Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Wounded Warrior Program

I just received an email from a good friend yesterday that I thought I should share with the rest of the world.  I hope that he does not mind that I am going to share it but he knows me well enough to know I just do not give a shit what he thinks.  I know it is a little bit of a long read but I feel it is much worth it so here it is.

John buddy,

 

My wife, Rose, and daughter, Heather, are going to Germany later this month and while there they will volunteer for a few days at the USO visiting wounded troops in the US Army hospital. Rose is a retired Army Command Sergeant Major and still feels a connection with the troops. With the extra troops going to Afghanistan, there will be more wounded going through Germany on their way home.

 

Quite a few of these solders arrive in Germany with little or no extra clothing as they are coming right out of a field hospital in Afghanistan. We are putting together a ditty bag with a sweatshirt and tee shirt for the wounded troops. The bag will also act as a carrying case for any other items that they receive while at the hospital.

With Rose leading the way, we at Pete’s Sport Shop, with help from the folks at the post office and some other groups, put together similar bags a few years ago during the roughest part of the war in Iraq. We mailed about 150-200 bags that had a sweatshirt, tee shirt, sweatpants, socks and some toiletry items donated by Longs drug store. We heard from the chaplains office and even from a few of the recipients thanking us for the bags. It made it easy for the soldiers who could not get around very well to just pick up a bag with the items inside.

This packet will have at least a tee shirt and a sweatshirt. My wife will take about 10 sets with her and the rest we will mail to the USO.

 

If you are interested in sponsoring a packet, we will screen print your company name or personal name on the back of the sweatshirt. You may include your mailing address or email address, in case the recipient wants to send you a thank you note. Each packet will cost about $10 for the items and shipping costs. I can fit about 25-30 names on the back of the sweatshirt.

 

I plan to print and ship the packs next week. With any luck they may arrive by the time my wife arrives in Germany. If not I am sure that the USO will make sure that they get to the solders that need them.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. If you wish to donate, please send a check made out to Pete’s Sport Shop.

 

Thanks,

Paul sends

 

I just feel that this letter has to get out to more people and that is why I have included it in my blog.  Just so everyone knows I have already purchased 10 bags for the wounded soldiers.  I guess the whole point of this blog is to say if anyone feels like they should or need to do something for the wounded troops coming home this is a great way to get it done.  If anyone would like to help you can contact me and I will make sure that it gets to the troops.  Just so you know everything that is collected from us the public gets to the troops.

Posted via email from jbmendoza's posterous

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Crime TV

To start off I should let you know that I am a huge fan of crime television such as Investigation Discovery Channel and Crime and Investigation Channel.  Those channels have to be my favorite and I could watch them both all day long and it drives my wife crazy but I do not care this stuff can be so amazing how they solve crimes.  These shows also help me to realize, that even in today's society, the types of sick mother fuckers that move around us every day.  I am currently watching a show about a serial killer that confessed to all of these murders but with one problem, someone else was already convicted for one of those murders.  So that got me thinking about how many people are serving time for crimes that they have never committed.  Now my mind is really going in all directions because are any of us really innocent, I know, I break the law everyday when I drive to work by speeding or not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign and maybe by keeping that dollar that I was accidentally given back as change.  Then there are the crimes that maybe we do not consider as crimes but should be, like when you see a weaker person being verbally or even physically assaulted but we decide that's none of our business so we should just stay out of it.  It reminds me of something that happened the other day in the grocery store, I was behind a young couple and this guy was acting like he was going to punch the girl that was with him.  Over and over she told him to stop but he was just some young kid that was thinking he was tough, but I just told myself stay out of it, this is none of my business.  I also noticed that my blood had started to boil and it was time to say something but as my breaking point was reached they walked in the opposite direction than I was.  So now lets take this further and hypothetically this young person decides to act on his aggression by beating this poor girl to death am I just as guilty for her death because I did not try to put a stop to it in the store.  Just so you know I was not the only one that noticed this and chose to ignore it, there was at least 10 people that looked and then looked away.  Have we become a society that says as long as it is not happening to me then it is not happening at all.  Well hell I do not have the answers I guess just read and think what can I do in my daily life to help others around me.  Well I think I have decided to blog once again so watch out world this sick mind of mine has a lot to say.

Posted via email from jbmendoza's posterous