Announcing the Sgt. Will Fund
Category: War on Terror...
Posted Thursday, April 07, 2005 at 11:05 AM [GMT-6]

Regular readers know that Sgt. Will is the Gazette's "war correspondent," serving with the U.S. Army in Iraq. Will periodically sends in reports and photos from his deployment which serve to let us get a glimpse into the life of a west Texas native doing his part to bring democracy to Iraq. His reports are archived in the "War on Terror" category, if you wish to acquaint (or reacquaint) yourself with him and his experiences.

Will and I have been kicking around an idea for a while. I was interested in finding a way to show more tangible support for him, and allowing Gazette readers to do the same if they so desired. Of course, the usual way to do this is via "care packages." The problem with care packages, while being very much appreciated by the recipients, is that they don't necessarily contain items that are really needed...things that you and I would never think of. One item Will mentioned by way of example is leather work gloves. That never occurred to me, and even if it had, I have no idea what kind he prefers, or what size he wears.

But someone does...and that's his wife (who, for reasons of privacy, we'll refer to as Ms. Sgt.). Ms. Sgt. is now busy caring for the couple's infant daughter (whom her husband has not yet been able to hold), but another of her roles is to keep Will supplied with certain items that can't otherwise be obtained in Iraq.

It occurred to me that we could make her job a lot easier, while providing Will with the things he really needs, by sending along an easily transferred commodity known as "cash." After discussing this with Will -- who's very sensitive about not wanting to look like he's got his hand out -- he's agreed to the establishment of the "Sgt. Will Fund" which will be used to collect nominal donations on his behalf. The Sgt. Will Fund is set up with PayPal, so it's secure and easy to donate (think of it as a tip jar...but with the tips going to a guy doing much more important work than writing words in a blog). 100% of the proceeds will be forwarded to Ms. Sgt. to do with as she deems appropriate.

The Sgt. Will Fund will be active for the duration of his deployment in Iraq, which at this point is unknown. If you'd like to show your support for an American soldier who, along with his family, is making a significant sacrifice in the service of his country, just click button on the right side of this page and PayPal will do the rest. As with most such gifts, the actual amount is less important than the giving...but generosity scores extra credit! And if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at the following email address (you know how to make it work): sgtwillfund -a-t- ericsiegmund.com.

I thank you, and I know that Sgt. Will (and Ms. Sgt. and Baby Sgt.) thank you as well!