A visit to ‘Club Gitmo’

I’m not sure if these folks will say ‘hi’ to those we’re still holding there, but the MAF pro-troop care package tour I talked about a few days back has a new final stop:

Move America Forward, the nation’s largest pro-troop grassroots organization, announced today their nationwide tour to support the troops will include a stop at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Melanie Morgan, Chairman of Move America Forward, said, “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to be able to personally tell the United States military personnel at Guantanamo Bay how much we appreciate their service to America.  We especially appreciate those who have had the difficult duty of containing the worst terrorists, who are imprisoned at the Naval Facility.”

Move America Forward has been conducting a nationwide tour to support sending care packages to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The tour began in Sacramento, California, with a parade to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the California Vietnam Memorial and will now end at the U.S. military facility in Cuba.

“With Americans focused on the economic problems facing our country, we have to ensure that our troops in harm’s way are not forgotten during the Christmas and Hanukkah holiday season.  Our care packages are heading to Iraq and Afghanistan, but it is also important to remember our troops who are keeping the terrorists at bay just 90 miles from our shores,” said Morgan.

The trip is being facilitated by Kylie Williams, official ambassador for veterans’ advocacy for the State of Florida.  Traveling on the tour in addition to Morgan will be MAF staff members Catherine Moy, Danny Gonzalez and Ryan Gill.  Also accompanying the group will be Gold Star Mom and MAF spokesperson Debbie Lee, whose son Marc Alan Lee was the first Navy SEAL killed in Iraq.  Lee said, “Move America Forward made possible a trip to Kuwait and Iraq so that Melanie and I could join our troops during the holidays last year and personally distribute Christmas and Hanukkah cards to our troops. This year we are honored to travel to Guantanamo Bay to express our thanks and see for ourselves the honorable work done under difficult circumstances by our military.”

“With so many politicians irresponsibly criticizing the job being done by American troops at Guantanamo Bay, we thought it was important for us to go there and personally tell them that the American people are 100% behind them – despite what a few self-serving politicians have to say,” Morgan concluded.

As the Long War continues to fade somewhat from the national conscience, it is easy to forget that we still have thousands of fighting men and women doing battle, holidays or not, against radical Islamic terrorists in Iraq, Afghaniatan, and at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Those who claim to “support the troops but not their mission” have a chance to show their support by purchasing a care package through the MAF website. Perhaps Move America Forward’s drives will become semi-annual events, since they also did a internet telethon earlier this summer. In either case, those who volunteered to help keep our nation and freedom safe deserve a little love too.