Red Cross collecting holiday gifts
for troops in out-of-the-way locations
By Jim Lea, Osan bureau chief
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — The American Red Cross is making sure U.S. troops
assigned to places such as Diego Garcia have happy holidays.
The Red Cross launched a campaign collecting quality-of-life items for troops in
out-of-the-way locations.
"This is something we do every year during the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New
Year holidays," said Laura Fields, assistant Red Cross station manager at Camp
Humphreys. "But it seems a little more important this year with our servicemen and
women deployed to support the war on terrorism.
"There are a lot of people living in tents on Diego Garcia and in other places
where little things like candy, gum, toiletry items, books and videos aren’t
available."
Fields said the group isn’t looking for money, but she hopes collection boxes at
various locations at Pacific bases are filled with items "that make life a little
more enjoyable for our troops."
Fields said individually wrapped hard candy, cookies, shaving cream, disposable razors,
toothpaste and toothbrushes, shower soap or gel, Chapstick and foot powder are some of the
desired items.
Blank greeting cards, music CDs, videos, books and board games also are accepted.
Osan Air Base in South Korea already has collection boxes, and other bases throughout
the peninsula will have them soon.
"The first shipments will be sent to Diego Garcia," Fields said. Shipments
also will go to troops deployed to Kosovo, Bosnia, Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia
and Camp Doha in Kuwait.
For more information people can contact their local Red Cross office, Fields said.
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