55 posts tagged “troop support”
This is a package going to a Soldier on his third deployment to Afghanistan (second deployment for me to send him a little love) who will be getting out of the Army to go to college. HOOAH!
I figured the last box should have something a little special on it. And I'm sure he'll get some razzing but probably not as much as he got when I sent him this. Interestingly (or disturbing) enough I get requests for this now. Is that a good reputation to have?
UPDATED with additional photo and information
Forgive me for taking so long to write this post. Your response was HUGE and SWIFT. Great Americans - ALL of you.
The photo is from my friend Donna of Defenders of Freedom based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Donna, like many of you, learned about one of the Soldiers emailing home that they felt like no one back here "gives a shit" about them. Well, they'll soon know (if they don't already) that just isn't so! Along with the above photo, Donna and many other groups and individuals around the DFW area are sending photos much like the one above inside care packages to the 3-61 CAV Soldiers. HOOAH Donna!
UPDATE: The above photo was submitted by (and will have several copies printed and mailed to the Soldiers) the employees of n-Space. For all of you gamers out there you should go check out their website! I've been speaking with a lady in their HR department and I think they are going to help out in a big way on a project mentioned at the bottom of this post. Stay tuned! In case you can't read what they are holding up they are signs with the American flag that say either "n-Space Gives A Shit" or "We Give a Shit". HOOAH to n-Space!
Working together you all donated more than the Soldiers needed to get back on their feet. HOOAH to you all! Bob Connolly is in direct contact with the 1SG, CPT and CSM of 3-61 CAV. He has shipped all of the items they have requested and is holding on to a few "extra" items (mostly socks and toiletries which they will be able to use with so much time left in their deployment) until he gets the "go ahead" from them to ship. They are very limited on space and man power right now so they requested that the extra items be held for a few weeks.
I also want to thank all of you who shipped direct for letting us know what you were sending. That allowed us to make sure the men were covered but that it wasn't excessive - again due to space and manpower over there. I have completed a spreadsheet that I will forward to the unit leaders in Afghanistan as well as to their Rear Detachment showing all of the great Americans that came forward to work with us on this project. I know there were many others who worked through other channels or as individuals. There is no doubt those Soldiers are already feeling the love and will continue to feel it for some time.
I want to send a very special thank you out to the Gold Star and Blue Star families and to the Wounded and Active Duty personnel AROUND THE GLOBE who emailed wanting to know how they could help. I was more than touched by the emails each of you sent. There just aren't words enough to express how much all of you mean to me and to this nation.
Now I'll share a few emails with you from various members of the 3-61 CAV family:
From emails received from the Brigade Commander's wife:
I wish there were other words I could use to express our deep gratitude. I'll have to just keep saying THANK YOU!
Thank you! I have searched for stronger words to express our gratefulness, but I can’t seem to find any. Suffice it to say, we are overwhelmed by your support of our Soldiers and truly humbled as we realize how many strong Americans have rallied around the boys when they needed it most.
Thank you. Thank you.
From The Squadron/Brigade Commander's wife:
I am writing to say thank you for everything you have organized in the past week. I am truly awestruck by the scope of what you have accomplished along with Bob Connolly, and I guess I just wanted to say "thank you" on behalf of the families of those soldiers of Black Knight troop to all of those who have joined in your project. While the soldiers get the care packages, the families get to see that their husbands/sons/brothers are not forgotton and enjoy huge support for what they do.
From an email to Bob Connolly from B Troop's 1SG:
I thank you all for the support and for those who are going out of their way to donate God bless you and let everyone there know that we appreciate everything.
Bob and I want to add our "Thank You" to all of you who came together so quickly and so generously to make this happen. There wasn't one item on our "wish" list that wasn't filled thanks to those of you who either donated actual items or made cash donations for the items we needed to purchase.
I will be adding a couple of photos to this once I find them.
And don't forget to check out the American Legion's blog The Burn Pit (be sure to scroll down) to see the incredible things they are doing as well. Click here to get the most recent update but I'm told there will be an even more up to date post in the next day or two.
There is one more project I want to assist with for the Brigade. I'll be posting about that in the near future. It is very near and dear to my heart.
From defenselink.mil
Company Goes Extra Mile for Military Employees
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 26, 2009 – Waking up for work rarely ranks high on people’s “favorites” lists, but John Sookikian said he is perfectly happy to be in the minority.
