President@4WheelParts.com,
I’m currently deployed onboard the USS Enterprise. The last couple of weeks we received Operation Gratitude packages. Inside was a copy of your Off-Road Adventures magazine. I wanted to say thank you — your magazines have been the topics between all of us wheelers and put smiles on all of our faces. Many of us are looking at ordering lift kits from you guys because of the support we got. You have a great company. Thank you very much.

Petty Officer Third Class
Brandon John Leonard

Brandon,
Thanks for the great note! I am glad that our magazines have made it to your ship! Keep up the great work you guys are doing for our country and make sure to take advantage of our 10% military discount when you get back home! Be safe!

Greg Adler

Dear 4 Wheel Parts,
If you wanted to know why I donated $500, this is the explanation. My wife and I discussed this donation a couple of times. Both of our families have or have had ties to the military in both personal and in business. Her grandfather was a colonel in the Army Air Corps and later in the Air Force, serving before, during and after WWII. Her father was a captain in the US Army Medical Corps. My grandfather was a foot soldier in WWII. My mother was a Marine Corps sergeant. My cousin is a Lt. Commander in the US Navy and active service for 15 years. We have friends currently in both the US Army and Air Force as well. Just about all of our family and friends in the military have seen active military combat roles. As mentioned previously, my wife’s family had business ties with many military families as well. The money donated for light kit upgrades was a personal choice to show that people stateside do care what happens to our soldiers in Iraq and that they should have the equipment they need to protect their lives as much as possible. Hopefully, the soldiers will not have to worry about it, but if they need it (and they probably will) then I want them to have the equipment they need to help ensure their survival. It is as simple as that, at least to my wife and me.

I am grateful someone had the courage to point out that a deficiency in equipment existed, so that it could be addressed. I am appreciative that a private company has taken steps to help address those deficiencies. But mostly, I am thankful that we have citizen soldiers who try to make a positive difference in this world.

I did not make this donation for recognition. I did not make this donation to have my name put in a magazine. I made this donation because someone worthy of my respect and gratitude asked for help to save the lives of U.S. soldiers.

Sincerely,
Bill Calloway

Bill,
I know you didn’t want any recognition for your very generous donation to Operation Light Sabre that you made with employee Henry Estrada of our San Antonio, Texas store. But I wanted to share your letter (above) with our readers to inspire them to also participate in some way. You said it all with, “I made this donation because someone worthy of my respect and gratitude asked for help to save the lives of U.S. soldiers.”

Thank you from all of us at ORA.
Denis Snow

Subject: Another Army Unit with Lighting Concerns

Hello,

First off, I’d like to say you guys are doing a wonderful thing for the soldiers of 2-27. You probably don’t understand the full extent of your actions. These IEDs are hard to locate especially when they’re in old IED pot-holes. With the regular headlights, you can’t spot pressure plates or command wire until you’re right up to it. Definitely too late. If your program works well and you have a surplus of lights, please feel free to donate them to us. I’ve sent you a few pictures of our vehicles. Hardly any have auxiliary lights.

I was a recruiter in Houston up till late November ’06 and got deployed with the 3rd ID in mid- January. I kept on telling prospective soldiers how good the equipment we had was and what not. To my surprise when I arrived in Iraq I got a first hand glimpse of what we lacked. We have problems that constantly plague most of our vehicles. Trying to keep them up is a hard task for our mechanics. The lights are dim. Wish I could just drive around in my FJ Cruiser.

My concerns for the welfare of my soldiers have increased within the last month. We’re changing our AO (area of operation) to a city about 10 miles from here. Until they build another camp (3-6 months) we’re going to have to make the commute there and back. The road is riddled with IED pot holes and the number of new IEDs have increased drastically as we get further into the summer.

I know there’s only so many lights to go around, so I understand if we can’t get any supplied right now. One way or the other we’ll make do. Thanks for your great magazine. Looking forward to hitting the trails hard and moddin’ my FJ some more. Enjoy the pics and take care.

SGT Rodriguez
A. CO. 1st PLT 2-7 INF

SGT Rodriguez,

We can start sending you lights — we just need to verify that your address is still correct since your unit moved (we figure it is, but want to be sure).

Let me know as soon as possible so we can start sending lights to your unit. Please keep in touch and let us know how things are going over there. Hope to hear from you soon

Denis Snow