It has been five months since the Alpha Company of the 168th Infantry Regiment departed from the Carroll Athletic Stadium to begin their 12-month deployment to Iraq, and community members are being asked to send the soldiers reminders of home for the holidays. Operation Gratitude: Iraq Edition is being led by Jeff Dentlinger with the Carroll County Farm Bureau. Dentlinger, who is a veteran himself, says Alpha Company and the 2,000 or so other Iowa soldiers will be about halfway through their deployment during Thanksgiving and Christmas, and a simple “thank you” goes a long way.
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Dentlinger says they aren’t specifically collecting care packages or gifts. Rather, they are asking for photos and letters to serve as reminders of home.
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Dentlinger adds that the content of the letter isn’t really all that important; it is more about letting the soldiers know they are remembered back home and what is happening in their communities. Dentlinger says there are several ways to ensure the messages reach their intended recipients in Iraq.
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Again, the deadline to drop off letters and photos is Friday, Nov. 14, at the nearest Farm Bureau Office, the Carroll Broadcasting front office, or the National Guard Armories in Carroll, Denison, Red Oak, or Council Bluffs.
