Mariupol teeters as Ukrainians defy surrender-or-die demand

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Russian ship sinks after battling a fire that Ukrainian forces claim was caused by their missile attack
A Russian cruiser that Ukrainian forces claim they hit with two missiles has sunk, the Russian Defense Ministry reported Thursday.

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DOD identifies remains of WWII pilot and Medal of Honor recipient Addison Baker

On April 8, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency identified the remains of Lt. Col. Addison Baker, a posthumous Medal of Honor recipient from World War II.

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North Korea tests ‘tactical guided’ weapons, condemns US-South Korean drills
The initial estimates peg the projectiles as more limited in range than a launch March 24 of an intercontinental ballistic missile that was theoretically capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.  North Korea has conducted at least 11 other rounds of missile tests so far this year.

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Mariupol teeters as Ukrainians defy surrender-or-die demand

If Mariupol is captured, Russian forces there are expected to join an all-out offensive in the coming days for control of the Donbas, the eastern industrial region that the Kremlin is bent on taking after failing in its bid to seize Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital.

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In Lviv, displaced artists create anti-war, anti-Russian work

Ukrainians feel a need to tell the world — and especially Russians — what has happened here. The country’s contemporary artists find themselves at the forefront of that storytelling mission.

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US troops to train Ukrainian forces on howitzers in coming days
The training, which will occur outside Ukraine, will teach Ukrainian forces to operate the 155mm howitzers. They will then return to the fight and train other Ukrainians to use the American cannons, the official said.

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Zelenskky: Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine has begun

Russia launched its long-feared, full-scale offensive to take control of Ukraine’s east on Monday, attacking along a broad front over 300 miles long, Ukrainian officials said in what marked the opening of a new and potentially climactic phase of the war.

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Two short stories about my own Uncles who fought in WWII. They are my heroes.

My Uncles in WWII

My Uncle Dwight Wood was a WWII veteran. He had a hard time sharing his time in the military, so I wasn’t able to interview him directly, but I did get some idea of what he went through to help defend our country.

Uncle Dwight was the driver of a tank during the war. One day he was in the tank with two other soldiers. A Japanese soldier climbed onto the top of the tank and threw a grenade down into the tank where they were. The grenade instantly killed one of the men right next to my uncle, and my uncle and the other men were wounded with fragments from the grenade. My uncle was given the Purple Heart, and to his death he would not talk too much about his time in the military. The event of seeing his buddy killed right before his eyes was too overwhelming, and it had haunted him until his death. They didn’t even know what PTSD was back in WWII. It was called, “Shell Shock,” back then.  This is a classic case that shows that thousands of WWII veterans surely lived with PTSD all of their lives. 

Another person who was a WWII veteran was my Uncle Claude.  He was a Seabee. The Seabees were an extremely important part of the military. They built bridges, forged roads through the brush. They built sleeping quarters for the troops. It hard to say how many lives were affected by their heroics, but they were very much admired by the rest of the troops.  I never got to ask him any question about his time.

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I will be sharing some more endorsements in my next post. Be sure to come back and check them out. Better yet…go to the top of this page and click on subscribe. When you do all future posts will come directly to you inbox.

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Checking in on you. How are you doing? Is everything going OK, or are you struggling?

FEAR NOT!

There are over 14,345 veterans on this site who have your back.

Here is what I am asking you to do…please share this site with as many other veterans as you can. It has helped so many.

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If you are battling mentally, but you are losing, GET HELP!!

Here is a toll free number that you can call 24/7. There are highly qualified counselors there to help you, and they will not hang up until they know you are OK.

1-800-273-8255…texting 838255.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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Europe Moves to Arm Ukraine as Sanctions Fail to Sway Putin’s Insane Tactics

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Military news…

Russian warship told to ‘go fuck yourself’ was either fucked by Ukraine or by itself

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Tokyo orders Okinawa governor to approve changes for Marine Corps runway

The Japanese government ordered Gov. Denny Tamaki to approve design changes for an airfield that will replace Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.

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Mariupol mayor says siege has killed more than 10K civilians

The mayor’s comments emerged as Russia claimed that it destroyed several Ukrainian air-defense systems in what appeared to be a renewed push to gain air superiority and take out weapons Kyiv has described as crucial ahead of an expected broad new offensive in the east.

