Supporting Our Troops

I would guess I'm not alone in saying that I'm not a fan of war.  I'd love for there to be a world without violence over religious differences, territorial disputes, political philosophies, or power struggles.  However, I am a realist: war won't be eliminated in my lifetime, no matter how much we pray for peace.  In my mind, it's an undesirable, but unavoidable, part of life on Earth today.

Although I loathe war, I am a firm believer that we (and by "we" I mean the world community) must support our troops -- whether they are serving at home or abroad, or if they've been injured in the line of duty.   But I've struggled with how to do this in a meaningful way -- the red, white, and blue or yellow ribbon car magnets are a nice sentiment, but I've wanted to do something more specific. 

Finally, I have found my inspiration.  This weekend while browsing the news, I came across an article about a Philadelphia-area mother whose son was killed in Iraq last year.  During the last phone conversation between mother and son, soldier Adam Conboy half-jokingly asked his mother to send a care package with enough bedding for his Marine platoon (40 sets!), to make their sleeping conditions a little more bearable.  Adam jokingly called his idea "Operation Bedding."  He died just six days after that call. 

Faced with the unthinkable news of her son's death, Adam's mother Mary Conboy leapt into action and founded Operation Bedding (the Adam C. Conboy Memorial Fund).  In lieu of flowers at Adam's funeral, Mary collected money so that she could purchase and send a shipment of supplies to Adam's friends who were still serving in Iraq.  Mary's work in support of the troops continues, bolstered by donations of money, supplies, and volunteer services -- each week she coordinates and sends a shipment of six to ten cases of supplies, ranging from Gatorade to socks to baby wipes.  I personally am amazed at her determination and resolve -- I'm not sure I'd be such a pillar of strength under the same circumstances.

Once I read about Mary Conboy's charity, I decided to do a little more research and see what other opportunities there are to provide support to the U.S. troops.  A quick search on Yahoo shows that there are a LOT of organizations out there coordinating the delivery of supplies, services, and other types of support for our soldiers.  Of course, I don't rely on a search engine to tell me which ones are legitimate charities and which are not -- I'm a bit picky about who I will donate my money to.   So if you're looking for other alternatives to "Operation Bedding," this Department of Defense-sponsored site is a great (and reputable) place to start. 

Next Monday is Memorial Day, when the United States will spend a day remembering those who have died while serving our country in the U.S. military.   Please consider honoring the memory of Adam Conboy and others who have perished through a tangible demonstration of support -- whether it's a donation, a commitment of your time for volunteer services, or a message to the troops.

And because it can never be said too much: I'd like to express my gratitude to all of our military men and women serving domestically and abroad.  Your sacrifices are not taken for granted by me or by my family.  Thank you.

Comments

[Sonia]

Thank you, wonderful post. With a spouse who served in Desert Storm, I, too, echo your sentiments. I hate war but I'm fiercely proud of the fighting soldier and their honor and bravery.

[Devra Renner]

My own husband is active duty air force, has been for the past 18 years. I also work as a special consultant to a program which supports military families with very young children who are coping with trauma, grief and loss. This war sucks for our family and so many more. *sigh*

If we can't bring em home, let's at least make them as comfortable as possible while they are gone. Every soldier needs a security blankie, right? : )

[Joanne]

A wonderful post and an excellent suggestion.

[mothergoosemouse]

Thank you Nancy. So much more meaningful than a silly ribbon.