Cleveland County keeps on giving

The kindness and generosity of the people in Cleveland County just keeps on shining bright. Read the note I received Wednesday from Kay Beam:
"Thanks to your "Random Acts of Kindness," article with the list of names in the paper, everyone wanted to do something for my son, 1ST Sgt. Rodney Arrowood in Iraq.
"On Sunday in honor of Veterans Day, Hoey Memorial United Methodist Church, helped my family to make 200 gift bags, so each one of the soldiers in his unit would receive something for Christmas. Thanks to Red Bridges Barbecue for helping to supply the items to go in the bags. I hope others listed will be as fortunate and receive packages from their communities.
"Thank you again, Kay Beam."
If you’d like to remember the troops for the holidays, time is running out. The deadline to send packages and make sure they arrive in time is Nov. 24. For information on mailing packages to soldiers, go to the Post Office Web site: www.usps.com/supportingourtroops. You can find a list of soldiers from Cleveland County at shelbystar.com on the Random Acts of Kindness blog under Reporter Blogs.

Your help is needed again - The Military Families Support Group needs photos of local soldiers for candlelight service
The Military Families Support Group-Cleveland County will be sponsoring a Candlelight Service at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11, in the sanctuary of Central United Methodist Church honoring the men and women with connections to Cleveland County who are currently serving in the U.S. military services at home and overseas.
The candlelight service has become an annual tradition in uptown with the help of Fain Hamrick and other members of the Military Families Support Group.
A video presentation is planned this year, which will honor men and women in uniform with their photo, name, branch of service and current duty station.
To have names, photos and other information of military personnel included in the presentation, e-mail the information to milfamsupport@carolina.rr.com or mail the information and photo to Military Families Support Group – Cleveland County, P.O. Box 752, Shelby, NC 28151-0752.

More names of soldiers from Cleveland County

Since the Random Acts of Kindness column published on Tuesday, I've received more names of soldiers. Remember the Christmas deadline is Nov. 24. You can find more information at the Post Office Web site at www.usps.com/supportingourtroops/
According to the members of the Military Families Support Group, cards and letters make a difference to those who are serving in the military. They want to know that they haven't been forgotten by the American people.
Here are the new names I've received.

PVT Degree, Alton
557 MP Co. Unit 15192
APO PO 96271

COL. Mike Bumgarner
MNSTC-1/CPATT
FOB Shield
APO AE 09348

AO1 Michael Brian Todd
HSL-44 (W/C 230)
NAS Mayport
Mayport, Florida 32228

LCPL Bryan D. Bridges
3D BN 2D MAR L CO 2 PLT
UNIT 73110
FPO AE 09509-3110

SRA Johnny L. Powell
PSC 9 Box 3894
APO AE 09123

SRA Brian C. Collier
226 Odell Street
Spring Lake, NC 28390

Remembering her nephews for Veterans Day

Marilyn Putnam of Shelby sent in the pictures of her nephew, SRMSG Dennis Pearson and his son, Sgt. Marcos Pearson. Father and son served in Iraq at the same time this summer.

“With Veterans day approaching, I wanted to thank them for serving for our country,” wrote Ms. Putnam.

Marcos is serving his third tour in Iraq and will be home the last day of November for a two week leave, said his grandmother, Delores Pearson.

Dennis came home from Iraq in September and serves as supervisor of command post at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois.

The pictures that Ms. Putnam shared were made on Marcos’ birthday, Aug. 3, 2007.“We were so glad that Dennis got to go over and see Marcos on his birthday,” Ms. Pearson said.

Dennis has served in the military since he graduated from Crest High School in 1985.

Christmas deadline nears for sending items to the troops

Christmas is six weeks and 12 days away and I haven’t bought the first thing. Over the weekend I talked to someone who already has her gifts wrapped.
Over-achiever.

If you are like me and haven’t started shopping yet, then here’s something you need to know. If you are going to send cards and packages to military personnel, they need to be sent by Nov. 24 — that’s 17 days away. You can find more guidelines on sending packages to the military at the Post Office Web site: www.usps.com/supportingourtroops/

At the request of Fain Hamrick, whose son, Brad, is serving in Al Asad, and the Military Support Group, The Star has been collecting names and addresses of soldiers with ties to Cleveland County. The Military Support Group gets regular requests for addresses, but they only have the names of their relatives.

Last week, Royce Hamrick stopped by the office to pick up a copy of the list because his organization, Marine Corps League, Foothills Detachment No. 1164, usually sends Christmas cards and care packages to the soldiers.

Both Royce and Fain think the list should be longer.

If you know of someone who is serving in the military, please send their name and address to The Star so people in Cleveland County can remember them at Christmas. You can leave the names on the Random Acts of Kindness blog at shelbystar.com or e-mail them to jackiebridges@shelbystar.com or mail them to Jackie Bridges, The Star, P.O. Box 48, Shelby, NC 28151.

Here are the names we have so far:

SRMSG Dennis Pearson
29 Cedarbrook
Troy, Ill. 62294

Sgt. Marcos Pearson
C-3/7 CAV (MECH)
Unit No. 93422
APO AE 09303-8422

TSGT Bowen, Mitchell
JLTF 1144th
70 MTD USAF
APO AE 09366

Pfc. Skelton
Unit 5928, B. Company
2-325 Air 82nd Airborne Division
Camp Taji, IRAQ
APO AE 09378

SFC Wanda Ross
488th CSC Unit # 6510
APO AE 09375

PFC Clark, Samuel R.
70th EN, HHC
OrgunE
APO AE 09354

SPC. Ross, Derek
Unit# 5972
HHT 3-7 CAV
APO AE 09378

Sgt. W. Scott Richard
146 Sig. Met SPP
CMR 467 Box 641
APO AE 09096

SSG Manning, Mervin L.
BO 72nd Sig B
CMR 435 Box 297
APO AE 09086

S.Sgt. Jeffrey L. Brackett
VMAQ-2 Unit 78011
FPO AE 09509-8011

LCpl. Thomas Burke
VMAQ-2 Unit 78011
FPO AE 09509-8011

LCpl. Cody Ford
VMAQ-2 Unit 78011
FPO AE 09509-8011

Cpl. Cory Lotspeich
VMAQ-2 Unit 78011
FPO AE 09509-8011

1Sg. Arrowood, Rodney W.
DFST 5/7 CAU
1 BCT 3ID
APO AE 09387

Mologne House
Sgt. Johannson, Tim
Room 221
6900 Georgia Ave NW Building 20 Washington, DC 20307

Spc. Simmons, Louis
26th BSB 3ID
APO AE 09321

Tiffani Lawter
380th ESFS/ SFOB
APO AE 09853

Renita Hutson
380th ESFS/SFOB
APO AE 09853

PFC, Stroup, Jonathan T.
E. Co. 1-2 AVN Regt.
Unit 15008 Box # 393
APO AP 96297-5008

AIC Adam Greene
455 EAMXS/336
EAMU-F15E
APO AE 09354

SGT Louis A. Barber
1132nd MPCO.95th MPBN
FOB Rustamiyah
APO AE 09390-2402

SGT Abernethy, Cole
C Co 2-22 IN HQ 1/10th MTN
FOB Warrior
APO AE 09338

Major Derek M. Vinson
HHC 7th Sustainment BDE
APO AE 09331

Lt. Bradley Hamrick
F Co. 2-504
PIR Unit No. 73312
Al Asad Air Base
APO AE 09333