UPDATE - JULY 21, 2007 - PROJECT MARINE CARE
We are at war. Not just "over there", but globally. A small but committed disconnected army of fanatics wants to destroy our way of life. We have sent our troops out in front of us to protect us by taking the fight to them, away from us, and then we are pretty much going about our business. If you dig a little, you will find that our men and women at the "tip of the spear" are consummate professionals and are making a big difference in Afghanistan and Iraq. We need to let them know that not all of us are just sitting back and letting them do all the work. We need to let them know that the media and many of our politicians are way off track and do not tell nearly the whole story. One way you can do that is to get involved in our Project, or create your own, and send good things in packages to them. Not only has our Project shipped over 2,420 boxes, 31,000 lbs., but we have helped at least 40 other groups start their own. The letters and postcards we receive are a real testament to the effectiveness of programs like ours. Read on and you'll see what we mean.
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John
I cannot begin to thank you enough for the packages you and the Mt Diablo Detachment have sent to us. Mail is one of the things the Marines look forward to most; especially since we don't get it very often. It means so much to us to know that there are people back home supporting what we do. For that I honor you. A Marine alone is a formidable foe for any enemy on the battlefield, but one with high morale is unbreakable.
A little about us and the unique mission we are on. We are a small detachment (18 total) here in Afghanistan training the Afghan National Army (ANA). I currently am located in the Kunar Province. The only way we get re-supplied here is by air. Almost no vehicles will drive near our location because it is too dangerous. My team consists of GySgt Jerry Lopez (one of the best in the Corps), HM3 Charles Mark (he may have joined the Navy, but he's a Marine) and myself. That's it; the rest of the 18-man detachment is spread throughout other areas of the Province. We are embedded with an Afghan infantry company. We eat, sleep, fight and bleed with the ANA. Let me tell you, the ANA have some of the fiercest warriors I have ever met (next to the Marine Corps). They display the same honor, courage and commitment for liberating their country as we do to keep ours' safe. We've been up and down mountain after mountain and in countless fire-fights and ambushes with these soldiers, and we have fought through each one of them side by side and have always come out victorious. They do not know how to quit, and there is no doubt in my mind that if the entire Afghan Army displays the same dedication that this company does, Afghanistan will be in control of its own destiny soon enough.
Our deployment is almost over. In about a month, we will be back home with our families and friends. It is their support and the support of organizations and people like you that keep us going during these tough times that our country calls upon us. We all volunteered for this job because we all know that we can make a difference in the world. We only continue to carry the torch that many a better man than we carried before us. No matter what the media says, we WILL win this fight.
Semper Fidelis and God Bless
Wesley S. Maida
Capt USMC
Captain Maida is on at least his second tour and has been wonderful about keeping in touch. He is the tough guy in the middle in the photograph below, somewhere in the mountains of Afghanistan.
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Thank you for the Grill Kit that was passed to MSgt Dorrough. I am Sgt Cruz from BTT 26 and just wanted to let you know that was greatly appreciated! We Love to have BBQ's and those tools are a Marines's Best Friend. Thank you again and may the Lord bless youguys for all you do for US!Semper Fi!Sgt CruzBTT 26
We sent 3 sets of BBQ utensils to these units and obviously they mean a lot to them. Their basic job is training the Iraqi Army.
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13 Jun 2007:Hello Everyone and thank you for your incredible support!
Before I get into some big changes that have occurred for our Company, allow me to express how grateful all of the Marines and Sailors are of your amazing support. The amount of packages and letters that we have received from all over the United States has allowed each member of our unit to receive something from home. Honestly, if we had room in this format to thank each of you individually we would.As I mentioned, we have had some BIG changes since our last update. Due to our incredible success we have been ordered to pack our gear (Our mailing address has NOT changed). Though the Marines and Sailors were very much settled in (thanks to your efforts) we packed our seabags. We are all hoping that this will be our last move (except for the move back to the U.S.A.), but the men are very excited about the upcoming challenges we face in our new area of operation. Like before we will be occupying combat outposts, taking the fight to the enemy, and doing our very best to help the Iraqi people.Before I touch on anything else, we would like to share a few photos with you. Below is one of our rifle squad leaders, Cpl Barrientos. One of the things the Marines and Sailors enjoy more then anything is helping children and Cpl Barrientos was quite popular. We will miss all of the families there and know the unit that replaced us will continue our success.
