Pictures From VFF in Evansville - Part Six

Pete Hegseth, Cyber Pastor, and Steve Russell with the LST325 in the background.

Cyber Pastor and the National Heroes Tour bus.

That is actually the road leading to the LST 325 that is under water. 

Video's from Uncle Jimbo

You can go to the Vets for Freedom web site by clicking this link to see videos from several of the stops on the National Heroes Tour. If you click the link and go to the website, you can pick and choose which clips you watch, or you can watch the entire production below.

The work done by Uncle Jimbo from the Black Five organization on these videos is first rate!

Pictures From VFF in Evansville - Part Five

A guest at the Prayer Service in Evansville had this message "If you don't stand BEHING our TROOPS, Please feel free to stand IN FRONT of THEM!!

Taps is played in honor and memory of those who gave their lives for our freedoms.

Cyber Pastor with VFF National Heroes Tour member Kate Norley.

Pictures From VFF in Evansville - Part Four

Tom Parks and Steve Russell exit the National Heroes Tour bus in Evansville, IN.

VFF Executive Director Pete Hegseth greets the Patriot Guard Riders who lined the entrance way with American flags. 

LST 325 Executive Director Mike Whicker makes the opening remarks at the VFF National Heroes Tour stop in Evansville.

Pictures From VFF in Evansville - Part Three

VFF National Heroes Tour bus arrives at the LST 325 in Evansville, IN.

This picture speaks for itself!

What a bus!!!!

Pictures From VFF in Evansville - Part Two

Cyber Pastor. left,  interviews Arne Pederson, VFF Indiana State Captain on Do The Right Thing Radio, prior to the arrival of the VFF tour bus.

Mike Whicker, Executive Director of LST 325 Memorial, answers questions from Cyber Pastor. 

Cyber Pastor was proud to have this picture taken with LST 325 original crew member Jack Green. Mr Green and LST 325 made 44 trips across the English Channel during the Normandy invasion of WW II.

Pictures From VFF in Evansville - Part One of Many

Stage with LST 325 in the background. 

LST 325 bugler, Millard Wilke, warms up prior to the arrival of the VFF bus.

Patriot Guard Riders wait in the rain for the VFF tour bus to arrive.

Cyber Pastor Comments on Evansville Event

Last week, Mrs CP and I took a week of vacation to get some much needed R&R, to visit with some of my favorite family members, and to be available in the area as the final plans for the National Heroes Tour stop in Evansville were being put in place.

I want to report that the event was a huge success!

Press reports say there was 75 people in attendance, I had estimated 100 -125 but I've been wrong once or twice so we'll go with their number. Factor in a strong steady rain for several hours prior to the event, and as I discussed the turn out with Pete Hegseth, he was very happy.

Media coverage of the event was pretty good as well. At least three local TV stations had pieces on the event, and I know the Evansville Courier-Press had articles prior to the event, and also a nice story that I posted earlier.

Of course, I was very happy with the way that the Do The Right Thing Radio broadcast of the event went. Special thanks to Mrs CP and Snooper for their help with the show.

The folks at the LST 325 Memorial were fantastic hosts and they have some good pictures and a story of the event. All those who participated from the LST in the 21-gun salute were: Gun Salute Squad Commander Larry Hahn ,Marvin Oeth, Sam Richey, Jim Roach, Chris Donahue, Fred Kerstein, Dallas Fickas, and Vernon Barnett, and the ship's bugler, Millard Wilke.

I also need to mention Mike Whicker, LST Memorial Executive Director and Bob Lenn, Chief of Protocol, both of whom I workly closely with in the time leading up to and the day of the event.

Arne Pederson, the Indiana State Captain for Vets for Freedom did a very nice job of opening the program, and giving honor to those who have given their lives in the service to our country. That's Arne in the picture above.

I enjoyed being able to share some biblical thoughts on soldiers, and even more so praying for our troops.

Finally, and the most important, the Heroes from Vets for Freedom that appeared on this leg of the tour: Pete Hegseth, Tom Parks, Steve Russell and Kate Norley. Each one was great in their own way, and they all made me proud to be a member of the Vets for Freedom organization.

