The words to the classic holiday song “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” were written in 1943, when many World War II soldiers were far from the homes they loved. The lyrics speak to those who long for “snow, and mistletoe, and presents under the tree.”
Military families today still struggle with sacrifice and separation, but an effort supported by a Fayette County farm is making their Christmas brighter.
In 2005, a program called Trees for Troops was developed by the National Christmas Tree Association’s nonprofit Christmas SPIRIT Foundation, in partnership with FedEx. The goal was to donate fresh Christmas trees to military families living on bases in the U.S. and abroad. The first year, they delivered 4,300 trees to five bases; in 2015, the program brought more than 13,000 trees to 65 locations.
In Georgia, 11 farms participated in Trees for Troops last year. In Fayette County, Minter’s Farm has been part of Trees for Troops for more than 10 years. The We Three Trees Farm in Fayetteville has also provided trees.
The Minters grow five types of Christmas trees; they both donate trees and collect donations from customers who want to sponsor trees for others. FedEx picks up the trees the first weekend of December, and this year will take about 100 trees from Minter’s Farm to Army families living at Fort Stewart near Hinesville.
Donors who come to Minter’s Farm can fill out a gift tag and write a personal message to the trees’ recipients; the tags waiting at the farm are filled with greetings thanking the military families for their service and wishing them happy holidays.
Rick’s father, former AJC editor Jim Minter, is an Army vet from the Korean War era, and Rick’s second cousin currently serves in the Air Force in Guam. Rick says Trees for Troops helps families who otherwise might not have a tree to get the full Christmas experience.
He tells the story of how, when he was about 11, he lugged a chainsaw through the woods to cut down a large cedar tree for the family holiday. The experience was so exhilarating, he says, “I could not tell you anything I got for Christmas that year.” Not having a real tree, he says, “is like a holiday meal in the microwave.” His daughter, Stephanie Minter Adameck, helps coordinate the effort, calling Trees for Troops “probably my most favorite thing we do at the tree farm.”
Trees for Troops receives messages from the families that underscore what the gift means. In 2014 one soldier wrote, “I just returned from Afghanistan after being deployed to the Role 3 Combat hospital and was not much in the mood for Christmas. I saw your program being advertised on the local news and thought it was pretty neat and it started changing my attitude. Your generosity in remembering us at this time is much appreciated; my little tree is beautiful and brings me joy every time I look at it!”
Mission accomplished.
About the Author
