A Quarterly Published By and For Members of the Combat Medic Association "MEDICS NEVER STAND TALLER THEN WHEN  THEY KNEEL TO TREAT THE WOUNDED"

Vacancies
                                             Members are needed for the following Committees:
            Membership: 3 Members,  Publicity: 3 Members,   Finance: 2 Members,   Nominating: 4 Members   News Letter Editor:

Como Bunker  The direct link between CMA’s Officers and the membership  "Remember this link works both ways".

We now have members in twenty-eight States and five Foreign Countries. The time has arrived to establish CMA Chapters.
Any member interested in starting a chapter, let us hear from you. You can get some guidelines from our Constitution published on our Web-Site. www.combatmedic.org  or  www.searchour.net
                                                                                                                                                                           T. Daniel McGinley
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                                                                           The Fisher House

I first learned about the Fisher House Foundation from Gary Beikirich ( one of our Board Members). Gary, a Medal of Honor recipient, gave a speech at a Fisher House Fund Raiser.

The Fisher House Foundation, builds houses (at no charge) to provide military families an affordable place to stay, while visiting their wounded son’s and daughters in Military and VA hospitals. At present, there are 32 existing Fisher Houses throughout the world. One is located at Fort Bragg NC.

Since the Combat Medic, was in contact with the service member as soon as the wound is inflicted, I felt it only fitting, the Combat Medic Association, continue it’s contact with the wounded service member and their families. I contacted the Fort Bragg Fisher House and offered our help.

Our help will be, but not limited to, taking them to dinner, picnics, cook-outs, baseball games, site seeing and similar outings. We plan on requesting other Veteran Organizations to invite them to their festivities. Because of funding, we will limit our invitations to the combat wounded and their families.

I have also contacted the North Carolina Commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart and asked for permission to form a new MOPH chapter at Fort Bragg North Carolina. Commander Joe Idol agreed, Fort Bragg Chapter 2226, Military Order of the Purple Heart is now a reality...Well almost a reality

In order to get a New Chapter Charter, we have to have, a minimum of twelve (12) members. The members do not have to live in North Carlina. They may already be members of MOPH, no problem, if they are willing to transfer to Fort Bragg Chapter 2226.

“WE NEED YOUR HELP” Please join our new MOPH Chapter and become a Charter Member. I know you probably belong to many Veteran Organizations. You may say, “I don’t need another organization added to my list.” That may be true, but WE NEED YOU.

The main target of the Fort Bragg Chapter is the young Service Member and Veteran. We were given permission from MOPH National Headquarters, to offer a “Free, One Year Membership” to any Service Member that was wounded in Afghanistan or Iraq, between 2001 and present date. If you know a service member or veteran that fall within the above time frame, please have them contact us.

THANK YOU for helping us, help our men and women, serving this great nation.

God Bless them all, and God Bless America... please.

                         Daniel T. McGinley

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Team House
The activity at our Team House is picking up. If you find yourself in Fayetteville NC during your travels, stop and pay us a visit.
In addition to a well stocked, fluid replacement center (bar), Our hours are very flexible. We will open when you arrive and close when you leave
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“Are You Doing Your Part"
Recruiting New Members?”
Applications on our Web-Site
www.combatmedic.org  or www.searchour.net


Members that do not have a computer, can visit our Web-Site at any public Library. 
Or perhaps a son, daughter, or grandchild will print you a copy from our web-site. 
 I'll promise you one thing, I will get the News Letter back in the mail as soon as time permits. 
                                                                   * * * * *                                                                                                                                                             
Membership Clarification
The Combat Zone has expanded. It now includes our beloved land the USA. We must expand with it. Our membership is open to Military Veterans,
Active Duty Personnel, members of the National Guard and Reserve that have been awarded one or more of the following;

 CMB (Combat Medic Badge)
CAB (Combat Action Badge, while serving as a Medic)
18D or 91BS (SF Occupational Specialty)
EFMB (Expert Field Medical Badge)
Citation For Valor (while serving as a Medic)
POW Medal (while serving as a Medic)
Purple Heart (while serving as a Medic)
Soldiers Medal (while serving as a Medic)

                                                      * * * * *                                                                                                   
    Life Membership
It’s easy to forget to pay your dues on time. One way to get around this yearly chore is to become a Life Member.
At present, Life Membership is $100.00.

