Letter from the front thanks and salutes seniors

AVIVA GOELMAN

This article is for the troops -- the brave men and women of our

nation’s armed forces -- who are fighting for freedom and democracy

in Iraq.

This past holiday season, several seniors at the Costa Mesa Senior

Center took up the mantle of Santa’s Helper. Thinking of our troops,

they worked together to construct glorious care packages for a trio

of those serving in support of Iraq, so far away from their families.

One of the troops -- Brandon T. Long -- wrote back. His words are

worth sharing with you:

“I have been in the military for a little over three years. In

that time I have often seen on TV or heard on the radio that some few

lucky soldiers and sailors got letters from folks back home wishing

them well. As for myself, I never actually received or saw anyone

receive these. It isn’t something that I really dwelt on. I always

assumed that one of the many heads of the bureaucratic behemoth (some

government filtering agency) gathered up the mass of letters,

intended for generic soldier A or random sailor B, and directed them

to some place other than anywhere I was stationed. So you can imagine

how surprised I was to receive your package!

“To think that people I had never met before would take an

interest in me and my shipmates in the forward deployed fleet, and

directly send us their support, was beyond my capability to

understand a few short months ago. When I read the letter you sent I

shared it with others and it made us all very happy. You chose just

the right things to put in that care package, as the ship’s store is

often out of soap and shampoo. We made good use of all the items, and

we also had great fun with the games and puzzles. The candy was gone

before I could blink, and the newspaper was read through by most,

probably more than once -- although I suspect that out of my group, I

was the only one from California.

“Your care and support really made the day for more than a few of

the sailors on board USS Vincennes. Please accept my apology for

taking so long to reply to your kindness, and I hope you don’t feel

that your generosity has fallen upon ungrateful sailors. In the FDNF

(Forward Deployed Naval Fleet), we are called upon at any time, and

so, unfortunately we spend many of our days at sea rather than in

port. This leads to enormous wear and tear on equipment. The direct

result is painfully felt by every crew member, especially the loss of

our ship’s Internet capabilities. This effectively severs a sailor’s

ties with friends and loved ones for care and kindness. I wish we

could write you a letter and have everyone sign it; however, the

military postal system is not always reliable, and I want to make

absolutely certain that you receive this letter. It means a lot to us

to know that the folks back home are still thinking of us, even when

we are so far away, kind of out of the loop, as it were. I would

welcome the chance to keep in touch, please feel free to e-mail me

anytime. Hopefully you won’t tire of my endless sea stories and will

keep writing so that we can exchange sea stories or any other stories

you feel you would like to share. Just keep in touch! Thanks again

from all of us out here on the USS Vincennes (CG-49)! Happy Holidays!

“E-mail: longbt@vincennes. navy.mil and also e-mail:

[email protected]”

We all hope and pray that peace will very soon come to Iraq, and

that our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines can come to the

embrace of their families and a grateful nation. But until that day,

the seniors of the Costa Mesa Senior Center will send packages.

Our monthly membership meeting at 1:30 p.m. March 15 falls two

days short of St. Patrick’s Day. But that won’t stop our celebration.

We will have great entertainment, green cake and lots more. And, just

maybe, a Leprechaun will appear.

We would love to have you join us. Please call the center at (949)

645-2356, or drop by at 695 West 19th St. in Costa Mesa. I am sure

after attending this meeting you will become a lifetime member.

Membership is $18 a year, which entitles you to our monthly

newsletter and participation in our special events at a discount. If

you love to take trips to casinos or to the theater, or if you just

love to travel, attending our membership meeting is important, as we

will announce our upcoming trips, which fill up quickly.

* AVIVA GOELMAN is the executive director of the Costa Mesa Senior

Center and will write occasional columns about the center, its

members and senior issues.