Operation Ensuring Christmas 09

Letters To Soldiers is a volunteer crew sending letters, care packages and support to our troops in Iraq.

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Letters From The Troops

At Christmas Time go to Operation Ensuring Christmas  link

From the 96th Sustainment Brigade from Fort Douglas, Utah:

"Dear Lance, Parker, Aubrey, and Gavin at Lewiston Elementary School,

I am glad that you wrote us a letter. Thanks So much. It means so much to have letters sent to us.  I love reading and to know that you took your time and wrote.  My name is SFC B., Loretta.  My home is Atlanta, GA. I have two children.  A girl and a boy.  The weather is cold and wet here, alot of mud...My job is going to the Post Office and making sure that each post office is doing what they are supposed to do.  We have guidelines that have to be followed and we are the ones to supervise them.  Well I have to go for now. Please write when you can.  Thanks for your support.

SFC B, Loretta"

11/25/09

11/17/09

09/16/09 From our 96th Brigade we will be shipping Christmas care packages to this year: "Denise,

09/15/09 if you've looked on the media board recently you've noticed a song by a Canadian soldier called "What A Soldier Left Behind" written and recorded by MCpl Elton Adams. You can read more about it down below but Mcpl Adams has decided that every purchase of this song on ITUNES he will be giving to The Soldier On Program (Started by Soldiers for injured soldiers) so if you have Itunes do a search for "What A Soldier Left behind" and download it for $0.99 cents and help our wounded heroes.
 

From our friend JP founder of milblogging.com and cameraman of Bad Voodoos War:  "Capt. Benjamin Tupper who blogged over at The Sandbox <http://gocomics.typepad.com/the_sandbox/> while he was deployed as an embedded trainer to Afghanistan has published a book. From the Amazon <http://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Afghanistan-Send-More-Ammo/dp/0982525508> Book Description:

Working in teams of two, ETTs are tasked with training, lead ing in combat, and mentoring the Afghan Army to victory against the thriving and brutal Taliban insurgency. Writing and recording from a remote outpost, Benjamin Tupper`s boots-on-the-ground dispatches were broadcast on NPR and posted on Doonesbury`s milblog The Sandbox. Now he takes us inside the intricacies of the war, opening up a unique and multifaceted view of Afghan culture and war tactics. From the rush of gunfire to surreal, euphoric moments of cross-cultural understanding, this emotional and thought-provoking narrative is rich with humor, eloquence and contradiction. Writing of danger and desire, confusion and camaraderie, outrage and inspiration, Tupper illuminates the challenges of the war, vividly bringing to life both the mundane and the extraordinary and seeking a way forward. Readers will take away an understanding of the Afghan people, from soldiers to interpreters to villagers, that is critical to shaping our policies in what will soon be America`s longest w ar. His journey comes full circle; from direct involvement in fighting for Afghanistan`s future he is suddenly transported back home, haunted by dreams and enduring the travails of PTSD. Welcome to Afghanistan offers new insight into America`s eight-year mission, and takes readers to a place where our warriors need us to go.

A Navy SEAL father’s heartfelt ode to the special bond between fathers and sons, Never Far Apart is a poetic, visually-arresting children’s book that is bound to teach the hearts of its readers. Told in lyrical narrative and awe-inspiring illustrations, this heartwarming story --- about Naval Officer’s thoughts and hopes for his son while he is at sea --- beautifully captures the sweet sorrow of the brave men and women serving in the American armed forces worldwide, many of whom have lost their parental rights as a result of their service to their country. The prose of Lieutenant Gary and the spellbinding illustrations of Mike Motz eloquently combine to convey the message this work, which also contains a song the author wrote for his son, entitled "SS Rock-a-Bye". The author’s story (as well as the song he wrote for his son) has been the focus of websites nationwide. Additionally, FOX News ran the story with the song. A story of separation, hope, and a parent’s undying love for his child, Never Far Apart is a doting father’s tribute to the magic of father-and-son relationships.   You can order a copy of Never Far Apart at this online bookstore: ISBN13 (TP) : 978-1-4257-4983-5 ISBN13 (HB) : 978-1-4257-4986-6 From   Lieutenant Gary Location Southern California on Twitter

Hello,

"My name is SPC Smith and I am stationed at Ft. Huachuca, AZ. I am currently with the ...Battalion that has just recently come back from Iraq. My MOS is Chaplain Assistant, which means that not only is it my job to take care of my Chaplain, but also my fellow soldiers. Since 40th has come back from Iraq, I've noticed the problems, mainly emotionally, that seems to plague the soldiers. The problems seem to be dealing with spouses,family members, and children, and in some cases even dealing with each other. So, I guess I'm writing you all because Independence Day is around the corner, and I was thinking what better time to show those soldiers some appreciation than on the 4th of July. So if you could help me out and also my Chaplain--he literally spends his entire workday counseling soldiers and spouses on everything from depression to suicide to infidelity...and believe it or not, that takes a toll on you after awhile. We would appreciate anything to show the soldiers that they are appreciated and that America does not forget the sacrifices they're making. If you would like to do anything then just reply back and I'll send you whatever information you need! Thank you so much for just reading this..."

Forgotten mourners: Soldiers' brothers, sisters
 

Posted: Sep 24, 2009 01:02 PM MDT

Updated: Sep 24, 2009 02:02 PM MDT

y KIMBERLY HEFLING
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - The photo tells one story: brothers Chad and Ian Weikel, all smiles, arms around each other on Ian's wedding day. The tattoos now on Chad's forearms tell another - about his anguish over his brother's death in Iraq.

Words like "rage" ''alone," and "fury" are interwoven in the tattoos along with the likeness of Capt. Ian Weikel, a West Point graduate. Chad, 32, says his older brother's death in 2006 put him on a path that led to divorce and a decision to enlist in the Army Reserves. He recently moved from Colorado Springs, Colo., to Washington for a fresh start after a car crash kept him from starting basic training.

"It got pretty dark after all the services and all the family and friends stopped coming by," says Weikel. "We were very close. I miss him every day."

Weikel is one of the wars' forgotten mourners, the brothers and sisters of those killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Unlike a parent or a spouse, they don't typically get the knock at the door notifying them of a sibling's death. At a time when they, too, are grieving, they find themselves doing the comforting, writing the thank you notes, mediating family disputes.

