An Excerpt from Michael Yon Reporter Afghanistan

The U.S. Marines are flooding in, and you might think that every Marine helicopter in our arsenal is here. I’ll not give numbers and types other than to say the line of aircraft is long and formidable.
The U.S. Marines are a spectacle for the U.S. Army and also the British Army. The Marines will come in and live like pure animals, and build a base around themselves, whereas the British and American Armies will tend to build at least part of the base before coming in. One Marine commander told me that during the early part of this war, his men didn’t even shower for three months. We talked for a couple of hours and he was proud that his Marines didn’t need a shower for three months, and that his Marines killed a lot of Taliban and managed to lose only one good man. That’s the Marines. They’ll show up in force with no warning, and their reputation with U.S. Army and Brits who have fought alongside them is stellar. A NPR photographer who just spent more than three weeks with the Marines could not praise them enough, saying he’d been with them in Iraq, too, and that when Marines take casualties, their reaction is to continue to attack. They try to stay in contact until they finish the enemy, no matter how long it takes. Truly they are animals when it comes to the fight. Other than that, great guys. Tonight at dinner, a young Marine Lance Corporal sat in front of me at the crowded dining facility. “Good evening, Sir,” he said. I asked, “Are you living like animals out there?” “Livin’ the dream, Sir!” They are fantastic.

U.S. Marines what else can you say!

Make a difference!

Some people spend their entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference? The Marines don't have that problem!
-President Rondald Regan

Manny called from Afghanistan July 22, 2009

5:10 am in the morning...who cares!! Finally a phone call from Manny..He told me he probably wouldn't be able to call the whole time he was gone we knew he was in Southern Afghanistan but found out he was one of the 4,000 that marched across the Helmand Province for days...when most of us were enjoying the fourth of July weekend our son was bathed in sweat and extreme heat with a 100 pound pack on his back, walking for days protecting our rights to our freedom. He seemed disappointed that no letters had reached us yet, but then he hadn't received anything from home including motomail since June 16. They are awaiting supplies and mail from home, we know they are having issues getting these marines the supplies and equipment they need..I think the phone calls were a shot at a moral booster, it worked, on both ends. So friends and family of Manny, keep up the good work and keep sending that mail! He will get it eventually. A special thanks to John Curtis from Manny ,thanks man! Loading 70 GB's of music into that ipod for him ,well it is on it's way! HE say's hi to all his friends back home and love to Dad and his sisters, all of them. Oh and Diane, Congratulations!