This started when Ray (555th RH) and Milli Gould's son, LTC Rick McCleskey, stationed in Baghdad,
(See list of donors below).
Christopher O. Darling, Major, USAF
Christopher O. Darling, Major, USAF
Received 28 June:
I can tell you that I and my Airmen deeply appreciate your efforts to give us a tangible connection to home. It helps out more than you know.
At this point, DVDs are in high demand. I got a box full from Mark Donnithorne yesterday, so we are in your debt already!
Thanks again,
Cheers,
Received 10 June from:
"On behalf of all the deployed troops, thanks for the outstanding support!"
Rex Alexander, 554th
emailed them with a plea for DVDs and coffee mugs, for the troops.
"We have TV, but all we can get is CNN, and that's depressing".
Ray and Milli bought and sent a case of stainless steel coffee mugs,
with the "sipping" lids, (to keep the sand out).
Because of the sudden death of Rick's daughter, Rick returned Stateside, and we no longer had an APO address to send DVDs.
Paul Sattler of Red Horse Assoc., volunteered to pick up, where Ray and Milli left off, and "run with it".
Through the hard work of Redhorsemen, we had a contact: Capt. Mark Donnithorne, USAF Engineers, in Baghdad,
who received the "Email To Iraq" message,
and the DVDs and entertainment items for the troops.
The first box of DVDs and playing cards was sent 14 June 2004, enroute to Redhorse Troops in Iraq.
Received 14 August:
I received yet another big box of DVD movies!
Thank you so much for your generosity, and please pass my thanks to RED HORSE.
"To the HORSE!"
Det 3, 732 ECES/CC
Received 24 July:
Subject: RE: Operation DVD
I am in receipt of one each, big-ass, box o' movies and games.
I am indeed humbled and grateful for your generosity.
I can tell you the troops were on those movies like wolves!
Your shipment of movies was off the "Top Shelf", and it put to shame the extensive collection of B-list titles we had scraped together from our local sources.
I deeply appreciate your efforts on behalf of my deployed engineers.
Thanks again for all your help!
Det 3, 732 ECES/CC
Camp Victory, Iraq
10 July
A second box was sent to our Redhorse troops in Irag, containing 27 DVDs and a variety of games and playing cards.
A big THANK YOU to those who helped in this "operation".
We have a great team here in Detachment 3, 732d Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, and it's a unique mission--USAF engineers directly attached to a US Army unit, in this case the 1st Cavalry Division.
I have 61 engineers with me, mostly from Mountain Home AFB and Andrews AFB. We are base level-types, but we have a few ex-Horsemen sprinkled in (including myself as Mark told you.) We are based at Camp Victory in Baghdad, and we have work crews that convoy regularly to the other forward bases throughout this area. There is plenty of good work for us to do, and the guys are staying real busy which is just how we like it.
Major Chris "Cod" Darling
Received 27 June:
I am starting to get close to my departure date, so it might be a good time to pass you over to Major Chris Darling. He was in the 820th RED HORSE Squadron at Nellis in 1995-8 and is now commanding a detachment of AF engineers supporting the 1st Cavalry Division here in Baghdad.
Cheers,
Mark
Received 24 June:
From: Mark Donnithorne, Camp Victory, Iraq
Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2004
Subject: RE: Operation DVD
Thanks for sending (the box); I will distribute the DVDs to the CE troops who are working for the 1st Cavalry Division.
Mark
Capt. Mark Donnithorne, USAF
Camp Victory, Iraq
Donors
Employees of Mountain High Casino
Rick & Anna Coffelt, 819th
Johnny Collet
Jim & Connie Elliott, 556th
Tom Gallagher, 555th
Ray & Milli Gould, 555th, 819th
Fred & Patricia Hoblin, 555th
Gene & Betty Huebotter, 555th
Larry Kerr and brother, 554th
Col Roy Lemons - USAF ret. Commander 555th
Greg MacDougal, 554th, 823rd
Alice Oneal
Daniel Raske, 554th, 555th
Paul and Carolyn Sattler, 820th
T. J. Schmidt, 554th
William & Sarah Thomas, US Radar Site
Mike & Cindi Wittman
Jon & Gwyn Young - USMC ret
Sylvia Zellner
