Pocono News Section

Trees for Troops

Trees for Troops - Tuesday, November 27, 2007 at 4:20PM EST

Tuesday, Nov 27, 2007 @04:20pm EST

They serve our country around the world, but servicemen and women stationed overseas might not have a home grown Christmas tree for the holidays.

A program designed to help is wrapping up in Columbia and Carbon counties.

The program is called Trees for Troops.

Tree farm owners and servicemen pick up more than 15 thousand trees nationwide.

They'll be delivered just in time for the holidays.

Here's a look at how national guardsmen from the Lehighton armory are helping out.

Christmas trees are put on a National Guard truck one by one.

They'll be sent to service men and women overseas.

National guardsmen say it's their way of giving back during the holidays.

Sergeant Dennis Palmer says, "it's lonely, but you still have hundreds of people around you, but you're still lonely because you're families are at home."

Private First Class Daniel Murray says, “it gives me a chance to give a little bit back to the soldiers that are over there that are giving us the freedoms and things that we enjoy here on the home front."

Nearly 70 trees were picked up here at Ecology 3 Christmas tree farms in Orangeville.

They were donated from 3 local Christmas tree farms.

Owner Nancy Jacobsen helped out.

She won't see the soldiers, marines, airmen, or sailors getting the trees, but says it's worth it anyway.

"we don't get to see them but we see some really nice thank you notes and one of them that i remember especially said that when she looks at her tree she realizes that people appreciate what they are doing," says Jacobsen.

When all the trees were loaded on, it was off to Lehighton, where the trees will be combined with others and sent to those who fight for our freedom overseas.