Merry Christmas 2017!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

From All of Us 

at 

Serve Our Willing Warriors

May Your Day be Merry & Bright!

Thanksgiving 2017: The Freedom to Give Thanks; the Freedom to Simply Give!

If you have been granted the great gift 

of living in America,

then you have reason to be 

THANKFUL.

EVERY SINGLE DAY.

We possess so many freedoms and blessings that a great percentage of the world does not.

So as you enjoy the bounty this holiday represents, 

remember to give thanks for your Freedoms as well.

And take a moment to remember and give thanks for our Men and Women in uniform that protect these freedoms on our behalf.

Many of them will be spending this holiday far from family and home.

SOWW WISHES YOU AND YOURS

A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING!

And if you have more than enough, we hope you will find the Joy that comes with sharing your bounty with others in need during this Holiday Season. 

(Because Gratitude and Giving are intrinsically linked.)

"If you are really thankful, what do you do?

You share!"

~ W. Clement Stone ~

Thanking Our Warriors: Veteran's Day 2017

Today (and Tomorrow) let's pause to 

Respect and Thank Our Veterans!

How does one really say "Thank You!" to these amazing men and women?

In truth, most of our Warriors are modest. While they appreciate our acknowledgement of their service, they are often shy when they are approached by civilians that want to commend them for their military participation.  (Nevertheless, you should always thank them when given the chance. They really do appreciate it!)

Are there other ways that we can effectively say Thanks?

Most veterans would probably say . . .

"Take some form of action as a means of saying thanks."

There are so many great organizations (like Serve Our Willing Warriors) that work with our Veterans and their families in a hands-on, consequential way.  Find a local organization and volunteer. Or donate money or other resources to a nonprofit that provides meaningful services to our Warriors.  Our Veterans need to know that those who have served will be taken care of (along with their families). They need to know they will not be forgotten or neglected.

You can also show your appreciation through Good Citizenship. 

Our Veterans have fought for our precious rights in this country and want to see them upheld and enjoyed. So exercise your right to vote. Be involved in bettering your local community. Raise your children to understand what it means to be an American and to be grateful for the freedoms we enjoy in this country. 

Don't take these hard-won gifts for granted. So many people around the world are not so fortunate.

And when you do find yourself in the position to personally thank a Veteran, be sure to say, 

"Please thank your family for me too!"

They will certainly appreciate that. 

I will close with a few snapshots of our incredible Warriors in action; always keeping us safe here at home and doing good things for the world abroad. Aren't they amazing?

Have a Blessed Veterans Day + Weekend and remember . . .

Take Action to Say Thanks!

9/11 = AS ONE!

Let Us Always Remember:

That Which Was Meant For Evil,

Only Served to Further 

Unite Us

God Bless America!

A Story We Find SO(WW) Inspiring!

When we saw this wonderful interview, 

we had to share it with you.  

Because it's always good to hear something heartwarming . . . 

Even during the hot days of summer.

Enjoy 

+ 

Be Inspired!

Memorial Day Weekend 2017: A Mother's Memorial To Her Fallen Sons

I already knew what I wanted to write for a Memorial Day post. But that all changed when I was sorting through some old boxes of photos and papers that had belonged to my mother. 

I came across a handwritten poem that was not in my mother's handwriting. Nor did the handwriting belong to my father, grandmother or grandfather. Puzzled, I began to read the poem that was written about two sailors, brothers no less, who had lost their lives on a ship named the Jacob Jones.

As I read, I wondered if it was a fictional poem or if it was written about two real men. By the eighth stanza, I had tears in my eyes. It felt too intimate to be a fabrication. When I got to the closing lines I knew it was for real because the two sailors were named: 

Harold and Nathan.

The poem was signed by Vera E. McKinney, but the name didn't ring a bell.  Who was she in relation to the the two brothers in the poem? And what was her relationship to my mother? Was she a relative? A friend?  

I knew I had to find the family that the poem belonged to so that I could return it to them. But my mother had lived in a lot of places, so I wasn't sure if the author "Vera" was someone Mom had known growing up, or a friend she had made when she was working in a Maryland bomb factory during the war.

