FReeper Canteen ~ Ways to Support the Troops ~ July 29, 2004

~ SUPPORT OUR TROOPS INFORMATION ~

Welcome to the FR Canteen! We hope everyone is excited and ready to go. Throughout these past few weeks, we've received requests for information on how to Support Our Troops. Below we have put together information from various sources. This isn't a complete list, but something to help you get started. Any little bit that you contribute to helping our Troops is greatly appreciated. If you have any comments, suggestions, or questions, post it on the thread. We look forward to hearing from everyone!

The link above is to the Canteen Post Office. Please click to visit for further resources and information. Thank you!!

~ GETTING STARTED ~

Supporting our Troops can be fulfilling, rewarding, patriotic, and quite simple. The problem for many Americans is figuring out how to begin. Here's a few tips for you.

1. Find an organization that supports our Troops. There are many out there. Look towards the bottom for a few of the organizations that can help you achieve your goal.

2. READ EVERYTHING! If you visit a site that is set up to Support Our Troops, then read all the information they provide for you. Make sure that you know what you're getting yourself into. Also, make sure that you understand the requirements. Ask questions via email or phone. These are usually included on the website. Don't be afraid to ask questions. After all, they want your help to Support Our Troops. They should be more than willing to provide any answers you need.

3. Time and Money! If you have the time, you might find that emailing or snail mail will work better for you. It isn't expensive writing letters via snail mail. It is absolutely free to do so via email. If you choose to send care packages, make sure you understand that you do not have to go bankrupt supporting our heroes. The idea behind care packages is to "send a little piece of home" to our Troops. Not to bankrupt you.

4. Relatives, Friends, Co-Workers, and Places Of Worship! The very first thing you should do is check whether any of your friends, relatives, co-workers, or churches have members that are currently being deployed or soon to be. This makes it more personable for most people. Also, it allows for a better chance of getting a response back.

5. Expectations! If you decide this is what you want to do, please be prepared to not receive a response back. The likelihood of a response via email is much greater. However, please keep in mind that our Troops are engaged in fighting a War and may not have time to write you back. Can this be hard to take? For some folks, this can be particularly disheartening and upsetting. However, you are trying to provide the morale boost. Not the other way around.

~ UTILIZING RESOURCES ~

When you've decided what you are going to do and which organization (if any), you can begin utilizing resources to help. What do we mean?

EMAIL OR SNAIL MAIL
1. Set up a time when you are going to email or send mail. Try to coordinate a schedule according to your availability. This is one of the easiest things to do. (Did we mention it's FREE?) Not all military branches offer email capability for all the Troops when they are "in the field". If you want to do email correspondence, then the Navy is probably your best bet. Everyone on a ship has access to email at some point.

2. Please keep in mind that you may not receive an email everyday. For snail mail, obviously you aren't going to receive a letter back all the time. Our Troops will try to get back to you when they can. Keep in mind that snail mail may not be answered. If you are going through an organization, they have a pretty good idea whether or not Troops will write back. (Ask them!)

3. Kids! What better way to teach your children about supporting our heroes than having them write letters or send drawings. This is a big hit with almost all of our Troops. It's always nice to know that some child took time out of their lives to do something special for them. Sunday School classes, Playtime groups, Daycare groups, and your own children can supply many smiles. Make it a family or a group project! Very simple, easy, and cheap.

4. If you've established a relationship with any of our Troops, perhaps you can begin having others write to them as well. Make sure to get permission before doing so. And make sure you trust other people to do this. Many of our Troops count on getting a little pick me up when times are tough. During deployment, morale can be a rollercoaster ride for many of them. Your function is to be their cheerleader. That's your main purpose. If you can't do that, then we suggest not committing yourself to do it.

CARE PACKAGES
1. If you don't know the person you are sending to, send a small care package first. Do the essentials and basics: toothbrush, toothpaste, mouth wash, beef jerky, socks, small game, playing cards, a letter explaining who you are, and whatever else you can think of. (Keep in mind that Iraq and Afghanistan are really hot right now. So? Avoid anything that will melt and make a huge mess.)