Sookikian, a first sergeant in the Army Reserve, works for Consolidated Electrical Distributors Inc., one of 15 recipients of the 2009 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.
The award recognizes public and private employers for going above and beyond what’s required by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve manages the award program.
“The company is just fantastic,” Sookikian said. “I love getting up in the morning and coming to work, because I know I work with [great] people.”
In the seven years he’s worked for Consolidated Electrical Distributors, Sookikian has been deployed for an accumulated total of about four years. And each time, he said, the response has been the same.
“They didn’t even blink an eye,” he said. “In 2003, I deployed and actually only had 15 minutes to notify my manager. He [had] no issues, just ‘Go do what you’ve got to do.’”
Within six months of returning from that deployment, Sookikian deployed again. He was to be gone a year, but Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, then a lieutenant general in charge of training Iraqi security forces, needed him to stay longer.
“General Petraeus asked if I could stay another six months, which I did,” he said. “When I finished with that six months, I was ready to come home, and they asked me to do another mission [and] extended me for another six months.”
Upon his return, he requested a transfer from Consolidated Electrical’s branch in Columbia, S.C., to the one in Charleston to be closer to his two sons.
It was a mere six months before Uncle Sam requested his services again.
“I got deployed again for another 18 months, and again, they didn’t blink an eye,” Sookikian said.
In fact, his co-workers helped to collect 20 boxes of toys and clothing to support a program he had set up to benefit the children of Iraq, where he had served during each deployment.
Consolidated Electrical Distributors, with nearly 1,000 branches worldwide, took care of Sookikian’s fellow soldiers as well.
“They made sure that my soldiers had goodies and coffee,” he said. “Every two weeks, they would send 10 pounds of coffee.
“It was actually pretty cool, because the manager here in Charleston was just doing it on his own,” Sookikian added. “Then the district manager found out that he was doing it, and he made him start expensing it so that the company would pay for the coffee and the goodies.”
And despite his protests that he didn’t deserve them, Sookikian received profit-sharing checks while he was deployed.
Management also maintained contact with the citizen-soldier’s family during the deployments. “Even the president of the company, who’s never met me … always [asks], ‘So, how’s John doing?’”
All of this is on top of benefits that are more common these days, but no less important. For instance, the company provides full pay and benefits while the employee is deployed.
“It makes it really, really, really easy to be loyal to them,” Sookikian said.
He was in Wisconsin on military-related business when he got the call from his supervisor, Mike Goss, telling him the company had been selected for the award.
Sookikian was thrilled, as was Goss, though the latter admittedly was a bit shocked.
“I was aware our company had made the ‘short list’ of the final 30 companies in June,” Goss said. “When I got the call, … I was quite surprised. The notification that we were selected made me feel quite proud and honored to receive such a prestigious award.”
I can remember vividly as early as five years of age watching Bob Hope's USO shows from Vietnam and other places around the globe. Even then I knew there was something special about Mr Hope and his band of merry makers. This morning I received an email with the folloiwng link. It's a ten minute video with clips of Mr. Hope and his cast performing as well as interviews with Soldiers featured in some of his shows. Grab some kleenex and spend ten minutes.
As I was watching the video I remembered reading a few USO related stories recently. Like this one about a Soldier who asked Toby Keith to mail a birthday present to the Soldier's mom when Toby returned to the states from a recent USO tour. The story doesn't say that Toby was in Afghanistan on that tour but the timing would confirm that. No surprise that a Soldier in Afghanistan would ask to have a package mailed on their behalf. There are still many places in Afghanistan where Soldiers have mailed dropped via helicopter to them. They are fortunate to be able to send a letter OUT and often are not able to send any packages OUT. Anyway...read the story about how Toby handled the situation. Aside from the fact that he's toured often and extensively with the USO, he's a stand up guy when it comes to the troops. Bob Hope would be proud.
Then I remembered reading this article about the 2009 USO Volunteers of the Year. Four incredible individuals were selected. THREE OF THEM ARE ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY PERSONNEL. WOW!
I could never write a post about the USO without mentioning my friends at the DFW airport USO. Such an amazing group of people who are there every single day VOLUNTEERING their time; thousands of volunteer hours.
As I began thinking about writing this post I thought of so many great Americans who support our troops. It would be impossible to mention all of the ones I know and there are tens of thousands of others doing the same thing. People of weath, famous people, people who have little monetary means but either write letters or volunteer their time.
