Must be that time & TFD Tacoma Dome "rescue"

Well, we are officially 1 month away from the third annual national tour! 

We hit the road again on May 13th, and return June 17th.

Wow, didn't we just get home?

This year the tour has been named ...

"Around the World in 30 Days" 

Why?  Because by the time we reach the 9/11 sites over  Memorial Day weekend, I can say that I have driven the distance of the earth in our mission of Troop morale via HeroToHero.US 

The tour is still 55 cities, 10,000+ miles, and over a month on the road.  And ... it will be photojournaled every night, as long as we have an internet connection.  So, you can "travel" right along with us!

Our mascot, SHertz, will retire to the Fort Lewis Museum, and pass off his duties to our new mascot Sharen SHertz.  She will be doing all the photo ops, and we are open to ideas,  Just let us know.

We are finalizing contacts.  If you are along the route, we would love to meet you if we are able.

So, where are we going this time?  Check it out, the stops are all listed at the bottom of this post.

In the meantime, we want to share with you how amazingly supportive some departments can be ... Today, our own Tacoma FD helped us with a very special photo op.  There are few local icons more identifiable than the Tacoma Dome ... and yes, the Narrow's Bridge(s) ... hmmm ...  hehe

We had a blast today, TFD "rescued" SHertz from the top of the Dome.  This was SHertz giving back, to hear him tell it.  He thought the high-angle training would be a good thing ... luckily TFD agreed. 

Enjoy the pix ... and the biggest of THANKS to TFD, and everyone who had a hand in making this one possible! 

*A quirk of AOL Journals is that you can arrange the photos chronologically, but they don't end up that way.  Sorry for that one.

Local to Tacoma?  Want to help us with the tour?  Come to the car washes at the 76 at I-5 & Bridgeport, on April 22nd & 29th.  Gas is getting crazy ... We need dirty cars, big hearts & wallets.  Volunteers won't be turned away either ... especially Hero volunteers!

And now, back to the tour plans ...

**Please note:  A few of the cities had incorrect dates on them initially on the list.  Our POC list was correct, but if you have any concerns, contact us.  But the following is the accurate list!  

  ~May 2006~
13 - TILLAMOOK, OR
13 - NEWPORT, OR
14 - ROSEBURG, OR
14-  REDDING, CA
15 - MODESTO, CA
15 - SACRAMENTO, CA
16 - RENO, NV
16 - ELKO, NV
17 - SALT LAKE CITY, UT
18 - DENVER, CO
18 - COLORADO SPRINGS, CO
19 - TOPEKA, KS
20 - KANSAS CITY, MO
20 - ST LOUIS, MO
21 - LEXINGTON, KY
21 - CHATTANOOGA, TN
22 - VALDOSTA, GA
22 - ROCKLEDGE, FL
23 - ROCKLEDGE, FL
24 - ORLANDO, FL
24-  SAVANNAH, GA
24 - COLUMBIA, SC
25 - FLORENCE, SC
25 - ROCKY MOUNT, NC
25 - RICHMOND, VA
26 - WASHINGTON, DC
27 - WASHINGTON, DC
28 - SHANKSVILLE, PA
28 - PHILADELPHIA, PA
29 - NEW YORK CITY
30 - NEW YORK CITY
31 - NEW YORK CITY
31 - NEW YORK CITY
   ~JUNE 2006~
1  - NEW HAVEN, CT
1  - PROVIDENCE, RI
2  - BOSTON, MA
2  - FRAMINGHAM, MA
2  - ALBANY, NY
3  - BUFFALO, NY
4  - SARNIA, ON
5  - SARNIA, ON
6  - DETROIT, MI
6  - TOLEDO, OH
6  - CLEVELAND, OH
7  - WHEELING, WV
7  - COLUMBUS, OH
7  - CINCINNATI, OH
8  - INDIANAPOLIS, IN
8  - SPRINGFIELD, IL
9  - CHICAGO, IL
10 - MILWAUKEE, WI
10 - LA CROSSE, WI
11 - MINN-ST PAUL, MN
12 - FARGO, ND
12 - BISMARCK, ND
13 - BILLINGS,  MT
14 - BOZEMAN, MT
14 - BUTTE, MT
15 - JEROME, ID
16 - BOISE, ID
16 - PORTLAND,OR
... And home again to Fife, WA, on 17 June!  
10730 TOTAL TOUR MILES

**To clarify one issue ... We start the whole effort for the next year, in May, when we kick off the national tour.  So, it always appears we have the date a year ahead.  Shirts ship out annually in February.  We are currently preparing for H2H '07  Troops can ask to be adopted when we open requests on 9/11.

