Memorial Day, OUR American History!

Memorial Day -Honoring American Heroes of Courage, Faith and Sacrifice - by Bill Federer

Memorial Day in America, as an annual observance, can be traced back to the end of the Civil War, a war in which over a half-million died. 

Southern women scattered spring flowers on graves of both northern Union and southern Confederate soldiers.

Many places claimed to have held the original Memorial Day, such as:

• Warrenton, Virginia;

• Columbus, Georgia;

• Savannah, Georgia;

• Gettysburg, Pennsylvania;

• Boalsburg, Pennsylvania;

• Waterloo, New York.

One such place was Charleston, South Carolina, where a mass grave was uncovered of 267 Union soldiers who had died in a prison camp.

On May 1, 1865, former slaves organized a parade, led by 2,800 singing black children, in which they prayed, read Bible verses, sang spirituals, and reburied the soldiers with honor as an act of gratefulness for their ultimate sacrifice which gave them freedom.

In 1868, General John A. Logan, commander of the Civil War veterans' organization "The Grand Army of the Republic," called for a Decoration Day to be observed annually on May 30.  An estimated 180,000 Black soldiers served in the Union Army during the Civil War.

Republican abolitionist Frederick Douglass gave a Decoration Day address at Arlington National Cemetery in 1871: “We must never forget that the loyal soldiers who rest beneath this sod flung themselves between the nation and the nation’s destroyers.”

President James Garfield's only executive order was in 1881 where he gave government workers May 30th off so they could decorate the graves of those who died in the Civil War.

In 1921, President Warren Harding had the remains of an unknown soldier killed in France during World War I buried in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery.

Inscribed on the Tomb is the phrase: "HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY AN AMERICAN SOLDIER KNOWN BUT TO GOD."

Since 1921, it has been the tradition for Presidents to lay a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The number 21 being the highest salute, the sentry takes 21 steps, faces the tomb for 21 seconds, turns and pauses 21 seconds, then retraces his steps. The number 21 is explained on the U.S. Army Center of Military History website (history.army.mil/index.html): "Warriors ... demonstrated their peaceful intentions placing their weapons in a position that rendered them ineffective ... Rendering a salute by cannon originated in the 14th century as firearms and cannons came into use. Since these early devices contained only one projectile, discharging them once rendered them ineffective.

 Originally warships fired seven-gun salutes--the number seven probably selected because of its astrological and Biblical significance ... The Bible states that God rested on the seventh day after Creation, that every seventh year was sabbatical and that the seven times seventh year ushered in the Jubilee year.

Land batteries, having a greater supply of gunpowder, were able to fire three guns for every shot fired afloat, hence the salute by shore batteries was 21 guns ... Early gunpowder, composed mainly of sodium nitrate, spoiled easily at sea, but could be kept cooler and drier in land magazines. When potassium nitrate improved the quality of gunpowder, ships at sea adopted the salute of 21 guns.

 The 21-gun salute became the highest honor a nation rendered ...

 Great Britain, the world's preeminent seapower in the 18th and 19th centuries, compelled weaker nations to salute first ... Eventually, by agreement, the international salute was established at 21 guns, although the United States did not agree on this procedure until August 1875."  

On Memorial Day, 1923, President Calvin Coolidge stated: "There can be no peace with the forces of evil. Peace comes only through the establishment of the supremacy of the forces of good. That way lies through sacrifice ... 'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.'"

The Memorial Day poem, "In Flanders Fields," was composed during World War I, by a Canadian Expeditionary gunner and medical officer named John McCrae, who fought in the Second Battle of Ypres near Flanders, Belgium. Describing the battle as a "nightmare," as the enemy carried out one of the first chlorine gas attacks, McCrae wrote: "For seventeen days and seventeen nights none of us have had our clothes off, nor our boots even, except occasionally. In all that time while I was awake, gunfire and rifle fire never ceased for sixty seconds ... And behind it all was the constant background of the sights of the dead, the wounded, the maimed, and a terrible anxiety lest the line should give way." Finding one of his friends killed, McCrae helped bury him along with the other dead in a field. Noticing the field covered with poppy flowers, he wrote: "In Flanders fields the poppies blow between the crosses, row on row, that mark our place; and in the sky the larks, still bravely singing, fly scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago we lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, loved and were loved, and now we lie in Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields."

Notable individuals who fought in World War I include:

• Sergeant Alvin York, who single-handedly took out 35 machine guns and captured 132;

• John J. Pershing, General of the Armies;

• Douglas MacArthur, Brigadier General;

• George S. Patton, tank commander;

• Leonard Wood, future Army Chief of Staff;

• Harry S Truman, artillery officer and future 33rd President;

• Eddie Rickenbacker, commander of 94th Areo Squadron;

• Quentin Roosevelt, a pilot, son of President Theodore Roosevelt, was shot down and died;

• Charles Whittlesey, commander of the "Lost Battalion" behind lines;

• Frank Luke -"balloon buster";

• Irving Berlin, composer of "God Bless America";

• Edouard Izac, naval office captured on a U-Boat, who escaped;

• Henry Johnson of the "Harlem Hellfighters";

• Dan Daly, Marine Sergeant charged and captured machine gun nests;

• Ernest Hemingway, author of A Farewell to Arms;

• J.R.R. Tolken, British author of The Lord of the Rings;

• C.S. Lewis, British author of The Chronicles of Narnia.

One soldier was Orval William Epperson. Born on a rugged Ozark farm near Anderson, Missouri, he fought in France, being assigned to the 338th Machine Gun Battalion 88th Division. Upon returning to America, he married Therese DeBrosse, and had three children: Joan, Orval Wilford, and Tirzah, the mother of the author of this article. Orval and Therese's only son was Orval Wilford "Billy" Epperson. He served in World War II as a bombardier on a B17 Flying Fortress, 525th Squadron, 379 Bomb Group A.P.O. 550 (#0-768946). 23-year-old "Billy" Epperson flew from Camp Crowder in southwest Missouri to Kimbolton, England. He had written a Mother's Day note to his mom, tied it with a handkerchief to a small weight and dropped it from the plane as it flew over his hometown of Neosho, Missouri. A neighbor got it and brought to his mother, who lived at 344 S. Hamilton. Little did either know that that would be the closest they would be again, as Billy was shot down by the Nazis over the English Channel near Holland on July 9, 1944. His name is on the monument near Omaha Beach, at the Cimitière Amèrican de Normandie (in Colleville-sur-Mer, France) at the Killed in Action Wall (“Tablet of the Missing”).