2. If you don't hear back from them, then just send a small care package once a month. We suggest this because things change all the time in a War zone. So? To save you from spending too much money and frustration from not hearing back, it is recommended to send only once a month. If you receive your care package back, the address is either changed, wrong, or they're on their way home. Or the USPS cannot deliver it for some unknown reason. (This happens more than you can imagine.)

3. If you do establish a relationship with them, please keep the following things in mind. THEY ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO ASK YOU FOR THINGS. If you ask them what they would like, then be prepared to get a variety of requests back. The choice of whether you send them or not is strictly up to you. If you feel you are being taken advantage of, notify the organization or their commanding officer. You have the power to say "no".

4. Many times when you begin corresponding with your individual Soldier/Sailor/Marine/Airman/Coastie, they will tell you about someone else that isn't receiving mail. This gives you the opportunity to allow others around you to help. Don't take all of this on by yourself. If you can afford it and want to do it, then by all means the choice is yours. For most of us, it's easier to get friends and family to adopt another soldier.

5. The most effective way to do a care package support is to know the person you are sending items to. If not, go through an organization or have a contact point on the other side. It's easier to keep things in balance. It makes life a lot easier for everyone when you can have accountability on both sides.

6. Get as many people involved with the care package support. Either take up a collection from co-workers, family members, or friends. This can be an enjoyable experience for everyone. Perhaps make it a community project. Have the kids draw or write letters. The adults can gather supplies to send. You can have care package support drives in your community. Ask the local businesses if they would like to donate items such as suntan lotion, baby wipes, food, or anything else that you can think of.

~ WHAT TO SEND ~

You've decided to finally send a care package! Great! Okay! What do I send? Well, here are a list of things that the FR Canteen has personally sent in the past few months.

Baby wipes
Beef, turkey, or any other kind of jerky you can find.
Socks (white)
underwear (you can save this for when contact has been established)
Suntan Lotion
Chapstick
Campbell's Hand Soup - Click here if you don't know what we are talking about. (Make sure they have access to a microwave before sending)
Pasta Anytime - Click here for picture.(This is also a microwave item.)
Any type of candy - Make sure it isn't too hot before you send it.
Games - they love any kinds of games. Board games, cards, and most importantly: They love game console games for XBOX, PS2, Gamecube, etc.
Frisbees
Kettle Corn Popcorn - microwave item
Starkist Tuna Lunch Kits - Click here for picture.
Little Debbie Snacks
Snack size pudding
Snack size jello
Crackers
Disposable cameras -
Yo Yos
Snack size fruit - Click here for picture.
Capri Sun - Click here for picture.
DVD movies - any type that isn't pornographic. Use your own judgement. (For example, Playboy playmate movies would be a red flag.)
VHS movies - While MoJo hates VHS tapes, they may have access to watch them. You can buy most of this stuff cheaper online at Amazon.com used (same with DVD movies) or at your local video store. Or do a summer cleaning of your movie collection.
CD music - find out what they like before sending anything. (If you hate rap or country, this could prove to be very painful for you. Just ask Ma.)
Disposable razors
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
combs and hairbrushes
shampoo
lotion - Our female troops really love this.
hairspray - Kill the ozone, but make our female troops happy! WooHoo!
Contact solution - Click here for a picture.
Books and magazines - We've sent a variety of magazines. No Playboy or other type of magazines. Although, they do consider many of America's magazines to be too pornographic for Muslim countries. To avoid issues, cover it up with something. Many of the younger Troops love Car and Hunting type magazines.

Bibles - We've had request for more Bibles. We've sent them. Some organizations frown upon this practice. As Senior Chief told MoJo, "We are there defending their rights as Muslims, the least they can do is tolerate ours." If you'd like to donate Bibles, please contact MoJo2001.

Phone Cards - Make sure they are international ones. Also, you can buy them cheaper at Sam's Club, Wally World (Walmart), Costco (UGH!), and various other places.

