Norwalk: Operation Adopt-a-Platoon

by turfgrrl

June 28th, 2007 · 55 Comments

Tags: In the News · Norwalk

55 Responses so far ↓ “Norwalk: Operation Adopt-a-Platoon”

• 1 mattw // Jun 28, 2007 at 9:20 pm

  I always worry that I come off like an asshole for saying this, but isn’t supplying troops what taxes and Congress are for?

  Not that sending MREs to soldiers in the field or phone cards to injured vets at Walter Reed isn’t laudable, but doing these sorts of things is precisely why (I thought) we established a government to begin with!

  I know that a lot of Republicans think we should replace government assistance to people in need with private charity*, but whenever people ask me to gather little toothbrushes and wet-naps to help our troops overseas, I feel ashamed of what a pitiful thing our government has become.

  * Exhibit A: faith-based initiatives; Exhibit B: New Orleans

• 2 turfgrrl // Jun 28, 2007 at 9:48 pm

  mattw: Your worries are well founded. Being rather ancient myself, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to sample those government assistance programs. *Exhibit A: government cheese; Exhibit B: government MREs.

  Both of which left much to be desired.

  Dude, haven’t you ever watched M*A*S*H? The 4077th lived for mail call, and home made cookies, books, records and all sorts of things that reminded them of home.

  The government, alas, under any political flag just doesn’t issue home rations. Our government, however, has kindly supplied Burger King to the troops, but that really doesn’t cut it, now, does it?

  More to the point, aren’t we the people supposed to be contributing a bit to our government? Or shall we just sit back and let our troops wax nostalgically for our suburban apathy?

  That said, you have to remember, that they really need sunscreen over there, and they can bring it themselves because the TSA has limited liquid containers to 3 oz. or less.

• 3 True Blue // Jun 28, 2007 at 9:54 pm

  Matt - I agree with you but in this day and age anything said contrary to “patriotism” is liable to get you labeled as whatever propaganda the right wing wants to come up with.

  I too am ashamed of our government and the sooner the charlatans and fools that are in charge are gone, the better off the American people will be.

  If more of us had spoken up back when we wouldn’t have to be addressing issues like collecting supplies for the troops now.

  Oh, yeah - don’t forget the body armor when you drop off those goodies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RphBEyu4GoY

  Oops, maybe you should rethink that. Apparently troops might lose their death benefits if they use armor in the first place: http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/48/16999

• 4 East Norwalk Native // Jun 28, 2007 at 10:50 pm

  I always thought so too. My friend’s son is on his second tour in Iraq (his choice) and she sends him stuff that I had assumed would be provided.

  During WWII people gave to the troops by rationing, meat, sugar, gasoline, nylon stockings, etc.

  It will be a wonderful day when there is no need to do this, but until that day comes….

• 5 Mr Greenpeace // Jun 29, 2007 at 12:33 am

  Joanne ,you can count on the Greepeace tribe

• 6 Anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 12:56 am

  Thanks Mr. Greenpeace,
  I hope from what I am reading that people are not offended by the fact that I do this, I agree that our government should be supplying our soldiers, however, since it is not sending the things that they really enjoy getting I do it. Not because of any reason other thanI want to and I can. A touch of home goes a long way to someone who hasn’t seen their family and friends in many many months. The items I ask for are minor in comparison to what they are enduring. I’ve been doing this since Christmas of 2003 and its a costly endevour but I have been lucky that people have made generous donations towards the shipping as well. and average shipment runs around $1,100.

• 7 Joanne // Jun 29, 2007 at 1:06 am

  By the way Mr. Greenpeace, the last post was from me…I forgot to put my name

  the website is:
  www.webspawner.com/users/asoldierswishlist

• 8 Christine Schmitt // Jun 29, 2007 at 9:12 am

  A very laudable job, Joanne. Those that don’t want to want to donate, just don’t donate. BUT PLEASE don’t turn this into a political discussion.

  In a perfect world, this would not be necessary. If you live in a perfect world, I doubt if you can tell us about it, BECAUSE YOU WOULD BE DEAD.

• 9 Jerry Aldrich // Jun 29, 2007 at 9:17 am

  OH YES! This just in from “Allah” those terrorists who blow themselves up, and think that they are going to get 72 VIRGINS in paradise. READ THE SMALL PRINT, it says “One 72 year old virgin”

  That “Allah” he is such a jokester.

• 10 Anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 9:31 am

  Oh,yeah. We don’ need no steenkin’ free theenkin’. Just shut up and OBEY.

• 11 mattw // Jun 29, 2007 at 9:57 am

  If you live in a perfect world, I doubt if you can tell us about it, BECAUSE YOU WOULD BE DEAD.

  Huh?

• 12 mattw // Jun 29, 2007 at 10:11 am

  Christine, passing over the other stuff for a moment, I agree that we don’t live in a perfect world, but I’d like to think we live in a world where toothbrushes, sunscreen, feminine products, socks, and Ibuprofen are provided routinely to the soldiers we have serving for 12-24 month tours of duty on our behalf.

