Some of you may have already received this
information from me or from one of the large e-mail groups in
Charlotte. We are using the e-line to let everyone know of a project we
are working on in Charlotte as a work group.
I was handed a list on December 5th with
the names of 31 Marines in Iraq who won't be getting any Christmas at
all. These Marines, for whatever reason, have no family support from
the states. I am not naive enough to believe these are the only 31
people that have no support from home, but I do know about these
specific Marines and I'm sure we can help them.
This list comes directly from their
Chaplain. It is amazing to me that these men and women can be over there
serving our country, but won't even have a card at Christmas. We need to
fix that. We are working on two separate projects to make sure that
these Marines know that someone back home cares and wants them to have
some joy at Christmas.
The first project is to get
Christmas/Holiday cards to each. There are 31 Marines on the list (32
if you include the Chaplain which I think is a good idea.) I'm going to
send a card to each. If you'd like to help with the cards, please let
me know. I'd like to make sure everyone gets covered on this list. If
you can send out all 31 cards, thank you! If you want to do a limited
batch, contact me at
kimijtoo@gmail.com and I'll give you a portion. Again, I'd like to
keep track to make sure everyone gets covered.
Our second project is to get
care/Christmas packages to each Marine. Flight attendants have already
started "adopting" Marines and are sending a box to their own Marine.
The boxes can be very easy. The Post Office now carries three sizes of
flat rate postage boxes. On the largest box, they offer a discount to
all packages going to an FPO or APO address. (this will be going to an
FPO) The box is 12"x12"x5-1/2" and will be a flat rate of $10.95 to
ship (the boxes are free), regardless of weight. You can find all the
information on www.usps.com or at your local post office. I've attached a list of
suggested items to place in the box, but keep in mind that this
is possibly their only Christmas and anything you send will be
appreciated. If you'd like to adopt a Marine, please let me know.
Again, I am keeping track of who has been covered and who still needs to
be adopted.
kimijtoo@gmail.com
Thank you for any support or help you can
give. We are all going through hard economic times, but we are at home
and not facing what these Marines face on a daily basis. Let's let them
know that there are still people here at home that care about them and
wish them Happy Holidays. If you'd like to adopt a Marine or if your
family or church group would be interested, please let me know. If
you'd like a partial list to send cards to, I'll be happy to give you a
group. Thanks for helping make their Christmas a glorious one!
Every
body's address is the same. 1st
Maintenance Battalion H&S Co. Unit
42280 FPO
AP 96426-2280
LCpl Carmen R Schroeder (Female)
LCpl Perez, Robert- Loves
to watch and play football (favorite football team is Minnesota Vikings) LCpl Hayden, Francis-
Likes to watch movies and go to the gym LCpl Flores, Brittany-
(Female) Likes to listen to music LCpl Smith, Edward- Likes
to play video games LCpl Meeboer, Justin-
Likes to watch and play soccer LCPL BUTLER, MARK – MOVIES, GAMES
LCPL BIBEAU, BRYAN – MOVIES, COMEDY, CARS
LCPL GRAHAM, JOSHUA – SKATEBOARDING. PUNK ROCK
LCPL REYNOLDS, DERIK – HEAVY METAL, DEATH ART
LCPL HILL, NICHOALS – MOVIES, ART
LCPL Roderick Usher CPL PORTER, RICARDO – CHESS, READING, CHURCH
CPL MILLER, ABRAHAM – CHURCH, SOCCER
CPL MESSICK, NICHOLAS – FOOTBALL, BOWLING
CPL ORTIZ, EDWIN – IMPORT CARS, SALSA DANCING
CPL VASQUEZ, HAROLD – BASKETBALL (LA LAKERS)
CPL GIASCILLO, MICHAEL – POKER CPL BONDS, MATTHEW – BOOKS, MOVIES (ACTION)
CPL FLORES, DANIEL – VIDEO GAMES, MARTIAL ARTS, POKER
Cpl Erin Nalley (Female) Cpl Elizabeth Martin (Female) Cpl Katelin Haering
(Female) CPL Latasha Jones
(Female) CPL KAREKEL, JONATHAN – MOVIES (COMEDY, HORROR), LIFTING MAGAZINES
Cpl Romero, Francisco-
Loves to watch and play football (favorite team is Houston Texans) Cpl Diaz, Jose- Loves to
watch and play football (favorite team is Chicago Bears) Cpl White, David - Loves
to watch movies Sgt Reza, Bryan- Likes
anything that deals with weightlifting SGT FISHER, LEROY - WEIGHT LIFTING, MOVIES (COMEDY), CARS
SGT MEFFORD, JOSEPH - FISHING AND HUNTING
FYI: LCPL - Lance Corporal (E-3)
CPL
- Corporal (E-4) Sgt
- Sergeant (E-5)
And
Chaplain Jeffrey J. Ross
FOOD and SNACKS:
Beef Jerky / Slim Jims
COFFEE (Ground or whole; instant
or drip), Hot Chocolate packets, Herbal teas
COOKIES / Girl Scout Cookies (with
chocolate: Oct. - Feb. only!)
