Take A Bullet For Our Troops - Help Ship Care Packages Overseas

 

Many have seen the small plastic buckets containing 11 bullets and wondered what is the meaning of, "I took a bullet for our troops," imprinted on the yellow ribbon.

 

It is the brainchild by Susan Taylor of Farmington. Susan has adopted two soldiers via the "Adopt a Soldier" program.

 

Essentially Susuan has combined this program with the American Legion's program of "Troop Support Services (TS2)," and taken advantage of the special mailing rate offered by the U.S. post offices for care packages sent to APO/FPO addresses.

 

With her trusty sidekick, Paul Ready, they collect donations of items to be sent to our troops in the field. Paul is a Vietnam-era veteran and a member of the American Legion Post 1000 out of Little Rock and does most of the legwork.

 

The post office provides the boxes, and Susan and Paul pack them up for shipment. "I took a bullet ..." is designed to help with the cost of mailing the boxes. Each container has 11 bullets with the name and address of a soldier inside the bullet. You can take a bullet for $1 and write to the soldier.

 

Once all the bullets are taken, the container holds $11 that covers the $10.90 cost of mailing a care package overseas. Paul brings the business a box packed and ready for shipment to a soldier. The box is not sealed so that the business can verify that no contraband or banned items are included. The business seals the box, and with the $11 mails it.

 

Many businesses, bank and chambers of commerce have been mailing the boxes, including Prairie Grove's American Legion Post that processed five or six each month prior to the "I took a bullet ..." campaign. Susan and Paul hope that with this addition of raising money to cover the cost of mailing, more people will get invovled and more boxes can be shipped to our troops who are taking bullets for us. Bullets for our troops are currently available for purchase at the Lincoln Leader office, located at 219 S. Main, Lincoln (next to the Arkansas Revenue office).

By Bill Shaffer