On Friday, about 100 siblings and their spouses are meeting in Las Vegas for a weekend retreat organized by Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, a Washington-based nonprofit that offers support to anyone who lost a loved one in the Armed Forces.

TAPS says there are thousands of surviving siblings from the recent wars. A majority are in their 20s or 30s - a time when many are starting careers and families.

There have been divorces and suicide attempts among siblings taking part in an online private support group facilitated by TAPS, says Ami Neiberger-Miller, 38, a spokeswoman for the organization. Her own brother, Army Spc. Christopher Neiberger, 22, of Gainesville, Fla., died in Iraq in 2007.

"Your spouse really joins you in life kind of late in life. ... Your parents will leave you late in your life, but you expect your siblings to be with you through all of this. You expect for them to be at your wedding. You expect for them to be with you when you bury your parents," Neiberger-Miller says. "You don't expect to be watching your family go through that."

In one case, Spc. Andrew Velez, 22, of Lubbock, Texas, took his life while serving in Afghanistan in 2006 two years after his brother, Spc. Jose A. Velez, 23, died in Iraq. Their sister, Monica Velez, 30, of Austin, Texas, says people fail to understand sibling grief.

"As a brother or sister, they feel like you're supposed to be over it," she says. "It's not understood that this is somebody you've had all your life. A lot of people don't understand that loss of companionship."

Like Chad Weikel, she participates in the online group, which has grown from just a few siblings who exchanged e-mails to more than 180. They say without their brother or sister they feel incomplete, often feel pressure to fill the sibling's shoes, and work to keep the family close.

Culturally in the United States, the death of a sibling isn't considered as significant as losing a child or spouse, and there are few resources available on adult sibling loss, says Darcie D. Sims, a psychologist who is helping with this weekend's retreat.

A surviving sibling's spouse or friends "may not realize the depth of your grief or understand why you're grieving so much," Sims says. Even when brothers or sisters weren't close it can be painful because the survivor is also grieving that problems weren't resolved, Sims says.

A common complaint among the siblings is that well-meaning people don't ask about them.

Karen Veater Walker, 31, of Old Forge, Pa., the oldest of six kids whose youngest brother, Marine Reserve Lance Cpl. Dennis Veater, 20, died in Iraq, says people frequently ask her about her parents, her brother's fiancee, or his son.

"Sometimes, this little piece of me wanted to yell out like, 'What about me? Are you going to ask how I'm doing?'" Walker said. Since her brother's death, another brother is coping with an addiction, and her family's relationship with her brother's fiance has become strained, leading to the loss of a bond with her young nephew.

"For some reason we just have some split we can't resolve, no matter how hard I try," Walker says. "You put so much energy into making sure everyone else is OK. I try to make sure I don't upset my parents, or I try to make sure that other people don't upset them. I try to make sure my remaining siblings are OK."

Kristen Norwood Hullum, 33, from Pflugerville, Texas, who is attending the retreat, struggles with guilt for not being with her brother, 25-year-old Marine Sgt. Byron Norwood, as he died - as she has been for strangers in her job as a nurse.

"It was not peaceful and beautiful. It was horrible and violent and he was alone. He had his Marines there with him, but I would've wanted to hold his hand to comfort him andjust to make sure he knew how much we all loved him," Hullum says.

Chad Weikel says he wanted to avenge his brother's death in 2006 and went to a military recruiter's office, but then decided it wasn't the right time to join. Once the dust settled, he says he started to feel a calling to join the military - a decision opposed by his family. Before he was to leave last year for basic training, he was in a serious car wreck that left him in a coma for a couple days and with broken ribs.

Meanwhile, his marriage crumbled.

"I definitely wasn't the husband I needed to be. I just wasn't around enough. I was around, but I wasn't present," Chad says. "So my wife looked elsewhere to get that attention and that's been a real devastating loss for me."

He says he's slowly worked through his pain and finds himself laughing again and feeling optimistic about the future. He's appealing a decision from the military disqualifying him for service because of the injuries from the car accident.

He points to the tattoos on his arms and explains that the emotional words in his tattoos are designed in a way that spells "Hope."

"Through all those emotions, I still have hope," he says.

_____

On the Net:

Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors: http://www.taps.org

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

Iraq troops' PTSD rate as high as 35 percent, says Management Insights study

Double expected rate; Call to VA for treatment

The Veterans' Administration should expect a high volume of Iraq veterans seeking treatment of post traumatic stress disorder, with researchers anticipating that the rate among armed forces will be as high as 35%, according to the Management Insights feature in the current issue of Management Science, the flagship journal of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS®).

Management Insights, a regular feature of the journal, is a digest of important research in business, management, operations research, and management science. It appears in every issue of the monthly journal.

"A Dynamic Model for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among U.S. Troops in Operation Iraqi Freedom" is by Michael P. Atkinson of the Naval Postgraduate School and Adam Guetz and Lawrence M. Wein of Stanford University.

The tempo of deployment cycles in the Iraq War is higher than for any war since World War II, the authors write, and military survey data suggest that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common among service members.

To assure ample mental health resources to care for returning troops, the authors argue that it is important for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to forecast the timing and number of new PTSD cases over the coming years, which is complicated by the fact that many cases have delayed onset.

The authors combine a dynamic mathematical operations research model with deployment data and PTSD data from the Iraq War, and estimate that the PTSD rate among Iraq War veterans will be approximately 35%, which is roughly double the rate from the raw survey data. This doubling is due to the time lag between the PTSD-generating event and the onset of symptoms and to the fact that many surveyed troops will do subsequent deployments.

Consequently, the authors write, the VA system, which is already experiencing significant delays for PTSD treatment provision, urgently needs to ramp up its mental health resource capacity.

07/29/09

 

                                                                                   

 

                                                         DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY    

                                                        Headquarters, Task Force Wasatch

                                                    Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF)-101

                                                            Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan

APO AE 09354-9998

                                                           January 11, 2009

 

 

Denise  Of Letters To soldiers

 

 

Dear Denise,

 

We are writing you to thank you for your offering of support to us while we are here in Afghanistan serving in the military. Thank you for all of your long hours and many efforts to make this holiday special for us.  Thank you to all the supporters of your efforts.  Soldiers have thanked me for your kindness.  There were a number of soldiers whose only package for the holidays was the one you sent to them.  Because of you no one was forgotten.  Thank you for your support. Thank you for caring enough to do such a nice thing for us.  Thank you especially for your prayers.  We have been blessed by your faithfulness and we thank you.

