Blog Tour De Troops Day

Welcome to my stop on Blog Tour De Troops! 

Thank you for joining me as your stop after Sharon Gerlach’s Blog.  Thank you for your support and after reading and commenting, please follow on to the next stop… Shannon Muir’s Blog!  Don’t forget, for every comment left on the blog, you will receive a free copy of The Seven Isaacs in your choice of eBook formant and one will also be donated to the troops overseas who need something to read!

* * * * * * *

As I am sure you may have noticed, this blog tour has somewhat of a running theme alongside it.  So, keeping with that theme, here are my views and support of the troops we have scattered all over the world.  Some of these thoughts I touched upon briefly over a year ago, but from a slightly different angle.

As an indie writer, I need a day job to pay the bills and keep the technology flowing to my fingertips in order to be able to spew forth my words as often as I can.  This day job gives me access to all sorts of cool toys to play with, but it also comes with some stressful and emotional baggage to go along with it.

I grew up about fifteen miles from a very large military base.  My father had served around the time of Vietnam and traveled around the world until his time was up and he went about his civilian life.  Growing up, especially as a teenager, it was a very strained relationship with the military base for very selfish reasons.  Those Army dudes came in and took all of our women!  The girls in high school were fascinated with the young men in uniform and left us rednecks to fend for ourselves with the left overs.

That truly wasn’t the case, but at sixteen, it sure seemed like it.  They were a threat to all of us young boys out to find a playmate.

After school, I moved on.  I grew up.  I returned home some twelve years later and started that day job to pay the bills.  You would have thought that as an adult,  I would have realized that the business I was in and the proximity of the troops at the local military base, would have put me in daily contact with these boys who at one time threatened my ability to get laid.

As someone who works in the cell phone industry, it became very apparent, very quickly that often times I was the last person the soldiers spoke to when they left the country to fight and I was the first person they would see when they returned.  Every wireless provider provides our soldiers the ability to indefinitely suspend their phone accounts when they are deployed and turn them back on the instant they return.

image courtesy of flickr. US Army Rights Reserved.

Upon making this discovery, I think I began to view these boys and girls in a different light.  Our soldiers are YOUNG.  They are mere children.  Now, maybe it’s because I am getting older and as time goes on, our perception is different.  The age of twenty may seem adult to you, but when you are thirty, take a look at your high school yearbook and realize the difference between child and adult, then you will understand what I am talking about.

The age of our military front line is shocking when you witness it on a daily basis.  But, with that age comes a shocking realization.  The discipline and the fear of mortality.  Not only are they young children, but they have literally, (and in this instance I truly mean literally for its true and literal meaning!) LITERALLY dedicated their lives to protecting yours.   They are children who have pledged to die in battle if necessary to fight for the common good and the betterment of our lifestyle.

I see these soldiers every day.  Most of them have already spent a year or two in Afghanistan, Iraq, Germany, Korea and other outposts around the world.  I see them when they are at their most calm and serene, as they bring their papers in to terminate their accounts.  I see them as they first step off that plane, because most of them need their phones turned on and working before they can even call mom, or call to see if their living quarters are ready for their return.  More times than not, they are happy to be safe and at home and with their loved ones.  That being said, I have seen more than my fair share of injuries from Afghanistan and Iraq.  Missing limbs.  Brain damage.  Blindness.

I am not looking forward to the day where I have to terminate a line for a loved one lost overseas, because that is part of my duty as well.

I have the utmost respect for all of our troops.  I see you more than you know and feel you as humans with a deep understanding of loss and fear each and every day.  It’s even apparent in my writing.  Where one assumes the government task force is ultimately evil, they are in fact a group of individuals who have nothing but the best interests of the titular children in mind.

So, you young ones, have at it.  Come home, find yourself a local girl (or boy) and spirit her away to mom, wherever she may be.  Those high school boys and girls will find their playmates elsewhere or else sign up and boot camp their way to another one in some other military town!  I wish you all the best, and BE SAFE!

