God Bless Scott Smith and Family

As I blogged about the soccer games last night, an email from Amy Hahnel popped up where she forwarded a request from Michelle Smith about donations the SK soccer teams are trying to put together for her husband, Scott Smith, who is the dad of SK soccer player Tyler Smith who is currently stationed in Iraq.

While reading the email, I was touched. Not just because some Soccer Moms got together with a great idea to support one of our own. I was touched because on this September 11th , Tyler Smith’s dad is on the other side of the continent to help promote democracy for the world. I felt touched with an almost a sense of guilt because I am in Kenton County, Kentucky going from Holmes watching Caitlyn to play in a soccer game; to Pioneer Park to help with Rachael’s practice; to SK to watch the second half of a boys game while I am now in my Atwood, Kentucky home playing with my electronic gizmos while watching the media rip on a lady running for Vice President. On the other hand, Tyler Smith’s dad and Michelle Smith’s husband, is doing who knows what, like so many other US soldiers in decades gone by, to do a job handed down by our country’s leaders. Whether you are a proponent or not of this conflict, the bottom line is our military personnel are there by the direction of our leaders and are doing a job for our country.

And what does Michelle Smith ask we do? Send Grippos, Hussman Potato Chips, sunglasses and basic essentials to her husband and his unit. She also told me via email that the “soldiers love getting letters, cards, postcards from back in the states. It makes their job over there a little easier to know that people back here care about what they are doing and why they are there whether they agree with the war or not.”

Here’s an email Michelle sent this morning: “I will be bringing a small poster tomorrow to the game with a picture of my husband in uniform so everyone can see who they are doing this for but I will also be bringing a blank poster and markers that will have BOCATS on it. That is the unit my husband is in. It would be nice for the kids to sign their names, write a message and/or add a picture so that we can send it over also. The guys really love getting that kind of stuff and there really are not that many of them where he works because it is a special detail unit.

Also since there will probably be more than one care package it would be nice to make one out just to the BOCATS because some of them don't get anything from back home and depending on how much we collect I can always get other units addresses to send packages to.

Thanks again for the support from everyone. My family as I'm sure the other guys will appreciate your thoughts and the time you are taking to do this for us and them.

Think about that, some of the soldiers are there and don’t get anything from home. Let’s show the Smith Family and the rest of the Bobcats how much the Independence Community cares about what they are doing for us. Even if you don’t go to the game, feel free to stop by and drop off something on the list below.

Here’s a picture of Scott Smith. When you see a member of the Smith Family, thank them for their service to us and God Bless Them.

Marc Figgins 9/12/08