October Newsletter for our Platoon

 

 

catburt28 wrote:

Jim wrote: But that's a transcription, and could be wrong. I think you should call the French Army. Yeah, 'cuz the person doing the transcribing hasn't been reading this guy's name on his name tag for the past X months...

Au contraire, mon amis. The "initial comments" were made by "Joey's Rear Company Commander", and so, would have had to be transcribed.

Jim wrote:

Au contraire, mon amis.

...mes amis, Jim.

I has 'mes' at first, but I changed it because it didn't seem right - like the spelling of 'Guellf'.

*Hug* for T

Ditto on the hugs, Theresa ... and for Joey, though he won't read this.

I just wanted to tell you guys a story to let you know how very important the boxes are that we send.

Recently, Joey's platoon leader's wife managed to sneak over a Christmas tree. She asked the families of every soldier to make a small ornament for the tree and send it to her. Those ornaments most probably will arrive this week. She recently sent out an e-mail updating us on the ornaments. Only 1/2 of the families responded. Half??!! The wife and her kids made ornaments for the rest of the soldiers so everyone would have one.

This e-mail lead me to a discussion with her about boxes. I know Joey's platoon gets more boxes than what we send. What I didn't realize is that, for the most part, the only regular boxes to go over there go to Joey. We send 1 every 2 weeks, my mother sends them about once every 8-10 days and Sally's uncle's VFW sends them a box or 2 every month. I am told there are other boxes sent sporadically.

The wife tells me that when the mail trucks arrive, whoever is available will run over and see if there are any boxes for Joey. If there are they RUN the box to where ever Joey is. They will even wake him up for a box. By the time Joey starts to open it, most of the platoon is standing around to see what is contained inside. Within minutes the contents of the box are divided up and some is put aside for platoon members who can't be there.

 

*Big hugs* I hope Joey calls soon and stops worrying his mum.

I know it is another job that you do Queen.
But what a difference it makes to a bunch of young men.


Maybe the families who did not send ornaments, are sending them in a special
Christmas package?

<Joey call your Mother. >

T- you got me crying again. i'm just imagining a bunch of sleepy-eyed soldiers roused from their sleep just hoping for some small glimpse of home in that dusty foreign land. It must be so hard for them. It makes me glad that everyone here is so supportive. The soldiers obviously need it.

I am trying very hard to be understanding of the other families and their situations but how can you just abandon your child, b/f, husband? Even if you just send a letter every week it means the World to these guys. There is no extra postage involved in letters. Whether you agree with what they are doing or not - shouldn't you support the person? Oh don't get me started on this. I was so disgusted to hear this. These are kids for the most part, away from home for the first time, dealing with things most of us couldn't imagine. Is it so hard to write a letter or send a card? There are groups all over the place that will send boxes out. How about contacting one of those groups? Or how about talking to your minister and seeing if the church can coordinate something?

 

I wish I could say somehow it makes sense T but it amazes me.

Here's my little story that reminds me how precious your support can be --- we were at a birthday party last night for an uncle who served in Vietnam. The party was at a VFW in Glassboro and he said they were about to tear the VFW down. He and others rebuilt the VFW and we were in awe when we saw the stories and memorabilia that they had from WWI up to now. It seems like unless you're directly affected by someone who is/was a vet, there is no support. They managed to scrape up through fundraisers and it's a beautiful monument to those who have served and are still serving.

Uncle Dennis told us that they send out a care package about once a month like you do and they have received so many letters from the platoons about how grateful they are. The platoons have sent along group pictures and american flags from the various areas there. Uncle Dennis recalled his time in Vietnam and the mere joy that he'd get from getting letters and care packages - even if the family didn't agree politically, they were still family. It still touches him to this day. I think it helped him through the horrible times that he had there.

So if he can recall what how it touched him all those years ago, I agree to do what we can to support who's there now.