Support Our Troops
by Tom Buchanan 04/09/03
Originally published in the Loveland Reporter Herald on 04/09/03

To the Editor,

I Support Our Troops! What exactly does that mean?

Just saying that one supports our troops seems rather meaningless unless there is some effort involved. We all want to "Support Our Troops", but exactly what can we do as individuals, as a community?

The military personnel and their families from Loveland deserve our attention, our care, and our prayers. Life as they know it is much more different than we can imagine. They are lonely and any word from home is appreciated. They also worry about the well being of their own families as much as their families worry about them. Many of us do not have a family member actively in the service of our great country. We can, and must take up the slack and do our share as a community.

There are people in our own community that you can help and see positive results of your endeavors. Those people are the family members whose sons and daughters are fighting for freedom on the other side of the world. Sometimes they just need a kind ear to understand. Sometimes they just need to know that their sacrifices are appreciated.

Great advances in technology in recent years have made this world seem quite small. We have 'embedded reporters' showing live broadcasts from the battle zone. To those who have loved ones in a combat zone this world can still be very large. Time passes slowly and sometimes it is hard to maintain a normal life. If the war has taken a breadwinner of a new family there are financial burdens as well.

There is a support group in Loveland for families that have loved ones in the armed forces. If you have ever experienced having a loved one in combat perhaps you can help them in their time of need.

There is a web page dedicated to citizens of Loveland who are in the military and their families.. Please go to www.lovelandnet.com/lsot, and see if there is any way that you can get involved and truly say you 'Support Our Troops'.

Sincerely,
Tom Buchanan

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