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Posts: 100
Location: Delaware | Friends at OFC, recently I sold a guitar in ebay and when I found the buyer was a medic serving our armed forces and our country at Fort Sam Houston in Texas, I decided to refund payment and ship the guitar to them at no cost. This led to a couple emails exchanged and I learned that the buyer was indeed a combat medic treating amputees and injured soldiers at Fort Sam Houston and additionally, the buyer is being deployed to Afghanistan in May this year with a platoon of combat medics. Buyer was very thankful for my kindness supporting the us military. They told me with only 2 hrs each day to relax or do what they want before lights out, music was the only thing that kept them sane.
I have a few more guitars that I dont need and am going to ship them also at no charge. The combat medic suggested guitars are greatly appreciated and that they can even take them to Afghanistan.
When I was a kid and before my time, when our soldiers put themselves in harms way the whole country stood with them every step. Today it seems that our soldiers go to war and we continue enjoying our lives as though nothing is going on. Here is a chance for guitar enthusiasts like us to change that for some soldiers and make a difference!
If you have any guitars that are in good playable condition and you are willing to contribute them to support our troops this is an excellent oportunity. Please contact me if you are serious about sending a guitar(s) and I will forward the shipping address privately. Thank you and God bless our troops and America. |
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Posts: 806
Location: Seymour, Tennessee | Skip,
THANK YOU!
This kind of thing really boosts morale for folks away from their families, I know it really provided me with great source of stress relief when I was sent a guitar.
People interested in sending stuff to troops can contact your local National Guard Armories as well ans find out if they are deploying soon.
If you tell them why you are asking, they will let their guard down some and be a little more forthcoming with info without stepping across the security issues line.
ANY contact from back home providing moral support or otherwise is a blessing to those who are deployed, believe me. |
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Posts: 3969
| Very nice. |
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Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | It does make a difference. A huge difference.
The J-200 served in Ramadi, Iraq during the darkest days and gave it all. Was KIA one night during mortar shelling. But the boy made it home unscathed. His buddies still tell me how it was the one thing they had to keep their spirits up.
Thanks to all who participate. |
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Posts: 4081
Location: Utah | Bobbo, is that Max playing? |
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Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | And don't forget about them after they have come home. VA hospitals need guitars too. They help with the healing from both physical wounds, and from PTSD. |
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Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Nope, my oldest son Dane. One of the songs he wrote while over there: The Hardest Things
Max is still stateside doing training. Not sure where he may wind up. But my daughter is an Army doc (she was at Ft Sam for three years) and she's over in Afghaniland right now taking care of the troops at a remote FOB. Six more months of keeping the faith. |
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Posts: 354
Location: nashville | I love the J-200 sound, It's John Hiatts go to live guitar. Wish i had one. |
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Posts: 1486
Location: Michigan | http://www.guitars4troops.com/
i just talked with robin at guitars 4 troops this week in reguards to this and she is very helpful . remember they also need strings ,cases ,stands ,ect.ect. also .
this year the wife and i decided that instead of us buying a gift for each other that we would send a new guitar over to our soldiers this year as our christmas present to each other. it is a wonderful feeling that you know that it is a gift that will give you back a hundred fold of knowing that someone you don't even know is thanking you every time that they pick up the guitar and play it .
skip ,im not hijacking this thread from you but i just can't say enough about our military and what a huge sacrifice they make for us . support our troops.GWB http://www.guitars4troops.com/ |
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June 2007
Posts: 100
Location: Delaware | Thank you all for the great reponses. I had not heard about the guitars for troops organization already in existence. My offer in this thread comes direct from one combat medic and my experience with them personally. We have a unique situation here because there is no red tape at all. The person I have encountered by chance that I sent one guitar to is in a position where they can give guitars to both soldiers on active duty and soldiers that are wounded in the hospital. A great grass roots type opportunity. I have posted the same thread at 2 other guitar forums and have 2 guitars already being shipped. I'll be sending at least one more. Thanks again for all your comments. |
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Posts: 100
Location: Delaware | I am replying again so I can susbribe to the thread and get email notifications. |
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Joined:
June 2007
Posts: 100
Location: Delaware | I would like to add as has been suggested by others - if you dont have a guitar that you are willing to donate and cover cost to ship, please consider sending strings or any other guitar related supplies. The address to ship to is:
Guitars for Troops
7222 Cobblecreek Dr.
Weddington, NC 28104
This opportunity is not connected with the official Guitars for Troops organization that some have mentioned. Anything shipped to the address above is going directly to a combat medic that is stationed at Fort Sam Houston in Texas. They play guitar themselves and will distribute the guitars or supplies directly into the hands of other active or wounded soldiers. The same combat medic is scheduled for deployment to Afghanistan in May and says they can take the guitars with them! I can see that many of you are familiar with this scenario - thank you for commenting. God bless you all. |
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Posts: 247
Location: Seacoast NH | Unfortunately I don't have the financial resources to make a contribution at this time... I just wanted to say you guys are awesome for doing this, and I'm sure its much appreciated by all our brave men and women overseas! God Bless! |
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June 2007
Posts: 100
Location: Delaware | thank you mbedard1 - so far i have confirmation that 6 guitars are heading toward the specific troops mentioned previously. i added the same topic at 2 other guitar forums online and if memory serves me correctly 1 donor so far has stepped forward from the OFC so that is great. Thanks to all and if anyone is still interested to send capos, strings, tuners, picks, straps etc please forward them to the address shown above. God bless you all. |
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June 2007
Posts: 100
Location: Delaware | With many tears and great joy I offer the following update. I received word from my combat medic contact that 4 guitars that have been received so far have been distributed to soldiers who are delighted to receive them. One soldier just returned from active duty having lost both his legs and was given one of my guitars. It is heart breaking but I cannot tell you how glad I am that I sent that guitar.
I received a freind invite in youtube tonight and friends, I have never been more blessed. Please take a look at this young man's youtube channel and check out his videos - his name is Charles and he is producing some of the best guitar and music videos I have ever seen both original and covers. He does not splash it around but if you study the descriptions and look carefully in his videos you will discover him to be a soldier in the United States military. It blesses me beyond comprehension to know that World Class human beings like Charles are serving our country today. The channel is:
http://www.youtube.com/user/charlemagne00#p/u
God bless you and it is not too late to send strings, capos or guitars to the address provided above. My contact has been reassigned already and will be entering another phase of pre-deployment training. Things are heating up in Afghanistan and other middle east places. Please pray for our troops. Thank you. |
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Joined:
June 2007
Posts: 100
Location: Delaware | Another update - 7 guitars were donated thru efforts from this forum and 2 others that I posted in - thank you all for your feedback and responses. This concludes my efforts in these threads.
For anyone else that might be interested you can ship guitars and related supplies to a longer established organization Guitars 4 Troops. I will add link to their site at end of this post. Please use them for your guitar donations because you can get a tax benefit receipt from them, I understand.
Here is the link and thank you all again for your responses. http://www.guitars4troops.com/
Take care and God bless. |
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August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | A big shout out to you, Skip, for the time and effort you put into this awesome gesture. Thanks for your support of these fine men and women who are serving us all. |
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Posts: 100
Location: Delaware | thanks stonebobbo - your support and appreciation for the troops is also appreciated. |
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Joined:
June 2007
Posts: 100
Location: Delaware | My final comments in this thread - thanks again to all for getting in and supporting the troops. Here is video I posted recently in youtube - kind of tells the story..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QnbgmNVkSU |
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Guitars for US Troops
