CNN and SoA Tool Donation to Iraqi Tradesmen
Dear Friends and Donors,
CNN did a great job covering the Iraqi Construction Apprenticeship Program (ICAP) and Spirit of America's donation of tools to the Iraqi graduates. ICAP is a SeaBees/Marines effort to rebuild Iraq, create jobs and provide tangible improvements in the lives "ordinary" Iraqis. Many of you made donations to this effort, contributing a total of $58,080. With these funds we sent 300 tool kits and related gear to Iraq for the ICAP graduates.
Please read Admiral Kubic's comments below about how your donations support the struggle for freedom in Iraq. More tools are needed by Oct. 30 to expand ICAP and help more graduates. We're seeking donations for 400 tool kits at a cost of $150 each. If 600 of you respond to this message with an average donation of $100, from FedEx we'll have the tools in Iraq when they're needed (with the help of our partner, FedEx).
ICAP graduate and Adm. Chuck Kubic on CNN.
Watch the video here:
The Iraqi men participating in ICAP are risking their lives to build a better future for themselves and for Iraq. When I was in Iraq in June these men were getting death threats from terrorists opposed to progress and a free Iraq. With good reason the Marines were concerned that the apprentices would never show up for classes. Now they're graduating and appearing on CNN. These men, like our troops, are at the front line of the struggle for progress in Iraq and they deserve our support. See the messages from SeaBees ADM Kubic and LT Serre below for more perspective on this project.
-----Original Message-----
From: Serre LT John M
Sent: Saturday, September 11, 2004 11:49 PM
To: 'Jim Hake'
Cc: St Martin BUC Roger A; Vold LtCol Jeffery D; Lutkenhouse LtCol John
Subject: Iraqi Construction Apprenticeship Program
Mr. Hake,
Things are going great with the Iraqi Construction Apprenticeship Program at the various sites! We currently have over 130 students learning masonry, carpentry, electrical and plumbing skills with more on the way in the near future. The Spirit of America tools continue to be a key motivator for the new students and a huge enabler for the graduates that we employ with local contractors upon completion of the program.
We are quickly approaching the date (October 30) we expect to exhaust our current supply of tools. Is SoA in a position to supply additional tool belts for ICAP? Anything you can supply is greatly appreciated by both the Seabees and ICAP students.
Thank you in advance; we look forward to SoA's continued support
Very Respectfully,
John Mark Serré
LTjg, CEC, USNR
G35A, MEG Forward
-----Original Message-----
From: Serre LT John M
Sent: Saturday, July 31, 2004 7:21 AM
To: 'Jim Hake'
Cc: 'Kerry Dupont'; 'Anise Kirkpatrick'; Lutkenhouse LtCol John F;
Pascua CIV Patrick L; Croom LCDR James F
Subject: ICAP Graduation Today
Jim,
Great news! The ICAP Ramadi class graduated 14 students today! This is the first class that ICAP has graduated so we had a lot of VIP onboard and lots of cameras (still/video). Everything went great; I can't wait to see the photos and get them to you. The students were VERY excited about receiving the tools and began to handle them immediately after the graduation, opting to partake in the refreshments being served after some time.
Cannot thank you enough for SoA's efforts to raise the funds to purchase the tools for the students. We'll have to coordinate your next visit with a graduation. Words and pictures cannot capture the excitement in their eyes when they receive their tools and realize that their future in construction is becoming a reality.
Very Respectfully,
John Mark Serré
LTjg, CEC, USNR
G35A, MEG Forward
Of course, if you ask John Kerry, Iraq is vietnam, up is down, we are the Evil American Empire, Bush knew, blah blah blah....
In other news, Alison Kaplan Sommer, from the links to right, has recently had an article published in a New Jersey paper entitled "For American Israelis, dual passports make it a tough election" that is well worth the read. She writes about the common ground Israelis and Americans have in terms of fighting Islamic terrorism, and how important this election is in terms of the outcome of this war. I agree with the majority of her opinions, and have stated before that this election is coming down to a single issue for me. Mainly because if these terrorists are successfull in pulling off another major attack, the other issues will seem meaningless. Despite the devastation we incurred both in lives and dollars on 9/11, this would pale in comparison to say a dirty bomb or a major power source attack. And don't for a second think that the enemies of the west aren't thinking about how to achieve a greater blow. We have hunted them to the far corners of the earth, and we are at a turning point in terms of their defeat. If elections are successful in Afghanistan and Iraq we will have scored a major victory in uprooting the source of islamic terrorism, which is why we are fighting in these places. Electing someone who believes that the current Iraqi PM is a puppet will do nothing to help us achieve this victory.
It's time to give the grown ups of foreign policy another four years...
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