 We were able to get a few pictures that we will send to you through e-mail.  The soldiers were very appreciative of the support from home and I was glad to be able to distribute the things out to them. It means so much to get something in the mail (Most of us are blessed to have e-mail, but nothing beats receiving something in the mail). Many of our soldiers are in remote locations without the possibility of going to the store or having many of the luxuries of home, so your kindness was especially significant to them.

 We should be returning home soon to our family and loved-ones, but we wanted to make sure that you know how grateful we are for you and how much your kindness helped us get through this experience.  We have received items from great Americans in many states Kentucky, California, Utah, Nevada, Montana, Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Hawaii just to name a few. We are honored to serve wonderful patriots like you. It makes our sacrifice so much more meaningful.  Thank you again. May God’s blessings always smile upon you.

 Sincerely,

Chaplain James Montoya

and The members of the 142^nd Military Intelligence Battalion

Task Force Wasatch

06/25/09

06/16/09From one of the wives of 116th/145th we sent cards to in 08:

06/08/09 We might finally get help with shipping Thank you Aaron:

"Denise:

it is critical you contact me to initiate the logistics of your project. I also accept your offer to be your military advisor!
I am in kabul and need you to respond to me. our company is deeply interested in your cause. and, like i said - we DO AIR SERVICE IN IRAQ/AFGHANISTAN/AFRICA.

so, as a resident of Salt Lake (but living in kabul presently) I urge you to contact me to get this rolling."
 

06/15/09 From Utah Air Force in Iraq:

06/03/09 Thank you JP of milblogging.com with your 1000s of milbloggers and tweeters: "Just tweeted letters to soldiers and i'll regularly tweet at least once a week now to get the word out."

From our milblogger Bouhammer in Afghanistan about a hero:

05/29/09"

04/27/09 "

The Sack Lunches

 I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned

seat. It was going to be a long flight. 'I'm glad I have a good book to

read Perhaps I will get a short nap,' I thought.

 Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the ais le and filled

all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a

conversation.  'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to

me.'Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then

we're being deployed to Afghanistan

 After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack

lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours

before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help

pass the time..

 As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his buddy if he

planned to buy lunch. 'No, that seems like a lot of money for just a

sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to

base '

 His friend agreed...

 I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buyin g lunch. I walked

to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar

bill. 'Take a lunch to all those soldiers.' She grabbed my arms and squeezed

tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. 'My son was a soldier

in Iraq; it's almost like you are doing it for him.'

 Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were

seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, 'Which do you like best - beef

or chicken?'

 'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to

th e front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from

first class. 'This is your thanks.'

 After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading

for the rest room. A man stopped me. 'I saw what you did. I want to be

part of it. Here, take this..' He handed me twenty-five dollars.

 Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down

the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not

looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my

side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out

his hand, an said, 'I want to shake your hand.'

 Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain's hand.

With a booming voice he said, 'I was a soldier and I was a military

pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch.. It was an ac t of kindness I

never forgot.' I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the

passengers.

 Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A

man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand,

wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.

 When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting

just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in

my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another

twenty-five dollars!

 Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip

to the base. I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars.

'It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for

a sandwich. God Bless You.'

 Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their

fellow travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer

for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our

country. I could only give them a couple of meals.

 It seemed so little...

 A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check

made payable to 'America for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'

That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no

longer understand it.'"

04/15/09 Just got back from setting up/tearing  and running down our booth for 4 hours for the troops where we collected 20 volunteers' contact info, our director spoke on stage about supporting our troops and "protecting our freedoms at home while our military sacrifice their lives overseas," at the SLC Tea Party at the Federal Building.  Even with the wet snow, so many Americans came by to thank the Troops and volunteer to help send cards from kids all over America and packages to our troops..

04/13/09 From our Medical team we ship packages to in Mosul, Iraq:

April 13, 2009 at 1:29pm

The remains of five army soldiers killed in a suicide bombing in Iraq arrived at Dover Air Force base Sunday evening as families looked on.  The five soldiers were killed Friday when a suicide bomber driving a truck detonated a ton of explosives near a police headquarters in the northern city of Mosul.  The attack was the deadliest against U.S. troops in more than a year. ( Doc's MRAP with his medical team was scheduled to drive there off base at 10am and was postponed or he could have been in the Mrap that was blown up. Read in  my friend, Doc's own words Sunday to his family and I: "..  a few days ago, as another group of US soldiers lost their lives defending freedom in this land. We were scheduled to go out on mission at 1000, but had to postpone it to 1100 because of projects that needed finished. Just after 1000, as I was walking back from the Hospital where I was working on a project of my own, there was a very large and loud explosion just to the north of us.
Reports said that a dump truck had made it onto one of the roads we use to exit the Base and drove into a wall
around some Iraqi barracks. The explosion destroyed several buildings and vehicles nearby as well as a MRAP
that was headed out on a mission. If we had not postponed our mission, that could very well have been our MRAP's
that were rolling by at the wrong time. Many on the team have begun to get spooked as the insurgents have
increased the power of their attacks." Help me send them our support and prayers for their safety!!

 04/09/09 From a soldier and milblogger in Afghanistan:

"The words below are from the Song Home Again, off of the new Queensryche album, American Soldier. Every time I hear this song I get a lump in my throat and have to fight back the tears. It truly speaks to my soul and reminds me of the way I felt many times."

 

It’s harder than I thought,
to be so far away.
So I thought I’d write this letter to you and explain.
For me it wasn’t easy to raise the flag and leave.
But I thought that you should know how
much you mean to me.

I won’t be there to see you dance and hear
you sing the songs we love.
So please be strong and it won’t be long till
I’m home again.
You know you make me proud
because you’re the one that I depend upon.
And when I return, I promise,
I’ll never leave you alone again.