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Europe moves to arm Ukraine as sanctions fail to sway Putin

Ukraine’s allies in Europe are moving beyond their usual emphasis on diplomacy and sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with a new focus on urgently arming Kyiv as the best chance at changing Vladimir Putin’s decision-making.

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US lawmakers call for deliveries of heavy weapons to Ukraine as war pivots east; Biden announces another $800M in aid

The fight over the contested Donbas region is expected to be a protracted ground war between infantry and artillery on flat, open terrain, according to Pentagon and Ukrainian officials.

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Giant Ukrainian cargo plane touches down at US air base in western Tokyo

The world’s largest production transport airplane dwarfed the Super Hercules cargo planes and Osprey tiltrotor aircraft at Yokota Air Base in Japan.

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House lawmakers consider four bills that provide greater support for military sexual trauma survivors

House lawmakers are considering four bills that could help veterans suffering from the effects of sexual trauma in the military by improving the process for receiving benefits and providing greater support to victims.

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Here is another endorsement for my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life, from a dear friend who fought hard for our country.

Many of my fellow veterans are suffering from wounds, mental anguish, and loneliness. This book is an ideal book to reach out and help veterans. It shares thoughts and ideas on how to cope in this not so friendly world. I personally know Doug Bolton the author, and I highly recommend this book.

George Woodruff
WWII and Korean veteran

Carollton, Georgia

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Keep coming back to read another endorsements, and the progress of getting my book out to you. Better yet…go to the top of this page and click on Subscribe. When you do all future posts will go directly to you inbox.

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Checking in on you. How are you doing? Is everything going OK, or are you struggling?

FEAR NOT!

There are over 14,285 veterans on this site who have your back.

Here is what I am asking you to do…please share this site with as many other veterans as you can. It has helped so many.

______________________________________________________________

If you are battling mentally, but you are losing, GET HELP!!

Here is a toll free number that you can call 24/7. There are highly qualified counselors there to help you, and they will not hang up until they know you are OK.

1-800-273-8255…texting 838255.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

One of the Biggest Battles That A Soldier Faces is Fear

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Military news…

The Pentagon is now calling Russia an ‘acute threat’


‘Russia poses acute threats, as illustrated by its brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.’

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Ukraine crisis aside, China remains the ‘primary challenge’ for the US, experts say

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is the immediate concern for global leaders, but the U.S. will continue to focus on China and the Indo-Pacific as its most important competitive arena, international relations experts said.

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NATO steps up defenses over concerns Russia may use chemical attacks
NATO is activating nuclear, biological and chemical defenses in response to concerns that Russia may be preparing a chemical attack on Ukraine, a potential action that the alliance’s top official said Thursday could put neighboring nations at risk.

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North Korea’s latest launch may be a ‘new type’ of intercontinental missile

South Korea answered its northern neighbor’s latest intercontinental ballistic missile test Thursday with a volley of its own as a show of force, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

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Review of suicide among troops to focus on Army bases in Alaska, South Korea

An independent review ordered this week by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will seek out ideas to stem the increasing number of suicides among soldiers stationed in Alaska and South Korea, as well as some stateside installations.

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US general: Ukraine resistance highlights need to prepare

Ukraine’s stiff resistance to the Russian invasion, which has turned Moscow’s advance into a grinding war of attrition, has underscored the importance to American allies of the need to be prepared for any eventuality, the top U.S. Army commander in the Pacific said Friday.

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Biden on Russia’s Putin: `This man cannot remain in power’
President Joe Biden on Saturday dramatically escalated his rhetoric against Vladimir Putin, calling for the Russian leader to be removed because of his brutal invasion of Ukraine.

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Sitting on a Military Plane Ready to Fly to the Bay of Pigs

I know of some of the fears you face or have faced as a soldier. I have had my share of scary times while in uniform for my country.

I had put in three years of active duty, and was very near to my discharge date while at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. As a matter of fact the discharge date was just days away.

It seemed like a normal day of “putting in your time,” but then there came a sound that I never want to hear again. It was the intercom in our section of the company I was stationed with saying, “This is an alert.” This is not a drill, all personnel report to headquarters for a briefing right away.”