On June 6, 1944 President Franklin Roosevelt offered a D-Day Prayer, which is now part of the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., thanks to the effort led by Chris Long of the Ohio Christian Alliance, as documented in his book For Their Honor: "My fellow Americans: ... I ask you to join with me in prayer: Almighty God, Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our republic, our religion, and our civilization ... Give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith. They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces ... We know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph ... Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom."

In 1958, President Eisenhower placed soldiers in the tomb from World War II and the Korean War.

In 1968, one hundred years after the first observance, Memorial Day was moved to the last Monday in May. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan placed a soldier from the Vietnam War in the tomb. DNA test later identified him as pilot Michael Blassie, whose A-37B Dragonfly was shot down near An Loc, South Vietnam. He had graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1970, and prior to that, graduated from St. Louis University High School in 1966, ten years before the author of this article. In 1998, Michael Blassie's remains were reburied at Jefferson Memorial Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri.

In 2000, Congress passed The National Moment of Remembrance Act (Public Law 106-579), whereby on each Memorial Day, at 3:00pm, citizens should pause for a moment of prayer:

"Congress finds that ... it is essential to remember and renew the legacy of Memorial Day ... to pay tribute to individuals who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States ... Greater strides must be made to demonstrate appreciation for those loyal people ... whose values, represented by their sacrifices, are critical to the future of the United States ...

and to encourage citizens to dedicate themselves to the ... principles for which those heroes of the United States died ... A symbolic act of unity ... to honor the men and women of the United States who died in the pursuit of freedom and peace ... as a day of prayer for permanent peace."

Memorial Day grew to honor all who gave their lives defending America's freedom in every war, including:

• Revolutionary War (1775-1783) 25,000;

• Barbary Wars (1801-1805; 1815) 45;

• War of 1812 (1812-1814) 20,000;

• Mexican-American War (1846-1848) 13,283;

• Civil War (1861-1865) 625,000;

• Spanish-American War (1898) 2,446;

• World War 1 (1917-1918) 116,516;

• World War 2 (1941-1945) 405,399;

• Korean War (1950-1953) 36,516;

• Vietnam War (1955-1975) 58,209;

• Persian Gulf War (1990-1991) 258;

• Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan (2001-2014) 2,356;

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003-2012) 4,489; and

• subsequent wars against Islamic terrorism, securing our borders, and in Ukraine.

At the Memorial Day Ceremony, May 31, 1993, President Bill Clinton remarked: "The inscription on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier says that he is 'Known but to God.' But that is only partly true. While the soldier's name is known only to God, we know a lot about him. We know he served his country, honored his community, and died for the cause of freedom. And we know that no higher praise can be assigned to any human being than those simple words ...

In the presence of those buried all around us, we ask the support of all Americans in the aid and blessing of God Almighty."

Charles Michael Province, U.S. Army, wrote the poem:

"It is the Soldier, not the minister who has given us freedom of religion. It is the Soldier, not the reporter who has given us freedom of the press. It is the Soldier, not the poet who has given us freedom of speech. It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer who has given us freedom to protest. It is the Soldier, not the lawyer who has given us the right to a fair trial. It is the Soldier, not the politician who has given us the right to vote. It is the Soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag."

Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary stated in its definition of "MEMORIAL":

"That which preserves the memory of something ... A monument is a memorial of a deceased person, or of an event. The Lord's supper is a memorial of the death and sufferings of Christ."

Memorials are important in Scripture. The Lord told Moses in Exodus 12:

"Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel ...

In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house ... Your lamb shall be without blemish ... And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day ... and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.

And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses ... For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and ... execute judgment ... and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you ...

And this day shall be unto you for a MEMORIAL ... throughout your generations ... an ordinance for ever."

Memorial is mentioned in Joshua, chapter 4:

"When all the people were clean passed over Jordan ... Joshua called the twelve men ... out of every tribe ...

And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder ...

... That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?

Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan ... and these stones shall be for a MEMORIAL unto the children of Israel for ever."

In his Memorial Day Address, May 31, 1923, President Calvin Coolidge said:

"Settlers came here from mixed motives ... Generally defined, they were seeking a broader freedom.

They were intent upon establishing a Christian commonwealth in accordance to the principle of self-government ...

It has been said that 'God sifted the nations that He might send choice grain into the wilderness.'"

Coolidge was citing an Election Sermon given in Boston, April 29, 1669, by Massachusetts Governor Judge William Stoughton, who described the Puritans fleeing persecution in England to settle in the New World:

"God sifted a whole nation that he might send choice grain over into this wilderness."

Henry W. Longfellow used a similar line in his classic Courtship of Miles Standish:

"God had sifted three kingdoms to find the wheat for this planting."

This was explained further in Benjamin Franklin Morris’ classic The Christian Life and Character of The Civil Institutions of The United States (1864):

“The persecutions of the Puritans in England for non-conformity, and the religious agitations and conflicts in Germany by Luther, in Geneva by Calvin, and in Scotland by Knox, were the preparatory ordeals for qualifying Christian men for the work of establishing the civil institutions on the American continent.

'God sifted’ in these conflicts ‘a whole nation that He might send choice grain over into the wilderness’; and the blood and persecution of martyrs became the seed of both the church and the state ...

It was in these schools of fiery trial that the founders of the American republic were educated and prepared for their grand Christian mission ...

They were trained in stormy times, in order to prepare them to ... establish the fundamental principles of civil and religious liberty and of just systems of civil government.”

Concluding in his Memorial Day Address that America's republic is worth preserving, President Calvin Coolidge stated May 31, 1923:

"They had a genius for organized society on the foundations of piety, righteousness, liberty, and obedience of the law ...

Who can fail to see in it the hand of destiny? Who can doubt that it has been guided by a Divine Providence?"

Douglas MacArthur told West Point cadets, May 1962:

"The soldier, above all other men, is required to practice the greatest act of religious training-sacrifice.

In battle and in the face of danger and death, he discloses those Divine attributes which his Maker gave when He created man in His own image ...

No physical courage and no brute instinct can take the place of Divine help which alone can sustain him.

However horrible the incidents of war may be, the soldier who is called upon to offer and to give his life for his country is the noblest development of mankind."

NED NUERGE Press Release State Assembly 18

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 25, 2026 

NED NUERGE FOR CA STATE ASSEMBLY 18
Click HERE for Neds Flyer

  My whole life has been dedicated to helping people, but the last 30 years have been focused on helping others develop their strengths and passions so that they can find economic independence, family security and stability, and ultimately contribute back to their communities so that those communities grow stronger and more resilient. I am passionate about supporting others in growing their unique human gifts and creativity and want to help people live their purpose. I know that when that happens, it's the foundation for creating a community where people want to give back and flourish. 

 Becoming your Assembly person will allow me to give back so much more. I will always represent YOUR interests and do everything possible to help our community THRIVE! Thank you for your consideration.