I'm still working on getting my personal pictures downloaded and I will share them, and other media stories with you as I get them.

Thanks for your support of this blog, and for supporting Vets for Freedom.

Media Coverage of VFF in Evansville

Tri-State welcomes Vets for Freedom
By Gavin Lesnick (Contact)

Monday, March 31, 2008

Listening to a group of Iraq war veterans share stories and urge support for the troops during a rally Sunday afternoon, Gary Kissinger heard a message that hit close to home.

Kissinger, an Evansville native whose 25-year-old son recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq, agreed with the speakers that pulling out from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan too early would be a costly mistake.

"We need to support the whole effort," said Kissinger, 62 and a member of the local group Tri-State Marine Families. "We can't stop in the middle of it. If we do, some time down the road, we'll be right back again. We need to make sure we get the job done now."

He was one of about 75 people who stopped by the LST 325 on Sunday to see the Vets for Freedom National Heroes Tour, a coast-to-coast bus tour featuring a cast of decorated war veterans talking about the war. Evansville was the 14th of 20 stops as the tour inched closer to Washington, D.C., where the speakers and several hundred veterans plan to meet with members of Congress about the war.

Among those on the tour is Vets for Freedom Executive Director Pete Hegseth, an Army captain who served a yearlong deployment in Iraq from 2005 to 2006.

Let the troops win

Hegseth told the crowd the purpose of the tour is simple.

"The message is let our troops and our Marines win," he said.

"Let them win and let's highlight the incredible progress that's been made by Gen. David Petraeus and the new counter-insurgency strategy."

Troops have made considerable gains in Iraq in the last year, Hegseth said, adding that the progress is too often ignored. Also, American casualties are declining, down more than 70 percent since June, he said.

He said since June of 2007, attacks throughout Iraq are down more than 70 percent, sectarian violence throughout the country is down 90 percent and sectarian violence in Baghdad alone is down more than 95 percent.

"If they haven't gotten the memo, the civil war in Iraq is over," he said. "There are different complications and there are different problems, but that's not what we're facing today."

"The good news stories that are happening in Iraq and Afghanistan are not reaching the ears of the American people," he said.

Julieann Najar, founder of the group A Soldier's Wish List, drove to Evansville from St. Louis with two friends to see the National Heroes Tour for the second time in three days.

Najar, whose son was wounded while serving in the Army in Iraq, said the speeches from the veterans on the tour resonated with her views.

"We believe in what the troops are doing," she said. "I could listen to (the veterans on the tour) over and over and over again. They have to keep saying it until other people get the message we're getting. The rest of America has to pay attention."

Not everyone at the event agreed with its message.

Gary May, co-chairman of Veterans for Peace, said he questioned the speakers afterward about the lack of public support for the war and if it had translated into any bill, funding shortfall or public policy decision that jeopardized the troops.

"He couldn't think of any," May said. "... I think (this) is much more about the political needle being moved than it is about the true merit or the true contents of what's being said."

Hegseth, though, said the Vets for Freedom group is non-partisan and that there is division even within its own ranks about the war. While none of its members support an immediate pullout, he said some do think it was a bad decision to invade Iraq in the first place.

All of them now support completing the mission, he said.

"We want to bring the troops home," Hegseth said. "But not until there is a stable Iraq."

Pete Hegseth video

Steve Russell video

Kate Norley video

The First of Many Posts on VFF in Evansville

Mrs CP and I arrived home this evening, and this is the first of many posts and pictures from the Vets for Freedom event in Evansville.

This picture of Pete Hegseth comes from the LST 325 website which has other pictures and an article on this page.

You should also take a tour of the entire website and read about the wonderful history of this truly historic Naval vessel.

I will have tons of pictures and other things posted in the days to come.

God Bless, and it's good to be back blogging on a regular basis!

