I want you all to hear of a human-interest story involving an 11-year-old boy and his cousin, Marine Cpl Jeffrey Burgess, who died in Iraq on March 25, 2004.
There is a young man in Plymouth, Mass., Alan Burgess, whose cousin, Marine Cpl Jeffery Burgess, died in Iraq in March. Alan admired his cousin, and called him a hero.
Alan wrote to his cousin when he could, and one thing he remembered his cousin saying was that once the Marines were done for the day patrolling, they would go back to their base and were bored and wanted some way to relax--something like throwing a baseball back and forth, or a football. Alan sent in a couple of gifts to the troops, including his cousin's friend. Alan admired these Marines, and wanted them to feel that the people back home supported them, and he did all he could to let them know he did not forget their efforts.
Alan's cousin, Jeffrey, died as a result of combat wounds he suffered in Fallujah. Cpl. Jeffrey Burgess died a hero in the eyes of his family, and in those of this 11-year-old cousin, Alan.
Allan chose to honor the memory of his cousin by donating sporting goods and toys to the troops in Iraq, and collected 12 boxes full!
Alan did a great thing, and wanted to do something even larger. Now, in order to expand on the efforts of this young man, a friend of mine who was on his cousin's burial detail spoke with the young man, Alan Burgess, and agreed to work with him to arrange a larger sporting goods drive for the troops and the Iraqi kids that visited the Marine camp daily to talk with and occasionally play with the Marines.
Thanks to contact with some Marines on active duty, a VERY SENIOR 1st Marine Division officer, who once served with some of the people involved in making this Sporting Goods drive happen, has been in touch with people who are now working on providing an aircraft to fly over what can be collected for the troops and the Iraqi kids!
And that is no exaggeration!
This young man's story is what I think we should all tell. He has shown more patriotism than most adults do in their lifetime, and he is only 11 years old. Because of his dream to honor his cousin's death, Nationally now, some old Marines got off their chair to help him succeed, and even got a VERY SENIOR Marine to chip in and fly the sporting goods and toys to the troops and Iraqi kids!
Alan's dream is for the troops to have things to amuse themselves with on off-duty hours. This SENIOR MARINE wants us to send stuff for the Iraqi kids too, so we hope to do both! But in keeping with Alan's original goal, we need to concentrate on the sporting goods for the troops first.
On June 23, 2004, the Marine Corps League of Orleans, Massachusetts, honored this young man with a ceremony, awarding him a Certificate of Appreciation while the Marine Corps Silent Drill team performed at Orleans in Massachusetts on Cape Cod.
Enclosed are some pictures of the event, with some pictures of the young man.
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What we have decided to do is hold a Sporting Goods Collection Drive, to be collected at a Marine Corps/Navy Reserve Center near you.
This is ALREADY A DEFINITE THING HERE IN CONNECTICUT, the collection day is July 17, at the Navy Marine Corps Reserve Centers in Plainville, Connecticut, and the New Haven Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Center.
NEW HAVEN, CT
CBMU 202 DET B
NAVAL AND MARINE CORPS RESERVE CENTER
30 WOODWARD AVE
NEW HAVEN, CT 06512-3658
(203) 467-1618
PLAINVILLE, CT
NMCB 27 DET 1327
NAVAL AND MARINE CORPS RESERVE CENTER
1 LINSLEY DRIVE
PLAINVILLE, CT 06062-2918
(860) 747-4563
Anbd, in Rhode Island, a Collection center has been established. Here is the information concerning the Rhode Island Collection:
Feel free to list our Reserve Center as a drop/collection location for sporting goods. I am the Marine who led the funeral honors for LCpl Jeffrey Charles Burgess. I walked with this family during their darkest hour and feel that if Iwe can help in any way then we need to. I met Allan and his little brother Dana at the Wake and I can say, if America possessed children like this in mass, I would know our country would be in great hands in the future.
Again, Thank you to all of you who are helping Allan and certainly a hardy THANK YOU to Allan, as stated earlier, Allan has made a greater difference and impact by pursuing this initiative than most do in an entire lifetime.
God Bless and Semper Fidelis. 1stSgt Todd M. Parisi/USMC
All-hands attached to this email... many of you have large contacts, I am hoping that you reach out and help us contribute to the vision of this fine young man.
Please forward this email for widest dissemination. Let us all lean into this charge.
PROVIDENCE, RI
GSMTCO
NAVY/MARINE CORPS RESERVE CENTER
1 NARRAGANSETT STREET
PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND. 02905
(401) 461-2473
The types of sporting goods were are specifically requesting are:
baseballs
gloves
footballs
basketballs
and by special request of the Marine Corps, SOCCER BALLS for the Iraqi kids! And any soccer-related equipment.
It does not have to be new equipment, all it has to be is usable equipment that you would not be ashamed to donate for someone to use.
Cash donations can be sent to:
Jeffrey Burgess Recreational Fund
Plymouth Savings Bank
36 MAIN STREET
BOX 3506
Plymouth, Massachusetts, 02361
Phone: 508-746-3300
In order to protect names, I have to keep some things confidential, but I can say, this is being worked on from the TOP!
We would like to get this on every talk show in the planet, we would like to SWAMP the collection centers with recreational sporting goods for the troops and Iraqi kids, we need to let our Troops KNOW they are NOT forgotten, and we need to let the Iraqi kids KNOW, we are not the bad guys!
For a Connecticut contact for this Sporting Goods drive, please call 860-585-5469
