War Widow Wins Fight To Put Pentacle On Headstone

(AP) WASHINGTON The widow of a soldier killed in Afghanistan saw a Wiccan symbol placed on a memorial plaque for her husband Saturday, after fighting the federal government for more than a year over the emblem.

Roberta Stewart, widow of Sgt. Patrick Stewart, and Wiccan leaders said it was the first government-issued memorial plaque with a Wiccan pentacle — a five-pointed star enclosed in a circle. More than 50 friends and family dedicated the plaque at Northern Nevada Veterans Cemetery, about 30 miles east of Reno.

They praised Gov. Kenny Guinn for his role in getting the Nevada Office of Veterans Services to issue the plaque in September. The agency cited its jurisdiction over maintenance of the state cemetery.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes more than 30 symbols, including more than a dozen variations of the Christian cross and the atomic whirl used by atheists, but not the pentacle.

VA officials have said they are rewriting rules for approving emblems, but the process requires a public comment period.

Last month, Americans United for Separation of Church and State sued the VA on behalf of Stewart and others for its refusal to include the Wiccan emblem.

"Our people are on the front line in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it's not right they're not getting equal treatment," said the Rev. Selena Fox, one of the Wiccan organizers of the event.

About 1,800 active-duty service members identify themselves as Wiccans, according to 2005 Defense Department statistics. Wiccans worship the Earth and believe they must give to the community. Some consider themselves "white" or good witches, pagans or neo-pagans.

Stewart and four other soldiers died Sept. 25, 2005, when their Chinook helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan.

(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

The available VA "emblems of belief" include Unitarian, Humanist, Atheist, and a lot of others I've never heard of.

Show Them You Care!

You've hear it right? Maybe even said it "We support the troops, even if we disagree with the war."

Thanksgiving comes next week with Yule, Hanukkah, and Christmas right around the corner.

When I think about our Service Members so far away from home and family it makes me want to do something for them.

I have decided to adopt a service member from eCarePackage. If I can send one of them a CD or book, or something else to make their lives a little better, let them know there is someone back here that they do not know but who loves, prays, and cares for them all the same.

Really it is the least I can do. This is a brand new web site, and it looks like there is not a ton of people signed up yet... Hopefully that will change soon.

Here is some info from the eCarePackage website

eCarePackage was established as a program of the nonprofit organization, Operation Homefront, in response to requests from service members, military families, and our outstanding and loyal donors.

Due to heightened security, Operation Homefront staff came up with this program as a way to allow patriotic citizens to continue to support our service members and their families without violating their safety and security.

For security purposes, the contact information of service members and families who sign up are never released to anyone, including donors who wish to adopt them. Instead, Operation Homefront ships the packages directly and permits communication only by email. We trust our donors will understand.

All items available in the eCarePackage store are listed based on a minimum requested donation amount to cover administering the program and shipping of the package.

Because many of these items are donated, our staff may substitute like items of different brands and package sizes in some cases on your orders.

Any funds remaining after covering costs will be used by Operation Homefront to help military families in need.

We appreciate your generosity and thank you for your support!

You can also adopt a military family and choose between with or without children. I hope to choose some husband or wife without children, they deserve our support too.

Until Then, and Always
~ Jamie

If you are a same-sex partner of a deployed military member and need someone to speak to, or would just like something small but heartfelt for the holidays... and you are comfortable sharing your shipping address, please email me.

In case you missed it.. http://www.ecarepackage.org/

Honoring our UU Veterans

Honoring our Unitarian Universalist Veterans
By F. Vernon Chandler

Veterans Day, originally established as Armistice Day in 1926, is the official holiday when the United States honors our men and women who are veterans. The holiday was renamed Veterans Day in 1954 to honor all US veterans.

Recognizing and honoring the military service of members in our Unitarian Universalist congregations are not high priorities for many of our churches and fellowships. But there are literally hundreds of Unitarian Universalists in our nation's armed forces today, and chances are that someone sitting near you on Sunday morning was once in uniform.

I suspect that many Unitarian Universalist veterans feel some awkwardness in sharing this distinction with other UUs on Veterans Day. Given the number of veterans who are members of our religious faith, I can't help wishing our Veterans Day observances were different.

Our veterans' military experiences are varied. Some enjoyed peacetime service. Others were touched by the horrors of combat. A few continue to carry physical and emotional scars from their wartime service. For some veterans, it was their military experience that initiated the religious search that eventually brought them to Unitarian Universalism. I know a few current and former military personnel who actually discovered Unitarian Universalism while in uniform. After all, we have UU chaplains in all branches of military service and a few of our larger military installations have UU congregations that meet in military chapels.