It’s harder than I thought and you’re so far away.
so I thought I’d write this letter to you and explain.
It was only a moment.
I turned my head to wipe my eyes and
when I looked again I saw your smile that
said goodbye.

Mama says don’t worry,
because Daddy’s brave and he’s coming
home. But if I could change one thing,
I’d never let you go.

I want you here to see me dance and sing
along to the songs we love.
So I’ll be strong. It won’t be long till you’re
home again with me.

When it feels too much to take,
I want you to know that I’m thinking about
you, making plans for when I’m home.

Why aren’t you here?
I wake up every night.
I check the front porch light,
making sure it’s shining bright.

And I’ll be there to shine the light
So you can find your way to me.
I’m feeling strong, but don’t take too long.
Please come home to me.

I’ll be there to see you dance and hear you
sing the songs I love.
It won’t be long.
It won’t be long till I’m home again!

Why aren’t you here?
I’m coming home!

From: Milblogging.com Webmaster [mailto:milblogging@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2009 6:27 AM
To: Letters To Soldiers
Subject: Re: Honoring a Fallen Soldier and Avid Writer and Military Blogger, Sgt. Christopher P. Abeyta

 "Hi Denise

How can I help?"

JP

"Hey Denise

I'll get something posted late this week...

(Will put it) on Milblogging.com (and) hopefully other influencers will pick up your story.

I'll also send it out via my Newsletter of 5,000 strong subscribers and I'll tweet about it to nearly 3,000.

Thanks for all the kind words and more importantly thanks for everything you're doing.

Cheers!"
JP

In loving memory for our Honorable Heroes:

On Mon, Mar 23, 2009 at 11:04 PM, Letters to Soldiers <info@letterstosoldiers.net> wrote:

From: Milblogging.com Webmaster [mailto:milblogging@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, March 23, 2009 6:10 PM
To: info@letterstosoldiers.org
Subject: Honoring a Fallen Soldier and Avid Writer and Military Blogger,
Sgt. Christopher P. Abeyta

March 23rd, 2009

"Sgt. Christopher P. Abeyta, 23, of Midlothian, Illinois, was killed last
week while serving in Afghanistan.  Sgt. Abeyta and two other soldiers who
were with him, Sgt. Robert M. Weinger and Spc. Norman Cain III, were also
killed when the vehicle they were riding in was struck by an IED.

Sgt. Abeyta ran a military blog from Afghanistan called The Chronicles of
Butters! <http://ironmansplace.blogspot.com/>   and according to a news
story Sgt. Ab eyta had kept a journal since he was 11-years old..."

Jacob Poehls overcoming learning disability by writing to Marine in Iraq

By Mike Celizic

TODAYShow.com contributor

updated 9:05 a.m. MT, Thurs., Feb. 12, 2009

The 8-year-old boy had never been to New York City before, and he looked as if he wasn’t sure why he was sitting in a television studio with his mom talking to a nice lady who wanted to know about his Marine pen pal in Iraq.

So Jacob Poehls let his mom, Nora Hall, do the talking while he sat quietly wearing the camo hat and scarf Sgt. Balthazar Pineda had sent him from Iraq. Hall was telling TODAY’s Meredith Vieira that her special needs son had slept with the scarf and hat for a week after he got them, and described how little use for reading and writing Jacob had had before his correspondence with Pineda began.

But once Jacob, who loves all things military, had Pineda in his life, he leaped into the world of the written word, because that was the only way he could communicate with the gunnery sergeant who was serving his country in Iraq. Changing his life
Having a Marine pen pal changed Jacob’s life “in more ways than I could ever have expected,” Hall told Vieira. “It gave him confidence besides a reason to want to write and read.”

In a few months, Pineda, who lives in California and has two girls of his own, will be returning to the states. In their correspondence he had promised to come to Colorado to meet Jacob.

Vieira asked Jacob when he expected to meet Pineda. “A couple months,” Jacob said.

“How about today?” Vieira said.

Jacob said nothing, but nodded his head to indicate that would be fine with him. And then, as if by magic, there was Pineda on the studio TV monitor talking to Jacob via satellite from Al Asad Airfield in Iraq.

“I’d just like to tell Jacob, I’ve heard about all his hard work from his mom, and [to] tell him I’m really proud of everything he’s been doing,” Pineda said as Jacob watched in fascination.

Vieira asked Jacob if he’d like to say something to the sergeant. The boy hesitated and finally said, “I really, really, really love him.”

“I love you too, buddy,” Pineda replied with a big grin.

Getting mail from home is a major morale boost for troops serving overseas. Vieira said that some 25 percent of soldiers don’t get any mail. A Web site, www.adoptaussoldier.org, has been established to connect Americans to soldiers as pen pals.

A new world opens
Last August, at her wit’s end over how to get Jacob interested in his schoolwork, Hall had called a recruiting office in Fort Carson, near their home in Colorado. She told the officer about her son’s deep love of the military, and the officer suggested she go the Web site and get Jacob a pen pal.

Excited at the thought of having a real Marine as a friend, Jacob worked hard to compose a letter talking about his interests in gym, lunch and recess. Pineda sent Jacob the camo hat and scarf and told the boy in a letter that gym and recess were fun, but reading and math were important, especially for a Marine.

Hall said that Jacob literally ripped the package open when it arrived. From that moment on, reading and writing were no longer chores to be avoided. They were a gateway to his friend.

Jacob took the scarf and hat to school, and soon his entire class — and then all of Summit Elementary School — began adopting soldiers as pen pals. The school collected stuffed animals and sent them to soldiers to give to Iraqi children, and when a TODAY show camera crew visited the school earlier this week, the school was busy making valentines to send to the troops.

“For us Marines out here, it means a lot,” Pineda said. “It means that there’s people in the United States who still care about their Marines and are thinking about us during this whole Iraq and Afghanistan war.”

Jacob was too shocked at actually seeing and hearing Pineda to say anything else. But his mother had one more thing to tell Pineda.
“I want to thank you, sir,” she said, her eyes tearing up. “I’m honored to be able to tell you how much you mean to us and my son.”

A new world opens
Last August, at her wit’s end over how to get Jacob interested in his schoolwork, Hall had called a recruiting office in Fort Carson, near their home in Colorado. She told the officer about her son’s deep love of the military, and the officer suggested she go the Web site and get Jacob a pen pal.