I remembered one day when I was sitting on the patio at one of the Fisher Houses at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC with a couple of Wounded Warriors. There were other Wounded Warriors and family members sitting around and coming and going, too. It was a beautiful day in February; not too cold to be outside. Just sitting there chatting when a group of men walked up. Most were fire fighters from NYC who had come to cook hamburgers for the Wounded and their families then to sponsor a Super Bowl Party at the Mologne House later that night. The firemen all came over to say hello, shake hands, slap the backs of the Wounded and offer words of support and encouragement.
As we were talking with the fire fighters and they were offering soft drinks, etc. I noticed a man slip through them. He sat down at our table and began to ask the guys how they were; did they need anything; what's going on? I marveled at how this man was with the Wounded. The compassion in his voice and eyes made me a bit teary eyed. The conversation was easy between them. I knew that one of the Wounded Soldiers had no idea who this man was so I leaned across the table to shake hands and said, "Hello Mr. Voight. My name is Leta. Thank you for all you do for our troops. This is"...and I introduced the Soldier to my right. He chatted for about an hour before having to leave to go to the Mologne House. He left just as quietly as he came. No fanfare. No entourage. He does what he does FOR the troops. When he left the Soldier I had introduced him to turned to those of us who knew who he was and said, "That was Jon Voight?" We confirmed. He was amazed at how a "famous" person had been so down to earth and had spent so much time talking with them about their lives.
I don't know Jon Voight but I do know about all he quietly does for our troops just like so many other people of note do. Bob Hope never got paid for his time on the USO tours. Neither does Toby Keith. Nor does Jon Voight get paid for his time. And to think about the active duty personnel who volunteer their time to help man USOs around the world warms my heart.
So as I sat down to write this post I thought of the legions who do nothing. That angers me to no end. It's not about large amounts of money. It's about doing SOMETHING - ANYTHING. Get off the couch people. Give up a round of golf; an hour of TV or video games; a manicure. We owe it to the men and women of our Armed Forces to support them. PERIOD!
If you need help getting started email me. tankerbabelc@gmail.com
I tip my hat to the MaryAnns, SKs, Bobs, Lynns, Cheryls, Karens, Hopes, Jons Tobys, the Freepers who have stood guard at the entrance to WRAMC every Friday for over three years to show support of the Wounded in the face of those who don't and to all of those who just "get it" and GET IT DONE.
Recently I have been doing some work for a client in my "hometown". I say "hometown" because I grew up WAY out in the country. Our phone exchange was from my "hometown" but our mail was from a different town, we lived in a different school district but went to school in yet a totally different town altogether. Yeah, confusing.
Well, anyway....I had some requests for guitars for Chapels at new COPS and FOBS in Afghanistan. You may remember that the Bart Crow Band donated three guitars for that purpose. I had gotten another request for a guitar. This one was a bit different but still a worthy request. It was requested for the hospital at Bagram. One day I left the building in which my client is located and, duh, realized there was a music store directly across the street. Gist Music. No website friends. Mr. Morse Gist, the WWII Veteran mentioned in the title, doesn't have email and really isn't "into" technology. I love his spirit. He has no regular hours. He goes to work when he "gets there" and leaves when "it's time."
I crossed Main Street in this sleepy Delta town. Man I wish I had a nickle for every time, as a teenager, I drove up and down that street on a weekend night; parked my car in one of the parking lots; sat on the hood of the car and hung out with my friends. It's definitely not the same anymore. Most of the buildings are vacant and in disrepair. They do, however, throw one heck of a Blues Festival every Fall.
So over to Gist Music I go
I introduced myself to Mr. Gist and told him who my dad was. He immediately knew. We chatted for a bit and I told him what I needed and why. He showed me a few guitars (which I know NOTHING about). I had to get back to work so I told him I'd come back the following day. At this point I had no idea that Mr. Gist had served in the Air Force during WWII.
I returned the following day and Mr. Gist hooked me up big time with a really pretty guitar, a tuner, extra strings and some pics. I promised Mr. Gist that I would keep him apprised of the journey of the guitar. I got everything boxed up and shipping a day or two later. It took it over three weeks to get to Bagram (unusual for most items I've sent there) but it arrived. The Soldier I sent it too was busier than heck around the time it arrived and within a few days was sent out for a 3-4 week "out and about" to several remote COPS and FOBS.
