Operation Strength and Honor

In the Summer of 2004, my brother, SSGT. Housmans, was sent to serve our country in Iraq with the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, India Company, out of Camp Pendelton, California. After months of long hours and challenging work, he and I were finally able to speak, by satellite phone, about the progress of his platoon and about how he was doing personally. A true representative of these modern-day warriors, I was pleased to hear my brother so positive and upbeat. He spoke glowingly about the way his fellow Marines were performing and the pride he had of being able to serve our great country. He spoke of ideals that are worth fighting for and that are often taken for granted here in the United States; like freedom, liberty, democracy and justice. He spoke about the Marines that were serving in Iraq with genuine emotion and his heartfelt words made me admire their commitment and sacrifices on a deeper level. When the call was finished, I sat down and contemplated the challenges my brother and these brave Marines face each day. I suppose because of the danger I know he is confronted with each day, I also reflected back on the times when we were just boys, when our own lives were a lot less complicated.

I vividly remembered the first time I pulled him on a sled in the snow-packed fields of Colorado Springs, Colorado, where our family was stationed at the time. My thoughts then migrated to family trips, when our Dad drove the brown station wagon, the "Woodie", across the southwest and we pestered our parents for hours with the question of whether "we were there yet?" I remembered how tight he would hold on to me when he rode behind me on one of my grandparent's three-wheeler ATVs. I reminisced about the time, after he got a little older, that I brought him with me on his first deep-sea fishing expedition and, after catching two fish on the same cast, he innocently and humbly looked up at me and asked if "That was OK?" More recently, I thought about his wedding reception, where he married his loving wife and, in front of his Marine brothers, eloquently spoke about the values of family, love and commitment. Best of all, these reflections allowed me to appreciate just how much I love and miss my younger brother. It was these reflections and the inspiring words of my brother that further compelled me to wonder what all of us could do here at home to show these young men and women that we admire them, that we respect them, that we support them for their loyal service and, most of all, that regardless of politics or policies, that WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN THEM. The result was an initiative we have chosen to call "Operation Strength and Honor."

In the epic movie "Gladiator," a favorite of my brother and I, the war scene at the beginning of this dramatic picture where the warriors firmly shake hands and tell each other, "Strength and Honor," depicted more than mere words..it was imagery that set the tone for the remainder of the movie. These powerful words also created a lasting impression that went far beyond the movie. They were Words of anticipation..Words of commitment..they were Words of encouragement. Like the words in the movie, the primary goal of "Operation Strength and Honor" is to provide these courageous men and women bravely serving our country in Iraq with words of Encouragement..Words that exemplify our commitment to them that they will NOT be forgotten. But it will take more than just words to make an impact. We need more volunteers that will be committed to this initiative. No excuses, No Regrets. The vast majority of the Marines that are serving with my brother in Iraq are younger than 25 years of age. More than half of these young men and women never receive letters or care packages. They feel isolated from the rest of the world and speculate whether people at home even care about them or what they are doing. We can have a dramatic impact on maintaining, or even raising, the morale of these Marines. I hope YOU will choose to participate in this initiative and show these brave and dedicated Marines that YOU admire them, that YOU respect them, that YOU support them and that YOU care enough about them to participate in one of the following programs:

Letter-Writing Campaign

One of the most humbling and gratifying moments I have experienced in over fifteen years as a business owner was witnessing the number of our employees that were willing to participate in the Letter-Writing Campaign of Operation Strength and Honor. With nearly 200 Marines to write to, however, there are some people that are challenged with needing to write to more than one Marine, until more people make a commitment to writing weekly letters. Regardless of the challenges, every Marine will get a weekly letter. In the phone conversation with my brother, he stated that after being on patrol for over eighteen hours in nearly 120 degree weather, only being able to shower two to three times per week and eating "Meals Ready-To-Eat" (MREs) for nearly every meal, just getting a letter brought a sincere feeling of joy and happiness. My brother told me that this simple act of receiving a card or letter to let them know that somebody from home was thinking about them made a difference in their day, in their attitude and in their morale. It is our hope that you will commit to writing a letter or sending a card to at least one Marine each week until all of these brave men and women return home safely.

