Talk About Milsupport - I Did

I got a call a few weeks ago from a friend and Vietnam Marine chopper pilot and who is also a retired Air Force gentleman (and yes, I do know some gentlemen) telling me his Parish was working on the idea of starting a Milsupport Ministry. They were looking for someone well versed on the subject to attend a meeting and give some pointers and ideas. Well, that person was busy, as were the next 50 or so they ask, so he ask me to do it.



I agreed and tonight was the night. I don’t mind, and even enjoy standing in front of strangers and talking. Though you graduates and masters of Toastmasters would be cringing in the audience like a kid in a classroom listening to the teacher scrape her nails across a chalk board, things went well. They had some very good questions and, though I had handouts of suggested items and instrucitons, many were taking notes (or doodling on the handouts.)

It was a room full of vets, a couple of which were Mustangs (men who joined as enlisted and went on to become officers) and people who were raised as military brats or were married to men in combat situations from Vietnam to the present.

I only talked for about 20 minutes and, as I said, handed out some information and examples of how to send and what to send to the troops. No one fell a sleep (the coffee was strong.)

Then a lady who was both a Marine milbrat and Marine wife with 5 kids, also gave a talk on the family side of military life. She talked her experience as both a brat and wife and about how the Parish could support the families with deployed people.

It was one of the most enjoyable evenings I had in many a day. Great people, good snacks and great coffee. Those Catholics really know how to put out a spread.

But more importantly, there will be some of our guys and gals getting some surprise packages in the mail soon. And that’s a good thing.
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Too Much To Do - Dammit

Today is the start of a busy week, if not month, for me. It started out Wednesday shopping for my milsupport dudes.

They are getting a little more than usual this time because, well, it’s Christmas. It is also winter over there and they are, to say the least, cold. So along with the peanuts, cereal, beef jerky, power bars, candy and magazines (sorry guys, no Playboys or Penthouses) and books, I have enclosed hand, body and foot warmers to help them out on their trips outside the wire and standing those long, boring watches.


I was up to 3:00 a.m. packing boxes to send to my dudes overseas in The Suck.


Today I loaded them up to take to the Post Office. Of course all 10,000 people in my little town had to mail packages today, too. So I was in line about an hour. Happy fucking me. My luck…only old, ugly women and one fat man to talk too, so I read my book while in line.

It had to be done today if I wanted to guarantee delivery by Christmas. However, if they are late, it’s a good thing, too. My friend Hope told me that there is always the after holiday letdown and packages arriving after Christmas is a sure pick-me-up. So what ever happens, it will be a good thing.


After the post office, I made my daily trip to the Waffle House for…uh…Brunch. (I have lost the picture of my WH - sorry.)

I then went to Great Clips for my haircut.

But I didn’t just get a hair cut this time.


I got it buzzed.

Why, you may ask (or you may not even give a shit, I don’t know, but I have to type something to say abut these pictures) why I scrape off all the snow from the roof?

It’s because of this:

For the past four years I have been the resident Santa for the Pet Smart in Duluth, where my step-daughter, Dr. Amber, sets up each weekend for pet adoptions.

These are two of my dogs; the white one is Brea, a 120 lb Grand Pyrenees and the chocolate Lab is Gabby.


These are the other two dogs we adopted, the red one is Nancy (a boy dog becasue the dumb asses who dropped him off couldn't tell a 'red rocket coming out of the silo' from a split under the tail) and Jo Jo (a female).


This is how I want to spend my Santa stint:

But NNOOOOO! It has to be with animals.

On top of that I will be leaving on the 8th for my NY transport trip. So now you know why I am so full of the fucking holiday spirit. If I see that fat man flying over my house, I will be target practicing with my shotgun. Fucker!

So I'll still be around, but it will probably be just lurking.

Give HOPE A Hand

 

Peeps,

My blogging buddy and milsupport guru, Hope over at Hope Radio (on my blog roll,) has a request out for help. She has a list of 20 MP’s in Afghanistan who have not received any mail from the States since May.

Being a total asshole and not having any friends as well as being the black sheep of the family, I know what it was like to not receive mail for extended periods of time when I was in the Navy. The only thing I could count on was a church bulletin on Wednesday and a one page letter from my mom once a week or so. None from my brothers or sister, none from my 'friends’ from high school, non from anyone. I started to buy something on credit and not pay for it just so I could get dunning letters from the collection department. But these guys have had NOTHING.

Get in touch with Hope at hstrueby@live.com and get a name or two of some deserving men or women who need support from the people back home. And don’t be afraid to ask about any needs they have. A care package once a moth will mean more to these guys than Christmas morning. They don’t need much. Old magazines, books, any TV shows you have burned on DVD’s, nuts, raisins, beef jerky, non chocolate candy, etc.

I always tell my guys about my week or month and the things I have done with my grandkids and family. Then I tell them that I am not telling them this to add to their homesickness or to make them lonely, but to let them know I am able to do things like this because that are there doing the hard stuff so that we can have the freedom to do our stuff, and that I appreciate their sacrifice. Not sappy, just be honest.

Just send an introductory letter for some people who chose to give back to their country. They will appreciate it and you have given something of yourself to help make the world a better place. And you may even make a new friend for life. How neat can that be?

God Bless’em…and you if, too, if you choose to help Hope and the troops.