Excited at the thought of having a real Marine as a friend, Jacob worked hard to compose a letter talking about his interests in gym, lunch and recess. Pineda sent Jacob the camo hat and scarf and told the boy in a letter that gym and recess were fun, but reading and math were important, especially for a Marine.

Hall said that Jacob literally ripped the package open when it arrived. From that moment on, reading and writing were no longer chores to be avoided. They were a gateway to his friend.

Jacob took the scarf and hat to school, and soon his entire class — and then all of Summit Elementary School — began adopting soldiers as pen pals. The school collected stuffed animals and sent them to soldiers to give to Iraqi children, and when a TODAY show camera crew visited the school earlier this week, the school was busy making valentines to send to the troops.

“For us Marines out here, it means a lot,” Pineda said. “It means that there’s people in the United States who still care about their Marines and are thinking about us during this whole Iraq and Afghanistan war.”

Jacob was too shocked at actually seeing and hearing Pineda to say anything else. But his mother had one more thing to tell Pineda.
“I want to thank you, sir,” she said, her eyes tearing up. “I’m honored to be able to tell you how much you mean to us and my son.”

_____________________________

"January 11, 2009

 Dear Denise,

 We are writing you to thank you for your offering of support to us while we are here in Afghanistan serving in the military. Thank you for all of your long hours and many efforts to make this holiday special for us.  Thank you to all the supporters of your efforts.  Soldiers have thanked me for your kindness.  There were a number of soldiers whose only package for the holidays was the one you sent to them.  Because of you no one was forgotten.  Thank you for your support. Thank you for caring enough to do such a nice thing for us.  Thank you especially for your prayers.  We have been blessed by your faithfulness and we thank you.

 We were able to get a few pictures that we will send to you through e-mail.  The soldiers were very appreciative of the support from home and I was glad to be able to distribute the things out to them. It means so much to get something in the mail (Most of us are blessed to have e-mail, but nothing beats receiving something in the mail). Many of our soldiers are in remote locations without the possibility of going to the store or having many of the luxuries of home, so your kindness was especially significant to them.

 We should be returning home soon to our family and loved-ones, but we wanted to make sure that you know how grateful we are for you and how much your kindness helped us get through this experience. We are honored to serve wonderful patriots like you. It makes our sacrifice so much more meaningful.  Thank you again. May God’s blessings always smile upon you.

 Sincerely,

 Chaplain James Montoya

 and The members of the 142nd Military Intelligence Battalion

Task Force Wasatch 

I am trying to get the photos from our photographer to send to you.  You

are awesome!  Thank you so much for your support.  May you have many

great success in this new year.

 Sincerely,"

 Chaplain James Montoya

12/28/08 From UTNG Public Affairs Unit in Iraq: Letters mailed to us:  Click their picture to see all the pictures they took with disposable cameras WalMart donated

Dear Denise                                                                                          Dec. 9, 2008

You don’t know me but I have been blessed at your hand as a Soldier in Iraq.  My name is Sgt. Whitney Houston (pronounced House-ton), I know, I know, it looks like a fraud, but that is really my name and I am a 26 yr old male originally from Panguitch, UT.  I’m really good friends with your buddy Douglas York and he gave me one of the many care packages you sent just recently.  So I had a little time to stop and say thank you, because that care package was the best care package I’ve received.  You could just tell that everything was well thought out and carefully prepared for someone you didn’t even know, so thank you for your thoughts, your time, your heart and not to mention the money and effort that went into these care packages.  I have told my parents not to send me anything because I have everything I need, I even went as far as to not give them my address, but you know, it’s good to get something every once in a while.  So thanks for making me feel special and that there are people back who actually take the time to think of us out here, it’s actually quite gratifying.  This Christmas ill be the first I’ve spent away from wife and kids and every little bit helps, but you gve a “big” bit, holy cow!!!  As I was going through the box, I couldn’t believe the stuff I was pulling out!!!  That A Capella CD is freaken awesome!  I haven’t listened to the other CDs yet as I just got the package last night.  Thanks Again!  Things here are steadily progressing and elections are coming up in January.  Iraq is slowly gaining the ability to become a sovereign nation and is taking the necessary “slow” steps.  We’ve been kept safe out here and I believe it will continue.  Thanks again and Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.

Sincerely,

Whitney Houston

SPC Nichole Bonham

128^th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Utah National Guard

                                                                                               December 8, 2008

Dear Denise,  What a wonderful care package!  SC York shared the boxes you sent and I absolutely loved the one I got – cute stocking, wonderful music, a copy of The Christmas Box (love that story), adorable handmade cads from elementary school kids and plenty more.  Although, I have to confess my favorite was the package of Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies.  I didn’t like the change to the recipe from the last year so I was excited to see the old style again.

 We’re getting close to the end of this deployment, but I’s a strange feeling.  It’s close enough now to start planning for it; but, still far enough away to be unreal sometimes.  Friendly care packages from home are the best way to keep our spirits up and remind us what’s waiting for us when we get back.  Not just family and loves, but a whole community of people with open arms and hearts.  Thank you from the bottom of mine.

Sincerely,

                                                                        Nichole

Letters to Soldiers

Attn:  Denise D...9 December 2008

Dear Ms. D... (reponse to your Christmas care packages dated 2008,12 01).

First off let me convey my utmost and heartfelt thanks to you and everyone else who participates in “Letters to Soldiers” for your efforts in putting the care packages together for me an dmy crew; they are wonderful and the kids who made the cards are artists in bloom! J

As you may or may not know I have been in the military for nearly 8 years now and am serving my second tour here in Iraq.  I am currently serving with the 128^th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment out of Draper, Utah and we are attached to the Public Affairs Office of the 4^th Infantry Division and Multi-National Division Baghdad ( out of Fort Hood, Texas and Carson, Colorado).

We are military journalists who tell the Army’s Story, be it in print, photograph or video.  Our job is to cover our troops and paint the ‘real’ picture, which sadly most of the media back home seems afraid to convey.  In any case, we enjoy this job; covering our fellow servicemembers, especially because of those who’ve laid down their lives in defense of our nation and its liberties.

