European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 20, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Page8 the stars and stripes sunday december 20, 19b7 Sas Floia by ton pc jul am chaplain it Al Daniel Miller passes out idlers front the Stales to from Lef sgt. Erich Bowers spec. 4 Jimmy Griffin pfc Merrill Anderson and i pc. Ron Howard. Greetings from Home brighten gis holidays from Salt and wire reports children in Joyce Bisl Ranski s Art classes have been going through gobs of crayons and markers the last few weeks drawing lots views of Christmas and scribbling greeting fur american servicemen throughout the world. Since 1983 he Christmas card project has been an annual event far the 650 first through fifth Grade Stu dents ill Longfellow elementary school near Gary ind. As Well As for other schools radio stations and individuals across the nation. This year by Sirenski s students Are sending Christmas cards to 30 american service units around the Globe. Sometimes she says the children fashion a snowman with i hair crayons or a wretched out i shaped ship with a Christmas tree on it. The kids just love it Bistransky said. They draw pictures and write merry Christmas and Happy new year i let the older kids write whatever they want. The response has just been the card making Effort was the brainchild of Don Ald of rims of township Mich. The for Mer airborne Kangur is the Nui ional chairman of the America remembers Campaign a non profit organisation in suburban Detroit that tries to make sure every american Servic member receives something in the mail during the Christmas season i be Al Vajs wanted to do something to repay America and also pay my dues said games 2b. When i was an airborne Hanger a majority of the men were Vietnam vets. They were proud of what they had done for their country hut they talked about How incredibly lonely they were especially Dunn the holidays. Getting mail from the states made All the difference in inc when he project began four years ago 800 pounds of mail was distributed to 1,000 soldiers. Last year 3 million cards and letters were sent to units and . Embassies in 34 countries. This Christmas mail will be sent to service members on five of the seven continents in All the oceans and several Remote islands such As Attu Island in the Aleutian Island Chain. The troops arc really thrilled by inc mail said Grimes who has heard Hack from a number of gis and their commanders. They Ripress a combination of Pride deep gratitude and satisfaction. Smiles break oui and you can see a change Over at Camp Reed and Camp May along the a Echo so Ovakian Border. Chaplain capt Daniel a. Miller of the 2nd army Cav regt on Friday delivered boxes of Candy cookies and about -.000 tiers from americans All across the United states. They represent a Small portion of the packages sent to the 2nd and 1 Lih regi ments guarding the Border with East Germany Ami Czechoslovakia this Christmas. Several soldiers were in the motor Pool at the tiny Camp when Miller made his delivery. A fog socked in the Camp and a steady drizzle made the letters these cavalrymen were Reading Limp. Sol. Erich Bowers got a picture from fifth grader Ward Mouton in san Antonio Texas. Mouton said he can appreciate what Bowers is doing since inc Young writer is an army family member who was bom in Heidelberg. He asked for a letter Back. Mouton sent a stamp with a Lone Star on it and the words san at least somebody s thinking about us Bowers said i guess i d better write Ann Hullo wrote some words of encouragement from Orlando Fla. Spec. 4 Michael Harrison from Valdosta ga., right on the Florida Georgia slate line traded another Soldier for Hullo s letter because it was closer to Home. Home is where you make Hutto wrote. Harrison looked around at the foe enshrouded motor Pool and said Well this is where am so it must be his Budd is echoed you got that right spec. 4 Jimmy Griffin of Wichita Falls Texas got a letter from Dave Granholm of Tempe. Ariz. Granholm said he saw the plea for letters in a dear Abby column. He once was a Soldier stationed in Germany and wrote about visiting the Munich Christmas Market. I drank a lot of Beer Granholm added. And the soldiers chuckled. First it. Theodore k. Stokes was one of the first men to see the letters at the Cam just 10 Miles from the Border. Manning the Border at Camp Reed this Christmas Are soldiers with troop i 3rd so based in Amburg. Stokes spotted a Lane package wrapped in White from the Cap Tain John Smith kindergarten in Hampton a. Hey that s just 20 minutes from where i live he said. Stokes is from Williamsburg a. Grimes said he never dreamed that his idea would snowball As it has. I think it s because deep Down the average Ameri can really i orcs his country Grimes said. And. Deep Down they know they re very fortunate and that their Freedom in t free. I be not reawakened anything. People have always fell this Way. The Only difference is we have Given them an Opportunity to express that feeling of patrol ism and support for the despite the great Success of the project. Grimes said he in t entirely satisfied with the results we just want to reach More troops he said. Our big goal is for every american Slali once overseas to get a Slack of Christmas mail. But then again if some disaster struck and no mail got delivered except for one letter and one Soldier had a better Christmas it s a in him Piasa and s45 ii it minor tar fit Tiwon trips report ass photo do to Frum left sgt. Erich Bowers spec 4 Michael Harrison pee. Merrill Anderson and spec. J Jimmy Griffin share some of Chr greeting in letter from the l filed states on t Toufy Day near the Border
