Desert Messenger

36 www.DesertMessenger.com January 20, 2016 Antiques • Collectibles • Teacups & Teddy Bears See's Candy Fundraiser for GFWC in season 455 E. Main St. Quartzsite Open Tues. thru Sat. 9-3 928-927-4223 The Smoke Shop Summer Residents & Visitors Thanks for Your Continued Support! WELCOME BACK WINTER RESIDENTS & VISITORS! WINTER Hours - Oct. 1 st - April 30 th Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm Saturday & Sunday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Located at the Gateway to Glacier National Park, Montana 103 Hwy. 2 East, Columbia Falls, MT 1-888-401-7268 www.ColumbiaFallsRVPark.com A Full Service Destination RV Park We Are the Only RV Park Within City Limits of Columbia Falls! Operation Hero Comfort (OHC) honored by adopted troop unit in Pakistan by Joanne Winer In 2007, when I sponsored the Traveling Vietnam Wall to Quartzsite and was over at the VFW talking to them about help- ing, I had the privilege of meeting Doc and Anita Carlson, who im- mediately volunteered to help with the event every day. We became fast friends, and at the time they were fairly new to Quartzsite and had just started Operation Hero Comfort as a non-profit organiza- tion whose mission was to send care packages to the troops who are in harm's way. They had been doing it for many years on their own, both in Minnesota where they came from, and for a time in Quartzsite before they decided to create the non-profit to help them. After meeting them, I joined as a volunteer, and have been doing it ever since. When Doc passed away, she kept it going, and now we are in a warehouse (her porch had become too small.) We have been sending packages every two weeks all year long, with extra packages going out during holiday times. We now do a Silent Auction as a fundraiser every December, and still count on donations for items for the boxes and postage. We recently were up to 10 units, but now are down to 9 since one unit came home. Another of our units just sent us a wonderful Operation Hero Comfort honored gift of a flag and certificate. The flag was flown over the American Embassy. The certificate is very special--it reads-- "Be it known by all, this flag was flown in the face of the enemy, illuminated in the dark by the light of justice, and bears witness to the removal of terrorist forces threaten- ing the freedom of the United States of America. It was flown with great honor and pride over our nation's Embassy, where each day Ameri- cans fight the Global War on Ter- rorism in remembrance of all who lost their lives.-- Flown on May 5th, 2015 over the United States Embas- sy , Islamabad, Pakistan in honor of Anita Carlson" and was signed and certified by several officers. It also has a map of where they are located in the middle, and a quote from John F. Kennedy at the bottom. We are so proud to have been honored in this way, and it makes us feel good to know that all the hard work we do to get these packages out (40 per month sometimes). Our brave men and women who are serving our country deserve to be supported in every way pos- sible, while they are over in harm's way, and treated with respect for what they are doing in the name of freedom. They especially need to have support when they return home, and more so if they get injured in any way. We at Opera- tion Hero Comfort thank everyone for their support of our efforts, and will continue to do as much as we can as long as we are needed. We feel blessed that our troop units appreciate our efforts, and really pray for their safety until they come home again. DEADLINE : WED. JAN. 27 TH for the feb 3 edition Desert Messenger News Email: editor@DesertMessenger.com 928-916-4235 www.DesertMessenger.com

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