Posted on 10/23/2001 4:56:27 AM PDT by patriciaruth
The Chaplain at Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo has kept me informed about the care packages that we started sending to our troops before September 11 and continued to send afterwards.
He said that the most appreciated gifts were candy bars (Snickers was a big hit) and movie videos.
Since then we have sent hundreds of full size bars and about 4000 pieces of Halloween candy. And we have sent over 50 videos.
From his first email:
JUST RECEIVED ANOTHER PACKAGE FROM YOU AND WANT TO SEND MY GREAT THANKS TO YOU FOR THE VIDEOS YOU MAILED...I GUARANTEE THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN WATCHED A FEW TIMES...
ATTACHED ARE SOME PICTURES OF SOME SIGHTS IN KOSOVO...HOPE THEY GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT IT'S LIKE OVER HERE...
THE VIDEOS, AS I SAID, ARE A BIG PLUS. IT IS OUR MAJOR "PASSER OF TIME" OVER HERE...AND THESE GUYS WILL WATCH THE SAME ONES 10 TIMES...THEY LIKE THE ACTION VIDEOS...MACHO STUFF LIKE ARNOLD MOVIES AND THE LIKE...GIBSON...ANY KIND OF COMEDY IS GOOD AS THEY ALL NEED A GOOD LAUGH WHICH REALLY HELPS MORALE...
MAGAZINE WISE THE GUYS ARE INTO "MAXIM," MEN'S HEALTH ETC. THAT KIND OF STUFF...
From his second email sent yesterday.
WHAT A GREAT BLESSING YOU ALL ARE FOR SENDING THOSE ITEMS...IT IS A TREMENDOUS HIT WITH THE SOLDIERS-ESPECIALLY THE VIDEOS...WE ARE ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO THE HALLOWEEN STUFF...AND OF COURSE SNICKERS AROUND HERE ARE LIKE GOLD...I HAVE TO BE CAREFUL AND NOT WALK AROUND WITH THE BOX ITSELF OR I WILL BE TACKLED!
IN REGARD TO DUPLICATE VIDEOS-THAT IS FINE-I WILL TAKE THEM TO THE OTHER CAMPS WE HAVE-WE ALSO HAVE ... OBSERVATION POINTS THAT ARE ...WE FINALLY GOT TV'S OUT TO THOSE GUYS AND VIDEOS ARE THE BIGGEST MORALE BOOSTERS OUT THERE. I TAKE ALL THE SPARE ONES OUT THERE SO THEY GET OUT TO A MINIMUM OF ...OPS OR OUR ... MAIN CAMPS...DO NOT WORRY ABOUT DUPLICATES...PLUS THESE YOUNG GUYS WILL WATCH JURASSIC PARK UNTIL THE TAPE BURNS UP.
[Jurassic Park was sent in duplicate.]
ONE THING TO NOTE IS THAT IT IS STILL A VERY DANGEROUS PLACE OVER HERE TOO..ON OUR FIRST DAY IN COUNTRY ONE OF OUR MILITARY POLICEMEN WAS KILLED WHEN HIS VEHICLE ROLLED OVER-I ATTACHED SOME PICTURES OF THE CEREMONY WE CONDUCTED WHEN SENDING HIM HOME FOR THE LAST TIME...
On a personal note, I believe that many of the troops in Kosovo will eventually, if not sooner, be going to the Afghan front, and possibly Somalia, and they will be replaced in Kosovo by UN troops. And I want them to take memories of us caring about them when they go.
Videos that have already been sent are:
Apollo 13, Gettysburg, The Last of the Mohicans, The Right Stuff, The Mask of Zorro, Lawrence of Arabia, A Town Like Alice, Back to the Future (first), Stargate, Victor Borge comedy hour, To Kill a Mockingbird, VHS head cleaner.
Men in Black, Mystery Alaska, the two best Star Trek--The Wrath of Khan and The Voyage Home, Galaxy Quest, Remember the Titans, Ghost, Die Hard (first), Independence Day, A More Perfect Union (a movie about the writing of the Constitution), Inauguration Ceremony and President Bush's First Inaugural Address on January 20th (C-span), Jurassic Park, and Witness.
Good Fella, Driving Miss Daisy, War of the Roses, Green Card sent from one and Braveheart, L.A. Story, and Princess Bride sent from another.
In the pipeline are Shaft (Samuel Jackson), The Phantom Menace (Star War, Episode I), President Bush's Speech at the TV and Radio Correspondence Dinner (C-span), Ace Ventura Pet Detective, Air Force One, Lethal Weapon (first), Starship Troopers, Sixth Sense, Maverick, 4-pak X-Files video set, Deep Impact, Trials of Life (the episode on animal reproduction), Crocodile Dundee, Meteor, The Natural, Guarding Tess, The Matrix, October Sky, Dragonheart, Airplane, Man from Snowy River, Batman (first), The Bounty (Mel Gibson).
Mountaingirl is probably going to be mailing The Patriot (Mel Gibson) tomorrow with some more Hallowe'en candy. We fell short of our goal of 5000 pieces, but got around 4000 sent out.
Groundhog Day and Silver Streak will go in the next package as soon as I can locate an Arnold Schwartzenegger movie or two to go with them.
The silk scarves project is still in the works. More on that in the next report, but there has been definite progress, and an appeal for contributions will be posted soon. The scarves, as requested by a commander in the field, will be 18"x48", and some will be dark brown (camouflage, dark brown or black recommended so they don't show dirt and sweat).
For those who don't know why they are wanted--they can help take the friction off the neck and shoulders when worn under the LBE (load bearing equipment) as well as being a light weight source of warmth.
Unfortunately, the war is probably going to come to them when the bin Laden supporters in the KLA turn on them.
Now off to the Post Office!
Should I?
Tom Brokaw wanted us to stop ethnic cleansing. How quickly they forget.
I'll pick one up then at Walmart. And I took out the razors I planned to send. Sealed packages of candy will take their place.
Tom Brokaw wanted us to stop ethnic cleansing. How quickly they forget.
Girl, you are good!!
A package of bubble gum (100 pieces)
A package of Tootsie Roll Pops (about 50 pieces)
A package of Snickers (full size bars)
A package of Paydays (also full size)
A deck of cards
2 VHS Videos (Lethal Weapon 2 and 4 on sale at Walmart for $6.44 each)
A box of envelopes
A writing pad
A Tulsa World newspaper
Oops! I mailed it off before reading this. It's already on its way!
They're big boys. It won't kill them.
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