‘Operation Mail Call’ For The 21st Century

Video
Photo

One company is putting families in touch with each other, even though they are thousands of miles away, and they take ‘mail call’ to a whole new level.

Joy Howe

Text size: small | medium | large

By Joy Howe
WJBF News Channel 6 Aiken County Reporter
Published: October 3, 2008

Aiken, SC--Tommie Boatwright got the call to fight in Iraq this past February. His mother Heather said goodbye, and watched her son travel thousands of miles away.

Heather Riggs, Operation Mail Call Customer: “When they’re that far away, you really have an appreciation for when they are close.”

Surrounded by war, Tommie did his best to call home, but the connection was often scratchy.

Riggs:” They would have a sandstorm, and when you have a sandstorm, there’s no communication, no phone, no anything. And it’s hard, especially when you’re expecting a call and it doesn’t come, it’s just like ‘wow, where is he?’”

But thanks to Atlantic Broadband and a program called ‘Operation Mail Call’, Heather and hundreds of other families across the United States soon received a gift, free internet for families that had loved ones in Afghanistan or the Persian Gulf.

Sam McGill, Atlantic Broadband VP: “This is the 21st century version of operation mail call that I guess was back in WWII.”

Thursday night, they added even more families, and expanded the service to families in Barnwell, Bamberg and Allendale.

Heather and others say the instant connection makes a total difference:

Betty Myers, Operation Mail Call Customer: “And I hope and pray that operation broadband can go all over the world. This is the closest thing to being with that family, then any phone call or anything.”

McGill: “We think this is very special, it’s a small token of our appreciation for families that are making, when they have their loved ones that are serving overseas.”

A chance for families to get something money can’t always buy.

Riggs:”That instant gratification of knowing that he’s Okay and that is a very important thing when your child’s that far away.”

There is some more good news. Heather’s son Tommie has finished his tour and is now home safe and sound.

Atlantic Broadband provides this service to more than 200 families in their service area, and they expect to add even more as they expand operation mail call.