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Operation Voices and
Love
Story by Spc. William E. Henry, Indiana
Army National Guard
Posted: April 25, 2008
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| Tanner
Brown makes a catch during festivities held at French Lick
Resort’s Windsor Ballroom, French Lick,
Ind., during
Operation Voices of Love, April 5. Hundreds of bears were
donated to the Optimists Club by the Old National Bank group
for the families of 1st Battalion, 151st Infantry Regiment
Soldiers currently deployed with the 76th Infantry Brigade
Combat Team. Photo by Spc. William E. Henry, Indiana National Guard |
FRENCH LICK, Ind. - Family members of deployed
Soldiers gathered to receive bears with recorded audio messages from
Soldiers, at French Lick Resort’s Windsor Ballroom, French Lick,
Ind., April 5.
Local Optimist Club
members teamed up with Old National Bank to provide and distribute
families with hundred of stuffed bears personalized by Soldiers of
the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team’s, 1st Battalion, 151st
Infantry Regiment.
Diane Vankamp, Optimist
Club of Jasper member, said she thinks this project will help the
children of deployed Soldiers.
“The bears will comfort
them when they feel alone and remind them of their loved one,” said Vankamp.
Games, fun and prizes were
part of the festivities of the day. Clowns were on hand to provide
balloons and Optimist Club members helped with extra entertainment
for the children.
The Windsor Ballroom and
food were provided by French Lick Resort for the event.
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| Danica
Kleeman draws a picture for her father during Operation
Voices and Love in French Lick, Ind.,April 5.
He is deployed to
Iraq
with the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Hundreds of
bears were donated to the Optimists Club by the Old National
Bank group for the families of 1st Bn, 151st Infantry
Regiment Soldiers currently deployed with the 76th IBCT.
Photo by: Pfc. Antonio Archer,
Indiana
Army National Guard. |
The Adjutant General of
Indiana, Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger, expressed his gratitude to
the families for their sacrifice during this deployment.
“You all should be
extremely proud of your loved ones. They’re the few in this nation
serving for the many, said Maj. Gen. Umbarger.
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