America Supports You E-Newsletter 03-18-08

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March 18, 2008

E-Newsletter Volume CLIII

Arlington, Va.

Representatives from the Pease Greeters visit the Pentagon briefing room. The Pease Greeters (left to right): Bill Hopper, air terminal manager; Charlie Nichols, World War II veteran; Edmund Johnson, group co-chair and Korean War veteran; Chuck Cove, co-chair and Vietnam War veteran; Alan Weston, air terminal maintenance manager; and Hank Page, group chaplain and Korean War veteran. Defense Department photo by Donna Miles</EM>

West Chester, Ohio

Thank You Foundation volunteer Debbie Griffith provides students at Hopewell Elementary School with the opportunity to write thank you cards to servicemembers. The ASYhomefront group is dedicated to showing their sincere appreciation for our military men and women. Photo courtesy of The Thank You Foundation.</EM>

Ashburn, Va.

Members of the Ashburn Presbyterian Church youth group package Easter goodies at a March 8th packing party hosted by Operation Pinecone. The church donated goods for the Easter baskets, which were then shipped to deployed servicemembers for the upcoming holiday. Photo courtesy of Mary Hacker.

IN THIS EDITION:
San Mateocelebrates 40 years of supporting the troops.
The Pease Greeters get a special thank you.

March is the America Supports You month of spotlighting homegroup groups that help military members and their families with scholarships. Learn more at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/.

ASY FROM COAST TO COAST AND ACROSS THE OCEAN:
President Bush at the White House, New Hampshire Senator John Sununu on Capitol Hill and officials at the Pentagon recently honored six New Hampshire volunteers for spreading the ASY spirit by making sure deployed troops have enthusiastic sendoffs and homecomings. The President offered personal thanks to the Pease Greeters, who shower deploying and redeploying servicemembers with applause, handshakes and snacks as their aircraft refuel at Portsmouth International Airport in Pease, New Hampshire. "He thanked us for what we are doing and told us that it's important for Americans like us to show appreciation to and support the troops," said Edmund Johnson, a Korean War veteran who co-chairs the group. "It was a tremendous honor for all of us!" The greeters started almost three years ago as a band of veterans from the Marine Corps League of New Hampshire who met incoming flights from overseas. Since then, their membership has expanded to the hundreds, and the Pease Greeters haven't missed a single inbound or outbound flight. The greeters range from young schoolchildren to elder citizens. They assemble within an hour's notice of a flight, hoisting banners, snapping photos and offering hugs along with coffee, pizza or treats baked by the group's "cookie lady," Kelly Eaton. Just before the soldiers leave, the Pease Greeters render a sharp salute. "We talk about warriors as a brotherhood," Johnson said. "We tell them that we're the old warriors, supporting them, the new warriors, and offer them our salute in recognition of what they're doing for our country." Read More America Supports You homefront group The Thank You Foundation has been offering cards to schools as part of its thank you card program. Schools from over 20 states including Georgia, Florida, Maryland, Texas and Ohio have been signing the specially designed cards that are shipped in care packages to troops overseas and delivered to military hospitals including Walter Reed Army Hospital. Some schools have gone a step further by working with the Foundation for care package drives. "The thank you card program has been very successful, and it gives our young people an opportunity to reflect on the service and sacrifices made by our military personnel and veterans," said the Foundation's President and Founder John Guinn.
ASY homefront organization Operation Pinecone recently arranged to have 1,000 Easter baskets with sweets, snacks and candy-filled plastic eggs sent to servicemembers for the upcoming holiday. The group has sent about 500 baskets to military members in Iraq and Afghanistan and has distributed the remaining baskets to Fisher House locations and warrior transit units at military hospitals in the United States. On the Sunday before the holiday, Operation Pinecone served a special dinner at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for wounded servicemembers and their families. Moe's Southwest Grill provided a sumptuous buffet and Operation Pinecone brought 150 Easter baskets to give out at the event. The Campbell Brothers provided the entertainment with a special Blue Grass musical recital.
On Monday, the San Mateo (California) City Council recognized the 40th anniversary of the adoption of Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division at a special meeting. Linda Patterson, an instrumental figure in the adoption of the unit and founder of America Supports You homefront group America Supporting Americans (ASA) and her husband Steve, a member of the original Alpha Company, attended. "On December 18, 1967, while serving in Vietnam, (Army) Sgt. Joe Artavia, a young man concerned about the lack of mail the members of his troop were receiving, wrote to his sister, Linda Patterson, requesting that she work toward getting a city to adopt his unit," city officials said in their release. Patterson succeeded in getting the San Mateo City Council, led by Mayor Jack Murray, to adopt her brother's unit on March 4, 1968. Artavia wrote to his sister upon learning of the good news that the morale of his fellow soldiers was "raised as high as the clouds." Unfortunately, Artavia was killed in action on March 24, 1968, and never saw the swell of support from home. When the war ended, Alpha Company came home in January 1972 to a parade and three-day celebration. The success of her town's adoption of Alpha Company inspired Linda to found her homefront group linking military units with adoptive communities across the country. The council recently received a special gift from its adopted unit. "We are very touched to have received Alpha and Bravo Company flags that were flown in Iraq during their present deployment ... and a wonderful letter from (Lt Col. Pete Wilhelm, commander of 1st Battalion, 237th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team)," said Norma Gomez, San Mateo city clerk, in correspondence to Patterson. The council read the letter and acknowledged the gifts as part of the anniversary meeting. Read More

FEATURED ON THE ASY WEB SITE LAST WEEK:
CinCHouse.com
"We're looking for inspirational stories of military wives and women in uniform who are successfully parenting children through the challenges of military life. These can be your children, stepchildren, foster children or others in unique circumstances."
-- CinCHouse.com Web site
ASY IN THE NEWS:
The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, Calif.) mentioned the new America Supports YouCongressionalCaucus. Pasadena Now (Calif.) also covered the new ASY Caucus, noting more than 27 Members of Congress have joined.
Kitsap Sun (Bremerton, Wash.) reported on America Supports You homefront group Armed Forces Families' collaboration with BakeMeAWish.com to help servicemembers send cakes to their wives and mothers for Mother's Day.
ASY HOMEFRONT ORGANIZATION OF THE WEEK:
The Family Ties Foundation was created to provide immediate financial support for the families of wounded servicemembers deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom. The homefront group raises funds through the use of individuals, corporations, churches and other organizations. The Family Ties Foundation's mission is to alleviate as much as possible the initial financial difficulties families endure on a daily basis while their wounded servicemember recovers from injuries sustained during combat operations. In addition to financial aid, the organization offers special programs for military children and military mothers and wives. To learn more, go to: http://www.familytiesfoundation.org/default.htm.

FROM THE TROOPS:
"I want to thank everyone who was such a great help last deployment (by providing) everything from clothes to goodies."
-- Brian, E-6 Navy, Greybull, Wyoming

"I've been here in Okinawa, Japan for three years. Glad to know that some people care so much about the armed forces…. Thanks."
-- Cpl. Hagadone, USMC, Okinawa, Japan ASY REMINDER:
As high school seniors across the nation are firming up their college plans, don't forget March is the America Supports You program's month of spotlighting homefront groups that help military members and their families with scholarships. Learn more at: http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/.

Our troops deserve to be applauded, and so do you!

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