Cheese & Cracker packs
Condiments, Spices; Sugar; Salad
Dressing (no glass jars)
Oatmeal Packs (Instant: just add
water)
Cereal (Small, individual boxes)
Rice Krispie Treats (Store-bought
only)
Caffeinated gum or candy (to stay
alert)
TOILETRIES: NO
HOTEL SAMPLES! (Note: Some troops have allergies & need
Brand Name
toiletries which list all ingredients. The military issues
toiletries to our troops, however troops often miss their favorite
brand of shampoo or soap. Our goal is to send troops reminders of
home & items they miss ... not free samples.)
Baby wipes (travel size)
Liquid Hand Sanitizer (travel
size)
Body Wash, Liquid
Soap, Facial Cleanser
Shampoo /Conditioner (travel size)
Hair Gel (for female troops to
pull hair back)
Combs / Brushes, Bobby Pins
Eye Drops (i.e. Visine)
Nasal Spray
Deodorant (travel size)
Razors (disposable: "Intuition" or
"Mach 3" type)
Shaving Cream / Shaving Soap (inboxes
or tubes; NO CANS of Shaving Cream, please!)
Cotton Swabs (i.e. Q-tips)
Band-aids, Gauze Pads, First Aid
Kits
Lip balm / Chap Stick
Baby Powder & Foot Powder (travel
size)
Loufa Sponges / Buff Puffs /
Washcloths
Tissues (individual packs; travel
size only)
Sunblock, SPF 45, Zinc, Vitamin E,
Aloe Vera Gel
Bug Spray / DEET / Skin-So-Soft
Hand & Body Lotion / Moisturizer
(travel size)
Mouthwash (travel size)
Toothpaste & Toothbrushes & Dental
Floss
VITAMINS (multi-vitamins are
always needed!)
Breath Mints / Breath Strips
Lozenges / Cough Drops
Nail files / Emery Boards / Nail
Clippers
Feminine Hygiene Products
Cotton Balls
Tylenol, Motrin, Advil or Aspirin
Packets
Moleskin
Shoe Insole Cushions (gel kind is
best)
ENTERTAINMENT and SPORTS:
Batteries: "AA" "AAA" and "C" are
the most requested
DVD Movies
(new or used - recent releases only, please!)
Xbox Games
(new or used)
PS2 Games
(new or used)
Portable CD
players / head phones
Small homemade gifts - little
comforts of "home"
Pens & mechanical pencils
Stationery & Envelopes; blank
cards to send home
Double-sided tape, small crafts
kits, scrapbooking items
Day planners / Small, Pocket
Calendars
Crossword Puzzles / Word Search
Books / Math Puzzle books / MAD LIBS / Logic Problems / Sudoku
Yo-Yo's, Dominoes, playing cards,
poker chips, dice
Board games (UNO, Othello,
checkers - travel size is great, too!)
T-Shirts:
Cotton green & tan under shirts
(Sizes: M, L & XL) [Note: The DOD banned "Under-Armor" shirts due to
its material being potentially flammable & bad reactions to
open wounds.]
Small
Flashlights (battery operated)
Air Fresheners
Socks
Patriotic knick-knacks, USA flags,
flags from your state, bandanas, baseball hats, football
jerseys, banners.
Generic sunglasses
Alarm Clocks (Small in size; wind
up or battery-operated)
Black or Green duct tape, small
tool kits, dust masks, carpentry tools, Fly swatters, fly paper,
mosquito netting, bug repellant in plastic pump bottles
only (NOAEROSOL CANS, PLEASE!)
Religious booklets, small bibles,
inspirational readings
Small toys &
school supplies for Iraqi & Afghan children
Small portable heaters & fans (110
voltage okay)
Coffee Makers (110 voltage okay) &
coffee filters!
Microwave Ovens (55 lbs max; 110
voltage okay)
Small hot pots
Winter Hats & Blankets (Yes, it
snows in the winter over there!)
Combat Application Tourniquets
(black only)
Holiday Decorations
CARDS&LETTERS:
The troops love to hear from all of us and Mail
brightens their days! These are the MOST IMPORTANT items we
can send the troops & we can never have too many, so please keep
writing! consider making a patriotic banner or poster to send inside
one of our care packages!
Note: Our troops do not need stamps as they're in war zones & may
send mail home to their loved ones at no charge
Some of you may have already received this
information from me or from one of the large e-mail groups in
Charlotte. We are using the e-line to let everyone know of a project we
are working on in Charlotte as a work group.