Richard Workman
Posted on 01/25/2002 2:51:58 AM PST by Shenandoah
Dear Freepers,
The pics are finally in!
Back in November a very wonderful lady from Texas, Colleen Castillo, notified Free Republic that there is an ailing Vietnam Veteran who has very little and she suggested that sending him Christmas Cards would brighten up his Christmas. She and her husband, Cisco, look out for this former Marine sniper.
Well, what started out as a simple plea by a lady with a good heart turned into a cause celebre'! The response from Freepers was overwhelming! Not only that, but the media picked up on it as well, and Richard Workman was mentioned on the radio.
The short of it is that Richard had a Very Merry Christmas with presents, hundreds of cards, many of them including five and ten dollar bills, and scores of personal letters expressing thanks for his sacrifice for his country!
The original thread,
says it all! In particular, look for Colleen's posts (ciscoll), easily identified by all caps, no paragraphs, and a gift for expressing what is in her heart. Each of her posts are updates on what had been transpiring. Post #215 includes a personal letter from Richard Workman.
To view more pictures from Richard's Christmas, (Cisco, the C-man, is the guy in the overalls):
Off to work bump.
This post really made my day. I think of Richard and the Castillos often and wondered how it all turned out. Now I know.
Thanks to all who got this ball rolling. Richard looks like a very happy man.
made it to work bump!
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-
232 posted on 1/2/02 3:08 PM Pacific by ciscoll
Colleen pretty much says it all. I will treasure the thank you card Richard sent me, although he shouldn't have.
So sorry to hear Richard's health is failing. I will definitely send him a birthday card and gift.
February 14th - Valentine's Day - the day we express our love. How fitting.
Now, what's this about Colleen "bowing out"?
You can't just fade out into the sunset now, Colleen. You and the C-meister are now and forevermore inexorably linked with Richard and Free Republic. Your ability to express yourself so well is needed throughout the daily discussions here at FP. And especially now that you have so admirably mastered the concept of paragraphs.
Well, I for one have officially adopted Richard Workman as one of my own, and he will definitely be receiving well wishes from me on Feb. 14th. I'll try very hard to resist the urge to mail him a Valentine's card.
I'm so impressed with Colleen for contacting Shenandoah, and asking help in getting out the info on the fella, and staying with it until he did get help.
This is so cool
heh-heh heh-heh heh-heh
Where and when and with whom did he serve?
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