A Son's Request Spreads

Soldiers of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division braved the bitter cold at the opening of the new 'Hammer Links' driving range on Forward Operating Base Hammer. The construction of the driving range was a combined effort from Soldiers and Kellogg, Brown and Root employees. The golf equipment was sent to Iraq by generous American's from across the country.

The garage of Mark and Veronica Andres of Berwyn, Ill., is bursting with the generosity of some local people. The generosity has come in the form of golf balls and clubs. The Andres' run a charity 'Support Our Troops' that collects golf equipment and sends it to forward deployed Soldiers.

Soldiers of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division form a chain to help unload thousands of golf balls and numerous sets of golf clubs from a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. The golf balls and clubs were donated by some very generous American's from across the country.
Pfc. Kristen E. Kelley, 26th Brigade Support Battalion, Petroleum Heavy Vehicle Operator, takes a swing at the opening of the new 'Hammer Links' Driving Range at Forward Operating Base Hammer.

By Sgt. 1st Class Wendy Marie Butts
Multi-National Corps-Iraq, Photojournalist

A small request from a U.S. Army Soldier deployed in Iraq back to his parents has transformed into a large effort that has spread across the country. Many generous and supportive Americans went out of their way to help forward deployed Soldiers relieve some stress and provide a little relaxation at various austere Forward Operating Bases and Camps throughout Iraq.

Army Maj Mark C. Andres, Aide-de-Camp, Multi-National Corps-Iraq asked his parents, Mark and Veronica Andres, from Berwyn, Ill., to send him some golf supplies instead of the regular ‘care packages’. “That is the last thing I thought he would ask for!” explained dad, Mark Andres.

Mark and Veronica Andres run a charity ‘Support Our Troops’ from their home. Veronica said, “I went into mom-mode. When your kids ask for something you just do it.” Well do it they did!

There have been many people who have assisted the Andres’ in fulfilling their sons’ request.

One such lady is the late Kathy Voss; she was a long time friend of Veronica Andres and an employee of Hinsdale Bank. Veronica said, “Kathy put a bug in the bank executive’s ear and was the first to help ‘Support Our Troops’. “She offered to share the bank’s space at the ‘Uniquely Thursday’ events in Hinsdale.” The space was used to pass out flyers and provide information on the program.

“The President of Hinsdale Bank, Dennis Jones, got the bank to donate $500 to our postage fund at the very beginning,” stated Mark. “The first 10 boxes of golf clubs were courtesy of Hinsdale Bank.”

The bank also set up collection points so people could go in and drop off golf balls and golf clubs.

“The banks would send me an email when a load needed to be picked up and I would go there after work,” Mark said.

A retired railroad worker, Gail Meintzer, from Green Bay, Wis., heard about the “Support Our Troops” project from some family members in Hinsdale. Meintzer keeps in contact via email with many of his fellow retirees who span the United States and he shared details about the project with them. Mark said, “hundreds of boxes of golf balls my son has received was due to the efforts of this man and his retired friends.”

“Katie Evans from ‘The Villages’ in Florida heard about us from Gail Meintzer down the line of emails. She has written about our project and has helped generate multitudes of donations,” said Mark.

Meintzer’s email chain gained another eager participant, James Dyser, also from The Villages, Fla. Meintzer said, “I felt it would be a worthwhile program so I took it to the American Legion Post 347 Commander who took it to the Post Executive Committee where it was overwhelmingly endorsed.”

In addition to the efforts by local citizens the Hinsdale Golf Club wanted to participate.

“Alice Mansell, a friend of Veronica, got the Hinsdale Golf Club involved in the collection and donation effort,” said Andres. The golf club donated golf balls and golf clubs.

Projects like the one the Andres’ have taken on can not be done alone.

“We have had many many volunteers. The local Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, a local school assisted as a class project and journalists have come by to help us package up the donations,” said Veronica.

Andres was surprised by the results of his request and wanted to help spread the golf equipment he received to some outlying areas throughout Iraq. He arranged a special flight of two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and loaded them with more than 20,000 golf balls and 10 sets of golf clubs and put into action ‘Operation Golf Drop’.

“After we started to receive such a flood of supplies I realized that there had to be other Soldiers who could use this stuff as well. I knew how much hitting a couple of golf balls helped me and I wanted other Soldiers who face the danger of combat on a daily basis to have the ability to relax and enjoy something normal,” said Andres.

The FOBs that received the ‘drops’ were FOB Hammer and FOB Kalsu. The Soldiers of the FOBs prepared and constructed driving ranges in anticipation of the golf drop.

The ‘Hammer Links’ driving range is located at FOB Hammer and was constructed by a mix of Soldiers and Kellogg, Brown and Root employees. Army Staff Sgt. Freeman Slavens, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 203d Brigade Support Battalion, said it took them about 16 hours to construct the driving range. He said he was a prior construction worker so that experience helped.

The Kalsu driving range was not fully completed due to weather conditions but that did not stop the Soldiers from busting the boxes of clubs and balls open when they arrived.

Once completed, it will feature a 250-foot fully enclosed area that will be able to accommodate three Soldiers abreast.

Army Master Sgt. Dale Hissim, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 26th Brigade Support Battalion, FOB Kalsu driving range project manager, said that they ‘have received a lot of support and assistance from contractors so the range should be completed in no time.’

The Soldiers who have received some of the equipment donated and collected through the Andres’ efforts were surprised at the generosity and plan on using the equipment as a way to relieve some of the stress of being in a combat zone.

“This driving range will allow Soldiers to get away from the daily grind both on and off the FOB and hopefully take their mind off of the war and out of Iraq if only for a little while,” said Army Maj Spenser O. Ashford, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 26th Brigade Support Battalion.

Andres summed up his thoughts with, “a whole lot of everyday people heard that Soldiers wanted something simple and they knew that they could make a difference; so they did. A small percentage of our population is serving in uniform and the majority of Americans have no personal link to the troops. People want to help our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines but just don’t know how. I believe that’s why we had such a huge outpouring of support. I just wanted to say that I am personally very grateful for everyone’s generosity.”