My son Conor

[love2sing]

I know that many of you are aware that my son is in the United States Marine Corp. He has been stationed in Afghanistan for at least the next 7 months. If any of you can find the time in your busy schedules to be able to write him a letter if only to say hello, I would be ever so appreciative. I know he may not know you, but he knows of you and I know he would love to hear from you.

I have spoken to him 3 times since he arrived there on October 17th and he says there are explosions and gunfire going off all the time, but that he is used to it...God bless my son, I don't know how anyone gets used to that. Please see address below and thank you from the bottom of my heart:



PFC Conor Wood
3-8 I Co.
Unit 73255
FPO AE 09510-3255

[zebrarette]

Linda....I will be sending Conor something today. I will be saying extra prayers for Conor's safety and safe return home. Hang in there....sending you big hugs......... Oh..if I want to send a care package (baby wipes, gum, candy, etc.)..can I use the address you have on this post? Let me know.

[bayougirl]

I sure will send him something. My prayers are with him and you as well.

[Pacdaddy]

L2S my and my family will send him some letters of coarse. He's already in our prayers.

[shoeluvr]

Linda, you should be very proud! what can he use? what about phone cards?

[ZSHOTS]

Linda, you should be very proud! what can he use? what about phone cards?
I can sure send him a note of thanks etc.-- but list of things needed would be a great help please let us know-

[Zephead]

Of course Linda, but as others have said let us know what he can use. I think we should send Randy over to play for the troops!!

[love2sing]

I just want to thank you all for your responses. I was just looking to get him a few hellos from back home. I believe he can receive letters as well as packages. Yes, phone cards would be wonderful as it is the only thing all the soldiers can use to phone home.

Thank you so much, you have no idea how much I appreciate any and all that you might do.

I like the idea of Randy entertaining the troups, would love it even better if it were Zebra and I know Conor would love it. He has become a big fan!!!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

[Sue]

My cousin Colleen teaches second grade in Maryland. I have given her Conor's address and she is going to have her class write some letters to him. Colleen is also going to see if she can get some of her fellow teachers involved in a letter writing campaign to Conor as well.

[zebrarette]

Linda...I'm working on getting a care package together. I have a few other things I want to put in there before I ship it off. I wasn't exactly sure what Conor needs so...I searched the internet and found this website and thought it might be handy for anyone else that wants to send a package:

http://www.thehugsproject.com/carepackageitems.html

I will be sending my package off in the next day or two.

[love2sing]

Just got off the phone with Conor, I am home sick today and glad that I am as I would never have been able to speak to him as long as I did if I were at work. He is being sent to one of the worst places in Afghanistan for the next few months, he was not at liberty to say where, but it is referred to as "the shit"

He did tell me it is freezing there and he would probably die from hypothermia before ever being shot. THANK YOU ANGIE, for that website. I will tell you that Conor has lost 30 lbs and he's only been there one month. As a mom I was horrified to hear that, but obviously it is out of my control. He asked for any non-perishable food to be sent, especially protein bars. He said it takes about 25 days to receive any mail from the time it is sent from the states and reaches the soldiers there. I sent him one thing at the end of October and he still hasn't received it yet.

Thank you all for anything you send to him, whether it be food or just a friendly hello. I TRULY APPRECIATE IT FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!!!

[zebrarette]

25 DAYS!!! DAMN!!! I better get that package out today! I've got some last minute items I want to pack in there so...Keeping you and your family in my prayers Linda. MUAH! :angel:

[chinarain62]

Just got off the phone with Conor, I am home sick today and glad that I am as I would never have been able to speak to him as long as I did if I were at work. He is being sent to one of the worst places in Afghanistan for the next few months, he was not at liberty to say where, but it is referred to as "the shit"

He did tell me it is freezing there and he would probably die from hypothermia before ever being shot. THANK YOU ANGIE, for that website. I will tell you that Conor has lost 30 lbs and he's only been there one month. As a mom I was horrified to hear that, but obviously it is out of my control. He asked for any non-perishable food to be sent, especially protein bars. He said it takes about 25 days to receive any mail from the time it is sent from the states and reaches the soldiers there. I sent him one thing at the end of October and he still hasn't received it yet.

Thank you all for anything you send to him, whether it be food or just a friendly hello. I TRULY APPRECIATE IT FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!!!


So....is the address you posted the one to send pkgs too?

[ZSHOTS]

Do you know if he will be able to listen to a CD if I send one ??

[love2sing]

So....is the address you posted the one to send pkgs too?

Yes, the address that I posted is the one to send packages to. Thank you.

[love2sing]

Do you know if he will be able to listen to a CD if I send one ??

