Hi, My name is Nicole Citro and I
am the creator of the Green Ribbons for the F35.
Thank you so much for coming here
today to not only show your support for the basing of the F35 in VT but also to
say Thank You to our Green Mountain Boys. This is awesome. I know
all of us have been looking for the opportunity to show how significant our
support is. I know we have all been
frustrated by how much attention the opponents always receive, but you have to
remember, even though their antics may make A story…it is not THE story. THIS is the real story, this is the truth…all
of you here today showing not only that this community resoundingly supports
their Green Mountain Boys, but also this community wants the F35 for Vermont.
I knew when I tied a green ribbon
on my front porch last summer and launched the Green Ribbon campaign that the
silent majority needed a voice. I wanted
to give all of us who would never pick up a protest sign or march on a
Senator’s office a way to show our numbers were mightier than theirs. And one green
ribbon at a time you have responded. I
remember the first time I was driving down the street and saw a green ribbon
tied to a mailbox. I had not put it there. And it was in front of a home of
someone I did not know…I almost cried I was so happy. I realized then that you were embracing this
green ribbon idea, and you wanted to be heard too. Since July, I have personally cut and
distributed over 2,000 ribbons (and have hugged more trees than I care to count
tying up some of those ribbons) As of today, 2,700 Green ribbon decals have
been purchased. Over 1,300 followers on Facebook. And there have been numerous
times where a post of a F35 Fact or really cool picture of a F35 on our
Facebook page has reached over 30,000 people. This is not the kind of support
that can be denied. I cannot thank you
enough for helping me take the Green Ribbons for the F35 campaign to where it
is today. Another very important reason
I started this campaign was for the members of the Air Guard. It was very upsetting to me to think that all
the negativity surrounding this basing possibility was letting you believe for
one minute you were not being appreciated by the residents of this state. This
notion was unacceptable. I wanted this campaign to send you a special message,
that when you drove down the street and saw a green ribbon tied to a mailbox,
you would know…that your community, the people you work so hard to protect and sacrifice so much
for, are here for you, we are behind you. Actually….We’ve got your 6.
And so does our congressional
delegation, and our governor….and the mayor. We thank them for holding firm and
expressing the wishes of the majority of their constituents. Every one of us agrees this new jet is right
for the Guard and right for this community. We have all heard the rhetoric but
we will not fall victim to the
hype. We exercise our common sense. We
know our property values will not plummet.
They haven’t in the past and they will not in the future. And we know that 6 minutes a day 4 days a
week will not have adverse effects on our health. This base has been here for over 60
years. We trust our good neighbor, the
Vermont Air National Guard, we know when they are awarded this new jet they
will continue to balance our needs with what is necessary to keep up safe.
And that is why it is so
frustrating that there is a group of people do not appreciate what our military
does for us. They live in an existence
of denial about the realities of the world we live in post 911. They do not want to allow for our defense to
be strong against enemies who detest us just because we are Americans. Before
that September morning, none of us could have imagined a scenario where evil
would invade us on our soil and strike us at our heart. On that day the fear and uncertainty was unlike
anything we had experienced before. Our
Nation was under attack and the threat was unknown. But the brave men and women
of the 158th fighter wing did not hesitate for a milli-second to put in place
all that they had trained and prepared for.
And in those days after the Twin Towers fell, when the skies were void
of airline traffic, the only sound we did hear were the F16’s coming and going
from their patrols over the east coast. I remember how comforting it was to
hear those jets, how anyone can describe that sound now as annoying or
hurtful…I don’t understand…that is the sound that makes us feel safe, that is
the sound that confirms for us we are being protected, that is the sound of our
freedom. We must make sure our Air Guard
has the equipment necessary to defend us and we must never forget.
It amazes me that there are those who do not realize what an
incredible base we have in our midst. The Vermont Air National Guard is a preferred
location for the F35!! You have worked so hard to achieve this level of
consideration. We are so proud of you. This is the mission you have prepared for and
you deserve this. This is your time….the
F35 belongs with the 158th Fighter wing!!
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