Political opinions vary among those in uniform as it does among civilians. One big difference for our men and women in uniform is that they do not have the same freedom to express their opinions publicly as do other citizens. The tempo of military deployments today places a great strain on our military personnel and their families. I have friends and colleagues who are on their second one year deployment in less than 4 years.

On this Veterans Day weekend, I encourage Unitarian Universalists to honor the veterans and military personnel in their congregations. Regardless of your political views regarding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, our members of the armed forces do not start wars nor do they dictate foreign policy.

Our Unitarian Universalist military personnel need your support... and your love.

Expressing that support could be as simple as lighting a candle for your veterans on Sunday morning. Or you might consider offering time in your worship service for individual veterans to stand and share a special memory or lesson in life that was gained from military service. Hearing what our Unitarian Universalist veterans have to say and share just might be more powerful than any sermon preached from your congregation's pulpit!

This year, when you see Veterans Day flags flying in your towns, no matter what your feelings are about this or any war, my fondest hope is that you will remember our UU veterans and UU military personnel. Remember them and reach out to them in love, extending the olive branch of acceptance and respect that our UU faith calls us to embrace each day.

The Rev. Dr. F. Vernon Chandler is a Unitarian Universalist minister and has served for over 32 years as a UU military chaplain. His overseas active duty assignments include tours of duty in Bosnia, Germany, Hungary, Korea, and Kosovo. He holds the rank of Colonel in the US Army Reserve. Vernon and his wife Nataliya reside in Eberstadt, Germany.

Another new Blogger...

Wow, interest really seems to be picking up!

I would like to welcome our newest Blogger, Frank Coon...

Here is his information

I'm Frank Coon and I am a twenty-year Navy Lieutenant (LDO) stationed at the Naval Reactors Representative's Office in Bremerton, WA. My family and I are active members of Cedars Unitarian Universalist Church in Bainbridge Island, WA. I would love to join this blog.

Thanks,
Frank

Welcome to another new blogger

I would like to welcome anohter new Blogger, Yoed Cameron Santos. Here was the information she sent us, and we are happy to have her involved.

My name is Yoed Cameron Santos; I am currently a USCG reservist (though I have 9 years of AD service in the Air Force and Coast Guard). I just PCSd to the Bedford, MA and am attending Follen Community Church and First Parish UU in Lexington, MA. I am new to UUism but am absorbing all that I can like a sponge takes in water! I can’t wait to get active and do what I can to help fellow UUs in the military community.
Live life empirically!
Mrs. Yoed Cameron Santos
Hanscom AFB, MA

Welcome Captain Beall!

I would like to welcome Captain Thomas Beall as our newest Blogger...

Here is the information he sent to us!

Name: Captain Thomas R. Beall, USN
I am a member of Channing Memorial Church in Newport, RI (in fact I am the Congregation President this year). I am currently on the faculty of the U. S. Naval War College in Newport. I have been in the Navy 23 1/2 years, having served at sea in the Pacific and Middle East. I was Captain of USS RENTZ (FFG 46) and most recently the Commander of the Navy Element of Joint Task Force Guantanamo.

We look forward to your sharing with us! This Blog is for us, so post as you see fit.

Yours in Faith,

David Pyle

First Military President?

Due to the resignation of our President, I have become the Acting President of my congregation. I wonder if there are any other active duty UU board presidents, or if there ever have been before? Is this worthy of attention from other UU's - say an article in the UU World?

Along those lines, Rob Keithan of the UUA Washington Advocacy Office has asked me to write a brief reflection on Veterans' Day for their website. Maybe it will actually be used this time! He might be interested in input from others - give him a shout here.

Survey on UU Attitudes to Military and Police issues

I would like to ask my fellow Military Affiliated UU's to please pass this email along within your UU contacts and congregations. Rev. Presley and I have been in contact over the summer on this, and I have already participated. I would ask you to take some time and do the same. The information collected will not only be helpful to her in her doctoral work, but also could be very valuable to us in understanding our own place in Unitarian Universalism as Military affiliated UU's.

Here is Rev. Presley's email.

Dear Friends,

I am working toward my Doctor of Ministry degree at
Meadville/Lombard Theological School, and I’d like your help. As part of my
final project, I am attempting to understand UU attitudes toward military and
police chaplaincy, as well as toward the military and police in general. Toward
that end, I have created an on-line survey that I would both love you to
complete, and then to forward the link on to others in your congregation(s). I
want to get broad participation, so feel free to forward this email to other UUs
you know. And please, personally answer the survey only once—I want this to be
as accurate as possible.