Gift Cards - We did this with Sailors on the USS George Washington and it worked quite well. You can go to www.walmart.com and buy an online card. It allows them to get whatever they need online. And you can send as much as you want.

Portable DVD Players - (The ones with the LCD screens) This can be quite expensive, but you can find really good deals online for less than a hundred bucks some times. You can begin at www.pricewatch.com . Although, we would warn against doing this unless you know the person quite well. Receiving gifts like this makes other Troops ask for the same thing from their contact. This can really hinder the support. Use your judgment about what to do.

Most importantly: Whatever else you would like to send will probably be just fine. It's up to you!

~ What We've Found~

Since many of us have the experience of sending care packages and interacting with the military, we'll try to help those that haven't.

1. If you are serious about helping out the military, please keep in mind that you will have to play by their rules. If they say something is unacceptable, then abide by that rule. They are doing it to protect our military. Please respect their wishes.

2. Don't allow yourself to be aggravated or frustrated with the process. If you haven't heard back from your military contact, don't give up. They may or may not have the appropriate response time for you. If you are doing this to get a rewarding relationship, then we'd advise against it. You'll just have to know that you are doing the right thing. For many folks, that just isn't enough.

3. If you are sending care packages, keep in mind that they may already be receiving packages from other places. So? Don't feel bad if you don't fulfill their requests for items that seem out of your budget. You are doing this out of the kindness of your heart and to show support. That doesn't give anyone the right - military heroes and all - to make you feel like you must spend the bank to make them happy. We cannot stress this enough.

4. Most military personnel are so grateful to receive anything from home. The gratitude that they have may not translate into personally acknowledging you. That's okay. They may wait until they get home to write to you. That happens more than you can imagine.

5. Our military is made up of America's best. They also come from smalltown and big city America. What are we getting at? They come from every segment of society. Many of them have personal problems that you may or may not relate well to. Try to keep any messages positive and upbeat. Your goal should be to bring a smile to their face. Not add terrible news from home or drama they don't need. Please avoid politics as much as possible. Unless of course, you know the person really well.

6. If a group of friends are going to send care packages, we commend you for your efforts. One of the easiest and cheapest things to do is to stagger the care packages. If you have 4 people sending to one person, give one week to each person. So? It doesn't cost as much and the military person will feel the love from home with packages or mail.

7. If you are individually sending to 3 or 4 military personnel, stagger the care packages. Send one a week or every other week. Whatever works well for you and your budget.

8. Look around FR, The Canteen, or anywhere else online that you are comfortable at. They may have folks that need help sending care packages or may need donations to send one big package. Keep your ears and eyes open.

Finally, we apologize for the long thread. We feel this is important. In the comments section, you will find various ways to help out and organizations that you can contact. Thank you!

On This Day In History

Birthdates which occurred on July 29:
1758 Antonius van Gils, Dutch RC theologist (opposed Enlightenment)
1805 Alexis de Tocqueville France, statesman/writer (Democracy in America)
1817 - James Blair Steedman, Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1883
1820 Clement Laird Vallandigham, MC (Union), died in 1871
1828 Cuvier Grover, Bvt Major General (Union Army), died in 1885
1830 Alvan Cullem Gillem, Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1875
1861 Alica Hathaway Lee Roosevelt 1st wife of Theodore Roosevelt
1869 Booth Tarkington US, novelist (17, Magnificent Ambersons)
1871 [Gregory Efimovich] Rasputin the mad Russian monk
1878 Don Marquis Ill, journalist/poet (archy & mehitabel)
1883 Benito Mussolini [Il Duce], Fascist Italian dictator (1922-43)
1887 Sigmund Romberg Nagykanizsa Hungary, operetta composer (Blossom Time)
1892 William Powell actor (Thin Man, My Man Godfrey)
1898 Isidor Isaac Rabi Poland, physicist (explored atom-Nobel-1944)
1905 Clara Bow silent screen actress (It, Saturday Night Kid)
1905 Dag Hammarskjold 2nd UN Secretary-General (1953-61) (Nobel 1961)
1907 Melvin Belli Sonora Calif, lawyer, SF's "King of Torts"
1913 Stephen McNally NYC, actor (Split Second, 30 Seconds over Tokyo)
1914 "Professor Irwin Corey comedian (Car Wash)
1924 Robert Horton LA Calif, actor (Kings Row, Wagon Train, Arena)
1930 Paul Taylor dancer & choreographer (Paul Taylor Dance Company)
1932 Nancy Kassebaum (Sen-R-Ks)
1933 Robert Fuller Troy NY, actor (Laramie, Wagon Train)
1936 Elizabeth Dole US Secretary of Transportation (1983-87)
1938 Peter Jennings Toronto Canada, news anchor (ABC Evening News)
1941 David Warner Manchester NH, actor (Holocaust)
1953 Geddy Lee lead singer (Rush-Tom Sawyer)
1972 Wil Wheaton actor (Star Trek Next Generation-Wesley, Stand By Me)
1981 Jennie Thompson, Wichita Falls TX, gymnast (Jr Natl-champ-93, Oly-96)

