Company to Fuel Troops' Holiday Visit
Tulsa World November 26, 2007
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Fuel for the 60 buses carrying Oklahoma's 45th Infantry Brigade home for the holidays will be donated by Love's Travel Stops and Country Stores, company Chairman Tom Love announced Wednesday.
The more than 2,600 members of the 45th Infantry Brigade are training at Fort Bliss, Texas, for a January deployment to Iraq. They have 10 days of leave from Dec. 23 to Jan 2.
"Love's is an Oklahoma company and proud of it," Love said. "We're delighted to be able to do this."
He estimated that the soldiers' round trip total would be just less than 2,000 miles.
Gov. Brad Henry announced Operation Holiday Homecoming earlier this month, asking Oklahomans to donate the $600,000 needed to pay for 60 buses and meals during the trip.
Department of Defense regulations preclude the Army from paying for the Soldiers' trip home while on leave.
Maj. Gen. Harry M. "Bud" Wyatt III, Oklahoma's adjutant general, said the gift from Love's would "make 2,600 Oklahoma Soldiers, and a lot more Oklahoma citizens, very happy."
"It is a huge expense to get back home," he said, adding that the program is likely the only way many soldiers can come home for the holi days.
Wyatt said the buses would take the Soldiers to Oklahoma City, Tulsa or McAlester. The buses will also return the soldiers to Texas.
Michael Taylor, the state commander of the American Legion, which is sponsoring the effort, said, "It's incredible knowing we're going to be able to pull into Love's and gas up and be on our way down the road."
Approximately $100,000 has been raised, and several buses have been supplied for the trip, he said. However, donations are still needed.
Phil Bacharach, a spokesman for Henry, said the governor was "very grateful" for Love's donation.
"It's a generous gift, and it's going to go a long way toward ensuring members of the 45th are going to be able to spend the holidays with their loved ones," he said.
Love's, founded in 1964 in Watonga, Love's, founded in 1964 in Watonga, has more than 200 stores in 30 states. It is based in Oklahoma City.
copied from Military.com
***REMEMBER TO TRY AND SUPPORT THE COMPANIES THAT SUPPORT THE TROOPS!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Here is a song for the troops:
The author of I Wanna Go Home, Karridine, has authorized me to give away 100,000 free copies of the song to our men and women in the military for personal use only. However, recipients of a free copy can let anybody listen to it if they want. Members of the military can put it on their i-pod, use it on their computer, or make one CD.
You can find out how to get a free copy at 100,000 Free Copies.
If you want a copy for review e-mail me. My e-mail address is on the sidebar.
Post a Comment