thedrifter
06-16-07, 07:48 AM
Some unhappy with vest progress
By FRED BROWN, brownf@knews.com
June 16, 2007
Javier LaRosa, who has been fighting with the military to provide better body armor for Marines in Iraq, now faces a battle on another front.
Rob Papadopoulos, a Knoxville man who operates Internet radio sites and who has designed a Web page for the LaRosa fund drive, said critics are complaining that LaRosa is not fulfilling a promise he made to donors to the fund.
"Our main concern is a lot of people are beginning to think this is a hoax," said Papadopoulos in an e-mail to the News Sentinel.
LaRosa, of Maryville, countered that he said from the beginning that the fundraising effort, under the name of Our 12 Marines, would outfit his son, Lance Cpl. Alex LaRosa, who is in training with other Marines expected to ship out to Iraq soon.
The senior LaRosa said that after his son, he would provide upgraded flak vests for his son's company of combat engineers.
After that, he said he would continue to supply any soldier who wanted an upgraded vest as long as the money was there.
To date, LaRosa said he has collected $26,000 in the Our 12 Marines bank account.
Papadopoulos, who says he is a former U.S. Navy Seal, said his understanding was that the money being collected was for all military personnel.
"And I've got six guys who need the body armor now," he said.
"I never made it a secret that even though we want this to be for all services, we were of course biased toward our son, a Marine," LaRosa said.
"We started with the Marines. And this is one of the reasons I have been crying for corporate support," LaRosa said.
"If we had (big) corporate sponsors, then by all means we could provide soldiers with vests," he said.
"I never said we were not going to help," LaRosa said.
Papadopoulos also complained that not only is LaRosa unwilling to supply money to purchase flak vests for several soldiers in Iraq currently, but "this is all about him. He never gives those who donate money recognition."
Papadopoulos owns Deadly Waves Radio at www.deadly-waves-radio.com.
He said he started out helping LaRosa but is now considering opening a fundraising drive that would provide money to buy the same body armor LaRosa is purchasing from ArmorShield Inc. of Stearns, Ky. That flak jacket system is light and protective against shrapnel and powerful rifle firepower.
LaRosa said he is meeting with the ArmorShield managers and U.S. Marine Corps ballistics experts next month in an attempt to sway the Marines to use the ArmorShield body armor system.
Papadopoulos said he has gotten the same price offer from ArmorShield and is considering turning his Operation Armor into a full fund-raising effort.
Senior Writer Fred Brown may be reached at 865-342-6427.
Ellie
By FRED BROWN, brownf@knews.com
June 16, 2007
Javier LaRosa, who has been fighting with the military to provide better body armor for Marines in Iraq, now faces a battle on another front.
Rob Papadopoulos, a Knoxville man who operates Internet radio sites and who has designed a Web page for the LaRosa fund drive, said critics are complaining that LaRosa is not fulfilling a promise he made to donors to the fund.
"Our main concern is a lot of people are beginning to think this is a hoax," said Papadopoulos in an e-mail to the News Sentinel.
LaRosa, of Maryville, countered that he said from the beginning that the fundraising effort, under the name of Our 12 Marines, would outfit his son, Lance Cpl. Alex LaRosa, who is in training with other Marines expected to ship out to Iraq soon.
The senior LaRosa said that after his son, he would provide upgraded flak vests for his son's company of combat engineers.
After that, he said he would continue to supply any soldier who wanted an upgraded vest as long as the money was there.
To date, LaRosa said he has collected $26,000 in the Our 12 Marines bank account.
Papadopoulos, who says he is a former U.S. Navy Seal, said his understanding was that the money being collected was for all military personnel.
"And I've got six guys who need the body armor now," he said.
"I never made it a secret that even though we want this to be for all services, we were of course biased toward our son, a Marine," LaRosa said.
"We started with the Marines. And this is one of the reasons I have been crying for corporate support," LaRosa said.
"If we had (big) corporate sponsors, then by all means we could provide soldiers with vests," he said.
"I never said we were not going to help," LaRosa said.
Papadopoulos also complained that not only is LaRosa unwilling to supply money to purchase flak vests for several soldiers in Iraq currently, but "this is all about him. He never gives those who donate money recognition."
Papadopoulos owns Deadly Waves Radio at www.deadly-waves-radio.com.
He said he started out helping LaRosa but is now considering opening a fundraising drive that would provide money to buy the same body armor LaRosa is purchasing from ArmorShield Inc. of Stearns, Ky. That flak jacket system is light and protective against shrapnel and powerful rifle firepower.
LaRosa said he is meeting with the ArmorShield managers and U.S. Marine Corps ballistics experts next month in an attempt to sway the Marines to use the ArmorShield body armor system.
Papadopoulos said he has gotten the same price offer from ArmorShield and is considering turning his Operation Armor into a full fund-raising effort.
Senior Writer Fred Brown may be reached at 865-342-6427.
Ellie