The link for the survey is: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=709832521237. If you do
not immediately get sent to the survey, you may need to copy the address and
paste it into your Internet browser.

Thanks so much, and please
feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Lisa
Presley
Doctor of Ministry Candidate
Meadville/Lombard Theological
School
presleylisa@earthlink.net

Welcome new blogger!

I would like to welcome our newest Blogger, Scott Wendorf. Scott is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, having served as a Lieutenant and an Intelligence officer.

Welcome to the Blog, Scott! I hope you will tell us a little more about yourself, and begin sharing your thoughts about the Military and Unitarian Universalism.

Muslim Prayer Center in Quantico

While reading the base paper recently, I saw that the regular "Chaplain's Corner" was about fasting as a form of worship, written by a Muslim chaplain. I did a little research on the base website, and learned that we have a Muslim prayer center. Here's what the paper had to say about its opening:

The prayer center is the first of its kind to be established aboard a Marine Corps base. The center serves to express the Marine Corps’ recognition of diversity among service members and the commitment to provide continued support to all Marines regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or gender.

The ceremony for the center, located in building 3043 on Catlin Avenue, attracted local as well as international interest, to include media from foreign agencies like Al Jazeera and the Egyptian Press Agency.

Special guest speakers were Rear Adm. Louis Iasiello, the Chief of Navy Chaplains; Gen. Michael Hagee, the Commandant of the Marine Corps; and Gordon England, the Deputy Secretary of Defense.

The ceremony began with a recitation from the Qur’an by Navy Lt. Abuhena Saifulislam, Quantico’s Muslim chaplain, first in Arabic and then translated into English. Navy Capt. David Kloak, deputy chaplain of the Marine Corps, gave the invocation which was followed by the colors presentation and playing of the national anthem.

After an introduction from Brig. Gen. Thomas Conant, director of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command Capabilities Development Directorate, the guest speakers were each given a chance to talk about the prayer center.

“Prayer is an icon of religious respect,” Iasiello said. “Today, at Quantico, religious respect takes the form of a center.”

When it was England’s turn to speak, he told the audience that Muslim Americans have been serving in the armed forced since World War I. He then pointed out several Muslim veterans still alive today and present at the ceremony representing World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam and other operations.

“People come to America for freedom and liberty,” England said. “And religion is just one of those freedoms.”

After the speakers’ remarks, Hagee and England unveiled the dedication plaque on the building. The plaque has Arabic writing which is translated below as, “In the name of God, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,” a statement from the Qur’an.

The center was created to provide Muslim military personnel, family members and international military officers with a suitable place to conduct religious services.

According to Quantico’s plans, this interim facility will serve as the prayer center until an extension is built on the Marine Memorial Chapel. The new extension will be named the Religious Activities and Family Support Center and will contain a Muslim prayer room.

I haven't seen any evidence of evangelical activity around here, other than my conversations with a former co-worker.

Action Alert from MRFF

Hello all,

From time to time, I feel that a piece of information comes to my attention that we should pass along to many UU's who are associated with the military... and this notice from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation seemed to me to be one of those items.

And so, I present it for your perusal...

ACTION ALERT
Help Protect the Constitutional Rights of Military Personnel
The Defense Authorization Act is stalled in Congress over a provision that
states "chaplains in each of the military services would have the prerogative to
pray according to the dictates of their own conscience."

This means that chaplains would be allowed to pray in Jesus' name at mandatory military formations, directly violating the United States Constitution and gravely
compromising the rights of military personnel.

Mikey Weinstein, the Military
Religious Freedom Foundation's (MRFF) president and founder, has already sent a
letter to key congressional officials asking for their support. Now we need your
help.

Write or Call Your Elected Officials
Send a letter or make a quick
phone call to your elected officials. Let them know that you believe this
provision would be detrimental to the men and women serving in our armed forces.

Here are some key ideas to touch on:
United States military is the preeminent
defender of our Constitutional rights and at this very moment is fighting a
global war on terror to preserve those Constitutional liberties that make
America so unique;
Military personnel deserve to know their government
officials are working to prevent fundamentalist values from infiltrating our
nation's armed forces;
The passage of this provision would undermine our
Constitution and dissolve the rights of the brave people who serve in our
nation's armed forces;
Passing this provision would further the erosion of
tolerance and respect at our nation's military academies and military
installations throughout the world;
This provision should not be about
political parties - it should about what is best for the men and women who serve
our country.