I don't know for sure, but it can't hurt I suppose...he does have his laptop with him and he has been online, but I'm not sure what his access might be to that now.

[shoeluvr]

Linda, I bought a few phone cards im going to send him, (anyone sending a phone card b sure to get internation not domestic) 1 have a question, should i activate it here for him, the instruction r a little unclear, can he dial an 800 number from there?

[love2sing]

I really don't know what to tell you Lynn with regard to that, but I thank you for your generosity.

[zebrarette]

The package is on it's way! FINALLY!!!! The post office told me it should only take 10-12 days...depending on the mail service in Afghanistan and where Conor is stationed..it might take longer depending on those factors. I'm sure with the holidays..it might take 25 days. L2S....let me know when Conor gets it. My mom is sending one next week.

[love2sing]

I was fortunate enough to hear from Conor yesterday; he was able to call me for Thanksgiving. He said no one can imagine how bad it is over there. Bombs and gunfire going off all over the place. He was supposed to be moved to Malva Afghanistan (extremely dangerous place to be) a couple of days ago; the Marines lost men there recently. His commanding officer insisted that he needed Conor to stay with him and I am so thankful for that. He is one of 2 radio operators for his unit, the other officer is a higher rank, that of Corporal, however, Conor arrived there first and because of that has seniority over the Corporal. Conor is in charge of all communications for the guys in his unit. Says it is a huge responsibility. I told him he must be doing a great job if his commanding officer argued for him to stay put.

He said he went out last week and drove around (must always go out in groups of 4) the area for 6 hours. Said you must swerve any time you see what might look like a pot hole or anything suspicious because they plant bombs all over the road. He said. "I guess I did ok mom, driving for 6 hours, I didn't get us blown up." I'm so glad he has my sense of humor.

Said the temps there are very erratic, it was 30 one day and 95 the next. Said the other day a bomb went off very close to the little tin shack he works in all day and it was so resounding that the building shook and all his stuff fell off the wall, he said he was really pissed off over that because he had to set everything back up again to operate. Again, great sense of humor.

He did say it is very scary over there and needless to say I was filled with mixed emotions. He made me laugh and he made me cry. He did say that the British provided them with some sort of Thanksgiving dinner, but that it couldn't compare to mine and he would give anything to have my apple pie. Sadly, I know that would never hold up in the mail. Well, I am off to the post office to send him some food.

Thank you one and all for anything and everything...

I love you all...

[zebrarette]

Thank you so much for this update....you are right...thank goodness his sense of humor is still there...lol...and kudos to Conor..for his commander to do that says a lot! NICE! I thought about Conor yesterday..wondering if he might get some kinda dinner. Keep the updates coming Linda.

[love2sing]

I just want to give a special thanks to Felix, Guy, and Randy for dedicating a song to Conor and a thank you to Felix for announcing that Conor's address can be found here on the board if anyone wants to write or send something.

You know I love the 3 of you and thank you again!

[love2sing]

I also want to share another story; I went to the Post Office in Ronkonkoma on Friday to mail 4 boxes that contained non-perishable food to Conor. I am great for carrying no cash and relying on my debit card. As luck would have it,the debit/credit machine was down and it was 'cash only.' As I turned to leave 2 people insisted on paying for the boxes to be sent stating it would be an honor to do this as a thank you to my son for serving our country.

Needless to say it was a very emotional moment for me and I was grateful for the generosity and kindness that came from strangers who saved me from having to go back and forth.

[NY DREAMER]

Linda,

I sent Connor a package. I used the sight Treats for Troops. Great sight. My office will be sending him a joint package shortly. Please tell him I said THANK YOU AND SEMPER FI!! Much love my friend...

[shoeluvr]

I also want to share another story; I went to the Post Office in Ronkonkoma on Friday to mail 4 boxes that contained non-perishable food to Conor. I am great for carrying no cash and relying on my debit card. As luck would have it,the debit/credit machine was down and it was 'cash only.' As I turned to leave 2 people insisted on paying for the boxes to be sent stating it would be an honor to do this as a thank you to my son for serving our country.

Needless to say it was a very emotional moment for me and I was grateful for the generosity and kindness that came from strangers who saved me from having to go back and forth.

That is so great, and so right. What a great feeling that must have gave you. I feel like crying.

[78 zebra man]

Very nice touch!!!!

[love2sing]

I heard from him on Monday, he is well and wants me to thank all of you who have sent him things. He told me he couldn't believe all the stuf he has received from everyone. He would like to send a personal thank you, but is under strict instruction to destroy all addresses that are on correspondence for your protection.

He has received a date to come home and that is May 7th, nice Mother's Day gift for me.

