MAINETROOPGREETERS.COM |
The ORIGINAL website ... with pictures!
Honoring Our Heroes
We invite you to take a moment and visit the new 'Music Video' page located on the side bar. |
Please scroll down this page for the link to additional pictures. |
Welcome to the most widely recognized website for the troops who have transited through Bangor, Maine. This web site is dedicated to each of these troops and to their family members and friends. The picture portal at MAINETROOPGREETERS.SMUGMUG.COM (a link is provided below) currently displays over 126,731 pictures and has received over 61 million "hits" since January 2007. Mainetroopgreeters.com and American Legion Post 200 work together in their quest to support our troops. All donations made to the address on this website go directly for 'Troop Support'. .~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WHO'S WHO? . MAINETROOPGREETERS.COM is a separate organization and is not affiliated with the Bangor International Airport Troop Greeters who were recently formally organized and assumed the official name of Maine Troop Greeters. Their adopting a name so similar to MAINETROOPGREETERS.COM (which has existed since 2004) could possibly result in some confusion. Hopefully, this Who's Who section will resolve any questions that might arise. A brief explanation of each entity follows: . . MAINETROOPGREETERS.COM . . Created in 2004, MAINETROOPGREETERS.COM became a domestic non-profit in 2005 for the purpose of assisting our troops in areas not being served by the local greeters program. Some members of MAINETROOPGREETERS.COM are troop greeters who wished to offer not only a handshake and snack to those military personnel transiting BIA but to go a step beyond by offering something for the family and friends of these troops. This is mainly accomplished by photographing and publishing their troops' pictures on the picture portal. Members are currently sustaining the costs for producing the business cards used to inform troops how to locate their pictures as well as the costs associated with maintaining this website. This will continue until such time as donations become sufficient to defray these support expenses. . A project launched by MAINETROOPGREETERS.COM in 2008 seeks to honor troops serving in the Middle East. Upon request and as available, military units that have deployed through Bangor, Maine will be sent embroidered (3X5) American flags to be flown in Iraq or Afghanistan. These flags can then be sent home to the families of those troops who have earned special recognition. If your military unit transited through Bangor, is currently in the Middle East and would like to participate in this program please write to mtglegion@Yahoo.com for more information. . Other items purchased through MAINETROOPGREETERS.COM for our troops include small toy items for them to distribute to the children in Iraq and Afghanistan, books, school supplies, candy, Christmas/holiday items or other amenities requested by the troops, family members or friends. 100% of the funds received are used for Troop Support. At times MAINETROOPGREETERS.COM also assists other worthwhile groups who have established programs which serve our deployed troops. . The 'Troop Video' and many of the musical videos on this website were created by the Webmaster. Videos of troops arriving at BIA are recorded and edited by a greeter/member of MAINETROOPGREETERS.COM. MAINETROOPGREETERS.COM is comprised of volunteers who are happy to provide their personal equipment, i.e., cameras, computers, printers, etc., to accomplish our mission. . Your donations are very much appreciated and will enable MAINETROOPGREETERS.COM to continue the website as well as pursuing the additional projects that benefit our troops. . Paypal is available below or you may make checks payable to "TROOP SUPPORT FUND" and mail to: . MAINETROOPGREETERS.COM P.O. Box 246 Brewer, Maine 04412 . |
For Paypal please use the "Make a Donation" button. |
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MAINE TROOP GREETERS ORGANIZATION . The newly formed (2008) Maine Troop Greeters organization is located at Bangor International Airport. This is not a new group of volunteers; they have simply established a formal organization that has adopted the name Maine Troop Greeters. When notified of military flights arriving at BIA members meet and greet the troops and have done so for many years. Donations received by this group are applied to the purchase of convenience items, along with snack and candy items that have been determined appropriate for distribution to the troops transiting BIA. Greeters are very grateful to Unicel and US Cellular for donating the use of cell phones and airtime for troop use and to the Dollar Store for their generous donations of stuffed bears that were given to new Mom’s and Dad’s. . . FREEPORT FLAG LADIES . . Figuring