By Tom Hallman Jr., The Oregonian

February 22, 2011, 7:53PM

The mother and extended family of Sgt. Matthew DeYoung are gathering in Medford for a Saturday funeral — one with all the pomp and circumstance that comes with such solemn, military affairs. Full story »

Roseburg VA Appreciation Day

Soldiers’ Angels in Oregon participated in a wonderful Veteran appreciation day at the Roseburg VA.  Sandy Marcell and Donna Madison joined several other Veteran organizations, families and Veterans for a nice lunch and carnival, complete with Wii bowling!  Lap blankets, quilts and hats were given to the Veterans and the best  gift of all of course,  was time spent with an incredible group of people who have served and sacrificed for the rest of us.   Thank you Veterans!! We Appreciate you!!

http://www.nrtoday.com/article/20100105/NEWS/100109891/1063/NEWS&ParentProfile=1055

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Q Madp IraqWarHeroes.org was on hand to take photos of this Hero’s return.

Read more about  Dane Peresi in the article from Salem-News.com

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via Many Turn Out to Honor NW Defense Contractor Killed in Afghanistan – Salem-News.Com.

Soldiers’ Angels 4th Annual Day of the Deployed is upon us.

Americans are encouraged to reaffirm their patriotism and allegiance to our flag and country, and to honor our brave men and women in uniform who are selflessly putting their lives on the line to protect and preserve our way of life. How? Think big, think small, but just…think. Ideas are under my signature line.

Then put those thinking muscles in motion and do something that day in their honor. Join us in celebrating our deployed heroes and their families on October 26, 2009.

Do you want to help honor our deployed heroes and their families on Oct 26– DAY OF THE DEPLOYED? Email ShelleMichaels@msn.com or ShelleMichaels@soldiersangels.org to get a Day of the Deployed Kit. Time is ticking— learn how to help. SUBJECT LINE: DoD Kit

Please donate today: http://www.facebook.com/l/093a4;www.causes.com/donations/select_donation_method?m=eed19519&cause_id=20611

To win, between now and November 7th we have to get the most donations to our cause (every person can donate once per day and have it count as a unique donation). We can also win daily awards of $1,000 and $500 if we can get the most people to donate in any 24-hour period. The great thing about this Challenge is that it doesn’t matter how much you give, but instead how much you do to encourage friends and family to get involved in our cause. We all need to come together and start promoting the cause if we want to win.

Each of us has tons of friends on Facebook who we can ask to donate to our cause. But let’s think big too—can you put our cause in your email signature, can you throw a party and get people to donate through the cause when they enter, can you organize other people to go out and fundraise from all of their friends? As you reach out to your friends be sure to tell them why this cause matters to you. The possibilities are endless so let’s talk about what we can do to win on the Wall of the cause or by replying to this bulletin.

I think we can do it! But it’s going to take all of us. Check out the Giving Challenge (http://www.facebook.com/l/093a4;www.causes.com?m=eed19519), then visit our cause to see how we’re doing so far and get involved.

Donate right now by going to http://www.facebook.com/l/093a4;www.causes.com/donations/select_donation_method?m=eed19519&cause_id=20611

Let’s win $50,000 for our cause!
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Yard Sales for Troops Unite Nation Soldiers’ Angels Volunteers Raise Money for Support Projects PASADENA, Calif., Oct. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Across the country this weekend, Americans are uniting in support of the troops through the First Annual Soldiers’ Angels Sale-abration. In metropolitan areas, small towns and on military bases, from Alaska to Florida and Southern California to Vermont, patriots are raising money for troop support activities through community-based yard sales. Angel volunteers organizing each Sale will be donating a percentage of their profits to Soldiers’ Angels, helping to support deployed or wounded soldiers. The grassroots Sales are sponsored by military support nonprofit Soldiers’ Angels, whose motto is “May No Soldier Go Unloved.” An award-winning organization with nearly 200,000 hands-on volunteers around the world, Soldiers’ Angels assists active duty, wounded, veterans, military families through over 30 separate teams and projects. Angels participating in Sale-abration are working on two missions: raising money for the Soldiers’ Angels Holidays for Heroes and Project Valour-IT, and introducing their neighbors to the variety of hands-on ways they can demonstrate their support for America’s military men and women. At each Sale, customers will find blankets and 300 holiday cards on which to write greetings for the troops, and Soldiers’ Angels bracelets will go to the first 25 customers at each site. Sale-abration coordinator Greta Perry has been amazed by the response Soldiers’ Angels has received to this first-time event. “We figured 10 would be a good goal for the first year. To have 80 is just fantastic. Our volunteers really want to bring attention to Soldiers’ Angels in their community, to draw others into actively supporting the troops. So many people are looking for ways to support our heroes, and this is a great opportunity to learn how by connecting with people who are already doing it.” For more information, including a list of Sale-abration locations, see www.soldiersangels.org. Established in 2003, Soldiers’ Angels is a nationwide volunteer-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing aid and comfort to the men and women of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, as well as veterans and military families. For more information, seewww.soldiersangels.org or call 615-676-0239. Tax ID# 20-0583415, CFC#25131.

