DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Iwie Tamashiro, who represents the 1st Battalion, 487th Field Artillery, hugged Gen. Vern Miyagi yesterday during a ceremony at the Navy Exchange as she received a gift certificate to use in assembling care packages. Watching on the left is Jeff Finney, Newspapers in Education coordinator for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and Midweek.

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Drive raises $40,000
in gifts for troops

The $40,000 worth of care packages headed to more than 6,000 troops overseas "will boost morale tremendously," said Brigadier Gen. Vern Miyagi, commander of the Hawaii Army National Guard.

"It is aloha to servicemen from Hawaii," Miyagi said yesterday at a ceremony at the Pearl Harbor Naval Exchange, where he and military officials from the Navy and Marine Corps were given $40,000 in gift certificates redeemable at Foodland and Sack 'N Save stores. The donation came thanks to a "Support Our Troops" program sponsored by Foodland, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and MidWeek.

The items purchased at the stores will be used to assemble care packages that will be shipped to 6,337 troops in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, Miyagi said.

Miyagi said he always makes a point to tell the public that his men "don't expect any appreciation, because they are just doing their job. But they deserve it. The care packages are the public saying thanks. ... The surprised look on (the troops') faces is beautiful to see."

"I love these guys. These are my soldiers," he added.

Jeff Finney, Newspapers in Education coordinator for the Star-Bulletin, said a percentage of each issue sold at Foodland was donated to the program. The Star-Bulletin and its affiliate publication, MidWeek, contributed a check for $8,778 as well as $23,835 in advertising to the project.

Jenai Wall, chairman and CEO of Foodland, said her company sold "Support Our Troops" yellow ribbons and collected $13,000 in customer donations at Foodland and Sack 'N Save stores during Military Appreciation Month in May.

Miyagi said the public has given a warm welcome to the "new generation of young veterans coming home, but they can't forget the Vietnam and Korean War veterans. They went through this but never got the appreciation. ... Always tell them thanks for their service, (that) we will never forget."