CARE PACKAGES for our Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, 2005

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1273305/posts ^ | 2-18-05 | patriciaruth

[patriciaruth]

Time for a new thread!

Our Merry Band of Patriots has seen a psy-ops unit at Bagram, Afghanistan, help educate voters in Afghanistan and come home successfully, while we supported them and special forces in the field by sending over 100 movies and many packages of snacks and toiletries and Hallowe'en candy. A Christmas tree and decorations (Daybreakcoming) and stockings (Ican'tbelieveit) and cards and over 400 candy canes were sent for their follow-on unit, and a box with movies and magazines and misc is just beginning to fill for their next care package. The movies and books we sent previously went into the Special Forces library there.

We've seen Beast Battery at Kirkuk, Iraq, through till their deployment home, sending them over 100 movies and dozens of books and a microwave and DVD/VCR player (from arjay) and many big boxes of snacks. Plus a huge wave of goodies was organized by McLynnan for Christmas in Kirkuk (2 prelit trees, ornaments, Santa suit, many stockings with stuffers, many cards, and a couple thousand candy canes to share out with all the forces there).

We've supported the 411th Engineers at Baghdad in 2004 with about 70 movies and several dozen books, a Playstation 2 and a Nintendo console with a couple dozen games (from asgardshill and ican'tbelieveit), a 4 foot Christmas tree and ornaments and boxes of snacks and many cards and 600 candy canes. In the next couple months we will be bidding them Godspeed as they return to their homebase in Hawaii.

We've sent over 50 movies, a DVD/VCR player (from arjay), and a dozen and a half books to an MI unit near Kirkuk, plus some Christmas decorations and stocking stuffers, and many cards and 156 candy canes. They have mostly left for home now and we just sent a package with more movies to their follow-on unit.

Also we have sent some packages to an Aviation unit at Balad, Iraq and to an Infantry Medics unit, and a small Christmas package each to another AVN unit and an MP unit.

Stryker Infantry company formerly at Fallujah and now at Mosul since November has been the major focus of our care packages these past months. All of Stryker at Mosul has taken fire, and our adopted company has suffered a KIA and some soldiers with severe injuries.

Early on we sent food items (mostly power bars and dried fruit and nuts) then Christmas stockings stuffed with goodies and many cards and 200 candy canes, and since Christmas have begun sending movies. They recently received a DVD/VCR player (from arjay) and with the movies just mailed today their collection will total about 75 movies and a dozen books.

And all this happened because our grassroots volunteer group began forming in the early summer of 2001 to send care packages to Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo, when the 101st Airborne and then the 10th Mountain were there.

The contents of packages just mailed will be listed in post below.

[Just mythoughts]

BUMP to a wonderful update. I pray the wet weather is not affecting you.

Happy New Year's to you and yours.

May God Continue to Bless Our Military.

[patriciaruth]

We've had a lovely, light continuous rain for a day, with sunshine and big white clouds in a blue sky at the moment.

It's a perfect rain for our agricultural industry here and for my trees.

And the rain puts snow on the nearby Sierra which means snow melt for our irrigation come Spring.

So, for those of us in the Central Valley of California, this is a long awaited and much needed rain.

[Just mythoughts]

Glad to hear that you are getting much needed rain. I do pray that those needing rain in Texas and Oklahoma will get some soon.

You have a good afternoon/evening.

[CAluvdubya]

Happy New Year to you Patty and Happy New Year to The Merry Band of Patriots!

Ah yes, I well remember the trials and tribulations of farming in the Central Valley (Dad was a farmer in Kingsburg. It was always about the weather! LOL)!

[shezza]

A few photos from Christmas in Kabul:

MSG Dewey introducing a man who needs no introduction

Waiting to see Santa...and the line outside is even more anxious

(Note the stacks of boxes piled up...they're filled with Christmas treats and surprises
sent from patriotic Americans who support our troops - Thanks, FR Canteen!)

"Yes, of course I've been good." (darling hubby on Santa's lap)

Mission Accomplished. Thank you, Unknown Marine, for your holiday cheer.