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon National Guard has identified two soldiers killed when a convoy they were guarding was attacked in Iraq.

Pfc. Taylor D. Marks, 19, and a decorated veteran, Sgt. Earl D. Werner, 38, died Aug. 28 when the convoy was struck by an explosively formed penetrator, or EFP, an armor-piercing explosive that turns into a projectile when detonated.

Werner was on his third deployment with the Oregon National Guard. He had been awarded the Bronze Star, two Army Commendation Medals and the Combat Action Badge.

He is survived by his wife Casey and son Charles of Amboy, Wash.

Marks, of Monmouth, was a graduate of Central High School. He is survived by his parents and stepfather, and his sister and brother.

Both were serving with the 41st Special Troops Battalion, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

The Associated Press

MONMOUTH, Ore. — Relatives of an Oregon teenager killed in Iraq remember Taylor Marks as a young man who didn’t want to go into debt, so he went into the National Guard.

His stepfather says the 19-year-old from Monmouth planned to go to the University of Oregon to study finance and Japanese.

He decided to join the Guard to raise college money.

Marks was guarding a convoy Aug. 28 when an armor-piercing projectile struck. He and 38-year-old Sgt. Earl Werner of Amboy, Wash., died. They are the first fatalities in the deployment of about 2,400 Oregon-based soldiers this summer.

“He didn’t want to incur any debt, and he didn’t want us to incur any debt,” said Marks’ stepfather, Don Mack of Monmouth. “He came home and told us that he was going to join the Guard to help pay for his school.”

Marks was born in Salem and raised in Monmouth. On the night of his high school graduation, in late May 2008, Marks told the Statesman Journal that he planned to continue working at his job at a Chevron station, then enter the National Guard in August.

“I’m a little bit nervous, but I’ve got some big plans to look forward to,” Marks said then.

He ended up going to National Guard training with a friend.

The Oregon Military Department said he was contracted to go to the Defense Language Institute at the Presidio in California, but made the decision to defer his schooling to deploy with the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

The military department says he has been promoted posthumously from private first class to specialist.

Werner, 38, was on his third deployment with the Oregon Guard. He had won the Bronze Star, two Army Commendation Medals and the Combat Action Badge.

A third soldier, 24-year-old Specialist Reid Walch of Redmond, was seriously wounded by shrapnel. He was evacuated to a combat support hospital for treatment, Capt. Stephen Bomar said.

The purpose of Troops to Teachers is to assist eligible military and reserve personnel transition to a new career as public school teachers in schools serving students from low-income families. A network of state offices provide counseling, referral and placement assistance. Often this includes evaluating participants’ educational and work background and providing information about state teacher licensure requirements, schools of education and alternative pathways to licensure. Participants may also be eligible for financial assistance to help pay for the cost of teacher licensure.

Veterans or current military personnel who are interested in teaching may be eligible for the federal Troops to Teachers program.

• About the Program
• Eligibility Requirements

More than 9,500 former Troops have become teachers, teaching in America’s classrooms, with help from Troops to Teachers. These individuals make a difference in the life of children everyday.

For additional information or a registration form visit: www.proudtoserveagain.com

The Troops to Teachers program is administered in Oregon by the Lewis and Clark Region Troops to Teacher office and is supported by an Oregon Area Representative (TBD). The Program Manager for the Lewis and Clark Region is Le Gaub.

You may contact a full-time Troops to Teachers Adviser at northernttt@gmail.com or by calling (866) 478-3224 and asking for Donna Habecker.