Contact Your Representative
Contact Your Senator

Mikey's
Letter to Key Congressional Officials

Dear Senator,

As you move forward
in the critical debate over whether or not to include language in the Defense
Authorization Act that would allow sectarian prayers at nondenominational and
mandatory military events, I urge you to keep in mind both the precious rights
of the military personnel that are at stake and the Constitutional guarantees of
the separation of church and state that you are required to uphold.
The
United States military is the preeminent defender of our Constitutional rights
and at this very moment is fighting a global war on terror to preserve those
Constitutional liberties that make America so unique.
If we lose sight of
these treasured freedoms, and allow fundamentalist values to infiltrate our
nation’s armed forces, how can we in good conscience send our men and women into
the line of fire to fight against religious fundamentalists throughout the
world?
There is a pandemic of intolerance spreading throughout our military,
creating a deep and dangerous divide between military personnel. In the past
several years, there have been countless reports of egregious Constitutional
violations within the various branches of our armed forces – chaplains invoking
Jesus’ name at mandatory formations, the use of anti-Semitic and other
inflammatory slurs, the misuse of official email accounts by military leadership
to promote religious events and illegal proselytizing and evangelizing.
My
family has a long and proud history of service in our nation’s armed forces – I
am a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and the son of a Naval
Academy graduate. My sons and daughter-in- law have matriculated at the Air
Force Academy. I have seen the climate of tolerance and respect at the USAFA
deteriorate before my eyes – my own sons have been the targets of anti-Semitic
rhetoric and coercive evangelizing. My daughter-in-law, a practicing
non-evangelical Christian, has also been made to feel as though her faith is not
enough. She has received blatantly illegal emails, via official military
communication channels, promoting fundamentalist Christian theology and has
experienced illegal proselytizing from her superiors and peers.
I am gravely
concerned that the passage of this provision would undermine our Constitution
and further erode the already tenuous situation at our nation’s military
academies and at the 702 U.S. military installations located in 132 countries
throughout the world.
This debate should not be an issue of who is on the
left or right of the political spectrum; rather, it should be an issue of what
is best for our noble and honorable armed forces. Please make the right decision
for our country by helping to ensure this detrimental provision does not pass in
the Defense Authorization Act.

Sincerely,

Mikey Weinstein

President and Founder,
Military Religious Freedom Foundation

Welcome to a New UUMil Blogger!

Hello All!

I want to extend a warm welcome to our newest UU Mil blogger, Chaplain Rebekah Montgomery. As someone who aspires to UU Military Chaplaincy, I am excited to have her here with us, all the way from Afganistan!

Here is a little info about herself that she sent me...


Name: Rev. Rebekah A. Montgomery, nee Savage Military affiliation: US Army
Congregation: Deployed!

I am a born and raised UU from River Road Unitarian Church in Bethesda, MD. I graduated from Union Theological Seminary in 1999 and was ordained a UU minister is 2002. I came into the military in 2003. Now I am deployed in Kabul, Afghanistan - and have been here for 15 months, only a few more to go. I am aware of only one, maybe two, other UU chaplains in the Army... but it remains the best calling in the world. I am honored to serve soldiers.

Perhaps she will introduce herself soon, although we understand that, being deployed in Afganistan, her time is best spent with her soldiers. And for that, I for one thank her.

Yours in Faith,

David

Learning From The Military

I have in hand Dr. Shannon E. French's paper "The Warriors Code," brought to public attention by AP reporter Robert Tanner's story "US troops taught 'warrior ethics' to fight in Iraq" and run in newspapers all over the nation. Professor French of the Naval Academy discusses ethics and the nature of armed force. These are the kinds of discussions we UU's pride ourselves on relishing. "The Warrior's Code" is online at www.usafa.af.mil/jscope along with other stimulating articles.

We can also learn from the best examples of how military families take care of one another. As a blog group, we're well on the way to establishing a network: there is the list of churches. The next step is to find contact people in the churches, fellowships, and societies. Let's find out what people need that we can give.

Checking in!

Well, this is not really a checking in, although I have been a little absent as of late, due to serving as a student hospital Chaplain for the summer in Knoxville, TN.

I have introduced myself here before, as I have been a contributor for awhile now, but let me do so again. My name is David Pyle, and I am a UU Seminary Student at the Meadville Lombard Theological School. I am also a veteran of the U.S. Army, having served with the 7th Special Forces Group out of Ft. Bragg, and the U.S. National Intelligence Cell in Sarajevo, Bosnia. Plans and calls can change, but it is now my intention, upon completion of seminary and the UU fellowship process, to return to the U.S. Army as a Chaplain.