Well my friend I surmise that this is satisfactory for now.  I wish I could type an infinite amount of meaningful lines, but even as a journalist; I don’t always know what to say.  Christmas is not far off now and after that there are only 2 major holidays left until I am back home! J

In the meantime, please take this as an open invitation for you and any “Letters to Soldiers” participants and friends to write to me.  I will always write you in return.  While it is very faint, the light at the end of this tunnel has finally come into view.  Here’s to hoping it keeps on coming quickly.

My Thanks and God Bless you all,

Spc. Douglas Lloyd York

DSTB, 4^th ID (PAO)

PS Although you live in Orem are you still going to cheer for my beloved Utes against Alabama? GO UTES!  The Concert DVD

 was Great!

Our 1,000 packages for the Marines arrived and Chaplain Harding drove them all over: Click pictures below to see

rest of pictures:

From an ARMY wife:

"I AM SIGNING UP ON THE BEHALF OF MY SQUAD. FOR 6 OF MY SOLDIERS THIS IS THERE FIRST DEPLOYMENT FOR ME IT IS MY 2ND. I AM JUST TRYING TO MAKE THEM FEEL AT EASE AND LET THEM KNOW PEOPLE DO CARE ABOUT WHAT WE DO. BASICALLY JUST LOOKING FOR A LITTLE HELP TO MAKE THIS 15 MONTHS EASIER ON THEM. WE ARE FROM FT. HOOD TX. WE ARE SERVING IN IRAQ. ALL YOUR HELP WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND DEDICATION... SGT BRODINE"

A soldier in Iraq can't see your ribbon,
Or the flag at your front door.
But a letter they hold in their hands,
To them means so much more.
 

10/05/08"

OH I am so thrilled. Please have them write to info@letterstosoldiers.org and we will forward to those who wrote them.  I also have a SSG friend Jeffrey P. in Active Duty Army in San Diego working at a wounded warrior hospital who has asked me to come down to meet his commanders and the soldiers to share my program with them and get them lots of letters too.  I am so honored to do anything I can to help Americans show their love and appreciation to all these heroes. I will send you more as I receive them.  Thank you so much for writing back. I know this work is very important. I also plan on sending some special packages for Christmas around Dec. 1st if you can tell me how many wounded warrior heroes you have then. Thank you for allowing me to do this.

 DD Letters to Soldiers

-----Original Message-----
From: logan.latimer
Sent: Sunday, October 05, 2008 2:41 PM
To: Letters to Soldiers
Subject: RE: 386th CASF

 Got your package today, and we're distributing the letters now. We also

have a guy here who's been giving the contact info for the emails so

some of the people will receive responses to the letters =)

 Thanks again!

-Logan

-----Original Message-----

From: Letters to Soldiers Sent: Friday, September 26, 2008 11:38 PM

To: Latimer, Logan A1C USAF AFCENT 386 EMDG/CASF

Subject: RE: 386th CASF

 I will get a package out asap for the wounded in your facility too, I

love sending them the special cards we get from children.  This is very

exciting for us to help in this effort. Also remember when you do move,

to pass on the batton to the next unit in charge so all injured get our

cards and letters nonstop. 

 Thanks for looking into the military shipping if possible. My friend is

a Navy doctor in MD and he can help too. T hansk D. -----Original

Message-----

From: logan.latimer

Sent: Friday, September 26, 2008 1:14 PM

To: info@letterstosoldiers.org

Subject: 386th CASF

 "To whom it may concern:

 I was wondering if I could register the facility I'm working at to

receive letters and other support items. We are the 386th Contingency

Aeromedical Staging Facility located at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait.

We receive patients that have been medically evacuated from different

parts of Iraq, some battle injuries, but lots of other issues too. I

used to work at the CASF in Germany, which had a USO in the facility.

The USO provided lots of support type letters, posters, artwork, etc.

The CASF here in Kuwait doesn't have much of that, and I am in contact

with the USO and other organizations to help boost the morale of the

sick and injured troops on their way home. Is there a way we can

register the entire facility? Thanks for your time and support.

 Respectfully,"

 -A1C Logan Latimer

09/25/08  "I was wondering if I could register the facility I'm working at to receive letters and other support items. We are the 386th Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility located at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait.

09/21/08  "  I am thankful for the people out there like you. I received 1 package from family and friends. I could not begin to count the letters and packages I received from those I did not know. It is unreal the support I received from the great people in this country. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT TO THE MILITARY PERSONNEL."  Marine leftydesperado

09/05/08  "Our 4-H group will be starting their annual Community Service soon and I feel very strongly about getting these young girls and boys involved in writing letters to our service men and women. I need an address to where I can send these letter in bulk. Depending on the number of our group this year depends on the number of letter to be divided. If I get sufficient participation, I feel 3 letters per package will be coming your way soonest. Being Retired Air Force I know the importance a single letter can be, greater the importance to get these shipped quickly for the holiday season.

09/02/08 Read about PTSD study at BYU

08/20/08 "Thank you for what you do. I know some soldiers are stuck in situations where they don't get access to phones or email, so letters do really pick up their spirits. Thank you again"  Soldier

07/22/08From Airman in Iraq we send letters to that needs our help collecting supplies:re: shipping 11 pallets of Tahitian Noni Chews and Neways Personal CAre products to Iraq: "i'm not sure if they would make it here fast enough, but please let me know all the information such as your contact number, what exactly is in the pallets, and how close you are to what air force base.  i have talked to the chaplain here, and they requested that information and for me to forward them the information and how to contact you.  they would love to have all the donations, but we have to consider things like getting them here in time and such.  it is a great idea either way, and i really hope that we can take the pallets.  steven " (Air Force Airman in Iraq in pictures)"

07/14/08From a Brigade in Iraq needing supplies from home:

07/13/08

07/08/08

06/26/08 Please come vote and help an injured soldier and his family win a home makeover:  http://www.americahometoday.com/homemakeover/stories.php?page=&direction=&aht_hm%5Bsort%5D=rating

05/26/08 From mom of soldier:

05/23/08

05/05/08

From:      PV2 Richard

Contact_City:         M. PA

"Hey i just want to thank you for all that you guys have sacrificed for us to be a free and safe country.  I'm in the national guard.  Gonna be goin to Iraq with my unit in January.  I have mixed emotions bout it cause I think that it is fun, but it will be hard to leave everyone that I love. I'm infantry so I'm up there in the thick of things.  but I just wanted to take time to thank you for all you have done and sacraficed.  Cause when I get over there I hope that someone will take the time to thank everone that is over there.  God Bless You All!!!   <><  We aare all praying For you guys."