109 comments

  1. The troops really deserve this! And I am honored to leave comment so a soldier can receive a book of their own to read!

    ennapenglin(AT)sbcglobal(DOT)net

    Reply

  4. hi Michael! your post made me realize how hard it must really be for all these young men and women to give up so much in order to serve one’s country. it must be hard for you as well when you deal with them before and after they get deployed. that part about terminating a line for a lost loved one gave me the chills.

    thank you for your contribution to the troops – as a writer and as an employee for the cell phone industry. thanks as well for being part of this tour.

    aobibliophile(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply

  12. This is such a wonderful program! I’m so impressed with what you are doing for our service men and women.
    Although I do not have a specific soldier in mind, I would love it if you could donate a book to a soldier from your request list. Also, I’m looking forward to reading your book myself! Thanks so much, and have a great weekend!
    vickikeire (at) gmail (dot) com

    Reply

  13. Thank you for taking part in this tour and most of all thanks to all the members in our troops.

    andreagrendahl AT gmail DOT com

    Reply

  14. Thanks so much for your post! I had no idea about the cell phone policy, but that absolutely makes sense. And you are so right about these children fighting wars…it is astounding and somewhat horrifying just how YOUNG these people are. I just hit 40, and friends of mine have children serving…which astounds me. I was SO young at 18…I can’t imagine.

    Thanks for participating! I’m really intrigued to read your book. You can find me at DiNozzoGibbs @ gmail.com

    Reply

  16. As a 24 year Vetran it is my honor to serve and I would be proud to do it all agian. Thank you for your support every little bit goes a long way. ryan.mills68(at)gmail(dot)com

    I was one of those young dudes back then that you refer to. Now I am that old dude that in a few years will be finding off the young dudettes trying to horn in on my boys….lol.

    Most people do not relize the full value of that blank check we write when we agree to protect the freedoms of others constitutional rights. In a sense some of those same rights we actualy give up to protect. You may ask what is that value. It depends really….missed birthdays, anniversaries and such if your lucky, or a missing finger or arm, mental issues or the ultimate price of ones life. Why? Just so those that don’t approve or don’t care have the right to spit at us, protest by burning our Nations Flag, or demenstrating at (this one turns my stomach) a Soldiers funeral.

    But agian I would do it all agian without a second thought or heitation.

    Reply

  25. That was unexpectedly sweet. I hope you never get that worst scenario.

    Thank you for participating in this great tour, I look forward to reading your book!
    melorabrock {at} gmail {dot} com

    Reply

  26. Just stopping by to say Hi! from alchemyofscrawl. Wishing you a great tour! Please donate my copy to a soldier.

    Reply

  28. As the wife of a currently serving soldier, I am so thankful for people such as yourself. It means the world to not only the troops but their families as well to have the support of a grateful nation. As a family it is most difficult to see your loved one go off to fight in a war that you may not agree with. Being able to share a small piece of home with our troops in what ever way that we can, means so much to them.

    Thank you.

    betty.vickery.johnson@gmail.com

    My loving soldier husband:

    provert247 AT gmail DOT com

    Reply

  29. Your post made me want to cry, even though my son-in-law, who turns twenty-two on the twenty-third of this month is deployed, it was strange and saddening to think that there are so many soldiers who are even younger than him serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and at so many other posts throughout the world. Thank you for providing them with this small comfort and the message of support from home that it brings.

    rivawriter(at)yahoo(dot)com

    Reply

  32. Thank you for this great cause. Love our troops. Would love to receive a copy of your book in mobi format.

    pringpringles(at)yahoo(dot)com

    Reply

  38. Thank you for supporting our troops in such a generous manner! I know that each and every book received will be greatly appreciated! And thank you for allowing me to be a part of it through you!

    iarvd@yahoo.com

    Reply

  39. Thank you for supporting our troops. I’ve sent quite a few books overseas for troops myself what a great way to show support
    Suefitz(at)yahoo(dot)com