Deaths which occurred on July 29:
1030 King Olav Haraldsson of Norway, dies in battle of Stiklestad
1099 Urban II, [Odo van Lagery], French Pope (1088-99), dies
1164 King Olaf of Norway, dies
1794 Seventy of Robespierre's followers guillotined
1890 Vincent Van Gogh, painter, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Auvers, France.
1900 Umberto I Italian king assassinated by anarchist Gaetano Bresci
1960 Richard Simon cofounder of Simon & Shuster, dies
1974 Cass Elliot singer of Mamas & Papas chokes to death at 30 in London
1975 James B. Blish, sci-fi author (Star Trek Reader), dies at 54
1979 Herbert Marcuse, philosopher (Eros and Civilization), dies at 81
1983 David Niven actor (Guns of Navarone), dies in Switzerland at 73
1983 Raymond Massey actor, dies of pneumonia in Beverly Hills, Calif at 86
1984 Fred Waring orch leader (Fred Waring Show), dies at 84
1988 Ellin Berlin (MacKay) Mrs Irving Berlin, dies at 86
1994 Francisco Veguillas, Spanish general, murdered at 68
1994 John Bayard Britton, abortion doctor, killed by Paul Hill

Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1965 BROWN EDWARD D. JR. CHARLOTTE NC.
[KIA IN CRASH REMAINS DESTROYED]
1965 WEATHERBY JACK WILTON FORT WORTH TX.
[REMAINS RETURNED BY HANOI(NOT HIM???) REMAINS RETURNED 08/23/78]
1966 BOSSIO GALILEO F. DEER PARK WA.
1966 CAMERON VIRGIL KING MC ALLEN TX.
[SURVIVAL UNLIKELY REMAINS IDENTIFIED 08/06/99]
1966 CHIARELLO VINCENT A. NEW YORK NY
[POSS DIED IN CRASH REMAINS RETURNED 03/02/88]
1966 CONKLIN BERNARD STONEY POINT NY.
[DEAD REMAINS RETURNED 03/02/88]
1966 DI TOMMASO ROBERT J. BUFFALO NY.
1966 HALL JAMES S. GREENSBORO NC.
[REMAINS RETURNED 03/02/88]
1966 HOSKINSON ROBERT E. MORO OR.
1966 LAWS DELMER L. MINERAL POINT MO.
1966 MAMIYA JOHN II WAHIAWA HI.
[REMAINS RETURNED 03/02/88]
1966 SMITH HERBERT E. APPALACHICOLA FL.
[DEAD / RETURNED 03/88]
1967 BENNEFELD STEVEN HENRY GIRARD KS.
1967 JOHNSON RICHARD HERMAN WOLCOTT NY.
1968 AUXIER JERRY E. DIXIE WV.
1972 KULA JAMES D. MANCHESTER NH.
[03/29/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE IN 98]
1972 MATSUI MELVIN K. HILO HI.
[03/29/73 RELEASED BY DRV]

