Posted by
Dean D. on Friday, December 12, 2008 1:00:38 AM
Sometimes with all the bad things happening in our country a person gets discouraged with the direction our country is heading. You begin to wonder if anyone around you really cares about the important things that make our country the great place we live in. So many people have become apathetic or self absorbed. Then, out of the blue, a small conversation can brighten up your outlook and make you believe there is still hope for us all.
The other day at work we were having some issues with one of our computers. We called our IT department and "Jeff" came up to fix the problem. As usual, we laugh and joke, but eventually our conversation hits on politics or current events. I don't recall exactly how the topic came up but I mentioned that my Brother-in-law had recently been sent to Iraq with the 1st Div. (the Big Red One) and was now stationed at an FOB (Forward Operating Base) near Bahgdad.
Jeff said to me: "
Please extend my personal thank you and prayers to your Brother–in–law and his comrades".
Jeff then asked me: "
Does your Brother-in-law have the 'helmet upgrade kit' ?"
Now, I was a zoomie and that was way back in the late 70's. Back then they were still issuing us WWII steel pots and Vietnam era flak jackets. I was not aware of the helmet upgrade kits he was referring to. It turns out he was referring to a kit made by
Oregon Aero, which improves comfort and more importantly, ballistic protection for the wearer. I asked Jeff where he had heard of this upgrade kit?
Jeff said: "
I saw it on Glen Beck's website"
I told Jeff I would do some research and find out if my Brother-in-law had the upgrade kit or not.
Jeff said: "
If he doesn't have the kit you let me know. I will take up a collection and we will get him one."
These kits are not cheap at $250.00 each.
I gotta tell you, my eyes misted a bit and I got a big old lump in my throat right then and there. This man does not know my Brother-in-law from Adam and he is making a huge offer purely out of his sense of patriotism. My faith in my fellow citizens rose that instant by 200 percent. Lord God, Americans are the best people on this planet. Such unselfish sacrifice is so rarely seen or talked about in our country today that I felt I needed to share it with you all.
I have emailed my Brother-in-law asking him if he has the upgrade but have not recieved a reply from him yet. He said in an earlier email that they only have 5 computers available for sending and recieving emails which are shared by 1300 GI's. He has a very limited and short time window to use one. When I get an answer from him I will be ordering him one of these kits if he does not already have one.
I am still researching these kits. From what I have gathered, the DoD opted for a lesser product for the issue helmets due to the cost of the Oregon Aero kit. That does not surprise me in the least.
If any of you are looking for a worthy cause that supports our troops you might want to check out
Operation Helmet. These incredible patriots take donations to buy the upgrade kits for those troops who cannot afford to buy them. Of all the causes I know of this one may hold the potential for YOU to actually have a part in saving some GI's life.
God Bless our Troops and our quiet Patriots here at home!