Linda Ferrara, far left, and her friends display some of the blankets they made for troops recovering at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. (Photo courtesy of Linda Ferrara)
Linda Ferrara, far left, and her friends display some of the blankets they made for troops recovering at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. (Photo courtesy of Linda Ferrara)
The Ferrara family poses at the grave of Capt. Matthew Ferrara at the West Point cemetery in New York. From left are mother Linda, father Mario, brother 2nd Lt. Damon Ferrara, brother Maj. Marcus Ferrara, brother West Point cadet Andrew Ferrara, sister Simone Carmichael holding niece Kaitlyn, and brother-in-law Pete Carmichael. (Photo courtesy of MaryAnn Phillips)
Capt. Matthew Charles Ferrara ()
Last month’s theft of nearly $8,000 of donated items for wounded troops turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the mother of a fallen servicemember.
The improbable tale resulted only because of the unlikely combination of a soldier’s death in Afghanistan, a robbery in southern California and a blog run by an American living in Germany.
The events, spanning three continents, will bring about the donation of some $30,000 and dozens of boxes of goods for the wounded recovering at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. On Monday, Linda Ferrara — the mother of the late Vicenza, Italy-based Capt. Matthew Ferrara — will visit Landstuhl to thank troops and hand out the donated items.
The events leading to Ferrara’s upcoming visit began in eastern Afghanistan in November 2007. On Nov. 9 in Aranus, then-1st Lt. Matthew Ferrara was one of five 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment soldiers killed in an ambush.
Then, in January 2008, MaryAnn Phillips with Soldiers’ Angels — a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting U.S. troops — reposted on her blog a video clip of an Army helicopter removing Ferrara’s remains from the battlefield. The clip can be seen at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVYgsYiE2yU.
The video was posted by a soldier serving in Afghanistan. But not until the four-minute clip appeared on Phillips’ blog with the names of the troops who died in the fight did Ferrara’s parents become aware that the video existed. Linda Ferrara of Torrance, Calif., contacted Phillips via e-mail, and the two formed a friendship.
Later that year when 11 wounded soldiers in her son’s unit were recovering at Landstuhl, Linda Ferrara decided she needed to do something. At Phillips’ suggestion, Linda Ferrara started making patriotic-themed blankets that are popular with the wounded at Landstuhl. Ferrara would auction blankets to get money for the supplies to make even more blankets.
That Linda Ferrara reached out to the military is not unexpected.
The Ferrara family has a long tradition of military service. Three of the four Ferrara sons, including Matthew, either attended or are attending the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. The fourth son is also serving in the Army. Their grandfather, Mario, served in the Navy during World War II and in Korea, earning a Silver Star.
Linda Ferrara eventually collected about $8,000 worth of blankets, sweat pants, socks, etc., and the items were loaded into an RV that was parked outside her family’s bakery in Compton, Calif.
But in early December, thieves broke into the camper and stole nearly everything days before Ferrara was going to send the donations to Landstuhl. The robbers even shredded letters grateful Americans had written to the wounded soldiers.
Linda Ferrara and Phillips were distraught. "We were both devastated when it happened," Phillips said. "After the initial shock wore off, we both believed something good would come of it, and something good did happen because people are great."
The robbery turned out to be "a blessing in disguise," Linda Ferrara said.
After a few days, Linda Ferrara contacted a reporter. A news story appeared, outlining the robbery. More news outlets picked up the story, and it gained wide attention.
In the aftermath, Linda Ferrara has been flooded with donations from across the U.S. About $30,000 in cash and enough items (clothing and the sort) to fill around four dozen, 35-pound boxes has poured in. She’s received touching letters from strangers, sharing their thoughts on and gratitude for the U.S. military. Linda Ferrara is particularly glad that the story has increased the awareness among the American public of what the troops downrange experience.
"Actually, it’s something that you couldn’t have planned more successfully — not that you’d want to repeat what happened," Linda Ferrara said. "I definitely felt that somebody else directed this and some plan was in motion."
Phillips stressed that troops at Landstuhl have everything they need, but the donations offer them something else.
"The items are a vehicle for people to express their support," she said. "It’s not about items; it’s about love."
