USO Canteen FReeper Style ~ Military Valentines Day Project ~ January 15 2003

68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub and FRiends of the Canteen

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

The original idea about organizing a Canteen project to mail packages
to the military belongs to MoJo2001
What started out with a simple FReep mail to several people quickly became a hit.
My 2 cents was to suggest that we get this project underway
in time to get these packages to the military by Valentines Day.
I think there are many different ways to do this.
Our goal is get get packages and/or cards, letters and e-mails to the military
so thay do not feel alone or forgotten on Valentines Day.
If you have not been to the USO Canteen Post Office recently there are new links and info there.
Info on what to include in Care Packages, snail mail postcards, new e-mail links, phone cards, etc.
Several FReepers have obtained snail mail addresses for active duty military.
Some of you have family and friends serving right now.
As you can tell this project can go in many different directions.
Some of you may want to "team" up with others to send one big package.
Others may want to do this by themselves.
Some may just want to e-mail or snail mail Valentines messages.
What is needed now is to post approved snail mail addresses of military bases and/or individuals.
I propose that each Wed between now and Valentines Day the thread be used to update info and ideas.
So to qoute a great patriot of 9/11 "LETS ROLL" and get this project underway!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Recruit Paul R. Athanas puts in some extra physical training in his Kilo Co. squad bay at the 3rd RTBn. Tuesday night. Leaving a lucrative construction career behind, the Boston native initially wanted to quit before excelling through recruit training.

Support of family, SDI motivate Kilo Co. recruit through training

Submitted by: MCRD Parris Island
Story Identification Number: 20031131794
Story by Cpl. Virgil P. Richardson

MCRD PARRIS ISLAND, S.C.(January 10, 2003) -- Regardless of what your recruiter tells you, there's nothing anyone can do to prepare you for the reality of boot camp. While some make the adjustment more smoothly than others, everyone who graduates and becomes a Marine is greatly changed during his or her time in recruit training. For recruit Paul R. Athanas of platoon 3002, Kilo Co., 3rd RTBn., making the transition from civilian to Marine was one he almost couldn't make.

"The adjustment was unreal," said Athanas through his thick Bostonian accent. "I was cut in half - destroyed as a person. Any doubt a recruit or self-respecting man could have was running through my head non-stop." "The boy hated us yelling all the time," said Staff Sgt. Thurman R. Lofton, Athanas' senior drill instructor. "He was on the verge of being sent home until things started turning around for him."

"I'm a grown man, and I hated having someone tell me I only had a few seconds to shave," said Athanas. "On top of missing my family, I've always been in control. I couldn't take the stress of being yelled at."

Many wonder why a union sprinkler fitter making nearly $40 per hour in the booming construction area of metropolitan Boston would give it all up to join the Corps.

"Like every American, I was [angry] after Sept. 11," said Athanas. "As a blue collar worker, my first instinct was 'let's go kill these guys,' but I had to think it through a bit first."

While anger over the terrorist attacks was the motivating factor that led Athanas towards the Corps, his dedication to duty and a sense of purpose was the ultimate deciding factor.

"I had two uncles who went with the Marines to Vietnam, and only one came home," said Athanas. "I'm not 18, and I don't have four or five years to decide what I want to do with my life, and I never wanted to regret not serving my country."

The drastic turnaround Athanas went through began one evening as he lay awake in the rack.

"Training was hard from the beginning," he said. "But when you hit the rack at night, you wonder how your family is, and what they're doing. I slowly started to realize I came here for a reason."

The realization that the Marines are about more than yelling and timed shaving came with the help of his fellow recruits and his drill instructors, said Athanas.

"Through the help of my platoon and especially the help of my senior drill instructor, I realized that everyone was missing their family and we came here to do something and I was going to do it," he said. "These recruits are the closest thing to family you have here, and the senior drill instructor was an awesome father figure."

Family support is something Athanas brought with him to Parris Island. His long-time girlfriend at first thought his decision to join was a joke.

"She didn't believe me at first," said Athanas. It was hard for us both, but she tells me how proud she is of me, and she supports me 100 percent."

Athanas produced a laminated photo of his girlfriend out of his cammies that he kept with him all through recruit training.

Written on the back was a message from his girlfriend-a goal they shared from the day he left beantown: "January 10. I Love you."

With two uncles that served in Vietnam, Athanas said his mother was the hard-sell in the family.

"My mother had a brother who died in the Corps, so me joining was hard for her, but she tells everyone who will listen how proud she is of me. She's my biggest fan."

Having fully transitioned into one of the few, the proud, Athanas looks forward to returning to his Hyde Park, Mass., home to share memories with family and friends of the biggest and best decision he ever made. A decision he almost didn't see through to the end.

"As soon as I get home, I'm gonna invite all my family and friends over to hear how they felt while I was gone," he said "Then I'm gonna eat. I'm gonna eat a lot. My mother's Italian and she makes a killer meat sauce."

[Pippin]

Howdy, Seven!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Reserve Units On The Move

Submitted by: Marine Forces Reserve
Story Identification Number: 200311317173
Story by Cpl. Ryan J. Skaggs

MARINE FORCES RESERVE, New Orleans(January 13, 2003) -- Brig. Gen. John J. McCarthy, commanding general, 4th Marine Division, visited three division units mobilized in support of Operation Enduring Freedom to speak with the Marines and their families, Jan. 10-11.

"There is no time more important than right now, while emotions are high, to speak with the Marines and their families before they leave," said McCarthy. "Speaking with the Marines and offering words of confidence is critical at this time, as well as providing their families with reassurance that we are there for them, to help them, and to put to ease their minds while they think about where their sons or husbands may be going and what they are doing."

