Townhall of Fame

Honoring the Leaders Among Us

Soldiers Angels tries to provide comfort to troops, whether its through letters, packages, or even bigger gifts like voice-controlled laptops for the recovering wounded. (Photo courtesy of Soldiers Angels)

Halos and Heroes

By Leah Barkoukis

A military moms project to help her deployed son launched a massive volunteer effort to show U.S. troops how much theyre appreciated.
When Soldiers Angels founder Patti Patton-Bader received word that her eldest son Brandon was deploying to Iraq in 2003, she was scared. Looking for comfort, Patton-Bader turned to her father, a retired lieutenant colonel who served in Vietnam and Korea. The advice he gave was simple but would have a lasting impact: send packages, and lots of them. So she did, for 40 days straight. When she nally spoke to Brandon, she assumed he would have plenty of suppliesbut that wasnt the case. You and a couple of the wives are the only people sending things, and Im sharing, so we have nothing, Patton-Bader recalls Brandon telling her.

After hanging up with her son that day, her new mission was clear. Embodying the maxim, May no soldier go unloved, Soldiers Angels was borna nonprot dedicated to providing aid and comfort to men and women in the U.S. Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, Coast Guard, veterans and their families. Since its inception in 2003, more than 400,000 volunteers have taken part in the dozens of programs aimed at helping the deployed, wounded, veterans and families. Its like stone soup, Patton-Bader tells Townhall. Everybody just does what they can. No more, no less. Soldiers Angels is made up of dozens of programs that cater to volunteers interests, hobbies and nancial and time constraints. The programs include letter writing, which puts out 20,000 letters a month, adopting soldiers, baking, K-9 support, blanket making, sending electronics to the wounded, taking care of the families of the fallen and more. The military gives that deployed person everything they need to survive. Were trying to give them that little bit of comfort, Patton-Bader says. A letter from a stranger, foot powder or beef jerky may not seem all that special to the average person, but

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Soldiers Angels allows deployed troops to experience a little taste of home. Around Christmas, the group sends out roughly 100,000 packages to troops serving abroad. (Photos courtesy of Soldiers Angels)

to the troops, such items can make a world of difference, boost morale and even help them do their jobs better. You know, these little ripples of kindness turn into oceans of greatness, Patton-Bader says. What were trying to do is bring home some healthy soldiers, because they have people who believe in them. Even when soldiers come home wounded, Angels are there to help the healing process. Voice-controlled laptops and Wiis are especially hot items in Project Valour-IT. These electronics have also proven invaluable in recovery for not just the wounded but nurses, doctors and family members who stand by their side. A nurse called Patton-Bader and told her, Youre not gonna believe this, but those big, bad boys that you gave me the laptops for just asked to have their pain meds reduced so they could focus on their laptops. Its the little things that start the healing, Patton-Brader says. Mothers sign their sons up, wives sigh up their husbands, friends sign up their friends, and, if there are a lot of green recruits, sometimes commanders will sign their whole roster up. Even mail carriers may ask Soldiers Angels to step in if someone always checks for mail but never receives any. Whenever and wherever there is a need, Angels always rise to the occasion. They dont do it for the thanks, either. We do it because we honestly and truly believe in the bravery of these young men and women who are doing this, PattonBrader says. The Angels are thanked, thoughprofusely. The Soldiers Angels website, soldiersangels.org, is lled with laudatory testimonials, but one story about how the organization has made an impact particularly stands out to Patton-Bader. It was a letter from a senior leader. I got it Christmas morning, Patton-Bader begins the story. She said, We were here in the chapel on Christmas Eve [in Afghanistan], we havent had any supplies because we were in such a remote place for eight weeks.

And it was quarter to 12, and we were singing. Patton-Bader begins to cry as she recounts the rest of the letter. All of a sudden we heard the helicopters and in came packages and packages lled with love and supplies and foodI mean every single one from Soldiers Angels, Patton-Brader recalls. Remembering that letter, she says, I could have stopped doing it then and felt pleasedto know that [Soldiers Angels] made such an impact at such a time when they [were] thinking, Here we are, all alone, singing Christmas songs. Fortunately, she didnt stop, and Soldiers Angels carries on today. During the Christmas holiday, Soldiers Angels sends roughly 100,000 packages to deployed troops, letting them know theyre not forgotten. Patton-Bader explains that when President Obama came out and said hes bringing the troops home, many people thought the war was over, but she warns against this mindset. On top of the fallen heroes, the wounded, the troops still deployed, We cant forget it will take a nation to heal this war, she says. With the drawdown, Soldiers Angels efforts will focus on the veterans to address, for example, suicide rates, which, according to The New York Times, have drastically increased among military personnel and combat veterans since 2005. If we do it [work with veterans], we wont have a world full of Vietnam vets, well have a world full of veterans who have hope, Patton-Bader says. She urges people to take part in whatever way they can to help military men and women: Let them know theyre not forgotten. We believe in them, and were gonna be here when they get home to continue to help them.

Leah Barkoukis is a web editor at Townhall.com

September 2012 TOWNHALL

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