I went online to see if I could locate Vera and I began by researching the brothers, Harold and Nathan, and their ship named *Jacob Jones. It didn't take long to find their names and a history of their ship.

The brothers were Harold Leroy McKinney and Nathan Lorain McKinney and they lost their lives on February 28, 1942 off the coast of Cape May, New Jersey, when their Wickes class destroyer, the USS Jacob Jones (DD-130), was hit with enemy torpedoes by the undetected German submarine U-578.  

There were only eleven survivors.

The brothers had hailed from the area where my mother had grown up, so I began searching online in that region. To my great surprise, I posted an inquiry on a local Facebook page and almost before I could finish typing I got a response from none other than Vera's grandson. He confirmed my suspicions.

Vera had written this poem about the two brothers because they were her sons. She lost both of them that fateful day because they had requested to serve together. Vera's grandson, David, gave me the phone number of one of Vera's surviving children, her daughter Naomi. I immediately called her to tell her about the poem and to ask for the family's permission to post it here for Memorial Day. Naomi was quite familiar with the poem because it had been previously published in 1948 by a local radio station singer and humorist, "Singing Sam" Raborn, in a book titled Favorite Poems (Gems of Verses Gathered From Here and There and Recited in Public Readings).

I sent Naomi the handwritten poem and we both were surprised to find it that it didn't appear to be written in her mother's handwriting. There was an additional stanza added and small changes in some of the wording. Vera's last name was even misspelled. We are still unsure as to who hand-wrote the copy stashed away in my mother's things, but perhaps someone was writing the poem down from memory. Or perhaps it was someone who had recited the poem in public. The addition of a stanza is a true mystery; perhaps the published version had accidentally left it out.

Naomi sent me a copy of the poem as it was originally published and photos of all seven of her brothers: all of whom served their country in uniform.

The handwritten copy I found is featured below, and the text beneath each page is how the poem originally appeared in 1948. 

(*The additional stanza from the handwritten version has been added.)

Vera's poem is a timeless tribute to her fallen sons and her sorrow from 75 years ago still seeps from it's pages. I can think of no better way to honor the meaning of Memorial Day than to share this moving poem. 

This is a mother's memorial to both of her sons: 

Two brothers who gave their last full measure of devotion;

Side by side.

(1948 Version)

In Memory

Written by a broken-hearted mother in memory of her two sons who never came back.

1.

On one dark and chilly morning,

Just before dawn of day,

A great ship with sailors brave, 

Was sailing on its way.

2.

They left the coast of Maryland, 

On the great Atlantic shore,

Knowing not, they could never,

See land or loved-ones anymore.

3.

So on deck they watched and waited,

Hoping that their loss be none,

But alas; that awful shaking,

Just before the rising sun.

4.

Oh, how sad if we were near them,

Heard the prayers, the sighs, the groans

As the enemy broke to pieces,

That great ship, the Jacob Jones.

5.

Among these sailors were two brothers,

'Twas their request that they could be,
Near each other in the service,
Then in heaven together through eternity.

6.

Those two boys were to us precious,

With hearts so brave and true,

Sacrificing for their country,

For the red, the white, and blue.

7.

Our dear boys, how we miss them,

No human tongue can ever tell,

Since they left home forever,

In the deep sea, there to dwell.

8.

Until the resurrection morning,

When they rise from the cold bed,

For the Holy Bible tells us,

The seas shall give up their dead.

9.

Their dear faces e'er before us,

From the dawn till close of day,

Then at night fall, dark and lonely,

Our dear boys so far away.

10.

We sit down in grief and sorrow,

With a sad and aching heart,

Thinking of the awful terror

From home and mother they must part.

11.*

In our hearts their memories linger

Till we sleep beneath the sod

Then they'll rise some day and meet us

Around the golden throne of God

12.

'Mid all our heartaches and parting,

Our boys taken from their home,

There is one thing to remember,

God is still upon the throne.

13.

And the one who watches o'er all,

The flowers, birds, and bees,

Will watch over our dear boys,

Who now sleep beneath the seas.

14.

They sailed many miles together,

Your dear boys, along with mine,

But their sailing now is ended,

On the troubled sea of time.

15.