The other photo is of me holding up a home-made suicide vest. The Iraqi District Security Force received the tip about a possible weapons cache and our men were able to assist in the exploitation. We recovered an incredible amount of weapons and ammunition. What made this such a success was that it was Iraqi people helping U.S. Marines clean up their city.
As always the Marines and Sailors are extremely appreciative of your efforts. The continuing support from home keeps the men motivated and lets them now that someone cares about their efforts. Always know that you are a contributing factor to our success in the battle space and we could not succeed without your help.
Semper Fi,1stSgt Cece
First Sergeant Cece is from Danville & Sacramento, California and has been a great correspondent.
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Hey John,
I have received a few boxes from your program. I just wanted to write you and let you know that it is greatly appreciated. It's a great morale booster just to get a box in the mail, and when I can hand out the things that you send us it's just a good feeling. It is great to know that you guys are behind us and support what we are doing overseas. Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Cpl James H. Dauphinee
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Thank you so much for both the packages. My fellow Marines and I deeply appreciate your support.
Cpl Danielle Hannan
MWCS 38, Det. A
Danielle needs all the hygiene gear she can get, plus sunscreen, hand sanitizers, and other feminine items. We get many donations of same and will ship her some more. Woman Marine - urrrrahh!
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Fellow Marines - Good morning everybody. Your support of my Marines here in Iraq is appreciated more than you know. Touches of home mean the world to these guys and gals. Particularly those who don't have anyone else.Thank you again to all the people who have been sending items…. The ice-pops some of you sent are a serious hit. Also soups (dried or microwaveable), cigars, trail mix and the like are always sure to please.I apologize for not writing as often as I probably should. Shame on me. It is summer though, and I am assuming you all are vacationing. Hitting the beach and enjoying your lives beyond awaiting the next installment of "As The Dustbowl Turns" from me. This was a significantly warm week. Note the enclosed picture.
No, your eyes are not deceiving you. That is 138 degrees at approximately 3:30 in the afternoon on the 11th of July. Now I don't care where you grew up, but unless it was in the Western Sahara, 138 is Dad-blasting, mother-freaking HOT! On the bright side though, it did cool down to about 100 by around 11:00 that evening. We're watching our people closely in this stuff. I would much rather be careful than lose someone to a heat injury. Tonight was cigar night, and should anyone wish to pop in and join us sometime please feel free.
Major Patrick Burns, MALS-29, MAG-29, 2NDMAW FWD
That is a combination of two postcards returned to us by the Major, plus info from a website posting. The highest temp ever reported to us, was 135 degrees on 7 July, 2005. This is a new record for us. It's awfully hard to imagine running in that heat with full body armor, two canteens, and a weapon in that heat. If you see a soldier, sailor, Marine, airman, Coastguardsman anywhere, think of this and then thank them profusely.
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It's hard to express my gratitude. We all appreciate the support and the packages so much. Go Bless You and yours.
Cpl Stephanie J. Haleem, MALS-29, MAG-29
That is from Woman Marine Haleem. Hopefully we can visit with her on one of our trips. More boxes are on the way.
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Thanks so much. The ice packs were an awesome idea. We appreciate all of your support.
HM2 Kathryn Burton MACS-2, IFR DET
Kathryn is a Navy Corpsman with Marine Air Control Squadron 2 out of Cherry Point, NC, near Camp Lejeune.
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Thank you for the packages. I really enjoyed the Power Bar type snacks and the Frisbee disc was cool too. Thank you for supporting us out here - it really means a lot. Semper Fidelis,
L/Cpl Merryman MALS-29, M/A
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 29 (MALS-29) is an aviation logistics support unit of the United States Marine Corps <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Marine_Corps>. Known as the "Wolverines", they are part of Marine Aircraft Group 29 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Aircraft_Group_29 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2nd_Marine_Aircraft_Wing and are currently based at Marine Corps Air Station New River <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Corps_Air_Station_New_River>. We will be visiting this unit in late September.
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3/6 India Company would like to thank you for your support and care packages. We appreciate you keeping us in your thoughts and we also appreciate everything you sent to us. It's things like you have done that really helps us over here. Once again, thank you for everything you are doing for us.
3rd Platoon, I Company, Iraq.
This wasn't signed but we venture to say that this sentiment is shared by everyone who had access to our packages. We have sent a lot to 3rd Bn, 6th Marines and this is another unit that will be home by the time we go to Camp Lejeune.
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You have no idea how much the package is greatly appreciated. Everyone got bored sending me stuff after I couple of months (when I really started to miss home), so getting a package is exactly what I needed! L/Cpl Neveux, 3rd Bn, 6th Marines, Kilo Co, Weapons Platoon.
