Yesterday we spent part of the afternoon on a service project for Boy Scouts.
I have to say, it was probably my favorite one so far.
Have you ever ordered popcorn from a local Scout? Have you ever checked the box to donate popcorn to a soldier? We handed (some of) those boxes out yesterday!
One small handful of local Scouts.
And around 900 boxes of popcorn.
The soldiers were at a Minneapolis hotel for their 60-day reintegration training. You know what that is for, right? It’s to help them readjust to society after enduring the physical & emotional trials of war.
In other words, they need our support.
I have a profound respect for the military and found myself getting giddy—quite literally—around such a large number of soldiers. I wanted to alternately hug them, kiss them, and thank them profusely…
…but I didn’t.
These folks know how to use a gun. I didn’t wish to annoy them.
I did take a few pictures, however.
I couldn’t help myself.
Still, I would have taken a hundred more pictures if I could have, each one telling a story as unique and beautiful as the soldier behind it.
But I didn’t. Instead, I held in my heart a prayer for all of them—a prayer of thanksgiving, and a prayer for healing—that they may know the good they’ve done for this country, and that they may know the peace of reentry.
May God bless this great country of ours.
I say that in all earnestness.
Reintegration. It's a bit of a bumpy road ahead of them, but at least they are home safe.
I feel the same way each time I see the soldier back home with family which I see often as we are military.
Great pictures, Maggie. I will never get tired of seeing soldiers come home and it's a constant experience I get.
Very nice….our family has a box which came home to us last eve. We were all excited to get it and my husband was quite honored to receive it!
The military very much respects scouting and it's an honor to have these young men attend any military event. (Did you know an Eagle Scout enters into the military having already earned 2 stripes because of that Eagle rank?)
http://www.bsalegal.org/downloads/bsa_military_tribute.swf)
Thanks for such a nice post. Deployment is very difficult and reintegration is not easy either. As you know, not all of our Minnesota soldiers are coming home. Not easy at all….
Trying the link again just because I think it's important for your young man to know just how much
those soldiers appreciated
him!
(Hope it works this time!)
http://www.bsalegal.org/tribute-to-the-military-293.asp
Beautiful post. I have a lot of friends in the gaurd and the marines so this meant a lot to me. Plus, I LOVE the boy scouts. 🙂
Blessings!
Hannah
ps. It's been crazy cold here in the U.P. too. High today was 58. Yesterday was in the 40's.
I am a military wife– thank YOU, Margaret!
I'm also a military wife (GO NAVY!!) . . . being close to those who go into harms way to protect us (land, air, sea . . . ) I know how much they appreciate being told "thank you". God bless the Boy Scouts and God Bless America.
I am usually a lurker, but I couldn't resist posting this time. I am not from a military family, but I also feel the desire to thank, hug, and praise anyone in the military when I see them. I really appreciate their service for us, and those they help in other countries. My DD is so cute, whenever we are traveling she always asks if she can thank some of the military she sees in the airports. I hope others do the same.
Teresa
My son is currently in boot camp and his wife is living with us – expectant with their first baby – due in a few weeks. He will not meet his son until Christmas unless we can go to Fort Knox to get the baby baptized. He expects to be deployed to Afghanistan.
Most of those soldiers look so sad that the pictures are hard to look at…
Thank you for sharing.
Blessings
Christi
This is absolutely the best part of tending bar on base, I love being able to give the sailors a cold beer and a smile, chat awhile, send them out to sink their toes in the sand on the beach and just *chill*
They deserve it. 🙂
just wanted to say how much things like this mean to soldiers and their families. My brother is on his 3rd (yes, 3rd) tour in Iraq and my dad is retired Capt. from the army injured in Viet Nam. Soldiers need the prayers and support, and their families need to know that the sacrifices they all make are valuable.
This post made me cry. Beautiful.
I can't wait until my brother is back in Minnesota and sitting in a group like that one. It seems like such a long time to wait.
Thanks, Margaret, from another mil wife who appreciates it when others appreciate soldiers.
I read the blog of a homeschool mom at my church whose husband just returned from Afghanistan. I saw him at church last Sunday and went up to him after Mass. His wife wasn't there to introduce us, so I said, "You don't know me, but I just wanted to say, welcome home." HE hugged ME. Next time, don't be shy, Margaret. They'll love it!
We live in a very military town. Home to Lackland AFB (all Air Force basic training-they graduate a new class EVERY Friday), Ft Sam Houston, Brooks Army Medical Center and Center for the Intrepid (rehab facility for amputees and burn victims) and Randolph AFB (pilot and navigator training). I feel very fortunate to have the examples of these men and women and their service and sacrfice and sadly, all too often the ultimate sacrifice. THankfully, in this town it isn't unusual at all for people to randomly walk up to a soldier or airman and shake their hand and thank them for their service. Like you, I often just want to hug these people, especially the kids, and so many are just…. kids.
I do take the moment, when we are on base at a concert listening to the Star Spangled Banner or off base and see a young trainee with his mom and dad or an amputee with his wife and child to say a prayer, give a smile and more than once shed a quiet tear.
We don't do Boy Scouts, we are a Civil Air Patrol family, a matter of fact ds is about to get his Billy Mitchell award/2nd Lt. (considered equivalent to Eagle Scout by the USAFA). he is at the Nat'l CAP Conference right now. He was quite the sight this morning going out in his Class A's. 😀
I've been looking forward to Thanksgiving when I get to spoil a couple trainees( http://www.lackland.af.mil/homecook/index.asp ) and thanks to this post I'm looking forward to it even more.
some posted photos at my blog:
ninetexans.blogspot.com