CA Voter ID Initiative Officially Qualifies for November Ballot

DeMaio Vows Aggressive Campaign to Pass Measure Requiring Regular Audits of Voter Rolls, Citizenship Verification and Voter ID to Cast a Ballot

The California Voter ID Initiative has officially qualified for the November 2026 ballot — ‍‍with state election officials certifying today that over 1 million valid signatures were submitted by proponents of the measure.

The measure amends the California Constitution to require Voter ID when casting a ballot, require election officials to verify the citizenship of registered voters, and maintain accurate voter rolls.

Reform California Chairman and CA State Assemblyman Carl DeMaio, the co-author of the CA Voter ID Initiative, issued the following statement in response to news that the measure has qualified:

"The California Voter ID Initiative is a common-sense and bipartisan way to restore the trust and confidence all voters should have in our election system.

Our measure simply holds government officials accountable to maintain accurate voter lists and verify the identity of individuals casting ballots in our elections. Other states that have implemented Voter ID programs have seen an increase in participation in their elections, including an increase in minority voting.

Divisive politicians with partisan agendas will try to politicize this effort, but the fact remains that over 70 percent of voters, including a majority of Democrat voters, support the initiative, and nearly half of the 1.35 million signatures we collected to put this common-sense reform on the ballot came from Democrats and Independents.

We look forward to expanding this bipartisan reform movement as we enter the passage phase of the campaign."

Take Action! Supreme Court Issues Rulling for Parental Rigths!

PARENTAL RIGHTS WIN! Court sides with parents in dispute over California policies on transgender students.

Gov’t Driven Attacks On Parental Authority: Modern Policies Have Become Destructive To The Family

How often have you thanked the Supreme Court when they make the right decision? SCOTUS Blog here

Click Here for full Tony Perkins reference story!

In your own words write a postcard to Justice Amy Coney Barrett, thanking her for protecting parental rights to make decisions abuot their child's mental health and wellbeing.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Supreme Court of the United States, 1 First Street, NE Washington, DC 20543

Sudden Infighting in California

 Now that Prop 50 is taking hold with newly redrawn districts, there is new infighting over less Republican seats.

By Harry Briley

I am a bit in shock.   First Kevin Kiley shreds his Republican colors to become an Independent and then decides to jump districts from his CD03 to challenge Tom McClintock in neighboring CD05 – I have supported Tom for years.   I will NOT support Kiley in this fight.

CD05 (Gold Country foothills) - Tom McClintock - R - Long term reliable conservative. Being challenged by CD03 Kevin Kiley (recently declared as an Independent, and no longer Republican).

Likewise, the fight is erupting in CD40.  Being eased out of a seat in CD41 by Prop 50, Ken Calvert is looking to take over Kim’s neighboring CD40 district.

CD40 (Orange County area)

1. Young Kim - R, Incumbent

2. Ken Calvert - R (challenging from CD41)

The TVR website page “Primary: Rest of State” has been updated to reflect these unhappy battles among former colleagues.

Harry Briley PO Box 2913 Livermore CA 94551-2913 <><

Web: brileyh .weebly .com  Recorder: 925/455-9139

America Why I Love Her

By John Mitchum

I am sure many of you have read or seen this poem by John Mitchum, but it is so appropriate to share it again for "her" 250th Birthday.

Thanks,

Susie

Middle East War Has Begun!

Hegseth Says 'Epic Fury' Goals in Iran Are 'Laser-Focused'

Since early morning Feb. 28, American forces in the U.S. Central Command area of operations have been involved in an intense bombing campaign against Iran that has already resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Candidate Names Officially on The Ballot

TVR Web Pages for Primary Election Updated

By Harry Briley

04/05/2026 Livermore – Glorious Resurrection Day!  The Secretary of State (finally) released the certified list of candidates on 3/26.   Up to now, I had to dredge data from my insider sources.  With the list of names on the ballot now official, I cleaned up the TVR web pages, removing those names that did not make it to the ballot.   There are 12 Republican candidates (down from 20) for Governor.

The California Republican Party (CAGOP), likewise, cleaned up their endorsement’s web page this week and the TVR web pages reflect whom they have endorsed so far.   There will be more endorsements after the upcoming CAGOP Convention next week, but for now, the races with a sole Republican tended to get endorsed automatically.  I found no CAGOP endorsements for races in Alameda County yet.

Since many local Republicans want to know my own personal endorsements, I flagged those candidates with (HB).   Since TVR cannot make election endorsements, these reflect my own personal and privately-held opinion.  Take or ignore as you see fit.  My opinions do not reflect official TVR sentiment.

The Alameda County Ballot of Republican candidates appear here:

https://trivalleyrepublicans.org/primary-2026

The candidates outside of Alameda County (for Congress, State Senate, and State Assembly Races) are here:

https://trivalleyrepublicans.org/primary2026-rest-of-state

A word from Phyllis Couper

Your Tri-Valley Republicans club Program Director (sometimes labeled Vice-President), but I prefer the title Program. The word Program symbolizes to me a gathering, or socializing, meeting new and interesting people, and as such, this position has been a most rewarding endeavor. My initial contact with speakers and their staffs has been warm and accommodating, and it has been my pleasure to invite them to our dinners.

People ask how I find the speakers. Well, there is plenty of information on the public political websites, and many individual podcasts of political and educational people. Those sources lead to other sources which becomes a fun exploration experience.

Since 2015, and thanks to several previous program chairs as well as myself, our club has hosted some great personalities: Shannon Grove, Steve Frank, Melanie Morgan, Senator Mike Morrell, Trevor Loudon, Kevin Kyley, Turning Point USA, Brian Sussman, and along the way, many Republican candidates running for various offices.

If you are interested in the Program Chair position, please contact me at coupclan1962@gmail.com. Thank you all for supporting our monthly speakers and your club.

Phyllis Couper, Program Chair

American Minute: HISTORY - Happy Birthday George Washington!

Happy Presidents' Day

George Washington's Birthday

• The tallest was Abraham Lincoln at 6 feet 4 inches and shortest was James Madison at 5 feet four inches.

•  The heaviest President was William Howard Taft at 332 lbs.

•  Four died in office: Harrison, Taylor, Harding, Franklin Roosevelt.

•  Four were assassinated: Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, Kennedy.

 One resigned, Nixon.

•  The youngest elected President was John F. Kennedy, at age 43, but the youngest to serve was actually Theodore Roosevelt, who assumed the office at age 42, when William McKinley was assassinated.

•  The oldest person to be elected President was Donald J. Trump at 78 years and 7 months.

 But did you know President’s Day is actually George Washington's Birthday?... Download as PDF ...

 Washington's birthday was recognized by an Act of Congress for government offices in Washington, D.C., in 1879, and for all federal offices in 1885.

