Article published Nov 29, 2007
Family sends cheer to Marines
By Nathan Mueller
STAFF WRITER

Jennifer Cook and her family sat around the dinner table last Thursday preparing to eat their Thanksgiving feast.

But something was missing.

No, it wasn't the cranberry sauce or the bread rolls. It was her son — U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Lawrence Renew — who is stationed at Camp Fallujah in Iraq.

"It's just not the same," she said. "There is such a huge void without him, and that is when the anxiety kicks in."

But while Renew will not be home for the holidays, his family is always thinking about him. His mother sent him a toy chicken he had on Thanksgiving since he was a little kid, so a part of his family was with him too.

Renew, 21, was deployed to Iraq Oct. 10 with Platoon 2049 of G Company for a minimum tour of 15 months. The South Lyon High School graduate briefly went to college before deciding to join the Marines.

Immediately, Cook told him that she would not allow it, but he told her that he gave the decision a lot of thought and he wanted to do something to make a difference. He spent two years training in North and South Carolina and in California before being sent to Iraq.

When he left for his tour of duty, it was such an emotional moment that Cook could not even watch him leave.

"Everyday I am afraid that I am going to get that phone call or that knock on the door that everyone dreads," she said.

But about twice a week she gets the phone call that she said "lights me right up." They talk about how things are going back home, what he is doing in Iraq and, of course, his baby sister, Angelica Cook.

Angelica is what keeps him going every day, Jennifer said. The 6-year-old Brummer Elementary student carries a picture of her brother in her purse, and is always yelling at mom to give her the phone when he is on the other line.

"I miss him very much and his hugging and snuggling," Angelica said. "He said he misses me a lot, too."

Angelica and Lawrence's brother, Stephen Renew, help Jennifer cope, but she still has moments where she worries about her oldest son. After talking to a few people, she was told to start a project that would help her son and also help take her mind off things.

Because her son, and the 46 other Marines in his platoon are going to be gone for Christmas, she wanted to make sure they had gifts to open. Cook started a program a few weeks ago called "Holiday Support for Our Soldiers," to give them some necessities they lack and also some things they can use for pleasure.

And her project has already been met with support from the community. Numerous businesses in the area have offered to be drop centers for gifts, while others have donated items.

Auriel Jewelry is making a cash donation; Cattails Golf Course donated 1,000 golf balls and 12 sand wedges; Angelica's class at Brummer made Christmas cards; and some people Cook works with at Schoolcraft College made donations. The manager at McDonalds also put Cook in contact with a woman who has done projects like this for troops before and the woman is donating a lot of the stuff she has received.

Drop centers for gifts include Big Boy, BrewWaters Coffee, Diane's Doll House, Tuffy's, ACO Hardware and Woodland Ridge.

"It is a wonderful idea and I was real excited," said Diane Roest, owner of Diane's Doll House who already has put some of her own items in the drop box. "Everyone either knows someone or has a friend or relative or neighbor that knows someone that is serving. We need to do our part to remember them."

Cook said some of the items the soldiers want are things that will help them pass the time. She said when she talks to Lawrence he constantly harps about how bored he and the other marines get. He even got shot in the arm by a pellet gun when he and some friends were messing around.

"I'm glad he is bored and not out in battle," Cook said. "I'll take boredom any day."

The program is accepting gifts until Dec. 21, and Cook will then package the items and mail them Jan. 2 to the marines. She is sending them a flyer by Christmas to tell them what they are going to get.

For more information or to donate, call Jennifer at (24 446-9434. Monetary donations also are accepted.

Contact staff writer Nathan Mueller (24 437-2011 or at nmueller@gannett.com.

Ellie