Company A, 8th Tank Battalion, Fort Knox, Ky., and Company C, 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, San Antonio, are deploying as part of a larger force repositioning in Southwest Asia for possible future operations. Company A, 1st Battalion, 24th Marines, Grand Rapids, Mich., will deploy to the Horn of Africa to join the mission to deny safe haven for any terrorist groups operating in the region.

Other units deploying in support of operations in Southwest Asia are: Detachment A, 4th Civil Affairs Group, Anacostia; Detachment, Headquarters and Service Company, 8th Tank Battalion, 4th MarDiv, Rochester, N.Y.; Detachment, Headquarters and Service Battalion, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th MarDiv, Camp Pendleton.

Other units mobilized in support of the mission in the Horn of Africa are: Military Police Detachment, Headquarters, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, Belle Chasse, La.; Detachment A, Headquarters and Service Battalion, Headquarters Company, 4th Force Service Support Group, Marietta, Ga.; Headquarters Detachment, 4th FSSG, New Orleans; Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 24th Marines, 4th MarDiv, Perrysburg, Ohio; Tube Launched, Optically Tracked, Wire Guided (TOW) Weapon System Weapons Section, Weapons Company, 1st Bn., 24th Marines, 4th MarDiv, Broken Arrow, Okla.; and Detachment A, Headquarters and Service Company, 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, 4th FSSG.

These Marines have orders for one year but could be on active duty for up to two years under the current partial mobilization authorized by President Bush.

[tomkow6]

..........darn..........darn..........darn..........darn..........darn..........darn..........darn..........darn..........darn..........darn

[Bethbg79]

LOL! No fun huh?

[tomkow6]

A little old lady was going up and down the halls in a nursing home.

As she walked, she would flip up the hem of her nightgown and say
"Supersex! Supersex!"

She walked up to an elderly man in a wheelchair. Flipping her gown at
him, she again said, "Supersex."

He sat silently for a moment or two looking up at her. He finally
answered, "I'll take the soup."

[tomkow6]

One of these dayz!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Wednesday, January 15, 2003 Last modified at 12:26 a.m. on Wednesday, January 15, 2003 © 2003 - The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Elementary principal among Marines called up for active duty

By BRIAN WILLIAMS
AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

The atmosphere at Crestview Elementary's gym Tuesday afternoon rivaled a political convention.

But amid the flag-waving and patriotic songs, one figure stood out — principal Doug Smith.

Make that, U.S. Marine Sgt. Doug Smith.

Crestview staff and students gave a festive send-off to Smith, a Marine reservist, who was recently called up to active duty and who left Tuesday.

Dressed in his crisp Marine uniform, Smith, Crestview principal for a year, addressed students and staff in the cramped gym and greeted students, staff, teachers and other well-wishers individually outside just after red, white and blue balloons were released.

How long will he be gone?

"However long it takes to get the job done," he replied.

Marine reservists came into Lubbock this week to prepare for deployment that coincides with the American military buildup in the Gulf region for a possible war with Iraq.

Smith told the Old Glory-waving students amassed in the gym that one reason he is serving the United States is because of them and to protect their ability to live and learn in freedom.

"The strength of any nation is in its individual citizens," Smith said. "Not matter what bravado a government shows, its strength comes from its citizens."

In addition to the 600 students and Crestview staff and teachers, Smith will be away from his wife and three young children.

However, although he will be distant from his family, he said he wants to serve to protect others with families.

Amid boisterous chants of "Mr. Smith" and "U-S-A" from the students, Terry Kinard, Frenship director of human resources, noticed some tears among some of the adults.

The tears, he said, should be of pride. He told students that their principal's duty should be remembered as they learn about American ideals in their history and government classes.

"This should not be a sad time," Kinard said. "Today is not a sad day. Today is really a special and proud day."

A U.S. Marine flag will fly on the school's flagpole until Smith returns, and Smith was given a Frenship flag "so that everybody on the other side of the world knows that you don't mess with the Frenship Tigers," Kinard said.

Kinard said one other district employee was called up for duty. Smith's responsibilities will be absorbed by teachers and a counselor who have principal certifications, he said.

Lubbock and Lubbock-Cooper school district didn't report any reservists among their ranks who were called up.

bwilliams@lubbockonline.com 766-8719

[fatima]

Thanks for the bump,will read more about this project when I have time,we have others here who want to join in.Just got another email from a young man in the Navy,God bless them all.

[Soaring Feather]

I had same thing happen. I looked at the 'To:' field, and experimented with removing an extra space between the nickname and the actual email address. The email then got sent without error. Try that.

Thank you so much!

While you suggestion has not worked for me, I have been experimenting and have discovered a solution to the problem.

Fantastic!! Zipping the email off now!

:-))

[Kathy in Alaska]

There are two kinds of dogs in the world -- those that have a ball and those that don't and wish they did. Is it just us or is Scooter grinning at little Sophia's distress during their walk on Nob Hill, San Francisco?

[Soaring Feather]

Wednesday, January 15, 2003 Last modified at 12:26 a.m. on Wednesday, January 15, 2003 © 2003 - The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Elementary principal among Marines called up for active duty, U.S. Marine Sgt. Doug Smith.

This story is so very touching!
The photo is worth a million bucks!
Precious!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Give us this day our daily breadcrumbs: Pigeons flock to First United Methodist Church at sunrise in Hays, Kan.

[Soaring Feather]

There are two kinds of dogs in the world...

Love this dog photo!

[firewalk]

Thanks for the pings (nice pics) (-:

[Radix]

Pancakes on Wednesdays

You have been warned!

[Radix]

Here is some transportation for the Dudes!

[tomkow6]

Wow! The SILVER SURFER!

[tomkow6]

Um, we not going surfing in the water, are we?

[Radix]

1987 Ray Bolger actor/dancer (Wizard of Oz), dies at 82