Ruby Tuesday Tuesday 03-09-2010

I got another inspirational email from Julie DeMaria at Operation Care and Comfort following our "Support The Troops" night at the Shark Tank last Saturday night. They collected $10,500! That's really gonna help.

In a related story, here's the email I received from Julie today. I think it says it all:

Dear San Jose Sharks and Greg Kihn,
I just received this and have the biggest lump in my throat, and tears in my eyes. I think that even I did not understand how much our efforts mean to those we serve- our troops. This email is from Sgt Abell- the soldier who rode the zamboni. He told me beforehand, that he did not feel that he was worthy of this honor because so many more had sacrificed more, but he agreed to ride the zamboni so he did not disappoint his Commander. I wanted to share it with you. Thanks for this wonderful opportunity to "welcome home" one of our wounded warriors. Thanks, too, for encouraging folks to donate tickets to us, allowing us to collect money, etc. I look forward to being able to present the gift from our troops to the San Jose Sharks soon.

Julie
OCC

PS: OCC folks- look what you all did! :-)

Thank you Julie for everything you do for our Troops!! >From the truest place of every families heart that you touch daily. Here is a biggest reward in all this: “A Soldiers thank you”

Read below and take it all in.

Ms. Sharron J. Finley

7th PSYOP Group

Ms. Finley,
I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for everything you did for me with the Zamboni ride. I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined I would have received the "Welcome Home" I had always wanted, but missed. Because of my injuries and being MEDEVAC'd, I came home after everyone else did and therefore missed all of the fanfare, there wasn't even anyone from the unit at the airport with Jessica when I flew in.

Anyways, the Zamboni ride gave me the "welcome home" that perhaps deep down inside I needed to get some closure on this deployment. Although you may not understand the psychology behind all of this or why it was such a big deal for me, I wanted everyone involved to know just how meaningful it turned out to be. I had no concept going in to this that the experience would be so powerful and moving.

Thank you all so very much! Please feel free to pass my thanks (or this email) along to all of those involved, including Julie and my Commander. I have a video of this posted on my Facebook if you have access to it.

Thanks again,

Tom

Tomorrow is another day. I'll see ya then! Don't do anything I wouldn't do. And support the troops, OK? They appreciate it when you do. I'm bringing in another load of troop stuff tomorrow for Julie to pick up. If you want to drop off any items for the troops, feel free to leave it here at the station (during business hours) and our receptionist will make sure I get it, and of course, I will turn it all over to Julie to be mailed to our soldiers all over the world just as soon as possible.