“Thank You For Your Service”

WHO’S YO DADDY?   According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network,  children of military and veteran families experience unique challenges related to military life and culture.  Long-term effects include alienation from benefits earned during military service. 
One small step toward “Becoming” could be one giant leap for veteran families.

By Eric Stradford, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired

AMWS, November 11, 2018, Virtual – Military Veterans today are at times greeted by the term, “Thank you for your service.”   Over the last twelve years, Youth Achievers USA Institute, a 501c3 public charity, invested time and talent in perpetuating the spirit behind the phrase though its support of annual commemorative events and inclusive community projects.

For more than twenty years, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Colonel Herbert N. Harmon, J.D. has hosted an annual Marine Corps Birthday celebration with a small gathering of friends in Washington, D.C.  This year, The National Museum of the Marine Corps once again invited America to say, “Thank you for your service” and mean it. 

If you were among the few and the proud who missed the commemorative Marine Corps Birthday event, perhaps you will SAVE THE DATE for November 10, 2019. 

This year, the world watched as the 45^th President of the United States missed a movement.  Ordinarily, it’s not a big thing for most civilians who say, “thank you for your service.”

According to legal scholars, the president, even as the commander in chief, is not in the military by law.  Although he has authority over the armed forces, he enjoys immunity from military justice.  That being said, a couple of Marine Generals standing on the shoulders of American heroes, might feel obligated to bend the arc of a moral universe toward some Marine Corps unique justice.

One of the most famous quotations in Marine Corps history came during the initial step-off for battle when First Sergeant Dan Daly, a recipient of two Medals of Honor who had served in the Philippines, Santo Domingo, Haiti, Peking and Vera Cruz, prompted his men of the 73rd Machine Gun Company forward with the words: "Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?"

In their study of Marine Corps history, young Marines are motivated by Daly’s politically incorrectness during the battle of Belleau Wood. His command, and the resultant fierce fighting earned U.S. Marines the respect of their enemy.  The Germans nicknamed Marines who fought at Belleau Wood, “Teufel Hunde," a term by which generations of Marines have become known as “Devil Dogs.”

Depending on how the words are remembered, by whom and how the story is told, a United States Marine could be a community’s greatest asset or its worst nightmare. Dan Daly is reported to have turned down an officer’s commission, stating, “Any officer can get by on his sergeants, but to be a sergeant you have to know your stuff.”  Of course, any commissioned officer who might have heard Daly say that would hardly want it to be remembered.   

Missing a movement hardly measures up among allegations of porn-star payoffs, rigged elections and witness tampering.  But when citizens, particularly veterans, consider the offense in context, Belleau Wood is hardly the event you miss for a booty call.

The president's most important duty as commander in chief is to defend the United States, its territories and possessions and its armed forces, from attack.  This duty to National Security is carried out through projection of military strength, diplomacy and economic security.  When America’s misses the opportunity to say, “thank you for your service,” and mean it, America falls short on its responsibility for its National Security.
 
The U.S. Constitution (Article II, section 2) specifies that “The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several states, when called into the actual Service of the United States.”  Language provides the president with constitutional powers over the armed forces.  As the president shares power with the Congress, countless unsettling, unanswered questions keep lawyers and politicians employed.  Meanwhile, young men and women sacrifice life, limbs, and livelihood  as those cassions keep rolling along.

Veterans are just part of a complex and interconnected web of people who vote for policymakers. Language drives policy.  National Security is possible only when and if a nation guarantees Economic Security for its veterans. In the absence of truth, words become alternative facts and veterans forget why they sacrificed. Consequently, active military service members never learn the importance of their service.   

As a United States Marine Corps veteran, engaging America’s Future is perhaps the best therapy society can offer.  Much has been said about the re-entry of military veterans into American society.  Most of it begins with trust.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimates that 40,056 veterans are homeless on any given night. Almost 2 million veterans are without health insurance, along with 3.8 million members of their households, according to news reports.  Among the 1.8 million uninsured veterans, 12.7 percent are under 65.

Becoming, a new book by Former First Lady Michelle Obama, offers some helpful insight on where we might go from here.   According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network,  children of military and veteran families experience unique challenges related to military life and culture. These challenges include deployment-related stresses such as parental separation, family reunification, and reintegration; disruption of relationships with friends and neighbors due to frequent moves; and adaptation to new schools and new community resources.

Earlier today, an opportunity for inclusion presented itself.  “I may not have stayed in for a long period of time…,” posted Chalondra Brie Stradford. “…but I did sign up to serve my country!!!! Happy Veteran's Day to all the men and women like me who put their name on the line for the USA!!!!”

What is a Veteran?  According to unofficial sources, a veteran is defined by federal law, moral code and military service as "Any, Any, Any"... A military veteran is Any person who served for Any length of time in Any military service branch (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines. Certain Coast Guard personnel operating under the War Dept, Navy Dept or Dept of Defense are also military veterans.).

Officially, anyone who claims to be a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces might verify their status at www.va.gov.

It's a Family Affair!

Who put “chain migration” and “birthright citizenship” on the 2018 ballot?

On August 9, 2018, #WeThePeople granted United States citizenship to Victor and Amalia Knavs.  Born in 1944, Viktor came from the town of Radeče and, reportedly, worked as a chauffeur before becoming a car salesman.  He met Amalija in 1966 in the small town of Sevnica in Yugoslavia, now Slovenia.  Amalija hailed from the village of Raka and worked as a pattern-maker at a children's clothing factory.   

