Dear Friends, Patriots, and Freedom Lovers,

I would like to take this opportunity to announce the “2010 Scott Vallely Soldiers Memorial Fund Spring Capital Campaign”. In past years, your generosity has helped a great many soldiers in the field, their families at home, supplied Christmas packages, and provided for scholarships to students wishing to make a career in the United States Military.

The efforts of so many volunteers has put smiles on the faces of many soldiers placed in harm’s way, and helped them to know they are not alone. Their families also make great sacrifices for our nation, and we do as much as we can with the limited funds available.

This year, we are kicking off our capital campaign to reach $50,000 by the end of spring in June 2010. This will help us gear up for the summer and fall so we can send out Christmas packages, aid families in need, and to award scholarships to the future leaders of our military. In these uncertain times, we need to start planning well in advance to ensure we are ready for any contingency.

In years past, we have seen surges employed in both Iraq and Afghanistan, making the job of helping our soldiers more difficult. With so many more forces in the field, and the inability to predict what will come next with saber rattling in so many areas, the Scott Vallely Soldiers Memorial Fund needs your help more than ever.

Every little bit helps. Whether it is a jar full of pennies from the child whose relative is in the Marine Corps, a five dollar bill from the weekly grocery account, or $100 from a former soldier, it all helps and it is all 100% tax deductible. Please consider giving today. Our web site is being updated to help you see where your dollars are going but we still have our donations page active throughout the update cycle. Please go to the following site to donate:

Scott Vallely Soldiers Memorial Fund

Or simply press this button below to go to the PayPal page setup for the fund:

Or go to our store to purchase our one-of-a-kind set of flag dog tags, or a book.

The proceeds go solely to the Fund to help in our efforts to help the troops. Additionally, we ask that you sign up for our newsletter or comment in any way and join our Facebook group for daily, weekly, and monthly updates.

We will share stories of our soldiers, their families, students, and other efforts we support, especially those who sacrifice daily on an individual basis like Bennett Compagno in Monterey. California. Read about this wonderful man’s story here. We will also tell you what needs to be done, changed, or added to in terms of legislation to aid our troops.

Please sign up and thank you for considering making a donation today. We will generate periodic updates about the success of the campaign and we encourage you to tell your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, and acquaintances about this effort.

Please accept my humble regards,

Scott W. Winchell, Managing Director, Scott Vallely Soldiers Memorial Fund

By Scott W. Winchell

Understanding what the sacrifice our soldiers, and our allies’ soldiers are is found at a great web site called ICasualties.org. This site gives us great insight as to the plight of our warriors, but more so, it once again shows that America is again giving the largest sacrifice to global peace. Much like our nation’s generosity that passes the cumulative efforts in global catastrophes, it is also the largest contributor in terms of the ultimate sacrifice.

To date, there are now 1,015 deaths attributed to Operation Enduring Freedom, which includes more than just Afghanistan, such as Pakistan, and areas in the horn of Africa. There have been 1,683 casualties by all allies, and as you can see, the USA has endured over 60% of the casualties. There are 26 nations that have suffered casualties, but the USA casualties exceed the cumulative total of all of the other 25 nations including Great Britain who has suffered the second highest number of casualties at 270.

Third among the Anglo-nations, Canada has also suffered 140 casualties, and between these three nations, they have suffered over 84% of all allied casualties in Operation Enduring Freedom. It is just another example of how the alliance of Anglo-nations is carrying the greatest burden helping when the world suffers, or when peace needs to be obtained. The main page of the site is here

The most recent US Casualties are listed below as of 3/4/10:

Nigel Olsen

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Nigel K. Olsen, 21, of Orem, Utah, died March 4 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.

For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the Marine Forces Reserve public affairs office at 504-678-0052.

Anthony Paci

The father of a Rockville man who died in Afghanistan says his son was trying to save innocent lives moments before his death Thursday.

Spc. Anthony A. Paci, 30, was killed when the military vehicle he was in rolled over in Gereshk, Afghanistan.

Leo Paci tells News4 his son was trying to avoid a family of civilians at the time of the crash. Spc. Paci asked the driver to swerve when he saw the family, his father said. Spc. Paci grew up in Bethesda, Md. and graduated from Whitman High School. He lived in Rockville as an adult.

Paci’s service in Afghanistan was his second deployment. In December 2005, he spent about 11 months in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. Paci’s mother, Helene Paci, tells News4 her son is her “brave American soldier”. His father calls him simply, “a great guy” . Spc. Anthony Paci leaves behind a wife and three small children

Editor’s Note: We plead almost daily for our fellow Americans to help us help the soldiers. Recently, a long term serviceman sent the following message to the Soldiers Memorial Fund on how people can help their protectors and their families:

By A. T. (Name withheld)

I would love to tell of the other things people could do to help us (US service members) even more, that would not cost anything more than postage.

We are the ones who bleed for you. We are the ones who walk in darkness so that you may live in the light. Our families go years with out us at home so that home will be free from terror. What do we get in return?

Our leaders in the current administration are systematically taking away our meager benefits in order to fund social programs. Imagine how it feels to not only find that some soldiers qualify for social aid programs such as food stamps, but that the benefits we were promised when we joined are being taken away.

Some of the most notable examples are:

Housing: When we joined, base housing offered covered all housing expenses to include utilities. Since this administration has privatized the housing this is no longer the case. I have found that we will now be expected to pay more living expense but will not receive any more pay.

