By Staff
Give Gathering of Eagles and the Beaufort County Republican Party a well-deserved salute.
Gathering of Eagles, an organization of military veterans and troop supporters, has established a DVD collection point at the Beaufort County GOP headquarters next to Bill’s Hot Dogs on Gladden Street in Washington. Residents from anywhere in the United States are being encouraged to send movies in the DVD format to that collection site. When enough new or used DVDs have been collected, Gathering of Eagles will donate them to lending libraries the U.S. military has set up to serve American servicemen and servicewomen in Iraq and Afghanistan.
That’s an extremely worthwhile project. Area residents, churches, civic groups and others should become involved with this project. Since the War on Terror began, accounts of Americans sending “care packages” of certain types of food, baby wipes and letters of encouragement have been fairly common place. It’s wonderful to see that so many Americans care about doing what they can to make life a bit easier for U.S. military serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This project of collecting then sending DVDs to soldiers, airmen, sailors, Coasties and Marines in harm’s way adds a new chapter in the efforts to bring a taste of home to them in lands that often remind them they are not at home.
Del Stutzman is overseeing the collection process, which includes accepting monetary donations to buy DVD players to ship overseas with the DVDs. Stutzman, a Republican, has issued a friendly challenge to Democrats, pointing out that the project is not a partisan one.
The act of giving, not the gift, will make a deep impression.
For those U.S. servicemen and servicewomen who won’t be coming home in the near future, sending a piece of home to them is the least Americans — whether they support the war or not — can do. Debate whether the war is justified or not, but when it comes to supporting U.S. troops, there is no debate. They not only deserve our support, they require our support.
There’s no doubt that being able to view a DVD sent from someone in the United States will mean something to the American military personnel who view that DVD. They will appreciate those DVDS. But what they will appreciate even more is knowing that people back home do care for them and think about them.
Project organizers want to have the DVDs on their way overseas by May 6, which just happens to be the day North Carolina holds its presidential primary. There’s something appealing about shipping off those DVDs to U.S. military personnel on a day when American citizens in North Carolina get to vote while American forces are fighting people who are enemies of democracy.
To borrow a phrase, Uncle Sam wants you … to help send DVDs to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Editor’s note? Anyone interested in donating DVDs — new or used — and/or money for the project may drop them off at the Beaufort County Republican Party headquarters located next to Bill’s Hot Dogs on Gladden Street in Washington. For more information, call (252) 946-9142.