Along with your Life Membership, you will be given a Life Certificate suitable for framing.
This full color certificate hanging on your wall tells the world of your pride in CMA Membership.
                            * * * * *                               
   

Welcome New Members
“we are glad you have joined us”
“We now have 139 Members”

Our Members Have Earned;
90 Combat Medic Badges
1 CAB (Combat Action Badge,)
70 Special Forces Tabs
25 Expert Field Medical Badges
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Units Our Members Have Served With;
Special Forces Groups, Projects, & Det. , 302nd, 77th, 3rd, 1st, 5th, 6th, 7th,10th, 11th, 12th, 19th, 20th, & 46Co, 8240th Army
Unit, MACV SOG , JFKC Fort Bragg, Special Forces School Branch. MILGRP-EL-SAL
403rd SOD, Mike Force
ARMY Units; 11th Evac Hosp, 18th Abn Cps, 1st ID, 2nd ID, 3rd ID, 4th ID, 4th ID (Mech), 7th ID, 9th ID, 25th ID, 33rd ID,
42nd Task Force, 45th ID, 8th Army, 19th MTB, 357 MTC, 30th Field Hosp, 36th Med BT, 44th Surgical Hosp,
173rd Abn, 82nd Airborne, 101st Airborne, 
104th Aviation, UNPIK, TRADO, 2nd Arm Div , 48th CSH, 782nd Surgical Team, 947th FTS, 196th ID, 9th Cav, 11ACR,  274th Med

      * * * * *
DD-214 Now Available Online
The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) has provided the following website for veterans to gain access their DD-214 online: http://vetrecs.archives.gov/ . This may be particularly helpful when a veteran needs a copy of his DD-214 for employment purposes. NPRC is working to make it easier for veterans with computers and Internet access to obtain copies of documents from their military files. Military veterans and the next of kin of deceased former military members may now use a new online military personnel records system to request documents. Other individuals with a need for documents must still complete the Standard Form 180 which can be downloaded from the online web site. Because the requester will be asked to supply all information essential for NPRC to process the request, delays that normally occur when NPRC has to ask veterans for additional information will be minimized. The new web-based application was designed to provide better service on these requests by eliminating the records center's mailroom processing
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Spotlight
The spot light is on our troops in Iraq who are dealing with the bastard of Bagdad. Lets not forget our other gallant troops defending freedom in other parts of the world. American service members in Afghanistan, South Korea and many other parts of the world and on the high seas, display their heroism daily. God bless all our troops overseas and at home.
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Veteran Entitlements
While in uniform the Defense Department is looking out for your needs and fighting Congress for funds to support their effort. But what happens when the uniform comes off?   Who is going to fight for your earned Veteran entitlements? You can’t go it alone. You would be well advised to find a Veterans Organization that suits your needs. Being part of a large body will insure the politician will listen to the Veteran issues. You might think, “Veteran organizations are full of old people, I have nothing in common with them.” You would be partially right. They may be on the older side. That will change as soon as you join them. As soon as that uniform comes off, you will have a lot in common with them. You will all be Veterans, struggling for your piece of the pie. Now the big surprise. All them old Vets were as young as you a few years ago. Think it over, join a Veterans organization. Be part of the solution not the problem.
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Active Duty Link Dedicated To All Americas Service Members, Serving Our Great Nation, throughout the world. “We Are Proud Of You All”

                                         * * * * *
Attention Active duty members. Please send us your name and assigned unit and we will list it here.
The Combat Medic Association and 95 percent of Americas, are proud of you and your service to our nation.
The other 5 % are scum bags, aiding and abiding the enemy.
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Homeland Defense Those who take the time to prepare will be able to help others in future crises and  may very well save many lives. Those who do not prepare are more likely to  panic in a crisis and become part of the problem rather than part of the solution ––  they are more likely to become victims.

