troop letter: Robert Howard

May 04, 2006

Thank you sir again for what you have done and are doing for the troops. Your efforts have made a difference. I had one of your cigars myself with a great conversation with Chief Jones from a National Guard Unit out of Dayton, Ohio stationed at Manas and three other Senior Chiefs headed to Afghanistan. I later saw them again at Bagram. 

It was a real honor and privilege to have an opportunity to extend my appreciation for their service to so many Americans that believe what they are doing is right. ‘’We won all the battles in Vietnam and lost the war’’ because of our political system and losing the will of our fellow Americans. I pray that we can prevent that for those serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. It was an inspiration to me personally to see and share the pride of all those young brave Americans, men and women at the forefront.

Again sir, thank you and those who support your efforts!

Bob Williams replied: 
Dear Robert,

Thank you for all the kind words. Especially from someone who has earned our nations highest honor. Chief Cherry told me about your visit, and I would respectfully ask that you send me your mailing address. I would like to send you a DVD that we produce of all the wonderful pictures that the troops send me that you will never see on CNN. We have 11 slide shows now of thousands of pictures of all the good work and great things our brave men and women are doing at freedom’s front door.

Also being an old Navy guy, I have made it my mission in life to always support our military service people and to never let there be another Vietnam. I am joined in this effort by some very dear friends who I would go to war with anytime. I am sure you noticed the picture below as you walked out of various rooms at Manas. That was a brain child of Col. Steve Kelly, an old Huey driver and previous base commander of Manas. I cannot thank you enough for taking time to visit our brave men and women serving abroad. It is people like you that give them inspiration and let them know that people at home really care.

I thought I probably had the most exciting trip an old sailor can have when I sailed back on the John C Stennis but I have to say that the 10 days I spent with our troops at Manas, getting up at 0300 and going to the Chow Hall and talking with the ones going down range and being able to give them all a knife, a bunch of Starbucks, and a cigar beats that. This overjoyed everybody and as they started to thank me it was so great to be able to tell them that all this stuff was given to me for them by a bunch of people back home that really appreciate what they’re doing and that I was just the worn out sailor bringing it over to them.

Once again, thank you for continuing service for your country.

Bob Williams

Robert Howard
San Antonio, Texas