Sandy Resnick
SUPPORT OF A DIFFERENT COLOR
benjamin b. bennett
For those of you with daughters, you might have happened into a book series called the "American Girl" series. As we read the books together, we were introduced to an aspect of history I had never heard before. We were told of a certain flag, a Blue Star flag in the windows of some houses.
These flags were an important form of community support and communication during WW I. With a quick glance, you could see with your own eyes, the sacrafices your neighbors, friends and town members were making. For every blue star in the window, a family member was off at war. Defending our country — our way of life.
For every gold star, you knew of one American that wasn't coming back.
These simple symbols of support, recognition and honor, are starting to make a comeback, and this is a good thing.
I have been blessed to be a co-moderator for a statewide networking and discussion list for Indiana homechoolers, and came across a post from a parent in early March, before the war in Iraq. It was simple, humble, and had a small request:
"I just wanted to share with everyone that our son, Sandy, is on his way to the Persian Gulf on the USS Nimitz and its battle group. So think good thoughts for him please."
Debbie R.
I was stopped in my tracks. My daughter had just recently asked if people were going to be putting blue star flags in their windows because of this war, like they did in the American Girl books.
I told her... I didn't know. I secretly yearned for those days again, when people supported and were neighborly toward those families who were making awesome sacrifices!
I have little to offer, other than prayers and maybe a little support, via a couple of humble pages here on the IHEN.org site.
I don't know what will happen from here. It's really up to the Indiana Homeschooling community, and anyone else who happens upon these pages.
Debbie, and every other parent who has a child of spouse serving — SERVING! — to protect and defend our freedoms, we will certainly think those good thoughts! We will certainly pray for every American's safe return, and for the freedom of everyone from tyrany, fear and opression.
This project is for you, and for those who just don't know what to say or do... other than to say, "Thank you!" to you for your sacrafice, and your son for his bravery and service.
God bless your family. The first blue star flag on this page, is for Sandy.
IMPORTANT LINKS
What can I send to the troops?
Background information
on the history of the
blue and gold star flags:
More Info and Links on Blue Star Flags
Supply list of what can and can not be sent to our troops in Iraq:
NOT
ALLOWED
Pork products
Playing cards
Ingredients to make alcohol
And a few others that decent people would never, ever send anyway. (Basically,
the military is trying to not offend the Muslim people.)
ALLOWED
AND NEEDED
Chapstick
Sunblock 50
Baby wipes
Flea collars (because desert fleas are so bad)
Charmin To-go packs or individual purse-size tissues
Money for shipping
Phone Cards
BENJAMIN
BENNETT
is the site editor for IHEN.org.
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03-07-15