Cyber Pastor

Do The Right Thing Radio - Live From The National Heroes Tour

Use this link to get live updates, and hopefully some of the speeches from the National Heroes Tour Stop in Evansville, IN. The radio program will begin at 2:30 pm (Central), and the actual program in Evansville will start at 3:00 pm (Central).

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/cyberpastor/2008/03/30/Do-The-Right-Thing-Radio

We will try to get as many of the Heroes on the air as possible.

Help us promote this show by posting on your blogs, and your own BTR shows tonight!

Cyber Pastor

VFF In Evansville, IN on Sunday

National Heroes Tour Lands in Evansville on Sunday March 30

On Sunday, March 30 Vets for Freedom and the National Heroes Tour-is coming to Evansville

The Vets for Freedom National Heroes Tour is about going coast-to-coast to generate support for our troops, highlight their successes, and rally the country to complete the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

You will be able to meet and honor some real American heroes, including:

David Bellavia, author of House to House, recipient of the Silver Star, and nominee for the Medal of Honor;

Steve Russell, recipient of the Bronze Star for Valor and led the battalion that captured Saddam Hussein; and

Jeremiah Workman, United States Marine Corps, recipient of the Navy Cross for heroic actions while under fire in Fallujah.

These heroes will join local heroes from Indiana to highlight our military's commitment to completing the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the incredible progress being made under General Petraeus.

Not only are we raising awareness and support for the mission during the National Heroes Tour, we want to say Thank You to the military community and their families.

The Vets for Freedom National Heroes Tour is rolling through Evansville on Sunday, March 30-come out and meet these American heroes at this free event and hear their amazing stories.

Sunday, March 30
Evansville
3:00 PM- Prayer Service and Reception with America's Heroes

USS LST Ship Memorial

840 LST Drive

Evansville, IN 47713

We hope to see you there!

Learn more about the tour at www.vetsforfreedom.org/heroestour

Update: VFF National Tour

Vets for Freedom National Heroes Tour Gains Momentum

We’re on the road. The National Heroes Tour kicked off last Friday from the deck of the USS Midway, and is currently winding its way across the Southwest. The kickoff was a great success, with over 700 people coming out to show their support for the troops and their families. Thanks to those of you who came out to help make the event such an accomplishment!

As we deliver the message of the success of the surge and the importance of finishing the job, the local media is responding. Our event in San Diego was not only covered by the local NBC, ABC, and CBS affiliates, but we also did in-studio interviews at two local morning shows and three local radio shows. It was also on the West Coast broadcast of CBS Evening News. You can view the broadcast coverage of the tour here. The reception was the same Monday in Phoenix and Tuesday in Tucson.

Our voices are being heard, and as the tour continues, the momentum will continue to build. From Texas to Washington, D.C., we aim to help Americans understand the importance of letting our troops win in Iraq.

As mentioned last week, a tour such as this is not a low-cost venture. To help support the Tour, we've commissioned an Official Heroes Tour T-shirt and Tour Coin that are available when you make a donation to Vets for Freedom. The T-shirt is available for a donation of $25, and for a donation of $50, you get both the T-shirt and Coin. As always, your donations go directly to supporting Vets for Freedom's mission of ensuring that our troops have the support they need to continue to fight the Global War on Terror.

A poll released by the BBC on Sunday shows that 55 percent of Iraqis feel that "their lives are good." Additionally, 80 percent of Iraqis said the US should continue to fight Al Qaeda and foreign jihadists in Iraq. Yet, the mainstream media and many of our politicians continue to ignore these facts and the progress being made by our troops on the ground.

We appreciate your support, and admire your conviction.

Move out and draw fire!


Pete HegsethExecutive Director
Vets for Freedom

More VFF: From Pete Hegseth

Dear Vets for Freedom members:

The National Heroes Tour is upon us! Kicking off this Friday from the deck of the USS Midway in San Diego, our heroes will be touring the United States thanking veterans and families for their service and sacrifice. Our non-partisan message will highlight the military's commitment to success in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the incredible progress being made under General David Petraeus.