Let's just trust and pray to Jesus,

They will sail some day to shore,

Where there'll be no war, no fighting

And parting shall be no more.

16.

At that gathering up in heaven,

Of the faithful and the true,

We are sure in that gathering,

We will find our sailors too.

17.

Some times we're home sick for heaven,

That sweet home bright and fair

There we'll see dear Harold and Nathan,

We are sure they are waiting there.

Written by Vera E. McKinney:

Mother of Harold and Nathan McKinney

(circa 1942)

The McKinney Brothers

(left to right)
Donald W. McKinney (USN)
Coy A. McKinney (USN)
Leo G. McKinney (USA)
*Nathan L. McKinney (USN)
*Harold L. McKinney (USN)


The younger two sons of Vera McKinney who served years later.

Floyd D. McKinney (United States Army)

Clinton R. McKinney (United States Air Force)

Vera passed away before the younger sons were old enough to enlist. 
She never got to see them in their uniforms.

This Memorial Day Weekend, let's be sure to pause and take some time 
to honor and remember all of our fallen warriors in uniform. 

And let us always be grateful for families like the McKinneys. 

God bless you this Memorial Day weekend.
~ ~ ~

Serve Our Willing Warriors would like to express our sincere thanks to: 

Vera's grandsons;
David McKinney 
&
Lt. Col. David Leftwich (United States Army, Retired) and his wife, Cathy Leftwich, 
For responding and assisting in the search for the McKinney relatives and for sending us the lovely photo of Vera E. McKinney

& 

A very special thanks to: 
Naomi Blankenship (Vera's daughter) 
For her assistance with this article and for granting us permission to share these family photos 
and the beautiful tribute written by her mother about her two brothers

*According to the West Virginia Memory Project, additional info on Harold & Nathan McKinney may be found through the following resources.  (Membership to archival news sources may be required.)

Welch Daily News - Two Purple Hearts For Mercer Family - 12/23/1943; 

Combat Connected Naval Casualties WWII by States, War Dept. 1946, Vol 2 (West Virginia); 

Moundsville Daily Echo - "Destroyer Sunk, Over 100 Lost" - 3 Mar 1942

*Historical Note:  

There have been two destroyers bearing the name "USS Jacob Jones":  The USS Jacob Jones (DD-61) and the USS Jacob Jones (DD-130), which was the ship mentioned in this article.
The first ship was the USS Jacob Jones (DD-61); a Tucker-class destroyer that went down in WWI. Ironically, the first Jacob Jones was also sunk by a German submarine, the U-53, on December 6, 1917.
It was the first United States destroyer ever lost to enemy action.

National Military Spouse Appreciation Day ~ Celebrating A Warrior Kind Of Love

Serve Our Willing Warriors loves to honor Our Military.

But it is impossible to honor our incredible men and women in uniform 

without honoring Their Spouses.

They are the other Willing Warriors . . .

They are the ones willing to frequently relocate their families, often having to leave friends and familiarity behind.

They are the faithful ones who wait at home for their loved ones while they are away serving our country . . .

They are the ones who singlehandedly raise the children and manage the home front and lie awake at night praying for their their warrior's safe return during tours of duty . . .

They are un-uniformed and live among us.

If you know a military spouse that is awaiting the return of their husband or wife, 

PLEASE reach out to them and show your appreciation. 

Offer to mow their lawn or wash their car.

Offer to cook a meal or take their kids to a movie. 

The smallest token of appreciation & support can mean an awful lot to a military wife or husband dealing with daily stresses that a civilian cannot possibly know.

Knowing that people back home are looking out for their spouses definitely means the world to our Willing Warriors who must spend long periods of time away from their families.

And no one is more deserving of our appreciation.

To all our Military Spouses out there . . .

We Thank You!

You are our Unsung Heroes; 

Our Willing Warriors at Home!

Note:  All of the photos of Willing Warriors & Their Spouses + Families 

were taken during their complimentary stays at the Warrior Retreat at Bull Run.

Thanks to Bushnell Photography for volunteering with SOWW to provide 

these wonderful images & memories for our Willing Warrior guests.

