Our November and December Sailors!!

[Mary, Proud Mom of Nick]

We have a very special mission that we are going to ask all of our NavyforMoms.com members to support for the holidays.

Although the Adopt A Sailor program is only a few months old, as a group we have supported troops in Kuwait, Afganistan and Iraq. With the upcoming holiday season, we wanted to continue to support our sailors that we know won't be home with their families this year.

This group has grown so tremendous with almost 200 members and we had a goal in mind that would take alot of support. After much research and some emails inbetween, Molly and I are pleased to announce that our Sailor of the Month program for November and December will be...

The USS RODNEY M. DAVIS

This frigate will be home to about 250 sailors for the holidays.

Working thru their chain of command, we have received approval to support these sailors. This is an amazing opportunity and honor for us to be allowed to adopt this ship. This will be a big undertaking for our group but we know that Navy for Mom members know how to show the love!

Deployed ships often have limited mail deliveries so we have committed to having our mail delivered December 1 - December 8th. This will allow them to contain all of cards and holiday wishes together and deliver them to the crew before the holiday.

Our hope is for EVERY Sailor on that ship to receive a holiday card signed by Navy for Mom. We would like to include a $10 international phone card in the card so those Sailors may have an opportunity to call their loved ones. If you are not in a position to send a phone card, please do not let that stop you. Just write on the back of the envelope - no phone card included so as cards are distributed, some sailors don't get multiple phone cards and some get none.

So many of you have really stepped up the last few months and are spending $20 or more just shipping packages to our Adopt A Sailor receiptants. This will be an easier mission - no packages to send, no lines to stand in at the post office...just your holiday wishes with a regular postage stamp!!!

If you are a school teacher, Sunday School leader, Boy Scout or Girl Scout troop leader or part of any organization that would like to spread some holiday cheer to this group of Sailors, we would love to load them up with many holiday messages of support and cheer. Please think about using this a project for your group.

The Command Master Chief of the USS Rodney M. Davis has agreed to be our point of contact for this holiday project:

CMDCM(SW) C. W. Smith
Command Master Chief
Attn: Any Sailor
USS RODNEY M. DAVIS (FFG 60)
FPO AP 96663-1514

Again, please forward your holiday messages to his attention between December 1 and December 8th.

Thank you for making the holidays a little brighter for this crew!!!

P.S. USS Rodney M. Davis moms - we could not find a group for the Davis on this site so we have set one up. If there are any Davis moms here, please join the group.

Fairwinds and Following Sea - Mary & Molly

[Pen]

So do we just send the International phone card and a Christmas Card to the Command Master Chief....... we can do this now so that it will arrive..........

[Mary, Proud Mom of Nick]

We can start writing the cards out now and mail everything the first of December. Yes, Pen address it to the Command Master Chief's address as shown which includes ATTN: any sailor and that way they know it's for the adoption program.

[Molly Molly Fo Folly]

Pen we are going to do this between dec 1 and dec 8th so that they all arive at the same time.
That way he can get the cards to the sailors all together.
This makes it easier for the Command Master Chief, and it will get there by x-mas !!
So please hold on to the card until then ----
Promise I will be doing a blog everyday during that week to remind people *its time to send* - Plus a few blogs about 2 weeks before, and talking in here ----- LOL LOL We will have our work cut out for us those few weeks. Making sure our deadline does not get missed :)

[Molly Molly Fo Folly]

Also I had to post this in here ----- another mom did a blog on this today BUT it was just so perfect for our room ~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twas the night before Christmas, the ship was out steaming,



Sailors stood watch while others were dreaming.



They lived in a crowd with racks tight and small,

In a 80-man berthing, cramped one and all.



I had come down the stack with presents to give,

And to see inside just who might perhaps live.



I looked all about, a strange sight did I see,

No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.



No stockings were hung, shined boots close at hand,

On the bulkhead hung pictures of a far distant land.



They had medals and badges and awards of all kind,

And a sober thought came into my mind.



For this place was different, so dark and so dreary,

I had found the house of a Sailor, once I saw clearly.



A Sailor lay sleeping, silent and alone,

Curled up in a rack and dreaming of home.



The face was so gentle, the room squared away,

This was the United States Sailor today.



This was the hero I saw on TV,

Defending our country so we could be free.



I realized the families that I would visit this night,

Owed their lives to these Sailors lay willing to fight.



Soon round the world, the children would play,

And grownups would celebrate on Christmas Day.



They all enjoyed freedom each day of the year,

Because of the Sailor, like the one lying here.



I couldn't help wonder how many lay alone,

On a cold Christmas Eve on a sea, far from home.



The very thought brought a tear to my eye,

I dropped to my knees and started to cry.



The Sailor awakened and I heard a calm voice,

"Santa, don't cry, this life is my choice."



"Defending the seas all the days of the year,

So others may live and be free with no fear."



I thought for a moment, what a difficult road,

To live a life guided by honor and code.



After all it's Christmas Eve and the ship's underway!

But freedom isn't free and it's the sailors who pay.



The Sailor say's to our country "be free and sleep tight,

No harm will come, not on my watch and not on this night.



The Sailor rolled over and drifted to sleep,

I couldn't control it, I continued to weep.



I kept watch for hours, so silent, so still,

I watched as the Sailor shivered from the night's cold chill.

I didn't want to leave on that cold dark night,

This guardian of honor so willing to fight.



The Sailor rolled over and with a voice strong and sure,

Commanded, "Carry on Santa, It's Christmas, and All is Secure!"

[Melissa (Tucson)]

Geez Molly, you could have given me some warning......lol

[Diane (Gage's Mom)]

Count me in!

[Roxann]

Count me in too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Molly Molly Fo Folly]

Geez you ladies ROCK !!

[carols_kitchen]

How do we send a request out to our friends, since it only supports 100 at a time? I want to get more involved!!!!

[Molly Molly Fo Folly]

LOL Carol you on the same thought as Mary and I are !! We have over 5000 members that I know would help if they just knew about this !!
I had trouble with this also :(

[Mary, Proud Mom of Nick]

Great suggestion Carol - I think that is a Ning question! Or you would have to do it in groups of 100 and less per message. You sure have ALOT of friends!!!

[diane {Shawns mom}]

Morning ladies, after yesterday, I feel like I have been hit by a truck, quite a large one at that. * I am burnt out....ya all know what i mean.*
Anywho.....I do know from my personal experience, which is new remember, my sailor didn't have a phone card with him..so I mail one yesterday...just so he will have one {now granted he does have a cell] but who knows what good that is gonna do...
I do know...that he needed things toothbrush and toothpaste...phone card...little things really will and do mean alot....
I have gotten my daughter Melissa's work involved, she works at a daycare...they love the idea and are gonna have kids make cards for the sailors...And we we box em' up{just like Molly suggested} and mail them Sept. 1st.
Burnt out and love ya all,
Diane
xoxoxo