Germany is calling + School supplies drive update

From Liisa, SMSgt Temple’s wife: Rex has arrived to Kuwait and is waiting for his next flight to Germany; I am getting on a plane in a few hours. Thanks to our wonderful friends and family for stepping up and house sitting, dog sitting etc while we enjoy this wonderful time together.

Rex won’t be able to post today so he asked me to leave a few updates about the latest developments with the school supplies drive for Afghan children.

About 100 boxes full of donated school supplies waiting to be shipped to Afghanistan.

We’ve been busy. I had the chance to host Rex’s wounded friend SPC Kit Lowe here in Tampa a few weeks ago when the USF Bulls football team adopted our school supplies drive for the team’s military appreciation game. As you can see from the photo, our collection was a success and we now have about 100 boxes of supplies stored at SS American Victory at Tampa’s Channelside waiting to be shipped to Afghanistan.

SPC Kit Lowe visits with Benjamin Smet and Rick Grant, both are retired military who now teach at Oak Grove Middle and are running a very successful school supplies drive for us..

Kit was a great ambassador for the school supplies drive. Despite the severe leg injury he suffered when shot by an insurgent in Kapisa Province in August, he volunteered at the Bulls game manning one of our donations stations. He also made time to visit Oak Grove Middle School in Cleawater, Fla., to say thanks to the teachers and students who have collected so many boxes of supplies already.

Angela Vlachos Ruth, Executive Director of Holland & Knight Charitable Foundation, with SPC Kit Lowe and Foundation Board member and H&K partner George Howell

One of our many meetings was with Holland & Knight Charitable Foundation which kindly adopted our project in July. Through the foundation’s support we’ve been able to collect more than $4,000 so far in monetary donations – the latest donation of $1,000 coming this week from the Saunders Foundation.

And even after Kit returned to Savannah he found time to talk about the school supplies drive with a local TV station to help spread the word about the project. You can watch that story here. WSAV-TV: Injured Savannah soldier spearheading school supply drive

And of course, never to be idle, Kit is also busy representing the school supplies drive now that he is back at Walter Reed waiting for his next surgery. That’s him in his dress blues talking to none other than Mrs. Joe

SPC Kit Lowe talks about the school supplies drive with Mrs. Joe Biden.

Biden at a Washington reception – of course the topic of the conversation was the school supplies drive.

———–

Below is the transcript that goes with the WSAV-TV story as well.

Injured Savannah Soldier Spearheading School Supply Drive

Shot in a firefight, months in the hospital, in rehab, trying to recover.

Specialist Christopher “Kit” Lowe is back home for a few days of holiday fun with family.

Lowe isn’t moping around during his recovery, he’s making the most of his time helping others.

“It’s something I can do an be passionate about while I’m at Walter Reed recovering instead of being one of those guys who’s a recluse,“ explains Lowe.

Kit Lowe is far from a recluse, he’s met heads of state, traveled, all in the name of helping kids just like yours. Those living in squalor in Afghanistan.

“They are more welcoming and happy to see you,“smiles Kit. “Like your own kids are when you do something nice for them.“

The boxes are filled with school supplies. Just part of the almost 2000 pounds given to the school supply drive from 12 different states.

But these mean more to Kit. They came from his Alma Mater, Benedictine, and other schools in the area he talked to personally.

“It means a lot that they were able to take something that I said and do so much with it,“ says Kit.“They could have dragged their feet but they been great about helping me out.“

Help that these kids need so much. A pad, a pencil mean the world to youngsters who have so little.

It’s given new meaning to Kit’s life, a new chapter after Afghanistan.

“It’s made me a more motivated person and the fact I have something positive in my life to do,“ says a satisfied Kit.

Positive is a good thing for Kit right now. Facing surgery to repair his leg in January, then 3 months recovery.

A Thanksgiving with family gives him a smile, and gives his mom, Sandi, who’s been staying with him at Walter Reed Medical center a break from the emotional roller coaster.

“I’m his support, I’m there whenever he needs me to be there,“ explains Sandi. “I’m there for his emotional and physical assistance, mostly emotional support.“

Support in the form of food, love and hope. Knowing that the long road to recovery is better than the alternative.

“I’m so happy to have my child,“ says Sandi. “At the same time I’m so heartbroken for the families that have lost their children, there’s some guilt too.“

After his surgery and recovery, Kit plans to return to Georgia Southern in the fall to continue his degree in international studies.

He hopes to play lacrosse again too.

If you would like to donate to the afghan school supply drive.

You can drop off new or gently used notebooks, pens, pencils, and backpacks at Colonial Quilts at 11710 Largo Drive in Savannah, or at the WSAV studios at 1430 Victory Drive.