Some HOME DEFENSE Web-Sites
                                                                         www.homelanddefence.com/default.htm
                                                                        www.citizencorps.gov
                                                                        www.nsc.org
                                                                        www.usaonwatch.org
                                                                       www.usafreedomcorps.gov

The above sites are full of useful information on how to keep your family and property protected in the event of a disaster, man made or nature.
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As the most comprehensive guide to personal emergency preparedness published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Are You Ready? will help individuals prepare themselves and their families for disasters.

Revised in September 2002, Are You Ready? provides a step-by-step outline on how to prepare a disaster supply kit, emergency planning for people with disabilities, how to locate and evacuate to a shelter, and even contingency planning for family pets. Man-made threats from hazardous materials and terrorism are also treated in detail. The guide details opportunities for every citizen to become involved in safeguarding their neighbors and communities through FEMA's Citizen Corps.

Copies of Are You Ready? A Guide to Citizen Preparedness are available through the FEMA Publications warehouse (1.800.480.2520), FEMA publication H-34.

Organize and prepare your family. Start working on a neighborhood plan. Even a poor plan is better than no plan at all.

Don’t forget the elderly and the handicapped in your neighborhood. Include them in your plan.

By all means don’t let the Terrorist boasters get to you.   Don’t be intimidated, be prepared.
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Speak Out Be there thousand-fold abuse of free speech than denial of free speech. The abuse dies in a day, but the denial stays the life of the people, and entombs the hope of the nation.

America is being destroyed from within! You can bet, the scum bags and special interest vultures are registered and are voting If you are a registered Voter and you don’t Vote, you are part of the problem. Study the records of the candidates, and VOTE Don't be afraid to cross party lines

                                                                                                             Salad Bowl

In reference to immigrants arriving in America, someone wrote;
"The metaphor of the melting pot is unfortunate and misleading. A more accurate analogy would be a salad bowl, for, though the salad is an entity, the lettuce can still be distinguished from the chicory, from the tomatoes from the cabbage from the cucumber, from the radish, etc." That impressed me, beats molten iron.”

When building a salad, the quality of the ingredients is par- amount. Wilted lettuce or a spoiled tomato would spoil the whole dish. Too much emphasis on a single item would only cater to the person who relished the item. By the same token, improper handling could be hazardous.

It would be impossible for the salad chief to build a salad if the cucumber and the radish formed a "caucus" to force the chief to place them in a special place in the salad. Or the onion and the garlic "caucus" (not liked by most) demanded an equal portion of the bowl. The small tomato "caucus" who thinks they are superior to all, demanded top billing. Alas the lettuce, who doesn't have a "caucus" but who in fact is the majority is just tossed around.

I would like to see America tighten the immigration laws. We should be more selective of the moral quality we allow in our salad bowl. As it stands now we let in all the people other countries don't want, their criminals, their diseased, their cowards. Now don't get mad, let's examine my charges.

Remember Cuba? Castro emptied his jails and let them come to the U.S. We had to put most of that unruly crowd in our jails. Even that didn't stop them from rioting, burning, and killing. By the way we are still paying for their upkeep. It would make sense to send them back to dear old Cuba.

How about the mass of people who left Haiti? Our Navy and Coast Guard picked them from the sea. Held them at our Navy base in Cuba for processing. Some were sent back to Haiti, some sent to the U.S. A few {known to have aids) were held for a short time in processing centers awaiting shipment to (you guessed it) the U.S. They also finally made it to the US. We the tax payers are still paying for that great operation.

Of course nothing compares with the present mass of illegal immigrants coming across our boarders from Mexico. Their negative effect on the economy, our school system and increase in crime is only surpassed by their dependency on our welfare programs. The sad part of this story is our politicians ignoring the problem. Business wants this cheap labor and our elected officials are looking the other way. Illegal immigrant (ingredients) will spoil the salad.

