COFFEE EXPRESS

COFFEE EXPRESS

The Coffee Express Program is in its 11th year of operation. This Post committee, under the direction of Chairman Vince Rea, collects, packs and ships an average of fifteen "Care Packages" every month to our servicemen and women serving throughout the world. The shipments contain, among other things, donations by our local merchants and businesses.

Many times, our service personnel will take a few minutes out of their schedule to drop us a line and say "thanks" to us for remembering them . . .

A couple of “thank you's” from some of these fine men and women . . .

From all the Razorbacks of A Troop, 4-6 Cav, I want to say thank you so much for the care package. John, you and the members of American Legion Post 524 are doing an amazing thing by sending out care packages to deployed service members, but I’m sure you know just how much it means to us. I particularly love that you have chosen the “Coffee Express Initiative” as your program. We all need a little more coffee while down range! It couldn’t have come at a more perfect time too. We had just ran out earlier that night, and when I opened the package it made our night! The salt water taffy and the popcorn were also particularly well received. If you would, can you pass along to the Ocean City Coffee Co, Johnson’s Popcorn, and Shriver’s Fine Confectioners that we said thank you very much for there support. It seems like we have the support of your whole town, and very much appreciate it. I have enclosed a picture of my troop from Christmas, which was the last time we were together as a collective troop. We have found ourselves spread out throughout Iraq to complete our mission.

Thanks again,

CW2 Chase Snider

AH-64E Pilot

A Trp, 4-6 Cav

Good Day Sir/Ma'am,

I am writing on behalf of myself and my fellow Coast Guardsman stationed here at the United States Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit in Morgan City, LA! We have been receiving your care packages and the guys and I truly appreciate the goodies and gifts contained therein! I especially love the boardwalk treats. They remind me of nights on the boardwalk growing up back home. It's great being able to share all the tastes of home with the guys I'm stationed with out here who are not necessarily familiar with the REAL Jersey Shore.

Our 100+ member unit is a multi-mission maritime military organization which overseas over 74,000 square miles of onshore and offshore waters in support of the Coast Guards Maritime Safety & Security, Environmental Compliance, and Pollution Prevention & Response mission sets.

I've attached a unit photo in appreciation.

Thank you again for all your support and for all you do for those in military service!

Very Respectfully,
Melissa A. Cardwell, MST2
Incident Management Division
Marine Safety Unit Morgan City

Good Day Sir/Ma'am,

I am writing on behalf of myself and my fellow Coast Guardsman stationed here at the United States Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit in Morgan City, LA! We have been receiving your care packages and the guys and I truly appreciate the goodies and gifts contained therein! I especially love the boardwalk treats. They remind me of nights on the boardwalk growing up back home. It's great being able to share all the tastes of home with the guys I'm stationed with out here who are not necessarily familiar with the REAL Jersey Shore.

Our 100+ member unit is a multi-mission maritime military organization which overseas over 74,000 square miles of onshore and offshore waters in support of the Coast Guards Maritime Safety & Security, Environmental Compliance, and Pollution Prevention & Response mission sets.

Thank you again for all your support and for all you do for those in military service!

Very Respectfully,
Melissa A. Cardwell, MST2
Incident Management Division
Marine Safety Unit Morgan City

Good evening John. My name is LCpl Cuomo. I just wanted to thank you so much for sending me a care package. It means so much to me, I really appreciate it. Thank you so much for supporting me and my fellow service men and women. You guys are the best. I can't thank you enough. Have a blessed day. :)

Regina (21) and Christopher Peluzzo (27) (sister and brother) are members of the 270^th Squadron of the Pa. Air National Guard (PAANG) based at the Horsham Reserve Center. They deployed overseas in July and returned home on Thursday January 23^rd. The Peluzzo’s were stationed in Qatar, but the mission required their team be sent to multiple undisclosed locations. Both Chris and Regina were promoted while deployed, Regina to Senior Airman (E-4) and Chris to Staff Sergeant (E-5). There are five children in the Peluzzo Family, their Dad Reinaldo Jr. is retired from the PAANG, and Reinaldo III is a former member, both deployed after 9/11 in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Regina is a twin and this is the first birthday she and her sister Marybeth were apart, the girls turned 21 in December. Regina and Chris learned a lot about their career field as well as the different cultures and customs of the countries they performed their duties. Their work consisted of trenching and installing communication manhole systems underground, pulling fiber optic cable from building to building, terminating and splicing fiber, and running Cat 6 (Ethernet cables) through buildings. The deployment was especially important for Regina because unlike Chris she hasn’t worked much in the field other than scenarios in tech school and training prior to this deployment. Regina said she learned so much working along side members on her team who have worked for years in this field in hostile environments. The Peluzzo kids are happy to be home, but the experience, camaraderie, and love of country they attained from this journey will be with them always.

