thedrifter
04-14-09, 05:16 AM
April 14, 2009
Web connects couple to troops
By TIM ZATZARINY Jr.
Staff Writer
MILLVILLE -- Watching the war in Iraq and Afghanistan on television, Catherine and Peter Boyce wanted to do something for the troops overseas.
So, they went online and found www.anysoldier.com, a Web site where servicemen and women can act as individual points of contact for their units.
That Web site allows people like the Boyces to send letters and care packages to the troops, and actually put a face and name to the recipient.
Soon, the Boyces will get to talk face-to-face with one of the U.S. Marines they befriended through the site, but have never met in person.
Marine Capt. Kurt Lipusz is scheduled to visit the Boyces at their Millville home for a few days early next month.
"I'm a Marine mom all of the sudden," Catherine Boyce, 53, said in an interview this week.
One of the Boyce's daughters, Amy Sibert, was an ensign in the U.S. Coast Guard, and another daughter, Rose Ryon, is a sergeant first class in the U.S. Army.
(Ryon also is a soprano vocalist with the U.S. Army Field Band and Soldiers' Chorus, which performed at Lakeside Middle School in February.)
Through Anysoldier.com, the Boyce family corresponds with military personnel in all branches of the service, regularly sending letters, e-mails and packages containing items such as toiletries and DVDs.
The Boyces also collect toys and clothing that can be distributed by troops to children in Iraq and Afghanistan. Such a simple gesture helps the troops establish a relationship with locals, who in turn provide valuable intelligence, Catherine Boyce said.
Lipusz could not be reached for comment via e-mail. But, another Marine they've befriended said the letters, e-mails and care packages boost morale and help the Marines do their jobs.
"Because of your support, villages are pointing to enemy positions, giving us valuable intelligence, and telling us where the weapons caches are located," wrote Gunnery Sgt. Curtis Rice in a Jan. 29 posting on Anysoldier.com.
Rice is stationed in Afghanistan.
Knowing they're appreciated back home makes life in the desert a little easier for the troops, he said.
"I know you all are busy with your personal lives, but it speaks volumes when you take the time to think of us," Rice wrote.
One note goes a long way overseas when it's shared with an entire unit, Catherine Boyce said.
"Everybody reads the letters," she said. "We really don't even know how far the letters our family have sent go."
Lipusz, 34, commands a supply unit in Iraq.
He is originally from Connecticut, but is stationed in North Carolina, Catherine Boyce said.
While he is on leave, Lipusz will ride his motorcycle to Millville and arrive sometime around May 4, she said.
The Boyces, who own Delmont Sawmill in Maurice River Township, plan to take Lipusz fishing on the Delaware Bay.
"We told him to forget the sandbox and go get wet," Catherine Boyce said with a laugh.
She said she was surprised to learn about the large number of military personnel fighting overseas who have little or no family back home.
"To find out how many soldiers are forgotten over there" was disheartening, she said. "We want them to know we haven't forgotten them and we care and they're not alone."
Additional Facts
ON THE WEB
www.anysoldier.com
Ellie
Web connects couple to troops
By TIM ZATZARINY Jr.
Staff Writer
MILLVILLE -- Watching the war in Iraq and Afghanistan on television, Catherine and Peter Boyce wanted to do something for the troops overseas.
So, they went online and found www.anysoldier.com, a Web site where servicemen and women can act as individual points of contact for their units.
That Web site allows people like the Boyces to send letters and care packages to the troops, and actually put a face and name to the recipient.
Soon, the Boyces will get to talk face-to-face with one of the U.S. Marines they befriended through the site, but have never met in person.
Marine Capt. Kurt Lipusz is scheduled to visit the Boyces at their Millville home for a few days early next month.
"I'm a Marine mom all of the sudden," Catherine Boyce, 53, said in an interview this week.
One of the Boyce's daughters, Amy Sibert, was an ensign in the U.S. Coast Guard, and another daughter, Rose Ryon, is a sergeant first class in the U.S. Army.
(Ryon also is a soprano vocalist with the U.S. Army Field Band and Soldiers' Chorus, which performed at Lakeside Middle School in February.)
Through Anysoldier.com, the Boyce family corresponds with military personnel in all branches of the service, regularly sending letters, e-mails and packages containing items such as toiletries and DVDs.
The Boyces also collect toys and clothing that can be distributed by troops to children in Iraq and Afghanistan. Such a simple gesture helps the troops establish a relationship with locals, who in turn provide valuable intelligence, Catherine Boyce said.
Lipusz could not be reached for comment via e-mail. But, another Marine they've befriended said the letters, e-mails and care packages boost morale and help the Marines do their jobs.
"Because of your support, villages are pointing to enemy positions, giving us valuable intelligence, and telling us where the weapons caches are located," wrote Gunnery Sgt. Curtis Rice in a Jan. 29 posting on Anysoldier.com.
Rice is stationed in Afghanistan.
Knowing they're appreciated back home makes life in the desert a little easier for the troops, he said.
"I know you all are busy with your personal lives, but it speaks volumes when you take the time to think of us," Rice wrote.
One note goes a long way overseas when it's shared with an entire unit, Catherine Boyce said.
"Everybody reads the letters," she said. "We really don't even know how far the letters our family have sent go."
Lipusz, 34, commands a supply unit in Iraq.
He is originally from Connecticut, but is stationed in North Carolina, Catherine Boyce said.
While he is on leave, Lipusz will ride his motorcycle to Millville and arrive sometime around May 4, she said.
The Boyces, who own Delmont Sawmill in Maurice River Township, plan to take Lipusz fishing on the Delaware Bay.
"We told him to forget the sandbox and go get wet," Catherine Boyce said with a laugh.
She said she was surprised to learn about the large number of military personnel fighting overseas who have little or no family back home.
"To find out how many soldiers are forgotten over there" was disheartening, she said. "We want them to know we haven't forgotten them and we care and they're not alone."
Additional Facts
ON THE WEB
www.anysoldier.com
Ellie