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

On this day...
0362 Emperor Julianus of Constantinople ends education laws
1014 Battle of Strumitsa-valley: Byzantine destroys Bulgarian armies
1565 Mary Queen of Scots marries her cousin, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley
1588 Attacking Spanish Armada defeated & scattered by English defenders
1603 Bartholomew Gilbert is killed in Virginia by Indians, during a search for the missing Roanoke colonists.
1676 Nathaniel Bacon declared a rebel for assembling frontiersmen to protect settlers from Indians
1715 10 Spanish treasure galleons sunk off Florida coast by hurricane
1751 1st international world title prize fight-Jack Stack of England,beats challenger M Petit of France in 29 mins in England
1773 1st schoolhouse west of Allegheny Mtns completed, Schoenbrunn, OH
1786 1st newspaper published west of Alleghenies, Pitts Gazette
1835 1st sugar plantation in Hawaii begins
1844 New York Yacht Club forms
1851 A De Gasparis discovers asteroid #15 Eunomia
1858 1st commercial treaty between US & Japan signed
1858 US citizens allowed to live anywhere in Japan
1862 Confederate spy Marie Isabella "Belle" Boyd is captured
1864 3rd and last day of battle at Deep Bottom Run, Virginia
1864 Battle of Macon, GA (Stoneman's Raid)
1874 Major Walter Copton Wingfield patents a portable tennis court
1899 1st motorcycle race, Manhattan Beach, NY
1899 Southern Calif Golf Assn formed
1914 1st transcontinental phone link made between NYC & SF
1914 Austrian-Hungary bombs Belgrade
1914 Russia mobilize troops along Austrian boundary
1915 Pirate Honus Wagner at 41, hits a grand slam HR
1920 1st transcontinental airmail flight from NY to SF
1920 Mexican rebel Pancho Villa surrenders
1921 Adolf Hitler becomes the president of the Nationalist Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazis).
1927 1st iron lung installed (Bellevue hospital, NY)

1928 Walt Disney's "Steamboat Willie" is released (Mickey Mouse)

1930 115ø F (46ø C), Holly Springs, Mississippi (state record)
1936 RCA shows the 1st real TV program (dancing, film on locomotives, Bonwit Teller fashion show & monologue from Tobacco Road & comedy)
1937 C Jackson discovers asteroid #1431 Luanda
1937 Japanese troops occupies Peking and Tientsin
1938 Comic strip "Dennis the Menace," 1st appears
1938 Olympic National Park established

1945 After delivering the Atomic Bomb across the Pacific, the cruiser USS Indianapolis is torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese submarine

1947 Gas leak explodes in a beauty parlor, 10 women die in Harrisonburg Va
1948 King George VI opens 14th modern Olympic games in London
1952 1st nonstop transpacific flight by a jet
1953 US bombers shot down at north of Wladiwostok
1957 International Atomic Energy Agency established by UN
1957 Jack Paar's Tonight show premiers
1958 Pres Eisenhower signs NASA & Space Act of 1958
1961 Phillies lose 1st of 23 straight games
1961 Wallis & Futuna Islands become a French overseas territory
1965 Beatles movie "Help" premiers, Queen Elizabeth attends
1965 Gemini 5 returned after 12d 7h 11m 53s
1965 Major league record 26 strikeouts, Phillies (16), Pirates (10)

