Maine native praises Bangor’s troop greeters

Those wonderful letters of appreciation for the troop greeters at Bangor International Airport keep arriving, but this one was especially poignant.

It was written by author and magazine writer Gus Gregory of Santa Cruz, Calif., a name that might be very familiar to people in the Bucksport area, since he grew up in that community.

The Korean War veteran recognized that the subject of his letter, which he titled “A Great American Happening,” may be “old hat” to us, he wrote, “but having witnessed the happening for the first time, it was refreshing to me.”

It was 4 a.m. Thursday, July 15, when Gregory and his wife “watched approximately 320 U.S. Marines, who had just returned from combat duty in Iraq, be welcomed and tended to by 30-35 older citizens from various organizations within the Bangor area,” he wrote.

“They bid the tired defenders of our country welcome and, from a vacant store within the lobby area, offered the Marines fresh fruit, cookies, coffee and sodas that had been collected from Sam’s Club, businesses and individuals in the community.

“The Marines had use of 40 cell phones and free calling time donated by Unicel Corp., to call their families,” he added.

Describing the relationship between the troops and the greeters, Gregory reported that he “saw wet cheeks on both our brave military and supportive civilians’ faces and, as our military departed, there were loud cheers and thank-yous from the well-wishers.”

Gregory wrote he asked “an ATM guard if this scene goes on for all military flights and he responded, ‘Yes, Sir.'”

“And, as a Vietnam veteran, my heart swells each time it occurs.

“You see, when we left for and returned from Vietnam, no one seemed to care or appreciate what we were assigned to do, and the Maine Troop Greeters want to make sure that this never happens again to any of our American troops regardless of the conflict and that our service personnel are appreciated for their sacrifices and are not forgotten.”

It appears Gregory had done his homework before writing this letter, because he had very accurate information which probably explains his P.S. in which he thanks “Bill Knight, Coordinator for the Maine Troop Greeters, for his comments,” and the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce, “for its guidance.”

Mary Ellen Pederson of Penquis CAP Health Services in Bangor wants readers to know that last spring every library in Penobscot and Piscataquis counties “was given the gift of information.”

“Each community library has received a current copy of ‘Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book’ by Dr. Susan M. Love, and ‘A Breast Cancer Journey,'” by the American Cancer Society.

Pederson wrote that “a copy of each is now on the shelf, so that any woman and her family, no matter how rural, will have information about breast health and issues specific to caring for the patient with breast cancer.”

Pedersen added that “the response from the libraries has been overwhelming.”

Librarians from Milo to Hampden to Sangerville have written expressing their thanks for this resource that has been such a welcome addition to their medical sections.

The donations, they wrote, were especially helpful for libraries that are unable to purchase many nonfiction works.

Individuals who would benefit from reading the books are invited to visit their local libraries in Penobscot and Piscataquis counties.

Congratulations to the members of 10 credit unions in eastern Maine who were among the 36 Maine credit unions to receive a record $65,000 in community grants to distribute to hunger organizations of their choice during the annual Maine Credit Unions League’s Campaign for Ending Hunger.

Jon Paradise of the MCUL reports those top fund-raising credit unions are Bangor FCU, Bangor Hydro FCU, Bansco FCU and Eastern Maine Medical Center FCU, all of Bangor; Dexter Regional FCU; Howland-Enfield FCU, Howland; Maine Savings FCU, Hampden; Penobscot County FCU, Old Town; Sebasticook Valley FCU, Pittsfield; and Seaboard FCU in Bucksport.

It also should be pointed out that Dexter Regional FCU finished second in statewide fund raising with $13,515.59, which, in my opinion, is even more significant since the top fund-raiser was from the more heavily populated southern Maine GPM CU of South Portland, which had a total of $15,027.

Since 1990, Paradise reported, the MCUL Campaign for Ending Hunger has raised more than $1.5 million to help end hunger of Maine, and 100 percent of all money raised stays in Maine.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.