It has never been more important to ensure our fellow Americans understand what is happening in Iraq and Afghanistan. The surge is working, and political and economic progress is occurring; yet mainstream media is failing to tell the story. Our Tour will highlight local veterans and inform your community, local lawmakers, and media about the incredible bravery and sacrifice of our troops, and the progress our Soldiers and Marines are achieving.

As you can imagine, a Tour such as this, combined with our Vets on the Hill event on April 8, costs a significant amount of money. To help support the Tour, we've commissioned an Official Heroes Tour T-shirt and Tour Coin that are available when you make a donation to Vets for Freedom. The T-shirt is available for a donation of $25, and for a donation of $50, you get both the T-shirt and Coin. As always, your donations go directly to supporting Vets for Freedom's mission of ensuring that our troops have the support they need to continue to fight the Global War on Terror.

With sectarian killings down 90%, suicide bombings down nearly 70%, and Iraqis passing key national legislation, it's about time that everyone in Congress recognizes the success in Iraq; and that a safe, secure and free Iraq is critical to America's long term security.

Join us on April 8 as we help educate our representatives. Our brave troops need our support, let's do everything we can here to "Let them Win!"

Move out and draw fire!

Pete Hegseth

Vets for Freedom: Hits the Road

Many of America’s most decorated war heroes from Iraq and Afghanistan have packed their bags and are hitting the road on a national bus tour to take their non-partisan message of progress and freedom from coast-to-coast.

The Vets for Freedom National Heroes Tour is about supporting our troops, honoring their commitment, and rallying the country to complete the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

At this critical juncture in our country, we need Americans, lawmakers and the media, to fully recognize—and appreciate—the sacrifice of our brave military and the dramatic success they have achieved, especially in Iraq with the new counterinsurgency strategy.

Use the chart below to see when America’s heroes will roll through your town, and be sure to visit the site periodically for new tour information.

We hope to see you along the way—come out, meet some American heroes and support our troops!

The National Heroes Tour

(updated as of February 15, 2008—subject to updates)

Date ---------------------------------City, State

Friday, March 14, 2008 ------------San Diego, CA / Kick-off Event

Saturday, March 15 ----------------Los Angeles, CA

Monday, March 17 -----------------Phoenix, AZ

Tuesday, March 18 ----------------Tucson, AZ

Wednesday, March 19 -------------San Antonio, TX

Thursday, March 20 ---------------Austin, TX

Tuesday, March 25 ----------------Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN

Wednesday, March 26 -------------Des Moines, IA

Thursday, March 27 ---------------Kansas City, KS

Friday, March 28 ------------------Columbia/St. Louis, MO

Saturday, March 29 ---------------Nashville, TN
Sunday, March 30 -----------------Fort Campbell, KY
Sunday, March 30 ----------------Evansville, IN
Monday, March 31 ----------------Louisville, KY
Thursday, April 3 -----------------Columbia, SC
Friday, April 4 --------------------Charlotte, NC
Saturday, April 5 -----------------Fayetteville, NC
Sunday, April 6 -------------------Virginia Beach/Norfolk, VA
Monday, April 7 -------------------Richmond, VA
Tuesday, April 8 ------------------Washington, DC / Vets on the Hill
Wednesday, April 9, 2008 --------New York, NY

Tour Gathers Momentum - Progress in Iraq

MOMENTUM GATHERS FOR ‘HEROES TOUR'
AND ‘VETS ON THE HILL'

From The Alamo in Texas to the WWI Memorial in Kansas City, and from the Statehouse in South Carolina to an hour on CNN with Glenn Beck in New York City, the Vets for Freedom National Heroes Tour is taking shape and gathering momentum.

Veterans across the country are helping fill the Tour schedule and get the word out. It promises to be an exciting-and influential-three weeks.
CLICK HERE for more details about Tour stops and to see where you can join us on the road.

Additionally, since announcing "Vets on the Hill" two weeks ago, over 200 veterans of the Global War on Terror have signed up to be in Washington, DC on April 8. We plan to have hundreds more sign up in the coming weeks.