03/29/08 "JP, webmaster of Milblogging.com.  As many of you know, I`m a member of Bad Voodoo Platoon and Im currently deployed in support of OIF.  Over the last year, several of us includi ng fellow military blogger Toby Nunn, have been videotaping our experience.  Deborah Scranton (The War Tapes) has made a film for FRONTLINE called Bad Voodoo`s War that will be airing on April 1st.  The details are below:

BAD VOODOO`S WAR

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

9 P.M. (check local listings)

In June 2007, as the American military surge reached its peak, a band of National Guard infantrymen who call themselves "The Bad Voodoo Platoon" was deployed to Iraq. To capture a vivid, first-person account of the new realities of war in Iraq for FRONTLINE and ITVS, director Deborah Scranton (The War Tapes) created a "virtual embed" with the platoon, supplying cameras to the soldiers so they could record and tell the story of their war. The film intimately tracks the veteran soldiers of "Bad Voodoo" through the daily grind of their perilous mission, dodging deadly IEDs, grappling with the political complexities of dealing with Iraqi security forces, and battling their fatigue and their fears.

Watch a preview now at: pbs.org/frontline/badvoodoo

Visit the PBS pressroom for press release and
photography.
www.pbs.org/pressroom

Online starting April 1."
 

03/18/08

03/13/08 Thank you Chaplain Randall of Sledgehammer Unit for this wonderful plaque and thank you Video Prayer for Iraq:

Click picture to see video

03/08/08

Watch this amazing video from a Servicemember of Park City Called "First in Iraq 2003"

REad updates from the Frontline in Iraq: http://fromthefront.military.com/?wh=wh

About Christian Lowe

Before assuming editor duties at Defense Tech, Christian was a senior writer for The Politico covering defense and national security issues after spending five years with the Military Times newspapers in Springfield Va. Always running to the sound of the guns, he has covered military operations worldwide, embedding with Army and Marine units in both Iraq and Afghanistan, observing detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay, covering humanitarian missions in Lebanon and New Orleans.

This is Why we need to write more letters:

02/15/08 Denise,

02/12/08 From fellow soldier to our troops:  "Just wanted to let you know that God is always with you, no matter where you are and what you do. He's always going to protect you :) I'm here in Kuwait supporting everything that you do. God Bless You and keep you safe. "  PFC J. F.

02/02/08 "I am trying to find someone special to me so I can write him.  His name is L. D. T.  and he is stationed in Iraq.  I want to write to him, but I don't know exactly where he is or what company he is assigned.  You see D. and I were high school sweethearts who finally had a chance to be together again.......that is we would have, but he received orders to go to Iraq for 18 months.  He told me it wasn't fair to make me wait for him so he cut off all contact with me a couple of months before he was set to leave.  The last time I heard from him, he sent me a text saying "I have always been crazy about you." on Sept 3rd."

Hear from Troops: http://www.dvidshub.net/?script=media/holiday_greetings.php&view=UT 

12/24/07 From an Army Veteran:

"Keep doing what you are doing - It's great!"  Alfredo

http://www.gratitudecampaign.org/fullmovie.php

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED 12/12/07

From one of our Utah Singles serving in Iraq:

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED

“Hi Denise,

Thanks for the packages. Everyone loves the letters. I hope things are going well for you. This is my favorite time of year in Utah. Here in Iraq it's still about 110, but it seems cool compared to what we had earlier. I'm attaching a photo taken yesterday of me and my new best friend (I'm on the left!!!)
*Smiles*

“I feel blessed to know you.

Always,

Mark

P.S. I’ve got emails out, soliciting mailing addresses from different LDS chaplains”.

Mark W. Foster
(Navy Commander)

"Thanks so much for packages. You are so thoughtful. I passed out the goodies to the people I work with. After reading all the cards, I routed them to everyone also. I especially like the notes from the little kids. They are the best! In your words..."Priceless"

Fallujah Resident--temporarily displaced from Utah.

Chaplain Randy Curry writes: 

"This picture was given to me by a soldier from the Tennessee National Guard. He was reading as part of a the United Through Reading program out of San Diego, Calif. His daughter saw dad on TV and ran to give 'him' a hug."

"I cannot describe the feeling I have knowing that you and your community back there still think about us now and then. Our days are long & busy and sometimes we forget we'll actually get home one day. The items you provide keeps us going especially the music, the under armor underwear and DVDs, again thank you. The weather here has gone from extremely hot to very cold. Each week it gets colder and colder."

Thanks  to all the organizations out there supporting our Troops.

From the Horse's Mouth - Wishes From the Troops

"A lot of our Marines have children. Most of them were just newborns when we left. Sad reality is that they are not going to remember their daddies when we get back. And nothing breaks a Marine's heart like getting rejected by his own child that does not remember him or her. We want to make small videos where our Marines can talk to their children or read them stories, and their babies can watch them back home ...  If anybody has any kind of video camera or tapes we would very much appreciate them."

"When the siren sounds on camp, run as fast as you can to take cover cause we have something coming that's going to make a big boom ... incoming artillery, RPGs [rocket-propelled grenades], mortars rockets, etc. You never know when it's going to be your time--[you need] something to relieve stress and take your mind off things--magazines, games, being able to call home, no ATM machines so no phone cards etc. ..."

"Some good things in some packages were Red Bull, it would be awesome to get some more of that, it is good go juice. Other than that all is well in this part of the world, it will get a little rough around the holidays, keeping everybody's head in the game. I am sure nice packages will help lift their spirits some. I am mainly concerned with the younger, newer guys, who are on their first deployment. Some things that come to mind are of course beef jerky, still, lol. Winter is coming, and we were blessed to get a microwave, so things like Chunky Soup, Chef Boyardee, Dinty Moore stew things."

