Posts Tagged ‘Marines’

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List of items needed for Combat Surgical Hospital in Afghanistan

Saturday, October 29th, 2011
Every year since the war began in Afghanistan, I have been supporting the Combat Surgical Hospital (CSH) by sending them care packages, cards, and letters of support.  Today I received this list of items “needed” for the hospital.  My hope is to get some of the items donated for their holiday care packages.  If you can help in ANY WAY, please send to:
Robin Schmidt
PO Box 449
Mercer Island, WA 98040
If you would rather send items directly to the CSH, please let me know.  Thanks a million!
Always,
Robin
“The Sky Angel”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CSH – List:
100 Pillows with Vinyl covering for infection control
200 pairs of flip flops….I added from older email…
200 pair of non skid hospital socks
25 small fans
200 pairs of sweat pants  med and large  Draw strings
200 pairs of loose fitting gym shorts   med and large  Draw strings
1000 boxes or round tubes of baby wipes
200 wash cloths new dark color
100 liquid body soap  any kind
200 tooth brushes and paste
20 portable DVD players   send a few movies as well
20 Portable DSi ans PSP with a few games
100 reams of printing paper    If everyone send one ream in a flat rate box that would be great and save on shipping costs.
200 Crystal lite lemonade and pink lemonade drink mixes
100 car air fresheners  or any non aerosol type
Holiday Decor all seasons
25 canisters of flavored coffee creamers
200 blankets
10 webcams
10 head sets with micro phones
20 power converters 110/120v  British to US
200 small carpets  2′ x 3′  dark in color would be best
Things I am adding   snacks….
Slim Jims and Jerky
Candy, vending machine snacks like Toms crackers and cookies.
Lil Debbie snacks  they are individually wrapped
If you work in a Hospital  we need your support bad… The pillows and socks are tough for others to find.

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List of items needed at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center for our Wounded Warriors

Saturday, October 29th, 2011

Many of you have been asking me for a “needs” list for Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) / Wounded Warrior Medical Center.  This is a list just sent by my friend who works at the hospital.  Please help where you can.  Thanks!  Robin (“The Sky Angel”) October 2011

PS.  If you want to send the items to me and have me send them on to LRMC I can do that, or you can send them directly to my friend.  Please let me know.  Thanks again!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Wounded Warrior
Ministry Center

Pastoral Services
Division – Landstuhl Regional Medical Center

The Wounded Warrior Ministry Center (WWMC) is an entity within LRMC Pastoral Services that cares for the humanitarian needs of wounded and ill Service Members evacuated from the theaters of operation.  The WWMC provides items of comfort to “fill
holes” until the service member’s personal items can catch up with them in the military healthcare system.

The WWMC services more than 750 service members each month.  Since the WWMC is a non-funded humanitarian entity within the Department of Defense, we rely on the generous donations of fellow Americans and others, both substantive and monetary, to provide these items.
We truly appreciate the efforts of each and every person willing to share “hugs from home” and words of encouragement with those who have given so much for the cause of Freedom in our world!

Below is a list of items Service Members typically request and take from the Wounded Warrior Ministry Center.

This list will be updated periodically. 

  • Winter Coats
  • Phone Cards – United States Domestic Only With No Expiration Date – 120
    Minutes
  • Black 30 Inch Duffel Bags (No Logos)
  • Men’sShoes – Size 9, 9.5, 10, 10.5, 11, 11.5 & 12
  • Bath Towels
  • Blankets (In Preparation For Winter Transport)
  • Long Sleeve T-Shirts/Shirts L-M-S-XL(In This Order)
  • Men’s Boxers L-XL-M-S (In This Order)
  • Men’s Slippers (Slip-On Non-Slip) Sizes 8-14
  • Men’s T-Shirts L-M-S (Not White Undershirts)
  • Sweat Pants L-M-S
  • Travel Pillows
  • iTunes® Cards
  • iPod Shuffles®
  • Nail Clippers
  • Men’s & Women’s Deodorant
  • Lip Balm/Chapstick®
  • Travel Size Shaving Cream
  • Travel Size Foot Powder (Ex: Gold Bond®)
  • Brushes (Not Combs)
  • Men’s Pajama Pants Sizes L-M-S-XXL-XL (In This Order)
  • Hand-Held Electronic Games
  • Healthy Snack Bars, Chocolate, And Candy
  • DVDs (No Extreme Violence Or Nudity – No VHS Tapes)

DO NOT send used items

Monetary donations to the WWMC fund for Warrior Programming, high-demand and seasonal items are acceptable (please make payable to: Landstuhl Regional Medical Center CTOF)

Thank you again for your assistance! Working together, we can make a huge difference in the lives and recuperation of our Heroes! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

WoundedWarriorMinistryCenter@yahoo.com

Updated 29 October 2011

 

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A letter that brings me tears of joy and gratitude …

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

Last night I was unable to sleep a wink.  Yesterday I had an occipital spinal block & the pain in my head was as intense as the ringing in my ears.  For a good part of the night, I literally prayed these words “God, although I am not able to fly right now, can you please give me some kind of sign that I am still doing what you want me to be doing?  Just some little hint that I am right where you want me to be.”  You will never believe how He responded.