Seasonal Lessons From Passover & Easter (and Cherry Trees)

One of the wonderful things about living in the DC beltway region is the onset of spring. Passover and Easter are usually ushered in by the blooming of cherry trees that line the Potomac River, the highways, and the neighborhoods surrounding our capital.

But this year, our beloved cherry trees were hit hard by crazy weather patterns. A heat wave initiated too-early budding and blooming. A severe cold front followed, dumping snow and ice on the delicate blossoms.

I have two cherry trees that sit on either side of my driveway and I eagerly await their bloom each year. This year, my beautiful trees were covered in brown, withered petals. I almost felt ill when I saw them and worried that my trees might be permanently damaged. 

I did the only thing I could do -- I left town for a week because I just couldn't bear to see my beautiful trees so decimated. 

But then I returned. 

And, miraculously, so had some blooms on my cherry trees!

Though the blooms were not as profuse as previous years, they were still beautiful. They reminded me of something important:

Never write something off because it has been hurt or damaged.

This is particularly true of people.

We all possess an underlying strength to conquer harsh circumstances and the winter storms of life only serve to help us tap into that hidden reserve of fortitude. We are made to miraculously overcome!

(At SOWW we get to observe inner resilience up close and at work in the Willing Warriors that we serve. They are our daily reminders of the power of the human spirit!)

Perhaps you have just weathered some difficult circumstances in your own life and things are looking pretty grim. As we enter into this sacred season of Passover & Easter, I would like to encourage you and challenge you to: 

Think on the Passover story;

Meditate on Easter;

Observe the Cherry Trees . . .

They all illustrate the story of Overcoming; 

of Victory in the face of death; 

of New Beginnings.

These stories are your stories too.

Wishing you a beautiful Passover & Easter & A Year Filled with Renewed Strength and Vigor & Good Things Blossoming!

Valentine's Day 2017: Feel the love!

Who among us wouldn't rather receive a gift of warm, homemade cookies over a box of store-bought ones?  

There's just something about a handmade gift that says, 

"You are special; 

You are loved; 

You deserve my time and attention."

That's why we give a handmade quilt to every warrior family that stays at The Warrior Retreat at Bull Run. It is a warm reminder of SOWW'S "Home Away From Home" that they can take with them once their stay is over.

We have seen firsthand what these quilts have meant to our Warriors 

and the strong emotions that they have evoked.

This Valentine's Day, we wanted to say a big 

"Thanks!!!" 

to the incredible quilters who donate their time, talent, and awesome quilts to the Willing Warriors + Their Families during their stays at The Warrior Retreat at Bull Run.

Your gifts are "love made tangible".

Everyone at Serve Our Willing Warriors salutes you 

for providing such a thoughtful way for our Warriors to 

"Feel the Love"!

A Valentine's Day Thought:

Life is less a Quest than a Quilt.

We find Meaning, Love and Prosperity through the Process of

Stitching Together our Bold Attempts 

to Help Others Find Their Own Way in Their Lives.

~ Keith Ferrazzi: Author     

❤

A Simple Thought for a Happy 2017!

I like to plant good thoughts in my head; especially at the start of a new year.

I had been looking for an inspirational saying for 2017 and began digging through all my usual sources for finding great quotes -- you know the kind -- the great words that have been uttered or written by world leaders and iconic, historic figures.

I read through lots of incredible things said by renowned people.

But the words that really spoke to me the most at the close of 2016

came from a place I did not expect. 

As I relaxed during New Year's Eve, I was reading the premier issue of a new magazine; 

The Magnolia Journal. 

In the pages of this lovely new magazine the editor, Joanna Gaines, expressed a simple, yet difficult-to-master, truism that we often forget to apply on a daily basis.

Here are those wise words.

~ Look too far 

Ahead or behind,  

and We risk missing 
the JOY 
Intended for Here and Now.

There's a Certain Richness in 

TODAY 

that May never be Around Again. 

 . . . I Continue to Move My HEART toward 

Contentedness and Gratitude 

for What THIS Day and Time Hold. ~

~ Joanna Gaines ~

We Hope You

Embrace the Blessings of 

THIS DAY

and 

Every Day in 2017

From All of Us

@

Serve Our Willing Warriors

http://willingwarriors.org/

HAPPY NEW YEAR!