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| Small gifts make big difference for troops |
| 2004-02-06 |
| The crate of cookies came during one of the toughest battles. U.S. Marines were engaged in heavy fighting in Nasiriyah and had suffered casualties from friendly fire. An Army convoy had taken a wrong turn and was ambushed â resulting in U.S. casualties and prisoners of war. To top it off, Mother Nature was throwing a fit with a raging sandstorm. Against that backdrop, cookies from a Girl Scout troop in Illinois addressed to U.S. Marine Corps Col. Brian Delahaut showed up. âI have no idea who these girls are ⊠and it really brightened our resolve and it made us realize what weâre fighting for,â said the former helicopter pilot who helped plan part of the war. âYouâd think of that support we were receiving, it was absolutely incredible. That was what was powering us.â Delahaut, a 46-year-old Marine reservist from Irvine, Calif., was in Bellevue Thursday talking to members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Winiecki Post 9677. In November, that post helped send 550 cards from students at McAuliffe Elementary School to troops in Iraq for the holidays. To hear firsthand from someone who was there that those efforts made a difference hit a chord with John DePrey, the post commander and a Korean War veteran. âYou send something off to someone you never see or hear from, but to hear ⊠how much itâs appreciated makes it all worthwhile,â he said. Called to active duty in October, Delahaut was part of the planning staff for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. He remained on active duty until July, when he went back to work at MK Diamond Products, a construction equipment firm headed by his dad. Delahaut fielded a few questions for other veterans, including the existence of weapons of mass destruction, which coalition forces have yet to find. âAre there weapons? I believe that there probably are,â he said. âWhen you go over there and see ... the way these Iraqi people were brutalized by this regime, we didnât have to find any weapons of mass destruction.â Right on Sir, enough said. Delahaut said the support of Americans made an impact on him and other Marines. He added that troops that are still deployed also need that support. âAs they do come back, reach out to them, shake their hand and tell them they did a great job,â he said. My advice as well to any of you out there who want to show your support for the lads & lassies coming back. Wish the same courtesy had been extended to my Dad when came back from âNam, a little gratitude goes a long ass way. |
| Posted by:Jarhead |
| #1 Talk about getting a morale kick in the pants! When things are looking pretty bad and the spirits sag, nothing short of a vision from God beats a child's hug. Been following that advice all my life, Jarhead. God bless all our soldiers and our veterans. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2004-2-6 2:35:20 PM |