Happy Birthday "Thank A Soldier"

On the morning of December 8th 2008 I was going through YouTube videos and stumbled upon a song by Canadian country artist Julian Austin called "The Red & White" which was being performed to troops in Afghanistan.

In that song there is a line that says "Do we take the time to thank a soldier for everything we do" and those words struck me hard and the "Thank A Soldier" cause page was launched.

Here we are today three years later and have done some pretty amazing things in the last three years, such as "The Gratitude Project", setting up people as pen pals with soldiers, introducing family members of soldiers together, featuring other military organizations doing amazing things, Operation You are not alone, tribute videos and a whole lot more.

A few features have been removed from the causes page such as the discussion forum, video links and photos and I did like the interaction of that, so that being said as of today I have created a "Thank A Soldier" Facebook "PAGE" that is much easier to join and will be much more interactive with members.

In the "Member Survey" I sent out a few months ago the two biggest requests were for a simple "Fan Page" to join and more projects like "The Gratitude Project"

I want to thank everyone who has shared a post, sent a photo for The Gratitude Project, Retweeted a post of ours on Twitter, sent invites to your friends, viewed a blog, or had anything to do with "Thank A Soldier" in the past three years honestly it still blows me away to this day everything that has happened.  This is not the end of "Thank A Soldier" but a new era.  With "The Wall Of Gratitude" launching soon I have a feeling things are just getting started.

Thank You

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What you won't see on the news

Have you ever wondered what its like inside a combat outpost in Afghanistan?  Well thanks to my buddy Funker530 you can now see for yourself.   I have featured many of his YouTube videos as it shows us civilians the things we don't get to see in the media from Afghanistan and this one is no exception.  If you would like to see previous footage we have featured from Funker530 check out Raw Unedited footage from Afghanistan  and British SAS & US Military Vs Taliban

If you like it please click the "Like" button, add it to your favorites and share on your Facebook & Twitter

Please be sure to check out Funker530's YouTube Channel for over 130 videos of footage from Afghanistan and you can also check out his Facebook page for early video access

The 750,000th Operation Gratitude Care Package

Please check out this announcement from our friends at Operation Gratitude. IT'S A CELEBRATION!!!! DECEMBER 17th   The 750,000th Operation Gratitude Care Package! All across the country, we will have cause to celebrate on Saturday, December 17, 2011 as the750,000th Operation Gratitude Care Package rolls off the assembly line at the National Guard Armory in Van Nuys, California!    Up to 1000 volunteers and supporters are expected to join the Operation Gratitude Assembly Day for this Milestone Celebration.    Volunteers and Supporters like you make all this possible. I am forever grateful for your dedication to Operation Gratitude through the years. We could not touch the lives and hearts of so many of our courageous service members and their families without you.   With your help this past year, we launched two new programs: Wounded Warrior and Battalion BuddyCare Packages. Due to the popular demand for these packages, Operation Gratitude shipped a record 150,000 care packages in just one year......This brings us to our 750,000th care package on December 17th!   The Assembly Line will open at 9 a.m. We expect the 750,000th package to hit the line at around11:15 a.m. PST, to the cheers of up to 1,000 Volunteers, Military members, Dignitaries, Legislators, and Celebrities. When that happens, we will halt all activity, gather everyone together and start the Celebration Program!  In addition to the standard items and personal letters provided by more than 250 corporate donors and byindividuals and volunteer organizations across the country, the 750,000th Care Package will includeTop Secret Surprises for a Top Secret Warrior, brought to us by none other than Santa Claus.  Expect exciting and classically Americangifts donated by our Corporate Partners to be put in the Milestone box. Six previous Operation Gratitude milestone packages contained the keys to new vehicles (motorcycles and SUVs)! A special delivery of the 750,000th Package is being arranged as we speak.   As part of the Milestone Celebration, there will also be a variety of delicious product samples and a hearty lunch, provided by Corporate and local business donors. Volunteers (ages 12 years and up) are invited to assist in the on-site care package activities.   Please keep in mind, Financial Donations are still needed to pay the assembly and postage costs of$15 per care package.    Every tax deductible donation of $15 sends another care package, personally addressed to an American hero, and filled with 50+ assorted snack, entertainment and personal care items valued at $100 or more.    Please ensure that every Soldier, Sailor, Airman and Marine deployed in harm's way, and every recuperating Wounded Warrior, feels loved and appreciated this holiday season. Please Donate online today.   If you prefer to send Donations by check, please make payable and mail to:   Operation Gratitude 16444 Refugio Road Encino, California 91436   Thank you again for your tremendous support of our mission. I am deeply appreciative of the kindness you have shown throughout the years, and hope you will share the excitement of our 750,000th Care Package Celebration!   Location: California Army National Guard 17330 Victory Boulevard Van Nuys, CA 91406 Corner of Victory and Louise; parking available in adjacent lot Time:  Care Package Assembly: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Milestone Celebration: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.   We invite you to stay for lunch following the celebration and to continue assembling packages until 4 p.m.    For additional volunteer information: Volunteer  To learn how you can help: Support Activities Donate while you shop: Great Ideas To Request Care Packages for Deployed Troops: Request Packages About Operation Gratitude  Operation Gratitude annually sends 100,000 care packages filled with snacks, entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation addressed to individually named U.S. Service Members deployed in hostile regions, to their children left behind and to Wounded Warriors recuperating in Transition Units. Our mission is to lift morale, bring a smile to a service member's face and express to our Armed Forces the appreciation and support of the American people. Each package contains donated product valued at ~$125 and costs the organization $15 to assemble and ship. For safety and security, assembling of packages occurs at the Army National Guard armory in Van Nuys, California. Since its inception in 2003, Operation Gratitude volunteers have shipped more than 725,000 packages to American Military deployed overseas.    Learn more about Operation Gratitude by visiting: Web:          http://www.OperationGratitude.com Twitter:       http://www.twitter.com/OpGratitude Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/OperationGratitude Blog:          http://OpGrat.wordpress.com YouTube:   http://www.youtube.com/OpGrat LinkedIn:    http://www.linkedin.com/company/operation-gratitude Operation Gratitude Ann Hamilton opgrat@gmail.com