"There is what we call "moondust" everywhere, it is a talcum[-]powder[-]consistency sand that gets everywhere ... Food would be helpful although all we have to cook with is a coffee pot but it works. Extra long nylon bootlaces are desperately needed here because of the number we break. Combat socks for tall soldiers is a need here since half of us are over 6'2" tall. We are moving into winter and under armor cold gear and balaclavas [cloth face masks] would be a great help. Tactical gloves for big hands would be appreciated too. As for wants, DVDs, CDs, PlayStation or Xbox games would be most used for entertainment. As for me, I am 19 and enlisted in the Army while I was still in high school. I am happily married and my wife is having a tough time with this. It is a great feeling to know that people at home support us and may not agree with why or when but that they are still behind us as soldiers. On behalf of myself and my soldiers I thank you for your support and want you to know that what we do over here could not be done without loved ones at home and people who care.

Thank you again.  

Thank Yous From Others

"Thank you Denise for sharing my song "My Prayers Are With You Soldier" on your PSAs, I can't tell you, and you probably know this too, but I really feel that the Lord led me to your table that day, and vise versa. I know that we are here to help each other, and to help out our brothers in sisters, in the military.  YOu are amazing. You are doing great things, so expect great things to happen. I felt the first time when I wrote this song, that my desire for it was to go throughout the nation and hopefully touch every military person and families heart. I like your matching goal of making sure every military person this year gets a letter, a package and are taken care of.  Denise, I just want you to know HOW PROUD I AM OF YOU! YOU HAVE TAKEN ON A HARD TASK, AND WITH THE LORD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. HE LOVES YOU, AND HE IS WATCHING OVER YOU. YOU DESERVE THE BEST.  THANKS FOR BEING YOU. I KNOW THAT GOOD THINGS ARE IN STORE FOR YOU. 

YOU ARE AWESOME!

- Lantern Lane

Mothers of sons joining the Army: "Denise thank you so much. I cannot stop worrying. I do not know anything about Fort Benning if you have information please let me know and also if you add my son to the list to write to that would be so wonderful his name is Cameron he just turned 18.    Is Todd in Iraq?    I would love to help you with any flyers and anything to help the soldiers.     I am dedicated now to the cause to help these incredible men."  Val

“My son is 19 and serving in Iraq along with my brother and I am the Pleasant Grove Stake Singles Rep and want to put a Letters to Soldiers box at my work  and help you get the seniors to write letters at the Senior Citizen Expo.” Vicki

November 30, 2007

Dear Ms. Denise,

Thank you for sharing your concerns regarding the collection of letters and packages of support for soldiers currently serving overseas. I appreciate your interest in the issues facing our country and state, and I am happy to respond. When you contact me, you help me to better represent Utah in Congress.

I greatly appreciate all the work you are doing to ensure that our brave soldiers currently serving overseas receive the recognition they deserve. Especially during the holidays, sending them care packages and letters from their families, friends, and communities can improve the morale of our troops. I have always been a strong supporter of our brave young and men who serve in the military, and I will continue to ensure that they get the funding they need both when they are abroad and when they return.

Again, thank you for sharing your concerns with me. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact my office.

Sincerely,

JIM MATHESON
Member of Congress

You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight.

He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.

You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday.

He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.

You roll your eyes as a baby cries.

He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet.

PLEASE, Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S.service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.

                             

                              LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN

                              30th Naval Construction Regiment

                              OIC, Logistics Cell One

                              Al Taqqadum , Iraq

                             

PERSCO...

Proudly serving the finest warriors in the universe & achieving mission success through integrity, dedication and excellence!

>Press Here To Listen

"Bring Him Home Santa" Dear Santa, I need to change my Christmas list There's one big thing I missed You see my Daddy's working for away from here And I know Santa, I asked for a Barbie doll And a brand new soccer ball But I'd trade it all, for just one gift this year... Bring him home Santa, bring him home to mom and me Let us wake up Christmas morning, and find him standing by our tree You can pick him up on your way, he could ride there in your sleigh Don't make him spend Christmas all alone Bring him home And Santa, here's a picture that I drew Of him in his dress blues Mama says our country needs him over there And you know Santa, this whole year I've been good And I was hopin' that would Do all you could to answer her prayer... Bring him home Santa, bring him home to mom and me Let us wake up Christmas morning, and find him standing by our tree You can pick him up on your way, he could ride there in your sleigh Don't make him spend Christmas all alone Bring him home Bring him home Bring him home Bring him home

>Press Here To Listen

"Bring Him Home Santa" Dear Santa, I need to change my Christmas list There's one big thing I missed You see my Daddy's working for away from here And I know Santa, I asked for a Barbie doll And a brand new soccer ball But I'd trade it all, for just one gift this year... Bring him home Santa, bring him home to mom and me Let us wake up Christmas morning, and find him standing by our tree You can pick him up on your way, he could ride there in your sleigh Don't make him spend Christmas all alone Bring him home And Santa, here's a picture that I drew Of him in his dress blues Mama says our country needs him over there And you know Santa, this whole year I've been good And I was hopin' that would Do all you could to answer her prayer... Bring him home Santa, bring him home to mom and me Let us wake up Christmas morning, and find him standing by our tree You can pick him up on your way, he could ride there in your sleigh Don't make him spend Christmas all alone Bring him home Bring him home Bring him home Bring him home

 

Iraq war dog to retire with fallen Marine's family

(CNN) -- A U.S. military dog whose handler and best friend was killed in Iraq got a new assignment on Friday -- retirement with the late Marine's family.

Marine Cpl. Dustin Lee, slain in Iraq in March, with his dog, Lex, who is going to live with Lee's family.

It took the family months of lobbying to get the adoption approved by the military.

Lex was beside Cpl. Dustin Lee when Lee was killed in a mortar attack in Falluja.

In spite of his injuries, the dog didn't want to leave Lee's side after the attack, according to the Marine's father. Other Marines reportedly had to pull the dog away from the young man's body so medics could reach him. Watch Lex demonstrate his talents »

Lex attended Lee's funeral in March, playing games with the 20-year-old Marine's younger brother on the sidelines.

Although some shrapnel remains in his body, Lex recovered from his wounds and returned to duty at the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany, Georgia.

Friday, the 8-year-old bomb-sniffing German shepherd was turned over to Lee's family to live out the rest of his life in Quitman, Mississippi.