Packages of goodies were shipped to the soldiers by townspeople.
By Terry Karkos
Staff Writer

DIXFIELD – Thirteen days after Christmas, a letter arrived in the town office mailbox postmarked Iraq.

Town Clerk Vickie Carrier said Friday that the letter was from the U.S. Army unit the town adopted in November.

That unit belongs to the 82nd Airborne Division of the Aviation Support Battalion in the Army’s Aviation Intermediate Maintenance Company. Carrier’s nephew, Scott Drown, 26, a 1994 graduate of Dirigo High School, is a member of the unit.

After adopting the unit, several Dixfield residents and the American Legion post gathered and donated 12 large boxes worth of Christmas cheer and goodies that were mailed on Dec. 2.

In the letter that arrived Thursday, Platoon Sgt. Nicholas W. Yurko thanked townspeople for the Christmas cheer.

“For many of the soldiers, it is their first Christmas away from loved ones,” Yurko wrote. “It is a hard and trying fact for many being away during the holidays.”

“It is because of folks such as you that make it easier to cope and understand the importance of our being here. Your support and prayers are very much appreciated,” he added.

Carrier said she was surprised to find the letter in the town’s mailbox because so many people have been asking her if she knew whether or not the Army unit had received the care packages.

The packages arrived in Iraq before Christmas.

“My nephew was very pleased to see the packages. He got to help pass out the stuff, and they put the centerpiece we sent on the sergeant’s desk because it’s kind of like a night light,” Carrier said.

One soldier, whom the town sent a special package to because he has no family at home to send him mail, w as overcome with emotion when he learned who the package was from, Carrier said.

“Scott told me that the soldier opened the package, and was just whaling into the cookies that he thought came from an aunt in Minnesota. But Scott told him to look at the package again, and he did, and he got very emotional, and said, ‘This has made my whole deployment worthwhile,'” she added.

Yurko was equally proud of Dixfield’s efforts on his platoon’s behalf.

“I hope you will continue all of your support to our troops. It is your support that makes us proud to be Americans and serving in the greatest military in the world,” he added.

During the holiday, Carrier said the town’s Economic Development Council adopted a soldier in the unit for the month of January. Council members have been sending him cards and books and things.

By month’s end, they intend to send him a package of goodies much like what was sent to the unit on Dec. 2.

“We were having a meeting and we thought it would be nice if different groups in town could send him cards or packages at the end of the month. He has no family at home and he doesn’t get any mail,” said council Chairwoman Norine Clarke.

“We thought that if we did it for January, maybe other groups in town could take it up for each of the other months that he is stationed in Iraq.

“We would like each group to cover a period of time so that he doesn’t get mail all at once, and then nothing again,” she added.

Carrier said that if there were any other interested groups in town, such as school classrooms, scouts, or individuals, they could contact her for the soldier’s address and any other information at 562-8151.

Clarke said that while the town has some postage money leftover from the Dec. 2 mailings of care packages, additional donations for postage are welcome.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

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