This week’s radio interview with WUSF Radio

From Liisa, SMSgt Temple’s wife: This week’s radio interview with reporter Bobbie O’Brien from WUSF Radio was a bit different. You can hear both Rex and his friend SPC Kit Lowe chatting about the school supplies drive and Rex’s latest village medical mission. Here is the link:

My Last Tour: A mission and a friend

Savannah school supplies “packing party”

"Packing party" for school supplies at Colonial Quilts in Savannah for Afghan children

From Liisa, SMSgt Temple’s wife: I had a wonderful opportunity to get together with Rex’s friend, SPC Christopher “Kit” Lowe, his parents Sandi and Donald and Life Freeman, the mother of fallen Marine hero Captain Matthew Freeman. Here is a link to a video story about our “packing party” that aired in Savannah yesterday.

The Coastal Source: After loss, families come together to help others

SPC Christopher "Kit" Lowe re-packs a care package that originally was sent to Capt. Matt Freeman by his mother; the original was returned to the Freemans after Capt. Freeman's death. The food and snack items in the package were re-packed and sent back to Afghanistan to Capt. Freeman's teammates.

SPC Lowe also spoke to his old school today about what it means to serve, get wounded and still want to “pay it forward” by collecting school supplies for Afghan children. I will post that video link as well once it becomes available.

This is a link to the transcript WSAV: Wounded Savannah soldier presents his Purple Heart to his Alma mater

Drinking Tea with the Sergeant Major

ANA CSM Quaseem

Today I had my first sit down meeting with my ANA Command Sergeant Major.  We exchanged pleasantries and he invited me into his office.  He is rather short in stature but his size has no bearing on his commanding presence and the way he carries himself.  When he walks into offices and dormitories his soldiers rise to attention and listen intently as he barks out orders.  Personally I think he still acts like he has retained his former Soviet rank of colonel.

The CSM has been in the army for 36 years and 5 of that have been with the reformed ANA army.  He graduated from high school and received a bachelor’s degree in Logistics from the Soviet Union.  He is married and has 8 children (4 girls and 4 boys) with ages ranging from 5-18.  He is responsible for 120 Noncommissioned Officers (NCOs) and 253 askars (soldiers).  He appeared to be very organized with his paperwork and would occasionally comb his bushy moustache during our conversations.  Some of his pet peeves are discipline, cropped hair, and clean and organized rooms.  He is also an ardent supporter of literacy for his soldiers.

Having chair with ANA CSM.

During these two hours, the CSM made me and Omid my interpreter a pot of chai (tea) to drink.  To boil the water he placed an electrode device with a plastic handle into a larger pot of water.  After the water boiled he used it to sterilize our glasses and then transferred the water into a teapot along with the tea leaves.  He also placed a platter of candy and nuts on the table for consumption.  Then he carefully unwrapped a piece of newspaper containing cold Naan bread.  Bon Apetite!

He apologized for not being at the post yesterday.  One of his relatives was injured by flying glass resulting from an RPG explosion.  He also had to take care of some business concerning his deceased brother who was killed a few months ago.  His brother was an ANA commander and a fierce fighter against the Taliban.  The Taliban placed a $200,000 bounty on his brother’s life.  His brother was on a mission along with 15 soldiers and was ambushed by the Taliban.  After the ANA soldiers ran out of bullets, they were overran and killed by the Taliban.  He blames ANA leadership for this action and feels his brother was intentionally set up for the reward money.

His brother was helping to support his 10 family members because his $250 a month salary was insufficient.  In turn, this conversation led to a long discussion about the rampant corruption in the ANA and the Afghan government.  If he would pay $1200 today, he would be promoted to ANA Major.  The CSM gave me permission to write about our conversation because he doesn’t fear anything.  He informed me that some foreign countries along with US security companies pay money to the Taliban in exchange for not attacking them.  He said this was common knowledge, even though the Italians are vehemently denying the allegation.

As we sipped our tea, the conversation switched to the HA drops in the villages.  The CSM gave me some insight about how people steal these items and who to trust and who not to trust.  I was totally dumbfounded when he said, “Please don’t give me any of those items, because I would be tempted to steal them too.”  I explained our process on how we hand out items.  We do not give them to select families, instead we provide to an entire village or school.  He nodded in agreement.