He says he can't believe the conditions that these people live under and it really does make you appreciate the smallest thing that you usually would take for granted.

Thank you once again for keeping Conor in your thoughts and sending him packages/letters. I truly appreciate all that you have done.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a Healthy and Happy New Year to all!!!

[chinarain62]

May 7 will be here before you know it! Keeping you in thought and prayer my friend....

[love2sing]

Heard from my son on Christmas, which was the best gift I could get and then he called me yesterday. He will be on a 45 day mission, so I will not hear from him for a while. I had sent him a small Christmas tree about 10 inches tall and his fellow soldiers told him to get rid of some of his stuff and to pack light for the upcoming mission. They told him to get rid of the tree, but he said he couldn't. He would dump other stuff, but never anything that his mom sent him and never the Christmas tree.

(The military provided stockings for the soldiers made from camouflage material, but no Christmas tree or Christmas dinner, they did provide a Thanksgiving dinner last month)

Anyway, he says he is doing well, but that it is cold over there and will get colder. Thank you again for all you do.

Love,
Linda

[zebrarette]

Will he be able to get packages even though he is on this misson? I haven't been able to get another package together...
Let me know.
Thanks.

[love2sing]

Yes, he will come back to them, they leave them on their bunks. He is like a kid in a candy store when he comes back to packages. I guess we would all be like that. He says it is a God forsaken place, but he definitely has a great sense of humor about it all.

He told me the time difference is 9 and 1/2 hours ahead of our time. I asked him how can there be a half hour difference and he said "mom, this place is so shitty they can't even get the time right" I had to laugh at that.

[NY DREAMER]

I am glad to hear is o.k. I hope he like what I sent him. My boss sent him something also. When he comes home we need to meet him and say a great big thank you for protecting us!! Please send him my best Linda...:flag_usa:

[NY DREAMER]

Hey Linda,

Just wondering if you heard from your son recently? Everything o.k.? Still keeping him and the rest of our troops in my prayers. Hope all is well...

[bayougirl]

I second that Anita. Linda how are things?

[shoeluvr]

I hope he knows we all think, and thank him. Does he need anything else sent over? Can u list some things again? Is his address the same?

[zebrarette]

Yeah..haven't heard anything in a while..hope he is OK. I've been wanting to send another box but...time has slipped away from me. I'm going to work on the box this week. Any news Linda?

[love2sing]

I have not heard from Conor since January 2nd, and the call was brief as we were disconnected. I can tell you that 2 young men from his company died on the mission they were all on. One died January 1st, he was from the Bronx and another died January 24th and he was from Brooklyn. Needless to say I am anxious to hear from Conor. He has tried to call me twice, but I have missed the calls. :(

I sent him thermal underwear that he requested and hot hands and toes and I sent him some more food. He loves Doritos chips, so I sent them and tuna and peanut butter and granola bars. His address is the still the same and I do appreciate all of you for your continuing concern for Conor's well being.

Thank you so much. I will be sure to let you know the minute I hear from him.

I love you all for all you have done and continue to do.

[love2sing]

I just heard from him today for the first time since 12/27. He has been moved around a lot since this mission began and is currently in a place where he can get on the internet and use a satellite phone to call home. He is still on his mission; it was extended. He said it is very bad there and that one day he is talking to someone and the next day they're dead. Said he wouldn't tell me any details as he knew I would get too upset, but said that he thinks he will be okay. Said there is negative and positive things happening there.

Conor is due to come home May 7th and the military is giving them a huge welcome home celebration at Camp LeJeune as they are the first group of Marines returning from Afghanistan from the East Coast. I spoke with him for 30 minutes and he was hoping to call me back today at 3 PM EST, but I have not heard from him again.

Note to Pete Muinos:

Conor got the letters from Daniel's class and says thank you.

[Pacdaddy]

Great Linda, We have been keeping him in our prayers. Let's hope time flies safely to May 7.

[chinarain62]

Always in prayer Linda - both of you.

[love2sing]

He will be home on American soil in 58 days and I cannot wait to see him. The countdown begins.

Once again, thank you all for what you did for Conor, anything and everything he received was very much appreciated.

[crizman]

congrats -home for good or just a visit?

[SHOELUVRSIS]

Thats great news! - I can't imagine how excited you are!
Thank HIM from all of us!

[love2sing]

congrats -home for good or just a visit?

home to Camp Lejeune, NC
and then eventually a 19 day leave to come home to Long Island.

[love2sing]

Thats great news! - I can't imagine how excited you are!
Thank HIM from all of us!

He wants no thanks, he is very happy being a Marine and serving his country