Columbia @ MindSay

American Forces Press Service

July 7, 2008 - American contractors Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell, who'd been among 15 hostages held for more than five years in Colombia by leftist rebels until their July 2 rescue by the Colombian military, released the following public statement on July 4 through U.S. Army South, as provided by the unit's commander, Army Maj. Gen. Keith M. Huber:  "First, we want to assure everyone that we're all doing fine. Words alone can never possibly express the thrill and excitement we feel to be back home in the United States of America with our families at our side.

"There are obviously many people we want to thank. Most of all, we want to thank our families: for their patience, for their love and for their support. For five and a half long years, we all hoped and prayed this day would come. Now that it has, we're just overwhelmed with emotion. The love and the joy we're all experiencing is beyond description.

"Next, we want to offer our heartfelt thanks to the government and the Armed Forces of Colombia. The operation they conducted to rescue us was one for the history books—something we will never forget for the rest of our lives.

"Colombia is a great nation with a great people, and the struggle they have endured with the FARC for more than 40 years is a shining testament to their great spirit: like the loved ones here with us now, they never gave up in the belief that human kindness and decency would ultimately prevail. To all those still held in captivity, our prayers and our thoughts are with you and your loved ones. We haven't forgotten you, and we never will.

"To our employer, Northrop Grumman, our sincere appreciation for your dedication and consistent support to our precious families throughout this ordeal.

"Finally, we want to recognize our own United States Government who never forgot us, as evidenced by the tireless efforts of the superb team of men and women in the United States Embassy, Bogotá, Colombia. Specifically, here at Fort Sam Houston, we want to thank General Huber of United States Army South, General Gilman of the Brooke Army Medical Center, Col. Martinson of Garrison, Fort Sam Houston, and their staffs, for the warm hospitality they've provided us and our families. The personal and professional concern they have taken in our well-being is deeply touching, and the reintegration process they are conducting on our behalf is worthwhile and important. We are all obviously eager to return home, but first we want to complete this entire process so we can return to our lives in the best physical and emotional shape possible.

"We understand that a lot of people are eager to see and hear from us, and they will. But right now, more than anything, we just want to be with our loved ones. We ask that the media respect our privacy as we reunite with our families. Rest assured, we will respond to your questions in the near future.

"Today, in the United States of America, it is the Fourth of July: the day when Americans everywhere celebrate our independence. We can't think of a better time to thank our fellow citizens for never giving up on us, for never forgetting us, for always believing that we would, one day, return home to the country we love.

"From the three of us and from our families, Happy Fourth of July."

We recently picked up a load in Columbia, PA which is where the pen is pointing on the map.

We saw this mural in the middle of the town.

It's a little hard to tell from the picture but the mural is painted on the side of a 2 story building. We took the picture out of the side window of the truck.

The Columbia military entered Ecuador and killed a high echelon leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (Hispanic anagram: FARC).

FARC is a Communist terrorist group whose political goal is to bring repressive Communism to Columbia; however its operations are drug trafficking, kidnapping for ransom, extortion and the general use of terrorist tactics to control the local people FARC has infiltrated and to strike fear in the people of Columbian controlled areas.

Ecuador has cajones in allowing FARC to hide within their national borders. If Columbia has the power to back up threats to their National Security, they have every right to chase terrorists across foreign borders. Ecuador should be condemned for harboring FARC. Indeed harboring FARC could be almost considered an act of war against Columbia.

Venezuela’s reaction was hostile to Columbia. Chavez the President of Venezuela has slowly eroded Democratic institutions since coming to power as an overt Communist striking up an anti-American friendship with Cuba.

Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa describes himself as Socialist and a Roman Catholic and a personal friend of Communist Hugo Chavez.

Thus when Columbia decided to take action against FARC on Ecuadorean soil, it is not surprising that both Venezuela and Ecuador mobilized there military to their borders with Columbia.

This mobilization of military elements in essence validates the Venezuelan and Ecuadorean governments’ support of drug dealing terrorists that operate under the umbrella of Communism.

If Venezuela and Ecuador actually do more than rattle their sabers at Columbia, America should support the Columbian government with a military strike that reminds Chavez and Correa that they can still be spanked even without an American invasion.

JRH

Well ... we have returned from our wonderful trip to Charleston/ Columbia SC.  phsbum has successfully completed Army basic training, and has now moved to AIT (Advanced Individual training) also on Ft Jackson.  We had a lovely 4 day visit thanks to the holiday. 

The two pics are our soldier just after the graduation ceremony on Weds 21 November (about 78º), and her older sister on Folly Beach, Monday 19 November!  Beautiful 76º.  We had lovely weather which was nice because the ceremony was outside, but also because we had to commute daily between Charleston and Columbia (about 110 miles one way) because we were staying with my dearest friends in Charleston. 

