International Military Phone Card Stories
ways to help with a military prepaid phone card
by VFW Phone Card Program and its vfw members
1st one to think about around father day from International Military Phone Card Stories
Next to His Heart...A Father's Story
Parents of two-year olds cherish the changes that seem to occur right before their eyes as their children grow. Everyday a new expression or word. A new discovery.
For Sgt. Shoukat Mughal, missing his daughter grow and not being able to watch her experience the world is a painful reality of his life as a soldier.
"I'm missing a lot by not getting to see my daughter grow up. I won't get another chance to do it either," he shares. "I hope she doesn't question me later in life, 'Dad, why weren't you there at my first birthday?'"
Although he couldn't be there to celebrate his daughter's big day with her, he was able to call home using his Operation Uplink phone card.
"Being able to call home on her 1st birthday meant everything to me," explains Mughal. "All I wanted to hear her say was 'daddy.'
"Duty calls, but by using the phone card from VFW it doesn't feel like I'm so many miles away from my daughter," he says. "It feels like she's next to my heart."
Mughal is grateful to the VFW for all that they do to support America's troops.
"VFW is doing a great job sending phone cards to soldiers. The organization moves step by step with soldiers in combat."
2.Military Phone Card Story
Patriotic Piggies Hit Paydirt
January 2006--Mary Mulhall needed a fundraising idea. After adopting three units her resources were running short, but she was determined to raise enough money to include Operation Uplink phone cards in the care packages she was preparing.
“I heard about Operation Uplink on the radio,” Mulhall explains. “I just think it’s so important.”
“My husband is a Vietnam Veteran, and he always says how different it would’ve made his experience if he would’ve been able to call home,” she says.
Eventually, inspiration struck. Mulhall arrived at the idea of decorating piggy banks in patriotic colors and enlisting the help of her grandson, nieces, nephews and children in her neighborhood to raise funds. Based in Boca Raton, Fla., she even sent the piggy banks to her family in Missouri and Colorado to help with the effort.
“People thought it was great and the kids got a huge response,” said Mulhall. “They did everything from taking the piggy banks to school, bible study and boy scouts to selling their own toys and sports equipment so they would have something to contribute themselves.”
With the assistance of two local women’s clubs – the Contemporary Federated Republican Women’s Club of Boca Raton and the Trinity Columbiettes of St. Thomas More Catholic Church of Boynton Beach – and some helpful parents that took the banks to their jobs, Mulhall and her helpers were able to raise $3,500 in two short months for Operation Uplink.
“I just did what I had to do,” she says. “I don’t think it matters what situation our troops find themselves in – they always want to talk with their families.”
3. Military Phone Card Story
The Moments That Matter
April, 2006--For Angela Nass and her two children, her
husband’s third deployment to Iraq has been
especially hard. Nass is stationed at a base in Arizona. Her nearest relatives live in Michigan and Germany.
“This deployment has been really hard on our
five-year-old daughter who has been crying almost every night,” Nass says. “She doesn’t really grasp the concept of ‘a year’ and asks for her daddy all the time.”
Her husband Stacey won’t return home until
February of 2007. Recently, Angela received an e-mail from a friend about the Operation Uplink program. She quickly requested a free phone card so her husband could call home.
“It is wonderful to get a call from my husband, especially since he wasn’t able to call when he was in Iraq the first time,” she says.
Whenever she hears from him, their five-yearold daughter is overjoyed.
“She gets so excited and tells him the littlest things about what she’s been doing or what she is wearing,” Nass shares.
Being connected is what matters the most to
the Nass family.
“Those are the little things that matter to both of them. While we cannot forget he is gone, we can enjoy some family time,” she explains.
Nass is very grateful for the Operation Uplink program and has been spreading the word to other military families.
“I have three friends, all stationed in different places, whose husbands just left last week for Iraq and Afghanistan,” Nass says. “I am sure they will be just as excited about Operation Uplink as I am.”
4. Military Phone Card Story
Tennessee Post Raises the Bar
Covington, TN., March 1, 2006--For Pete Fisher and members of VFW Post 4840 in Covington, Tennessee, "good" simply wasn’t good enough.
Last year, Post 4840 raised nearly $300 for Operation Uplink with supermarket chain Kroger through employee donations and Kroger’s matching offer. But Fisher was not completely satisfied.
