U.S. Air Force recognizes PebbleCreekers for their service to the country.
Tom Gildersleeve
PebbleCreekers Peg and Tom Gildersleeve recently received an American Flag that had been carried on a combat mission over Afghanistan as an award for ten years of continuous volunteer service with Packages from Home. Seen here is Packages from Home Founder and Director Kathleen Lewis presenting the award to Tom Gildersleeve (age 85) who accepted it in memory of his wife Peg who sadly passed away a few days before the presentation.
The award plaque was created by U.S. Air Force 62nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron in Afghanistan and sent to Packages from Home in recognition of that organization’s exceptional service in sending individually addressed comfort packages of food and hygiene items to many thousands of troops over the years deployed overseas in combat zones. The plaque reads:
62nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron Detachment 1
Forward Operating Base Fenty, Afghanistan
To all those who read this: Let it be known that this American Flag was flown on a combat mission over the skies of Afghanistan on the 24th day of May, 2012, aboard an MQ 1 Predator Aircraft No. 058 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom to aid in maintaining the stability and reconstruction of Afghanistan as we prosecute the war on terrorism.
This flag is hereby presented to Tom and Peg Gildersleeve for your outstanding support and sacrifice for our nation.
Packages from home continues actively with their mission to send packages overseas and are always in need of volunteer assistance and especially financial assistance to cover their major operating expense—the cost of shipping packages from Phoenix to the APO addresses where they are picked up by the military. For more information visit their website at http://www.packagesfromhome.org/.