prominently at many troop flights transiting BIA are the Freeport Flag Ladies. Each Tuesday morning you will find this trio of women standing on Main Street in Freeport, ME “wearing our country’s colors and waving the American flag”. They were ‘on the hill’ on Main Street without fail every day during the declared Iraq War. Whenever possible the Freeport Flag Ladies make the long drive to Bangor International Airport or to Pease International Airport in New Hampshire to meet troop flights. Depending on road conditions these trips can take from two to three hours each way. These ladies have taken thousands of pictures of the troops which can be found on their website http://www.freeportflagladies.com. The Freeport Flag Ladies are always on the lookout for interesting toys, games, and magazines along with nutritious and tasty foods to include in the packages they mail weekly to the troops. Neck pillows for wounded troops are shipped along with shorts, flip flops and shirts. Everything these ladies do is paid for out-of-pocket or with an occasional donation. This requires them to devote a great deal of time to fundraising along with purchasing, packing and shipping items. A network of chaplains, other military personnel, family assistance programs, and family members, among others, provide contacts for their work. For additional information about the activities of these outstanding women visit their website at www.freeportflagladies.com. . If you wish to donate to this group please visit their website and use the Paypal button located there or make checks payable to “Freeport Flag Ladies/Elaine Greene” and mail to: .. . Freeport Flag Ladies 17 School Street Freeport, ME 04032 |
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To Locate Additional Pictures Click on This Link . |
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"The National Anthem" Performed by Brian Wardwell |
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Welcoming our military passing through Bangor International Airport in Bangor, Maine is a dedicated group of veterans and civilians who gather to honor these troops and show gratitude for their sacrifice and that of their families. Many of these greeters began welcoming troops home during Operation Desert Storm in 1991; when troops started arriving home from Bosnia they once again lined the walkway and again when the first flight from Operation Iraqi Freedom returned in May 2003. The greeters consider it an honor to meet and greet our military troops regardless of the weather or time of night and with thunderous ovations and warm welcoming smiles, have greeted close to 900,000 troops. A "troop room" provided at no cost by the City of Bangor, is available so troops can satisfy their sweet tooth, obtain reading material, personal care items, or other items that have been donated for the troops. The room was secured through the efforts of Harry Rideout, who also arranged for the telephones. Unicel's senior marketing coordinator, Ryann Tash, made sure that Harry returned to the airport with about a dozen cell phones for the troops to use and included unlimited free minutes. That number has since increased significantly. U.S. Cellular came on board in 2005 with additional phones and Sam's Club has, in the past, generously provided an endless supply of assorted cookies. Local veterans, many of whom know the feeling of returning home to far less than a heroes welcome, surround the troops with goodwill and lighthearted rapport. It is the greeters mission to make sure that no military person will ever step back onto American soil to an ungrateful nation. These troops have left behind all the comforts of home and most importantly; they have left behind their loved ones. The greeters feel it is an honor and a privilege to welcome them to Bangor, Maine regardless of whether they are deploying or returning home. |
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Bangor is frequently the last American soil our troops set foot on before going over seas and the first American soil our troops set foot on when returning to the United States. MAINETROOPGREETERS.COM was established as a domestic non-profit to provide a humble thank you to our troops for their sacrifices and those of their families. To date almost 900,000 troops have passed through Bangor making Mainetroopgreeters.com and American Legion Post 200 efforts formidable. Anyone wishing to help with this effort may contact MAINETROOPGREETERS.COM. Any assistance would be very much appreciated by our troops. Email: Mtglegion@Yahoo.com |
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Debra Daniels stands beside the painting she created honoring all our fallen heroes. This painting was donated to the Maine Troop Greeters and is on display at Bangor International Airport. |
MAINETROOPGREETERS.COM ARNOLD R. KELLEY AMERICAN LEGION POST 200 |