 In 1971, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to create more three day weekends moved the observance of Washington's birthday to the third Monday in February.

 Abraham Lincoln was also born in February so many States include him in the observance, and still other States include all the Presidents.

 George Washington was born February 22, 1732. He was; unanimously chosen as the Army's Commander-in-Chief; unanimously chosen as President of the Constitutional Convention;  

 unanimously chosen as the first U.S. President;  unanimously re-elected to a second term. George Washington was an Anglican, and, after the Revolution, an Episcopalian.

 George's great-great -grandfather, Reverend Lawrence Washington, was an Anglican minister who taught at Oxford.

 Lawrence and his wife, Amphyllis Twigen, had a son named John.

 When the Puritans won the English Civil War in 1651, Anglican ministers were demoted. Lawrence was reduced to being an assistant minister - a vicar - at an impoverished parish in Essex, England.

 It was during this time that John Washington, George Washington's great-grandfather, apprenticed as a merchant in London.

 He sailed as second officer on a ship to the Colony of Virginia to purchase tobacco.  In 1657, when a storm partially sank their vessel in the Potomac River, John swam ashore. While the ship was being repaired, John stayed at the home of a planter Colonel Nathaniel Pope, and fell in love with his daughter, Anne. John never returned to England. John and Anne married, and her father gave them 700 acres in Westmoreland County. John Washington became a successful planter and a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. He was a militia leader during Nathaniel Bacon's Rebellionagainst Governor William Berkeley in 1676.

A local Anglican church was renamed "Washington" in honor of John Washington. When John died, he left to the church a tablet of  the Ten Commandments. His Will stated: "In the Name of God, Amen. I, John Washington, of Washington Parish, in the County of Westmoreland, in Virginia, gentleman, being of good and perfect memory, thanks be unto Almighty Godfor it, and calling to remembrance the uncertain state of this transitory life, that all flesh must yield unto death, do make, constitute, and ordain this my last will and testament ...

 ... First, being heartily sorry, from the bottom of my heart, for my sins past, most humbly desiring forgiveness of the same from the Almighty God, my Savior and Redeemer, in whom and by the merits of Jesus Christ, I trust and believe assuredly to be saved, and to have full remission and forgiveness of all my sins, and that my soul with my body at the general resurrection shall rise again with joy."

 The oldest of John Washington's sons was Lawrence, the grandfather of George Washington. Lawrence married Mildred Warner, the daughter of Col. Augustine Warner, Jr., an ancestor of Queen Elizabeth II. Lawrence and Mildred had three children, the second being Augustine, who would become George Washington's father. When Lawrence died in 1698, Mildred married George Gale and moved back to England with her children. When Mildred died, a relative in America petitioned to get custody of her children, including Augustine, and they were returned to Virginia in 1704.

Augustine Washington served as a vestryman in the Anglican Truro Parish. He and his wife Jane Butler had two sons live to adulthood, Lawrence and Augustine Jr. Both Lawrence and Augustine, Jr., went back to England to study at the prestigious Appleby Grammar School.

 Jane died in 1729.

 Augustine married Mary Ball in 1731, and together they had 6 children, with the oldest, George Washington, being born February 22, 1732.

 Augustine died in 1743 when George was only 11-years-old.

 George hand copied the Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation, 1744, which included Rule #110: “Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial firecalled "Conscience."  

George's older half-brother Lawrence fought in the British navy under Admiral Edward Vernon, who had captured Porto Bello, Panama, from Spain in 1739. When Lawrence returned to Virginia in 1742, he named his farm after his navy Admiral -- Mount Vernon. Lawrence married Anne Fairfax. Her father, Col. William Fairfax, had been Collector of Customs in Barbados, and Chief Justice and Governor of the Bahaman, as well as a first cousin of Thomas Fairfax, who was the largest land owner in America with five million acres. Lawrence arranged for George, at age 15, to begin a career in the British navy as a cabin boy, but his mother, Mary Ball Washington, refused. George complied with his mother's wishes and returned home.

In 1748, Lawrence arranged for 16 -year-old George Washington to be employed by Thomas Fairfax to survey the western area of his vast estate. In 1751, Lawrence Washington contracted tuberculosis. In hopes that a change of climate would help him recover, doctors recommended he travel to Barbados, where his father-in-law had been Coector of Customs. He brought along his 17-year-old half-brother George. This was the only time that George left the American continent.

In Barbados, George contracted smallpox, but recovered. This providentially inoculated George so that he was immune during the Revolutionary War, where it is estimated that more soldiers died of smallpox than in battle.

 Lawrence died in 1752 and his Mount Vernon estate eventually was inherited by George, making him one of the youngest and largest landowners in Virginia.

 George became vestryman in Truro Parish, and was godfather in baptism to several nephews and a niece.

From 1753-1758, George served in the French and Indian War. He was a colonel under General Edward Braddock, Commander of the British forces in America. George miraculously survived the Battle of Monongehela in 1755.Braddock was killed, leaving George in command.

 On July 18, 1755, Washington wrote from Fort Cumberland to his brother, John A. Washington: By the All- Powerful Dispensations of Providence, I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation; for I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me, yet escaped unhurt, although death was leveling my companions on every side of me!"

 Colonel Washington wrote to Fort Loudoun, April 17, 1758: "The last Assembly ... provided for a chaplain to our regiment. On this subject I had often without any success applied to Governor Dinwiddie. I now flatter myself, that your honor will be pleased to appoint a sober, serious man for this duty. Common decency, Sir, in a camp calls for the services of a divine."

 In 1759, George fell in love Martha "Patsy" Dandridge Custis, a 26 -year-old widow and mother with two children, John "Jacky" Parke Custis and Martha "Patsy" Parke Custis. Martha had inherited five plantations totaling 17,500 acres. Martha's daughter Patsy died at age 16 of an epileptic seizure in 1773, while George held her in his arms. He wrote:

"The sweet, innocent girl entered into a more happy and peaceful abode than she had met in the afflicted path she had hitherto trod." 

In 1775, after the Battle of Bunker Hill, George Washington was commissioned as the General of the Continental Army.  

He wrote to Martha, June 18, 1775: "My Dearest ... It has been determined in Congress, that the whole army raised for the defense of the American cause shall be put under my care, and that it is necessary for me to proceed immediately to Boston to take up command of it. You may believe me, my dear Patsy, when I assure you, in the most solemn manner that, so far from seeking this appointment, I have used every endeavor in my power to avoid it ... But as it has been a kind of Destiny, that has thrown me upon this service, I shall hope that my undertaking it is designed to answer some good purpose ... I shall rely, therefore, confidently on that Providence which has heretofore preserved and been bountiful to me, not doubting but that I shall return safely to you in the fall."

