Q&A: Terrebonne’s Williams enjoying busy summer
July 11, 2012
Blackouts still plague St. Mary
July 11, 2012
By CLAUDETTE OLIVIER
claudette@tri-parishtimes.com
Thanks to his mom’s efforts, Army Sgt. Ryan Chiasson of Schriever, who is currently on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan, is still able to enjoy his favorite beef jerky.
But not all soldiers stationed abroad are getting those extra comforts of home.
“A lot of people think that all the soldiers are home or are on their way home, so that’s why we are not getting much in the way of donations for our care packages that we send to soldiers,” said Blue Star Mothers of Louisiana Houma Chapter President Suzie Johnston. “The president is saying they are coming home, and he is turning around and sending soldiers to Afghanistan.”
The Houma chapter was started in 2006 and has members from Lafourche, St. Mary and Terrebonne parishes. All 14 of the local members’ children are home, with the exception of Chiasson, whose parents are Marlene and Perry Chiasson of Schriever. Ryan will be home in September.
“He is swarmed by other soldiers when they know I am sending him beef jerky from Bourgeois’s Meat Market in Thibodaux,” said Chiasson’s mother Marlene, who has been a Blue Star Mothers member for two years. “He also likes for me to send him cookies, crackers and peanut butter, things that all don’t go bad too quickly.”
As Chiasson counts the days until her son returns, she, her fellow Blue Star Mothers members and other volunteers assemble care packages twice a year.
But because of the general consensus that all soldiers are on their way home or are already home, the June 23 packaging fell far shy of the 518 boxes that were requested.
“We had 75 volunteers helping out, and we only had enough supplies to put together 200 care packages,” Johnston, also of Schriever, said. “It’s a lack of money and lack of donations. We would like to do this more than twice a year, but the cost to ship the packages is also not cheap.”
Beef jerky and drink mixes are the two most popular food items, and wet wipes are the most requested toiletry item.
“Wet wipes are the most indispensable out of all 63 items on the list,” Johnston said. “They want these the most. They are lifesavers to them.”
The group is not allowed to send any pork products or religious items in respect of the other country’s customs. Food and toiletries are shipped separately, a lesson the club had to learn the hard way.
“We had a box come back and the homemade cookies tasted like foot powder,” Johnston said, laughing. “We learned our lesson right there, to ship two boxes. During the winter in Iraq and Afghanistan, we also get a lot of requests for chocolate.”
In addition to gathering supplies, the group is also trying to save money on shipping the items overseas, but so far has had no luck with its endeavor.
“We sent out 1,000 packages last year and we still had to spend $50,000 on shipping and supplies,” Johnston said. “We tried to get Congress to lower the price to ship the boxes, but they wouldn’t.”
At $12 per flat-rate box, the group’s standard method of shipping, the latest packaging of 200 boxes cost $2,400 to send overseas.
Even with the group’s valiant efforts, there are still soldiers stationed abroad who don’t receive anything from their families who are stateside.
“It’s a crying shame how many kids are over there that don’t get anything from home,” Johnston said. “We ask the soldiers who we send packages to get their names so we can mail items to the as well. We just had a request from the Soldiers Angels organization to send care packages to a hospital in Germany, so we sent them 12.”
Like Johnston, Chiasson wants to make sure that those stationed overseas have a little bit of home while they serve their country more than 7,000 miles away.
“I can’t imagine being overseas, serving your country and no one sends you anything,” Chiasson said. “It’s like no one cares, but we will send them care packages of kind gesture.”
Even with her son William Johnston IV, a Marine who served three tours of duty in Iraq, back in the United States, the chapter’s president plans to keep collecting for those still serving the country.
“I want the community to know that we still need help,” Johnston said. “We won’t stop doing this ‘til all the soldiers are home. The president says they’ll all be home by 2014, but you never know what will come up between now and then.”
Johnston, who served three tours of duty in Iraq, is out of the service and home for good.
“He calls himself an official Louisiana citizen [now that he is back permanently],” Johnston said, laughing.
As Chiasson waits for her son’s return, she will keep the home fires burning with her Blue Star Mothers duties and find support within the group.
“When I joined, I saw how much need there was in the group,” Chiasson said. “It’s really hard trying to get these resources but I found my passion when I found this group. I know I need to do this to help other soldiers.
“The group is a constant support system. When things are not going well, you can talk to them and see what other people have gone through.”
Like many other parents before her, Chiasson is keeping in touch with her child through technology.
“The hard part is when they phone once a week and even just once every few weeks and, if you miss the call, there is no way to call them back,” Chiasson said. “Thank God for the Internet. They are able to keep up with what is going on at home.”
To learn more about the local project, visit www.bluestarmomsla2.com or call Johnston at (985) 447-5200.
Grant Babin of Houma carries boxes during Blue Star Mothers of Houma’s latest care package event. About 75 people helped to box items like toothbrushes, beef jerky and drink mix, which were sent to troops stationed overseas.
