Send Christmas Cards to a Viet Nam Vet

I wrote back to Colleen suggesting that she contact her local VFW, Marine Corps League, American Legion, and Vietnam Veterans of America. I've also posted her message on American Veterans

I AM HOPING YOU AND YOUR READERS CAN HELP ME WITH A PROBLEM, I HAVE A NEIGHBOR, A MARINE, WHO DID TWO TOURS IN NAM, HE IS VERY POOR HEALTH AND PROBABLY WON'T LIVE TO SEE ANOTHER CHRISTMAS, HE LIVES IN A 3 ROOM HOUSE HE BUILT HIS SELF, HE HAS NO LIVING FAMILY, FEW FRIENDS, EVERY CHRISTMAS I TAKE HIM A BASKET OF GOODIES, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THAT IS CHRISTMAS CARDS FROM ALL OVER, FROM OTHER VETS, YOU CAN'T IMAGINE HOW HAPPY THIS WOULD MAKE HIS CHRISTMAS. HE LIVES WITH HIS CAT, AND IN ON OXYGEN AS HE HAS EMPHYSEMA AND IS BASICALLY HOUSEBOUND. PLEASE IF YOU CAN HELP ME, HIS NAME IS RICHARD WORKMAN, AND YOU CAN SEND CARDS TO HIM C/O COLLEEN CASTILLO, 3372 S KNOX, ODESSA,TX 79763

OK EVERYONE, ONE MORE UPDATE BEFORE THE BIG DAY, I WISH I HAD THE WORDS TO TELL YOU HOW SUCCESSFUL THIS HAS BEEN, I HAVE RECIEVED OVER 100 CARDS, HAVE 8 OR 9 GIFTS WRAPPED AND READY TO BE DELIVERED ON CHRISTMAS EVE, RICHARD HAS BEEN GIVEN 5 OR 6 CARDS EVERY 2 OR 3 DAYS, AND THINKS THAT IS ALL THERE IS, AND COULD NOT BE HAPPIER, HE HAS TOLD ME SEVERAL TIMES YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH THIS HAS MEANT TO ME, BUT THE TRUTH IS HE HAS NO IDEA WHAT THIS HAS MEANT TO ME AND MY HUSBAND, WHAT STARTED OUT TO GET HIM A FEW CARDS, HAS TURNED OUT JUST UNBELIEVABLE TO US, SO MANY GOOD HEARTED CARING PEOPLE IN THE WORLD, WITH ALL THE BAD NEWS YOU HEAR EVERYDAY, THE GOOD GETS ECLIPSED, BUT THIS IS A CHRISTMAS I WILL NEVER FORGET, I KNOW IT IS ONE RICHARD WILL NEVER FORGET, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, THIS MONTH HE HAD SOME MINOR CAR PROBLEMS, TOOK THE LAST FEW DOLLARS HE HAD, AND HE CAME TO BORROW CAT FOOD, WELL MY HUSBAND WENT TO TAKE IT OVER, AND I REACHED IN THE BAG AND PULLED OUT 5 CARDS, AT RANDOM, AND HE TOOK THEM OVER, RICHARD STOPPED BY LATER TO TELL US IN ONE CARD WAS A 5 DOLLAR BILL, IN ANOTHER WAS A GIFT CARD FROM WALMART, WHICH IS WHERE HE HAPPENS TO SHOP, AND IT WAS FOR 100.00. I GOT AN E MAIL ASKING ME IF THIS WOMEN COULD SEND HIM A GIFT CARD FROM WALMART, COULD HE USE IT, I NEVER DREAMED IT WAS FOR 100.00, AND IT CAME AT THE EXACT MOMENT HE NEEDED IT SO DESPERATLEY, HOW GENEROUS IS THAT, TO GIVE SOMEONE YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW 100.00. WELL I SWORE I WASN'T GOING TO TEAR UP ON THIS ONE, NOW I AM CRYING AND TYPING IN WRONG LETTERS, OK, SO... MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU ALL, CONGRATULAIONS TO ALL OF YOU YOU HAVE MADE A FORGOTTEN MARINE, HAVE THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER WILL UPDATE AFTER CHRISTMAS, SINCE WE STILL HAVE 5 DAYS, BUT WANTED TO TELL YOU ALL MISSION ACCOMPLISHED, THANK YOU. COLLEEN