On July 4, 1775, General Washington ordered: "The General ... requires ... observance of those articles of war ... which forbid profane cursing, swearing and drunkenness; And ... requires ... punctual attendance of Divine Services."

 On October 2, 1775, General George Washington issued the order: "Any ... soldier who shall hereafter be detected playing at toss-up, pitch, and hustle, or any other games of chance ... shall without delay be confined and punished ...

 The General does not mean by the above to discourage sports of exercise or recreation, he only means to discountenance and punish gaming."

 On February 26, 1776, General Washington issued the orders:

 "All ... soldiers are positively forbid playing at cards and other games of chance. At this time of public distress men may find enough to do in the service of their God and their country, without abandoning themselves to vice and immorality."  

Washington acknowledged God throughout the Revolution, as he wrote on May 15, 1776: "The Continental Congress having ordered Friday the 17th instant to be observed as a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer, humbly to supplicate the mercy of Almighty God, that it would please Him to pardon all our manifold sins and transgressions, and to prosper the arms of the United Colonies, and finally establish the peace and freedom of America upon a solid and lasting foundation; the General commands all officers and soldiers to pay strict obedience to the orders of the Continental Congress; that, by their unfeigned and pious observance of their religious duties, they may incline the Lord and Giver of victory to prosper our arms."  

On July 2, 1776, from his Head Quarters in New York, General Washington issued his General Orders: "The time is now near at hand which must probably determine whether Americans are to be freemen or slaves; whether they are to have any property they can call their own;

 whether their houses and farms are to be pillaged and destroyed, and themselves consigned to a state of wretchedness from which no human efforts will deliver them. The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army. Our cruel and unrelenting enemy leaves us no choice but a brave resistance, or the most abject submission. We have, therefore to resolve to conquer or die ..." He continued: "Our own country's honor calls upon us for a vigorous and manly exertion, and if we now shamefully fail, we shall become infamous to the whole world. Let us rely upon the goodness of the cause, and the aid of the Supreme Being in whose hands victory is, to animate and encourage us to great and noble actions."

 When the Declaration of Independence was written, a copy was rushed out to Washington, who was fortifying New York City. He had it read to his troops, then ordered chaplains placed in each regiment, stating July 9, 1776: "The General hopes and trusts, that every officer and man, will endeavour so to live, and act, as becomes a Christian Soldier,defending the dearest Rights and Liberties of his country."  

At the Battle of Brandywine, September 1777, Washington and Polish Count Casimir Pulaski, Father of the American Calvary, were scouting in the woods. British sharpshooter Patrick Ferguson reportedly had Washington in his sights but refused to shoot him in the back.  

As recorded in The Writings of George Washington (March 10, 1778, 11:83-84, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1934), George Washington ordered:  "At a General Court Marshall ... Lieutt. Enslin of Colo. Malcom's Regiment tried for attempting to commit sodomy, with John Monhort a soldier...and do sentence him to be dismiss'd the service with Infamy. His Excellency the Commander-in- Chief approves the sentence and with Abhorrence and Detestation of such Infamous Crimes orders Liett. Enslin to be drummed out of Camp tomorrow morning by all the Drummers and Fifers in the Army never to return." 

General Washington wrote at Valley Forge, May 2, 1778: "To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest Glory to laud the more distinguished Character of Christian."

 To the Delaware Indian Chiefs who brought three youths to be trained in American schools, General Washington stated, May 12, 1779: "You do well to wish to learn our arts and ways of life, and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ."  

The tremendous victory at the Battle of Yorktown, October 19, 1781, securing America's independence, was personally bittersweet for Washington, as his wife's son, John Parke Custis, who had been an aide-de-camp, died there of camp fever, November 5, 1781.

 After the Battle of Yorktown, toward the end of the war, many soldiers had not been paid in years, as the Continental Congress had no power to tax. Disgruntled officers plotted a Newburgh Conspiracy to force Congress to give them back pay. This was dangerous, because a show of disunity could have persuaded British to renew fighting.  Washington surprised the conspiracy by showing up at their meeting in New York, March 15, 1783. Taking a note from his pocket, he put on reading glasses, which few had seen him wear, and read: "Gentlemen, you will permit me to put on my spectacles, for I have not only grown gray but almost blind in the service of my country ..."  Becoming aware of his personal sacrifice, officers’ hearts melted. He urged them not to open the floodgates of civil discord. With this one speech, the conspiracy collapsed.

 Major General David Cobb, who was an aide -de-camp to Washington, wrote of the Newburgh affair: "I have ever considered that the United States are indebted for their republican form of government solely to the firm and determined republicanism of George Washington at this time." 

Though never having children of his own, George agreed to adopt John Parke Custis' two young children as his own: Eleanor "Nelly" Parke Custis and George Washington Parke Custis, whose daughter, Mary Anna, married Robert E. Lee.

 When the Articles of Confederation prove inadequate for the new nation George Washington agreed to preside over the Constitutional Convention in 1787. He opened the Constitutional Convention with the line: “The event is in the hand of God."

In 1789, he was sworn in as the first President of the United States.

President Washington thanked God for the Constitution, October 3, 1789: "Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the Providence of Almighty God ... I do recommend ... rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks, for ... the favorable interpositions of His Providence ... we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war ... for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government."

 On August 15, 1787, in a letter from Philadelphia to the Marquis de Lafayette, Washington wrote: "I am not less ardent in my wish that you may succeed in your plan of toleration in religious matters.

 Being no bigot myself to any mode of worship, I am disposed to indulge the professors of Christianity in the church with that road to Heaven which to them shall seem the most direct, plainest and easiest, and the least liable to exception."  

Washington sent a letters to the Jewish Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island, and in Savannah, Georgia, stating: "May the same wonder-working Deity, who long since delivered the Hebrews from their Egyptian oppressors, planted them in a promised land, whose providential agency has lately been conspicuous in establishing these United States as an independent nation, still continue to water them with the dews of heaven." 

In 1794, during the Whiskey Rebellion, Washington became the only sitting President, as Commander-in-Chief, to lead the United States Army into the field. The insurrection dissolved and Washington forgave the insurrectionists. This was in sharp contrast to the harsh behavior of European kings.

 Washington chose only to served two terms as President, leaving an example which every succeeding President follow till Franklin Roosevelt, necessitating the 22nd Amendment.

 Twice Washington had supreme power, -- as the General who defeated the most powerful army in the world, and as President who could have served for life; and twice he gave it up.

 As the early country took shape, partisan politics became increasingly vicious, with Washington even being the victim of ungracious attacks. He warned how ambitious politicians would be tempted to use crises as opportunities to usurp power.