    Reply

  41. Repeating what others have said: thank you to the troops for what they do; thank you to you for supporting them and supplying a book for them to read; and thank you from me for your book – I can’t wait.

    jandjh2 AT yahoo DOT ca

    Reply

  50. Hi i am a War orphan from the Vietnam Era and i want to thank you so much for the support everyone is giving the soliders. Because when i was growing up we did not recieve any support and i pray that does never ever happen again because it was the hardest time for my mom left in a new city with no family and a house full of kids. I want you to know She Loved my Father so much she never Re-married or even dated.. He is one of the first sent over in 1962 never heard from again his whole group. So to this day know one but the govenment really know what happend All i want is to know what happened to all those men with my father and for every man and women to come back home safe.. Thanks Joannie jscddmj [at] aol [dot] com

    Reply

  51. Thanks for participating in the hop and I enjoyed of your unique (well unique to me) take on the cellphone side of it.

    I do know that several of my friends overseas who have returned home took care of that priority pretty quick. (-;

    sophiarose1816@gmail.com

    Reply

  53. Thank you for supporting our troops!

    Words cannot express how grateful I am to all the men and women who put their lives on the line in support of freedom.

    jtcgc at yahoo dot com

    Reply

  56. They say the sign of a good writer is that he or she is not only observant, but empathetic. I am impressed that you have looked deeply into the lives of our service personnel and felt so much. A lot of guys would just service phones. You have turned into a point of connection with this most important part of our tribe. Thanks for the post. It did its job. And thanks for participating in this blog tour.

    Best wishes,
    D. M. Kenyon
    author at lotus blossom book dot com

    Reply

  57. Thank you for supporting our troops this way (and I have to say that I’m going to enjoy it too). My father, husband and brother-in-law have all served or are currently serving and anything that supports our troops is near and dear to my heart.
    Thanks again,
    Andrea
    a_ariail(at)yahoo(dot)com

    Reply

  61. Thank you for participating in this tour as it is a very good cause and I’m happy to see so many authors coming together to do something special for our troops. shadow31071 (at) suddenlink (dot) net I prefer Kindle format or pdf. Thank you.

    Reply

  63. What an interesting perspective on those “young” military guys. I’m sure many of them grow up really quickly in battle.

    Thank you for supporting the troops.

    Brian
    brjf[at]yahoo[dot]com

    Reply

  65. Thanks for sharing your story, I loved it and for being part of Blog Tour de Troops. Your empathy is obvious. I appreciate you making ebooks available to our troops overseas. I commend you.

    Cheers,

    Ardee-ann

    sagemoon_cottage at yahoo dot com

    Reply

  68. You’re right. Those soldiers seem to get younger every year.
    Your book looks like a fantastic read.
    Thank you for generosity and doing this for our troops!
    tweezle(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply

  70. Thank you so much for participating in this event and honoring our veterans on their day and giving to our troops the joy of a good book. You are appreciated.

    dz59001[at]gmail[dot]com

    Reply

  72. Hello! Thanks for the free read – I’m excited to read your book in Kindle format. Also, thanks for supporting our troops!!

    allyreads81 at gmail dot com

    Reply

  73. This is a really worthy cause. Regardless of which country you are from, these soldiers are there to guard your freedom, a selfless sacrifice.
    Many thanks for the giveaway as well. I would love to have the book in epub format.

    tamsyn5 at yahoo dot com

    Reply

  76. I totally agree with you about these brave soldiers being so young. I just watched a broadcast about Armistice Day and there were lots of service men and women present and I couldn’t believe how young they looked! Obviously, this is also a clear sign of my ageing (!) but I was very touched.
    thesilverchick[at]yahoo[dot]com

    Reply

  80. Wow, Michael, I didn’t know that the cell phone industry was supporting our troops in such a meaningful way. Cudo’s to you & I hope you never have to terminate the line of a fallen soldier. Thanks too for enabling so many of our troops to receive a book to help them escape their current reality for a few hours.

    drainbamaged.gyzmo at gmail.com

    Reply

  83. My father was born on veterens day and I lost him 13 years ago so this day has always held twice the meaning for me. I want to thank the troops for their dedication including my cousin Danny and dear friend Yves and also tell my father I love him and miss him dearly. 2vr.iver@gmail.com

    Reply

  86. What a great cause – thanks for supporting our troops!

    I look forward to reading your book!