HELLO EVERYONE, HOPE YOU ALL HAD AS GOOD A CHRISTMAS, AS YOU ALL HAVE MADE RICHARDS AND MINE. FIRST, I HAVE A LETTER FROM RICHARD: MY DEAREST FRIENDS AND COMRADES, I HAVE ASKED COLLEEN AND CISCO TO SEND THIS TO YOU , NO WORDS COULD EVER EXPRESS WHAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR ME. I CAN'T REMEMBER WHEN I HAVE HAD SUCH A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS, AFTER CISCO LEFT MY HOME,AFTER BRINGING ALL YOUR CARDS AND GIFTS, THE TEARS WERE UNCONTROLLABLE, I COULD NEVER BEGIN TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE. IT WILL TAKE ME SOME TIME, BUT I PROMISE TO SEND OUT CARDS AND LETTERS TO EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU WHO HAVE MADE MY LIFE SO COMPLETE. THANK YOU COLLEEN AND CISCO, I LOVE YOU GUYS WITH ALL MY HEART, GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS OVER SEAS PROTECTING US, AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, RICHARD NOW MY TURN, I HAVE SAID THANK YOU MANY TIMES, BUT ONE MORE TIME, BRUCE, THANKS WITHOUT YOU THIS WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN THE HUGE SUCCESS IT WAS, AND TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU GREAT PEOPLE, WHO CAME THROUGH AND GAVE FROM THERE HEARTS, RICHARD HAD A CHRISTMAS HE WILL NEVER FORGET, HE RECIEVED ABOUT 150 CARDS, AND MANY MANY CARDS HAD MONEY, 5 AND 10 DOLLARS, SOME MORE, SOME ONLY A HEARTFELT THANKS FOR FIGHTING FOR OUR FREEDOM, WHICH MEANT SO VERY MUCH TO HIM, THE GIFTS WERE GREAT, AND EVEN HIS CAT WAS NOT FORGOTTEN. I WILL BE SENDING PICTURES SHORTLY TO BRUCE WHO IS GOING TO POST THEM ON HIS SITE, AND THEN I WILL BOW OUT, AND ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO CONTACT RICHARD, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DO SO, IT WOULD MEAN THE WORLD TO HIM, UNFORTUANTELY HIS HEALTH IS MUCH WORSE, AND THE WINTER IS VERY HARD FOR HIM, I TRULY DON'T BELIEVE HE WILL MAKE IT TO SEE ANOTHER CHRISTMAS, ALTHOUGH I HOPE I AM WRONG. SO HIS ADDRESS IS RICHARD WORKMAN, 3300 S. KNOX, ODESSA,TEXAS 79763, AND SINCE YOU HAVE ALL BEEN SO KIND, I WILL MENTION HIS BITRHDAY IS FEB 14 TH. THOSE WHO HAVE NOT HEARD FROM HIM, YOU WILL, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ALSO SENT ME CARDS AND LETTERS SAYING WHAT A GREAT THING I WAS DOING, THANK YOU, AND REMEMBER I ONLY ASKED, THATS EASY, YOU ALL WENT TO THE TROUBLE OF SENDING WHATEVER YOU COULD BUT THE LETTERS TELLING HIM HE WAS A HERO STILL, MEANT MORE THAN ANYTHING TO HIM, HE TREASURES THEM, THANK YOU,ALL OF YOU, MAY THE NEW YEAR BRING YOU ALL MUCH HAPPINESS, COLLEEN AND CISCO CASTILLO-

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