 In his Farewell Address, 1796, Washington warned of those who would usurp power and rule through executive orders: "Disorders and miseries, which result, gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an Individual ... (who) turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of Public Liberty ... The spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments in one, and thus to create, whatever the form of government, a real despotism ... Let there be no change by usurpation; for though this, in one instance, may be the instrument of good, it is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed. The precedent (of usurpation) must always greatly overbalance in permanent evil any partial or transient benefit which the use can at any time yield."  

Earlier, in 1783, the American-born painter Benjamin West was in England painting the portrait of King George III. When the King asked what General Washington planned to do now that he had won the war. West replied: "They say he will return to his farm." King George exclaimed: "If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world."

 Poet Robert Frost once wrote: "I often say of George Washington that he was one of the few men in the whole history of the world who was not carried away by power."  

Charles Francis Adams, the grandson of John Adams, wrote: "More than all, and above all, Washington was master of himself. If there be one quality more than another in his character which may exercise a useful control over the men of the present hour, it is the total disregard of self when in the most elevated positions for influence and example."

 Washington continually had toothaches. By the time of his Inauguration, he had only one tooth. Several dentists made make-shift dentures for him. Washington had slaves from inheritance, marriage, and purchase, as did almost half of the founders. As the influence of Baptists, Methodists and Quakers spread, many founders abandoned slavery --   similar to today, how more and more pro-abortion supporters are becoming pro-life.  

Washington freed his mulatto man William: And to my Mulatto man William (calling himself William Lee) I give immediate freedom ... I allow him an annuity of thirty dollars during his natural life … & this I give him as a testimony of my sense of his attachment to me, and for his faithful services during the Revolutionary War." In his Will, Washington freed the rest of his slaves upon his wife Martha's death. Martha freed them the year after Washington died. In his Will, George also made provision that elderly and sick slaves were to be supported by his estate in perpetuity.  

On May 10, 1786, George Washington wrote from to Marquis de Lafayette: "Your late purchase of an estate in the colony of Cayenne, with a view of emancipating the slaves on it, is a generous and noble proof of your humanity … "Would to God a like spirit would diffuse itself generally into the minds of the people of this country."

George Washington added a warning in his Farewell Address,1796: "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness.”

"Of all the dispositions

and habits which lead to

political prosperity,

Religion and Morality are

indispensable supports.

In vain would that man claim the tribute of

Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great

Pillars of human happiness."

Source: WIlliam Federer of American Minute is a registered trademark of William J. Federer. Permission is granted to forward, reprint, or duplicate, with acknowledgment. www.AmericanMinute.com

Presidents Day - 250 Years of Excellence!

250 Years! What Can You Do?

Presidents’ Day is a good moment to pause and remember that this country didn’t begin as an idea on paper! It began with people who loved something more than comfort, who believed liberty was worth sacrifice, and who put their names on a cause they couldn’t take back.

This year carries extra weight. Our 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Between now and July 4, we have a real opportunity to reconnect our homes and communities with the principles that made America possible in the first place.

The best preparation is often the most ordinary kind—small, steady, and done on purpose.

Start preparing and make the celebration more meaningful:

Do one small thing each week until July 4. Read a short Founder story, share a quote at dinner, watch a brief video and talk about it for five minutes with family or friends.

Share one quote at dinner each week. Pick a character trait or principle and ask, “How could we practice it this week?”

Start a monthly “Founding Night.” Do it with your family, or invite friends over. Read a section of the Declaration together and discuss what stands out.

Host a small group conversation. Read a Founder story. Start the short discussion around their life and character then talk about what it teaches about liberty, responsibility, and self-government. Even just ONE one meaningful conversation can plant a seed that lasts a lifetime!

MAGA HUMAN MOON ORBIT - NASA IS BAAAACK!

Artemis II Mission On the Orion Spacecraft!

WE MAINTAIN A STRONG AMERICA WHEN A MAN LIKE POTUS TRUMP IS ELECTED AS OUR PRESIDENT!

A Trip Around the Moon? By James Roguski

NASA’s Artemis II mission is scheduled to send four astronauts around the Moon and back, with a target launch date as early as February 6, 2026.

James Roguski is a internationally recognized MAHA health and wellness activist, independent investigative journalist, prolific expose’ reporter on the WHO. Author / Freedom Fighter!

James Roguski has an excellent presentation on his Substack pulling togehter the most important data for the Artemis II Mission on the NASA Orion Spacecraft. The entire crew bio, videos and the amazing space launch reference guide all together where you can study the NASA’s Artemis II mission which is currently scheduled to send four astronauts around the Moon and back, with a target launch date as early as February 6, 2026.

Find out more on his substack! Only with President TRUMP at the helm of MAGA would we every hope see this happen! This 10-day, crewed mission will be the first to fly around the Moon since 1972, serving as a critical test for future lunar landings.

An extensive collection of over two dozen videos are listed for your interest. Please head to James Robuskis Substack and watch as many of the videos as you can.

Read more about the Mission objective and Orios spacecraft overview at James Roguskis Substack.

• Mission Goals and Objectvies

• Trajectory

• Launch Vehicle

Click HERE for the full website presentation with multiple videos on this mission.

References: https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/space-launch-system/reference-guide/

Do you enjoy reading about POTUS TRUMP’s MAGA success? ANOTHER GREAT REASON TO GET INVOLVED TO WIN OUR 2026 MIDTERMS! WE MUST MAINTAIN THE HOUSE AND SENATE OR WE LOSE OUR COUNTRY AND OUR ENTIRE MAGA POLICIES WILL COME TO A HALT!

UC Berkeley Republicans Honor Martyred TPUSA Charlie Kirk - FUN Mary First Hand Account!

One of our very own long standing TVR members, beloved Mary Lynn Pelican aka “FUN MARY” who serves as or official TVR Digital Newsletter/Event, club photographer bravely attended the TPUSA UC/CAL Berkeley Republicans event along with her twin sister, to hear excellent speakers carry on the legacy of TPUSA Founder and Martyr Charlie Kirk.