    Sandi(at)Beckman(dot)me

    Reply

  89. I’m all for keeping our troops happy and this would make me happy! Thanks for doing this.
    egstanley(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply

  91. I’m so glad there’s another Tour de Troops!! Can’t wait to see if there’s more comments than Memorial Day! What a great way to give our troops a little escape in a book while they are away from home and at war. Thanks IndieBookCollective!! Thanks for the free book – can’t wait to read your story!

    I would like the troop book to go to my cousin Zachary Neer serving in the United States Army in Afghanistan.

    Melissa
    missyebookmail (AT) mediacombb (DOT) net

    Reply

  92. Thanks to those who serve, their families – and to everyone participating in this tour. What a wonderful way to support the troops!

    beritlemons AT gmail DOT com

    Reply

  99. Those little things like Cell phones I just assumed the soldiers could take with them but I guess it would be international wouldn’t it and probably a security risk. Thanks for the insight.
    Thanks for supporting our troops this way. I am sure a soldier would love a good book to escape to while they are away from their families protecting out freedom.
    Thanks again
    Linda Meza

    linmeza@hotmail.com

    Reply

  100. They are young! Several years ago, at my previous duty assignment, we had just received some new Soldiers in the unit. My wife stopped by and happened to catch a glimpse of them. She jokingly asked me if their mothers knew they were playing Army? Both are now sergeants and leading even younger Soldiers, but they still look really young!

    Reply

  101. Hi,

    Thanks for being part of the tour.

    To all of the women & men of the military, thank you for everything you do, the sacrifices you make, and for keeping our country safe! To the families of those in the military, thank you for the sacrifices you make each and every day.

    Pinky
    pinkmaiden821(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply

  102. thanks for participating in the Tour de Troops. As an army veteran of multiple deployments, I can assure you that reading provides sanity and a chance to explore worlds outside the dust/rain/dirt of the present un-fun. With the advent of eBook readers it has become even easier to read, try new authors and to feel less cut off from the world.

    sincerely – Holly (prosekniticATyahooDOTde)

    Reply

  103. My dad was a WWII vet and landed at Omaha Beach on D-day. He didn’t live quite long enough to go on one of the Honor Tours and he didn’t talk about the war but he looked very dashing in the pictures. : )

    i enjoyed your blog. I work for PFCU which is the credit union for Army, Air Force, Coast Guard and Homeland Security. I’m also one of the last ones they talk to before they leave. They have to make sure the wife has access & the house payment gets made. I’ve taken calls from all over the world including one where the gunfire was so close, I asked if he didn’t want to call back sometime when he was safer. He said no, there was always gunfire. Made me want to cry. All I could do was tell him I’d add him to my prayers and take off a couple late payment fees.

    Thanks for the book and thanks for supporting our troops
    OmahaUrbanec AT aol Dot com

    Reply

  105. Thank you so much for supporting our troops and for participating in this blog tour. I just learned something new here and I hope you don’t terminate lines often.

    thenarcissuslibrary at gmail dot com

    Reply

  106. I love your post. I never thought about the cell phone service for the troops and the difficulty that you must have doing your job. I totally agree with your wish for them to all the best and to be safe. The troops will never know how much they mean to everyone.
    jessangil at gmail dot com
    -Jessica B

    Reply

  108. Indie authors are so generous & creative to have come up with the Blog Tour. What a wonderful way to show our appreciation to the troops. And the added benefit of getting a free book ourselves. What could be better? Thanks for doing this & allowing me to participate.
    ackleybj {at} verizon {dot} net

    Reply

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