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OPERATION COMFORT WARRIOR
WE HAVE BEEN
ASKED TO MEET THE CHALLENGE:
The U.S.
Government does a good job providing for the essential needs of the men and
women recovering from war injuries in hospitals like Walter Reed, Brooke
Army Medical Center and Bethesday Naval Medical Center just to name a few.
But what about the so-called nonessentials, the items that don't show up as
a budget-line on a government spreadsheet? Nonessential comfort items such
as loose fitting sweat suits that can cover a soldier's healing body without
adding pressure to the burns he suffered during an RPG attack in Ramadi? Or
an I-Pod to help drown out the tinnitus that has plagued the medic ever
since she drove too close to a roadside bomb in Afghanistan? Or a gripping
novel that provides a welcome distraction from PTSD?
In 2007,
Past National Commander Paul Morin, Auxiliary National President JoAnn
Cronin and S.A.L. Commander Earl Ruttkofsky challenged The American Legion
family to raise $50,000 to purchase comfort items for our wounded warriors
at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. Legion family members and
other caring Americans responded in a big way. Thanks to the generosity,
nearly $350,000 was raised and spent directly on the troops.
When the Red
Cross notified The American Legion that zip-up sweatsuits were in short
supply at Walter Reed, the Legion immediately ordered 100 sets. But it's
just a drop in the bucket. We have been told there is an even greater need
for items at Fort Hood and Fort Bragg. Consider that there are 67 other
U.S. military inpatient facilities and 1,369 VA inpatient and outpatient
centers, and you can grasp the enormous need. Their size and needs,
however, are dwarfed by the obligation that America has to these heroes.
The American
Legion family is calling this effort Operation Comfort Warriors.
Contributing is effortless. No trips to the post office or packaging of
comfort items are needed. We will handle all of that. You can use your
credit card to make an online donation at
www.legion.org/ocw or you can mail a
check to Operation Comfort Warriors, PO Box 1055, Indianapolis, IN 46206.
Administrative and promotional costs for Operation Comfort Warriors will be
paid by The American Legion, so you can be sure that the entire donation
will go directly to the troops. Many centers are not equipped to store
large quantities of care packages, so monetary donations are needed in order
to purchase items that are truly needed.
Semper Fi,
or Semper Fidelis, is the Marine Corps motto meaning "Always Faithful."
Well today's wounded warriors in all service branches remain faithful.
Faithful to their country, their comrades in arms and their loved ones back
home. Operation Comfort Warrior will never be able to compensate these
heroes for their sacrifices. But it will show them we care.
The American Legion family
has raised more than $300,000 to purchase comfort items for U.S. troops
recovering in hospitals and warrior transition units around the globe. Now
we have the opportunity to nearly double what was raised. All overhead and
administrative costs for Operation Comfort Warriors is paid for by The
American Legion, meaning 100 percent of donations go toward helping the
troops.
If you have any questions
about Operation Comfort Warriors, please feel free to call Communications
Director John Raughter at (317) 630-1350, or visit
http://legion.org/troops/operationcomfort.
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This would be a good Project for your local Squadron and when
it is time to fill out the Consolidated Report form you may list it.
