Care Packages and Thank-You Notes for our Troops in Afghanistan

self | 7-3-04 | patriciaruth

[patriciaruth]

Our troop support group finally found a way to send care packages to our troops in Afghanistan, and I've received a couple letters this week requesting goodies. We're pretty excited about finally making contact, and are inviting others who want to show support to join us.

If you can't afford to contribute money or goods, the troops also really appreciate letters, cards and notes, and request your prayers for their safety and peace of mind.

The first set of care packages and thank you cards and notes that we sent to Afghanistan for the Fourth of July were received with joy and you can read about them on the second half of our last thread, Write a Thank You Note to a Soldier in Iraq this Memorial Day Weekend

We've been collecting goodies and contributions toward the next set of care packages to go to Afghanistan. Our contact there will send them to the troops at the outlying fire bases, and has requested toiletries, movies, paperback books, snacks, and games for them.

Also, there are ongoing requests from a group of soldiers near Kirkuk in Iraq for items for the poor village schools and children in the surrounding area, specifically elementary school supplies and children's toys and crayons 24 to a box are a special project of theirs.

[GunnyHartman]

Hi Patriciaruth,
I work at a Western Montana health care facility and our employees are interested in sending care packages to our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Can you tell me what we have to do to send any packages to our men and women over there including addresses, postage requirements, etc.?
Thank you,
GunnyHartman

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.

How's bout sending our Hero Soldiers the inspiring new book...


'MODERN DAY HEROES: In Defense of America'

http://www.ModernDayHeroes.com/aloha

.

[diamond6]

I went first thing Monday morning in the pouring rain to the post office, carrying a two year old in one arm, and a box in the other. My soldier is worth it. He loves halloween, and I got him lots of Halloween treats.

Thanks for asking and thanks for the advice. :)

[asgardshill]

I went first thing Monday morning in the pouring rain to the post office, carrying a two year old in one arm, and a box in the other.

Now there's a REAL act of heroism :) Especially on a rainy Monday (the day I prefer to call "The Day G*d Gets His Payback On Me") :)

[patriciaruth]

First you need a soldier's name and an APO address for him/her.

Sometimes the best way to find that is to ask friends and relatives if they know anyone serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, and get it from them.

Our APO's are held to a few in our group that I know well enough to trust because I've dealt with them other times in the past. You can put together care packages, send them to one of us, and we can ship them overseas for you.

Right now we're concentrating on movies for a new base we're in contact with and Christmas stockings and decorations for a few bases. McLynnan has point on Christmas in Kirkuk and I'm going to start a thread right after the election to get Christmas cards and letters/notes for several bases in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, plus stockings.

There are restrictions on what can be sent and how certain things should be wrapped to prevent leakage. And the boxes we send to our APO's have to have a customs form filled out.

If you get an APO and soldier name from among friends, I'll be happy to give you more precise information on wrapping and shipping. If your soldier agrees you can use him/her to receive boxes for all those in his/her unit, or he/she can make arrangements for you to send to the company commander or chaplain.

Let me know if you need more help.

[patriciaruth]

I know you are making him happy by sneaking him the hardline items we here all love and they can't generally get.

[patriciaruth]

Would you be willing to send me a copy of "Modern Day Heroes: in defense of America" to send to the troops? You could put your name or your handle on the flyleaf before you send it to me?

I'm pretty broke right now, and am going to tread water and wait for new donations or for my finances to catch up with my credit card bills in December.

[patriciaruth]

Mailed to Baghdad, October 20, 2004, 3 small boxes, postage total for 3
boxes $46.35, each insured for $123-$134.
JustAmy, AIC, etabeta, AuntB, BattleAxe contributed items.

Box 1
DVD's
Deep Impact (Elijah Wood, Bridget Fonda, Morgan Freeman)
Maverick (Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, James Garner)
The Quick and the Dead (Sam Elliott, Kate Capshaw)
Die Another Day 007 (Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry)
Chisum (John Wayne)
Master and Commander (Russell Crowe)
It Could Happen to You (Nicolas Cage, Bridget Fonda)
10 early B&W John Wayne matinees, plus
Angel and the Badman with Gail Russell and lengendary Harry Carey
We Were Soldiers (Mel Gibson)
Along Came a Spider (Morgan Freeman)
Glory (Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Matthew Boderick)
Kangaroo Jack--comedy
Book: Hondo (Louis L'Amour)
Filler: 1 large hand cream, 2 deodorant (Mitchum roll on and Secret stick),
1 travel Kleenex

Box 2
DVD's
Frequency (Dennis Quaid, Jim Caviezel)
Moscow on the Hudson (Robin Williams)
Independence Day (Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman)
High Noon (Gary Cooper, Grace Kelley)
Stargate (Kirt Russell, James Spader, Jaye Davidson)
Windtalkers (Nicolas Cage)
Kiss the Girls (Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd)
The Mask of Zorro (Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones)
Shanghai Knights (Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson)
Books:
Last of the Breed (Louis L'Amour)
Mere Christianity (C.S. Lewis)
On War (Carl von Clausewitz)
Filler: Q-tips (around 60 3pks), little Bible guide by Dave, 3 travel
Kleenex, 3 4pks of batteries, Mount Vernon 2005 Calendar

Box 3
Books:
The Sigma Protocol (a Robert Ludlum book)
Undue Influence (Steve Martini)
DVD's
In the Line of Fire (Clint Eastwood, John Malkovich, Rene Russo)
The Sixth Sense (Bruce Willis, Joel Haley Osment)
Groundhog Day (Bill Murray, Andie McDowell)
John Wayne 4 Pack (The Searchers, Rio Bravo, The Cowboys, Stagecoach)
Braveheart (Mel Gibson)
Gettysburg (Jeff Daniels, Martin Sheen, Tom Berenger)
Galaxy Quest (Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver)
Presumed Innocent (Harrison Ford)
There's Something about Mary (Carmen Diaz, Ben Stiller)
Filler: 3 4pk batteries, 7 rubber balls, 1 large and 2 tiny hand cream.

