Veterans of Foreign Wars wants you ... Veterans of Foreign Wars wants you ... (October 28, 2005)

To adopt a solider

With the current U.S. involvement in Iraq, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6298 decided to help out the soldiers stationed overseas by advocating and organizing a "troop adoption." Last month, Pleasanton City Council officially approved the adoption of Charlie Company, 526th Brigade Support Battalion, a medical company made up of 56 combat medics, doctors, nurses, physician assistants and medical specialty soldiers. Now, with the relationship official, VFW is going all out in recruiting the community to get involved. VFW will be signing up people to adopt soldiers in Charlie Company at the Pleasanton Farmer's Market, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 29 in conjunction with its Buddy Poppy Drive. Adoptions will also be happening during the Veteran's Day Parade Sunday, Nov. 6.

"For the soldiers, it's nice for them to have someone back at home recognizing that they are doing something and sending them care packages and notes with things from home," said Dave Ham, president of VFW 6298. "For the person adopting them, they get the pleasure of talking with a young person and hearing first hand what is really going on in Iraq."

When a person signs up to adopt a soldier, he or she receives a certificate and contact information for their adoptee. So far, seven community members have adopted a soldier and Operation S.A.M. has adopted the entire troop with the intention of sending holiday care packages to all. However, Ham said VFW really wants each of the members of Charlie Company to be adopted by at least one community member so each soldier will have personal correspondence. The goal is to have everyone adopted by two or three community members before the holiday season.

"Many of the people in the troop don't have significant others because they have moved around a lot," Ham said. "They might not even have old friends because they were transferred from their homes and lost touch with people from high school."

VFW also has plans to work with the school district to see if any teachers would like to adopt a soldier and a first grade class at Vintage Hills Elementary School has already expressed an interest, Ham said.

"Adopting a troop member doesn't mean you support the war, because this isn't about the war, it's about supporting the troops in the field," Ham said. -Rebecca Guyon

E-mail a friend a link to this story.