By ANTHONY BOTTAN
But thanks to the "Trees for Troops" program, now in its fourth year, American troops overseas were able to celebrate the holidays with a piece of home.
The program, spearheaded by Jim Adelis, Sr., of East Rockaway, sends Christmas trees to American troops overseas, along with menorahs, decorations and holiday cards.
"Being a father of a soldier and knowing how my son felt when he received his package, there are no words to describe it," Adelis said. "It's something from home."
This year, on Dec. 3, more than 500 trees were sent from Dee's Nursery on Atlantic Avenue in Oceanside, with the help of DHL and the community, to the armed forces stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq. An additional 250 trees and care packages were sent from Riverside, California by the end of that week. All of the trees, food and gifts were donated by Dee's Nursery, DHL and the surrounding communities.
Children from Rockville Centre, East Rockaway and Herricks, among other districts, wrote personalized messages of thanks and appreciation, which were also sent to the soldiers fighting overseas.
"This is important because our soldiers are our idols and they need something to look up for during the holidays," said Daniel Leahy, 13, of Oceanside.
Crate loads of boxes packed with everything from baked goods and canned foods to Christmas trees and decorations were loaded onto DHL's 18-wheeler, and then police-escorted to John F. Kennedy International Airport to be shipped overseas. The Christmas trees and gifts were flown to Bahrain, and from there were shipped in 12 different flights to troops stationed around Iraq and Afghanistan. Specialist James Adelis Jr., whose father originally spearheaded the program four years ago, received his care package while stationed in Iraq in 2004. Adelis said the feeling was indescribable.
"I was shocked. There's not a lot of things out there to make you happy. It really put a smile on my face," Adelis said.
Donna Deluca, operations coordinator for DHL at JFK Airport, said the emails her company has gotten from soldiers who have received care packages were overwhelming."You can't imagine how much joy this brings my heart," Deluca said. "Something as simple as Ramen noodles or socks means so much to them."
The groundwork for this massive urban maneuver began four years ago, when Tom Dee, Sr., owner of Dee's Nursery, on Atlantic Avenue in Oceanside, found it difficult to help one of his customers send a Christmas tree to her son in Iraq. About three weeks after that, Dee was telling this story to another of his regulars, who happened to be Adelis , whose son was deployed to Iraq in February 2004.
Adelis told Dee that if he could supply the trees, he would supply the means of transport overseas. Adelis, the owner of Adelis Securities at JFK, made some phone calls the following day to Richard Colt, major general commander of the 77th, which was the division his son was in, the Port Authority, DHL and local businesses to get the ball rolling.
Joe Dee, another of the owners of Dee's Nursery, said it made him proud to support the military and their families, and that his nursery will remain involved in the "Trees for Troops" program for as long as troops are deployed overseas. "As long as they're there, we're committed," Dee said.
Before the packages were sent off, the United Service Organization sang their own rendition of the Cherry Poppin Daddies "Zoot Suit Riot," aptly renamed "Zoot Suit Santa." After the performance, Adelis invited some school children to come up and read their greeting cards to the audience packed in the Dee's Nursery parking lot.
"I pledge the flag everyday and pledge to you everyday," read a passage from one card written by Frank, a sixth-grader, "get home safe."
Joe Kellard contributed to this story. Comments about it? Mmalloy@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 202.
Photos by Bill Kelly/Herald