  I mean, is our government seriously not providing sunscreen to troops in Iraq? It’s 115 degrees there right this minute, and if someone made the decision that money for bottles of sunscreen couldn’t be found in 700 billion dollars for weapons and supplies, I seriously think someone should be filing charges against that individual on behalf of our enlisted men and women in the mideast.

• 13 Andrew // Jun 29, 2007 at 10:35 am

  Of course our troops are being provided with many of the supplies that are being donated with “Operation Adopt-A-Platoon”, but we are trying to provide our troops with more. There are many things that the troops miss from home, such as certain candies, entertainment items (cd’s, dvd’s, hygine items like q-tips, kleenex, and other items that run out locally quick. Also, additional phone cards are obviously a great choice, because it allows our troops to call back home and speak with their loved ones even more.

  I know that the troops do appreciate having these additional items sent to them.

  Much thanks goes out to Joanne, and everyone else helping her for doing this for the troops!

• 14 AnnonymousNorwalker // Jun 29, 2007 at 11:18 am

  Thanks Joanne,
  You are doing a very good thing. I will donate today and hope you keep on with such good work. A little bit of home arriving in a package can really lift morale. Bravo! Others should be doing the same and this is not a partisan issue.

• 15 Jerry Aldrich // Jun 29, 2007 at 11:31 am

  Huh?

  by mattw
  ———————————————————————–
  Sorry that was too DEEP a thought for you to comprehend.

  mattw you ever been shot at by someone who really wanted to kill you? Wanted to kill you so bad that they would bathe in your blood afterward?

  During the Vietnam war a lot of us wanted side arms. The Colt 45 Auto was the winner. Sure we were provided with the AR semi/full auto rifle. But in it’s early days that was a piece of crap that jammed if you looked at it cross eyed. The officers were issued side arms, but the grunt could not get one. EVEN IF THEY WERE SHIPPED from home, and in fact that is how thousands of them got into our hands before that was stopped. Why did they not want us to have them? First they were scared that we would start to shoot each other.
  Second we would shoot some officers.
  Third they did not want us to throw away our rifles in the heat of combat and start blazing away with pistols.

  THIS WOULD MAKE US LOOK LIKE COWBOY, and make the politicians who let the defense department send us to battle with a rifle that did not work 40% of the time.

  Sitting here telling people that government could supply everything that is necessary is BS. Yes maybe they should, but from the American Revolution to Iraq then never do.

  So with your line of thinking EVEN THOUGH OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN HARMS WAY, want this stuff, if the government does not supply it to them, the SCREW THEM let them do without. Is that your point

  HUH!

• 16 Another Dem // Jun 29, 2007 at 11:33 am

  matt it’s all about choice. What the military and government supplies is not the same as what you can choose to buy for your own use. If you have sensitive skin you would understand that some brands are better than others. I applaud the efforts of citizens preferring to help the men and women who are in Iraq over criticizing the government for failing to do so. That doesn’t mean that I don’t criticize the government for failing, or think that the war is even necessary.

• 17 Anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 11:35 am

  I can criticize the government AND donate to the troops. I think that is what’s called being engaged in both sides of the issue. However some people would prefer to only think happy thoughts.

• 18 Jerry Aldrich // Jun 29, 2007 at 11:37 am

  Another Dem post #16 wrote

  “matt it’s all about choice. What the military and government supplies is not the same as what you can choose to buy for your own use. If you have sensitive skin you would understand that some brands are better than others.”

  CAREFUL! Rational thought can get you in big trouble.

• 19 Jerry Aldrich // Jun 29, 2007 at 11:44 am

  “I can criticize the government AND donate to the troops.”

  Just don’t try to say that your donation is not necessary or wanted by the troops over there, if the government does not supply it. There are people who like in the Vietnam Era, hated the war and the troops, to the point of spitting on them when they returned.

  Today those same people who spit on our troops are collecting Social Security because of the sacrifice of those troops. Right or Wrong it was their job, and they did it.

• 20 Anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 11:48 am

  Got news for ya, Jerry: Vietnam was 40 years ago. Things are a little different now.

  I can criticize the government for sending the troops over to fight a needless, disastrous, morally reprehensible and financially ruinous war, and still think our soldiers are doing a great job and sympathize with them.

  It’s kinda like saying, “you know, he’s doing really well in that position but if the boss wasn’t such an assh*le he could do a lot better.”

• 21 Anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 12:08 pm

  Interesting posts for a subject that started as a fundraiser. You may want to plug in troops collections in your search engine and see just how many organizations there are that are helping not only our troops in harms way but also those who come home injured, their families and the families of those who’s lives are lost. Too bad more people don’t get out there and do something instead of looking at the negative side then perhaps the vets from Vietnam and other wars wouldn’t be homeless and seriously lacking in support from the country they served. This not a recent problem, its one our country has been guilty of for decades. From the Civil War to the war on terror our veteran’s have never been treated with respect.

