Church Members, Communities Support Military in Various Ways

Memorial Day gets many of us remembering our troops, past and present. For these people, remembering means much more than fond thoughts.

In 2005, after learning that several veterans in their community couldn’t afford to go out to lunch with friends and family following annual Memorial Day services in the city cemetery, members of the Simi Valley single adult ward jumped into action and organized the first annual “Salute to Arms” veterans’ buffet luncheon.

About 225 people attended. Since then, the event has become so popular that the number of participants skyrocketed to 775 last year. This year, the entire stake is involved, including the youth.

“It’s our way of uniting a community and showing veterans our sincere gratitude for their bravery and service,” said Cherie Whitaker, Simi Valley Stake public affairs specialist.

Working with volunteers from non-profit organizations like For the Troops, as well as about 60 area restaurants which donate all the food, Whitaker says each year the event gets bigger and better as they come up with more ideas for making the luncheon a more enjoyable experience for the veterans.

“This year the young women will be bringing menus to those veterans who may be too weak to stand in line at the buffet table. Then they will bring the plates of food to them,” said Whitaker. In addition, microphones will be passed to those who wish to share personal stories so they don’t have to stand on the stage.

“Some powerful moments come out of these luncheons—moments we will treasure for the rest of our lives,” said Whitaker. “These are our heroes, and they have amazing stories to tell. It’s humbling to be a part of it. People have even joined the Church as a result of this event.”

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The “Salute to Arms” luncheon is just one example of how people of all ages, both in and out of the Church, are showing their appreciation for those in the military. In fact, teenagers Brittany and Robbie Bergquist have been making a huge impact in the lives of soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan for years through their non-profit organization, Cell Phones for Soldiers (CPFS).

“Cell Phones for Soldiers started in April of 2004,” said Brittany Bergquist, now 18 years old. “It began when we heard the story about a soldier from Massachusetts who was struggling to pay his cell phone bill. His story was on TV as we were getting ready for school one morning. My immediate question to my parents was, ‘How come soldiers have to worry about paying their cell phone bills when they should just be worried about keeping themselves safe?’”

She continued, “My brother heard the conversation and we looked at each other, ran upstairs, got our piggy banks and dumped the contents out on the kitchen table. We said to our parents, ‘We are going to pay his cell phone bill for him!’”

From the first day of the program, with the $14 from their piggy banks and the $7 they collected from friends, the Bergquists’ program has grown rapidly.

“We held a car wash and bake sale that brought in more funds, and within the first month we had raised over two thousand dollars,” Bergquist recalled.

Since its inception, Cell Phones for Soldiers has collected more than four million cell phones, which are exchanged at a recycling center for cash—more than three million dollars to date. With that money, CPFS has distributed 500,000 phone cards with 60 minutes of talk time on them, giving troops and their families approximately three million minutes to speak with their loved ones. There are more than10,000 drop-off sites for used cell phones set up throughout the U.S., and the program has started to expand into Canada, too.

“Knowing that Americans are continuing to think about them while they are far from home is one of the greatest morale boosters we can give the troops,” said Bergquist. “We appreciate that [as a family] we are able to be together and know that we are lucky to be able to communicate with each other daily. We will continue CPFS as long as there are military members away from home.”

Of course, many of those serving in the military are members of the Church, and in hopes of making life easier for those members and their families, Andrew Miller, who has served as an intelligence officer in the military for the past 12 years, created saintsandpatriots.com—a website specifically for LDS military families.

“It’s about connecting Latter-day Saints with each other,” said Miller. “There is a space on the website for spouses of service people, as well as one for young single adults in the military. There is a network for each base, for each career field.”

Lee Pogue, who works with Miller on the website and is currently serving in the Army added, “When I joined the military, there were a lot of unknowns, a lot of variables. With this Web site, people can find out what it’s really like out there in the training. They can share experiences and advice. It’s a way to reduce variables and build a network within the LDS military community.”

Pogue’s wife, Megan, also helps with the website. “When we were moving, I didn’t know the best places to live, the best stores to shop at, or the best parks to take my kids to. This website will help connect wives with others who have been in their shoes and who can help them avoid making the same mistakes,” she said.

Marissa Stewart is another LDS military wife, currently living in Cheney, Wash. She is the mother of three young children, and her husband, Jared, is currently 10 months into a 13-month tour in Iraq. Drawing from her own personal experience, she offers the following advice for those wondering how best to support LDS military families:

Don’t offer to help if you won’t follow through. “I received offers to rake and mow my yard due to my allergies, only to have the people who offered not show up,” said Stewart. “Not getting help is far less frustrating than being offered help that never shows, since I then have to scramble to get the additional duties done.”

Be mindful of their priesthood needs. “When my young daughter ended up in the hospital, the person who offered to give her a blessing never showed,” recalled Stewart. “When she fell sick again and I requested a blessing, I was passed from person to person and eventually ended up driving to friends in a different ward for the blessing. To be surrounded with a blessing of such great benefit to my family but being unable to access it was very frustrating for me and for my husband who felt helpless half a world away.”

Be honest. “My husband is in a difficult place, and there is always a possibility he may not return. Dancing around the elephant in the room doesn’t make it any less real,” said Stewart. “If you’re concerned about his welfare, please say so. Believe me, I’m already worried—your genuine care for his well being won’t be the thing that makes me think about him being in a war zone. But please keep the horror stories to a minimum.”

Help feed them spiritually. “Being a single parent while worrying about and missing your other half is very, very hard—indescribably so,” said Stewart. “I rarely get a moment to myself and I cherish the opportunity to learn more of the Gospel and be lifted closer to the Savior. I will never forget the feeling of sitting in the temple as a prayer was said for troops far away from their families—a moment I never would have had without the friend who took my children and forced me to go to the temple. The gift of peace and love is immeasurable in the midst of chaos.”

Don’t put them on a pedestal. “I’m not an amazing pillar of strength,” said Stewart. “When it comes down to it, we all do what we have to in order to get by. Expecting me to be strong and cheerful and industrious adds a lot of burden when I already feel like crying and hiding under my laundry. Single parents do this alone every single day. I’m no tougher than them just because my husband wears camouflage.”

She added, “I am grateful for the friends who have taken my late night phone calls and invited us to share their holidays. My husband is able to focus more on his job and safety knowing that our community supports his family. Men in our ward roughhouse with our boys and give them some ‘guy time,’ and the young women step in to help with my daughter during sacrament, even when I stubbornly tell them I’m fine. Grocery store and library trips with three kids can be overwhelming, and people who take my kids for even short stints so I can do those things are right at the top of my ‘favorite people’ list. It’s just nice to know we have people who care, even when they don’t understand.”

For Your Information:

• The fourth annual “Salute to Arms” veterans’ buffet luncheon will be from noon to 3 p.m. on Memorial Day, May 25, at the LDS chapel on 480 Sinaloa Road, Simi Valley. The local organizations of Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Marines, Am Vets, local recruiters, police and all veterans within Simi Valley and their spouses are invited. Families of currently deployed active military service personnel are also invited. The event is only for those invited and is not open to the public. For details, e-mail salutetoarms@sbcglobal.net or call (805) 584-1222.
  
• To learn more about Cell Phones for Soldiers, visit cellphonesforsoldiers.com or e-mail cellphonesforsoldiers@yahoo.com. For Canada, visit cellphonesforsoldiers.ca.