“I knew we could do better,” Fisher says.
Determined, Fisher and his comrades tried a different approach. They opted to raise money by standing in front of the Kroger store in Covington, and asking customers for donations.
They had no idea how successful they would be.
“We were only planning on being out there from nine to one,” Fisher explained. “But once we got going, we decided to stay until three. The response was overwhelming.”
After four Saturdays of fundraising, the donations totaled $2,066. Along with the monetary donations, Post 4840 was also able to recruit new members.
A National Guard member who had just returned from active duty joined the Post because he was so impressed with the program. He had used a phone card while overseas and was especially grateful for the gift.
“He wanted to help because he knows what it’s like to serve and what servicemembers need,” Fisher says of the new member. “Without the phone cards, he said he probably would have gone bananas.”
When Fisher first learned of Operation Uplink, he knew it would be a good program for his Post to get involved in troops.
“You didn’t even think about calling home because you couldn’t,” Fisher says of his service in Korea. “I didn’t know of anybody that carried $20 or $30 in quarters with them.”
“But these guys have the advantage of calling home,” Fisher notes. “You can give them a boost, especially in a war. That phone call is something they cherish.”
Post 4840 earned an Operation Uplink Bronze Signal Corps award for their efforts. But Fisher is quick to point out that the recognition was not the motivation for their fundraising. Fisher and Post 4840 plan on doing this program annually.
“If you keep running fundraisers year to year, it gives you a presence in the community,” Fisher says.
“That way, people know who you are and they know you have a good cause.”
5. Military Phone Card Story
Troops Thankful for Calls Home on Valentine's Day
While most Americans celebrated Valentine’s Day with family and loved ones, thousands of American troops spent the day on active duty throughout the Middle East and other parts of the world.
Operation Uplink recently sent out an e-mail to raise more support for these brave Americans and help them call home. Some individuals on the frontline caught wind of the campaign and expressed their gratitude. For these troops, it was good to know America hasn’t forgotten them.
“I will spend my Valentine’s Day away from my family, while I serve in Kuwait,” said Mitchell B. McPherson, US Army, in an e-mail from Kuwait. “Being able to call home afforded piece of mind for myself and my family.”
SGM. Jose A. Cavazos, a deployed military member stationed in Baghdad, reiterated his sentiment.
“If you could only see the faces of the young soldiers as they get a phone card to call home,” he said. “It’s priceless. You are all doing God’s work and [are] making a difference in a lot of lives.”
Even those troops who can call home regularly were appreciative for the symbolic support.
“I am in telecommunications, so calling home has not been much of an issue for me,” wrote Army Cpl. James R. Allen. “However, it is good to know that somebody is doing not be as fortunate as I am.”
6. Military Phone Card Story
Hospitalized Veterans Receive Comfort . . . and a Way to Call Home
Loneliness is a way of life, for many hospitalized veterans. Their families are often thousands of miles away or too busy to stop by on a regular basis. Even a short visit can brighten their day . . . or an entire week.
Thomas Kaifesh, VAVS Representative for VFW Post #9400 in Phoenix, Arizona, knows firsthand how important making contact can be for these veterans. He makes sure he visits as many veterans as possible at the Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Hospital. Kaifesh particularly likes to be able to hand each of them a free Operation Uplink prepaid phone card.
"I wish I could give a card to every single veteran who stays here," he says. "But I try to reserve Operation Uplink cards for those in most need of them . . . those whose families are not close by."
"The only connection to the outside world for some of these people is the telephone," shares Kaifesh. "Sometimes, these veterans cry when I give them an Operation Uplink phone card. I remember one veteran was so delighted, he told me he'd be using the phone card to call his daughter on Christmas day."
"Many of the hospitalized veterans are lonely, away from home and family, and are sick," says Kaifesh. "When they receive one of these free phone cards, it gives them a reason to smile."
Caption: On a recent stop to the local VA hospital, Kaifesh (left) along with two other veterans, Richard Jordan and M. Frank Tipton, gave a phone card to Gwen Cochran, a hospitalized veteran.
7. Military Phone Card Story
Troops Can Afford to Call, Thanks to Operation Uplink
Taking care of your family back home . . . saving for that first house or first child . . . living as simply as possible to build your “nest egg.” In addition to day-to-day survival, these are the thoughts that run through the minds of many deployed troops. A lot of them newlyweds and first-time parents.
