Friends of Fisher House Illinois - Saturday, June 27, 2009 - Chicago Slaughter Championship Salute to the Troops!

The Friends of Fisher House - Illinois organization is working hard to get ready for the long-needed opening of the new Fisher House at Hines VA hospital in Illinois. If you aren't familiar with Fisher Houses, they provide free housing for the families of wounded and ill veterans and soldiers who are receiving treatment at VA hospitals.

The Chicago Slaughter football team is running a Championship Salute to the Troops on Saturday, June 27, 2009. A portion of profits from ticket sales will do directly to the FOFH-IL organization.

You can visit the website here to learn more about Friends of Fisher house, and to learn how to purchase your tickets.

So come on out for an afternoon of some great football. Even if you can't attend, your ticket purchase goes to help a great cause! You can also visit the Friends of Fisher House of Illinois website at any time to learn how to help, or to make a donation to this great cause! Just click on the link on the right side of this page.

Thanks,
Rog

UK medics medevac a British Soldier to Camp Bastion

Here's a video showing the medics we are supporting at the Camp Bastion hospital in Afghanistan as they fly out to get one of their own.



These amazing British medics also care for US Marines, Estonian and Danish NATO troops.

-Rog

Borders' Book Store collects coffee for our troops!

The folks at Seattle's Best coffee shop in the Borders Book store #476 in San Antonio Tx had a great idea. Every Friday they offer a free medium beverage for every bag of coffee beans sold to our customers.








Several months ago, they decided to give the option to their customers to donate their bags of coffee beans to the Soldiers Angels. Many of our customers do, gladly!

They typically collect 25 bags of coffee a week, and send them to our Soldiers' Angels warehouse where we distribute them to military units all over the world.

Thanks to Peggy, Mea and the crew at Borders!
-Rog

Thanks from Afghanistan

Today I received your letter of good will; thank you for your kind
words of support. Before I go any further, I would like to tell you
about our facility here. We are a NATO facility, the hospital is
managed by the UK and US jointly, staffed by the US, UK, Estonian,
Danes, and civilian volunteers. The total staff is 200, and we treat
everyone, to include local nationals and ANA (the Afghan National Army)
in their quest for freedom. Our job here is simple; treat, care, and
honor the wounded warrior.

But after the bandages have been applied, pain stopped, and the chaplain
gone; most of the troops look kinda lost...not sure of what or how to
feel...that is when we typically bring out one of the "Soldiers' Angels"
backpacks. I think the best part of the bag is the postcards/letters that
are written included....they just simply tumble out. And being that the
cards are so vibrant in color, it is the first thing that the service
members pick up and read, and smile....

So I want to personally thank you for your support of our first 4th of
July celebration support here at Camp Bastion. I will check daily for
your parcel and update you when we receive it.

Best,

Jac, CPT

War in Afghanistan

One of our medics in Afghanistan works in a hospital, and mentioned the patients they see who are children. I offered to have our "Operation Outreach" team send toys, games, clothing and shoes for them. The answer will stay with me...
-Rog

The toy issue.....got time for a story?.....the nurses used to load up kids in the hospital with toys, the family and child said their goodbye's and left the facility. A week later, the whole family was killed.....there was an informant in their community that knew the child was treated by the American's by the toys the child brought home (Afghan children do not play with conventional toys)....and the killings were a reminder to the village that the Taliban was still around....so we have a policy not to give any children anything that resembles a toy....I know...it a sad day in the world when you can't give a child a toy to comfort them with, but it may just save their life, and the lives of their family......

Please, thank them, but I would not like to start collecting toys, in fear that someone will try to "sneak" one to a child....so the nurses give them candy, sugar is sugar..and they don’t leave the hospital with it........

Again, thank you.....

Respectfully,

J

British medics and Soldiers' Angels

This year I hooked up with the UK hospital at Camp Bastion. These British docs and medics care for American Marines, along with their own British soldiers and Afghan Army troops who are injured.

My contact there is a US marine, who told me that the British don't get a lot of support from home. So, Soldiers' Angels stepped in to send them some support for the patients and medics.

I got them some of our First Response backpacks, extra clothing and toiletries for the patients, and the usual coffee, snacks and goodies. I also hooked them up with "Fore Our Soldiers", a great group that specializes in sending golf and other sports equipment to units overseas.

My contact writes:

Roger,
Today we received the packages that your organization and the sporting equipment from the "Fore Our Soldiers" organization. Again, thank you. We treat casualties (UK, US, even members from the Afghan National Army) daily. After the patching of wounds and treatment of pain, words from the padre and unit personnel, it's hard to figure out what they are thinking; but it's a certain there's "blank" look of unease. The emotional support that organization's like yours and the Fore Our Soldier's provide is the "glue" that holds the whole process together. It was mentioned by one of the UK nurses yesterday "It is so grand that you Americans at home support the troops here, it's simply amazing, I don't know why we don't have that support" I smiled, and stated, "it's the folks at home these Marine's are fighting for"

Hey, it's the least we can do, since they take such good care of our guys. Besides, they are medics, and that's what SA medical does.
-Rog