At 12:00noon, protests were just beginning in Sproul Plaza, a central area on campus, Lower Sproul Plaza, the area in front of Zellerbach Hall, was barricaded by law enforcement. Protestors and police surrounded campus buildings which had to close by 12:45 p.m. Fights begin to break out and eventually Mary and her sis, were seperated! Unbeknownst to FUN Mary her sis was seated inside the event as she thought Fun Mary got inside too! At 6:30 speaker line-ups started inside with the crowd patriotically cheering for America USA! USA! TPUSA style! Comedian/Charlie Kirks friend, Jabob Taeleifi, Pastor and Mentor Frank Turek, Comedian Rob Schneider, were all ready for this memorial and to celebrate and carry on FREEDOM OF SPEECH IN THE NAME OF CHARLIE KIRK! John Paul Leon, UC Berkeley’s Turning Point USA chapter president, stated: “When a bullet soared through the air, an assassin took the life of a courageous man… He continued “The sad truth is, the left are not your friends. They will mock and dehumanize you just so they can laugh at your corpse … To all those protesters outside, I have one thing to say: It is clear to us which side is winning when your side becomes the violent agitators.” Taeleifi, Leon and Turek all focused on the life of Martyred Charlie fighting for freedom. Stating to a packed house: “There is an attack on Western civilization and the United States is the last bastion of hope,” Schneider said. “As Charlie Kirk said, if you do not assimilate, it is an invasion, and that is what we’re experiencing.”

Now alone, Fun Mary decked out in patriotic apparel, was acousted and hit by UC Berkeley Antifa Terrorists, but she remained strong standing for her rights in the face of adversity! Our very best to you Mary! May we all have your courage to stand and defend FREEDOM!

Videos HERE HERE HERE: On November 10, 2025, UC Berkeley hosted the final stop of Turning Point USA’s American Comeback Tour.

We Are Charlie Kirk...

Our Thoughts and Prayers for

Charlie Kirk and TPUSA Family…

Martyred Not Murdered!

Press Release, Mindy Pechenuk, candidate for Oakland Mayor 2026 July 10, 2026

VOLUNTEER FOR TVR’S MINDY PECHENUK! CONTACT INFORMATION: Gerald Pechenuk, cities12345678@gmail.com

Press Release, Mindy Pechenuk, candidate for Oakland Mayor 2026

July 10, 2026
As a candidate for Oakland Mayor 2026, I am issuing what many may consider an unusual press release today to bring the citizens of Oakland,  as well as all of our elected officials, a report on some extraordinary developments nationally over the past few days. I believe these developments warrant everyone's attention. I am asking everyone to think about who really destroyed Oakland? Who really has been in charge of Oakland since the assassination of President Kennedy?  Who really created the policies that turned Oakland from a great productive safe city many generations ago into the hell we all know today? 

Since Mayor Barbara Lee has been politically active during these last decades, I recommend that she pay close attention to what I will report here.  

Remember Mayor Barbara Lee was a big supporter of the Biden-Harris ticket and is close to the George Soros networks, of whom one is now her " chief of staff".  

We now have a moment to end the reign of terror  of the 'deep state' nationally and their "progressive Democratic" puppets here in Oakland.

Below, I highlight critical developments that President Trump and his administration have recently been doing to dismantle the "deep state" apparatus.  Unfortunately the media institutions are not telling Oaklanders the full truth. I believe that if my fellow Oaklanders knew the truth, they would embrace it, which is why I will be following this press release with more truths as things develop in the near future. . 

1. Transparency in National Security: Recent disclosures reveal that, for the first time since President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, the CIA has acknowledged that an officer involved in psychological warfare had contact with Lee Harvey Oswald before the Dallas tragedy. This admission, part of newly released documents under the JFK Records Act, raises questions about historical transparency and accountability in our institutions, which impacts public trust at all levels of government.

2. Leadership Accountability: Concerns about former President Joe Biden’s cognitive health during his 2021-2025 term have been amplified by reports that his physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, has declined to testify to Congress  on the matter. These allegations, while unproven, highlight the need for transparency in leadership, a principle I will uphold as Oakland’s mayor to ensure our city’s leaders are accountable to you.

3. Foreign Influence and National Policy: Congressional investigations are examining claims that the Steele Dossier, linked to former President Barack Obama’s administration, were used to disrupt U.S.-Russia relations, potentially helping to ignite  global conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war. While these investigations are ongoing, they remind us of the need for honest governance free from external manipulation, a standard I will champion in Oakland.

4. Community Safety and Protests: Investigations into billionaire Neville Roy Singham’s alleged funding of groups like the Party for Socialism and Liberation raise concerns about external influences on protests, including anti-ICE and pro-Palestinian demonstrations in cities like Oakland and Los Angeles. As mayor, I will prioritize dialogue and safety, ensuring Oakland remains a place where free expression thrives without compromising public order.

These developments call for a new direction. As your mayor, I, Mindy Pechenuk, will work with principled leaders, including President Trump and his administration, to rebuild Oakland as a safe, vibrant, and thriving city. 
Join me in creating a future we can all be proud of! Let us unite, this is not about political parties, but this is what is good for ALL Oaklanders!

Join with me in rebuilding Oakland, as a great thriving city  it once was and can be again. 

Let us give our children, and our children's children, a future that we all can be proud to be part of for all future generations.  

Media Contact: Gerald Pechenuk, cities12345678@gmail.comFPPC # 1480943

California Water Problems!

Submitted by Phyllis Couper

Here find comments on the California’s water problems by Edward Ring, Director of the Energy and Water Policy, with the California Policy Center. 

It seems the concept of abundance is the latest buzzword for fixing California’s water problems.

Edward Ring: “The concept of “abundance”.   California is now home to “The Abundance Network,” with chapters in San Francisco, Oakland, and Santa Monica. Earlier this year, Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson co-authored the book “Abundance,” which became an instant best seller. With a focus on water projects and water policy, here are a few of the principles that might govern an abundance movement that is serious about outcomes.

• Abundant water is feasible and sustainable,

• Reasonable environmentalism is compatible with abundance,

• An all-of-the-above approach to water supply projects ensures resilience,

• State and federal funds, along with private sector funds, are needed to upgrade and expand water supply infrastructure; the local rate base is not enough,

• To win politically, urban and rural water interests must unite behind a common policy and project agenda.

It’s too soon to tell what the abundance movement will accomplish. Much of its momentum comes from YIMBY developers who are specifically focused on infill. But in their book, Klein and Thompson ask a lot of good questions and expose the paralysis that grips any project, especially in California. And at least Governor Newsom is saying some of the things we need to hear as a first step toward change.”

California Globe, June 26, 2025

Phyllis Couper

Why Voter ID?

By Phyllis Couper

VOTING: WHERE’S THE TRUST? WHERE’S THE DIGNITY? WHERE’S THE INTEGRITY? ANSWER: RESTING ON THE SUCCESS OF THE VOTER ID INITIATIVE, A HISTORIC, GAME CHANGING FIGHT TO SAVE OUR STATE!

How many more elections must Californian’s endure under this current Supermajority government? How many more taxes and regulations must Californian’s endure under this Supermajority government?