Some inspiration from a 7 year old

SOME INSPIRATIONAL FROM A SEVEN  YEAR OLD

So this really doesn't have anything to do with Thank A Soldier but wanted to share on here anyway as the Christmas Season is upon us I wanted to share a few stories about my amazing seven year old niece who I posted about on Remembrance Day after her assembly.

Last weekend the Nativity scene outside the Hope Centre was badly vandalized. in Ontario where my 7 year old niece lives. She had a lot of questions for my sister and insisted that she needed to bring her wooden figurines of Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus to give to The Hope Center to replace them.

So she brought them to church and told them that she wanted to replace baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph and how she read that they were taken.
She was so excited to walk in for church and see her Mary and Joseph on the table in the church.

She continues to blow me away with the special little things she does, I am one proud Uncle!

Mary & Joseph figuring my niece brought to the church 

This was what she did last Christmas

Today I get an email from my sister telling me a story of my little niece who just turned five years old in november.So my sister has been telling my niece about my other grandmother who was in an old age home for 14 years and we used to visit her and how there were old people there that didn’t have people visit them for Christmas. Anyways we used to go down with a guitar and sing songs to them and visit with the people.

So my niece without my sister knowing who they were for started making Christmas cards and my sister figured they were for her friends at daycare.So anyways, she comes up to my sister last Saturday and says “Tomorrow mommy, we’re going to go to the old age home and give these to people”So they went to the old age home with about 50 cards and they started to give them out to people.

The thing that got me a little choked up was that there were a few elderly people who were asleep in their chairs and would not know anything about this visit until after they woke up and heard from the other people who lived there.Well, my niece decided she didn’t want anyone to be left out so she left her cards either on their laps, by their hands or somewhere they would find it when they woke up.

She probably gave some of these people a story to tell for a while about the little girl who left cards to everyone today and all I know is one of these days when I have to get someone to take over all my websites, I’m sure it will be in good hands

my niece giving out Christmas cards

Hero a tribute & song for our troops by Jon Patterson

I saw this video on Jon's Facebook page today and I thought it was a great song with some pretty powerful images courtesy of Cpl Chris Dupee (Military Minds) and wanted to share it with you.  





You can also check out Jon Pattersons website here

Julian Austin - Christmas was born

Julian Austin is one of the greatest supporters of our men and women in uniform that I have met in the past two years. He has done live performances for our troops in many locations including several performances in Afghanistan. He has sent numerous packages to Our service men and women serving in various locations and is planning a future performance upcoming.

"The Red & White" written and record by Julian Austin is the song that inspired me to create the Thank A Soldier cause on Facebook. One line in particular says "Do we take the time to thank a soldier For everything they do." and this hit me and sparked the idea. I have spoken to Julian on many occasions and you can hear it in his voice and see it in his heart how much he cares about our soldiers and is defiantly a proud Canadian.

Last year Julian recorded a Christmas song called "Christmas was born" and is currently in the running for "The Next Holiday Classic" song contest. You can listen to the song below then take two minutes to send it a vote and help this awesome supporter of troops out by voting on "The Next Holiday Classic" Website

In the video below Julian performs the song "Christmas Was Born" for soldiers.

http://www.thenextholidayclassic.com/vote.html

"I want to thank everyone who took the time to go online to "The Next Holiday Classic" song contest and vote for my Christmas song "Christmas Was Born" If you haven't yet voted, you still can and up to three times a day. Just go onto the link below and bingo!!! done deal!!! Thanx again guys and Merry Christmas to all!!" - Julian Austin






 This is the song that inspired "Thank A Soldier"


Julian Austin burst onto the country music scene with the release of his first album, What My Heart Already Knows, on May 6, 1997. The album was certified gold by the Canadian Recording Industry Association for sales of 50,000 copies and the first single, "Little Ol' Kisses," went to #1 the Canadian country singles chart. That same year, Austin won the Wrangler Rising Star Award from the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA). All of the additional singles released from the album reached the top 20, including the #3 song, "Diamond." In 1998, Austin was nominated for Best Country Male Vocalist at the Juno Awards.

Click here to visit Julian Austin's website.

Wall Of Gratitude

SOON we will be launching The Wall Of Gratitude on Thankasoldier.net but I wanted to give people the opportunity to send in photos early so that we have some content there when it launches.

If you would like to send in a photo early to be included in the launch date send your photo(s) to wallofgratitude@thankasoldier.net or manually type in Wallofgratitude@thankasoldier.net

What types of photos are we looking for :

Photos of you holding signs that say "Welcome Home" "Thank You" and "You are not alone" anything generally that shows support to our men and women serving and those that have served in the past.  Please do not submit any material that is copyrighted or owned by anyone else (e.g. making a photo from a google image search)

When the Wall Of Gratitude launches on our website you will have the ability to log in with your Facebook and post photos there also.

Please share this post on your FB & Twitter page to help us get the word out.

You may have seen me feature raw footage videos from Afghanistan by my buddy Funker530 well he has made a video to help out with this project and you can view it below and you can also visit his YouTube Channel.