Menu
Open Forum
Letters from soldiers
EDITOR'S NOTE -- The following were forwarded from Charlynn Hamilton of Hayes Center:
Dearest Mrs. Linnaea Budke!
How are you doing ma'am? My name is SSG Maximum E Padua Jr. You can call me Max!
I am in the U.S. Army, stationed in Kuwait with one of the Army's finest soldiers, Jarod Epp! It's been a honor as well as a privilege to work with SSG Epp. I am glad that a group like the 308th, out of Nebraska, got attached to our unit, the 419th, out of Salt Lake, because we all work together as a team and best of all, we all get along. The good Lord has definitely been by our side. Everybody's doing fine and everybody's well.
Mrs. Budke, the reason why I am writing you this letter, is just to give you a whole lotta thanks! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for your great support. I consider, or should I say, WE, consider you as an MVP. You and your support team has provided us with various, necessary items in the care packages. You are so very thoughtful! Thanks for caring! Truly you are taking care of your troops overseas. I will never forget the kindness that you supported the troops.
I hope that everything is going good for you and your family. Please tell your whole family we thank them as well. One more thing, even if you stop sending packages, we still love you, always!
Take care of yourself Mrs. Budke. Don't worry about Jarod. He's a good man. He can take care of himself. He also has our backup! Nothing can go wrong. (We'll be home soon).
P.S. Can you please tell Autumn Alberts thank you? She is the president of the Frenchman Valley 4-H Club (Nebraska) She sent us a care package and told us to write and say hello!
Nebraska, you're a beautiful community!
Sincerely,
Maximum (Max) Padua
God bless you all!
Dear Budke family,
Hello, I am Capt. Matthew Robinson of the 419th Transportation Co. Over the last 10 months, I have had the chance to get to know SSG Epp very well. He is a good soldier and I'm sure you're proud of him.
I want to personally thank you for your support we have received from your generosity. Numerous individuals throughout the platoon and company had their day brighten by the unexpected package from a kind stranger.
I felt obligated to write you personally since so many in my platoon have received packages.
Thank you and God bless you.
Sincerely,
Mathew Robinson
CPT. 419 Trans Co
2nd Platoon Leader
PS God Bless America
To whom it may concern,
My name is SPC Jony Vanderstappen. I would like to thank you for your efforts and support. I received a package on my bed the other day and was excited. I'm glad that there are people like yourselves that support us soldiers and are trying to help keep our spirits up. It is greatly appreciated for all you help and contributions. Again thank you kindly.
Sincerely,
SPC Jony
Vanderstappen
Dear Editor,
Wanting to do something different and special for Christmas this year?
How about sending a package to a soldier serving overseas that will not be with their family for Christmas?
They do need our love and support, and a simple box of anything in it would brighten their holidays.
I have just received a list of 39 names of soldiers who really need a morale booster and you can be the one to do it! \So if you have been thinking about doing this, now is the time! The military is telling us to be sure that a package reaches the soldier by Christmas it needs to be sent ASAP.
But it does not matter when they receive a letter and a package from you! They just need the contact.
May God Bless each and everyone of our brave and courageous soldier and be with them and protect them every day!
Please contact me for a soldier's name and address, or you may still leave your donation and letter at Budke's in McCook or North Platte. And we will see to it that they are mailed ASAP!!
Charlynn Hamilton
HC 62 Box 39
Hayes Center, NE 69032
308-286-3388
Earthquakes increasing by 3233 percent?
Dear Editor,
In last Friday's guest editorial, Paul Schneider indicated that earthquakes over the last 100 years have gone from three or four to over 100 a year. The United States Geological Survey's Web site says, "Although it may seem that we are having more earthquakes, earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater have remained fairly constant throughout this century and, according to our records, have actually seemed to decrease in recent years. … we have definitely had an increase in the number of earthquakes we have been able to locate each year. This is because of the tremendous increase in the number of seismograph stations in the world and the many improvements in global communications. In 1931, there were about 350 stations operating in the world; today, there are more than 4,000 stations and the data now comes in rapidly from these stations by telex, computer and satellite. This increase in the number of stations and the more timely receipt of data has allowed us and other seismological centers to locate many small earthquakes which were undetected in earlier years, and we are able to locate earthquakes more rapidly."
The USGS also states "that several million earthquakes occur in the world each year, but many go undetected because they occur in remote areas or have very small magnitudes. The USGS now locates about 50 earthquakes each day; 20,000 a year."
