Moose News

Don't tell the Farleys a few dedicated people can't make a difference.

After learning the government doesn't provide a shock absorbent helmet lining for U.S. military personnel that can mean the difference between life and death, the Nockamixon couple partnered with the Quakertown Moose to raise more than $35,000 to buy the helmet pads for their Marine son in Iraq and more than 500 of his fighting comrades.

The local grassroots campaign, which is part of a national effort called Operation Helmet, inspired Congressman Patrick Murphy, D-8, to co-sponsor a bill authorizing armed services personnel and/or their families who paid for the helmet lining to apply for reimbursement on the $70 to $100 purchase.

At a Quakertown Council meeting Wednesday, a Murphy representative presented Mike and Marie Farley and Rod Van Pelt of the Quakertown Moose with leather-bound copies of a speech Murphy made in Congress praising their efforts.

"This kind of support from home is wholeheartedly appreciated and serves as a tremendous morale boost," said Murphy, the only Iraq war veteran in Congress.

The Farleys modestly accepted the recognition and said it's crucial for Americans to continue supporting Operation Helmet until the government begins paying for helmet pads for armed services personnel.

That's particularly evident upon learning that Operation Helmet is faced with more than 600 requests for the kits that it cannot fulfill because it doesn't have the money, according to the organization's Web site.

"Sudden increase in backlog is mostly due to reserve units being activated ... so we're out shaking the money trees furiously trying to help provide helmet upgrades. If you can, they really need help," the Web site said.

Marie Farley said to send donations directly to the Texas-based public charity, whose Web site is operationhelmet.org.

"We need to make sure our troops are well equipped in the combat zones. They should have the best equipment possible," said Farley.

Her son Michael, a 23-yearold Marine corporal, has braved combat and the scorching desert heat in Iraq's volatile Anbar province, home to the onetime insurgent stronghold of Fallujah.

Michael is back from Iraq, stationed at Camp Pendleton in California. The graduate of Palisades High School could be redeployed to the war-torn Middle Eastern country, but for now, his family is happy to have him stateside.

Her voice cracking slightly, Marie Farley said, "It was very, very exciting to see him."

Military families like the Farleys "should not be forced to pay for their loved ones' equipment," Murphy said in recent remarks to Congress. "The Farleys were able to gather tremendous community support, but despite their best efforts they couldn't supply all U.S. forces, and many families are paying out of pocket. This is unfair ... at the very least these families should have the opportunity to request a reimbursement."

The reimbursement bill, whose lead sponsor is Rep. Darlene Hooley, D-Ore., is before the House of Representatives Committee on Armed Services. If ratified, it would allow soldiers and/or their families who have paid for the helmet inserts to apply for reimbursement.

The protective lining makes helmets fit more comfortably and protects against serious head injury when soldiers are slammed to the ground by explosions.

That's an improvement over "the majority of today's helmets worn by most Marines and Airmen (which) ... protect against gunfire and flying debris - not blasts ..." according to Operation Helmet. Hooley's office said the standard-issue helmet pads are "less expensive and also less effective."

The superior helmet kit consists of shock-absorbing pads and a new strap system. Adding the pads to combat helmets can reduce impact forces to a survivable level. Upwards of 3,250 military personnel have died in the Iraq war.

Dr. Robert Meaders founded Operation Helmet in 2004 after his Marine grandson requested upgrade kits to make his company's helmets safer in Iraq. The group has distributed more than 35,000 helmet linings to soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines in both Iraq and Afghanistan, often with the help of localized fundraisers, such as what the Farleys have run. The Nockamixon couple learned about Operation Helmet when they saw Cher promoting the group on a talk show. "I knew right away this was something we could do to help out," said Marie Farley.

Marie and Mike, an ex-Marine and Vietnam veteran, contacted the Quakertown Moose, where they're members, and asked for assistance in fundraising. The Moose signed on.

While the Farleys initially hoped to raise about $3,500 to outfit their son's unit, the Farleys and the Moose ended up raising more than 10 times that amount, thanks to their hardworking campaign that included everything from word-of-mouth to TV and newspaper interviews.

Murphy represents the residents of Bucks County, some districts of Abington, Upper Dublin and Upper Moreland in Montgomery County and two wards in Philadelphia.

Editor's note: For more information on Operation Helmet, the Quakertown Moose Center can be reached at 215-536-6310, or via email at: Lodge1622@mooseunits.org .