Free Republic

Camp Liberty, Iraq, Dec. 28, 2005 - A retired Florida schoolteacher wants Task Force Baghdad soldiers to have sweet dreams, or, at the very least, lay their heads on brightly-colored pillows each night. Many people in the United States do whatever they can to help soldiers cope with a deployment by sending care packages and letters of thanks and appreciation. Debbie Leslie, of Clearwater, Fla., howe'ver, found a unique way of sharing her gratitude for soldiers serving in Iraq with her handmade pillowcases. "It's so little for me to do, especially if it brings the thought of home and that...

The deafening blast and the blinding flash of a roadside bomb might be the last thing the soldiers and Marines can recall before awakening in a bed at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. And when they turn to either side in that hospital bed, the first thing they are likely to see is a Purple Heart embroidered on their pillow. They won't know it, but they have Ken Hunter, a retired pharmacist in Burleson, to thank. The Purple Heart is the nation's oldest military decoration. It was created by George Washington and is given to GIs wounded or...