HEROES, PROTECTORS, AND BRAVE HEARTS

If you arrived here from the Smiles for Everyone! blog by Stampin Sher then you are at the right place. I have known Stampin Sher over 20 years, and her blog name really does reflect who she is - a great person with an infectious smile and - she is that special person who started me stamping!

If you arrived here from anywhere else, you may wish to go here to the Operation Write Home Stars and Stamps website to get all the information and begin the Memorial Day Bloghop from the beginning.

Thank you for spending a few moments with me on my blog and please do feel free to leave a comment. For each comment, I will make and donate two (2) cards to OWH for our heroes. I did complete the 232 cards representing the fabulous 116 comments you left at the Spring Blog Hop and am hoping and praying for a new record of at least 125 comments or 250 cards pledged! The reality is I had a total hip replacement yesterday (Friday, the 28th and will be in the hospital over the Memorial Day weekend, (but through the use of modern technology, I can still post for today) and the one thing I will be able to do during my 4-6 week recovery period is make cards. YES! As long as I can craft paper, I am a happy camper.

My Father-in-law, Rolleston Fox (below) was a Navy CB (Construction Battalion) during World War II. The CeeBee's are always the first soldiers to land on foreign soil and would make things ready for the rest of the troops who would follow creating roads, bridges, camps, etc.

My father, Harry Salzman, was not permitted to join the service as they discovered he had a punctured eardrum. When I first heard this story, I asked why that would prevent him from enlisting. The answer: nerve gas was commonly used on the battlefield and while a gas mask prevented the nerve gas from getting into the respiratory system through the nose and mouth, the gas would flow through the puncture in the eardrum and into the soldier’s system resulting in death. My father was heartbroken he could not enlist and decided he would move from New York to California to work in the shipyards. Good thing too, because that’s where my Mom was! I wish I could include a picture of Daddy, but sadly there are none that I know of from that time in his life. Daddy is, above all people, my biggest hero!

I know I have written about this before, but those who support our troops, however they do that, could be called our modern day Rosie the Riveters. And to all who support our soldiers through Operation Write Home or any other way that you might find, I salute you too!

Now I have the extreme pleasure of directing you to a person I consider "a heroine, a friend, and very talented artist". Sandy, our fearless leader from Operation Write Home can be found here at her blog A Colourful World . I am sure you will enjoy her blog very much!

Card recipe: I did all of the words with the computer, printing them in red and navy blue on Neenah solar white cardstock. The other papers are from Gina K in Rocket Red and In the Navy. The lace edges are done with a paper edger by Martha Stewart. On the white punched strip, I have poked my red and blue Copic markers through the holes from the back side. The holographic strip and red heart brads are from my stash.