Posted on 07/14/2004 7:14:58 PM PDT by RaceBannon
There is a young man in Plymouth, Mass., Alan Burgess, whose cousin, Marine LCpl 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. LCpl. 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.
http://mywebpage.netscape.com/JamesBancroft/all+175.jpg
http://mywebpage.netscape.com/JamesBancroft/all+162.jpg
http://mywebpage.netscape.com/JamesBancroft/boat+004.jpg
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
And, 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 I/we 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
PROVIDENCE, RI , GSMTCO, NAVY/MARINE CORPS RESERVE CENTER, 1 NARRAGANSETT STREET, PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND. 02905, (401) 461-2473
The types of sporting goods we 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.
TAX DEDUCTIBLE 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
Ok, Connecticut Freepers, time to show up and support your Country!
Lets make this a success!
March 26, 2004
Governor Schwarzenegger Issues Statement on Death of Air Station Miramar Marine
Governor Schwarzenegger today issued the following statement regarding the death of LCpl. Jeffrey C. Burgess of Plymouth, MA, who was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, CA.:
"Risking his life to protect fellow citizens was a duty LCpl. Burgess undertook with pride and honor. The sacrifices Jeffrey made for his country and our freedoms are an inspiration to all Americans. Our hearts go out to his loved ones."
LCpl. Burgess, 20, died March 25, due to enemy action near Al Fallujah, Iraq. He was assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 373, Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, CA.
In honor of LCpl. Burgess, Capitol flags will be flown at half-staff.
http://www.joinarnold.com/en/press/pressdetail.php?id=366
Lance Cpl Jeffrey C. Burgess, USMC The Department of Defense announced on March 26 the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
LCpl. Jeffrey C. Burgess, 20, of Plymouth, Mass., died March 25, due to enemy action near Al Fallujah, Iraq. He was assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 373, Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif.
bump
Great move by this Gov.
Our Texas Gov has not acknowledged any of our Texas KIA.
We should have leveled this place long, long ago.
Please Freepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent Connecticut ping list.
Please Freepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent Rhode Island ping list.
Bump!
SEMPER FI! hand salute Carry On!
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Toward FREEDOM
Who is this Gomes guy and what's a Veteran's agent?
Sounds like this Antonio Gomes needs a smack in the chops...how vulgar making anti-war statements during an article about this fine young Marine.
Is he a part of the military? This Gomes guy?
What a jerk.
And this Machado person...how old is her kids that they don't understand what's going on? My five year old has a basic understanding! We pray every night for our troop, some by name because WE KNOW THEM and my kids aren't fightened...they're proud!
This flaky woman doesn't even know this Marine but all she can think about is how frightened her children are??
They just couldn't keep out their anti-war spew.
Godspeed Marine, those people didn't deserve you.
I got it from a pure source that everywhere they went, all they heard was good news about the war, so they had to stay out late to find these people.
They were literally 2 people out of 150 that were interviewed about Jeffrey and the war. All the rest were pro-defense of our country and in support of this war.
These two losers had to be hunted down to find them.
Figures, my FRiend...just figures.
My children saw the towers fall. They know about Flight 93. They knew when we entered Afghanistan...they were in the room with me when those first bombs went off in Iraq and we watched on the live feed and cheered for our brave troops. They helped me bake two pies when we got The Boys and one pie when we got their daddy.
They feel proud, they know what courage is, they understand defending against evil. They know exactly what makes a hero.
One thing they're not is "frightened". I've made sure of that and the reason this woman's kids are frightened is purely because of her.
Thank God for this hero and his loved ones!
Bttt!
BUMP!
Bttt
(thanks for the ping)
Back at ya, Jarhead!
EVERYONE SAY HELLO TO AN OLD MARINE FRIEND OF MINE WHO SERVED WITH ME OFF IRAN!!
HTTP://RESCUEATTEMPT.TRIPOD.COM
(It's about time he stopped being a lurker and started posting!)
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