How Could They?

UPDATE: DoD News is has a link for the group called Operation Honor a Hero, who is collecting messages and letters to honor our soldiers.
Also, Lauren (MyWay716@aol.com) has received over 350 emails for the family of Sgt. Rickey Jones! This is awesome.
Please show our military men and women and their families just how important they are to us. Also, consider "adopting" a soldier, they love getting cards and letters!


CJ at A Soldier's Perspective has an article about a family who not only lost their son in service to our country, but they have had their home vandalized, horrible anonymous calls and threats of having their son's funeral invaded by protesters.

Associated Press
KOKOMO, Ind. — Police posted an around-the-clock security watch at the home of an Indiana soldier killed last week in Iraq after it was vandalized and his family received disturbing phone calls.

The home of Sgt. Rickey Jones was egged Saturday, three days after Jones’ family learned the 21-year-old and three other soldiers had been killed by a roadside bomb north of Baghdad. His family also received phone calls in which the caller said: “I’m glad your son is dead.”

The actions drew the attention of their congressman, Rep. Steve Buyer, a Republican who also chairs the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

“It is outrageous, appalling and indecent for an American citizen to commit crimes and perversions against a family grieving at the loss of their son,” Buyer said.

On Thursday, he spoke on the House floor asking his fellow lawmakers to stand and observe a moment of silence “to condemn these despicable acts.”

“A great virtue of the American character is our compassion. It is how we care for each other in good times and in difficult times,” he said. “It is our compassion and human decency that represents the very best of our nation.”

Jones’ relatives and police are bracing for the possibility that a Topeka, Kan.-based group will protest at his funeral Monday.

I don't care if you hate George Bush. Don't care if you hate the war. I don't care if you can't stand the military. You do not do this to other human beings out of just sheer common decency. CJ is trying to find out where cards and letters of support can be sent to show this family that they are appreciated and cared for and respected and that we grieve with them in the loss of their son. Here is CJ's request:

"I am trying to help organize a letter writing campaign to the family of SGT Rickey Jones. As you may have read earlier, their home was vandalized by idiots who wouldn’t understand patriotism if it flew a plane through their bedroom window.

If you own a blog, please post this effort on your respective blogs and ask your readers to post it on their blogs. If you are as disgusted as I am and would like to write a letter to have delivered to this family, please email Lauren (MyWay716@aol.com) for more information. The good people over at Operation Military Pride are helping facilitate the delivery of these letters.

This family recently lost a son and shouldn’t have to deal with people like Fred Phelps and the people responsible for the egging of their home and irreverent phone calls. If you feel the same way I do, please email her and write this family a letter of support and love. Let them know that we appreciate their son’s service and mourn their loss. Let’s show them what America is really made of. This isn’t about whether or not you support the war. This is about common decency for a family that has suffered the ultimate sacrifice…having to bury a child. Thank you in advance. When this is over, I want the post office to have to hire new postmen just to handle the volume. Yes, it’s a challenge, as LinkedinUSAF would say."

So, please, send a note of encouragement, even if you don't like Bush or the war, it's the right thing to do!

h/t: Wordsmith at Sparks from the Anvil

Tags: military, family, Iraq