- this update sent along by Post member Joe Di Spaldo (Regina and Christopher's uncle)

American Legion Post 524 . . . Happy Holidays from Southwest Asia,

Your care package is much appreciated by myself and the troops. It feels great to have someone from your home state send packages over the holidays.

Thanks again,

Sgt. Trina Stratton

Mr. Laughlin,

I just wanted thank you for the care packages your post has sent me during my deployment. I apologize it's taken me this long to reply as I'm honestly just not very good at keeping in touch with folks from home. Everything you guys send is very much appreciated and a taste of good ol' New Jersey. I'll be leaving here in a little over a month hopefully! I would like to stop by and thank you guys in person at some point after I return. Again, thanks very much and please pass my gratitude on to everyone else who contributes to the care packages. Have a great day.

Respectfully,
SSgt Daniel Byrne, USAF

Dear Mr. Laughlin:

Thank you so much for all of the goodies that you sent to my troops. Your thoughtfulness is greatly appreciated during this holiday season. Please give our kind regards to you and your fellow Legionnaires. Thank you

V/r

Gregory W. Philips
LCDR, CEC, USN
CTU68.2 OIC.

Good Day John [Laughlin],

First let me apologize for the delay in responding, and then take the time to thank yourself, Post 524 and all the volunteers that have made the packages we received possible. We are a Special Operations Firebase, and do not have the main stores that larger bases have, so we really look forward to these packages. Rest assured they are highly appreciated and always put to good use. Personal hygiene items to include laundry detergent are always in high demand.

Thanks again for your continued support from the military and civilians here at Camp Dahlke

V/R,

Dwight O. Martin MSG , USA
SOTF-A
Camp Commandant NCOIC
Camp Dahlke

Thank you from the 1982nd FST!!

John [Laughlin],

Thank you so much for the care packages. We have each received about 3-4 boxes from you all and are incredibly grateful! We have a never ending supply of salt water taffy but we wouldn't want it any other way! Your continued support means the world to us! My grandfather is Joseph Caserta of Ocean City; I am in the first picture on the left. I am counting down the days until I can be down the shore with him this summer! Hopefully, we will be heading out of here sometime in July. I just wanted to make sure that Post 524 understands how much the 1982nd Forward Surgical Team appreciates all they have done for us. I hope you have a great holiday weekend!

Very respectfully,

Jenna Caserta

On behalf of the Civil Engineering Heavy Equipment shop (Dirt Boyz), I would like to thank you, the American Legion Post 524 for the generous care package you sent me. I currently work in Ocean City with Lenegan Plumbing full-time and lived in Ocean City for over 3 years. Even though the men and women in my shop are from all over the country, it was nice for them to get a taste of where I am from.

I personally worked on the construction for the new Ocean City Coffee Company on the boardwalk and I love their coffee. I grew up getting Johnson's Popcorn every summer...without the lid . . . lol. Finally what really hit home for me was the salt water taffy from Shriver's. It was eaten all up by everyone in less than a work day.

Our deployment is coming to an end soon. We should be home shortly after the holidays. We are all doing very well and working very hard to serve and protect. Just doing what we volunteered for. Thank you to everyone for putting these awesome packages together and thank you to those who donated. We are very grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas to you and all.

Stay Happy,

Senior Airman Michael Garcia

386th ECES/ DirtBoyz

***I attached a picture of myself in front of the crane I often operate with the Gazette, Coffee, Taffy and Popcorn***

Good morning sir,

My name is Tony Chatman, I'm an Airman 1st Class in the Air National Guard based out of the 177th Fighter Wing of Atlantic City. On behalf of shop and myself, we would like to thank the American Legion Post 524 and yourself for the support and the care packages. They were excellent in every way possible.

Everyone that I'm deployed with is either from Alabama or Missouri and have never experienced the Jersey Shore let alone the shore at all. Before the care packages came rolling in, I would tell the about Salt Water Taffy and how amazing it was. It's hard to explain how amazing it is. So let's say they're hooked on it and want me to send them some once I get back home.

But once again, thank you for everything. It's much appreciated.

Best Regards,

Airman Chatman