• 22 mattw // Jun 29, 2007 at 12:22 pm

  Jerry, obviously I don’t expect the government to provide everything on the list (like XBox and Playstation games!), and, again I certainly think private charity for our soldiers in the field is laudable. I just think we should demand that our government do better. It’s our government after all, and I for one would rather see a grunt in the desert get his or her own little bottle of sunscreen than dump a little more public money down Halliburton’s gullet.

  Some of you cats need to relax a little: do you think you’re fighting the war here on yourct.com? Bloodlust and saccharine yellow ribbon nonsense are mighty unappealing.

• 23 mattw // Jun 29, 2007 at 12:25 pm

  Though since it’s called “Operation Adopt-A-Platoon”, perhaps people think they really are fighting the war with these little doodads. Fighting over here so you don’t have to fight over there, as it were.

• 24 Jerry Aldrich // Jun 29, 2007 at 12:44 pm

  Got news for ya, Jerry: Vietnam was 40 years ago. Things are a little different now.

  Don’t bet your life on it.

  Different faces same old gravy, just warmed over.

• 25 Jerry Aldrich // Jun 29, 2007 at 12:50 pm

  perhaps people think they really are fighting the war with these little doodads

  Ya Really think so? Gee, too bad these little doodads won’t help our kids. Lets send them copies of the Koran. Sound better?

• 26 mattw // Jun 29, 2007 at 1:01 pm

  Jerry, I suspect we’re closer in opinion that you might think. For example, I’m horrified that our military is punishing soldiers whose families or communities chip in to buy them superior the Dragon Skin body armor (its bullet-proof plates don’t turn to dust the first time they’re hit, unlike the armor made by the well-connected contractor the Army’s currently using.)

  Not exactly the same as the “wrong guns” scenario of your youth, but definitely the same general theme. And I think we should demand substantively better policies from our government.

• 27 mattw // Jun 29, 2007 at 1:02 pm

  Oh yeah, and you can send Korans or whatever you want. It’d probably be better to send in trained Arabic linguists, but a little bit of local knowledge never hurt anyone.

• 28 Jerry Aldrich // Jun 29, 2007 at 1:47 pm

  It’d probably be better to send in trained Arabic linguists

  You think there is a lack of trained people who speak Arabic in the Mid East,live the culture, the religion and know their way around Baghdad and the other major cities?

  The problem is that with the local people who do volunteer their services or get paid for their work, are identified by the terrorists, their families, their pets, their friends, and even their next door neighbors will be executed by the terrorists. We can send all the LINGUISTS we want, but if they don’t know the culture, they are little more than office translators.

  Someone just said the other day on a TV program “Let our troops pull back into Kuwait. Let them fight a civil war, if we don’t like the winner, go in and Nuke them.”

  Then we can start to send in doodads again.

• 29 Anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 1:50 pm

  That we are discussing these issues are good and back and forth exchanges are good. The problem here is that we are forgetting the fact of how these men and women feel when these packages arrive at their destination. Can you think for one moment how it feels to them after avoiding road side bombings or in worst case seeing their fellow comrades killed and maimed and their faith in life is at a very low to go back to their barracks or tents as it stands and see these boxes waitng for them and when they open them they see letters from people back home they don’t even know and pictures from young young children with notes of love and newspapers and things that they normally wouldn’t be able to obtain sitting there? can you imagine for one moment the small amount of pleasure that may lift them up for even one moment? Yes, it sounds foolish that in time of war they would like to recieve DVD’s or CD’s or even a bag of gummy bears but these are the little things that we as US citizens are able to afford them and it means all the world to them on those days whem all hope of seeing loved ones for a very long time is all but a dream. Sure they signed up to serve their country but when their country forgets them that too means everything to their moral. Phone cards let them call loved ones when time allows, disposable camera’s allow them to send photo’s home so their families can get a glimpse of their loved ones that they haven’t seen for months and the little things like travel hygiene products they can carry with them in the ziplock bags so they can feel some type of cleanliness amid the horrors of war. So no amount of bickering over who’s war this is will change the fact that we are all in this together whether we want to be or not. In a perfect world we wouldn’t be at war and in a perfect world there would be no hunger, no homeless, no violence, but we don’t live in a perfect world and those who feel that is within their abilty to do so can take advantage of this fund drive to send a little thanks to those far from home.

• 30 Jerry Aldrich // Jun 29, 2007 at 1:57 pm

  If big oil was not running this WORLD, we should go in and totally destroy all oil producing wells in the Mid East. We did it to Japan, and Germany. The problem is that big oil will prevent us from doing that, because they do not really cares who the hell wins or loses or lives or dies. They only care about their profits. Sure we would suffer from an oil crisis, but no where as much as the terrorist states like Iran and its friends. Let’s be the good guys. Down the road when Iran gets it’s Nukes, then we can see if they really were telling the truth and only want it for peaceful reasons. Yeah! like making downtown Manhattan, LA, Washington, San Francisco, Chicago, and a host of other cities VERY PEACEFUL.

  You don’t need a very elaborate delivery system, all you need is a half dozen Martyr’s to carry them in on a ship, or sneak across the Canadian or Mexican border.

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