Michelle Malkin » Blankets of Hope for the troops stolen: Please help!

Blankets of Hope for the troops stolen: Please help!

By Michelle Malkin • December 5, 2008 09:08 AM

This story has me cursing in my coffee this morning: Linda Ferrara, a California mother of a soldier killed in Afghanistan with three other sons in the military, organizes charity blanket drives for the troops. She and other volunteers hand-sewed patriotic blankets and other items worth an estimated $8,000. Ferrara had stored them in her RV while preparing to send them off. Over the weekend, some asshole(s) (pardon my language) broke into the vehicle and stole all the goods.

The story is here at Soldier’s Angels and at the Daily Breeze.

After her son died fighting country, Linda Ferrara wanted to do something for soldiers like him who sacrifice their safety for others.

So in the year since Army Capt. Matthew Ferrara was killed in Afghanistan, his mother has dedicated hours collecting clothes and crafting handmade blankets for wounded soldiers overseas. The Torrance resident had planned to ship the goods Wednesday to an Army hospital in Germany. Instead, she’s despondent over the weekend theft of hundreds of socks, sweat shirts, pajama pants, boxers, blankets and other items. “I don’t want to let them down,” Ferrara said. “This wasn’t just stuff, this was going to wounded soldiers.”

…Soldiers’ Angels is an organization through which people can send care packages to soldiers overseas. In Germany, Phillips supports wounded and sick troops undergoing treatment at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.

Many of them are transferred there directly from the front lines and have nothing more than the clothes on their backs, Ferrara said.

Already involved with the West Point Parents Club of Orange County, Ferrara recruited support from other parents and volunteers to collect items for the wounded soldiers.

Her RV was packed with boxes, and the Parents Club had printed thank-you letters to the “wounded warriors” to be distributed with the clothes. On Sunday morning, Ferrara first realized something was amiss when she found empty boxes outside the RV and her inventory lists on the ground. Inside, she discovered almost all the collected items missing. Also, some of the letters were torn to shreds.

Compton sheriff’s deputies took a report and fingerprints, she said.

Her insurance company has told her not to expect help. Because she planned to give the items away, they technically didn’t belong to her and aren’t covered by her policy.

You can help:

Anyone who is interested in donating items for wounded soldiers can email Linda Ferrara at or visit the West Point Parent Club of Orange County web site.

Ferrara says the organization can accept cash donations or brand new items because the Military hospital does not allow used goods.

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Posted in: Worthy Causes

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Comments

#1

On December 5th, 2008 at 9:14 am, Freddy said:

Since they took the time to tear up the letters, they clearly understood what they were doing. Typical of people that have only been told how bad anything ‘military’ is. Like they do in California public schools.
#2

On December 5th, 2008 at 9:19 am, ajmontana said:

Her insurance company has told her not to expect help. Because she planned to give the items away, they technically didn’t belong to her and aren’t covered by her policy.

This part is just as bad as the people whom stole the items. Sometimes you just want to “B” slap insurance companies.
#3

On December 5th, 2008 at 9:19 am, sunshinerbray said:

I would love to know the name of the insurance company. I don’t care what her policy said, sometimes you should just do decent thing. It’s for soldiers, for goodness’ sake!

Besides, seems to me like it would be good publicity for the company.

Jerks.
#4

On December 5th, 2008 at 9:22 am, tre said:

When caught, those thieves should be required to perform community service at a veterans hospital.

And that “insurance” company should be required to explain to veterans why items that were going to be donated to them aren’t covered by insurance. You should have said which insurance company it was, just so we can make sure it isn’t one I’m using.
#5

On December 5th, 2008 at 9:26 am, Paul Revere said:

Hurry up, karma.
#6

On December 5th, 2008 at 9:34 am, torabora said:

insurance companies suck
#7

On December 5th, 2008 at 9:38 am, DaveC said:

Over the weekend, some asshole(s) (pardon my language) broke into the vehicle and stole all the goods.

WOW..

I expect this from Ace of Spades.. (in spades, no less) but not here..

/kidding.

agreed on the 7(8 if plural) letter word..
#8

On December 5th, 2008 at 9:41 am, OldSailor88 said:

When caught, those thieves should be required to perform community service at a veterans hospital.

Make sure that if they do community service at the VA that the Vets know why they are there. I’m sure they could put on a special show for them.

Michelle, if you could find out the name of the insurance company, I’d be glad to email them.
#9

On December 5th, 2008 at 9:51 am, 30 pcs of silver said:

Done.
#10

On December 5th, 2008 at 9:54 am, OldSailor said:

That is WRONG, just plain wrong!! I hope they find the guy(s) that did this and have a punishment appropriate….like HORSE-WHIPPING!!!
#11

On December 5th, 2008 at 9:58 am, Kevin K. said:

Despicable.