Well............about a week ago I was trying to catch up on blogs. I clicked on Soldiers Angels Germany's blog and found this heart wrenching story:
At Bagram's SSG Heath N. Craig Joint Theater Hospital
June 1, 2009 - U.S. medical personnel wait for the arrival of helicopters carrying wounded soldiers at the U.S. hospital in Bagram Air base, north of Kabul, Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (AP) — The urgent call came in: Roadside bombs had ripped through two Humvees and wounded eight or nine U.S. soldiers.
Medevac helicopters immediately hit the air to ferry the soldiers to the main U.S. military hospital. But when they arrived, they carried only five patients. ...
It started when two roadside bombs hit the same convoy of 10th Mountain Division soldiers only a couple of miles apart in Wardak, a province west of Kabul. The damage was so severe that one of the Humvees split in half.
By the time the helicopters arrived, four men were already dead. Their comrades loaded them into body bags, tense with anger and grief. ...
As the medics worked, with the American flag in the background, they sweated. The heat was turned up because critically injured patients cannot regulate their own body temperatures.
A soldier screamed, so loudly that emergency room physician Capt. Travis Taylor couldn't tune it out. The soldier, who had an open fracture, had just learned one of his buddies was killed.
"That one was tough," Taylor said. "He was really screaming, and it snapped me out of my focus on the patient I was with."
June 1, 2009 - A fellow soldier holds the hand of U.S. Pfc. Anthony Vandegrift, of Mililani, Hawaii, as he informs him the names of three of their comrades that were killed in the attack that injured him at the U.S. hospital in Bagram Air base, north of Kabul, Afghanistan. Vandegrift, of Bravo Company 287, 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, was wounded and three of his comrades died when the vehicle they were driving was hit by a roadside bomb in the Nerkh district of Wardak province. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
Another soldier, Pfc. Anthony Vandegrift, had broken both legs. His left eye was swollen shut. The two soldiers in the front of his Humvee were killed, along with the gunner who had been standing halfway out the top.
He called his father while still on the emergency room table.
"I said, 'Hey dad, remember how you told me not to join the infantry? Well, I don't regret it, but I got blown up,'" Vandegrift, of Mililani, Hawaii, said.
Doctors at Bagram say there is nowhere in the world — except other war zones — where physicians face such severe wounds day after day. That constant stream takes a toll. ...
[Air Force Capt. Shannan] Corbin says home bases try to prepare the medical staff "mentally, emotionally and spiritually" for the deployment, but she's not sure it works.
"You can see pictures. You can hear people talk, but I don't know that anything really prepares you," said the 39-year-old nurse from Biloxi, Miss. "We hope emotionally and mentally that it's just another string of events. But I don't know how we can walk away from this as just another string of events."
As I was reading along I saw the following picture and I gasp. That's Mr. Gist's guitar! I had NO doubt that was it. And as luck would have it the Soldier I sent it to (who is with the 10th Mtn, 1-32 and was out at a remote base) was on line. I sent him a quick email and he confirmed that is Mr. Gist's guitar! Holy smokes!
Then I read the caption for the photo and the remainder of the story and the tears wouldn't stop falling down my face.
June 2, 2009 - U.S. Pfc. Anthony Vandegrift, of Mililani, Hawai, plays the guitar for a wounded comrade at the U.S. hospital in Bagram Air base, north of Kabul, Afghanistan. Vandegrift, of Bravo Company 287, 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, was wounded and three of his comrades died when the vehicle they were driving was hit by roadside bomb in the Nerkh district of Wardak province. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
In the intensive care ward nearby, Vandegrift lay beside the one other soldier in his Humvee who survived. The soldier may be paralyzed.
Holding a guitar, Vandegrift strummed a song for his friend: "The Star-Spangled Banner."
The four Soldiers who were killed in the line of duty on June 1, 2009 in Nerkh, Afghanistan were: SSG Jeffrey A. Hall, SGT Jasper K. Obakrairur, PFC Matthew D. Ogden, and PFC Matthew W. Wilson, all of the 2nd BN, 87th Infantry Reg, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division.
SSG Heath N. Craig, for whom the hospital is named, was a member of the 159th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) based in Wiesbaden, Germany. He died the night of June 21, 2006 during a rescue mission near Naray, Afghanistan.