1st Lt. Michael Wilson remembers what it was like to be a junior-ranking servicemember. He knows firsthand that service personnel need all the support they can get as they juggle serving their country and taking care of their families.
“Most service men and women use deployment as an opportunity to save as much money as possible and live off very little,” he said. “A great deal of troops have families back home they’re taking care of, and even though we’re getting paid a little more, it never seems like it goes very far when your family is split up.”
Wilson acknowledges Operation Uplink as an asset to personnel on a budget.
“Programs like Operation Uplink are instrumental in keeping families in contact with one another,” he said. “More than anything else, it helps families who see negative things on the news and need a little peace of mind.”
While the troops do face hardship and the stress of separation, Wilson is quick to point out they do it bravely and without protest.
“Right now in Al Asad, we have 13,000+ troops and only 50 phones for morale calls. We’re trying to expand the operation but it takes time,” he says. “There are rarely complaints from the younger troops about anything, though. They’re dedicated and proud to be here,” Wilson elaborates. “Of course they miss their loved ones and families, but that’s why most of us do it –because we do care about our friends and families so much.”
That same spirit of caring and dedication is evident when Wilson speaks of how much it means to the troops that Operation Uplink phone cards come from the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
“I have noticed over the years that there is a bond between those that have served and those that are presently serving,” he shares. “It warms the heart to know that people who have already given so much are still giving.”
8. Military Phone Card Story
Children's Ideas in Action
Let loose children's creativity, and you have an abundance of ideas … and energy.
While watching NFL Monday Night Football on Veterans' Day, Suzanne Lyons heard an announcement for Operation Uplink. Lyons, an elementary school teacher, was sympathetic for the troops. She knew her fifth grade class would be, too. After an explanation about servicemember's separation from friends and family, fundraising efforts began in full swing at Sethpaine Elementary in Lake Zurich, Illinois.
"All of the students were so excited. In our class, they learn about America's history and our heritage. What we were doing has a lot to do with that," shares Lyons.
Lyons' class teamed up with Karen Lodewyck's class, another fifth grade class at the school, for a total of 48 students. The students "crunched" their brains to generate fundraising ideas, like transforming the school into a hair and nail salon, a craft corner, and a bakery.
Soon, the efforts were underway. Hair was fixed up, nails were painted, bookmarks were made, and sweets were sold. All because students were eager to help American troops.
The hair and nails were undoubtedly the crowd pleasers. Students had their nails painted, the favorite color was bright blue, or their hair styled for 50 cents. Even the principal had her hair styled, to support her students and Operation Uplink.
And the hard work didn't stop there. The fifth grade students were so energized, they decided to perform several plays; each of which had a moral and patriotic theme. The students worked hard making backdrops, designing costumes, and memorizing lines.
To make it a community-wide effort, the fifth graders reached out to local businesses and their neighbors. The students brushed up on their selling skills. They called local businesses and passed out fliers to raise money for Operation Uplink.
The quarters from here and there piled up. Once it was all said and done - the fifth graders raised $715 for Operation Uplink.
"People are leaving their families to fight for freedom. That was something that the students could relate to," commented Lyons. "It was their driving motivation."
9. Military Phone Card Story
Newly Married and Newly Deployed; Extended Separations Stresses Couples
Your wedding day.
There's nothing quite like it . . . the optimism, the romance, the excitement of a new beginning.
But for many servicemembers, the day is bittersweet. Scores of them are immediately deployed to Iraq and other volatile areas within the first few weeks of their marriage. Capt. Jesse Goldman, U.S. Army, knows that bittersweet feeling firsthand.
After meeting Annie, "the love of his life," in July 2004, he soon learned he would be deployed six months later. In December of 2004, they married, and three weeks later he was on his way to Iraq. Today, Goldman is stationed in Baghdad, where he will be until January 2006.
"I can't even express with words how hard it was to leave her," Goldman said. "Everything in my life was falling into place, then came the deployment. It is so difficult to start a new life 'together,' when we aren't 'together,' in person anyway."
But while these couples may not be together physically, they work hard to be together emotionally. Phone calls home through Operation Uplink provide a lifeline to military families.
"Phone calls can't replace being able to see each other, but it does help immensely in feeling closer," Goldman said. "Sometimes, we talk about the simplest things ... what we ate for lunch or what she bought shopping. We try so hard to stay involved in each other's daily lives."
