United We Roll at Stardust Radio

Technical difficulties have caused a delay in the start of the United We Roll show on Tuesday 7/7/09. As soon as the problem is cleared up (which is out of the hands of Stardust Radio), the show will begin its broadcast.

Any content planned for today that is not able to be aired this date will be played either in a special broadcast or as an addition to the show next Tuesday, July 14th.

We appreciate your patience.

During our United We Roll show on Tuesday, July 7th, we briefly review the history of the Challenge Coin, but the full history of this coin is very interesting and would be great for most any age to enjoy.

I highly recommend reviewing the coverage in Wikipedia to start and going on from there. This would make for a super class presentation in any classroom from elementary to college.

It is with this tradition in mind that Deborah Benson and her family created the Grateful American Coin and this is one of the best ways - IMHO - to thank a military member for their service and protection of our freedom. The coins are beautiful, heavy and truly every bit as valuable as those that are passed among the military units. The cost is totally affordable, but the true value could be priceless.

I can tell you that the reward you will receive as you "coin a hero" will stay with you for the rest of your life. You may even find that you go out of your way to do this again and again. I hope so!

Check these out at www.gratefulamericancoin.org.

United We Roll World Tour Show
Stardust Radio www.stardustradio.com
Show Schedule For Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Welcome Stardust Listeners and thank you for joining us on United We Roll this Tuesday, July 7, 2009.

We hope that you all had a wonderful Fourth of July weekend, with lots of sharing and caring. We hope you all also had some time to remember those who brought us our liberty and freedom from the days of the American Revolution all the way to today, when so many of our men and women are in harm’s way as they continue to protect and fight for freedom.

We also had another birthday to celebrate last Thursday. The Army Air Corps was established on July 2nd of 1926.

Now, talking about thanking our military folks and our early fliers is a great way to introduce some information on “Challenge Coins”. Many of our military members are very familiar with these coins as they are highly treasured and they do not go from pocket to pocket very easily. The coins are usually made up with a unit’s logo and are often handed out to recognize a job well done and to boost morale among other reasons. There is some very interesting background and stories on these coins at Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Challenge_coin

History says that way back some businesses had these coins, but the most well known stories come from the military back in WWI. One goes back to a story of a pilot who carried his squadron coin in a leather pouch around his neck, which ultimately kept him from being shot as a spy after his plane was shot down behind enemy lines. He had changed into civilian clothes and it was his only way of identifying himself to some local citizens that he was an American flier. The coins were again used heavily during the war in VietNam and have been very popular in recent times where they have been used for awards, rewards and to build morale.

President George W. Bush received a challenge coin from a Marine combat patrol unit during his short but unexpected visit to Al-Asad Airbase in Anbar province, Iraq, Monday, Sept. 3, 2007

The coins have been used to challenge each other for identity, to see who was going to pay the tab at the bar and for other such challenges. But throughout all, the coins have been very special and seldom does one part with their coin, unless security may require that they not carry the coin with them. Wikipedia and other sources have these stories and more in great detail and they make for some very interesting reading. There are also some sites where you can see photos of unit coins with their beautiful designs and colors.

In the tradition of the Challenge Coin, the founders of the Grateful American Coin Organization have designed and manufactured one type of coin - a beautiful Challenge Coin for us everyday Americans to be able to give to our Heroes of Freedom to recognize and thank them for their service. These make a unique, special gift and I can assure you that presenting one - or, as the term goes, “coining” someone – will be a moment that you will never forget. By the way, no one receives any profit from these coins, either! As you will hear in the visit, all receipts above the cost for the coins goes to Veteran groups who provide assistance to wounded Vets or families.

We build some very rewarding relationships here at Stardust Radio as we work to bring you all these great visits with our deployed members. And now the time has come for some of our Public Affairs contacts who have brought us many wonderful guests to prepare for the trip home – if they have not left already - as they are reaching the end of their deployments. We wish to salute and thank MSgt Mikal Canfield, MSgt Russell Petcoff, Capt Jennifer Pearson, Capt Linda North, and Maj Bill Pierce, in addition to so many other wonderful PA members and, of course, our guests who give of their time to be with us. The miles between home and Iraq, Afghanistan and Kyrzgstan have been shortened as we get to know more and more about the men and women who serve our country and the jobs they do while on deployment, their military experiences and their beliefs as to why they do what they do and what it means to them.

In fact, joining us during our first visit today will be members of the Public Affairs Team from Manas Air Base in Kyrzgstan. We have had the extreme honor to host an interview almost every week – and sometimes more than once per week - with a variety of members from this base for well over a year. For the past several months, our main contact has been TSgt Phyllis Hanson and she is joining us today along with team members MSgt Charles Wade, TSgt Liz Weinberg, and TSgt Harry Kibbe. Maj Pickart has already headed home. The time has come for the rest of these members to pack their bags and head home as their deployments are over and replacements are arriving to cover these duties for the next several months. I can not begin to describe just how much of an honor it is to work with all of our PA contacts. Though we may never meet in person, we are able to develop a relationship and respect that will endure forever. These people are not only Heroes of Freedom, but they are also heroes for the news that they make available about the men and women who serve our country from home and around the globe.

It is very appropriate that our next visit is one of the founders of the Grateful American Coin Organization. Deborah Benson and her young family have developed the Grateful American Coin, which is based on the military challenge coins, as mentioned earlier. And I have to tell you these are not only gorgeous, but an incredible value in more ways than one. I have some in my purse now and plan to never be without one, so I am always able to “Coin a Hero”.

Our third visit today will be with four members from the 332nd AEW (Air Expeditionary Wing). Joining us are SrA Miguel Torres and SSgt Alex Stewart of the EMXS Unit and also SSgt Rachael Schultz and TSgt Ryan Alfke of the EAMXS Unit. Now, for us non military types, EAMXS members are the aircraft maintainers who work on the aircraft in a variety of ways to keep them ready to fly. The members of the EMXS unit make sure that all the equipment is in working order that the EAMXS folks need to do their job. You will understand how this works much better after our visit.

Our hearts and prayers are always with our military members, families, Veterans and to all of our first responders & their families - everyone who puts their lives on hold and on the line for us and our families.

Don’t forget in addition to listening to our live show on www.stardustradio.com , you can go to our archive site and download tapes of our shows in MP3 format at www.stardustradio.info and you can check our blog through the United We Roll page at www.stardustradio.com .

May God Bless You All and May God Bless America!