peace might live.
Then wear a poppy! Remember - and give!

by Don Crawford

John also shares the following information:

Golden Corral Offer. The Golden Corral restaurants, in partnership with the Disabled American Veterans, have set a Military Appreciation Night from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. on November 12. Participating restaurants of the 40-state chain will feature a free dinner buffet for veterans and active duty service members. Visit http://www.goldencorral.net/PromoSpec.htm or call a nearby Golden Corral.

Anheuser-Busch offer extended. Anheuser-Bush has offered free admissions to its parks at SeaWorld in Orlando, Fla., San Antonio and San Diego; and Busch Gardens in Tampa, Fla., and Williamsburg, Va. for active duty service members and their families. Initially the company announced that active-duty members could visit the parks an unlimited number of times through December 31, and their immediate families, when accompanied by the member, could visit one time free through December 31. The offer now runs to May 31 for deployed members and their families. Furthermore, the immediate family will receive free admission on the first visit and a 25-percent discount on all other visits. For free admission through December 31, active-duty members can show military identification at one of the parks to receive a "passport" good through the end of the year. For more information, contact one of the parks.

Other Ways to Support the Troops. With the suspension of "Operation Dear Abby" and "Any Service Member" (previous item), defense officials are proposing other methods of supporting the war effort. For example, civilians can replace deployed service members who had been visiting local Veterans Administration hospitals and nursing homes, coaching children's sports teams, feeding the homeless, or volunteering for other community outreach programs. Local government and business officials, on their part, can request local military members to speak at community events, while encouraging citizens to learn more about America's military. In addition, citizens can offer support to military families that have a member deployed overseas. Another avenue is to contribute to military relief societies.