Make 23 August A Special Day For the Sky Soldiers

Congressman Kirk (R-10 IL) has requested President Bush to Proclaim August 23, 2008, in honor of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. I need you and anyone else you may know to request their Congressmen/women and Senators to follow up Congressman Kirk's letter with one of their own.  I suspect that if President Bush receives sufficient requests from across the United States that we will have such a proclamation!

 

I also need for you to pass on the invitation to ride and info on the timeline to any Sky Soldier and their Blue Star or Gold Star Family Members that they are invited to join us in that Motorcade on August 23, 2008.

 

 

Mr. President,

 

My name is Bob Getz and I’m the Secretary of Chapter VI – Elite Forces, 173d Airborne Brigade Association in the Chicago-land Area.  Most of us within Chapter VI are Veterans of the Brigade when it was deployed to Vietnam.  We were the first Army Combat Unit deployed to Vietnam and the last to leave.

 

Our sons and daughters are now serving their second tour in Afghanistan after their initial Combat Parachute Jump into the Kurdish Area in the North of Iraq to act as the blocking force to encircle the Iraqi Army as it was assaulted from the south by the coalition forces.

 

With the Brigade being a unit formed 91 years ago during WWI in 1917, serving three campaigns under General Patton at the Battle of the Bulge and then into Germany during WWII, receiving the Presidential Unit Citation and Meritorious Unit Citation in Vietnam and receiving the Meritorious Unit Citation in the War on Terrorism while serving in both Iraq and Afghanistan, it is one of America’s most effective Parachute Infantry Units.

 

In the Fall of 2007, Chapter VI went to the towns and villages along Route 173 which runs east and west in Illinois just south of Wisconsin and requested each to pass a resolution designating that roadway as the 173d Airborne Brigade Highway in recognition of those who have served in that unit.  Not only did they so designate the roadway for the Brigade but it was also passed as a unanimous House Joint Resolution by a non-partisan effort in the Illinois House and Senate.

 

The Brigade is currently rotating out of Afghanistan with 42 Killed in Action and one non-combat related death.  We have scheduled a Motorcade down the 173d Airborne Brigade Highway on August 23, 2008, to celebrate the return of the Brigade to their bases in Europe and to thank each town and village along the way from Zion to Loves Park and the State Legislators for their support.

 

We are asking you to honor the men and women who served for the past 91 years in the 173d Airborne Brigade with a Proclamation Designating that Day – Saturday, August 23, 2008 – in Honor of the 173d Airborne Brigade for Their Service to Our Country.  And, should you have the time, we would be honored if you could join us in that celebration.

 

Thank you for considering this request and, in closing, let me present you with the unique salute of The Herd.

 

AIRBORNE, ALL THE WAY!!