At the end of last year into this year, we collected many items that were subsequently shipped to our troops in Iraq. Recently I received this letter of thanks on behalf of our Lodge for our generosity. Also enclosed was a CD and a Flag. This Flag will be displayed in our Lodge for our members. If you would like a copy of the CD, just let me know. Please enjoy the letter and keep all of our Troops in your hearts and prayers.
Sincerely, Ken
Dear Mr. Schulte,
I would like to thank you and the members of the Hamilton Elks Lodge #2262 for supporting the troops. The care packages were distributed to various soldiers performing many different missions. I distributed several boxes to troops that were able to give me a ride from Balad, Iraq to Nasiriyah when the flights were canceled during the Easter holiday. My only choice was to travel south in a gun truck. Two soldiers I was traveling with had returned from Baghdad and had been north already for 5 days. I was able to show my gratitude from the care packages you provided, in addition to several cases of Gatorade. The CD I provided has the trip up North for that mission. It also has other missions that we conduct. They include Humanitarian support to the locals outside our Base Camp, providing generators for the local sheik that provides my camp with water from the Euphrates River and towards the end I was part of a recovery mission to return a vehicle from the outskirts of Baghdad that hit an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) that killed the passenger who is assigned to our base camp performing a mission in a hostile area. This soldier was from Alabama National Guard, scheduled to leave in two months.
The flag I enclosed traveled with me on this recovery mission. As an honor to our fallen comrade, please fly it proudly on special occasions. The area that this vehicle was hit in also had some more bombs go off the next day. My convoy also was delayed on 2 occasions for the same reason, so this flag had experienced a pucker factor, no less. I would have preferred presenting this flag personally to you; however, I would like you to have it prior to Flag Day on June 14th. Again, thank you very much for supporting us over here.
Sincerely,
SFC Kenneth P. Ashley
Detachment Sergeant
HHD 119th CSB
NJ Army National Guard
Camp Cedar II, Iraq