[UPDATE: Welcome, Stand-To! readers! Valour-IT is a project of Soldiers' Angels providing nearly 850 adaptive laptop computers to OIF/OEF wounded so far. You can find more behind-the-scenes info at the project blog, the official website, and a recent article on pbs.org.]
Soldiers' Angels/Valour-IT has recently received more thank you notes from laptop recipients. The first comes from a female soldier (somewhat of a rarity among the wounded we serve):
To Soldiers' Angels,
I wanted to express my gratitude for the computer I was given by all of you. Words cannot convey how very much this means to me. I have never had a laptop before, and being an E-4 I would not have been able to afford one for some time to come. All of you are Godsends. Thank you so much. I wish there was some way I could repay you for this. Thank you again.Most Sincerely,
Specialist W
And this, from another type of soldier who is somewhat rare among the lists of wounded:
Thank you for the computer donated that I picked up at [the hospital] today. Organizations like Soldiers Angels that reach out to service members are never forgotten and are always in our hearts.
Our jobs as service members are just like anybody else's jobs. We are proud of what we do as servicemembers, but we never see the real reality of our jobs until we go to war. We never wanted to see the reality because if we are lucky we come back normal or the other.
My injuries during my deployment to Iraq, which consist of burns and other injuries, I have finally accepted. And with the generosity of your organization, it brings a lot of comfort to my recovery.
When I was in the burn ward I was probably the first senior-ranking person as a patient. When I was recovering with therapy with the other servicemembers, they thought I was one of the lower ranking personel. When I told the servicemember I was a master sergeant, he was really surprised and shook my hand and said," Only lower-ranking people get hurt or killed!" He felt good that at least someone in a leadership position cares! His statement brings back to [mind] your organization, an organization that cares and reaches out. Thank you again, from myself and my family, and the servicememnbers and their families.
MSG A
Just two more people who have been touched by Valour-IT, thanks to generous donors and dedicated volunteers...
