Christmas for our Troops

[Foul Mike]

While in RVN our 1st Sgt. came by and threw a bag at each of us and said Merry Christmas.
Those bags were from some church down south and contained chocolate chip cookies and best wishes.
I still hate chocolate chip cookies but retain the spirit that they sent with those cookies
God bless them.
I hope and pray that our troops, now in harms way, know that there are people like me and others that wish them the best and pray for them each night. Regards, FM

 

[JSTARSZ]

Re: Christmas for our Troops

I can tell you from numerous trips to the Middle East that the tradition of sending soldiers gifts for Christmas still lives on. Early on in the OIF and OEF we were seeing packages from Churches and Schools about every day. The spirit of supporting the troops lives on and it is nice.

 

[Fred_C_Dobbs]

Re: Christmas for our Troops

I was in Iraq the Christmases of 2004, 5 and 6 and the sheer volume of sweets, snacks, baked goods, small trinkets and handmade cards from schoolkids that the general public sent was astonishing. I fretted that they were turning the entire multinational force into sugar addicts and diabetics, LOL.

 

[Foul Mike]

Re: Christmas for our Troops

While in RVN we did not have anywhere near the support of the public that our troops in harms way have now.
It was sad on both ends.
Once in a while we would get a package from some or another church group and/or old ladies group.
We were always revved up and happy to get them.
Our Plt. Sgt. SFC Frank Poisson, would bring it around and we would all partake of the package.
He made sure that each and every one of us wrote a thank you letter to the senders.
If it was from a church group or school that 10 to 20 members that signed the card, Pappy Poisson made sure that we each wrote to each and every one that signed the card.
Pappy Poisson was hard core and ran from nothing and kept us all together and alive and well to return home.
He would tell us,"Postage is FREE where the stamp goes so you assholes will all write to these people who care about you."
We all answered those cards and packages.
The only thing we had a problem with was that most of the cookies were chocolate chip. We once filled a sandbag full of chocolate chip cookies and put it on a bunker.
Sure as hell a 107 rocket hit that sandbag and self destructed with no harm to us but turned around and went back to the launcher and blew Luke the Gook away. Chocolate Chips do it every time.
The moral of the story is, Don't send chocolate chip cookies, send peanut butter cookies or anything other than chocolate chip.
I still can't stand chocolate chips in anything. Regards, FM
RIP SFC Frank Poisson E 5/7 Cav. 1st Cav Div. 69/70