DIXFIELD — Somewhere at a secret location in Afghanistan, 12 men and five women with the Army Airborne are thrilled to learn they’ve got mail.
Ludden Memorial Library adopted the Special Forces unit last week after learning recently that one of the unit’s soldiers is Kerry Leonard-Stafford. She is the niece of library employee Cathy Leonard of Peru.
“The unit is super excited that the library has adopted them,” librarian Peggy Malley of Rumford said Thursday morning.
The only identification Malley has of the unit is 18 MOS (Military Occupation Specialty).
“They were not getting any care packages or anything, because they’re in a secret location and no one can know where they are,” Malley said.
But Leonard-Stafford gave her aunt the address of a place where packages and letters for the unit can be sent, “so they can get their stuff,” she said.
And stuff is starting to accumulate in a large plastic bin under the table on which stands a posterboard covered with photos of the unit and Leonard-Stafford with fellow soldiers and her soldier husband.
“We do have lists for people to take if they want to give us things that would be good to put in their (care) packages,” Malley said.
Among the many commonly requested items on the list for care packages are toiletries, such as sunblock, razors, body wash, lip balm, makeup, shampoo, etc.; entertainment, such as CDs, DVDs, phone cards, playing cards, books on tape, foam footballs, etc.; miscellaneous items like stuffed animals, air fresheners, stress balls, AA batteries, baby food jars with dirt from the yard, balloons, dryer sheets, etc.
And then there’s food items like tuna, beef jerky, pretzels, applesauce, puddings, Pop-Tarts, non-refrigerated Lunchables, Rice Krispie Treats, chewing gum, sunflower seeds, macaroni and cheese, soup mixes, M&Ms, popcorn, Gatorade, Pringles, and such.
Malley said they’re also seeking cash donations to help pay postage.
Additionally, the soldiers “would welcome any letters that people would like to send,” she said.
For more information, contact the library at 562-8838 or Malley at peggy.malley@ludden.lib.me.us.
-
- Ludden Memorial Librarian Peggy Malley, right, holds a display on Thursday morning of the U.S. Army Airborne unit that the library adopted last week and is taking donations of cash for postage and care package goods to send the 12 men and five women, one of whom is the niece of library employee Cathy Leonard of Peru. In back is library employee Mandy Parson of Peru.
-
- The Ludden Memorial Library in Dixfield has adopted this U.S. Army Airborne unit comprising 12 men and five women who are stationed in Afghanistan and is seeking donations of cash for postage and items for care packages. The woman in the last row at top left is Kerry Leonard-Stafford, the niece of library employee Cathy Leonard of Peru.
-
- Army Airborne soldier Kerry Leonard-Stafford, second from right, is shown with fellow members of her Special Forces unit stationed in Afghanistan. She is the niece of Cathy Leonard of Peru, an employee of Ludden Memorial Library of Dixfield, which adopted the unit and is seeking donations of cash for postage and items for care packages.
-
- Items donated to the Ludden Memorial Library in Dixfield as of Thursday morning for care packages to be sent to the library’s adopted U.S. Army Airborne unit in Afghanistan.
-
- This poster provides images of the U.S. Army Airborne unit in Afghanistan that Ludden Memorial Library in Dixfield adopted last week and is taking donations of cash for postage and items for care packages. The soldiers, who have yet to receive any care packages due to their secret location, would also like to receive letters from the public.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.