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I love stories about people who are doing their own little thing to help the troops. Soldiers' Angels is a group that sews together blankets for wounded soldiers. They need more people to sew. Others coordinate the donation of airline frequent-flier miles to help families get to injured loved ones in a hurry.

Logging on to AnySoldier.com is a quick and easy way to send care packages to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. This organization, TreatAnySoldier.com, was started by a military mom.

There is also another program that allows donors to purchase calling cards for people in the service.  

The VFW also has Operation Uplink, a prepaid-calling-card project, too. 

Memorial and Casualty File Lists Online

USMemorialDay.org

The Washington Post's Faces of the Fallen page is remarkable. View every American serviceperson who has died in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. You can sort by state and city.  

The Origin of "Taps"

There are some Internet myths going around. This source is more reliable. 

Grill Safety

If there is an "official" start of the outdoor grilling season, I suppose it is today.

The Erie Indemnity Web site claims "each year, about 17 people die as the result of CO fumes from charcoal being burned indoors or in a poorly ventilated area." (The Consumer Product Safety Ccouncil says that charcoal fumes also send 400 people to emergency rooms each year.)

The site also says that each year 600 fires/explosions occur with gas grills. Many of these happen the first time a grill is ignited for the season or after the grill’s gas container is refilled and reattached ( in some cases, that, my friends, would be today). 

With that, I give you the Consumer Product Safety Commission's safe-grilling tips: 

Liquid petroleum (LP) gas or propane, used in gas grills, is highly flammable. Each year about 30 people are injured as a result of gas grill fires and explosions. Many of these fires and explosions occur when consumers first use a grill that has been left idle for a period of time or just after refilling and reattaching the grill's gas container. To reduce the risk of fire or explosion, consumers should routinely perform the following safety checks:

• Check the tubes that lead into the burner for any blockage from insects, spiders, or food grease. Use a pipe cleaner or wire to clear blockage and push it through to the main part of the burner.
• Check grill hoses for cracking, brittleness, holes, and leaks. Make sure there are no sharp bends in the hose or tubing.
• Move gas hoses as far away as possible from hot surfaces and dripping hot grease. If you can't move the hoses, install a heat shield to protect them.
• Replace scratched or nicked connectors, which can eventually leak gas.
• Check for gas leaks, following the manufacturer's instructions, if you smell gas or when you reconnect the grill to the LP gas container. If you detect a leak, immediately turn off the gas and don't attempt to light the grill until the leak is fixed.
• Keep lighted cigarettes, matches, or open flames away from a leaking grill.
• Never use a grill indoors. Use the grill at least 10 feet away from your house or any building. Do not use the grill in a garage, breezeway, carport, porch or under a surface that can catch fire.
• Do not attempt to repair the tank valve or the appliance yourself. See an LP gas dealer or a qualified appliance repair person.
• Always follow the manufacturer's instructions that accompany the grill.

I am frankly surprised that the numbers of injures are so low. Only 30 people are injured each year?!

The Insurance Institute uses different statistics; backyard grilling accidents result in more than 2,000 fires, 300 grill-related injuries and 30 or more deaths in the United States each year.

A heck of a lot more people will get sick from eating spoiled food at cookouts today. The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers some suggestions.

Golf Injuries

I suppose another big thing besides boating that happens today is people play golf. I was surprised by this last week:

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were more than 102,000 golf-related injuries treated in doctors' offices, clinics and emergency rooms in 2004, which incurred a total cost of approximately $2.5 billion in medical, work-loss, pain and suffering, and legal costs. Golfers most often suffer from hand tenderness or numbness; shoulder, back and knee pain; golfer's elbow; and wrist injuries, such as tendonitis or carpal tunnel syndrome.