Wednesday Heroes ~ Soldier's Angels
Back in 2003, self-described "ordinary mother", Patti Patton-Bader, started an organization called Soldiers' Angels because her son, Sgt. Brandon Varn, wrote her a letter from Iraq in which he showed concern that some of the brave men and women there weren't receiving any mail or support from back home. Well, she wasn't going to allow this. She called a few friends and family asking them if they would write to some of the soldiers. They'd never met them. Didn't know who they were, but they wrote. And in a few short months, Soldiers' Angles went from an idea an "ordinary mother" had to having chapters all over the country and thousands of angels all over the world letting soldiers know that they were loved and respected by writing hundreds of thousands of letters, sending care packages, medical supplies, body armor and lending comfort and support to military families. Soldier's Angels and the people who run and support it are heroes in the truest sense.
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll.
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Editor's Note:
A great many of the members of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll are also Soldier's Angels.
I joined Soldier's Angels at the beginning - when I joined there were a few hundred Angels - now there are tens of thousands. We have written letters, mailed packages, sent needed items and children's drawings to Landstuhl hospital (http://www.soldiersangelsgermany.blogspot.com/), befriended spouses, supported children of our warriors, done book drives for base libraries in the war zones. We have written to soldiers in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Qatar, Djibouti, Uzbekistan, Philippines, South Korea and At Sea. Of the thousands of young men and women we have made contact with during their time in the war zone, a great many still stay in touch, some have become like family - the first soldier we 'adopted' drove down the driveway last week for a surprise visit! It is easy to get involved with Soldier's Angels or any of the other support groups - and you can get involved in the level you can 'afford' in time and finances. It may just be the most rewarding thing you have ever done - to know that you have brought a smile to someone. But, to call us heroes is wrong - we are not heroes, we are Americans doing the right thing for the heroes who sacrifice so much for each of us.