~~

Currently I am sitting at a Starbucks waiting for my doctors appointment, reading emails & responding to them.  For the past five minutes I have literally been blessed beyond measure and have such a flow of tears running down my face that all the other customers have left and the staff keeps asking me if I am ok.  But I just read this email and I can’t help but be filled with heart felt emotion … so much so, that I have to share it with you.

~

You see, I write to our troops every single week.  Sometimes it is just a postcard.  Sometimes I wonder if my letters matter.  But then I get something like this, and it just makes me see God smile.  I know He smiles at me daily, but sometimes I have blinders on.  Today I am stripped of all senses and my eyes are wide open.  You may need tissues like I did, before you read further.  Thank you for your support and encouragement, and please remember if you want to adopt your own service member to go to http://adoptahero.us/ .

Dear Robin Schmidt,

 

I read the following article about your good works supporting our troops while you have been a Delta Flight Attendant.  It was in a newsletter that I receive from one of the local Marine Corps League supporters in the Northern California area where I live.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/flight-attendant-serves-drinks-journals-soldiers/story?id=8872103

As a Veteran serving during the Vietnam War era (1966-1970), I remember the great treatment we service men received from the flight attendants on the planes we flew on going back home to the U.S.  Your article also reminded me of a female (an old girlfriend) friend of guy who became one of my  buddies that I had made while serving at a remote base in the Southern Philippines.  His ex-girlfriend became my pen pal who supported me while I was in the Philippines and Vietnam.  Her perfumed letters and words of encouragement and of everyday life back home helped me through those emotional times being single, 20/21, living in strange new lands where people had different lifestyles, weather climates and a war going on and missing home and my family.

You are an amazing lady.  Thank you for your support of our troops.  I wish you happiness and all the best that life can offer you.  “Thank You” to Delta Airlines for allowing you to do what you do.

Sincerely,

Marty De Venuta

Air Force Vet

Delta Skymiles Customer

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Mail Call for our Heroes 2011

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

Santa Marcus ... with all those care packages ...

Since 2002 I have been ‘adopting’ troops who are on deployment in Iraq, Afghanistan, & other parts of the globe.  The service members have explained to me over and over again, the importance of receiving mail to help them cope with the time away from their loved ones back home.  In an effort to uplift spirits and boost morale over the holidays, “The Sky Angel” is doing my fourth annual “Mail Call for Our Heroes”.

My goal: To raise $4,000 for 45 AT&T Calling Cards (for our 1/6 “HARD” Marines), along with 4 Christmas trees with all the decorations for the 4 valiant heroes I am currently supporting in Iraq and Afghanistan (including the Combat Surgical Hospital in Afghanistan).  The money raised will also include the cost of postage to get the items to our deployed troops.  🙂 If you want to send calling cards to me, they must be AT&T and they must be for at least 500 minutes.

The second aspect of this project, is to collect 2,000 individual cards, letters, or notes so each service member in each unit I am supporting will have a piece of mail to open over the holidays.  It would be wonderful for you to express your thoughts to any of the service members in these units, so they feel a little less lonely as they serve our country far away from their loved ones.  Please get your childrens schools, girl/boy scouts, senior citizens homes, churches, social clubs, and families involved!

To be a part of this special project for our heroes away from home, please send donations (checks should be payable to Robin Schmidt) to the address below.  If you would like to use a credit card or make a donation online, you can do so via PayPal to the email address of supportourheroes@live.com (or clicking on the donate button at the top of the http://alwayssupportourheroes.com/ ) .

Last year the troops were ecstatic with how much I was able to send because of the generosity of everyone who got involved.  It was absolutely AMAZING to see how you all rallied with me at the last minute to take care of our 3/5 Marines.  Adopting the 1/6 “Hard” Marines is an extension of that commitment; one I do not take lightly.