We'll be adding some of our favorite pix from past tours as we get closer. 

Don't forget to check the troop messages.  We'll continue adding them as they come in!

lj

Shirts are still arriving ... So are pix/messages

So, the journal has been filling up with messages.  We've never had to open 3 entries to cover all of the pictures & messages before ... but it's a good thing!

We've made lots of copies of the various photos that have been sent to us, and they will accompany us on the upcoming national tour to be shared with all.

As long as responses come in, they will be posted, so be sure to check back to see the latest.

In the meantime, before day's end, the tour route will be posted for our third annual tour honoring Fallen and Wounded Heroes.

So, keep the messages coming, they will be posted here.  I'm slipping in a few of one our favorite Heroes, home on R&R.  Sgt Aaron Leming has been outstanding in sharing is limited time home.  We get a LOT of requests for shots of Aaron .. who is both a firefighter and a soldier, deployed to Iraq.  He is from a firefighting family, and can be found in the WSCFF Burn Foundation calendar ... with his firefighting mom, Karen.  Mr & Ms July.  (The link is posted)  Tonight he donned his calendar guy t-shirt and joined with other members of the calendar crew for a calendar signing benefiting burn victims.  (Yesterday, he joined us for a visit to the Fort Lewis Fire Dept.)  He even took SHertz out to party on the dance floor with the crowd.  Way to rep, Aaron!

PS ... The boxes of shirts?  500 shirts came back from the desert!!!  There was a glitch with an address.  Fortunately, the post office stepped up, and the boxes were re-shipped today.  Kudos to the Lakewood & Tacoma Post Offices.  Lesson for y'all ... check that box for your items not to return, or you will pay the return shipping also!  Fortunately we work with Heroes ... and Angels, and they were looking out for us!

~*~*~*~

Hero To Hero Thank You Montana State Council Professional Fire Fighters for all you do and the shirt you sent. I look forward to a visit to your state after this deployment and enjoy your Big Sky Country.
CSM Frazier
505th EN BN
Iraq
~*~*~*~

The following pictures (# 34/35) of soldiers from A co 878th EN CO wearing there Hero T-Shirts. The unit would like to think the organization for supporting use with care packages and t-shirts.

Thanks again, SFC Evans

Note: Guess we'll let that Steelers fan in here, He has a great smile.

~*~*~*~

HerotoHero my name is SPC.Blocker of the 122nd ENG batt from S.C. . I am currently (in Iraq) and would like to say thank you.  I am a fireman for the city of Columbia. It makes me feel good to get a shirt from another brother fireman as I said thank you alot and God bless you all.

 

SPC. BLOCKER WILLIAM A                       

122ENG BATT S.C. ARMY NATIONAL GUARD

"MAY WE BEND BUT NEVER BREAK"

PALMETTO PRIDE

~*~*~*~

Thanks to all involved in sending the tee-shirts to the members of my unit. We all loved them and appreciate your support and that you are thinking about the soldiers. It means a lot!

Thanks again!

JAY L. GRIFFIN Colonel, Medical Service                                                  Commander, Task Force Medical Falcon XII (338th Medical Brigade) and        Surgeon, Task Force Falcon

~*~*~*~

I am sorry that this took so long to get to you. Thanks again for everything you do for us back home.

Sgt Hallowell, Shane

~*~*~*~

 

To the HeroToHero Team,<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

I just wanted to send a big “thanks” out to all the folks involved with the HeroToHero project.  The Soldiers of HHC, 508th really appreciated the shirts sent from our brothers and sisters protecting the home front.  Attached is a picture taken from the roof of FOB Suse, one of four theater internment facilities in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Iraq.  The battalion colors are in the background and (from left to right) the Iraqi flag, company guideon and the Kurdish flag are in the foreground.  **pic 68

We distributed the shirts based on the Soldiers’ homes of record.  For example, I went to high school and college in Orange County, CA so I wore an Orange County Sheriff’s Associate shirt.  Anyway, Thanks again for your support.  The Soldiers got a kick out of it.      

On behalf of the Soldiers, thanks again and God bless. 

V/R

CPT Jason L. Moore-Brown

CDR, HHC, 508th MP BN (I/R)

Team Leader, Team Cerberus

"Raiders, Rise Above It"

~*~*~*~

 

~*~*~*~

 

~*~*~*~