<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=160 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="12741413.gif"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Home"><U>Home</U></A></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="id34.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Military Contact"><U>Military Contact</U></A> Request</div> <div> <A HREF="id35.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Thanx to our Contributors!!!!!"><U>Thanx to our Contributors!!!!!</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Linx"><U>Additional</U></A> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Linx"><U>Linx</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photos Members"><U>Photos & Members</U></A></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1186f530.jpg" border=0 width="111" height="83" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <A HREF="id27.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Official Pattern"><U><B>Patterns</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B> <form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"> <input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_xclick"> <input type="hidden" name="business" value="toastytoes@msn.com"> <input type="image" src="https://www.paypal.com/images/x-click-but21.gif" border="0" name="submit" alt="Make a shipping donation with PayPal - it's fast, free and secure!"> </form>  </B></div> <div>  <form method=GET action="http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/optt8"> <table cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2 border=0 bgcolor=#FFFFCC> <tr> <td colspan=2 align=center> <b>Subscribe to optt8</b> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <input type=text name="user" value="enter email address" size=20> </td> <td> <input type=image border=0 alt="Click here to join optt8" name="Click here to join optt8" src="http://groups.yahoo.com/img/ui/join.gif"> </td> </tr> <tr align="center"> <td colspan="2"> Powered by <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/">groups.yahoo.com</a> </td> </tr> </table> </form>  </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="http://www.snidervillage.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.snidervillage.com"><U><IMG SRC="09873580.gif" border=0 width="115" height="88" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="0e941413.gif"> <div> <B>Enlisted </B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="09ee6d60.gif" border=0 width="230" height="214" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <I> <form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"> <input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_xclick"> <input type="hidden" name="business" value="havensmist@msn.com"> <input type="hidden" name="item_name" value="OPeration Toasty Toes"> <input type="hidden" name="no_note" value="1"> <input type="hidden" name="currency_code" value="USD"> <input type="hidden" name="tax" value="0"> <input type="image" src="https://www.paypal.com/images/x-click-but21.gif" border="0" name="submit" alt="Make payments with PayPal - it's fast, free and secure!"> </form>  </I></div> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="0e712cc0.jpg" border=0 width="274" height="204" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="13952f10.jpg" border=0 width="338" height="241" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <div> <I>03-03</I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> To whom it may concern:</div> <div> 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.</div> <div> 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.</div> <div> Again, thank you very much for everything. God bless you all.</div> <div> HM3 Nava</div> <bR> <div> <I>01.08.03</I></div> <div> I am a sergeant serving in the Army in South </div> <div> Korea. I am working as the AREA xxx BOSS coordinator. Your organization </div> <div> recently sent us hundreds of slippers to distribute to the guys and </div> <div> gals here in Area xxx. In case you didn't know, Area xxx is where most of the </div> <div> troops in South Korea are located. It is also the area that is closest </div> <div> to the DMZ and North Korea. As you can imagine it also gets pretty </div> <div> cold up here. Those of us who are sent to Korea are here on a hardship </div> <div> tour. Most of us had to leave our spouses and children back in the </div> <div> States. That makes it just a little bit harder to be here. When (   ) </div> <div>  of KORO BOSS and MWR presented the idea of Toasty Toes to us at </div> <div> our quartely meeting, we were ecstatic. We loved the idea and could </div> <div> hardly wait until they arrived. For the past 3 days I have been touring </div> <div> with the USO mobile canteen in order to distribute them to the soldiers </div> <div> in area 1. I can tell you, with out a doubt, that your toasty toes </div> <div> slippers have brightened the day of many many homesick soldiers. Some have </div> <div> told me that they had slippers like these made for them by their </div> <div> grandmothers when they were little. Others have told me that some of the </div> <div> towns in which the slippers came were their home town. </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>12.4.02</I></div> <bR> <div> 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 </div> <div> Respectfully, </div> <div> AS2(AW) McGrail </div> <div> AIMD/ IM-4</div> <bR> <div> <I>11/29/02</I></div> <div> Hello members of Toasty Toes.  My name is Tim and I'm a firefighter</div> <div> currently assigned to an expeditionary air group responsible for supporting</div> <div> operation enduring freedom. I received your package of slippers and head</div> <div> warmers today. I was quite surprised when I saw the huge package waiting</div> <div> for me. Luckily I had a few of my fellow firefighters standing by me when I</div> <div> opened up the package so they got to share in the excitement.  