Sometimes timing is everything. The items in the boxes are almost secondary. It is the impact from receiving a package from complete strangers that leaves a lasting impression. This Lance Corporal's comments prove that.
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Hello,
I'm Sgt Jensvold and I recently recieved your packages. Thank you for your support, it means a great deal to me and my Marines. My lady Marines especially loved the female package. People like you are making a difficult task much more enjoyable through your kindness. Again I appreciate your kindness please continue to show your support and know that because of people like you morale is still high out here regardless of what some will say. Thanks again.
Sgt Aaron Jensvold, USMC
We sent 3 packages to Aaron, figuring that his unit doesn't get much. As you can see, we're probably right.
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John,
A close friend of mine, Dale Bailey, in Upstate New York, asked me if I knew of anyone that could use approximately 100 disposable cameras and the first person I thought was you and your endless efforts for the men and women overseas.
Would you please provide a mailing address to Mrs. Bailey so she knows where she can mail the cameras?
Very Respectfully,
1stLt Terry Fellows
We have received the cameras and they will go out very soon - we're packing more boxes on 30 July. Dale was one of Terry's elementary school teachers. Lt Fellows is in 2nd Bn, 8th Marines and is recovering from a shoulder injury. He has offered to take us around Camp Lejeune and help us find some of the people who have received our packages. Below is a photo of some of his mates - he's on the left.
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Great and always appreciated!!! I wish you well. Semper Fi, Cpl Koole
3/6 Jump Platoon
Reiner asked for a volleyball and it was sent right away.
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Dear John and the Mt. Diablo Detachment,
Received two awesome packages, including the BBQ set. Thank you so very much. We received them the day before we offloaded the ships. We were fully packed but we definitely found room for all of these items. God Bless you all and Semper Fidelis.
1stSgt Mark O'Loughlin, 3rd Bn, 1st Marines, Weapons Company.
We have had the pleasure of knowing Mark since our first visit to Camp Pendleton in 2005, where we were guests of the Thundering Third CO, LtCol Willy Buhl at a Field Mess Night. We were again there to greet them in 2006 when they came home from their second deployment. This is their third and they have been aboard the Bonhomme Richard, as well as being deployed on the ground.
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Greetings and thank you very much for your kindness and generosity to send a care package. We all greatly appreciate your support and you taking the time and expense to send us this package.
Capt E.T. Seifert, USMC, MALS-29 (REIN), MAG 29 (REIN). Semper Fi!
By now you know what all the initials mean. REIN means reinforced and that they have a larger number of troops than normal. It pains us that we can't send more than one package to everyone.
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Sir,
Thank you for your thoughtful and gracious gift to 1/6. I tried to pass out the things you sent to a good spread of Marines. We appreciate your kindness and are grateful for the thoughts and prayers.
Semper Fidelis, Maj Dan Zappa
We sent many, many boxes to 1/6 because they were extended for at least 60 days longer than expected. The Marines can take it, but they have a hard time with it because they know it's tough on their families when their plans to reunite are dashed. 1/6 is another unit we'll visit and they should already be home.
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Hey John,
Everything is much appreciated. The packages were the highlight of our afternoon. The healthy snacks and hygiene items are great. Thanks a lot to you and everyone who helped.
Semper Fi, L/Cpl David J. Haig, 2/5, Weapons Company, MAP4.
p.s. Our Rifle Companies are Golf, Echo, Fox. They would greatly appreciate whatever you send out as much as we did. Their addresses follow.
Thanks again.
David is one of our local Marines and his Dad helped us pack many of those boxes. We have been shipping to those rifle companies sporadically, and in small amounts, due to expense limitations. As you can see, this note, and many of those above, expresses what we were talking about in the first paragraph. Many of you are letting these troops know that you care and you should be proud when you read their responses to your generosity.
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I just wanted to let you know that I received 2 packages from you today (13 May). I quickly passed them out to the Marines, who waste no time in scavenging through the goodies. It's nice to be able to pass stuff along to Marines who don't receive that much mail. I really enjoy reading the newsletter you send out as well. It's funny to see names of other Marines on there that I recognize….makes you realize what a small close Corps this is. We're a Military Police Company under 2nd Marine Logistics Group out of Camp Lejeune, NC. We conduct security patrols and provide convoy escorts in our Area of Operations. The Marines stay very busy with our operational tempo, which helps make the time go by more quickly. We're about 1/3 of the way through our Deployment. Anyhow, I wanted to let you know how much we all truly appreciate your support!!
