What started as a trip to the McDonald Toyota Dealership in Fort Morgan to look at a car turned into something much bigger. Monika Schmidt was speaking to a sales associate at the dealership when that associate called Brenton Metzler over to speak with her. Monika’s son is a Marine serving on board the USS Tripoli, which is providing support for Operation Epic Fury, as part of the amphibious-ready group (ARG) in the Strait of Hormuz. The Tripoli is also executing flight operations during Project Freedom in Iran. The Tripoli, along with the USS Spruance, stopped the Iranian container ship Touska, which was seized by the United States.
Brenton and the McDonald Toyota family wanted to help, so the idea was born to put together Military Gratitude Packages for all the troops serving aboard the USS Tripoli. Monika wanted everyone to share the joy of receiving packages from everyone back home, and for those who would like to help, here is what you can do.
Brenton wants to put together about 50 Military Gratitude Packages, with a variety of items that people in the U.S. use every day but are luxury items for those serving at sea. Bathroom products such as toothpaste & toothbrushes, shaving cream, and shampoo. Food products like beef jerky, ramen noodles, non-frozen microwave meals, peanut butter, chips, trail mix, granola bars, hard candies, crackers, cookies, and other pre-packaged snacks, as well as coffee. (No chocolate – it will MELT!) They are also looking for monetary donations, as each box will cost about $30 to ship.
Included in the boxes will be letters from kids, saying ‘hi’ and ‘thank you’ to all of the men & women, helping to bring more of home to the troops.
If you would like to donate items or money, you can drop them off at McDonald Toyota at 1209 Main Street between 9 am and 6 pm. Don’t let the construction stop you, as there is the Main Street entrance just north of the intersection of Main & Riverview, just past the McDonald’s restaurant entrance, and on Riverview, just west of Ensign. Brenton and a small crew will put together the Gratitude Boxes on Saturday morning, May 16th, so get your donations to them before that date.
As Brenton and Monika both said, this is not a one side versus the other side issue. No matter your opinion of the War in Iran, this is for our American Military heroes, who are defending all of us, and this is one way to show that we all care very much about all of them.