This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

IMAGE GALLERY: Westborough Boy Scouts Honored by Troops

American Troops stationed in Afghanistan show their appreciation to Boy Scout Troop 382.

What started out as a typical meeting of Boy Scout Troop 382 on Tuesday, Nov. 8, quickly escalated into something exceptional when Scoutmaster Frank Yeung announced that their first order of business was a presentation by a surprise special guest.

The guest was Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) Post 9013 Commander Ed Donnelly who was eager to present the Troop with a plaque from Army “A” Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment in appreciation for over 120 care packages sent to them last December while the Battalion was stationed in Afghanistan serving in Operation Enduring Freedom.

Donnelly thanked the boys on behalf of the Battalion and the VFW, all the while carefully peeling a protective plastic layer off the plaque to reveal the design and words of thanks. 

Find out what's happening in Westboroughwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Donnelly, who was pleased to present the plaque just a few days prior to Veterans Day, recognized that “a lot of time and effort went into the assembly of the packages and it was an impressive production process.” 

Jake Cusson, a seventh grade member of Troop 382, told Patch he recalled packing the boxes last year and putting in batteries, chips and personal items like hand warmers, toothbrushes and deodorant. “I felt really happy to get the plaque and it’s nice to have it.”

Find out what's happening in Westboroughwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Another member of Troop 382, Dan McKay, a ninth grader, remembered the day last year the troop packed up a bunch of non-perishable food items and clothes. “I felt surprised by the plaque and felt pretty proud, too,” he said after the presentation.

Most of the thirty boys in the troop, who range in age from 11 to 17, had spent several hours on a Saturday in November 2010 assembling the packages.

“Jake Cusson’s father belongs to the VFW and knows Ed. Through their conversations they thought that maybe the Boy Scouts can do something. They decided to assemble care packages in time for the troops to get them before Christmas," said Yeung.

“We thought hand warmers would be good since the troops are out in the dessert in the cold winter” he continued, adding that items were acquired through donations from troop friends and families as well as from and .

Perhaps just as important as the individual items was the fact that each package also contained a personal note signed by each boy in Troop 382 thanking the soldiers for their service. 

Donnelly served with this unit in Vietnam and told Patch he is in contact with them on a regular basis. “Over time, I have kind of adopted the company. The guys didn’t forget about the care packages and were so appreciative that when they returned to their home base in Italy they decided to have this plaque made. It really meant a lot to them.”

Yeung emphasized that “the recognition is on the boys – they initiated it, worked on it and saw it through. We want to do more this year – to help others during the holidays,” adding that it “shows them that if you do something nice, you get recognized and it motivates them to live by the Boy Scout slogan to do a good turn daily.”

Anyone who would like to make a contribution towards future packages is encouraged to bring them to the VFW.

 

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date on the latest Westborough news, or simply hit the "like" button at the top of this page.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?