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Unique 'thank you' from East Coast comes to Airmen at war in the form of a 480 foot banner

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Felicia Juenke
  • 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan --  Hundreds of 455th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Airmen here, responsible for base security and defense, received an unusual thank you from America -- a 480 foot banner full of thank you notes from Americans throughout the Eastern-seaboard.

George and Shirley Jackson of American Corner, MD, the banner-project organizers, have organized banner creation efforts for the past 15 years by having members of different communities sign it and write notes of thanks. They make banners for American and Coalition servicemembers serving in harm's way around the world.

The Airmen here, constantly engaged with Al-Qaeda and insurgent forces on a daily basis, hung the banner July 31, 2009 at the Base's Entry Control Point where thousands of local Afghans, Coalition servicemembers and Americans will be able to view the notes. This point was chosen for the amount of traffic in any given hour.

"Two years ago my Cardiologist told me to stop doing the scrolls," said George Jackson. "The Cardiologist told me that lifting 20 pounds could cause me to have sudden death. "I will not stop doing scrolls for our Troops," he said.

Even though Mr. Jackson has health problems he sends banners to support U.S. and Coalition Forces. Upon receiving an e-mail of thanks from the base here informing him the banner had gotten to Bagram safely Mr. Jackson said "Your e-mail informing me that you have received the scroll was the best heart medicine for me, not the doctor's orders."

The banner was hung in such a visible location to show all the Airmen that we are loved and supported even across oceans, and that we are not alone in our struggles, we have our families and friends to help us through these times.

When asked, the 455th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron had many different ways of expressing how they felt about being able to hang the banner.

"It makes us feel that what we are doing here is important and that we are appreciated for doing the mission," said Airman 1st Class Evan List who is deployed Beale Air Force Base, Calif., and is a native of Kentucky.

While many of the Airmen gathered felt the same way Airman List did, Tech. Sgt. Jerrod Klein, a noncommissioned officer deployed from MacDill AFB, Fla. and native of Taylor, Mich., expanded on the comments saying "We really appreciate the support and the patriotism; it should be bottled up and sent around America."