Well, the shirts made it to the desert ... WOO HOO!
There are still a couple units who receive mail very erratically, so theirs have not yet made it to them.
We are beginning to receive messages and photos, and we will share all we receive, with all of you. Without you, this would not be the program it is.
**Photos are in no particular order, and some may appear with Starbucks cups, as we sent them Strabucks in the boxes, too.
As OPSEC is on the same par as morale for us, we will often edit messages to leave out any info (locations, units, last names) that is not needed to be shared ... but we will always send you the HEART of their words.
**4-22-07 --We have also received some VERY nice certificates from a number of our units. I've made copies and am sharing them with our HerotoHero.US volunteers and partners ... We couldn't do it without them! Thank you so much for these honors. Your smiling faces are enough, but thank you so much for your support for those who support. lj
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Greetings from <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Iraq! I recently took command and within the first few days I received the Hero To Hero shirts. It was an awesome and unexpected surprise. On behalf of Alpha Company, --- Brigade Support Battalion, I would like to thank you for your support. The Soldiers were ecstatic knowing that Firefighters, Police, EMT and other Heroes donated part of themselves to support the Troops; that is true teamwork! We will never forget your generosity. Pictures of my company are included. Thanks again and God Bless.
Jose H....
A Co, --- BSB
CPT, TC
Commanding
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On behalf of the men & women in our company, I'd like to thank you and those who donated the police and fire fighter shirts to us. This support shown by those back home means so much to all of us deployed over here.
Interestingly, I had not heard of this program before the shirts arrived, and was annoyed initially at being tasked. Just something else to heap on my list. I was wrong. Our soldiers are really enjoying wearing the shirts - incredible the effect your gesture has made for our morale. We cannot thank you all enough. I am proud to have had a small part in the process.
Please convey our thanks to the fire and police departments, and we will try to do the same.
Very respectfully,
Lt Wm S.......
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On behalf of our brave soldiers, we would like to extend our sincere thanks for this generous show of support from hometown heroes. Your support does so much for our spirits. Morale efforts, such as the Hero To Hero campaign are vital to our morale, and do much to help us get through some very difficult days so far from our homes and loved ones. Hopefully you will get visits from some of our troops who received their hometown shirts. Several from our unit had cards attached to their shirts, and are making direct contact with those departments.
Please keep this going, and please continue to support America's bravest!
VR
1LT Bruce .... Army & Proud of it!
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Thank you heroes! You made it bearable for a day and more over here! We needed something like this. Wish everyone could get there home town shirts! I did. Minneapolis I miss you! Gonna come see you when I get home.
Sgt J. H...
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Thanks for reminding me of my childhood home. I'm a brat so no one place to call home. But I found the closest thing I could and getting a Sacramento Metro shirt reminded me of some happier days.
Richards/Army
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Hero To Hero -
Thank you so much, we really needed this. Sometimes you wonder if people really remember us, or just the war. Seeing the fire fighters and police giving us these shirts showed a lot of us that you care. You might never know what this meant to us,believe none of us will ever forget you and what you did.
SFC Mike P........
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WOW!
We want the thank the heroes who sent us the shirts. It was beyond cool to see all the cities from so many states. A bunch of us got shirts from our home states, some got their hometowns and it lit them up. THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!
You really ARE heroes and it is us representing for all of you back home.
PVT Felicity R.....
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Iraq - Thursday, 5 April 2007
Thanks to all at HeroToHero - we just recently received the box of shirts
and are attaching a photo of our team wearing them.
Our thanks from Iraq to the heroes fighting a homefront war daily
and keeping our families safe from fire, crime and other dangers.
It helps us have peace of mind knowing that there are heroes back hom watching
over our loved ones while we are deployed.
All the best from the US Army and the Soldiers of: x-x-x National Police Transition Team
-Sergeant Bryan S
-Sergeant First Class Andrew H
-Sergeant First Class Bob A
-Sergeant First Class Tod C
-Captain Jeff F
-Captain Milton P
-Major Steven S
-Major Pierre D
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I wanted to let you know that we got the boxes and the troops were very
happy with them. They went through all of them and matched up with their
sizes. I'm attaching some pictures and would like you to know that we
passed them out exactly on the 19th of March. I've been out of the area
so it's been a little difficult to write to you. Anyway, thank you to
all who participated in this program and please keep it up. Many more
heroes will benefit from this kind of support. I know some of the troops
found shirts from their areas or at least states and others are
communicating directly with the different departments.