But that isn't always easy.
Many service members can go weeks, even months, without a single phone call home. Spouses wait, worry and fear the "knock on the door." Goldman counts himself fortunate because he has access to a phone and can make calls fairly regularly.
"Many troops in the field hardly ever get to talk to their families. I remember what that was like from serving in Bosnia," he says. "Operation Uplink provides such an incredible morale booster."
"I think I would rather not eat or sleep for a day than miss my phone call with Annie," Goldman admits.
"We hear from hundreds of newly married servicemembers who so cherish the minutes Operation Uplink makes possible," says Linda Ferguson, Operation Uplink manager. "There's nothing like hearing your spouse's voice."
10. Military Phone Card Story
Captain Jesse Goldman married Annie on December 31, 2004, and
was deployed just three short weeks later.
Doral Smokers Demonstrate Troop Support
Kansas City, MO, Jan. 21, 2005--The Veterans of Foreign Wars' Operation Uplink program has nearly a half a million dollars more today to assist America's troops as a result of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company's generous donation to the veterans organization's phone card program.
R.J. Reynolds program--"Seals for Soldiers Fund"--asked Doral smokers from across the country to donate pack seals from Doral-brand cigarettes. For every seal received, the brand pledged to make a donation to Operation Uplink, the VFW's phone card program that gives free calling time to U.S. soldiers and hospitalized veterans.
VFW Communications Director Jerry Newberry, who represented the VFW in a check presentation at R.J. Reynolds headquarters in Winston-Salem, N.C., said the VFW is extremely grateful for Doral smokers for showing their support for America's men and women in uniform.
"They should take pride knowing that their donation will help nearly 63,000 of our military members 'connect' to loved ones back home," Newberry said. "Sure a lot of our troops have e-mail resources that keep the communication lines open, but IMs (real-time instant messaging) and an inbox full of e-mails lack the human connection: a 'voice' behind the message. And bringing a voice to the frontline is what Operation Uplink is all about because it both boosts the morale of the deployed servicemember and comforts the loved one back home."
"Although we were amazed at the tremendous response in such a short time, we were not surprised by Doral smokers' generosity," said
Rob Dunham, vice president of savings brand marketing for R.J. Reynolds. "This is quite an expression of gratitude to all the brave
men and women of our armed forces for their sacrifice and dedication. We're honored to be able to play a part in helping Doral smokers show their support."
Wayne Shahan, a Doral smoker from Kent,Ohio, who donated more than 5,000 pack seals, said he could understand why Doral smokers responded in such great numbers. "Having served in the Air Force, I can tell you how much it means to be able to have contact with loved ones while stationed overseas. It's the simple things that really do make an impact on morale and mean so much."
11. Military Phone Card Story
Troops Can Afford to Call, Thanks to Operation Uplink
Taking care of your family back home . . . saving for that first house or first child . . . living as simply as possible to build your “nest egg.” In addition to day-to-day survival, these are the thoughts that run through the minds of many deployed troops. A lot of them newlyweds and first-time parents.
1st Lt. Michael Wilson remembers what it was like to be a junior-ranking servicemember. He knows firsthand that service personnel need all the support they can get as they juggle serving their country and taking care of their families.
“Most service men and women use deployment as an opportunity to save as much money as possible and live off very little,” he said. “A great deal of troops have families back home they’re taking care of, and even though we’re getting paid a little more, it never seems like it goes very far when your family is split up.”
Wilson acknowledges Operation Uplink as an asset to personnel on a budget.
“Programs like Operation Uplink are instrumental in keeping families in contact with one another,” he said. “More than anything else, it helps families who see negative things on the news and need a little peace of mind.”
While the troops do face hardship and the stress of separation, Wilson is quick to point out they do it bravely and without protest.
“Right now in Al Asad, we have 13,000+ troops and only 50 phones for morale calls. We’re trying to expand the operation but it takes time,” he says. “There are rarely complaints from the younger troops about anything, though. They’re dedicated and proud to be here,” Wilson elaborates. “Of course they miss their loved ones and families, but that’s why most of us do it –because we do care about our friends and families so much.”
That same spirit of caring and dedication is evident when Wilson speaks of how much it means to the troops that Operation Uplink phone cards come from the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
“I have noticed over the years that there is a bond between those that have served and those that are presently serving,” he shares. “It warms the heart to know that people who have already given so much are still giving.”