On the next business day I kept checking to see if Mr. Gist had arrived at his store. He did and I ran over with a printed copy (color) of the story and photos. It was difficult to keep my emotions in check as I had, in the interim, discovered that Mr. Gist is a member of the "WWII Survivor's Club" in my "hometown." I'm sure I sounded like a blubbering idiot as I attempted to explain the story without letting the cat out of the bag about the guitar. When I did his mouth dropped open and he said very little other than, "I'm going to fax this to my children right now." I left to go back to work but learned that as the day went on a couple of others of the "WWII Survivor's Club" had been told the story and it began to get around town.
Just amazing. Absolutely amazing. A simple guitar from a tiny, deeply depressed town in the Delta of Arkansas has made such a difference to Wounded Warriors in Afghanistan. And every time I think about PFC Vandegrift playing "The Star Spangled Banner" to his fellow Wounded Warrior it brings tears to my eyes and chills to the rest of me. God Bless these men and heal their bodies and spirits. And may God also comfort the families of those who gave their lives that fateful day.
Please check out this great opportunity. There are links below to register as a runner, walker, sponsor, etc. Cape Cod Cares for Our Troops is a non-profit organization started by 14 year old Dylan DeSilva. Dylan wanted to find a way to honor our Troops At the request of our Troops Dylan also sends items to schools, orphanages, medical and Dylan is now 16 years old and has received national recognition. Aligning yourself with Dylan would be an excellent way to promote your company or organization while showing troop Support. HELLO ALL, IT'S OFFICIAL! PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE FIRST ANNUAL.
for their service, dedication and sacrifices to our country. With the help of his family and friends he sends care packages to our Troop in Iraq and Afghanistan on a weekly basis.
dental clinics in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Cape Cod Canal 14.2 Mile Run & 2.5 Mile Fun Run/Walk
TO BENEFIT CAPE COD CARES FOR OUR TROOPS
and the 2nd 503rd 173rd Airborne Brigade
Date: 15, August, 2009
Start: 9:00 AM = 14.2 Mile Run
Start: 9:30 AM = 2.5 Mile Fun Run/Walk
Starts/finishes at the Buzzards Bay Recreation Area by the train bridge.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO A GREAT TIME. PLEASE FORWARD TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS
Where we are today:
We have worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and have received the permit granting us the use of the Buzzards Bay Recreation Area for the start and finish
The event is up and running!
On-line registration is available at the following sites: http://www.runreg.com/RacersResource/events/register.asp?eventid=1857
For those wishing to volunteer or sponsor, please contact:
Race Directors: Harry (HAP) & Frances Pratt 40 Walcott Rd. Beverly, MA 01915
E-mail: raceinfo@nii.net Phone: (978) 921-RUNN
Army Airborne Parent: Tom Lynch 8 Bunker Circle, Sandwich, MA 02563
E-mail: tlynch02563@yahoo.com Phone: (508) 328-0726
I know I promised this post a few days ago but I've been so focused on COL Evan getting better that I just haven't wanted to post until today. I am so thankful Evan IS feeling better. I'm also thankful for all of the prayers that you all have been saying for him.
Now on to this post.
In October 2007 I wrote this post about Lakeland Elementary School donating socks for the Sky Soldiers of the 173rd, 2-503 who were deployed to northeastern Afghanistan. I urge you to take the time to read the post and to learn about the amazing students, faculty and staff at Lakeland Elementary School.
For several months we've been attempting to put together a weekend when several of the 173rd, 2-503 Soldiers could come to Memphis to visit Lakeland Elementary School to say "thank you." While I missed not getting to have a whole "Herd" of the guys here I was thrilled when SSG Ryan Pitts was able to come from Walter Reed Army Medical Center this past weekend.
Ryan arrived on Saturday. That afternoon Frank and Nancy Rouse came over to meet Ryan and visit with him. Frank is a Vietnam Veteran who served in the 173rd, 2-503. If you don't know the history of the 173rd you can get a "taste" of the Brigade's storied past here. Nancy is the principal of Lakeland Elementary School. I won't bore you with the details of how I came to know Nancy and Frank but this is one tiny little world my friends. Frank and Nancy are members of both the Patriot Guard Riders and Rolling Thunder. They are wonderful, wonderful people and great Americans.
After a few hours of visiting, eating and hoisting a few beers Frank received a call from a Veteran friend of his. Long story short it was soon after that call that Frank and Nancy loaded Ryan up in their truck for a quick 40 minute ride to Mississippi to "attend" a Hooters swimsuit competition. I was invited but scantily clad young ladies prancing about isn't my idea of a fun evening. I know, I'm old. Seems a fine time was had by all.
