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Soldiers of the Kentucky 101st Airborne Division have found a helping hand and emotional support from the City of Malibu.
The division’s Alpha Company, the 2nd Battalion of the 101st Airborne, was initially adopted by the city in 2002. Citizens are now being recruited to write letters to a soldier through a pen-pal program facilitated by nonprofit group Americans Supporting Americans, which connects civilians with soldiers.
About 80 soldiers from Alpha Company have requested adoption, and a few have been matched with families who will write letters and send supplies to their soldier. Many of the soldiers who participate in the program do not have enough support from family or friends, and letters from volunteers can make all the difference.
“I’m grinning from ear to ear. I so appreciate what you’re doing for my boys, our boys,” said the mother of one soldier, who must remain anonymous while her son is deployed.
The 101st Division has had a distinguished military career, participating in World War II as well as the Vietnam War. Jeff Jennings, a Malibu City Council member, was awarded the Bronze Star with the division during the Vietnam War.
Mayor pro tem Ken Kearsley was the first to seek out a program that would connect city residents with men and women serving in the military.
Because the city council cannot allocate money directly to the project, Kearsley said the members of the council are only facilitating awareness of the program and promoting citizen participation.
Marissa Coughlan was appointed in 2004 as a liaison between the city and Alpha Company.
Alpha Company, also known as the “Gators,” was deployed to Iraq on Sept. 27.
Coughlan said she woke up at 2 a.m. to say goodbye in a phone call to Fort Campbell, Ky.
“It just really tugged at my heartstrings, like they were my own sons,” Coughlan said.
She said she was moved by the soldiers’ commitment to their mission and to each other.
“They all need support from our nation,” Coughlan said. “They’re there, watching our backs. It’s important that we take care of each other.”
On July 4, 2003, two soldiers from Alpha Company visited Malibu, for a patriotic ceremony in Bluff’s Park, to get to know the people who had adopted their company.
First Sgt. Brent Holman and Sgt. 1st Class Steven Johnson, along with their wives, were picked up from the airport in a limousine, stayed in a hotel overlooking the ocean, and dined at Malibu’s restaurants, thanks to the generous donations of many city residents.
Kearsley and his wife, Barbara, wrote to Holman during his time with Alpha Company, and have continued corresponding with him, now that he has retired from military service.
“He became a personal friend,” Ken said. “When you adopt a soldier, it’s a two-way street.”
Malibu residents have participated in several projects to raise money to meet the needs of their adopted soldiers. Coughlan said the group sold T-shirts to give the servicemen a going-away party and later raised money to donate under-armor shirts. This year, the group is raising money to donate high-tech equipment for Alpha Company, to be used during their tour of duty in Iraq.
Coughlan said the soldiers have many needs, and that volunteers are looking for new, creative ways to obtain resources for the troops. Kearsley said one of the major needs within the company is a need for simple comforts like CDs and cookies, and especially human contact through letters.
Kearsley said the purpose of the program was to help the men of Alpha Company and shouldn’t be politicized.
“The program is not for the city of Malibu; it’s for the soldiers,” Kearsley said. “It’s not about politics. It’s not about the war. It’s about supporting our troops.”
Submitted 11-17-2005
MALIBU, CA
