Enlisted
03-03
To whom it may concern:
My name is Hospital Corpsman Thrid Class Marilyn V. Nava. I am writing this e-mail to all the people who put all their efforts in making our stay here in Rota, Spain a little easier.
We received boxes of colorful knitted slippers and earmuffs. They are really useful here where we are currently deployed. I even wear a pair of slippers every night when I go to sleep.
Again, thank you very much for everything. God bless you all.
HM3 Nava
01.08.03
I am a sergeant serving in the Army in South
Korea. I am working as the AREA xxx BOSS coordinator. Your organization
recently sent us hundreds of slippers to distribute to the guys and
gals here in Area xxx. In case you didn't know, Area xxx is where most of the
troops in South Korea are located. It is also the area that is closest
to the DMZ and North Korea. As you can imagine it also gets pretty
cold up here. Those of us who are sent to Korea are here on a hardship
tour. Most of us had to leave our spouses and children back in the
States. That makes it just a little bit harder to be here. When ( )
of KORO BOSS and MWR presented the idea of Toasty Toes to us at
our quartely meeting, we were ecstatic. We loved the idea and could
hardly wait until they arrived. For the past 3 days I have been touring
with the USO mobile canteen in order to distribute them to the soldiers
in area 1. I can tell you, with out a doubt, that your toasty toes
slippers have brightened the day of many many homesick soldiers. Some have
told me that they had slippers like these made for them by their
grandmothers when they were little. Others have told me that some of the
towns in which the slippers came were their home town.
12.4.02
I would like to thank you for the home made slippers. I will wear them tonight. My mother used to make them for me when I was a child, but she hasen't made them for me in years. Thank you so much
Respectfully,
AS2(AW) McGrail
AIMD/ IM-4
11/29/02
Hello members of Toasty Toes. My name is Tim and I'm a firefighter
currently assigned to an expeditionary air group responsible for supporting
operation enduring freedom. I received your package of slippers and head
warmers today. I was quite surprised when I saw the huge package waiting
for me. Luckily I had a few of my fellow firefighters standing by me when I
opened up the package so they got to share in the excitement. I was very
impressed with the creativity and skill that went into making the slippers
and head warmers.
We are all very thankful you were able to
make all those wonderful slippers and head warmers because none of us
brought any cold weather gear with us and it is going to be quite cold when
we get back! We'll all be nice and toasty, thanks to Toasty Toes. I have
encouraged everyone to write a thank you themselves, I'm sure they will too.
I don't know if you all know how much the little things mean. For many of
us this is our first time outside of the US and we have only been in the Air
Force for less than or little over a year now. We are not only away from
our loved ones but away from everything that we know as home. This has not
been easy. We sleep in tents on cots, there is only one place to eat, and
the air base we're at is only a mile by a mile and a half, so the air base
is the only thing we've seen in the last three months and there isn't much
to see here. It so nice to know that there are people back home who
appreciate all that we do out here. Once again I Thank You very much for
all of your hard work. My ears and my feet is not the only thing that will
be warm, but my heart as well knowing that the people we give up a lot to
protect appreciate us out here. To all the members of Toasty Toes and all
that help support their mission I salute you!
A1C Timothy J Tichawa
ECES/CEF
Firefighter/EMT
I would like to thank you very much for the knitted slippers :)
They will keep my feet nice and warm while I sleep on this ice cold ship. Again
thank you for your hard work and it is truly appreciated by me and my fellow
shipmates.
Martin Roman
USS - ship name deleted for security
Hi,
I am A1C Jackson. I wanted you all to know that i really appreciate
the gear that was sent to us. It is nice to know that people all over the
world keeps us in their prayer and hearts while we are at battle against
foreign nations to keep peace within our country. ONce again l would like to
thank you and everyone who put in on the gifts.
Love Always,
A1C Jackson
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TOASTY TOES GIFTS WE ALL REALLY APRECIATE
THEM AND IF YOU COULD GIVE MRS. FRANCES FROM JEROME IDAHO 83338-5403
A SPECIAL THANKS FROM ME BECAUSE i AM FROM LEWISTON IDAHO. THANK YOU AGAIN.
TYLER SCHMIDT
tom of this page.
9/02
Dear XXX
How are you doing? First my name in PFC Gifford and you emailed me about mailing slippers and I gave you my address and that is about it. well a couple of weeks later I went to check my mail and a big box that read slippers was there and all of a sudden I got the biggest smile on my face. Well as soon as I walked in the building I live there was a guy there who said what do you got for me. to his surprise I opened the box and said a pair of slippers. As soon as I did that there were about 20 people asking where they came from and why. So I explained to them about you and the other people, and they all thought it was neat, they picked out a pair of slippers and tols me they would make sure to write people.
Well as people got off of work and came home to the building I was at the entrance handing them out. It was great as I saw thede peoples faces light up. i wish I could thatr you could have seen it. Every one enjoyed them so much. I want to thank you for what you do. And I wanted to let you know that you made a lot of people happy they all felt good when I told them how I got them, that you made them and sent them to me to give to troopsto show support. Well thank you again and it was all so wonderful. oh and the slippers are so comfortable I wear them all the time. oyu have really made a difference!!! thank you so very much. It is because of peole like you, I am proud to be in the military and to be aprt of the United States.
PFC Gifford
Dear Operation Toasty Toes: My name is Cindy Guyer, a Staff Sergeant stationed in Korea. I want to thank you for the slippers you sent here to Camp Stanley, Korea. They went pretty fast when word was put out to the soldiers. This is my first winter here and I know my slippers will come in handy when the temperature drops below zero. Please tell J. Smith thankyou for taking the time and doing such a good job on my slippers - they fit perfectly! I'm sure all the soldiers here appreciates them as they were seen running to SPC Gifford's room to pick theirs out. All of us soldiers who are stationed overseas away from our families really appreciate the kindness shown by everyone back in the "real world". If it weren't for you, our morale would be pretty low and life would be harder here. Thanks again, not only for myself, but for everyone here in my unit, HHB DIVARTY. Cindy
Thank you for maken the slippers that I have gotten from PFC Gifford, They are really nice and comy tooo. It is nice that there are some people who cares about us soliders and are willing to do stuff like that for us. It is a real treat getting stuff becouse I am in Korea and I am away from my wife and son. You can email me back anytime you would like
Sincerly,
Pv2 Wesley R. Lantz Jr
HHb Divarty
FREEDOM IS NOT FREE
I watched the flag pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it and then
He stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform,
So young, so tall, so proud,
With hair cut square and eyes alert,
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom is not free.
I heard the sound of taps one night,
When everything was still.
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That taps had meant "Amen",
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea,
Of unmarked graves in Arlington,
NO, Freedom is not free.
This was written by Cadet Major Kelly Strong,
Air Force Junior ROTC,
Homestead Senior High School,
Homestead, Fl 1988
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