One Sunday Ryan and I went to visit St. Jude patient Evan Pertile, his mom, Nana and some of their family friends. We had such a wonderful visit with them.
Monday morning rolled around and we were off to Lakeland Elementary School. We arrived in time for the morning Pledge of Allegiance, thought for the day and announcements which are done via the PA system from the principal's office. Mrs. Rouse has students come to her office each morning to lead the pledge and to give the thought for the day.
The students did an EXCELLENT job!
After that was over Nancy escorted Ryan and me to the cafeteria where Ryan was scheduled to address and thank all of the fifth grade classes. The reason for selecting that group is that one of the fifth graders (fourth grade last school year) raised the most money and/or collected the most socks for the paratroopers. (More on that later in the post). As we walked into the cafeteria I immediately noticed this:
I got a big lump in my throat. Many thanks to the students and to the art department for such a wonderful "welcome" to Ryan. Made me damn proud to be from this area. There were other colorings and drawings on the walls surrounding the opening to the stage area:
After the students were settled in Mrs. Rouse introduced SSG Pitts
SSG Pitts spent a few minutes telling the students a little about himself.
Then he told them how much he and his paratroopers appreciated the socks. He explained about how they were in a location where they didn't have a way to wash their socks; how they hiked many days for miles at a time. He even told them about one day when they hiked 15 miles up and down the mountains of Afghanistan.
He told them the socks were a huge help to them when they were deployed and that all of the Soldiers with him were very grateful for the student's generous donation. He then asked for Harper Wagner to come forward.
SSG Pitts reminded the group that Harper had raised the most money/pairs of socks and had won a pizza party for his class by doing so. Then he gave Harper a 173rd Brigade coin
And a 173rd Brigade flag
After Harper sat down SSG Pitts asked the students if they had any questions. Boy did they have questions. GREAT questions. Question such as, "Did you get much sleep" Ryan's answer was something along the lines of "somedays yes, somedays not so much."
"Did you see any cool animals?" Ryan had to mention the Camel Spider. He explained that it's not really a spider and showed (with his hands) how big they can get. He also mentioned that he had seen a baby snow leopard. That brought ooohs and aaaaahs from the crowd
One student asked about whether Ryan and his buddies had survival training. The student used the proper terminology. I, of course, have no idea what that term is. I don't remember what Ryan's answer was because I was still processing that a fifth grader would know that terminology. Smart kids!
One question to SSG Pitts was if he had ever been shot. Ryan told them he hadn't but that he had been blown up by RPGs and hand grenades. Golly it seems so weird to type that. I'm just amazed at how far along Ryan has come in his recuperation.
The most poplular questions were about jumping. How high were you when you jumped? What do you do if the chute doesn't open? What happens if the reserve chute doesn't open? Were you afraid to jump? And there were questions about the food, why Ryan joined the Army, etc. Really, really good questions all around.
After about 20 or so minutes Mrs Rouse wrapped things up and thanked Ryan for coming. Ryan did an excellent job. There were still probably 20 hands in the air for questions. I'm sure they were good ones, too. Mrs. Rouse then gave Ryan a huge bag of letters that the students had written to him and his buddies.
I had to snag a photo of Nancy, Ryan and Frank. It was really nice of Frank to come out to support Ryan.
Frank and Ryan did some of that man/Warrior/Paratrooper/Herd/Sky Soldier talk for a few minutes before Frank had to leave
After Frank left Nancy, Ryan and I were standing near the stage chatting. The students were still in the cafeteria and were signing each others yearbooks. One of the students approached Ryan and asked if he would mind signing the yearbook. Ryan, of course, said he would
And then...............the line formed
Ryan signed and signed
And signed. The line was from the stage all the way to the back of the cafeteria. For the longest time it never seemed to get any shorter.
After 30 minutes or so I told Ryan I would go stand at the back of the line and not let anyone else get in the line. I tried. I REALLY, REALLY tried. But those kids are SO cute and I kept letting "just one more" get in line in front of me. At one point Ryan looked up and asked, "is the line getting shorter or longer?" So I only let two more in and then I finally said, "sorry, we have to go." As we were walking out a little girl came up to Ryan and asked him to sign her yearbook. Ryan looked at me and I grinned. Of course he signed it!
I couldn't help but think to myself that those kids have no idea about the Soldier who signed their books. I know that's just perfectly fine with Ryan.