1967 Explosion & Fire aboard carrier USS Forrestal in Gulf of Tonkin kills 134, $100 million in damage

1968 Mount Arenal, Costa Rica kills 80 in Pelee-type eruption
1968 Pope Paul VI reaffirms stand against artificial birth control
1969 Mariner 6 begins transmitting far-encounter photos of Mars
1970 6 days of race rioting in Hartford Ct
1973 Greek plebiscite chooses republic over monarchy
1974 2nd impeachment vote against Nixon by the House Judiciary Committee
1974 St Louis Card Lou Brock steals his 700th base
1975 Ford became 1st US pres to visit Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz
1978 Penny Dean swims English Channel in record 7h40m
1978 Pioneer 11 transmits images of Saturn & its rings
1981 Prince Charles of England weds Lady Diana Spencer
1983 Steve Garvey ends his NL record 1,207 consecutive game streak
1984 Summer Olympics opens in LA
1985 19th Space Shuttle Mission (51-F)-Challenger 8-launched
1986 NY jury rules NFL violated antitrust laws, awards USFL $1 in damages
1987 Ben & Jerry's & Jerry Garcia agree on a new flavor Cherry Garcia
1988 FDIC bails out 1st Republic Bank, Dallas, with $4 billion
1988 Gorbachev pushes plan electing president & parliament in March, 1989
1988 Judge orders NASA to release unedited tape from Challenger cockpit
1988 Last US Playboy Club (Lansing Mich) closes
1988 South African govt bans anti-apartheid film "Cry Freedom"
1989 Vince Coleman, record streak stopped at 50 straight stolen bases
1990 Boston Red Sox set major league record with 12 doubles in a game
1991 Donald Trump gives Marla Maples a 7+ carat engagement ring
1991 The Federal Reserve sought a $200 million penalty against BCCI for violating U.S. banking laws. It was the largest fine in the Federal Reserve's history.
1992 Former Secretary of Defense Clark Clifford and his law partner, Robert Altman, were indicted on charges of lying about their roles in the BCCI bank scandal.
1992 Former East German leader Erich Honecker was arrested on his return to his homeland and charged with manslaughter
1993 Walter Koenig (Checkov-Star Trek) suffers a mild heart attack
1993 Israeli Court of Appeal overturns (5-0) conviction of John Demjaujuk, saying not enough evidence he is Concentration Camp Ivan the Terrible
1994 200,000 Moslems demand death to feminist Taslima Nasrin
1999 A federal judge in Little Rock, Ark., fined President Clinton $89,000 for lying about his relationship with
former White House intern Monica Lewinsky in his deposition in the Paula Jones sexual harassment case.

Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Norway : Olsok Eve Festival (1030)
Gilroy, California : Garlic Festival ( Friday )
National Eye Exam Month

Religious Observances
Ang, Luth : Comm of Mary & Martha (Lazarus' sister) of Bethany
Luth : Commemoration of Olaf, King of Norway, martyr

Religious History
1775 The U.S. Army Chaplaincy was founded, making it the second oldest branch of thatservice, after the Infantry.
1776 Pioneer Methodist bishop Francis Asbury remarked in his journal: 'My present modeof conduct is...to read about 100 pages a day; usually to pray in public five times aday.... If it were in my power, I would do a thousand times as much for such a gracious andblessed Master.'
1866 Birth of Thomas O. Chisholm, American Methodist pastor, teacher, editor and poet.Of the 1,200 sacred verses he penned, one later became the popular hymn: 'Great Is ThyFaithfulness.'
1905 Birth of Dag Hammarskjold, Swedish diplomat and Secretary-General of the U.N.(1953-61). His spiritual journal 'Markings' was published in 1964, three years after his untimely death in a plane crash.
1974 The first eleven women priests in the Episcopal Church were ordained inPhiladelphia's Church of the Advocate.

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

Thought for the day :
"This will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave."

Things To Do If You Ever Became An Evil Overlord...
After you capture the hero's superweapon, DO NOT immediately disband your legions and relax your guard because you believe whoever holds the weapon is unstoppable. After all, the hero held the weapon and you took it from him.

Letters To God From The Dog...
Dear God,
If we come back as humans, is that good, or bad?

Dumb Laws...
Tennessee:
You can't shoot any game other than whales from a moving automobile.

How To Annoy Osama bin Laden If You're Invited To A Dinner Party At His Secret Afghan Lair...
Explain that America is a land of freedom and opportunity, filled with people of every race, religion, and background, including millions of women strong enough to knock the crap out of him.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.