After collecting enough money for the calling cards and decorations, I will “screen”  all the hand made cards & letters to make sure they are appropriate for our troops in harms way, or our Wounded Warriors.  My hope is to be able to visit with some of the Wounded at Bethesda, and Brooke Army Medical Center, like I did last year.  Actually as fate would have it, I was on a layover in Austin, TX Christmas day and delivered Christmas cards to the Wounded at BAMC.  It was probably one of the best Christmas’ I have ever had.  These Wounded Warriors need to be told face to face they are remembered, prayed for, and not broken.  I see them as whole individuals, who have sacrificed tremendously for our safety and freedoms.  Any extra cards will be hand delivered or mailed to those locations or sent to the Combat Surgical Hospital in Afghanistan.

Santa Sgt. Tim Gallagher delivering smiles to Task Force Dirigo ~ Dec 2009

It seems a little early to talk about the holidays; but I need to act on it quickly so the cards are received in Afghanistan before Thanksgiving and Christmas come to pass. It currently takes 3 to 4 weeks for some of the mail to get to one of the units in Afghanistan, which already puts time constraints on this project.  Yesterday I was actually told by one of the soldiers I support, that I have to have anything I am sending to her, mailed before 31October.  So please jump on this ASAP!  🙂

In order to get the holiday cards to Sgt. Hadzic and his 1/6 “Hard” Marine unit, the deadline for this project will be 11 November 2011. Perfect date to have everything to me by!  11/11/11 (Veteran’s Day).

If each of us takes action … we can change the world … one  life, one person at a time.

Thanks so much for helping make a difference for our valiant heroes and being a part of “Mail Call for Our Heroes 2011” !!  **If you have any other items you want me to include in the care packages, you can send them to the address below as well! (if you need a street address other than a PO Box, please let me know). Thanks again!**

Robin Schmidt

PO Box 449

Mercer Island, WA 98040

Angel

Always, Robin
“The Sky Angel”

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A Gift of Love …

Sunday, February 13th, 2011

Devil Dogs of the 3/5 Marines ~ Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan

Have you ever received a gift that made your heart melt? One that every time you saw it, you got a lump in your throat?  Every time you tried to tell someone about it, you were filled with such emotion, your voice quivered and tears rolled down your cheeks?  Recently I received such a gift, but I continue to be at a loss for words.  Maybe it is just best  if I let the person who sent me the gift, explain...

3rd Marine Aircraft Wing FWD, Operation Enduring Freedom t-shirt

Dear Robin,

I will not lie to you and tell you that our time here was pleasant, however I would like to thank you for making our time here a little better with each care package we would receive.  I was extremely grateful to have been introduced to you, as I was always motivated to receive something from you, a care package from one of your friends, an email, the fudge and cookies, and those post cards, (I loved those!) and knowing that there was someone out there so giving, so caring, and willing to give
so much of her own time for me and more importantly my Marines, really gave me strength.
As well when I would tell my Marines about you, it would bring up their motivation (along with the treats), which is why they wanted you to have a unit T-shirt.  I flew a United States Flag for you, Robin, over our Camp here in Southern Afghanistan, where so many of us have paid the ultimate sacrifice.  I wanted you to have it being you are for sure one of the people we would gladly sacrifice for, you are a Great American and a wonderful person.
I will never be able to Thank you enough!
Master Sergeant Marcus R. Dawson USMC

 

Flags over Camp Leatherneck

 

My words continue to be caught up in the deep felt emotion I feel from this gift.  Believe it or not, I really am at a loss for the right words.  But I felt the need to write this blog not only to share the sentiment Marcus provided, but an extended “Thank You” to each of you who continue to help me to make a difference for Darkhorse & The Devil Dogs, and all of our valiant heroes.

 

United States Marine Corp Certificate

 


Marcus, it has been an absolute honor to support you and your Marines.  Thank you for the sacrifices you each continue to make daily for my freedoms.  When the time comes for you to come home, please know I look forward to the opportunity to salute each of you in person.  Thank you so very much for touching my life in such a profound manner, and helping me to see ‘what I do matters’.  Every time I look at your amazing gift, I feel as though God is smiling.  Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.  You each continue to remain in my thoughts and prayers …

Always,

Robin

 

The Sky Angel, and TIGGER, too! 🙂

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A special gift for our 3/5 Darkhorse Marines … won’t you be a part of it???

Monday, February 7th, 2011

 
 

One of my heroes, reading his journals ...

As you may or may not know, one of the things I do for our troops is journals.  On my domestic flights I make an announcement asking passengers to “write words of encouragement, prayers, draw pictures, tell jokes or anything they would want to read if they were away from their loved ones for any length of time”.  This is what made me “famous” by most peoples standards.  Ironically, the journals  are just a small portion of what I do for our valiant heroes on a regular basis.  Some of the troops I have supported have never gotten a journal.  Those who have love them, but I am thankful there are those troops who realize the value of a care package, the sentiment of a letter, and the prayers I send up daily are also just as important.  Getting others involved in supporting our troops is my goal, so none of them will ever feel alone on the battlefield, or when they come home.  

