Venables, VFW team up to cheer soldiers
By Holly Heller
Managing Editor
BREMEN � Imagine being half a world away from all that is familiar, all that is comfortable. Now, imagine you live in the middle of the desert, amidst a war that you will have to help battle.
Wouldn�t a taste of home be nice?
Mike and Tammy Venable of Bremen think so, and they are putting out a call for help from the community.
�A friend of ours is over there,� Tammy said. �We talked to him and he sounded like it was so terrible. You can�t shower for three days. Sand is everywhere � in their food, in their clothes.�
Their friend of about six years, Gabe Thornburg of Culver is serving with a Marine Reserve Unit in the desert between Kuwait and Baghdad. At home are his wife, Trista, a 2-year-old son, Bradie, and a newborn baby girl.
�It�s hard being so far away from home,� Mike said. �And there�s no store where they are, so they can�t just go out and get these things. They�re in the middle of the desert.�
The Venables, in cooperation with VFW Post 8972, are collecting items to ship to the 15th Radio Platoon, Thornburg�s Marine Reserve Unit detached out of Grissom Air Base in Indiana two months ago.
Items may be dropped off at the Bremen VFW anytime, and the first shipment will be mailed April 2.
�Anything you send is somewhat of a connection to home,� Mike said. �Mail from strangers makes you feel like people appreciate what you�re doing.�
Mike remembers all too well the feeling of isolation, as he served abroad in the Navy.
�Being over there you get disconnected,� he said. �When mail call comes, you don�t want to be the only one who doesn�t get anything.�
In addition to donations of items (see graphic), the Venables are accepting monetary donations to ship the items.
�It costs $20 to $25 to mail boxes over there,� Tammy said. �We are also accepting donations to help pay for shipping.�
There are other ways to help.
�We�re going to talk to some teachers to see if the kids can do something, too,� Mike said. �Like write letters, or send artwork.�
The Venables are collecting names and addresses of soldiers with Bremen ties.
�Any friends or family of any Bremen resident,� Tammy said. �We have to have their name, we can�t send it to �Any Soldier� due to the chemical and biological threats.�
Names and addresses may be e-mailed to [email protected] or mailed to Mike and Tammy Venable, 517 S. Bowen Ave., Bremen.
�These are all Hoosiers fighting over there. We hope everybody pulls together, to help out our guys over there. Any kind of support we can give them right now.�
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