NEWS, SPORTS, COMMENTARY, POLITICS for Gloucester City and the Surrounding Areas of South Jersey and Philadelphia
YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW!
By
Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
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| WASHINGTON, March 25, 2008 - In 1967, Robert Hutchinson was a young soldier
serving in the jungles of Vietnam. He was concerned that the men in his unit
weren't getting enough mail from home.
Members of 4th Platoon, Company A, 1st
Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, pose for a photo
while serving in Vietnam. They were part of the unit adopted by San Mateo,
Calif., in 1968. Courtesy photo
(Click photo for
screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.
| | Sgt.
Joe Artavia's letter home to his sister, Linda Patterson, asking her to find a
city to adopt his unit made a huge difference to Hutchinson and his comrades,
Hutchinson said.
"The adoption of our company by the city of San Mateo
(Calif.) and your personal dedication to our unit is a matter of great pride to
me as well as to many of my brothers-in-arms," Hutchinson wrote in a recent
letter to Patterson.
Though Artavia was killed March 24, 1968, he did
learn that his request had been fulfilled.
After a March 17 American
Forces Press Service story highlighted both the city and Patterson's 40-plus
years of troop support, others are following Hutchinson's lead and are
contacting Patterson.
Though she is hearing from veterans, she's also
hearing from current servicemembers regarding her organization, "America
Supporting Americans," which works to have communities across the country adopt
military units.
"We are hearing (of) a lot of units registering with
(America Supporting Americans). Even Navy Seabees have contacted us," Patterson
said. "Hopefully some cities will start trickling in soon."
Patterson
also said she's excited about other opportunities to share the history of San
Mateo's relationship with Company A, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment,
101st Airborne Division.
Currently, a display at the San Mateo Public
Library conveys the story. "There is talk about circulating a moving wall of
this history across the country hopefully to inspire others to join (America
Supporting Americans') Adopt a Unit program," she said.
In addition,
Patterson said she hopes to take a small contingent of representatives from her
organization to visit adopted units in Iraq. The trip would be similar to the
then-unprecedented trip she made to Vietnam nearly four decades ago.
America Supporting Americans is also a supporter of America Supports
You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with
servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
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Related Sites:
America Supporting Americans
America Supports You
Related Articles:
America
Supports You: City Celebrates 40 Years of Troop Support
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Veterans and San Mateo, Calif.,
city representatives pose for a photo in front of the display case containing
the 40-plus-year history of support San Mateo and its adopted sons, the members
of Company A, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.
Courtesy photo
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 |
The American flag flying outside
the San Mateo, Calif., public library was presented by the city's current group
of "adopted sons," the members of Company A, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry
Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. The flag was flown in Iraq while the unit was
serving there. Courtesy photo
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