So we left the school and went back to my house. Frank came over a couple of hours later and the two Sky Soldiers drank beer, told war stories and visited all afternoon. What an incredible treat for me to be able to listen in. Very few people can tell a story the way Frank Rouse can. At one point Frank asked if I didn't have something to do. I'm crazy about Frank so I took the hint and left "the boys" alone for a while. After school was out Nancy came over and had dinner with us then I took Ryan to the airport. I really appreciate Nancy and Frank spending so much time with Ryan during his visit. I had to giggle to myself when they exchanged phone numbers.
What a wonderful weekend. God has given me more blessings than any one human deserves. I am so thankful.
I've been a fan of these guys for a while now. If you aren't, you should be. And if you haven't been surely after watching this video you will be. True American Patriots! They not only support our troops via their music and concerts they do a lot of fund raising on behalf of various troop support organizations and projects.
Thanks guys!
UPDATE: Within four hours of asking for assistance with this request I was both overwhelmed and touched by the amount of responses I had received. Interestingly (but not surprising) enough every single response was either from a Soldier who had been deployed and missed having his guitar with him, from a family member of a Soldier who has been or is deployed or from a former Soldier.
I am pleased to announce that Bart Crow of The Bart Crow Band has offered to donate a guitar for the Chapel. Bart served as a Tanker in the Army. I don't have any details other than that.
Please go visit Bart via the link above and show him some support and gratitude not just for donating the guitar but for his service to our nation.
THANK YOU BART!
I recently received an email request from a Soldier who is stationed at a remote FOB in eastern Afghanistan asking for an acoustic guitar for the Chapel there. His hope is that they can have a guitar to be used during services and to be left available throughout each day and night so that anyone who wishes to go in and play it to "relax" can do so.
I know nothing about guitars but have made calls to all of the music stores in my area. While they have all been very kind and have listened to my request none of them are in a "donation" mode at this time. Additionally I contacted Gibson guitar. I talked to a very nice lady who confirmed that they are not in a position to make a donation at this time. I do know that Gibson Guitar has donated hundreds of guitars to troops over the years.
So.....anybody out there who can help? If so please email me at tankerbabelc@gmail.com.
Many thanks!
My cousin Jane has been involved in providing support to Chaplains in Iraq. We were chatting one day and she mentioned that the unit she was currently sending support to (via a group of great Americans throughout Arkansas) was returning from their deployment. I asked if she'd like to lend a hand to 6-4 Cavalry and she jumped right on board. So over the past couple of months Jane has rallied her "troops" (see list below) to collect hot chocolate and apple cider drink mix as well as cards, letters and drawings from children in church and school classes.
I challenged Jane to collect 500 boxes. She and her group showed me! :) WELL DONE ARKANSAS! WELL DONE! I'm sure there are a lot of Cavalry Scouts in the mountains of northeastern Afghanistan who really appreciate all of your efforts.
My thanks to the students, parents and group leaders who participated in a big way.
I asked Jane to send me detailed information regarding all those who made this great project a success. I'll let her tell you:
Donors to the Hot Chocolate and Apple Cider drink mix drive:
Our Lady of the Holy Souls School, Little Rock
Pat Acklin's Pre-K Class, Franklin Elementary School, Little Rock
Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church, Little Rock
Holly Grove United Methodist Church
Little Rock Civitan Club
Joyce Peck of Little Rock
Karla Fish of Osceola
St. James United Methodist Church, Little Rock
-Open Door Sunday School Class
-Transitions Sunday School Class
-Stepping Stone Sunday School Class
-Cornerstone Sunday School Class
-L.I.F.E. After School Program
-M.A.D. (Music, Arts, Drama) group
-Youth Ministries
The items sent include hot chocolate and apple cider drink mixes, marshmallows, drawings and letters of encouragement from children and youth. (And I have plans to collect more letters and drawings.)
Everyone I asked was thrilled to contribute whatever they could and to participate in this project. They especially liked knowing that the items were being shipped to the chaplain who would make sure the soldiers got them. They were more than happy to help provide this little bit of home and warmth to soldiers who are placing themselves in harm's way on our behalf.
As noted in the previous email, the total came to approximately 643 boxes of hot chocolate and apple cider drink mixes. (There were probably about 75-100 other individual packets sent, not in boxes ... but I didn't count those). With most having 10 packets in a box, that's 6,430 drink servings!
Attached is a photo of one of the smaller boxes before I sealed it up ... just to document the project and FYI.
Jane
