Valentine Day Cards For Troops!

(I'M GOING TO KEEP THIS AT THE TOP TILL 01/30/09, PLEASE LOOK FOR NEW ENTRIES BELOW THIS!)

OPERATION LOVE FROM HOME

VALENTINE'S CARD DRIVE FOR DEPLOYED TROOPS


The Mission: To collect at least 3,000 Valentine's Day cards for troops stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan, and all over the world. We are also collecting Hershey's Kisses and Hershey's Hugs – the more, the better! 


The Reason: Being away from home and living in harsh conditions with combat & constant danger is difficult ~ our troops need to know we have not forgotten them!!! Mail from home helps to keep our troops' morale strong, making a very real difference in their lives. It keeps them motivated and focused when they know we care about them!


The Address: Send your signed, unsealed thank-you cards to the following address:



OPERATION: LOVE FROM HOME

P.O. Box 1660

Loganville, Georgia, 30052


ALL CARDS MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009.

The Guidelines:

The cards can be handmade or store-bought. This is a great opportunity to get your Scout troop, school, church/house of worship and other civic organizations involved in doing something to tangibly show support for our troops.


Please do not write the date on your cards.


Keep the cards fun and light-hearted – this is not a dating service! 


Send in Valentine's candy if you are able to! :)


If you have any questions, please contact us at Kat@OperationLoveFromHome.org or info@operationlovefromhome.org


Check out our website: www.OperationLoveFromHome.org for more info, and join our Yahoo Group to stay in the loop - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LoveFromHome!


Postage costs are our biggest expense, and we are also in need of funds to file our 501(c)(3) application with the IRS. Donations towards postage and/or IRS filing fees are most gratefully accepted!

*Update 1/10/09

Today, we got our very first batch of Valentine's cards and Hershey's kisses in the mail! (Thanx, Aunt Diane & Uncle Ted! Y'all rock! and no, the choc won't melt right now -- it's the dead of winter in the Sandbox, seriously freezing temps, so it'll be OK, I promise! :) )

So, our grand total so far is 24 Valentine's cards towards our 3,000-card goal. I know there are lots of y'all out there working on getting cards, making cards, writing letters, etc, and for that, I thank you tremendously. Seriously, every single card makes a difference!

Remember, they have to be here in Loganville no later than 1/31 -- not much time, but we've done it before, and I know we'll do it again this year!

Have a great week everyone! More updates to follow in the days/weeks to come!

Wednesday's Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested And Written By Cynthia



Sgt James E. Craig

27 years old from Hollywood, South Carolina

1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

January 28, 2008





James, 27, was killed on January 28, 2008, in Mosul, Iraq, along with four other soldiers when the unit encountered an IED, followed by an ambush from a nearby Mosque. It has been a year since James was killed.  I miss him each day.



James was on his third deployment to Iraq.  There are so many things about James that I admired. He was 'loud' and funny and articulate and sweet - even calling himself 'Sweet Soldier' - and brave and tough. He was a devout Christian and more comfortable with telling people he was than anyone I ever knew - he had a enviable, easy comfort with this faith. It would be so easy to write and write about James, but let me share some portions of his letters - his long and articulate letters.



"...I am very much looking forward to this war being over. However, I fully support everything that is going on over here ever since I saw first hand what the real situation was. Our media doesn't portray the truth of this operation or the necessity to the people here. They need freedom and desperately cry out for someone to help them. ... I know one thing, God wants me here."



"The war here is stating to come to an end. It will be a slow transition period where the responsibility of the battle space is handed over to the growing Iraqi Army. It all depends on the Iraqis if we are able to leave them with it safely."



"...it is a tale of my wonderful journey where I made memories I will never forget and stood up for something that I believe in...that sweet taste of freedom when the day is done and the knowledge that I have done something to ensure the positive future of my loved ones. And, you should know that it comforts me the most that what I do protects wonderful people like you."



To read more about Sgt James Craig, go here.



These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday.  For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived



This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll.  For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Somebody Out There

You may want to have a tissue handy!

Wednesday's Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Cindy



Petty Officer 2nd Class Mike A. Monsoor

29 years old from Garden Grove, California

September 29, 2006





In April 2008, Michael Monsoor (who had already been posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his actions in a May 9, 2006 incident, when he and another SEAL pulled a wounded team member to safety amidst gunfire) was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. His funeral, attended, in the words of President Bush, by "nearly every SEAL on the West Coast," was held on October 12, 2006 at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego. During Monsoor's funeral service, as the casket was taken from the hearse to the gravesite, fellow SEALs lined up in two columns to slap and embed the gold Tridents (a pin awarded for successful completion of SEAL Qualification Training) from their uniforms onto the top of Monsoor's coffin.



Petty Officer 2nd Class Mike A. Monsoor's Summary Of Action.





"The procession went on nearly half an hour, and when it was all over, the simple wooden coffin had become a gold-plated memorial to a hero who will never be forgotten." - President George W. Bush



These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday.  For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived



This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll.  For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Wednesday's Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Deb

Capt. Ed Freeman
Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)


While reading the info on Cpt. Freeman, I found that I couldn't have put it better than this.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Wednesday's Hero

Airman Melissa Pyle


Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) Airman Melissa Pyle mans a jet blast deflector station on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in the Gulf Of Oman. Theodore Roosevelt and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 are deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams. Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.