American Legion to send Christmas stockings to troops overseas

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The American Legion of Amagansett has Christmas stockings to fill, but luckily, more than one night to do it, and hopefully a little help.

Legion Post 419 will run Operation Christmas Stocking—an initiative to fill about 100 stockings with toiletries and send them off to American troops on rotation in Iraq and Afghanistan—this year, according to Legion member Billy Martin.

“We’re starting at 0,” he said. “It would be nice to send 100. We hope this is something the community will do.”

Mr. Martin said the idea came up after the American Legion “adopted” a troop in Iraq and realized that part of what they needed sent to them were simple things like razor blades, sunblock, shampoo, Chapstick and feminine hygiene products for the women.

He said the American Legion is always looking for charitable programs to participate in and members knew they wanted to do something for the 
holidays, so they thought it would be fun to put the items in Christmas stockings.

Community members who want to participate can either pick up a stocking to fill at the American Legion, located on Montauk Highway in Amagansett, and bring it back full of items, buy and decorate a stocking themselves or just donate toiletries. He said participants can leave a personal note for the soldier, label it for a male or female and should attach $1 to help cover the cost of shipping.

Last weekend, Post 419 picked up the stockings, which were donated from local stores including the Sag Harbor Variety Store and the Corner Store in East Hampton and set up a box to start collecting the toiletries.

“We’ve already got people dropping some stuff off,” Mr. Martin said. He asked that all stockings be dropped off at the Legion by November 14 so they will arrive overseas in time for the holidays.

He said the Legion is trying to use its community connections to push participation and Mr. Martin said he has called in help from a younger crowd, who he hopes will spread the word.

Robert Hoslya, 20, of Hampton Bays, who knows Mr. Martin through work, said he planned to fill at least three stockings himself and would try to get his friends to match that. He said it’s important for young people to become involved in a project like this because so many of the troops overseas are around his age.

“Two of my own friends that are over there are 19 and 20 years old,” he said. “And I know other people who are just leaving.”

He said that even just sending a letter to troops during the holiday, minus any gift, would be worth it.

“Without a doubt, it’s going to mean a lot to them,” he said.