Tearing up the letters shows that it was more than just need or wanting something to fence for drug money. I would hope that after conviction the criminals be sent to the facility at Guantanamo, but that would be too good for them. Maybe to a military prison, then. I think the military would make an exception in this case.
#12

On December 5th, 2008 at 10:29 am, On-my-soap-box said:

Sick. They only did this because it was for the troops. There is no way they can sell them – they would be caught.

There is a special place in hell for people like this.
#13

On December 5th, 2008 at 11:15 am, TxSkirt said:

Someone is making a statement here. No one steals blankets and boxer shorts to sell for drug money. This was some fringe kookla intent on making sure soldiers where not going to get a little comfort from home.

Turds.
#14

On December 5th, 2008 at 11:15 am, MNUSMCDavid said:

My VFW has been doing the blanket donations as well…. I’ll contact them and have them contact Linda Ferrara. This is not surprising in my cynical way of viewing the country I live in. But I’ll be damned if we’ll let it be the norm….. Let’s help them them out, people!
#15

On December 5th, 2008 at 11:20 am, Oink said:

I emailed her and asked what I can do. I can make those hand-tied fleece blankets in a jiffy. I can’t tell… are those the blankets pictured?
#16

On December 5th, 2008 at 11:27 am, Bachbone said:

Don’t fault the insurance company. If it paid this claim, some lawyer would use it as a “precedent” to file more claims, and every policyholder’s premuim would eventually have to be raised.

Instead, donate a few bucks to help make up the loss. An old Russian saying: “God sees everything…and waits.” Those who stole the items will eventually pay.

Merry Christmas to the troops!
#17

On December 5th, 2008 at 12:07 pm, Rogue Cheddar said:

Spokespersons for Code Pink were unavailable for comment!
#18

On December 5th, 2008 at 12:17 pm, zorro said:

I very rarely curse, but I say now, a pox upon the perpetrators of this hateful act.

May God forgive me.
#19

On December 5th, 2008 at 12:21 pm, RabbidSquirrel said:

Her insurance company has told her not to expect help. Because she planned to give the items away, they technically didn’t belong to her and aren’t covered by her policy.

Technically? Not covered? Perhaps true…

But which Insurance Company was it? Im sure the loss of valuable PR, marketing and branding could be much greater than the value of the blankets.

Because technically who cares about negative PR…
#20

On December 5th, 2008 at 12:25 pm, RabbidSquirrel said:

On December 5th, 2008 at 9:22 am, tre said:

When caught, those thieves should be required to perform community service at a veterans hospital.

First they should be conscripted to Iraq/Afghanistan to work on the front lines with a field Corpsman. Then shipped to Germany for duty and then to a stateside military hospital and then to a VA hospital and then some ceremonial burial duty after riding shotgun with the caskets in the hold of a transport plane.
#21

On December 5th, 2008 at 1:08 pm, rightisright said:

I have to be missing something here…the insurance co. says it’s technically not her property…if that’s case how can she legally give it away?
Course if the insurance co. did pay the $8,000 in value, they may have to get in line for their bail out.
#22

On December 6th, 2008 at 8:45 pm, Republicanvet said:

On December 5th, 2008 at 9:22 am, tre said:

When caught, those thieves should be required to perform community service at a veterans hospital.

Only cleaning bathrooms or bedpans. These b@st@rds do not need to be anywhere near veterans.
#23

On December 6th, 2008 at 8:48 pm, Republicanvet said:

On December 5th, 2008 at 12:07 pm, Rogue Cheddar said:

Spokes~~person~~hags for Code Pink were unavailable for comment!

FIFY.
#24

On December 8th, 2008 at 8:18 am, gunslingerpatriot said:

Rabidsquirrel-
Don’t send those turds to a Corpsman, and if they must come to the front line, then they can serve as bullet stoppers for real heroes.

GSP
“This is Sparta!”
#25

On December 11th, 2008 at 9:25 am, nail49 said:

Only cleaning bathrooms or bedpans. These b@st@rds do not need to be anywhere near veterans.

RVet: You beat me to it.

The other comments about having to serve alongside our troops and escorting the fallen home is not an honor these Nimrods deserve.

Over a 22-year career I was around too many fallen comrades. There was never a lack of volunteers for the honor of escorting a fallen comrade “home.”

I had a German exchange officer in my squadron who was killed and the USAF would not allow me (as commander) to dispatch one of my officers on escort duty to Germany because he wasn’t a USAF member.

One of my flight commanders voluntarily gave up personal time and I had permissive TDY orders cut for him to get him to Germany with the family for the funeral. The GAF was most appreciative, but that is what you do for your comrades, no matter what uniform they wear or language they speak.

The only involvement in a military funeral I MIGHT consider for these b@st@rds is to ALLOW them to dig (by hand, no tools) the grave.