Now, THE REST OF THE STORY…

By Eric Stradford, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired

AMWS, November 1, 2018, Virtual – Chain migration is a term describing migrants from a particular town who follow others from that town to a particular destination.  First Lady Melania Trump’s husband made the term a 2018 mid-term election issue by connecting it to “birth-right citizenship.”  

With just 5 days left to vote in the 2018 mid-term elections, #WeThePeople are taking the issue of immigration seriously.  No official inquiry by the 115^th United States Congress has advised #WeThePeople on some relevant facts behind the immigration of Viktor and Amalija Knavs. Their particular application of “birth-right citizenship” connects their grandson, Baron, to one side or the other of a wall that no longer exists. 

The Soviet Union’s break-up splintered into 15 republics, including Russia.  The dissolution of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia began almost simultaneously and under similar circumstances, yet the outcomes of these two world events seem inexplicably diverse.  While the anti-communist revolution led to the relatively peaceful break-up of the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia spiraled downwards into bloody nationalist battles in Bosnia and Kosovo. 

One particular case of “chain migration” is so simple that it sounds like common sense.   People are more likely to move where people they know live, and each new immigrant makes people they know more likely to move there in turn."

Since the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, the United States has prioritized admitting immigrants with relatives living here.  According to data from the Department of Homeland Security, about 7 million out of the nearly 11 million immigrants who obtained green cards from 2007 to 2016 did so through family relations.

By signing off on political appeals to Republican voters, First Lady Melania Trump inserted herself into a national scandal.  Just ask yourself, What is Mueller’s job?  According to Huffington Post, Deputy U.S. Attorney General Rosenstein tasked Former FBI Director Robert Mueller with investigating “any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump,” as well as “any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation.”

A revised timeline for investigating “any links” might include that period from 1944 to August 9, 2018.  A subject of the Russia Investigation is seeking to end the long-standing right to U.S. citizenship for children born to noncitizens in the United States.  Donald Trump’s in-laws are recent naturalized citizens who benefited from the U.S. immigration policy he seeks to obstruct.

On August 9, 2018, #WeThePeople granted United States citizenship to Victor and Amalia Knavs.  Born in 1944, Viktor came from the town of Radeče and, reportedly worked as a chauffeur before becoming a car salesman.  He met Amalija in 1966 in the small town of Sevnica in Yugoslavia, now Slovenia.  Amalija hailed from the village of Raka and worked as a pattern-maker at a children's clothing factory.

Research suggests that Viktor was in the League of Communists.  No evidence confirms his membership in the party, but Viktor reportedly amassed a collection of Mercedes sedans.  Melania is reportedly one of two daughters of Victor and Amalia Knavs.  Chronological investigation marks Melania’s birth 17 years before President Ronald Reagan’s “Tear Down This Wall” speech.  Melania’s son, Baron, born on March 20, 2006 establishes one “birth-right citizenship” link to these facts.  

DNA testing might confirm Victor and Amalia Knavs’ family ties to Baron and, perhaps, offer insight into their lawyer’s assertion that, “The couple had met the condition of having a green card for five years.”  Attorney Michael Wildes confirmed his clients’ new citizenship status but gave no further details.

#WeThePeople granted U.S. Citizenship to Melania Knavs Trump in 2006 through an Einstein EB-1 visa for “extraordinary ability.”  Victor and Amalia’s daughter came to the US in 1996 on a tourist visa.  She extended her stay through a string of working visas for skilled immigrants, according to sources.  While working as a model in New York, Melania Knavs met Donald Trump.  Her modeling career was associated with Irene Marie Models and Trump Model Management.  Before applying for a green card - which grants permanent residency - she had worked as a runway model in Europe and had been featured, to a limited extent, in UK and US magazines.

According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, “the eligibility criteria for the EB-1 includes professors, researchers, multi-national managers and executives, and those with extraordinary ability,” or coverage of the applicant in major publications, original and significant contributions to a field, and work displayed at artistic exhibitions.  Melania had appeared on the cover of British GQ on a fur rug in Mr Trump's private jet, and in the swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated in the US.  No evidence was found confirming that she was a “top international model.”

"You do not have to be a Nobel prize winner to get the extraordinary ability visa.  I've gotten EB-1 visas for people you've never heard of and never will," said Susan McFadden, a specialist US visa lawyer in London.  Ms McFadden said she had secured EB-1s for a range of diverse specialties, from coaching a specific football position to scientific ballooning.  The trick was to define a field narrow enough to excel in, she said, but not too narrow that immigration authorities won't take it seriously.

With just 5 days left to vote in the 2018 mid-term elections, #WeThePeople are taking the issue of immigration seriously.  The math has never added up so quickly.  During World War II, Melania’s hometown of Slovenia was occupied and annexed by Germany, Italy, and Hungary, with a tiny area transferred to the Independent State of Croatia, a Nazi puppet state.  

Afterward, Slovenia was a founding member of the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, later renamed the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, a communist state which was initially allied with the Eastern Bloc.  In June 1991, after the introduction of multi-party representative democracy, Slovenia split from Yugoslavia and became an independent country.  In 2004, Slovenia entered NATO and the European Union; in 2007 became the first formerly communist country to join the Eurozone; and in 2010 joined the OECD, a global association of high-income developed countries.