Blackanthem Military News
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| Cpl. Cheek, his wife Chelsea (on left), and Santa Claus flanked by hundreds of Volunteers |
VAN NUYS, CA. -The mood at the Van Nuys National Guard Armory was both celebratory and
respectful on June 5 as hundreds of Operation Gratitude
volunteers and special guests gathered to assemble care packages for Sailors
and Marines assigned to Ronald Reagan Strike Group, and to witness a
young Marine Corporal, recently returned from Afghanistan, receive a Victory
Vegas 8-Ball Motorcycle promised to him on Christmas Day, 2010.
Operation Gratitude Volunteer Coordinator, Penny Alfonso summed up the day
simply, "It was a day of laughter, tears, and patriotism."
Cpl. Clancy Colt
Cheek gratefully took ownership of the special gift presented to him
by Robert Pandya, External Relations Manager of Victory Motorcycles.
Cheek, the recipient of Operation Gratitude's 600,000th care package,
is a member of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment and returned to Camp
Pendleton earlier this spring after a deployment in Sangin, Afghanistan. During
the deployment, the 3/5, also known as the "Darkhorse" Battalion, endured heavy
combat and losses, including the death of Cheek's best friend, 19-year-old Lance
Cpl. Alec Catherwood, of Byron, Illinois.
Pandya told Cheek he was proud to represent Victory Motorcycles and speak on his
co-workers' behalf. "The motorcycle community has always cherished the 'Freedom
to Ride,' a privilege guaranteed by the efforts and sacrifice of our heroes in
the Military," he said. "We all thank you for what you, and every member of the
Armed Forces have done for those of us lucky enough to live in the United States
of America," he said.
Cheek
expressed his heartfelt thanks to Victory for the motorcycle and to the
Operation Gratitude volunteers for their dedication and support. Responding to
a young woman who called him a hero, Cheek recalled the Marines who did not
return from Afghanistan. "I'm no hero," he said.
"Heroes are those men who stood beside me in the Valley of Death and gave
their lives for freedom."
Operation Gratitude founder, Carolyn Blashek,
said Cheek was the perfect person to receive this gift as a representative of
all members of the U.S. Military. "Cpl Cheek was humble and incredibly gracious
in accepting the Victory Motorcycle," Blashek said. "He spoke to us straight
from his heart, without a single written note, and with much passion,
conviction, and great thoughtfulness. There was not a dry eye in the place.."
In commemoration of the anniversary of President Ronald Reagan's
passing, Michael Reagan, his wife Colleen, and son, Cameron, along with
representatives of the Reagan Legacy Foundation
participated on the Assembly Line to create care packages for the 5,000 crew
members deployed aboard aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, named
in honor of the 40th President of the United States.
Reagan, the President's son, read a letter he had received that
morning from the Commanding Officer of USS Reagan, Captain T.W. Burke. "Care
packages from home are always a welcome surprise and we appreciate everything
that Operation Gratitude does to support our Military," Burke wrote.
Care
packages were also assembled and shipped to the crew of guided-missile destroyer
USS Preble and guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville, both currently
serving in the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike
Group.
Councilman Dennis Zine presented beautiful City of Los Angeles Certificates of
Appreciation to Cheek; Reagan; Victory Motorcycles; Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion,
5th Marines, accepted by Company Commander Captain Nick Johnson and First
Sergeant George Melendez, and to Lt. Col. Angel Ortiz, the Commander of the
California Army National Guard Armory where the majority of Operation
Gratitude's work takes place. Each certificate eloquently stated the
recipients' service and accomplishments deserving of recognition.
More photos of the day's
events can be seen here and here.
Operation
Gratitude volunteers will continue to assemble and ship its Patriotic Drive Care
Packages through June.
About Operation
Gratitude
Operation
Gratitude annually sends 100,000+ care packages filled with snacks,
entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation addressed to
individually named U.S. Service Members deployed in harm's way, to their
children left behind, and to Wounded Warriors in Military hospitals and
Transition Units. The organization's mission is to lift morale, bring a smile to
a service member's face and express to our Armed Forces and their families the
appreciation and support of the American people. Each package contains donated
product valued at ~$125 and costs the organization $15 to assemble and ship. For
safety and security, assembling of packages occurs at the Army National Guard
armory in Van Nuys, California. Since its inception in 2003, Operation Gratitude
volunteers have shipped more than 640,000 packages to American Military deployed
overseas.
Learn more about Operation Gratitude by visiting:
Web:
http://www.OperationGratitude.com
Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/OpGratitude
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/OperationGratitude
Blog:
http://OpGrat.wordpress.com
YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/OpGrat
Email:
OpGrat@gmail.com
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:
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| Cpl. Cheek on his new Bike |
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| Michael Reagan, his family and Reagan Legacy Foundation Board Members |
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| Councilman Zine presents Certificates to Kilo Co, Victory Motorcycles and Cpl. Cheek |
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