For Amy's first trip back in time she and the Doctor are greeted by a chaotic world in the midst of WWII. The TARDIS lands in the Cabinet War Rooms during the London Blitz and Winston Churchill is there ready and waiting for the Doctor's help.
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| "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." --Winston Churchill |
The Doctor quickly notices that the highly acclaimed new "Ironsides" are not of this world--in fact, they're Daleks. As the story unfolds, the best pilots are sent into space to destroy the Dalek ship, London is lit up like a Christmas tree and the Germans begin their attack, and the Doctor is forced to let the Daleks go in order to save the Earth.
As companions often do in Doctor Who, Amy carries the emotional and human thread of the plot. She connects to both the office girl whose boyfriend dies during the German attack as well as Professor Bracewell, who turns out to be an android created from a human by the Daleks. Amy is able to save Bracewell's life by connecting to his raw emotion of love and hope, enabling him to regain his humanity.
Imagine Bracewell's pain when he realized he was no longer a human being. At the end of the episode he's certain that the Doctor will "deactivate" him, and he even offers to kill himself, believing that his humanity has been stripped from him and therefore he is a risk to others. The Doctor and Amy stop him and offer the emotional support he needs to encourage him to go seek out the woman he loved and left behind, Dorabella, and to live out his life as a human as peacefully as he can.Today the U.S. has an active military fighting in several operations overseas. Families are separated for months and years and suffer losses and sacrifices of all types. But that's not the only heartbreaking part. Soldiers may experience post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, various paralysis or damaged nerves, loss of limb, and other injuries during duty. When they reenter their civilian lives the readjustment is difficult and many veterans develop mental health problems.
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| "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." --Winston Churchill |
There are plenty of programs and organizations to help military personnel and their families struggling with their new realities, but many are severely underfunded. As a Giveback, consider making a monetary donation to your local VA hospital, American Legion, National Military Family Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars, or The Soldier Project, which provides free private mental health care to soldiers and their families before, during, and after service. Volunteering at a local VA hospital can also be a very meaningful Giveback. The Dept. of Veteran Affairs suggests contacting your VA hospital directly to learn about their current needs.
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| What? No, Team River Runner doesn't kayak on this River. |
Team River Runner is a growing non-profit organization that offers adaptive kayaking to active military and veterans who have been injured. It offers a fun, unique way to improve health and strength while enjoying nature and possibly a little friendly competition. They are always looking for donations and volunteers--and not just kayakers!
Some ways to help soldiers on active duty include donating your cell phone to Cellphones for Soldiers and sending books through Books for Soldiers. Operation Shoebox is an organization that sends care packages to troops and wounded soldiers as well as toys and games for the troops to connect with and help the children in the regions they're on duty.
Helpful Links:
Donate Money:
- http://www.militaryfamily.org/get-involved/donate/
- http://www.volunteer.va.gov/apps/VolunteerNow/
- http://www.thesoldiersproject.org/how-to-help/
- http://www.legion.org/donate
- http://www.vfw.org/Contribute/
Volunteer:
Donate Goods:
- http://www.operationshoebox.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12&Itemid=16
- http://booksforsoldiers.com/index.php
- http://www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com/
Team River Runner:
DISCLAIMER: I am not affiliated with any of these organizations nor can I attest for their accreditation. The photos I have used are not mine and I assume are licensed to the BBC. I am not profiting in any way from this blog, and all photos are used to solely to make the pages more visually exciting while reading. If you are a photo owner or part of these organizations and wish for me to take down photos or links, just let me know and I will do so promptly.
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