U.S. Army Sergeant Charity Lewis Interview

U.S. Army Sergeant Charity Lewis has completed two separate deployments to Iraq - one with the Pennsylvania National Guard and the other with the Indiana National Guard. During her first deployment she took full advantage of Spirit of America resources and requested everything from toys and beanie babies, to blankets and soccer balls. She kept a considerable stock of these items where she worked, and became quite popular with U.S. Marines who would stop by and ask her to fill up their Humvees before they went out on patrol. Sgt. Lewis was also able to take Spirit of America-supplied materials with her when she went out on patrol herself. She was directly responsible for distributing tens of thousands of dollars worth of items that yielded friendly and positive relationships between the Iraqi people and American Soldiers and Marines, and she no doubt saved the lives of several by showing that Americans really care about the future of Iraq.

So imagine how excited I was to learn that Sgt. Lewis was back from Iraq, and living in her hometown of Beford, Indiana, just a few hours from my own home in Zionsville, Indiana. With the help of volunteer Matt Massie (himself a two-deployment veteran of Iraq as a U.S. Marine), we traveled to Beford and interviewed Sgt. Lewis about her experiences in Iraq, and with Spirit of America. Click on the title of this blog post to see that interview on YouTube.

Thanks to Sgt. Lewis for exemplifying Spirit of America, and thanks also to volunteer Matt Massie for helping out with this interview. - Dennis Norris

Major Terri Selph Continues to Help Landmine Victims

Army Major Terri Selph continues to help both childrens and adults who are victims of the thousands of landmines that litter the Afghan landscape. She has been asking for and receiving Spirit of America donations for wheelchairs, which are quite rare in Afghanistan. Her wheelchair projects have made it possible for several individuals to once again discover the happiness of mobility. If you would like to help Major Selph, please visit her project page for more information. Thanks!

Dennis Norris

Appearance on BlogTalk Radio

Last week I was invited to speak on the "Your Military Life" segment of BlogTalk Radio. Thanks to hosts Nancy Brown and Phyllis Zimbler Miller for the invitation. If you would like to hear the program, click here and then scroll down to the Spirit of America segment. Thanks!

Dennis Norris

74-Year Old Doctor Off to War in Afghanistan

Yet another great post from our friends at A Soldier's Mind, a truly outstanding blog. Enjoy!

Dennis Norris

Great Post About CSM Jeffrey Mellinger

Check out this post from our friends at "A Soldier's Mind" about Command Sergeant Major Jeffrey Mellinger. It's a great story.

Dennis Norris

Women and Children's Engagement Project

This is HM1 Charlotte Ward of the US Navy, a very special person from Des Moines, Iowa. Charlotte serves with a Naval Special Warfare Unit as a Fleet Marine Force Corpsman. Sometimes it amazes me when we hear about the long hours our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines put in, but when we get emails from Charlotte it really hits home for me. Not only does she provide medical support for an entire platoon of SEALS, but she also serves as a deputy for the Women and Children's Engagement Project through Marine Civil Affairs. She spends endless hours doing foot patrols, and going house-to-house in and around Fallujah, Iraq. In her "spare time" she orchestrates events in village centers, schools, or the homes of tribal leaders. When she contacts us she is usually operating on only a few hours of sleep over several days.

HM1 Ward is receiving funds from Spirit of America for three objectives: 1) to start a literacy project in Fallujah; 2) to start a sewing center; and 3) to make improvements in schools and clinics. Her efforts focus on women and children, as they are the foundation for bringing stability to the area. Many of the women are widowed and have no means for accessible medical care, no skills to earn an income, and little chance for education or literacy. Charlotte is trying her best to bring all of this and more to the women and children of this region. We are very proud to support her work and her boundless energy.

If you would like to help Charlotte out with her project, click here to learn more. Thanks!

Dennis Norris

A Great Quote

Spirit of America's Michele Redmond shared a great quote with me today from the New York Times. It was spoken by Ben Stein (Bueller? Bueller?), and it goes like this:

"We are more than our investments. We are more than the year-to-year or day-to-day changes in our net worth. We are what we do for charity. We are how we treat our family and friends. We are how we treat our dogs and cats. We are what we do for our community and our nation. If you had $100 million a year ago and now you have a lot less, you are still the same person. You are not a balance sheet, at least not one denominated in money."

Well said, Ben. Food for thought...

Dennis

Christmas in Iraq

In an earlier blog post I mentioned U.S. Army Chaplain Steve Dunn and SPC Jonathon Kissam and their efforts to support an orphanage in Iraq. They even got some great ink in the Daytona Beach News-Journal and the Volusia Beacon.

Today we received these fantastic photos of our soldiers preparing to deliver toys and candy to the Iraqi kids. Donations came not only from Spirit of America, but also from 19 other organizations! A quote from SPC Kissam:

"Chaplain Dunn and I would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all the support we have received. The past six months have been a glorious time for us because we get to see our Soldiers' faces light up when a gift is given. We cannot thank you enough for all the support and for giving your love behind every box sent to us. We got everything from school supplies for the Iraqi kids to hand warmers for our Aircrews, and everything in between. It is a great day when we can say that America still support our Soldiers."

