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Christmas in July
(by Megan Burrow - June 24, 2008)
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Photograph Courtesy Of George De Rosa
Sgt. Devin Butler, U.S. Army, was recently home on leave and stopped by the Legion Hut to thank the legion and the community for all the cards and letters he received last year. He is currently back in the Middle East. Pictured left to right: Post 162 member, Neil Hering, Sgt. Butler, Past Cmdr. McCarthy.
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When George De Rosa was a member of the United States Navy during the Korean War, he didn’t receive much mail from home. He spent four years aboard a Navy Icebreaker, sailing in the arctic, and also made tours to , , and .
“My mother spoke mostly Spanish and my father was busy working most of the time,” he explained. “But, whenever a letter did come, it made my day.”
Since 2005, De Rosa, a member of the American Legion, Post 162 in Hillsdale, has been involved in gathering letters and cards to send to soldiers.
De Rosa explained his experiences in the Navy made him appreciate the importance of news from home to soldiers serving abroad.
“During World War II, , and , soldiers would receive mail every three to five weeks. Soldiers would perk up when mail clerk called ‘mail call’ and would be disappointed if they didn’t have any.”
He says his memories of the excitement of receiving mail are “what personally drives me to promote letters to the troops.”
He estimated that since the project began, the legion has collected and shipped over 2,000 letters and cards from the public. The letters are shipped overseas – many to soldiers in and – as well as to bases around the United States. They also send a copy of local newspapers to keep soldiers informed of what is going on in the community while they have been away.
Each year, the Legion collects the letters for the project in June in order to mail them out in time for “Christmas in July.” De Rosa said the legion always receives many thank you notes from soldiers abroad expressing their gratitude for the reminders of home.
“Due to computers and e-mail, people can be in contact all the time,” De Rosa said. “Still, soldiers often tell us how much they appreciate getting cards and letters from the community.”
“We want to show them that we’re not just thinking about them only on the holidays.”
The legion will be collecting unstamped letters and cards until July 21 at Hillsdale Borough Hall, the Hillsdale Post Office, or the Legion Hall at 98 Legion Place.
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