Besides a letter at mail call, a soldier

Besides a letter at mail call, a soldier may have use for small items which can be easily sent inside a greeting card or letter.

“A hot commodity is powdered Gatorade,” Rose Ann Sharp of Sperryville relays from her brother, 25-year-old Charles. “They were trading it around,” she said, adding another item desired by .the women and men stationed in the hot desert was baby wipes. “Now that they have showers they may not be so cruial,” she said, adding her brother has been stationed in the Gulf for more than three months and has not seen his new daughter, born just three days after his departure.

“I’m sure he would love getting letters and cards from people around here,” Mrs. Sharp said, adding most of his time is spent on the front lines as his platoon works with Bradley infantry carriers.

“I know he said he has gained a whole new respect for the American military after his experience abroad,” Mrs. Sharp said, adding her brother enjoys football, hunting and fishing and other outdoor sports.‘His birthday is April 24.

In April, LCPL Vincent “Pops” Aylor, son of Rachel and Russell Aylor of Sperryville, will have spent his four years in the United States Marine Corps and be eligible for discharge. Until then, he is marking his time in the Saudi desert as part of Operation Desert Shield.

“I did not even believe him when he told me he was going to join the corps,” his mother, Rachel Aylor of Sperryville, said. “Now, look where he is.”

“I’m sure he would like to get letters from home,” Mrs. Aylor said,, adding “when he writes home he always wants to know about the sports in schools and what’s going on.”

Pops, bom July 10, is a Rappahannock County High School graduate, was active in school sports and attended Lord Fairfax Community College before joining the Marines. He likes baseball, basketball and other sports as well as hunting and fishing. “Several people in the church have written to him,” Mrs. Aylor said, adding she writes often as well as Pops’ older brother Niles, of Culpeper.

“Pops writes back often too, but his letters sound sad and lonely,” she said, adding often she sends packages containing items such as peanut butter and jelly, pop-top canned fruit, Koolaid, powdered sodas, and cakes and cookies. „

Col. Knuepfer, reflecting on his days on duty, offered several suggestions for Christmas gifts or just items to send.

“Insoles are very good,” he said with laughter, remembering the days when he wore the heavy military boots. “Think of things someone would take camping,” he suggested as items to send overseas. “Razors are good. And, bug spray as they are getting into what may be considered their wet season.”