Coward, now that's a harsh name. They would like us to think of them as people looking for political asylum. If you won't stand up for what you believe in, fight the corruption in your native land, yes even to laying down the plow and picking up the musket, then I say you have earned the name "coward". Do you think this type of person (if needed) would stand up for America?, I think not.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all salads are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are healthy life, liberty of dressing choice, and the pursuit of pleasing."      
                                                                                                                                                                              T. Daniel McGinley
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                                                          Listen to Them Talk
Wouldn't it be great, being an elected member of any level of government of this great land of ours, would be a place of honor and respect and not the gutter status it now holds.
How can we teach our children to respect their government, when the government, don’t respect their-self?
I for one am tired of all this name calling and lying about each other.
It’s OK to have different views on a host of issues. But exercise a little dignity in your opposition.
                                                                                                                                                                              T. Daniel McGinley
                                                           * * * * *
 To make law's that are targeted to a particular group at the expense of the majority, is the very tool that is dividing this great land.
Law's of a nation must to be for all it's people, not a select few.                                                              T. Daniel McGinley
                                        * * * * *
                                                    "I LOVE POTATOES"
There will be some that tell you "the average person, are like small potatoes, won't make much difference to the big picture", "NOT TRUE".
If you put enough small potatoes in a pot, the pot will spill over and put out the fire that started the boiling process in the first place.  
I for one am proud to be a small potato, and will take my place in the political pot.
Come join me, together we will make this pot spill over and put out the corrupt flame that brought this nation to the boiling point.
You see the small potatoes of this great nation, are important, we can and will make a difference,
                                                                      that is if the "we's" (the small potatoes) in this great land jump into the pot together.                                                                                          T. Daniel McGinley
                                                                                         * * * * *
                                     Congress works For "You;" Let them know what you think        TIPS ON WRITING TO CONGRESS

                                                  1. Try to stick to one typewritten page. Two pages at most
                              2. In a short first paragraph, state your purpose. Stick with one subject or issue.
                                 Support your position with the rest of the letter.
                              3. If a bill is the subject, cite it by name and number.
                              4. Be factual and support your position with information about how legislation is likely
                                  to affect you and others. Avoid emotional philosophical arguments.
                              5. If you believe legislation is wrong and should be opposed. say so, indicate the likely
                                  adverse effects, and suggest a better approach.
                              6. Ask for the legislator's views but do not demand support. Remember, Senator and
                                   Representatives respond to a variety of views, and even if your position is not  supported on one issue or bill,
                                  it may be the next time.
                              7. Be sure your name and return address are legible.

The suggested address style is:

                                                           The Honorable______________
                                                           United States Senate
                                                           Washington, DC 20510

                                                           Dear Senator ________________

                 OR

                                                           The Honorable _________________
                                                           United States House of Representatives
                                                          Washington, DC 20515

                                                           Dear Representative ___________

If anyone tells you that your vote or view doesn't count, watch them they are "fools", write your Congress today.
                                                                                           T.  Daniel  McGinley
                                                                       * * * * *
                                                                                        We Will Never Win
We will never win the war on terrorism until our gutless politicians have the nerve to face the illegal immigrant problem. That is not likely to happen. They seem to think it would effect the  Hispanic vote.  That is not correct.  Americans with Hispanic background are just as worried about our America's security as the rest of us.

What needs to be done is, round them up, ship them back to Mexico or wherever they come from, then slam the boarders closed. While their about it, redo our immigration laws. I’ll bet ten to one, the Americans with Mexican heritage, who are here legally feel the same way.

The immigrant of yesteryear came to this land, rolled up their sleeves and built a nation. There are two types of immigrants today. One arrives with their family fortune and buy up everything in sight. The other comes penniless and burden our welfare system. We don’t need either one.  Nor do we need the political asylum group.   If they didn't have the guts to stay in their native land and fight for change, they sure wont fight for the American way  of life. The first question we should ask a new arrival, before we grant them citizenship is,   "what do you have to offer America, to make us a better nation.?"           We have enough weirdo's and rabble-rousers that want to change our way of life
                                                                                                                                                          T Daniel McGinley

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Who Said That?  Familiar and maybe not so familiar Quoits, Poems, and a little of this and that

