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Usually, the Girl Scouts come to your door to deliver their famous cookies. But when your door is in a desert in Iraq, the delivery process becomes a bit more challenging.
Eager to help, the VFW offered their services to the Girl Scouts through a project they had already begun.
Troop support from VFW Post 5270, Genesee Depot, Wis., first began after the beginning of the war in Iraq in 2003. They called their program “Operation Thank You.” Its mission was to deliver the supplies troops often need while in the battle zone. From socks to snacks, Post 5270 sent it all to the many service members from the southeastern Wisconsin area.
“Mail call was something you always looked forward to. Knowing they [American people] appreciate you is terrific. It really helps morale,” explained Walter Bandomir, a Vietnam veteran who served during the Tet Offensive and former commander of Post 5270.
A few years later, the Post partnered with the local Girl Scouts to bring a familiar taste from home to “Operation Thank You.”
The joint effort proved to be beneficial to both sides. Together, VFW and the Girl Scouts sold cookies in a local grocery store. Customers could purchase a box of cookies to donate to troops and veterans. The Post then took the purchased cookies and added them to the boxes they sent overseas and around the country.
“The girls were very excited to be involved,” said Bandomir. “It’s been a very successful effort for us.”
Some troops, like Troop 2727, sold out their product in just a few hours, even after doubling their supply!
The donated cookies are sent wherever there is a veteran. Many go overseas, but Post 5270 also sends them to vets at home, at the Wisconsin VA Hospital and the Veterans Home in Union Grove, Wis.
“People are willing to help if you have a truthful cause. And people are always ready to help the troops,” concluded Bandomir. | 
