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First Day of Giving
Well today was the first day for me to give out donations. We took 5 vehicles, two .50 cal machine guns and 3, 249 machine guns for added protection. Giving out donations to a group of kids puts you in a vulnerable situation. When we arrived, it was like a ghost town; it seemed no one was there. All it takes is for one child to stick its head out. And the next thing you know they all start running out like a breed of stalkers. Our plan of attack was to mark each Childs hand with a blue marker so we'd know if they've already been through. Well we brought down a big box of shoes, and before I could even set it down, about 50 Iraqi kids had already emptied it.. I knew from there the "blue marker" idea was out the window. The best we could do is have the guys hand me items and i would pick a child.. Doing my best to remember faces to prevent double tapping. We handed out tooth brushes, school supplies, toys, soccer balls and water. The kids didn't know how to behave themselves. And my Arabic is only selective words. So i couldn't explain what was going on. We did out best. And made sure every child was satisfied. When we finished, we still had enough donations to go to other villages. So off we went. Over all it was a much rewarding, safe day. I feel a sense of guilt being the only one to be able to see the faces of the lives you've all affected. This was our first trip, but not our last. As for when i returned, i had 20 more boxes in the mail today... It's rewarding. And we soldiers are sincerely grateful for your help. What you're doing makes our lives a little safer. Your actions show that we're here to help. We're here to endure their hardships and whether you're for or against the war, you showed that you are compassionate for humanity. Your actions depict the true American way. I would have never thought that my love for MMA would find me the greatest breed of men and woman in the world. I'm honored to know the name Jeff Sherwood. I'm truly taken back by the amount of support you've all shown. I apologize for the intensity of my emotion right now, but anyone who could have been standing there; putting smiles on these children’s faces... you'd know how it felt. You'd feel like a champ.. And today. everyone who helped...you're all Champions. God bless, and stay tuned for pictures. Mike.
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