I realize that we all have the same mission: to protect US citizens and
to make sure they have peace at night. I'm proud to be a Soldier and
many of our reservist are also First Responders.
Again thank you to all and Happy Easter!
Staff Sergeant Michelle M. C...
C Company, ###th BSB
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Sirs and maams-
I want to say thank you, but I will not share this one with my unit. My father was a firefighter. We lost him a few years back shortly after 9/11. He was a big hairy tough guy, and I'm like him physically. Well those shirts showed up and this lump showed up in my throat. Never saw my hometown, but I got one from near close. The best was just holding it, watching the others going through and finding their sizes and cities. Dang, I had to fight tears. Caught myself rubbing the fabric between my fingers. Wouldn't be a good this for this big hairball to break down and blubber like a baby but I have to tell you. That I had to go wash my face to hide my tears when one of the messages was signed, -Proud of ya, Dad- Don't know how you did it, but thank you from a big old baby who is honored to where one of your hero shirts - sent to me from my dad.
SFC Anonymous - Too far from home
(K, SFC Anonymous ... This one got me too! I am sure your dad is smiling at you, and at least you have a shirt to wipe your tears. Thank you for sharing. And you have the true heart of a Hero , I've seen more than one or two cry like a baby! lj)
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Dear Hero to Hero,
My unit received the shirts and they were a HUGE success. The men and women who work for me were extremely excited to receive the shirts and wore them proudly for the attached photo. We highly appreciate the hard work of everyone involved. #-XX Field Artillery BDOC and the Soldiers involved definitely receiveda great morale boost from the shirts. Thank you all so much and all of the agencies included. We wish we could send our own T-shirts back to the heroes stateside. Take care and keep supporting the Soldiers!
Very Respectfully,
CPT Joseph E.
Battalion Signal Officer
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We would like to thank you very much for your support and the T-shirts every soldier in company got one we took pictures and will be sending them to soon.
Some of the shirt had some of the soldiers states on them so they loved that but once again from all of at A Company *** we thank you for your support.
SFC B.
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Yes we have received the shirts and we will be distributing them
shortly. As soon as we do I will make sure we get pictures sent back
for you. As I went through and sorted the sizes it was really amazing
to see all of the different places the shirts had come from. It was
truly humbling to see the support.
v/r
Robert J. S.
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Hello,
I would like to give big thanks on behalf of all of the soldiers in my section, and say thanks to all of you. We really appreciate the t-shirts you sent to us. They are great and very uplifting to know that you appreciate what we are doing out here. It has been a long time since we left home and to know that we have supporters all over the nation if very satisfying. We have not had a chance to get in a picture with the shirts just yet, but our first opportunity we have we will get one taken and sent back to you. Here is a picture we took just before leaving to come here with me and my soldiers. The next one you will get will be with the t-shirts on. Again thanks for all the support you have shown us
I would like to thank you for the gift of the shirt. My thank you is a little late as I got the shirt on Christmas Eve but things can be difficult in Iraq.
V/r
BU1 W.
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I don't know where to begin to show our gratitude for all of the supportyou guys are giving us out here. My unit is currently changing mission sets so as soon as we get settled in I will distro the shirts and show you our motivated Cavalry Troopers in them! On behalf of all of us here in Alpha Troop X-X CAV, 1st CAV Division, thank you!!! A lot ofour guy's hometowns are from some of the departments station (Colorado Springs, Tacoma, Lakewood, etc.) and were very excited that their hometowns are behind us here! Thanks again and I'll write soon,
SSG Efrain F. SCOUT OUT!!!
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Thank you for your support! We love the shirts! I'll wear mine with
pride when I get back to Alaska. Unfortunately, we aren't allowed to
have cameras where we are stationed, so I can't send you any pictures.
I really appreciate what groups like your's do for the troops over
here, and it is a great morale boost. Thank you again, Adam.
************
lj
As more come in, more will post to this entry ... So re-visit often!
