Remembering service members at the holidays

Blockade Runner employee Laquitta Curry sorts donated items for a care package that will be sent to a member of the U.S. military serving in Afghanistan. (T-G Photo by Mary Reeves) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

"I read somewhere that donations to soldiers are down," said Smith. "People just forget."

Smith has often sent care packages to the soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq -- soldiers he knew personally.

"But now, they're all home," he said.

Having his friends home and safe was cause to celebrate, but he decided he wanted to keep on sending the packages. Then he realized others may also want to help the service men and women celebrate Christmas and set up the "Soldier's Aid Society" on The Blockade Runner web site.

Phillip Smith of the Blockade Runner displays some the items he puts in Christmas care packages for US service men and women stationed overseas. (T-G Photo by Mary Reeves) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

The Soldiers Aid Societies, he said, were active in the Civil War, a subject with which he's very familiar. The Blockade Runner, located between Bell Buckle and Wartrace, is one of the world's premier suppliers for Civil War reenactments and has customers all over the world.

During the Civil War, he said, women would create care packages with home-baked goods, knitted gloves and socks, and other items needed by the soldiers. Smith has been sending similar care packages -- 15 in one week alone -- to soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen serving overseas.

Sending the season

There aren't any home-baked goodies in his packages, however -- there can't be. There are guidelines on what can and can't be sent to the soldiers, how the packages are addressed, and to whom they are addressed. Because of the rules and regulations, Smith realized there might be some folks wanting to send packages to friends or family members, but not doing so because they weren't sure how to go about it.

He also realized there are some who might want to send care packages, but since the military will no longer accept package addressed to "Any Soldier," they wouldn't have anyone to whom they could send the package.

Through his Soldier's Aid Society, Smith is remedying both situations. For a donation of $20, he assembles a care package to meet postal and military guidelines, then sends it on its way. It's not exactly a profit-maker, either.

"The $20 helps defray the shipping a little," he said, laughing. "When I first started, I thought we could get everything for $20, but when we went shopping, I kept seeing things and saying, 'Oh, that's cool! We need to send that!' The boxes end up costing about $35-40, so we just stopped counting."

Smith also finds names for those needing someone to whom they can send a gift. While researching the "what" and "how" of sending care packages to military personnel, he also discovered the "Who" at a web site called anysoldier.com. The site not only provided the "What" and "How," but long lists of "Who" from every branch of the military.

Once he has a name, Smith tries to tailor the box to fit the person as much as possible. The soldiers in Afghanistan, for instance, need items to help them in the 6 to 8 inches of snow that have already fallen, such as sunglasses to cut the glare and Ace bandages to wrap around their boots for traction.

Many ways to help

People don't have to buy a $20 care package to help out.

"They can give $4,100, they can give $1," he said. "It all helps."

The care packages have included recent issues of Field & Stream and Sports Illustrated, donated unknowingly by Drew Curry, the 12-year-old son of Blockade Runner employee Laquitta Curry.

"Her son wasn't too happy about that -- until he found out where they were going," said Smith.

One item he's trying to include in every package is a stuffed animal, an idea he got from reading "thank you" letters posted at anysoldier.com. One soldier thanked his benefactor for the gift of a toy animal, which he then gave to a little Iraqi girl.

"It gives them a chance to give something to someone else for Christmas," said Smith. "We want to make this as Christmassy as possible and let them know we appreciate what they are doing."

He includes Wartrace postcards for the soldiers to use, and a Christmas card to each recipient, signed by the care package's donor and the entire Blockade Runner staff. It wishes them a Merry Christmas, and thanks them for the sacrifices they are making.

Some of the suggestions Smith has for the care packages include non-breakable Christmas decorations so the soldiers can get into the holiday spirit. He only has about two weeks left to get the packages there in time for Christmas, but he has no intention of stopping when that window closes.

"It would be great to get as many as possible there by Christmas," he said. "But I'll keep sending them until the last order comes in."

Thanking the troops and providing them a better holiday is the sole focus of his project -- so much so that he doesn't care from where those thanks and care packages come.

"If I didn't get another dollar, but I knew packages were getting there, I'd be happy," he said.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Donations can be made on-line at the Blockade Runner's web site, blockaderunner.com, or the phone via credit card, or in person at the store, 1027 Bell Buckle-Wartrace Road. The web site also provides links to anysoldier.com and other web sites that have more information, including lists of what the soldiers need the most.