I believe there is a great need in our faith to move towards a more organized outreach and support system for those of us of liberal faith who are also connected with military organizations, be it as a service member, as a spouse or family member, as a veteran, or as a defense employee. But there is also a need, almost as great, to begin the process of educating our faith tradition about what it means to be a UU in the military. I love our liberal faith movement, and even the association of congregations that has grown to support it, but we have not always related well to the military. We are also in need of a liberal social activist organization that addresses problems within our military from the perspective of those who know it most intimately... servicemembers, spouses, and veterans.

How this can happen, I don't know. Perhaps it will be a UU Independent Affiliate Organization dedicated to these goals. Perhaps it will be an office of the UUA. Perhaps there is a church out there who would like to sponsor this kind of work, or an association of churches who are located near military bases. There are many different options and probably more ideas out there.

But we are losing UU's of faith because we do not know how to accept and support them in their positions in the military. And how can we expect the military to come any closer to our UU principles and ideals if we are not there?

Greg, thank you for your service, both as a UU and as a Marine. You have been an inspiration and I hope you will always consider me a friend.

Yours in Faith,

David Pyle

Checking Out

As of today, David Pyle is the new administrator for the UUMilBlog. My focus and energy are moving in other directions, and David has graciously agreed to take over with the blog. I will continue to be a contributor.

Thanks to everyone who's shown interest in the blog, and all of the members for their posts. Keep up the good work, and I'll see you around!

Blessings,
Greg Rouillard
A Black Sheep in Wolves Clothing

The War Tapes

UUMil Blogger and retired MCPOCG Vince writes to UUA President Bill Sinkford:

...the reason for my email is to bring your attention to a very interesting documentary that has just been released about our U.S. troops serving in Iraq. The documentary film, "The War Tapes" is the first film about the war in Iraq filmed by the soldiers themselves. It recently won Best International Documentary at the Tribes Film Festival. The soldiers who filmed the documentary are from a New Hampshire Army National Guard unit that was deployed to Iraq in 2004.

The film has received rave reviews from The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, and Mark Bowden, author of 'Black Hawk Down.' I had seen the movie last Thursday when it was screened here in Washington, DC. I think this is a very important and powerful movie that you and as many of your colleagues that are available should see, as it depicts a complete unabashed realistic view of what our troops are dealing with in Iraq. An interesting note here, it doesn't matter what side of the issue on the war you're on - it's presented completely nonpartisaned, with the views, thoughts and opinions from the soldiers themselves who are serving. It also tells a story of how the war has a traumatic and emotional effect on the soldiers, their families and how they deal with their experiences when they return.

I personally invite you to please see this movie which is showing in Boston at the Kendall Square Cinema. On this Friday night (6/30), which is opening night in Boston -Soldier/Camerman Mike Moriarty and his wife Randy, along with Soldier/Camerman Steve Pink and his girlfriend Lindsay Coletti who were all featured in the documentary will be available for an open discussion after the 7pm showing. The 'War Tapes' website provides some additional information on where the discussion will be held.

Check out the movie's website for more information.

A Fallen Hero

You may, or may not have heard. On Thursday June 8th a childhood friend of mine was killed in Iraq. Daniel Crabtree was a year younger, and in a grade below mine, however before High School we where in scouts together. I still cannot reconcile the 31 year old hero I see in the news to the 14 year old smiling, up-to-something boy I knew.

My prayers continue to go out to the Crabtree Family, most especially his wife and young daughter.

Until Then, and Always

Unitarian Universalists in the Military

Unitarian Universalists in the Military
I keep thinking or three things: curriculum, PTSD, and candles. The easiest one tonight; that is candles. Some UU societies light them and in others people would duck under benches at the thought. For those that do light candles in honor or remembrance of, are there any candle makers among us? Would we like to offer a ceremonial model?

Military UU Congregation

Bonnie writes us about the Neighborhood UU Church of Pasadena, CA, spiritual home to a California National Guard private, a recent West Point graduate, "and maybe other active duty and of course lots of vets of various wars...."

Thanks, Bonnie.

New Blogger from Unitarian Country

Wow, another new blogger. Dwight Gertz is a retired Captain in the Navy Reserve (that's equivalent to an Army or Marine Colonel, for those not in the Naval Service). Dwight is a member of the First Parish in Lincoln, Mass, where he is "currently a deacon—we use old time New England titles."

Welcome, Dwight, we look forward to seeing your posts.