Thanks to everyone who helped support our troops this year with all the gifts, treats, cards, and prayers.

[PGalt]

Thanks for the update. Thanks for your work. Have a healthy and prosperous new year Patty.

Happy New Year to all of America's finest.

[daybreakcoming]

A Happy New Year to you Patty and the rest who have done such a magnificent job of letting our troops know we love 'em.

You may have seen it but I am going to send a link to a movie made by our guys in Iraq which shows they have not lost their sense of offbeat humor. You will need to have your sound on. The person who sent it to me said it was a guy whose girlfriend lives in Amarilla, TX

[daybreakcoming]

http://www.boreme.com/boreme/funny-2005/army-amarillo-p1.php?emf=1

[Ros42]

Wonderful pictures!! Thanks for sharing them with us! Looks like they had a great time with Santa there :)

[patriciaruth]

Thank you card from AFGHANISTAN! (re the Hickory Farms Gift Pack that we sent to a Marine)

****
Dear **

Please accept my sincere appreciation for your thoughtfulness and consideration in purchasing and sending the delicious box of “goodies” to Afghanistan. Thank you!

Please convey my appreciation to (Let's Roll) as well, since it was her wish that sent the box to a Marine.

Semper Fidelis,
(**)
MAJ, USMC

P.S. Please thank (Mr. and Mrs. ShowMeMom) from (*) for their Christmas card as well.

[Let's Roll]

"Please convey my appreciation to (Let's Roll) as well, since it was her wish that sent the box to a Marine."

Patty,

I was so touched to be thanked - certainly wasn't expecting it.

We are just so proud of all of our military and love them for their sacrifice on our behalf.

I'm in awe of all that you and your Merry Band accomplish for our troops. I can tell that you never stop thinking about ways to quickly and effectively do things for them.

You are very special. May God continue to Bless you and your efforts.

Sandie

[Just mythoughts]

Bump for the Troops!!!

[Coop]

Not only are you excellent at supporting the troops, but you're also wonderful about providing feedback to those who support your efforts!! That deserves a

[kattracks]

Mailed to Tal Afar today. 1 box containing:

4 books - Home and Away (baseball)- Wired - Live From New York (Sat. Nite Live) People (The Century Collection)- 2 decks playing cards - 2 pkgs Oreo cookies - 5 Bumble Bee Chic. salad w/ crackers - 10 pkgs Bumble Bee Tuna - 5 boxes Nestle's Hot Choc. mix - 2 pkgs Mary Jane taffy - 2 pkgs Junior Mints - 6 pkgs gum - 2 pkgs Tootsie Roll bites - 1 box Fudge Brownies (12 per box).

[patriciaruth]

I'm broke at the moment and can't send anything for a couple months, but you are welcome to link your thread here, in case anyone else still has money and can help you out.

[Marie]

Thank you, Patricia! Here's the link:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1551575/posts

I wish I could start over with that link! I've learned quite a bit in one day! lol!

[kattracks]

I received two Christmas cards from our troops in Iraq with two lovely thank you notes inside them.

I have to tell you, I got goose bumps and tears in my eyes when I opened and read them. With all they are doing and all they are involved in how very wonderful of them to take the time to send these cards. It touched me deeply.

[kattracks]

Mailed to Tal Afar.

1 Box containing:

4 books (Prince of Ayodhya - fantasy)- Leadership (Rudy Giuliani author)- On Top Of The World (9/11-Cantor Fitzgerald) Miracle of St. Anna (WW11 Novel) - 4 boxes Nestle's Hot choc. mix - 1 pkg. Fudge Brownies - 2 pkgs. Double Bubbble bubble gum - 2 pkgs. Tootsie Pops - 1 bag assorted candy - 4 DVDs (Ghost-The Firm-Footloose-Fatal Attraction)

[kattracks]

and 5 air freshners.

[Rastus]

Here's a story that might be of interest to the list:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1552636/posts

Read the thread, but it is basically a fundraiser for the children of Sgt. Andrew Farrar, killed in Iraq nearly a year ago.