Mary Standish Raised Funds For Operation Comfort Warriors

Middleboro Gazette; Thursday, October 23,2014:-

In June, Middleboro resident Mary Standish took a trip of a lifetime.

When invited to her nephew's wedding in West Yellowstone, Montana, she decided to extend her trip to California to also visit with relatives near the Pacific. Most of her trip was traveling on back roads.

"My whole trip was an awesome adventure. The best part was seeing our great country and meeting the people who live here," she said.

Mary's husband, Allan, and daughter, Dale, have both passed away. Mary decided to turn the trip into a memorial trip in their honor, donating a penny a mile to Operation Comfort Warriors sponsored by the American Legion.

"Operation Comfort Warriors visit veterans who need things, and buy the things needed for rehabilitation. One hundred percent of the donation goes to making these purchases, unlike with some other charities," she said.

For the trip of 12,000 miles Mary donated $120 to the organization. As her plans progressed, Mary explained to friends what she was doing, and many decided to help by matching her total, or simply donating. At Hannaford's, where Mary works, customers and staff also pitched in with donations. At the end of the trip, she had gathered more than $3,000 for Operation Confort Warriors.

"I would like to say thank you to everyone that made a donation. It really makes a difference," she said.

Also, during the trip, Mary was able to exhange Legion plates with other Posts. She was able to bring one back from almost every state that she visited. She was able to visit veteran memorials in many different towns.

To donate to Operation Comfort Warriors, checks can be be sent to American Legion Post 64, PO BOx 135, Middleboro,MA 02347.

During her cross country trip, Mary managed to visit and photograph over 30 War Memorials, which included six National Cemeteries and three State Veterans Memorials. Her visits started on June 14 in Marshall, Minnesotta and ended with a stop at a Civil War Memorial/ WW2 POW Camp at Niagra,New York on September 7, 2014.

Her travels took her from Massachusetts to California's San Joaquin Valley and back to Middleboro, Ma.

( Mary Standish, an Air Force veteran, is currently the senior-vice commander of the Simeon L. Nickerson Post 64 American Legion. She is also the American Red Cross blood drive co-ordinator for Post 64.)............... (Photo/Posted by Bob Lessard historian Post 64 2014)