Our conversation continued to revolve about the corrupt government and how millions if not billions of dollars of foreign aid have been siphoned off by corrupt government officials.  But he put it into perspective and compared it to the United States.  Afghanistan doesn’t have the lobbyist organizations like the US.  Instead it utilizes tribal connections and nepotism.  Enterprising businessmen and government officials who receive the money subcontract out using inferior quality and then pocket the rest.   As a result, individuals who are illiterate become millionaires over night.  We also discussed about US contractors working in Afghanistan.  Most of them get paid over $100,000 and then the parent company charges the US government double or triple this rate, but nobody in the US seems to complain about this.  It’s just a different way of doing business.

The CSM explained under the Soviet regime, they did not have this corruption.  The soldiers were given sufficient flour, beans, tea, etc along with a meager salary, but it was sufficient enough to support a family.  But now, the government wants to pocket this money instead of distributing it to the soldiers.  He was adamant that unless the corruption is controlled, nothing will change.  He said the people in Afghanistan want jobs and security so they can provide for their families.  Until someone finds a way to do this, the country is in great danger of falling into the hands of the Taliban.  The Taliban recently imposed a 10% tax on poppy farmers as a new way of generating revenue to support their cause.

School supplies from St Martin North Elementary School in Biloxi, Miss.

As I walked back over to camp, I was feeling rather disheartened after this conversation.  I appreciated the CSM bluntness and honesty.  At least we did agree on one positive aspect that educating the children was vitally important.  One of the soldiers recognized me and informed me that I had a stack of boxes waiting for me at the Post Office.  Thanks to one of my teammate’s energetic spouse, I added 22 more boxes of school supplies to my collection in the connex.  Special thanks to St Martin North Elementary School in Biloxi, Mississippi for their generous donations.

SPC Lowe talking to me on Skype.

I had one more additional surprise while I was typing this blog entry.  SPC “Kit” Lowe (my friend who was shot) and I had a great conversation on Skype.  He still does not have any feeling below his knee, but he is scheduled for additional nerve surgery.  His goal is to be healed and walking by the time I finish my deployment.  My wife

From left: Lisa Freeman, my wife Liisa and Sandi Lowe; Specialist Chris 'Kit" Lowe in the front; behind them all the supplies leaving from Savannah tomorrow

drove up there to meet him and his family along with Marine CPT Freeman’s mother Lisa.  In honor of CPT Freeman’s request, they have collected school supplies.  Before his death, CPT Freeman had called home requesting school supplies and his mother had started to get donations together. After his death, a local military family, the Calkins, the continued the drive for Mrs. Freeman and filled box after box of supplies. Those donations are leaving tomorrow from Savannah on a transport plane. Once they get to Afghanistan, these supplies will be delivered to me and others in CPT Freeman’s former unit so we can distribute them to local schools here in Afghanistan.

Update about SPC Chris “Kit” Lowe’s recovery

SPC Christopher "Kit" Lowe with his mother Sandi, Sept. 2009

From Liisa, SMSgt Temple’s wife: Rex is very busy today and won’t have time to post. But he asked me to share with everyone this story from WSAV-TV in Savannah, GA about the recovery of his teammate SPC Christopher “Kit” Santiago Lowe. As many of you may remember he was critically wounded on Aug. 7 in Kapisa during a battle that claimed the life of Marine Capt. Matthew Freeman.

Kit had a chance to speak with the TV station yesterday about his recovery and his efforts to pay tribute to Capt. Freeman’s memory. For more, click on this link:

WSAV: Savannah Soldier Keeping Friend’s Dream Alive

You can find more information on the Lowe family’s business website http://www.colonialquilts.us/afghan.html

And SPC Lowe loves getting mail to brighten his days during his recovery. The mailing address is:

SPC Christopher Lowe
Abrams Hall, Box #1019
6900 Georgia Ave NW
Washington, DC 20307

Update about SPC Lowe and his recovery

SPC Christopher "Kit" Lowe in physical theraphy at Walter Reed

Updated on August 28:

Kit now has “outpatient” status and he can receive mail at this new address:

SPC Christopher Lowe

Abrams Hall, Box #1019

6900 Georgia Ave NW

Washington, DC  20307

***

Original entry

From Liisa, SMSgt Temple’s wife: I had the opportunity to chat with Rex’s friend, SPC Christopher “Kit” Lowe today and what a wonderful 30 minute chat it was. Lowe says his recovery is going well and he appeared to be in a great mood making a multitude of very funny jokes.

Here are some of the highlights he said were OK to share with the world: He walked 20 feet today with his walker. He may be able to leave Walter Reed for outpatient this week – that is if they can find him room at the outpatient facility, the Mologne House. He will soon get his stitches out and he hopes to know in about 6 weeks how much nerve damage there is to his leg. He has been told it’s possible for him to make a full recovery or worst-case scenario he may walk with a slight limp.

Lowe at WR Aug. 14th - upright with determination and support for the first time!!

