The War on Terror? Nobody says it better...

Lest We Forget Who We are Fighting and Why We Fight

Airman Update

I got word today that if things continue to go well, Jon will be out of ICU sometime next week. He is just overwhelmed with gratitude for all the letters and emails of support he's been receiving, and his family just can't believe all the wonderful well wishes coming their way. This outpouring of love and support would never have happened without LGF and the rest of the blogs that picked up the LGF link, Michelle Malkin, Blackfive, Free Republic, and others I'm sure I'm missing. Also, a special thanks to Patrick Poole. Like Jon, I also have a grateful heart for all you country loving patriotic Americans. Thanks to all of you.

Prayer Time. Airman and Dear Friend Shot in New Jersey

How ironic to be posting this when my previous post was a video I put together of Americans thanking our troops. On the same day I posted that video, unbeknownst to me, my son's best friend, Airman Jonathan Schrieken, 22, was shot by an anti-war, anti-government leftist lunatic. Jon, stationed in New Jersey at Fort Dix/McGuire Air Force Base, was shot by this crazed anti-military white guy on Independence Day and Jon remains in critical condition. He had been on leave here in Ohio and got back to his home off base and was unpacking stuff from his car when this 22 year old guy walked up to him and asked him if he lived in the house. When Jon said yes, the guy said “not any more” and shot him point blank in the chest. He tried to shoot him again, but his gun jammed. Jonathan made it into the house. The guy then shot himself. The guy, Matthew J. Marren, 22, left a couple of suicide notes stating how much he hated all things U.S. Government. He wanted to go out making a statement. So he chose to make his statement on Independence Day trying to kill a soldier. We are very worried about our Airman. He’s the sweetest, nicest, do anything for ya kid and he’s like a son to me. He’s been to Iraq and Afghanistan on our behalf and then gets shot in his own driveway here in the U.S by an anti-war, anti-American lunatic. This is gut wrenching.

Update: Below is the article from MSNBC.com's Philly section, via LGF:

WILLINGBORO — The Pennsauken man who shot and wounded a member of the U.S. Air Force before killing himself left suicide notes that indicated he was “angry at the government and wanted to make a statement” on Independence Day, one of the man’s relatives said yesterday. ...

Marren’s aunt, Terina Henderson of Trion, Ga., said she spoke to Marren’s mother yesterday who told her Marren left two notes, one in his home and one in his car, indicating he was upset with the government.

She said she did not know the exact wording in the notes, but said Marren was “mad at the government and wanted to make a statement ... that’s why he did what he did on the Fourth of July.”

She did not know if Marren knew Schrieken or whether Marren shot him because he was affiliated with the military.

The circumstances and motive for the shooting were under investigation, Milavsky said yesterday. He confirmed the existence of two suicide notes, but declined to discuss the contents due to the ongoing investigation. “I can confirm that two notes were left and that they were indicative of an individual suffering from mental-health problems,” he said.

Independence Day Messages of Love and Support to Our Troops from Grateful Americans

July 3, 2007. Independence Day fireworks celebration in downtown Columbus, Ohio. I shot this video last night, and I hope these messages reach the troops. You are not forgotten.

Governor Strickland Praises Terrorist Supporters but Snubs Our Fallen Heroes

On Saturday, June 30, 2007, in Sunbury, hundreds turned out at the Ohio Fallen Heroes Memorial Dedication to honor and pay tribute to Ohio's fallen heroes in the war on terror. However, Governor Ted Strickland was MIA. Although he had committed to attend and was listed in the program, he was nowhere to be seen. I was curious why the Governor "couldn't make it," so I asked. Turns out he canceled at the last minute (and didn't even send a rep). According to Jerry Bowman, Lieutenant Corporal, Retired, and Committee member of the OFHM, Governor Strickland cited "budget" work as his excuse, even though, the Dispatch reported the budget had breezed through on Wednesday. Yet this same Governor just two weeks ago, in the midst of working on the budget, managed to find time to attend CAIR's banquet and praise them for their work. CAIR, the Council on American Islamic Relations, has known ties to terrorists, refuses to denounce Hamas and Hizbollah as terrorist's groups, and has recently been named by Federal Prosecutors as co-conspirators in Hamas terrorist fund raising activities. Governor Strickland praises CAIR and snubs our Gold Star Families. Here is one of the fathers of a fallen hero that Governor Strickland snubbed.

Jerry Bowman also told me that he read Governor Strickland was planning a victory lap around the state to celebrate the budget. The Governor seems to have forgotten that the reason he lives free to do victory laps or anything else he wants to do is because of the 189 fallen Ohio soldiers and their comrades in the war on terror that he couldn't find time to honor. Or maybe the Governor couldn't find the time because he agrees with his Democrat comrade John Edwards that the war on terror is nothing more than a bumper sticker slogan. How else could he praise CAIR terrorist supporters and snub our fallen heroes and their families? Although the Governor may have forgotten the sacrifices made, we will never forget. Never.