I was very</div> <div> impressed with the creativity and skill that went into making the slippers</div> <div> and head warmers. </div> <div> We are all very thankful you were able to</div> <div> make all those wonderful slippers and head warmers because none of us</div> <div> brought any cold weather gear with us and it is going to be quite cold when</div> <div> we get back! We'll all be nice and toasty, thanks to Toasty Toes. I have</div> <div> encouraged everyone to write a thank you themselves, I'm sure they will too.</div> <div> I don't know if you all know how much the little things mean. For many of</div> <div> us this is our first time outside of the US and we have only been in the Air</div> <div> Force for less than or little over a year now. We are not only away from</div> <div> our loved ones but away from everything that we know as home. This has not</div> <div> been easy. We sleep in tents on cots, there is only one place to eat, and</div> <div> the air base we're at is only a mile by a mile and a half, so the air base</div> <div> is the only thing we've seen in the last three months and there isn't much</div> <div> to see here. It so nice to know that there are people back home who</div> <div> appreciate all that we do out here. Once again I Thank You very much for</div> <div> all of your hard work. My ears and my feet is not the only thing that will</div> <div> be warm, but my heart as well knowing that the people we give up a lot to</div> <div> protect appreciate us out here. To all the members of Toasty Toes and all</div> <div> that help support their mission I salute you!</div> <bR> <div> A1C Timothy J Tichawa</div> <div> ECES/CEF</div> <div> Firefighter/EMT</div> <bR> <bR> <div> I would like to thank you very much for the knitted slippers :)  </div> <div> They will keep my feet nice and warm while I sleep on this ice cold ship.  Again </div> <div> thank you for your hard work and it is truly appreciated by me and my fellow</div> <div> shipmates.</div> <bR> <div> Martin Roman</div> <div> USS  - ship name deleted for security</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Hi,</div> <bR> <div> I am A1C Jackson. I wanted you all to know that i really appreciate</div> <div> the gear that was sent to us. It is nice to know that people all over the</div> <div> world keeps us in their prayer and hearts while we are at battle against</div> <div> foreign nations to keep peace within our country. ONce again l would like to</div> <div> thank you and everyone who put in on the gifts.</div> <bR> <div> Love Always,</div> <bR> <div> A1C Jackson</div> <bR> <bR> <div> THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TOASTY TOES GIFTS WE ALL REALLY APRECIATE</div> <div> THEM AND IF YOU COULD GIVE MRS. FRANCES FROM JEROME IDAHO 83338-5403</div> <div> A SPECIAL THANKS FROM ME BECAUSE i AM FROM LEWISTON IDAHO. THANK YOU AGAIN.</div> <div> TYLER SCHMIDT</div> <div> <I>tom of this page.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>9/02</I></div> <div> <I>Dear XXX </I></div> <div> <I>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.</I></div> <div> <I>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.</I></div> <div> <I>PFC Gifford</I></div> <div> 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 </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> 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</div> <div> Sincerly, </div> <div> Pv2 Wesley R. Lantz Jr</div> <div> HHb Divarty </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I>FREEDOM IS NOT FREE </I></div> <div> I watched the flag pass by one day,</div> <div> It fluttered in the breeze.</div> <div> A young Marine saluted it and then</div> <div> He stood at ease.</div> <div> I looked at him in uniform,</div> <div> So young, so tall, so proud,</div> <div> With hair cut square and eyes alert,</div> <div> He'd stand out in any crowd.</div> <div> I thought how many men like him</div> <div> Had fallen through the years.</div> <div> How many died on foreign soil?</div> <div> How many mothers' tears?</div> <div> How many pilots' planes shot down?</div> <div> How many died at sea?</div> <div> How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?</div> <div> No, freedom is not free.</div> <div> I heard the sound of taps one night,</div> <div> When everything was still.</div> <div> I listened to the bugler play</div> <div> And felt a sudden chill.</div> <div> I wondered just how many times</div> <div> That taps had meant "Amen",</div> <div> When a flag had draped a coffin</div> <div> Of a brother or a friend.</div> <div> I thought of all the children,</div> <div> Of the mothers and the wives,</div> <div> Of fathers, sons and husbands</div> <div> With interrupted lives.</div> <div> I thought about a graveyard</div> <div> At the bottom of the sea,</div> <div> Of unmarked graves in Arlington,</div> <div> NO, Freedom is not free.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> This was written by Cadet Major Kelly Strong,</div> <div> Air Force Junior ROTC,</div> <div> Homestead Senior High School, </div> <div> Homestead, Fl 1988</div> </td> <td valign="top" width=160 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="13541413.gif"> <div> Letters from </div> <div> US <A HREF="id31.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Enlisted "><U>Enlisted </U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="To our Troops"><U>Notes to our troops</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="In the Beginning"><U>In the Beginning</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact us "><U>Contact us </U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Slipper Tags"><U>Slipper Tags</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Olympian Article"><U>The Olympian Article</U></A> (WA)</div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="11982560.gif" border=0 width="130" height="86" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <A HREF="id27.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Official Pattern"><U><B>Patterns</B></U></A></div> </td> </tr></table></body>