If we do not take action where action is needed, we can expect many more crushing dictates, like the recent 26 cent tax added at the gasoline pump. We can expect our roads and bridges to continue to deteriorate. We can expect our water issues to remain unresolved. We will continue to have an unbalance of power with the Supermajority state government that seems to have no interest in these issues. Voter ID is not a sinister, secret plot of some kind. It is an open, honest form of voting-a step toward placing conservative candidates in office. Voter ID is one huge way of up-righting the California voting system and possibly elect a government that actually works for the people. Action will bring change for the better. We Californian’s can make this change if we support this Initiative.

The Voter ID Initiative is calling for just two things 1) verification of voter ID for any ballot counted 2) verification of citizenship for anyone registering to vote.

This simple two-step process, if voted into law, is a common-sense approach to fixing some of the problems in California’s elections. The challenge is this: we must collect over 1 million signatures to place the CA Election Integrity with Voter ID Initiative on the ballot.

If we can reach a 20% response rate and those that respond produce an average of 2.5 signatures each, these mailers will net HALF of the 1 million signatures we need to force CA Voter ID on the ballot!

In 30 days from June 19th, CA State Rep. Carl DeMaio and others in his coalition will officially file the CA Voter ID Initiative with the Secretary of State! Four important tasks need your help:

TASK 1: Contribute — Matching Funds Are on the Line
We need to raise $350k before July 16 – and we MUST hit this goal to get our coalition partners to step up with MATCHING FUNDS.
>> CONTRIBUTE to the CA Voter ID Campaign

TASK 2: Volunteer to Collect Signatures for Voter ID
We still need roughly 2000 more volunteers statewide – can you be one of them?
>>VOLUNTEER: Commit to Help Collect Signatures

TASK 3: Get 5 Friends to Request the Petition
Everyone who signs up online will be mailed an official petition package when signature gathering begins.
>> SIGN to Request Voter ID Petition By Mail

TASK 4: Help Us Compile Mailers with Petitions
If you're located in Southern California, we need volunteers to help right now with our 1 million hand-addressed Voter ID mailers. Simply pick up a mailing kit to complete at home and return once finished.

Escondido HQ: 1320 W Valley Pkwy #304, Escondido, CA 92029 (10am-3pm)
San Diego HQ: 3435 Camino del Rio S #114, San Diego, CA 92108 (10am-3pm)
Orange County HQ: 1422 Edinger Ave, Suite 110, Tustin, CA 92780 (10am-3pm)
Riverside HQ: 73760 El Paseo, Palm Desert, CA 92260 (10am-3pm)

Phyllis Couper, of Pleasanton CA, is a Op-Ed Writer / Blogger and Commentator. Phyllis Couper is the First Vice President of Tri-Valley Republicans. Phyllis and husband Rennie are longstanding residents and former small business owners in Pleasanton, CA where they raised their family. Phyllis can be reached at coupclan1962@gmail.com.

A Father's Day! "America needs heroes on the battlefield of everyday life" -U.S. Senate Chaplain Peter Marshall

American Minute with Bill Federer

U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Center for Disease Control, and other agencies report that children from fatherless homes are:

• Five times more likely to live in poverty;

• Nine times more likely to drop out of school;

• Twenty times more likely to go to in prison;

• Higher risk of drug and alcohol abuse;

• Increased incidents of internalized and externalized aggressive behavioral problems;

• Greater chance of runaways and homelessness;

• Twice as likely to commit suicide ...

• Read full article click HERE

Big Win for 2A In Alameda County! Now is the Time to Apply for CCW!

For anyone who likes to say Kommiefornia is totally lost, think again… As represented in the latest results of the CRPA’s effots with the CCW Reckoning Project, we have representation in Alameda County and with CRPA, we take the wins and we fight the losses, showing further that we can never lay down our arms and give up. So please get involved with 2a organizations like the CRPA and NRA and remember… now is the time to start the process to apply for your Concealed Carry Weapon permit (CCW) here in Alameda County, CA! https://alamedaca.permitium.com/ccw/start.

From the online article:

Big Win In Alameda County For CCW Reckoning Project

January 29, 2025

CRPA’s CCW Reckoning Project, launched in the wake of the Bruen decision just secured a big win in Alameda County, ensuring that current CCW holders were not treated as first-time applicants under a new policy floated by the County Sheriff’s Department.

Last month, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department announced that CCW permit holders who live in several cities within Alameda County would need to renew their permits with the local police departments in those cities, instead of with the Sheriff’s Department. Unfortunately, most of the cities announced that they would treat such renewals as first-time applicants, meaning individuals who already have CCW permits would have to bear the larger expense, wait times, livescan, and costly psych exam all over again as if they had never had a CCW permit before.

CRPA wrote those cities a letter arguing that they should reverse course and treat these applicants as renewal applicants. After a discussion with these city police departments following our letter, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department will continue to process CCW permit renewals for anyone who already had a permit originally issued through them. Only first-time applicants will need to go through their local city police departments, if they live in one of the following cities: Emeryville, Piedmont, San Leandro, Pleasanton, Albany, Hayward, Fremont, Livermore, and Union City.

FIRE… FIRE… FIRE!!!

By Mindy Pechenuk, Oakland Mayoral Candidate

"First to File, First to Lead" 

It is outrageous that the Oakland City Council closed two Oakland fire stations in order to balance the budget. In my book this is putting our citizens in danger and many could die. Do these council members want the death of Oaklanders on their hands?

Right now, fires are raging in Southern California in three locations. Millions of lives are threatened, homes, business and other property destroyed. Yet, our Oakland City Council shuts down our fire stations! 

As reported Seth Olyer, Vice President of Fire Fighters IAF Local 55 said about the closures " Anywhere between thirty seconds and sixty seconds, a fire doubles in size". 

"Be aware that you'll be waiting a very long time for help regardless of your emergency. You will not have a fire engine at your doorstep in 4 minutes like you would've just yesterday. You will not quickly have paramedics to help you or your family and what could've been a small blaze or a small fire near your house will become a conflagration, leaving tragedy in its wake," he also said. https://www.yahoo.com/news/oakland-could-soon-7-fire-144758908.html

I say no more gambling with our fellow Oaklanders lives!

I will not stand by and let this go. I will do whatever it takes and all of us must join together, human life comes first.  This is why I am running for Mayor, we must never cut our fire and our police. Oakland has been mismanaged for too long and I will always put Oaklanders first, and get rid of the debt burden on our backs and grow the real productive economy.

Barbara Lee helped to destroy Oakland, look at our streets with trash, homelessness, prostitution.

Do you want more fires, more cuts, more death?

I am the first candidate for Mayor to file my petitions. First to file, first to lead. Oaklanders come first. Time for a change. 

Mindy Pechenuk

Member, Tri-Valley Republicans and Candidate for Oakland Mayor 2025

 FPPC # 1477156 www.electmindy.com

Media Contact: Gerald Pechenuk, cities12345678@gmail.com