Medic!
  "MEDICS NEVER STAND TALLER THEN WHEN   THEY KNEEL TO TREAT THE WOUNDED"
                                                                                                                                                                                 T Daniel McGinley
* * * * *
Leaders are like eagles, they don't flock.... you find them one at a time."
                                                                        * * * * *
We should be able to climb the ladder of success without the government removing any of the rung or penalizing us when we reach the top.
To reach our goal and then be charged for the people who didn't even attempt to get on the ladder is unacceptable.
                                                                                                                                                                      T Daniel McGinley
* * * * *
Quitting is hard to do the first time. But like everything else in life it get's easer with practice. The more you quit the better you become at it. "DON'T PRACTICE".
                                                                                                                                                                         T Daniel McGinley
* * * * *
Medic !
"When a soldier was injured and could not get back to safety, his buddy went out to get him, against his officer's orders. He returned mortally wounded, and his friend whom he had carried back, was dead. the officer was angry. "I told you not to go," he said. "Now I've lost both of you. It was not worth it." The dying man replied, but it was, sir, because when I got to him, he said,     "Jim, I knew you'd come."
                                                                                                                                                                                  Leslie D. Weatherhead
 

The Lighter Side  Any humor or an attempt at humor may mention Democrat, or Republican.  The shot will be at the “party” not the individual party member.   After all,  most of us are disappointed party members tired of self serving politicians.

         OLD SOLDIERS
If you think old soldiers fade away, you should watch one trying to get into an old uniform.
* * * * *
Mac the Chaplin said with concern. 
“At your age you should think of the here after”
Oh I do Chaplin, I do
Every time I go upstairs
I wonder... What am I here after.
* * * * *
Bagpipes
There was a young Scottish boy called Angus who decided to try life in Australia.
He found an apartment in a small block and settled in.
After a week or two, his mother called from Aberdeen to see how her son was doing in his new life.
'I'm fine, ' Angus said. 'But there are some really strange people living in these apartments.
One woman cried all day long, another lies on her floor moaning, and
there is a guy next door to me who bangs his head on the wall all the time.'
'Well, ma laddie,' says his mother, 'I suggest you don't associate with people like that.'
'Oh,' says Angus, 'I don't, Mam, I don't.
No, I just stay inside my apartment all day and night, playing my bagpipes.'
* * * * *
Isn’t That Odd?
A man stumbled up to the only other patron in the bar, and asked it he could buy him a "Drink"
"Why of course" comes the reply.
The first man then asked, "Where are you from?"
The second man answered "Ireland"
"You don't say I’m from Ireland too." replied the first man
"lets have a drink to Ireland" "Gladly" replied the second man
"What city" asked the first man. "Dublin" replied the second man
"Dublin? I'm from Dublin too." replied the first man
"What school did you go to?" asked the second man
"St. Mary's. Graduated in '62" replied the first man
"Unbelievable" the second man said "I went to St. Mary's too. Graduated in '62 also"
About this time one of the regulars entered, and sits down at the bar.
"What's been going on" he asked the bartender.
"Nothing much" replied the bartender.
"But the O'Mally twins are drunk again.
* * * * *
Those 4 letter words

A young couple got married and left on their honeymoon. When they got back, the bride immediately called her mother.
"Well, how was the honeymoon?" asked the mother.
"Oh, mama," she replied, "the honeymoon was wonderful! So romantic..."
Suddenly she burst out crying. "But, mama, as soon as we returned,
Sam started using the most horrible language. He's been saying things I've never heard before!
All these awful 4-letter words! You've got to come get me and take me home... please mama!"
"Sarah, Sarah," her mother said, "calm down! Tell me, what could be so awful?
What 4-letter words has he been using?"
"Please don't make me tell you, mama," wept the daughter, "I'm so embarrassed!
They're just too awful! You've got to come get me and take me home... please mama!"
"Darling, baby, you must tell me what has you so upset. Tell your mother these horrible 4-letter words!"
Still sobbing, the bride replied, "Oh, mama...words like...dust, wash, iron, and cook..."
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