I am so very thankful that there are people like Erin that still have our troops in their thoughts and prayers everyday. The men and women or our Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard are deployed around the globe protecting lives; championing our ideals of liberty, justice, and equality; and promoting democracy and self-determination for all people. Politics can cloud the debate of why and if America should be doing everything that it does but these men and women represent our collective American spirit and hopes for a better world. They carry heavy burdens and make terrible sacrifices. All to often they must pay for our countries hopes, dreams, and ambitions with their blood, limbs, and lives. They pay the tragic cost of time lost while they are away from their families and friends loved ones. The world moves on and they miss so much while they are away.

I spent over 20 years with these brother and sisters in arms and travelled the world proudly displaying the American flag on my shoulder patch. I have been to some amazing places and also to some places so tragic and filled with faces so heart-rending that they still haunt my memories. Today, i work at a Veterans hospital, I see the old Veterans proudly wearing lapel pins or a VFW hat; I see the young men and women in wheelchairs or with prosthetic limbs also proudly wearing a Veteran ball cap or t-shirt; I see their family members by their sides, bravely defiant despite the difficulties in their lives. The bodies and often the minds are forever altered by their service and experiences and yet the American spirit and pride remain intact. These are truly America's finest and I feel honored to have worked with them and now for them.

Please do help Erin in her cause. Those care packages from home are always welcome. They are a lifeline thrown across oceans and deserts to remind our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen that people still have them in their hearts and minds even as the headlines and yellow ribbons wrapped around the trees fade. I always valued the short notes that people placed into the packages. Some notes where just a simple "thanks you"; some told of connections to the military and service; some were stories about home-town America. All made me forget the place that I was in for a few moments and brought me a few steps closer to home.

Here is a link that might be useful in selecting items to send. Multiple small packages work much better than a single large one. Also, please remember that the items you send are going to foreign countries and there are some items (magazines, videos, pork products) that might be restricted due to local custom or religious beliefs

Mostly food & goodies not available there...  She told me the guys always shared with their bunk mates & they them...  I included individually packaged items that were easy to share.   I never lost a package.  

-- Modified on 10/13/2014 8:40:08 PM