Frontline Troops Send Their Thanks

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Wednesday - July 19, 2006

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Two months ago APPLAUSE featured the work of Our Troop Hawaii, a local group of volunteers that puts together packages of donated items to be shipped to frontline Marines and Soldiers. Since then, letters from the Middle East have showered praise and APPLAUSE for the organization and the generous people of Hawaii who have shared their pictures and prayers. Our Troop Hawaii would like to share them with you.

Today was a great day for all of us. We have been without mail for a while and today it got here, a lot of it. Opening the boxes felt like Xmas. I looked around and saw all the faces of fellow Marines, smiles all around. That’s rare around here. I passed out a lot of the things to the Marines that did not get a package. From the depth of my heart and a lot of other Marines, THANK YOU! This deployment has been hard for all of us and our families as well, so again thank you on their behalf!

Marco Guizar Afghan/Pakistan border

Thank you for the package. Me and all my brothers in Echo Co. Machine Guns can’t even tell you how much we appreciate all of the packages we have received. Mail is scarce around here, when we receive mail, especially from Americans we don’t even know, it makes all the difference in the world. So far, we have received two packages from you, and believe me every single item has been worth it. My name is Andrew Farlaino. I was originally from Helper, Utah. Now I am proud to call my home Kaneohe Bay, Oahu. When me and the boys get back from Asadabad, Afghanistan, we are going to personally stop by and thank you. I can’t tell you how much we appreciate everything you are doing for the Marines in Afghanistan. I will see you in paradise!

Andy Farlaino

Afghanistan

My name is Salvatore Cirencione, I just got your package and wanted to send my thanks. I shared everything with my squad who also enjoyed it.

It’s really nice to know people at home still care and show so much support. It’s stuff like the picture of the little boy, people like you, your family and friends who sleep good at night that make it worth it and give us a purpose here. We’re scheduled to be done here in the next couple of months. Hopefully, we’re back before New Year’s. But thank you again for your package more importantly your support!

Salvatore Cirencione

Afghanistan

Our Troop Hawaii can be reached at 523-3834. Donations have included snack items, underwear, CDs, any kind of reading material, toiletries, photos, and letters of support and encouragement.

(If you know someone who deserves some Applause, send your letters to Pamela Young, MidWeek Applause, KITV, 801 S. King St., Honolulu, HI, 96813 or e-mail pyoung@kitv.com. Include your name, phone number and, if possible, the phone number of your “applaudee” so we can contact him or her.)