Louisiana veterans receive OCW donations
Veterans at the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center in Shreveport, La., received gifts March 6 from American Legion Post 122 and its Sons of The American Legion squadron as part of the Operation Comfort Warriors (OCW) program.
The gift drive was spearheaded by Post 122 Commander Tina Cielatka, whose 12-year-old son, Brian, came up with the idea for the squadron’s first service project. SAL members helped collect and distribute more than $2,000 worth of items for the veterans — less than a month since the squadron became official Feb. 19.
The Sons put together gift bags for 50 veterans that included items such as games, pens, puzzles, little Bibles, prayer books, small American flags and God Bless America lapel pins. In addition, the veterans also received toiletry items such as shampoo, soap, razors and more. The Sons also donated clothes, art supplies and boxes of model trains, planes and cars to the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center.
Accompanied by Post 122 members, all three of Cielatka’s sons (Brian, Frankie and Tarek) presented the donations and thanked the vets for their service.
“Brian walked into one room with me when the veteran looked into the bag and didn’t quite know what to say,” Cielatka said. “He looked up teary-eyed and said, ‘I paid for this with 25 years of my life.’ Brian told him, ‘Thank you for doing what you did so I can be free.’”
Every veteran not only received a gift bag, but also a handshake and a “thank you for your service” from one of Cielatka’s sons.
Cielatka was impressed with the effort by her children, the squadron and the local community that pitched in. She was mostly taken with how quickly the squadron worked, after all it was less than a month since the squadron was approved, thanks to Brian.
“My sons were the reason that this got started,” Cielatka said. “Brian got me started out; he wanted to be in a Sons squadron. He told me, 'Mommy, I want to wear the hat like you.'”
OCW program manager James Ellison attended the ceremony and offered his support.
“It was very encouraging to see our young generation honoring those who served our country,” Ellison said. “To see the way they greeted and thanked the patients – wishing them well – was great. It may not have meant a lot to the kids right now, but it will when they get older, and I know that their presence meant a lot to the veterans.”