Care Packages

The sacrifices these young men and women have made extend beyond just being away from their country or their families, it has required them to go without basic items that we take for granted in our daily lives. They drink water and eat MREs for nearly every meal. They have numerous hours of "downtime" between patrols and need to engage their minds with something to think about other than the stresses that are caused by War. As a result, some of the things that would be appropriate to send these men and women would include, but not be limited to:

• HARD FOOD PRODUCTS: Beef jerky, canned nuts, hard candies, gum, trail-mix, canned fruit, cereal bars, granola bars, canned chips (like Pringles), soups
• POWDERED DRINKS: Gatorade, Kool-Aid, Tea, Coffee
• ENTERTAINMENT: DVDs, CDs, VCRs, books, magazines (last month's Sports Illustrated, etc), comics, the local newspaper (Sports, Cartoons, crossword sections), board games, sports equipment (Nerf footballs, soccer balls, etc.), Beanie Babies for the Marines to give to Iraqi children and batteries
• PERSONAL HYGIENE: Soap, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, shaving cream, hand lotions, sunscreen, lip balm, anti-bacterial wipes, baby-wipes (one of the most popular items because they are in the desert and showers are limited), anti-fungal foot crme, band-aids, cough lozenges, boxes of Kleenex, eye-drops (the cleaning type) and flip-flop/shower shoes

Corporate Sponsorships

Being able to attract Corporate Sponsors that sell or manufacture the type of items that are outlined above would be a major accomplishment and could dramatically impact and improve the lives of these wonderful Marines. If you or someone you know work for a company that sells or manufactures these items, we would encourage you to contact our Project Coordinator, listed below, so that we could contact them directly. If you or someone you know manage/own grocery stores, bookstores, Video Stores, CD Stores, toy stores, or work for a manufacturer of these items, we hope you will make the commitment to participate in this initiative.

Monetary Donations

Though we would prefer donations of goods and services, we understand that some people have schedules that limit their discretionary time, making a monetary donation the most viable option for them to participate. Our staff will purchase and ship all items and 100% of the money donated is guaranteed to go towards items for the Marines. Whether it is the employees donating their time or someone on our staff making purchases and processing these items while on the clock, your monetary donation will only be used to enhance the lives of the brave men and women serving our country in Iraq.

The Power of Prayer

The Power of Prayer has never been more important and relevant. Those that are believers, Christian, Jewish, Muslim or other faiths, all seem harmonious in their belief that the humble praying for the well-being of others, often referred to as Intercessionary Prayer, has unexplainable powers and unbelievable results. In fact, in a centuries old vault in Vatican City, they store records of what they consider "miracles"; astonishing cures that have no scientific explanation and, therefore, can only be attributed to the Power of Prayer. If you are a believer, I would respectfully request that you pray for all of our brave men and women serving in Iraq. I request that you specifically pray for the nearly 200 people from the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, India Company, 2nd Battalion, out of Camp Pendelton, California. We hope whatever manner you choose to participate, that you will commit your time and faith to this program until these brave men and women return home safely.

Final Words

There are many excuses that people could use to justify not participating in Operation Strength and Honor. I hope instead of justifying why you CANNOT participate, that this link to our Website has given you more than enough reasons why you MUST participate. I leave you with one final thought, appropriately borrowed from the movie, "Gladiator"...

Contact The Project Coordinator

If you or someone you know would like more information on how you can participate in Operation Strength and Honor, please contact our Project Coordinator, listed below:

Ameristar

ATTN: Project Coordinator
Operation Strength and Honor
6616 Davis Boulevard,
North Richland Hills, TX 76182
StrengthHonor@ameristarusa.com