Hi All,

First, I just want to say this is a wonderful project. I, like many others, really appreciate our troops and veterans, and never take our freedoms for granted. During the first Gulf War, I sent several care packages addressed to "Any Service Person". I was quite disapponted to learn that dueto security reasons, packages must be addressed to specific service people now. This is a way for us to show our appreciation for their sacrifices, and maybe brighten their day a little. Now, to my thoughts.

Quality vs. Quantity - I know that if I use less expensive kits, I can send more pens. However, I think I would prefer to use higher quality kits. I want to send pens that look good and that I know will last. I'm leaning towards American style kits, because of their name and the fact that they're my favorite style. And with so many people getting involved, I think we'll be able to easily meet the goal of 100,000 pens. This in no way is meant to detract from those who choose to use less expensive kits, it's just my own opinion. I know that ALL pens will be appreciated, whether a slimline or a sterling silver flat top.

American Hardwoods - I kind of agree that using American hardwoods would be nice. However, unless you use burl, most American hardwoods are pretty bland looking. I do like quarter sawn oak, though, that has lots of "rays" in it. I've also seen some pretty nice local olivewood. Maybe I'll expirament with staining some otherwise uninteresting blanks, and see how they look.

Our Allies - What do you think about including our allies in this project, such as the British troops? I would like to include all that are fighting on the side of freedom. And the British especially, have really stuck by us.

Return Address - I'm going to include my mailing address with each pen. I know that when I receive a gift I really like, I want to tell the giver how much I appreciate it. Some soldiers might want to do that too, and it would be nice to hear from some of them. Then there's always the chance that a pen will get to a service person who doesn't have much in the way of family or friends to write to.

These are just some of my thoughts, and I certainly welcome any comments or criticisms.

Jim Lane