Dear Head of Christiana Presbyterian Church-
Hope ya'll had a great Christmas and are looking
forward to a wonderful New Year!
I want to send a sincere and hearty "thank you"
for the very pleasant surprise we received from you
just a couple of days prior to Christmas day.
About 20 December we received the gift bags you had so thoughtfully made. Additionally, I received photos from my dad that showed you all filling the bags with the gifts. No doubt, the Soldiers recognize the time, effort, and organization that went into making such a gratuitous gift. We very much appreciate the care you took for our benefit!
The Soldiers of the 612th have been the recipients of not only your thoughtful gift, but of another Presbyterian church as well. The thoughtful contribution from the other church, in conjunction with yours, definitely complimented one another! Chester Presbyterian Church in Virginia, a church me and my wife attended while serving at Fort Lee, was kind enough to send cookies.
On the night of the 23rd, we held a small Christmas party in a conference room at our operations area. We choose the 23rd given our desire to give junior Soldiers additional time off on the 24th and 25th. We held the party in conjunction with a "shift change", as we run 24 hour operations, even during Christmas.
I placed a small Christmas tree, sent to us by my wife, in the center of the conference table. Around the tree, with assistance of the lieutenants, we placed the gifts, cookies, and other treats. I spoke a few words about who had sent all we were about to share and the care with which all was done. Additionally, I shared photos with the Soldiers showing you all putting the gifts together. I received many a thanks from the Soldiers to be passed on to all of you.
The party lasted only about 20 minutes; gifts had been passed out, some photo's taken, and with that a convoy arrived to the front gate of our current base. This set the Soldiers in motion to handle their mission tasks. I had placed Ziploc bags out for the Soldiers to take goodies with them; many a Soldier took the opportunity to quickly pack away a cookie and chocolate for a later treat.
Again, I send my heartfelt thanks and that of the Soldiers. They really did appreciate your thoughtful gifts, and it most definitely lifted spirits despite being away from home on Christmas.
Pax-
Tim Crispin
