Support Our Troops Magnet

It doesn’t matter how you feel about the U.S. presence in Iraq, there is one fact that we must all remember. At this very moment, people from all over the U.S. are serving in the Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force. The people of the armed forces have shown their willingness to give their lives to protect our country. Buying a yellow Support Our Troops magnet or ribbon is a way of showing our encouragement to all these courageous volunteers.

Recently some wives and friends of service people came up with an idea to show that they were always thinking about their loved ones and friends who were serving in the Middle East. This symbol of solidarity became the Support Our Troops magnet, which is about 8 inches high and is shaped like a yellow support our troops ribbon.

Another design for the Support Our Troops magnet uses the colors of the U.S. flag in a rectangular form.  There are two different quotes on the magnets, one says "Support Our Troops" and the other is the Pray for Our Troops magnet.  You may see these magnets on car doors or trunk lids in areas near military bases.

One of the places where you are most likely to see many of the yellow Support Our Troops magnets is in Hawaii, where they are selling like hotcakes. Part of the reason for this is that Hawaiians remember the traumatic Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in a way that most Americans don’t. They were there and experienced the devastating consequences of this attack. Also, because there has been a large naval base in Honolulu for a long time, there is a general sympathy and understanding for the people who serve this country in the military.

There are around 9,000 troops from Hawaii currently serving in the U.S. armed forces. So, if you’re driving around Honolulu on the island of Oahu, where Pearl Harbor is located, you'll notice many cars sporting Support Our Troops magnets. In fact, people in the area love the magnets so much; they’ve actually been stealing them off of local cars.

At first, the yellow Support Our Troops magnets were available for sale through the efforts of family members who set up tables to sell them. On a grass-roots level, they used the funds that were raised to send gifts to their friends and relatives serving overseas. In one case in particular, they used the money to pay for a welcome home party for returning soldiers.

The Support Our Troops magnets sell for $5 each and the money raised goes to send goodies and useful items to our young people in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. They make great gifts for family and friends.  A number of stores and other commercial enterprises are now selling the magnets and they say that they are also donating the profits to help people in the armed services.

The courageous people in the military deserve our encouragement and the Support Our Troops magnets are a way everyone can give a gift to our soldiers overseas!