A Red, White and Blue Christmas for our Troops.

The Brookings-Harbor Red Shirts and all the troops who benefited from your generosity wish to thank you for contributing to A Red, White and Blue Christmas for our Troops.

We have received a number of thank you letters from some of the recipients letting us know just how much it means to each soldier just to know that someone back home cares about them and is thinking of them. We were able to spend close to three thousand dollars purchasing and shipping our 208 Christmas packages and we thank you, the donors on GlobalGiving, for giving us the extra help to make Christmas even more special for our troops.

If you wish to see a slideshow of the Red Shirts mailing the care packages you helped us send, just to to the Brookings-Harbor Red Shirts website and enter the site. On the first page at the top is a link to watch the Christmas slideshow at the post office.

It is already mid February, so we are going to retire this project. However, we have another ongoing project that helps us send care packages throughout the year, and we will have special projects from time to time as we hear back from the troops and discover their current or special needs. I will leave you with a letter we received from one of the soldiers in Afghanistan who's team of soldiers received some of your care packages. (Letter follows)  

Thank you very much for the care packages. I received several boxes before the holidays. My mom gave my address to your organization.  I am on a tour here in Afghanistan at a very remote forward operating base (FOB). Our supplies here are very limited and we all rely heavily on care packages for items needed on a daily basis. I distributed the boxes to various service members here. I am an ER nurse here with a forward surgical team, kind of similar to the TV show MASH. Today we had our 365th surgical case and I should be leaving here on Thursday. I'm currently stationed in Alaska and will be home soon.
Thanks again for all of the care packages. I found a letter from a WW2 vet. And I will write below what he says about soldiers in war and care packages. Joe Bingham

" a soldier in the war-zone, can't see the support sticker on your car, or even the flag on your front door. He can't hear your vocal support or the prayers you've said before.
But a letter or package, that they can hold in their two hands, would mean so much more to them, just knowing that you understand."

Thank you for all your support,

With Gratitude,

Frank Muller,

Brookings-Harbor Red Shirts

A Red, White and Blue Christmas for our Troops is underway and we have received an email thanking everyone for the Christmas cheer and support. In addition to the many wrapped gifts, the Brookings-Harbor Red Shirts also went beach combing and found about 250 nice little pieces of driftwood. We took these little creations of Mother Nature and turned all of them into Christmas ornaments with colorful beads and ribbons in a red, white and blue design.

Thanks to everyone's help on Global Giving and at our packing sessions, we have sent out another 208 care packages all designed to arrive at the hospitals in Afghanistan and to smaller groups of soldiers in plenty of time for Christmas. We've included Christmas trees this year as well as a variety of ornaments and plenty of goodies to go around.

Here is a response from one soldier:

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED

Caveats: FOUO 

Dear Red Shirts,

 I don't know what else to say other than WOW!!! Thank you so much.  I received over 40 packages today.  Well 13 yesterday and the rest today.

I am so amazed and very touched at how wonderfully supportive and caring you all are.  I just don't know what else to say other than Thank you so much!!!  It really does choke me up to know that you are here for us during the time of year that we are all away from our families. Today is especially lonely because its Thanksgiving,  but I am very thankful knowing that I will get to be with my family next year.  We all can certainly be thankful today because there are people like you who do care and show your support for what we are doing over here. 

 Thank you so very much for all that you do for us. Happy Thanksgiving.

Sincerely, 

Don Broughton

Role 3 hospital

Kandahar, Afghanistan

Don works at the hospital with our wounded warriors and will make sure they all will share in your Christmas Joy.

With gratitude,

Frank Muller,

Brookings-Harbor Red Shirts