He does lots of physical therapy and that includes building models. One of the models he is building is an outhouse!

Lowe has been busy also with all sorts of guests – ranging from family and friends to TV commentators and politicians. He says Georgia Congressman Jack Kingston came by today and there have been at least 4 congressional aides who came to visit as well. One of the highlights was a visit from Lt Gen John Allen, USMC, Deputy Commander, US Central Command. Lt Gen Allen is also a USNA classmate of Captain Matt Freeman’s father, Gary Freeman. Apparently Mrs. Anne McChrystal, the wife of Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top US commander in Afghanistan, also found time to come by.

With Lt Gen John Allen, USMC, Deputy Commander, US Central Command

On a somber note, Lowe said he was looking forward to attending Captain Freeman’s memorial at Annapolis this Wednesday. He said the Marines have something special planned but that he wants the focus to be on the Captain and his memory.

***

Lowe still enjoys getting cards but remember that if he is moved to Mologne House his address will change soon. For right now you can still send correspondence to him at:

SPC Christopher Lowe
Room 5737
Walter Reed Medical Center
6900 Georgia Ave NW
Washington, DC  20307

If you would like to see more pictures, please visit this special site the Lowe family updates regularly.

http://colonialquilts.us/kitlowe.html

"As far as I can move it, this is where it hurts."

Also, this note below came from Sandi Lowe a few days ago – maybe some of the blog readers can help:

“Just a heads up– Walter Reed sends the patients that are allowed on trips (ballgames, plays, movies, you get the idea) but they rely on donations from those teams, or facilities and cannot solicit.  SO– if you are so inclined and have low friends in high places I can’t think of a better place for them to donate tickets to games (University of Maryland is close-they do play other teams, right?) other colleges are here too, there are several movie theaters in Silver Springs…  just spread the word… you never know who you know that knows someone else…”

SPC Lowe interview – Part 2

SPC Chris “Kit” Lowe talks about being ambushed while on a mission with Marine Captain Matthew Freeman in Kapisa Province, Afghanistan on Aug. 7.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “SPC Lowe interview – Part 2“, posted with vodpod

According to WSAV-TV, Lowe is scheduled for another surgery on his leg Saturday. He hopes to be up and around and on crutches in the next few weeks.

Update on SPC Lowe and memorial for Capt. Freeman

SPC Christopher "Kit" Lowe

SPC Christopher “Kit” Lowe is recovering from his bullet wound.  So if you want to cheer him up and would like to send him a card or a greeting, please send them to the following address which he and his family released:

SPC Christopher Lowe
Room 5737
Walter Reed Medical Center
6900 Georgia Ave NW
Washington, DC  20307

Marine Captain Matthew Freeman

Tomorrow in honor of another fallen warrior, I will post pictures from Capt Matthew Freeman’s memorial service held at my camp.  The military memorial service was held today honoring this fallen comrade.

From SMSgt Temple’s wife Liisa: We received a request from a family friend of the Freemans to post this link to the documents announcing Capt. Freeman’s Bronze Star for Valor.

Capt. Matt Freeman Bronze Star documents

The friend, CAPT Scott Pugh, USN (ret), writes:

I have posted a copy of Matt’s combat award for valor online so that others can see it at the link provided.

It says:
– Matt was a C130 pilot based in Okinawa but he volunteered for this deployment.
– He was on the ground just 2 weeks but he volunteered for this patrol in order to coordinate air support if required.
– Once under fire, as the senior man present, he went to the rooftop of the building where his 5 man unit had taken cover in order to gain a better vantage point to locate and engage the enemy that had his unit pinned down.
– There he encountered a nearby Taliban fighter with an RPG who could have taken out the building containing his unit.
– He killed that insurgent drawing deadly fire upon himself from other Taliban forces.
– Every other member of his patrol survived the fight.

There’s not much more anyone could have done than what Matt did.

Wounded soldier SPC Lowe speaks out

The Richmond Hill Marine killed on duty in Afghanistan will be laid to rest this weekend.Captain Matthew Freeman was hit by machine gun fire while on a mission in the Kapisa Province back on August 7th.Another Savannah soldier was shot in the same battle. Specialist Christopher Lowe is recovering from a gunshot wound to his right thigh. He spoke to WSAV-TV’s Andrew Davis.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

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Radio interview on 8-11-09

Here is the link to the latest interview with WUSF Radio’s reporter Bobbie O’Brien which aired today in Tampa, FL during NPR’s All Things Considered. We discussed Marine Captain Matt Freeman and SPC Christopher Lowe. This report is slated to air again tomorrow morning during Morning Edition.

WUSF Radio: My Last Tour