I couldn’t think of why there would be any problems that serious happening, and still thought it was a drill as I ran towards the headquarters building.

When we all assembled, the commander went to the podium and spoke.

“I am here to inform you that all leaves and weekend passes are concealed. We have received a message from the commanding General of the Army to stand by for a possible mission to the Bay of Pigs. This is a very serious mission, which will put you in combat and in harm’s way. Our unit is being deployed, to help monitor the security of the communications while there. We will serve in the field headquarters of the mission. You have about two hours to go home to pack your full field clothes and equipment. Dismissed!”

That was it. No more explanations or chances to ask questions.

I drove home quickly, packed all my gear in a duffel bag.

I got back to the headquarters, and it looked like pandemonium and chaos had sat in, with soldiers running everywhere.  

A few minutes later everyone had made it there and we were all in formation. The commander then told us to come to attention.

We all headed to buses that were waiting to take us to the military airport on base. When we got there, we unloaded and marched to the area of several planes. They had us board the planes with full gear and field uniforms on. The pilot came on to tell us that we will be in a combat area when we land at the Bay of Pigs.

I sat down in my area, and was holding my weapon (M-1 rifle) between my legs. I was numb with fear and anxiety. I had never thought I would actually be in a conflict where I could die.

The plane started its engines. The plane shook as the engines roared to get up to the speed they needed to get off the ground. It taxied to the runway and stopped.

Then we waited for the pilot to push the throttle. We sat there for what seemed like hours. I could see the fear, in the eyes in the soldiers around me. I was only about twenty years old then, and began to see my life unfold before me. I had thoughts of not coming back. I had thoughts of my loved ones I would never see again.

The plane was shaking from the vibrations of the motors. I said a prayer because it looked like we were going to take off. The plane was moving. However, it was not going done the runway. It was heading back to the area where we boarded.

The pilot came on the intercom and said that the mission had been aborted, and we were going back to our companies.

I felt such relief along with men and women around me who were yelling for joy. We were safe and heading back to our homes.

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I only shared this story because I know some of you have gone through the same thing. You also have been sent into combat, and faced the fear of not coming back. I was very lucky, but many of you actually left the ground in your plane, and headed into harm’s way.

Fear is something that is hard to control. Even the most-brave face it. We all have been there in some capacity.

It could be the doctor’s appointment that has information on your health. It also could be the times when you have to leave your loved ones for any mission. It may be the crises of your marriage when your spouse is tired of going through the pain of wondering if you will come back alive.

Did you know that Jesus faced fear? He even asked God to take away the fear by relieving Him of the cup of the responsibility God had placed on Him. He sweated blood during that prayer. God heard the prayer, but let Jesus go through the fear, pain and agony of going to the cross and dying for you and me. 

I am not making it sound like we shouldn’t be afraid. I know we are quite often. I am not saying you are a bad person if you are afraid of something. We all have our spots where we fear the unknown.

I think that is the key. It is the “unknown.” It’s not knowing what will happen next.

What I have learned from so many times of facing fear is that 99% of what we fear never happens. We just need to give the other 01% over to God.

Is it that simple? I can honestly tell you that it is. God has big shoulders. He wants to take the burdens of our day away from us. We just need to depend on Him to keep His promises and know that He will never put us in a situation that we can’t handle with His help.

IWILL

Facing the unknown in life can be very hard. We aren’t built to take on such scary things at times. We just need to rely on God to see us through the dark clouds we face. He knows which way we need to go to avoid harm.

Think on this

Isn’t it interesting that having fear is what we really need to fear?   

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Checking in on you. How are you doing? Did you face some fears while in the military?

FEAR NOT!

There are over 14,200 veterans on this site who have your back.

Here is what I am asking you to do…please share this site with as many other veterans as you can. It has helped so many.

______________________________________________________________

If you are battling mentally, but you are losing, GET HELP!!

Here is a toll free number that you can call 24/7. There are highly qualified counselors there to help you, and they will not hang up until they know you are OK.

1-800-273-8255…texting 838255.

______________________________________________________________

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

________________________________________________________________

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.