Health care: When we joined we had a hospital on every base we served. The base hospitals have been closed on all but a few stations and in some cases this leaves the closest emergency care for the family of the service members upwards of 20 miles away.

Tax free stores: (AAFES) When we first joined this was a great benefit in and of itself. We could purchase anything we needed in on-base stores and it was all tax free. What has happened with this one is more shady than all the others combined. The stores still do not charge tax; they just raise the price of the items in the stores to match the local economy. For example gas prices, the price for a gallon of fuel off the post is based on almost a dollar in tax. So, why on earth is the price of fuel the same price or higher on base as it is off? More importantly, where does this money go? I assure you it is not going to the service members.

I have served for more than 18 years and earn less per year than a first year mailcarrier. I love this country with all my heart. I serve because I believe and I do so without aspirations of profit. I do believe that it is wrong to have benefits stolen from US service members that do serve. Just because there is nothing we can do to stop it. I assure you Americans that our only recourse is to get out and get “real jobs”.

When less than a quarter of a percent of the American population that can serve does, do you really want those who have chosen to do so, become disenfranchised. If we can no longer afford to do this then who will protect you from the terrors that look to destroy this great nation of ours?

Tonight, please sit down for ten minutes and send a letter to your congressman and senator. Ask them why and where the money that they have taken away from us is going. Ask them to show you where they have used it. It will horrify you if they tell you.

Editor’s continued notes: After reading this message, I hope you will consider helping us to help them. Please think long and hard about their plight and we hope you can sacrifice a few dollars that will go a long way to making their sacrifice, less taxing!

It is most difficult for those of us at the Scott Vallely Soldiers Memorial Fund to learn that we have now lost 1,000 of our finest in the Afghanistan theater of war. No words can ever soften the blow when someone hears of the loss of their child, brother, spouse, friend, neighbor, and loved ones.

May their soul be embraced in heaven; may we never forget them in our lives. For they have given the ultimate sacrifice for we Americans. Please take a moment to ponder this and all deaths, along with all the wounded, and their families here at home.

Here is the story at the NY Daily News:

BY STEPHANIE GASKELL

NY Daily News

The U.S. death toll in Afghanistan has reached a grim milestone – 1,000 American troops have been killed since the war began nine years ago.

And that number is expected to rise as the largest military offensive since the fall of the Taliban continues in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.

Twelve U.S. Marines have been killed in the province since Operation Together began on Feb. 13 in the Marjah district, according to the Pentagon.

The offensive is expected to last several more weeks as 15,000 U.S., NATO and Afghan forces push out the Taliban in heavily mined, poppy fields.

Gen. David Petraeus, head of U.S. Central Command, warned that more casualties are expected.

“These types of efforts are hard, and they’re hard all the time,” he said. “I don’t use words like ‘optimist’ or ‘pessimist.’ I use ‘realist.’”

Military leaders hope the operation will turn around a war that has only worsened in the past two years.

Officials said 54 U.S. troops have been killed in Afghanistan so far this year, compared to just eight in the same time period in 2008.

Last year was the deadliest year for U.S. troops in Afghanistan since the war began – 316 soldiers were killed in action.

That’s more than double the previous year when 155 soldiers died.

In Iraq, eight U.S. troops have died this year bringing the total to 4,378 since the war began in 2003.

By Dan Berrett

From Pocono Record

A local Marine, whose unknown condition after being shot in the chest on duty in Afghanistan kept his family on edge for five days, is now recuperating in Germany.

“Man, I am ecstatic,” said Conrad Lamont of Penn Estates after learning that his son was in good condition.

“There’s a load off my shoulders,” he continued. “Just to know he’s alive and he’ll remain that way.”

Khanrad Lamont graduated from Stroudsburg High School in 2008 and enlisted in the Marines his senior year.

He is a lance corporal in the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment out of Camp Lejeune, and deployed in December. Last weekend, his unit battled with Taliban militants and other insurgents as part of Operation Moshtarak, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

Conrad Lamont said he was informed in an early Sunday morning telephone call that Khanrad had been shot in the left part of his chest. His son was flown by helicopter to the military hospital at Camp Bastion.

“My whole body just went numb,” Lamont said. “Everything went through my mind in a split second.”

His son’s condition remained unclear, and no updates were forthcoming since then, Lamont said. Every time the phone rang, Lamont said he ran to it, hoping for some news. The U.S. Air Force veteran also had been calling the military to learn more, but to no avail.

Friday afternoon, he learned from a spokesman that his son sounded weak, but that he was safe at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.

“It feels like Christmas,” Lamont said.

Marjah, where Khanrad Lamont was shot, is a town of 80,000 about 360 miles southwest of Kabul.

An 8-day-old offensive in that Taliban stronghold is being touted as the biggest since the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan and a test of President Barack Obama’s strategy for halting the momentum of the Taliban.

The town is strategically important for two reasons, said Kerry Patton, a Susquehanna County resident who has spent three years working in Special Operations Forces and civilian capacities in Afghanistan.

Marjah offers a transition hub for itinerant Taliban fighters and an internal supply line to more central areas of the Helmand province. Its chief agricultural product is poppies, which drive the profitable opium trade that finances the insurgency.

Patton added that, while most of the terrain around Marjah is flat, it is rutted by ravines called wadis, which look something like dry riverbeds and can camouflage fighters.

This feature makes the area an unpredictable one in which to do battle.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.