Great job everyone!

Dennis

PRTs an Integral Part of Spirit of America Projects

At Spirit of America we recently received a thank you note from one of our funded Soldiers. It reminded us of the important ongoing job of reinstituting civil affairs and providing the framework for security and government infrastructure in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Although we have covered this type of work before in a November 2008 Email Update, it bears repeating now because there is a flurry of activity with these speciality units, especially in Iraq in the wake of their successful elections.

Civil Affairs Units and Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) are tasked with rebuilding war-torn areas and winning the hearts and minds of the locals. No easy task, but U.S. Soldiers and Marines are having an enormous impact in both countries. A great example is a recent project that Spirit of America funded with US Army Sergeants Mike Aguero and Julie Vosilus, both stationed in Iraq.

Sergeant Aguero was assigned to the PRT in Mosul, Iraq. He reported to us that most of the schools in his area were badly damaged, and that there was a complete lack of school supplies. Sergeant Aguero's mother is an elementary school counselor here in the States, and she managed to add to Spirit of America's school supply donation by implementing a school-wide drive of her own. SGT Aguero wrote to us and said:

"I personally went to one school district and watched as our Iraqi Army counterparts distributed the supplies. Lots of smiling faces! What you have done for these children goes beyond just school supplies: you have given at least 2000 children a shining example of American kindness, and a renewed faith in their government to support them."

Sergeant Julie Vosilus is attached to a Civil Affairs unit out of Belton, Missouri, but also assisted with a PRT in Kirkuk, Iraq. More specifically, Sergeant Vosilus worked with the Public Health and Education Team and on a weekly basis met with local officials to hear first hand the dire need for school supplies (especially in the rural areas). She dealt with approximately 900 primary and secondary schools in her area alone! Not only were Spirit of American donors able to help her obtain school supplies, recreational equipment, and even several wheelchairs, but she began a Vocational Training Program in the area that has already requested sewing machines to help train women on how to help themselves by building their marketable skills.

As to the attached photo, SGT Vosilus writes:

"We had the opportunity to play soccer against the Dibis policemen. Members of the Iraqi Police and Iraqi Army continue to be the top targets for insurgents, so we were able to share some of your supplies with the Dibis police. Thank you for what your organization does and for the support you provide. You fill a void which helps make our job easier and, in the end, helps saves Soldiers' lives."

Thanks to both Sergeants Aguero and Vosilus for their dedication to the Iraqi people. Thanks also to Spirit of America donors who make these sorts of project possible.

Dennis

SPC Gerardo Llamas Says It All

I started to post a blog about all the great things that US Army SPC Gerardo Llamas is doing in Afghanistan - collecting blankets for kids, passing out school supplies, making the most of a bad situation, etc. But then I got an email and some photos from him today and I realized that there was no way I could say it better than he does. He was describing for us his recent trip to an Afghan orphanage, and the supplies he passed out while he was there. SPC Llamas, you epitomize the mission of Spirit of America, and you are a true American hero and patriot. Take it away. . .


"It was a great experience. I can't believe how happy these kids were, the smiles on their faces said a lot and I of course was touched by this. When we got there we were received by the people that run the orphanage. They told us the kids were all outside on their patio waiting for us and that they were really excited. They helped us unload the boxes from the vehicles and took them inside the orphanage. As I was walking in I realized how much these people needed, as you can see in the pictures even the walls are falling apart. When I got in I saw all the kids lined up; girls on one side, boys on the other. We started giving all the blankets away. I must say that at the beginning I was scared that maybe I didn't have enough blankets for every kid. As the kids came to get their blanket they just smiled, some were shy and just walked away with their blanket, some tried to say thank you, some thanked me in their language, some just smiled, and one little girl, pretty as a doll, smiled and then gave me a hug. That was the highlight of my day, and she seemed so thankful. At the end I was really happy to see that every single kid got a blanket. I even had enough to give to the teachers that live with them and care for them. When we finished handing out the blankets we started giving away some jackets and coats. Unfortunately I only had about 60, and they were boys coats, so we handed these out to the boys, and some stuffed animals to the girls. After everything was all done we said goodbye to the kids. Some came and gave us hugs, some asked to us to come back. I will definitely try to go back soon to give out the school supplies and, if possible, to take them some bags of candy and other treats. I must say that all this was possible just because of your help and donations, I could not have accomplish half of this without you all. I am really thankful to every single one of you. I will keep in touch and inform you of future deliveries and projects. May God bless you all and your families!! P.S. Sorry if my writing is not perfect or is confusing, I'm not the greatest writer but I try. Sincerely, SPC Llamas Gerardo, US Army."

Thanks for supporting our troops!

Dennis