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Area bank wants deployed soldiers to get phone cards
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The Coastal Bank has launched a community-wide initiative to raise money for USO Operation Phone Home, which provides prepaid phone cards for deployed military personnel to call loved ones while away from their families during the holiday season. The Coastal Bank will lead a fundraising campaign for USO Operation Phone Home through Nov. 23.
“It is our hope to put at least one phone card in the hands of every soldier in our area that is deployed during the holidays,” said Tom Wiley, chairman, president and CEO of The Coastal Bank. “We are so grateful for their selfless sacrifice and service to our nation, and this campaign is a way for us to express our thanks to our brave troops.”
Members of the public are invited to join The Coastal Bank and the USO in connecting deployed soldiers from the Coastal Empire and the Lowcountry to their loved ones during the holidays.
A $5 donation with a personalized message will provide a soldier with a phone card to call home. Cards will be given in December to deployed members of the U.S. Army, Army National Guard, Air National Guard, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Naval Reserve.
Anyone donating $5 or more to The Coastal Bank’s USO Operation Phone Home initiative will be entered into a drawing to win a year of free Chick-fil-A (one free sandwich per week for one year). Two winners will be announced at the conclusion of the campaign in November.
Members of the public can buy a card online at www.phonehomesav.com or visit a branch of  the bank to make a donation to USO Operation Phone Home.
In 2010, The Coastal Bank raised enough money to provide 140,000 minutes of talk time, or 1,400 phone cards total, to local troops during the holiday season.
“Through our combined efforts and our extended reach with even more community sponsors this year, our goal is to exceed last year’s campaign,” said Mitchell Bush, president of USO of Georgia-Savannah. “With the help of Savannah’s generous spirit, we know we can reach that goal.”

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Exchange Service salutes Vietnam vets with custom truck design
Army and Air Force Exchange Service redesigned logo 2011

To thank Vietnam veterans for their sacrifices, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service is debuting a new truck design, part of the Department of Defense retailer’s efforts alongside the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration to honor veterans during the 50th anniversary of the war.

“The Exchange is privileged to have the opportunity to recognize Vietnam veterans through our fleet,” said Exchange Director/CEO Tom Shull, who served in the Army during the Vietnam era. “These trucks will serve as rolling billboards, expressing gratitude for all who served during this era.”

The truck design features the silhouette of a lone service member set against the background of a faded horizon with a call to “thank a Vietnam veteran for service to our nation.” The single military member represents the warfighters who served during this time.

Three trucks in the fleet feature the commemorative design and will deliver merchandise to Exchange stores from the organization’s distribution centers in the continental United States.

The West Coast Distribution Center at Sharpe Army Depot in California; Dan Daniel Distribution Center in Newport News, Va.; and the Waco Distribution Center in Texas will each have a truck in service on their standard delivery routes, serving the whole country.

Air Force veteran Pat Thompson served in Vietnam before coming to the Exchange as a truck driver and mechanic. In his 18 years with the Exchange, he has deployed four times to support the troops. The new design means a lot to him.

“They remember,” said Thompson, who is based at the Exchange’s Waco Distribution Center. “We want to be remembered.”

The trucks also highlight the veteran online shopping benefit, which launched in November. The lifelong online military exchange benefit authorizes all who served honorably to enjoy tax-free shopping and exclusive military pricing at ShopMyExchange.com.

The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration is a program administered by the Office of the Secretary of Defense to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. The U.S. began commemoration of the Vietnam War’s 50th anniversary in 2012 and will continue through Veterans Day 2025.

The Exchange is a 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemorative Partner, planning and conducting events and activities that recognize Vietnam veterans and their families for service, valor and sacrifice in conjunction with the commemoration.

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