Official data can be obtained from http://earthquake.usgs.gov/ Paul's data of 2400-3233 percent increase is absolutely false. Before anyone responds to this, let's not get off track. I'm only questioning his earthquake information, and not the rest of his editorial.
Fact vs. Fiction,
Todd McCarty
McCook
Tribute to friend
Dear Editor,
The Gazette was his life. Anyone who knew Roger Schmidt knew this. If you saw Roger coming toward you with a pica pole in hand, you knew you were in trouble. I always thought Roger was the "glue" that held the place together. Most often, as I learned in my early days at the Gazette, if you had a question, Roger could probably answer it.
Although he attempted to hide it with a gruff and sometimes grumpy exterior, Roger had a heart of gold. He would give you the shirt off his back, ink and all. And "we" at the Gazette were his family.
My heart aches to know that Roger died alone, that had I known, I could have sat with him and held his hand until he passed from this life. I can see his smile and hear his voice as he sees me walk through the building, "Well here comes Trouble." When I visited the Gazette last Thursday, I knew something was missing. It was Roger.
If you did not know Roger, you missed out. If you knew Roger and did not take the time to laugh with him, you missed out.
I am sure Roger is in Heaven, armed with a pica pole, trying to get things in order. I hope when I get there too, I hear Roger just on the other side saying "Here comes Trouble."
Goodbye Roger. You will be missed.
Mary Sue Haag
Former Gazette
Advertising Rep
Maxwell
Wonderful tribute
Dear Editor,
Thank you for writing such a wonderful tribute to OUR ROGER. We all grew up together and he was truly a lifelong good friend. He always took time to meet us with the old gang when we came back home for a visit. The old OLYMPIA was always a good place for reminiscing old times and getting caught up with the present, and to of course, hear about Roger's last exciting venture! Our next trip HOME just won't be the same, but you can well bet, Roger will be in our hearts and memories forever.
Cliff & Cathie (Gochis) Gibson
via e-mail
Expected denial
Dear Editor,
Here's my reply to a letter to the Editor on 12-3 A.D. 2003, submitted by Tim Butz, Executive Director of the ACLU Nebraska.
I am not shocked or surprised that there are other people in this country that believe that the ACLU is a front for the Communist party. I also expected a denial on your part. Let the record speak for itself. I (God willing) will be mailing a copy of your letter to the Gazette Editor to Focus On The Family, and Coral Ridge Ministries, and I will ask them to send their comments directly to the Gazette. Oliver North has been featured on Focus On The Family numerous times, as Roy Moore has spoken on Dr. Kennedy's Coral Ridge radio presentation.
Now, I have a few questions for you Mr. Butz. I have never heard of the Santerian church. Is that a church for people who worship and love Santeria? Has the ACLU ever defended the civil rights of the forty four million babies that have been murdered through abortion? Has the ACLU ever used any of their resources in an attempt to locate the P.O.W.s and M.I.A.s that are still being held in Vietnam and other places?
On 9-11 A.D. 2001, as I watched TV, I heard the same words repeated over and over: "Oh my God." In life and death situations, people turn to God. Sometimes He says yes, sometimes He says no, sometimes He says wait. Mr. Butz, I'm praying that God will smite you with conviction and give you the increase.
If you don't understand what that means, it's in the Bible. I mentioned a few scriptures in my letter, have you looked them up yet? If so, what is your opinion of the Holy Bible? To you, who is Jesus Christ?
Sincerely,
George R. Anderson
McCook
Science triumphs
Dear Editor,
Indeed the black walnut crop this year was a good one and the suggestions for obtaining the nut meat also quite entertaining, but removing remaining tiny fragments of shell from meat after running them over with a truck is still a problem.
To advance the knowledge of this subject a bit further, I offer the following application of scientific principle: The specific gravity of shell and meat is different with the shell having the higher SG, ergo, after being stirred in a salt solution of certain concentration, the meat will float and shell particles will sink to the bottom. The solution ratio required is 1/3 cup of table salt dissolved in 3 cups of water.
Of course, you'll have to wash the salt solution off the nut meat afterwards, but that's easily accomplished with a sieve. So what to do with the salt solution when you're finished? By yumpin' yimminy, you save it for boiling your Christmas lutefisk.
Bob Linderholm
Lime Creek Observatory
Cambridge