Veterans Day 2009

Fellow Troopers,

Thank you each for your service to our Nation, to the 25th Infantry Division, to A Troop 3rd Squadron 4th Cavalry, and to your fellow soldiers.

On this Veterans Day, Americans will take time to thank you and our Nation's 24 million veterans. The service, sacrifice, commitment to duty, and love of country of these brave men and women has kept America free for over 234 years. We should never forget what we owe our veterans.

This Veterans Day take time to remember our comrades who did not return. And of course enjoy this holiday which you earned with your service and sacrifice! Thanks again,

John,

Call for Photos - Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Fellow Troopers,

The original purpose of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was that no one would ever forget the names of those brave men and women who gave their lives for our country. Forty percent of the visitors who visit the "Wall" are now too young to remember the war. The Education Center at the Wall has a goal to collect all 58,261 photographs of each name inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. We need to not only remember their names, but we need to never forget their faces.

54 of our unit's 87 casualties do not have a photograph on our web site's Memorial Page. If you have a photo of one of our comrades that did not return, submit it to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial web site or send it to our troop web site and we will submit if for you. Check our Memorial Pages for the troopers who do not have photos and check your old pictures from Vietnam. If you do not have a scanner, FedEX will scan the photo for you for free and submit it. We would also like a copy for our web site. Information is available on the "Call for Photos!" web page at the Vietnam Memorial Fund web site.

For our comrades we need 1 photo from 1965, 2 photos from 1966, 8 photos from 1967, 32 photos from 1968, 2 photos from 1969, and 7 photos from 1970. You can see which of our casualties we do not have photos of at our Memorial Page.

Your efforts in support of this project are sincerely appreciated.

Thanks,

John & Mel

September 11, 2001 - Remember

As the chaos unfolded on September 11, 2001, each and every freedom-loving American rediscovered their devotion to country. We stood together as a nation of citizens, policemen, firemen, & servicemen refusing to surrender to fear. That day, police, fire, & medical personnel answered the call of duty without hesitation and at great personal cost. In honor of those who died on that horrible day and to our military who have responded over the past 8 years fighting at home and abroad to preserve our freedom, remember to fly your United States flag on September 11th. Our American flag is the fabric of our country and together we can prevail over terrorism. God bless all our military!

Take a moment to think back to how you felt on 9/11.

Fly an American flag of any size on 9/11. Americans should fly the flag year-round and I know many of us do, but if you don't, then at least make it a priority on this day.

God Bless You and God Bless America!

John,

Trooper needs help on Purple Heart.

Fellow Troopers, if you were in the first platoon during August 1968, a former trooper's son is trying to get the Purple Heart awarded for his dad's August 68 wounds. See the request below. Please help if you can.

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"Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Jeff Persons. My father, Harold Persons, was in 1^st platoon A troop during 1968. He was injured by an RPG in a fire fight. Shortly after the injury occurred his mother fell ill and he returned state side. Due to the circumstances and the way things fall through the cracks in our military he was never awarded a Purple Heart. I am making an attempt to have him awarded the Purple Heart for these injuries. I am writing to see if you can be of any help contacting one of the guys that he remembers as being there when it happened. One name he mentioned was Sgt. White who passed away sometime after the war. Another person he remembers is Wayne Suddeth. If you can be of any help it would be greatly appreciated."

Thank you!

Jeffrey A Persons

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If you can help, contact the website for Jeffrey's email address

John,

1st Plt A Troop 3/4 Cav Current Tour in Iraq

Fellow Troopers,

3/4 Cavalry will complete its current deployment to Iraq in October. The squadron is operating in the Balad area. They recently transfered Forward Operating Base Paliwoda to Iraq control. See the news release at this link.

This video is from the 1st platoon A Troop and was made at the start of their current tour. Shows some of the terrain and conditions that they conduct operations under. Enjoy!

We can all be proud of the job the current squadron's soldiers are doing for our nation.
Thanks,

John,

Happy 4th of July

Fellow Troopers,

Have a great 4th of July with your family and friends. Freedom is not free and Americans have always fought for freedom when necessary. All current and former MacKenzie's Raiders can be proud of your service to our country and for the job you did during your time in the troop. Your sacrifices have helped to continue our tradition of freedom that began 233 years ago. Have a great day!

Thanks!

John,

Flag Day 2009

Fellow Troopers,

Tomorrow is Flag Day. Flag Day is celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened that day by resolution of the Second Continental Congress. All are urged to fly our nation's flag tomorrow. Below is a very good patriotic poem about the flag that explains what our flag means to our nation and its citizens. To learn more about the history of our flag go to http://www.usflag.org/index.html

I am the Flag

by Ruth Apperson Rous

I am the flag of the United States of America.

I was born on June 14, 1777, in Philadelphia.

There the Continental Congress adopted my stars and stripes as the national flag.

My thirteen stripes alternating red and white, with a union of thirteen white stars in a field of blue, represented a new constellation, a new nation dedicated to the personal and religious liberty of mankind.

Today fifty stars signal from my union, one for each of the fifty sovereign states in the greatest constitutional republic the world has ever known.

My colors symbolize the patriotic ideals and spiritual qualities of the citizens of my country.

My red stripes proclaim the fearless courage and integrity of American men and boys and the self-sacrifice and devotion of American mothers and daughters.

My white stripes stand for liberty and equality for all.

My blue is the blue of heaven, loyalty, and faith.

I represent these eternal principles: liberty, justice, and humanity.

I embody American freedom: freedom of speech, religion, assembly, the press, and the sanctity of the home.

I typify that indomitable spirit of determination brought to my land by Christopher Columbus and by all my forefathers - the Pilgrims, Puritans, settlers at James town and Plymouth.

I am as old as my nation.

I am a living symbol of my nation's law: the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.

I voice Abraham Lincoln's philosophy: "A government of the people, by the people,for the people."

I stand guard over my nation's schools, the seedbed of good citizenship and true patriotism.

I am displayed in every schoolroom throughout my nation; every schoolyard has a flag pole for my display.

Daily thousands upon thousands of boys and girls pledge their allegiance to me and my country.

I have my own law—Public Law 829, "The Flag Code" - which definitely states my correct use and display for all occasions and situations.

I have my special day, Flag Day. June 14 is set aside to honor my birth.

Americans, I am the sacred emblem of your country. I symbolize your birthright, your heritage of liberty purchased with blood and sorrow.

I am your title deed of freedom, which is yours to enjoy and hold in trust for posterity.

If you fail to keep this sacred trust inviolate, if I am nullified and destroyed, you and your children will become slaves to dictators and despots.

Eternal vigilance is your price of freedom.

As you see me silhouetted against the peaceful skies of my country, remind yourself that I am the flag of your country, that I stand for what you are - no more, no less.

Guard me well, lest your freedom perish from the earth.

Dedicate your lives to those principles for which I stand: "One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

I was created in freedom. I made my first appearance in a battle for human liberty.

God grant that I may spend eternity in my "land of the free and the home of the brave" and that I shall ever be known as "Old Glory," the flag of the United States of America.

Thanks,

John,