Responding to the SOS

Harrison county 4-Hers responded to an S.O.S. put out by Daniel Sargent, creator of Support Our Soldiers, by hosting drive to collect needed items for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Supplies include batteries, crossword puzzles or books, towels, travel-size toiletries, FeBreeze, quart and gallon size zip-lock baggies, T-shirts of all sizes, packed tuna or chicken, single packs of coffee and creamer, canned or dried fruit, Kool-Aid, granola bars, hard candy or snack-sized cookies.

Update: Raised $1200 in donations that paid for 92 boxes!!!
Collected lots of items that filled 38 boxes!!!

Jason Barnes to Sarge

From: Jason Barnes
Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 8:20 AM
To: Sargent, Daniel
Subject: Re: Care Packages

hey there sarge yea i got the packages and thank u it helps alot out here when i get packages from home especially from people i dont know that are behind me thanks for all u have sent and ill try to keep in touch but we are doin good out here hit a couple ieds 3 of our marines have been sent home because of there injuries but ill keep u updated and thank you once again

***********************
From: sarge14624@windstream.net; "Sargent, Daniel"

To: Jason Barnes
Sent: Fri, July 23, 2010 2:44:16 AM
Subject: Care Packages

Hey buddy,
Sgt Murphey sent me your address to receive packages. Have you got them yet??
When you get a chance drop us a line. Thank you for your service.

Live KMHT “Talk of East Texas” Marshall radio station broadcast of SOS....

Sign up and go to 'talk of east texas' to watch video of broadcast

http://www.myeasttexasnews.com/thetalkofeasttexas.htm

105mm Round

Most of you are familiar with regular bullets for pistol or rifle.

This bullets a little larger…

To give you a visual of what is used in IED’s (improvised explosive device) in Iraq and Afghanistan to injury our soldiers.One round is enough to do damage but putting 3-5 together pointing upward in a hole that was dug in a road or beside it is enough to destroy armored hummers.

Weighs 46 lbs

31 inches long

Little over 4” diameter

Normally the black end is the detonator when it hits. For an IED, shell is set off by trigger wire that is inserted in the bottom

Sorority Appreciates Troops

Members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority showed their appreciation for U.S. troops fighting overseas Saturday.

About 16 members of the historically black organization met with Daniel Sargent - a Karnack resident, who heads a local effort aimed at sending care packages to American troops deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The meeting was held in a conference room in the South Building at Texas State Technical College-Marshall.

Loretta J. Thompson Martin, Marshall Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority vice president, said each member of the organization brought an item to be donated to Sargent's cause.

A large table - which stretched across a spacious room - was replete with food, goodies and various other items. Sorority members and Sargent later indulged in a tasty meal.

"I was just floored," said Sargent, when asked about his thoughts on the sorority's donation. "I couldn't believe how much stuff that they donated. I was just glad to get it."

Ms. Martin said the organization decided to donate Sargent the gifts after reading a previous story about Sargent's efforts in the Marshall News Messenger.

"It's just heartwarming," said the Alpha Kappa vice president of the SOS initiative. "I'm just touched that we have made such a generous contribution."

Sargent established the SOS initiative locally about three years ago.

Since then, he's sent thousands of packages overseas, worked with several locals sympathetic to the cause and been asked by several organizations - some as far as Little Rock, Ark., and Georgia - if they can contribute.

He's currently working with Laura Enderle, an organizer in Shreveport, La. The two hope to stage a series of fund-raisers at businesses and stores across the Ark-La-Tex in the near future. Sargent says several local organizations have also joined the cause.

A disability assistance club in Longview has pledged to donate $100 a month for the cost of postage and other items. St. Joseph Catholic Church and Spring House, an adult day care center in Longview, have also contributed.

Following the popularity of SOS, Sargent has also been asked to make appearances on behalf of the initiative, including at a number of churches and organizations. Sargent says he hopes to launch his Web site (SOS-supportoursoldiers.org) soon.

The site will enable visitors to donate, see pictures, read e-mails and interact with soldiers overseas.
For now, interested donors may visit http://sos-supportoursoldiers.blogspot.com/.

Sargent said such items as canned meats, snack items, socks, underwear, T-shirts and cosmetic products have been sent.
"There are soldiers over there and they're not forgotten," said Sargent. "We still care about them."
For more information on the initiative or to make a donation, contact Daniel Sargent at 903-578-1533, e-mail desargent@sbec.com or go to http://sos-supportoursoldiers.blogspot.com/

Posted: Sunday, June 6, 2010 1:13 am

Updated: 1:16 am, Sun Jun 6, 2010.
http://www.marshallnewsmessenger.com/news/article_fef34eb2-7132-11df-8bdd-001cc4c002e0.html