[patriciaruth]

post 447

[patriciaruth]

477. I'm dyslexic.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.

Please see Post No. 507 of this Thread.

AR

[ican'tbelieveit]

Nintendo and games are on their way. Do you want a list of the games?

[patriciaruth]

List of games? You betcha!

[ican'tbelieveit]

Nintendo console
Power source
TV connection
2 controllers (I have 1 more, and 2 on order. The one didn't fit in the 2 boxes I sent today).
1 extension cable for the controllers (I have another laying around, will pester son about finding it).

Games:
Beetle Adventure Racing 1
Super Mario 64
F-1 World Grand Prix (2 games)
Mario Kart 64
South Park
Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey
Mission Impossible
Hang Time
WF War Zone
NHL Break Away
Mortal Kombat Trilogy
Tom Clancey's Rainbow Six
Ten Eighty Snowboarding
Bomber Man
Extreme G
Waialae Country Club True Golf Classics
Nascar 99
Excite Bike 64
Pilot Wings
Golden Eye 007
Turok Dinosaur Hunter
WCW VS NWO World Tour
Nagano Winter Olympics '98
BioFreaks
San Francisco Rush Extreme Racing
Monster Truck Madness 64
Diddy Kong Racing
NFL Blitz
Ken Griffy Jr. Slugfest
Zelda Ocarina of Time
WCW NWO Revenge
Killer Instict Gold
Top Gear Rally
In The Zone '98
Way Race 64
Starfox 64
NFL Quarterback Club '98
Fifa Soccer 64

(I think that is my longest post, ever, :-))

[patriciaruth]

Oh, my word. I hope you insured them and are getting return receipt. What a motherload!

Well, we are well on our way to knocking their socks off, thanks to you and New Perspective and asgardshill.

But this is for Baghdad, for the electrical construction combat brigade, who are dodging snipers and kidnappers while trying to repair and upgrade the grid while keeping the electricity flowing to all Iraq, not just Baghdad. Really nice we can show them they are appreciated.

I picked up some more DVD's on sale at Target today...
Antwone Fisher (Denzel Washington)
Lawrence of Arabia (Peter O'Toole)
Spiderman (Tobey McGuire)
Grand Canyon (Steve Martin, Kevin Kline, Alfie Woodard)

It's like eating potato chips, I can't quit snacking on my way out of stores.

THANKS for sending the treasure trove of games!

Cheers!

[ican'tbelieveit]

It is all insured and return receipted. The post office staff almost knows us now when we come in.

Target is a hard store for me to get out of. I always walk the end caps to see what they have on clearance. Can get a person in trouble.

Will get out the stockings to the ladies & Jon tomorrow, hopefully. Hoping to be at SAMS first thing in the morning to get the rest of the stuffers.

[ModernDayHeroes.com]

I am the co-author of Modern Day Heroes: In Defense of America and if you can get a copy of the book to our troops overseas, then I'd like to talk with you.

We are sending books to the troops via SI Yellow Ribbon (www.siyellowribbon.com) but I'd like to have more outlets. Please email me directly at Pete.Mitchell@ModernDayHeroes.com.

-Pete Mitchell

P.S. There is a piece in the book regarding Mike Spann.

[Ros42]

Ping!!

[Abigail Adams]

Here's what I am sending for the Baghdad group:

-"White Christmas" DVD
-"It's A Wonderful Life" DVD

-Dave Barry book
-Puzzle book

-3 9-foot evergreen garlands
-21 small Xmas decorations on bendable wire stem (like glittery pine cones, plastic gifts, gold instruments, etc.)
-10 soft Xmas hanging ornaments (like Santa in a stocking, snowmen in stockings, hat and mittens, etc.)
-10 small felt stockings

It would be fun if someone over there could take pictures of their Christmas celebration and their new day room with library when that is done!

God bless our troops!

[patriciaruth]

We have a request from a soldier in Afghanistan for an Xbox for his unit and these games: Madden NFL 2005, NBA 2004, HOCKEY, AND BOXING.

We can fill this request several ways. Twenty people can send $10 each OR four or five people can split the cost OR someone who has an Xbox and/or the games they're willing to donate could send them.

If we do this by donations, then I'll send the money to asgardshill and he'll do the leg work.

We'll see who responds this weekend before deciding on a course of action.

We also have a request for a DVD player from a military intelligence unit near Kirkuk. I believe someone among our list offered a used or new DVD player some weeks back, but I got too caught up in the election to keep that straight. Please contact me again!!

The new thread for holiday cards and letters for the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan will be going up tomorrow.