We had a blessed ... REALLY blessed Thanksgiving with close friends and our new soldier ... Many pics to follow ...!  For now ... I am just thanksful for our time with her.  We will get to have her home with us for Christmas, too ... I can't wait!  :)

~ B

- Camp starts in a week.  That means the boredom is coming to an end!

- Knocked Up was surprisingly funny.  I went with Meshia and Justin, and it was a general good time.  They were BEYOND excited that the street was paved.  I found that hilarious.  The movie was a lot better than I expected.  ESPECIALLY since I am one of the few people between the ages of 16 and 30 who DIDN'T real like Old School, Anchorman, Wedding Crashers. ... 40 Year-Old Virgin was alright, and Dodgeball I love, but most of the recent comedies have left me...glad I didn't see them in theaters?  But this one was pretty good.

- Nicole left me a voicemail that was hard to understand, but from what I understood of it, she found a note I wrote her in 7th grade (so either 1997 or 1998), possibly 8th grade.  How funny is that?  We're turning 22, and there's 12 year-old me apparently giving her some kind of advice - she said it's hilarious, so we'll have to go read that.  I always wish I did that in school.  Like, wrote a letter to myself in the future.  One of the 6th grade classes did that, and as promised, the teacher delivered them to the class when we graduated high school, and they were so innocent and amazing and poorly punctuated ... and I didn't have one since my class didn't do that.  Stupid my class!!

- I just rented the first few episodes of Prison Break on DVD from the video store.  I didn't get to watch the second season, so I'm not sure I can REALLY list it as 'favorite tv show' anymore, but...he's too hot.  I couldn't resist watching.  Especially since I didn't start watching season 1 until later on, so technically, I've never seen these three episodes even though I know what happens in them.

- My little Raddish IS in a commercial!  I'm so proud of him!  I was watching tv, and I saw a kid in the commercial and I was like 'that mofo looks like my Conrad'...oh IT IS. You can watch it here:  http://youtube.com/watch?v=fyeZKBPMAgM.   HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CONRAD!

- I got into Hunter College finally.  I can't believe how long that took.  But it's over.  I applied to FOUR grad schools for teaching, and I was accepted into all of them:  Hunter, NYU (because I am a GLUTTON for punishment...even though I love the ed program there so much, it is punishment), Columbia Teacher's College, and Bank Street College of Education.  This also means I owe Ellen a night of drinking because I told her if we both got into all the schools we applied to, a-drinking we would go.  : )

- The guy working at the Deli counter whilst food shopping was competent AND fun to talk to.  He is now officially my favorite person.  Second place is the woman who was on Long Island in NORTH Hempstead (I'm originally from WEST) and Plainview and Westbury last weekend. 

- I'M GETTING A NEW BED.  Well, technically I should write, I'M GETTING A BED!  For the past few summers/winter vacations (when I'm here), I've been sleeping on the futon my parents thought would be a good idea. Well...it isn't.  My back is really messed up from it.  But we found a nice cheap bed, and my dad and I are going to pick it up in a few minutes and YAYYYYYYY THE END OF BACK PAIN!

- I've decided/realized that it would be absolutely HILARIOUS if Jay kept a blog/journal whatever you want to call these things.  It would be fantastic to get a daily account of how many people he punched "in the botch" or just how many "CHETS!" he could work into a normal paragraph, or a random "ETCH!" thrown in there.  To read exactly what new way he'll torture Kalman's Mother (or Kalman's Mother's Vagina), how many half-beers he drank to get that drunk, how many new superpowers he's developed since he started watched HEROES, how many times he can quote Heroes... and no one save about 8 people on this planet would REALLY understand half of what he was saying.  I love Jay.  I would love to understand half of what he says!  I'd love to have it on the internet for the average person to try and decipher!

**** UPDATE ****

- New bed is good, old futon was apparently broken, that's why it sagged and was way uncomfortable.  Drawback:  Bed is higher up than futon...possibly as tall as parents' bed.  This means dog can no longer climb up there and have a nice place to nap.  Poor puppy.

- In the parking lot, I found these really crazy red bug things.  I need someone who is an entymologist to help me figure out what they were - small, pretty red, orange dot on the back, probably 6-legged (I'm thinking some kind of beetle).  There were a few wandering around on their own, but they mainly hung together in these giant clumps to the point that when I first saw them, I thought they were either flowers or berries from a tree.  I'm highly intrigued by them.

- We just got TOTAL VIP treatment at the restaurant that opened next to our store.  We got a complimentary plate of mussels (so now I can say I have eaten 2 mussels in my life...crazies), bleu cheese slices with the salad even though it said those were 2 dollars extra, and then when we said no desert, he sent us a slice of apple pie thing to share.  Entire visit was DELICIOUS.  Who knew my parents could get VIP anything?