 

That being said, every service member I have ever done the journals for has cherished them.  They have said “it is difficult for me to keep them in my hands, because my buddies always want to see what people have written”.  One of my heroes told me the journals meant more to him after he got home.  He still reads them three years later “as a way to deal with the fact that I was away from my son when he was 3 years old and I missed out on so many ‘firsts’ “.  Often times they tear pages of the journals out and carry a page with them on a mission.  Words from a complete stranger give hope.  Let that resonate for a moment and you know why the journals will always be special to myself and anyone who does them for our troops.  They are a beautiful way to rally people together ~~ and remind folks we have wars going on in two countries, and troops who need our support.   

 

As I was walking around the city of Brotherly love on my layover earlier, I was thinking about the 3/5 Darkhorse Marines I was asked to “adopt” in November 2010.  Reviewing stories that have been shared with me since writing that first email, and contemplating the beautiful gift they sent, that I got on my birthday.  (If I have not told you about that, look for an upcoming post about one of the most precious gifts I have ever received in all my days of existence.)   All of the sudden, as I took each step, an idea popped into my head.  An awesome idea, if I do say so myself.  hehehe  

You see, I am flying international trips right now, and cannot do the journals for our troops for various reasons.    I’ve been working extra hard to support this particular unit because of the vast amount of casualties.  That is why in mid January I came up with the innovative idea to ask Facebookers to change their profile picture to a Superhero in honor of our Veterans and Active Military who put their lives on the line every singe day for our every day freedoms.  (Please ask those people you know on Facebook to do this through 14Feb, as it is the only Valentine some of our troops will get!  Share with those you know who are deployed, so they know we are sending them this Virtual Valentine!  )

However, I want something tangible for these specific Marines.  Something to honor the sacrifices their battle buddies have endured, and to remember those who have given their lives to serve our nation.   

So this is what I am going to do.  As of today, I am going to ask you to write me letters (hand written or typed), send a card, photograph, anything you want me to put in a journal specifically for the 3/5 Darkhorse Marines.  What I plan to do with the items you send me, is make a journal for this unit.  The idea is spawned from what Hannahkohl did for our Wounded Warriors for Christmas, what I have done on the airplane for our troops for years now, and of course ~~ wanting them to have a keepsake like no other.   

General Amos & The Sky Angel ~ Bethesda, Oct 2010

Any cards or letters need to be on 5×7 paper or smaller if possible.  Although I have rec’d some items on 8 1/2 x 11 paper and will make them work, the smaller items will enable me to fit more of your words in the 20 page scrapbook I am making for this project.

It has been an honor to me to have been asked to support this unit, to boost morale over the holidays, when many of them were feeling the sadness of what was going on around them.  These are some of the bravest men you will ever come across.  The only ones I have ever met, are those who were in the hospitals at Bethesda, Walter Reed, or Brooke Army Medical.  Recently I was asked to attend a Memorial Service for the Fallen when the unit returns home from Afghanistan.  That is when I plan to give this particular gift to the 1stSgt I have been supporting.  Take time today to help me with this project for our 3/5 Darkhorse Marines … it is the least we can do for any one of them, and since I am not the most artistic person in the world … I need all the help I can get!   

Please help me … share your thoughts.  Email me :  supportourheroes@live.com  .. on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/TheSkyAngel or send a card , letter, or photograph (Please NO POSTCARDS as there is no way to present them so the front & back can be read) that you want me to include in the scrapbook to:  

Robin Schmidt  

PO Box 122037  

Covington, KY 41012-2037  

THE DEADLINE FOR ME TO RECEIVE YOUR ITEMS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE JOURNAL I AM MAKING IS 17th MARCH, 2011, 8AM.

Help me make this project special … because it is all about the honorable and valiant sacrifices these complete strangers have made for each and every one of us .. and that is why I call them HEROES.   

PS.  In my photos you often will see Tigger.  One of my heroes asked me to take photos of Tigger in my travels, as a way to honor our troops. So that is why you see him with me … all over the globe.  whooo whooo whoo  

The Sky Angel wore her tshirt in honor of the Marines she is supporting .. and gave Tigger to a little boy with leukemia. What an AMAZING day!!

Thank you to all of our valiant heroes serving our Nation and bringing the world hope!   

Always,  

Robin 

AKA … The Sky Angel

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