Semper Fi, 1stLt Anita Genetti, Executive Officer, MP Co, 2nd Maint. Bn (-) (Rein)
Another person we hope to connect with on our trip. Lt Genetti sent another note on a green card in an orange envelope:
I just received 2 more packages from you and they were received with much excitement. We just hit the halfway mark, so it's time to battle the complacency that we try to avoid as the Marines get comfortable with their jobs and are anxious to return to loved ones. The goodies are always a reminder that people back home haven't forgotten them. Thanks for your continued support….you've helped so many deployed Marines that your packages are famous.
Semper Fi, Anita
Our packages are famous…..urrahh!
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GYSGT BARTON HERE. WE JUST BROKE IN THE TOOLS YOU GAVE US FOR BBQ'N. FIGURED THE BEST DAY FOR THAT WOULD BE ON INDEPENDENCE DAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FROM THE WHOLE TEAM. WE HAVE BEEN USING KNIVES AND WOOD TO BBQ WITH, SO IT MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE. WE WERE JUST MISSING THE REAL BEER. WE HAVE THAT NEAR BEER AT LEAST. JUST TALKED TO ONE OF MY GUYS UP WITH TOP DORROUGH AND HE SAID HE WAS HEATIN' UP THE GRILL THERE TOO. THANKS AGAIN SIR AND SEMPER FIDELIS
GySgt Ryan L BartonSenior Enlisted AdvisorMilitary Transition Team 07303rd Brigade 7th Division Iraqi ArmyCamp xxxxxxx, Iraq
We only wish we could be sharing that barbecue with them and bringing cases of "real beer".
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Mr. Wintersteen and the Marine Corps League
On behalf of the Health Service Support Company, I would like to thank you for the support and the gift package that you sent our Company. All the gifts were greatly appreciated and put to good use.
Again, thank you. HMC Graham Marshburn, Senior Enlisted Leader. HSS Co, CLB2
Graham is a Navy Hospitalman. We also sent him some icepacks and if he is going to be there more than a month, we'll ship more.
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Aloha from Iraq,
Thank you for all your support. As you can see, some of our living conditions are not the best but the Marines don't seem to mind - they just make the most of it. No running water, no electricity - no problem. They keep themselves occupied with the little things - scorpions, Camel Spiders, IED's and an occasional insurgent or two. I will share the items with my fellow Marines. The coffee is a hot item. I have been working on an old medical clinic building we have taken over. The tool box is greatly appreciated. Once again, thanks for the support! Semper Fi, 1stSgt K.D. Nessl, 1st Bn, 3rd Marines, Weapons Company.
"The little things" - some tongue-in-cheek there. We read about First Sergeant Nessl's need for tools on a website and just happened to have a tool kit in a neat case, left over from a donation from Accu-Logistics in San Leandro, CA- Blake White, one of our Danville neighbors. We placed a Marine Corps decal on the face of the tool box and hope this added a little bit to the package. He sent a picture of a bleak desert scene with a couple of wind-blown tents and a lonely oil derrick in the background.
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We'll end with this one from Cpl Lee Lavalley, 8th ESB, 2nd MLG.
Good Afternoon,
Thank you so much for the generous package! My Marines and I are loving the goodies that were inside. We appreciated your ongoing support and will be home very soon.
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If you want to show your support to these troops and contribute to Project Marine Care, please make checks payable to:
MCL DET 942
And send to:
John Wintersteen
436 Sycamore Cir.
Danville, CA 94526
(925) 837-7750
Our Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 68-0379040 and our California State Franchise Board Organization Number is 2254883. Our State Charitable Trust number is 120356. The Department of California, Marine Corps League, is a non-profit Corporation under Section 501 (c) (4) of the IRS Code. The Marine Corps League has an exemption that allows donations for our troops to be tax-deductible.
Please pass this on to anyone you believe would like to help our TROOPS IN IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, PHILIPPINES, DJIBOUTI, KUWAIT and anywhere in "harm's way". While most of our packages go to Marines and Navy Corpsmen, we also ship to the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Seabees any time a request comes in for them. If you would like some information on how to send boxes, email me at steenmarine@yahoo.com mailto:steenmarine@yahoo.com and we'll send you a Package Protocol and a list of goods that we update periodically.
Please put "Packages for Troops" or something similar on the Subject line so I'll know it's not "spam".
Thank you and Semper Fidelis,
John Wintersteen - Adjutant - Mt. Diablo Detachment 942, Marine Corps League, Lafayette, CA