12. Military Phone Card Story
Familiar Voices Help Heal Wounds
January, 2005--Dick Kennedy doesn't shock easily. After all, the former Marine joined the Army in 1960 and completed two tours in Vietnam.
Kennedy certainly didn't expect to be taken aback when he visited 168 wounded American troops at the U.S. Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, on Christmas Day.
He's seen more than his share of war wounds. But what surprised him was the way some of the wounded talked about Operation Uplink.
"They didn't understand why strangers were helping them," explains Kennedy, who has been the VFW's POW/MIA Chairman of Europe since 1993. "They were surprised at how much support they were getting from everyone. They all had super things to say about Operation Uplink, though." Kennedy, who lives in Lampertheim, Germany, believes one reason the troops feel so alone is because the American press reports on the war on terror so "negatively."
So when he informed the servicemembers that the majority of the U.S. truly is behind them, some broke down in tears.
"Sir, I'm going to use this card to call my wife and two small children as soon as I get to a phone," one wounded servicemember told Kennedy, who became emotional even recalling the encounter.
About once a month, Kennedy makes his regular two-hour, roundtrip drive to the medical center. In addition, when he learns troops wounded in recent tragedies will receive care in Landstuhl, Kennedy makes special trips to visit his comrades.
Many of the servicemembers he visited on Christmas, for example, were wounded in the mess hall bombing in Mosul, Iraq, on December 21.
"These men and women who serve our country today deserve to be treated better than we were during and after the Vietnam War," he says.
Kennedy said he believes today's military members are treated better than in the past, and he points to Operation Uplink as an example.
"I think that it is one of the best things that the VFW has ever done - or ever will do," he said. "And the troops really thank you."
13. Military Phone Card Story
Elementary Students Use Small Change to Make a Big Difference
When it comes to easing the loneliness our servicemen and women experience while they're called away from home every little bit helps - literally. The Ladies Auxiliary to Carroll P. Foster VFW Post #3455 in Anna, IL proved this when they challenged local school children to save $25 in pennies for Operation Uplink. At Cobden Elementary, the children accepted the challenge and responded by shattering the goal set for them by delivering 17,500 pennies - totaling $175 - to the Ladies Auxiliary VFW.
In recognition of their efforts, the students were presented with a Certificate of Appreciation issued by VFW Commander-in-Chief, James N. Goldsmith. At an all-school assembly the children were read heartfelt words of thanks from the recipients of the phone cards.
15.Military Phone Card Story
Children's Ideas in Action
Let loose children's creativity, and you have an abundance of ideas … and energy.
While watching NFL Monday Night Football on Veterans' Day, Suzanne Lyons heard an announcement for Operation Uplink. Lyons, an elementary school teacher, was sympathetic for the troops. She knew her fifth grade class would be, too. After an explanation about servicemember's separation from friends and family, fundraising efforts began in full swing at Sethpaine Elementary in Lake Zurich, Illinois.
"All of the students were so excited. In our class, they learn about America's history and our heritage. What we were doing has a lot to do with that," shares Lyons.
Lyons' class teamed up with Karen Lodewyck's class, another fifth grade class at the school, for a total of 48 students. The students "crunched" their brains to generate fundraising ideas, like transforming the school into a hair and nail salon, a craft corner, and a bakery.
Soon, the efforts were underway. Hair was fixed up, nails were painted, bookmarks were made, and sweets were sold. All because students were eager to help American troops.
The hair and nails were undoubtedly the crowd pleasers. Students had their nails painted, the favorite color was bright blue, or their hair styled for 50 cents. Even the principal had her hair styled, to support her students and Operation Uplink.
And the hard work didn't stop there. The fifth grade students were so energized, they decided to perform several plays; each of which had a moral and patriotic theme. The students worked hard making backdrops, designing costumes, and memorizing lines.
To make it a community-wide effort, the fifth graders reached out to local businesses and their neighbors. The students brushed up on their selling skills. They called local businesses and passed out fliers to raise money for Operation Uplink.
The quarters from here and there piled up. Once it was all said and done - the fifth graders raised $715 for Operation Uplink.
"People are leaving their families to fight for freedom. That was something that the students could relate to," commented Lyons. "It was their driving motivation."
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