I recently posted an article about goodwill and giving back to your community. Well, this article is about goodwill and how you can help give back to our National community. To frame this event let me say that I was just out of High School and had finished Recruit Training at Paris Island, SC. I wanted to see the World; however, I was still a conservative young man.

Well, my first duty assignment was Okinawa, Japan. I was with 12th Marines on Camp Foster and although I had many comrades, I found myself yearning for an occasional “state side” environment to make me feel a little comfortable. That is where the USO came into play. I would go to the USO on Camp Foster to watch some TV, call home and engage in other “state side” activities.

The USO helped me during those times as it is helping our service men and women today. When I was in the Marine Corps, a Private First Class was receiving $512 a month gross and even less after taxes were taken out. You may not agree with the politics; however, our service men and women are performing a task so we can be more secure in our every day lives.

I look back on my time in the Marine Corps and know that my service helped shape me into what I have become today. The USO was there for me during my time in the service and with a donation the USO can help current and future service men and women obtain a bit of their own “state side” feeling while away from their love ones.

Show our troops that you support them with a donation to the USO. If you would    like to show your support and receive a gift to present to the service person in your life, there is a way to do that as well with the link on the right. There is no right or wrong way to give, but only that you give to help our service men and women who are giving of themselves for our benefit.

Thank You and Semper Fidelis!

Mike Kniaziewicz