thedrifter
12-25-08, 06:32 AM
Jacksonville USO Hosts Marines for Christmas
Peter Biello
WILMINGTON, NC (2008-12-25) The Jacksonville USO says it expects an unusually large number of Marines will take advantage of today's free Christmas dinner.
Organizers expect as many as a thousand Marines and their family members will show up at the USO's tables. That's because this year's donations included free transportation.
One donor offered the use of his bus to bring Marines and their family members from Camp Johnson to the USO.
Jacksonville USO Assistant Director Angela Espinoza says having free transportation will help more Marines use this program.
"There's a lot of people, a lot of service members, that aren't going to have the opportunity to travel home," says Espinoza.
"And we like to consider ourselves their home away from home. We like to extend the invitation and say, You're part of the family, we want to serve you, we want to be here for you and just say thank you."
The Jacksonville USO has been offering a free Christmas dinner to Marines and their family members since it opened in the 1940s.
Do you have insight or expertise on this topic? Please e-mail us, we'd like to hear from you. news@whqr.org.
Ellie
Peter Biello
WILMINGTON, NC (2008-12-25) The Jacksonville USO says it expects an unusually large number of Marines will take advantage of today's free Christmas dinner.
Organizers expect as many as a thousand Marines and their family members will show up at the USO's tables. That's because this year's donations included free transportation.
One donor offered the use of his bus to bring Marines and their family members from Camp Johnson to the USO.
Jacksonville USO Assistant Director Angela Espinoza says having free transportation will help more Marines use this program.
"There's a lot of people, a lot of service members, that aren't going to have the opportunity to travel home," says Espinoza.
"And we like to consider ourselves their home away from home. We like to extend the invitation and say, You're part of the family, we want to serve you, we want to be here for you and just say thank you."
The Jacksonville USO has been offering a free Christmas dinner to Marines and their family members since it opened in the 1940s.
Do you have insight or expertise on this topic? Please e-mail us, we'd like to hear from you. news@whqr.org.
Ellie