PROGRESS IN IRAQ

Meanwhile, in Iraq, positive developments continue. In fact, this past week, the Iraqi Parliament passed three landmark pieces of legislation-establishing long-overdue local elections, granting amnesty to low-level Iraqi prisoners, and passing a budget of $50 billion.

The political reconciliation that the Surge was meant to facilitate is happening. The Iraqi people are taking advantage of the dramatic security gains to make political compromises.

Even the New York Times had this to say on their front page, "More than any previous legislation, the new initiatives have the potential to spur reconciliation between Sunnis and Shiites and set the country on the road to a more representative government, starting with new provincial elections." Need I say more?

All the objectives of the surge-by any measure-have been achieved: violence has dropped dramatically, the Iraqi civil war is over, Al Qaeda has been decimated, and Iraqi politicians are working for political reconciliation.

It's imperative that we do everything we can to ensure that these gains are solidified, and that we continue to support the judgments of the commanders on the ground. General Petraeus will be in Washington, DC in April, and Vets for Freedom will be there to support him.

Now is the time to keep up the pressure-we are winning in Iraq, and the American people need to know it. Join us in supporting the brave troops in the field who are taking the fight to America's enemies.

Move Out and Draw Fire!

Pete Hegseth

Executive Director
Vets for Freedom

http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/

Announcing the National Heroes Tour!

Vets for Freedom Members,

Vets for Freedom is proud to announce the National Heroes Tour, a coast-to-coast bus tour aimed at honoring America's veterans, active troops and their families.

The bus tour kicks off in San Diego on March 14 and will include 22 stops in 16 states over three weeks, culminating on the steps of Capitol Hill on April 8th, for another "Vets on the Hill" event. The tour will bring together veterans from across the country to tell their stories and highlight their sacrifices, as well as rally support for successfully completing the missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

CLICK HERE to see when the tour will be coming through your state, and to view updates of exact times and locations of tour events!

In addition to the local heroes we pick up along the way, here are a few of the heroes that will be featured on the tour:

David Bellavia-recipient of the Silver Star, and nominee for the Medal of Honor and author of House to House (a memoir about house-to-house combat in Iraq).

Marcus Luttrell-recipient of the Navy Cross and sole survivor of a mission in which four Navy SEALS were sent into a Taliban stronghold on the Afghan-Pakistan border; Luttrell was badly injured yet managed to escape enemy capture and later author the New York Times best-selling book Lone Survivor.

Marco Martinez-recipient of the Navy Cross for heroic action on the battlefield in Iraq and author of Hard Corps, Martinez was involved in gang activity in Los Angeles and joined the Marine Corps to straighten out his life.

Steve Russell-recipient of the Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device for his actions in Iraq; Lieutenant Colonel Russell led the battalion responsible for the capture of Saddam Hussein.

Jeremiah Workman-recipeient of the Navy Cross for his heroic actions in Fallujah; Corporal Workman's actions, under fire and while injured, led to the death of over 24 enemy insurgents and saved fellow Marines from being ambushed.

The veterans on the National Heroes Tour represent the courage, conviction, and commitment of our men and women in the U.S. armed forces.

These highly decorated veterans-as well as local heroes-will tell their personal stories directly to the American public through local media, rallies, speeches, debates, and personal meetings.

What Can I Do To Support the Tour?

Donate. Our goal is to raise $25,000 this week for the Tour. Would you consider a $100 donation today? Renting a bus and driving across the country is an expensive undertaking, and your donation will go directly to supporting the Tour. Click here to help ensure that our message is heard all across America!

Support the Tour. Contact your State Captain and volunteer to help make our stop in your state-or neighboring state-as effective as possible. If you don't know your State Captain, send an email to info@vetsforfreedom.org with any ideas or contacts.

Spread the Word. Contact the local media and local leaders in your area and tell them about the Tour. For specific media inquiries regarding the tour, direct them to Judy Mayka, Vets for Freedom Press Secretary at judy@vetsforfreedom.org

Telling the stories of our heroes and galvanizing support for success is the goal of the tour, we hope to see you soon...in your neck of the woods.

Move Out and Draw Fire!

Pete Hegseth
Executive Director