A brief social media post relayed by state Veterans of Foreign Wars Department officials late Monday to Westmoreland County’s VFW District Commander Carl Trusiak couldn’t have been more welcome and gratifying.
“A lot of the packages are coming in!!! The team and brigade love them! Thank you!” the anonymous National Guard captain serving in Afghanistan wrote to John Lorusso, the state VFW’s veterans and military services chairman.
Trusiak said the message meant that a last-minute effort by VFWs statewide to make Christmas a little more enjoyable for the 1,274 Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers deployed around the world was a success.
“It shows our men and women from Pennsylvania serving in Afghanistan, Iraq, Saudia Arabia … wherever, that the people back home and at VFWs really care and are thinking about them,” Trusiak said.
Trusiak of Apollo said the stockings were filled with various items selected by each post.
“The stockings likely included candy, beef jerky, granola bars, plus personal items such as deodorant, maybe socks,” he said.
Trusiak said Lorusso worked with the state National Guard to obtain a list of all units deployed.
“John then coordinated the stocking drive with the 24 district commanders across Pennsylvania. VFW posts across Pennsylvania stepped forward and collected, shopped, packaged and shipped 1,274 stockings to our deployed men and women,” Trusiak said.
”This was all done literally at the last minute. I received the email from John Nov. 2 and four local posts in Westmoreland stepped up and did their part,” Trusiak said.
Locally, VFW Post 33 in Greensburg, Post 8427 in Herminie, Post 3368 in Mt. Pleasant and Post 7622 in New Florence participated.
“Originally, we had three involved in Greensburg, Herminie and New Florence but Mt. Pleasant let us know they were interested, too. Then, in late November, we got a note from the state VFW that some of the districts couldn’t assist so Mt. Pleasant came forward at the very last minute,” he said.
Trusiak said the stockings were collected and packaged at the respective VFWs and then mailed.
“And this was all done during all the covid-19 restrictions making it more complicated, so these people and units should be commended for what they’ve done in such a short time,” he said.
Lorusso of Phoenixville couldn’t be reached for comment.
