Veterans' organizations

I am doing some research and was wondering if you could help me out. I'm interested in knowing what your favorite veteran's organization is and why. It could be one of the older organizations, one that came out of this war, or one that is being formed. Thank you in advance for your time.

regards,
kirsten

Middletown Barnes & Noble

Yesterday CJ Robison, Elaine Snavely, and I had a signing at the Barnes & Noble in Middletown, RI, near Newport. The audience was great. I think it was the best question and answer period I've experienced during my two+ years on the book tour. The questions included whether CJ and Elaine would recommend the military as a career for women, what it's like as a mother to come home from the battlefield, and should the law excluding women in combat be revised since they are in combat.

Included in the audience was a man whose son was killed in Iraq. His son worked in maintenance and he said it didn't matter what your gender. If you're over there, in Iraq or Afghanistan, you're in combat. One woman's son is in Iraq and is coming home for two weeks of R&R. She asked Elaine and CJ for advice. What could she, the mom, do for her son. CJ said he'll need sleep, TV, food, and beer. I and the audience appreciated CJ and Elaine's candor and honesty when responding to questions. One couple called the reading an "inspiring" evening. A Vietnam vet described it as "profound."

For me the day and evening were emotional. We spent the day in Newport, eating lunch at the Mooring. CJ ate a lobster; Elaine and I ate lobster rolls. We drove by the mansions and sat on a wall overlooking the water. It was fun for me to listen to them share stories and connect. It was also humbling. These women have been through so much physical and emotional pain, yet here they are with me on the book tour educating the public about what they went through on the battlefield and when they returned home. They continue to be my heroes.

Today we are going to the University of Massachusetts Law School at Andover to film an educational documentary about The Girls Come Marching Home. The school filmed a documentary about Band of Sisters that won national and international awards. They are hoping for a repeat!

New England

every woman needs a band of sisters ...

I arrived in CT on Sunday. Monday morning went to breakfast with Linda Schwartz, the commissioner of the VA for the State of Connecticut. Much of the discussion revolved around Linda VanDermeer (sp?), Vietnam vet, Army nurse, who wrote a memoir about her experiences returning home.

CJ Robison and Elaine Snavely arrived safely from Iowa and California, respectively. This was the first time I had seen them since I interviewed them for The Girls Come Marching Home. Both look great. And it was the first time they had met. They had read each others' stories in the book but over margaritas and coronas they recounted their experiences in Iraq and returning. They liked the fact that they didn't have to elaborate. They spoke the same language and "got" it. Sisters in arms. Off to Newport!!!

New England Trip

Every woman needs a band of sisters ...

Super excited about this upcoming week. I'm flying from North Carolina to Rhode Island on Sunday, just in time to celebrate my niece, Sarah's, 21st birthday. On Monday, I'm having breakfast with Linda Schwartz, the commissioner of the VA for the State of Connecticut. Later in the day, I will be picking up CJ Robison (former Army Master Sergeant) and Elaine Snavely (Navy corpsman) at the airport. Robison is flying in from Iowa and Snavely from California. Both are featured in The Girls Come Marching Home.

On Tuesday, Michelle Wilmot former Army sergeant who is also featured in TGCMH) will join us and we will have a signing at the Middletown Barnes & Noble near Newport, RI, at 6:30 p.m.. Hoping we can hang out in Newport for the day. The next day, Wednesday, we will film an educational documentary at the University of Massachusetts Law School at Andover. They did a documentary on Band of Sisters and it won all sorts of awards.

Thursday night we will be at the La Grua Center in Stonington, CT, at 7 p.m. If you're around, come out and support our female veterans!!!

Okay, have to get my iphone fixed and pack.

The Girls Come Marching Home

Hi everyone!

This past weekend was AWESOME. Kicked off The Girls Come Marching Home book tour at the Barnes & Noble in Jacksonville. Marine Captain Bessie Bernstein, a recruiter, drove in from Raleigh. She is pictured in the book. Marine Captain Angela Nelson, whose photo also appears in the book, drove in from Quantico. We went out to eat Friday night at Nikki's in downtown Wilmington. On Saturday we signed books in Jacksonville. That afternoon, the two captains went their way and Rosie Noel, retired Marine gunnery sergeant, and I went to Yolanda Mayo's wetting down. Yolanda is featured in Band of Sisters and was recently promoted to sergeant major. ooh rah! congrats Yolanda!

At the wetting down, I met Kellie Noble, a former Marine sergeant who served two tours in Iraq. I invited her to the book signing at the Barnes & Noble in Wilmington the next day. Later Rosie talked to Kellie and discovered that she was Kellie's DI at Parris Island. Small, small world.

Sunday morning, Rosie drove down to Wilmington and met me and the captains for breakfast at Cracker Barrel. Rosie gave them each Band of Sisters t-shirts, and cookies she had made that morning. Always the gunny--always taking care of everyone. (In fact, as I'm writing this I'm eating a bag of m&ms that she gave me.) After breakfast, the captains headed back to Raleigh and Quantico.

That afternoon we had a signing at B&N in Wilmington. Not only did Kellie show up, but she brought her roommate, Sam Fletcher. It was cool. The young ladies joined me and Rosie on the panel and we had an engaging conversation with the audience. Thank you Kellie and Sam for speaking up. I know you said it helped you to speak but it also helped the public learn more about the challenges and needs of our female warriors.

The audiences were decent sizes but I was disappointed that they weren't even larger. I don't think enough people can hear these stories. I had four Marines (Jude Eden, a former Marine sergeant who served in Fallujah also joined us at B&N in Wilmington) with me. What a treat. I want the world to hear their voices--their pain and their pride. If I don't reach the masses, I will feel like I have failed our female service members. Please help me get their stories out to the public, businesses, colleges and universities, and military installations.

... every woman needs a band of sisters ...

A Reader says "Thank YOU"

Please check out the following e-mail that a sixteen-year-old high school student wrote to me on Thurs., Sept. 25

Subject: Thank you!

My god-dad (whom I call dad) is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army and is currently serving in Iraq with the 82nd Airborne Division. After I graduate from high school, I want to follow in his footsteps and join the Army through ROTC at William and Mary. Someday I even hope to be Airborne myself! I am sitting here typing this e-mail in a pair of ACU pants, combat boots, a Nat'l Guard t-shirt that says "Real Action Heroes" and dad's beret.

It is homecoming week at our school, and today is "Hero day."

The choice was clear.

I had to be dad!

Anyway, I am currently taking an Advanced Placement English class. Our teacher is having us do research projects on current and controversial subjects. I chose to do my project on whether women should be allowed to participate in front line combat. I found your book by chance and knew immediately that it would be perfect for the project.

Let me say this. No book has ever affected me so much! And I’m only on page 96! Since I started reading Band of Sisters, I have cried and laughed. I have also felt very proud; proud that these brave women are out there protecting America; proud that they are not in the military just to make a point about being a "woman."

I cannot thank you enough for composing such a wonderful book! If you would, please tell all the women that you have worked with "Thank you" for me.

Thanks, and God Bless!

Sammie