Congressman Pence thanks credit unions
January 3, 2005

Congressman Mike Pence (tan pants, near left) and Congressman Chris Chocola (tan pants, near right) and members of their delegation area shown here with troops in Afghanistan at Camp Phoenix outside Kabul holding cards send from Hoosiers who responded to Operation Holiday Greeting. More than 1,000 of the cards were sent by or on behalf of Indiana Credit Unions.

INDIANAPOLIS-- Indiana credit unions’ participation in Operation Holiday Greeting caught the eye of Congressman Mike Pence. In a letter to the League he said, "I was stunned to hear about your appearance in our office early one morning…with bags full of greeting cards for our troops. When we made the plea for constituents to send card to us, we never dreamed of the wonderful outpouring of kindness. " His letter also thanked Indiana Credit Union League and Servicecorp staff for volunteering time to help his Anderson, Ind. district office sort through the cards received. He concluded his letter with, "please extend my deepest gratitude to…all of our friends that helped with this endeavor."

More than 1,000 cards were sent by or on behalf of Indiana credit unions. Nearly 25,000 cards were collected by the Congressman’s office in mid- and late-November.

His delegation to Afghanistan included Congressman Chris Chocola who helped distribute the cards. According to Pence’s Web site account of the visit, "The response was moving. Time after time, tired-looking soldiers’ faces would brighten as we repeated, "25,000 in two weeks" and, "people back in Indiana are grateful." The common reply was often a humble, "Really? They really know what we’re doing?" Pence told almost all the soldiers he met of a conversation he had with President Bush at the White House before leaving. "When I told him that I was going to Afghanistan and that almost 15 percent of the National Guard there were Hoosiers, the President replied, "That’s why it’s goin’ so well!"

Pence’s group was told that they were the first congressional delegation to be permitted to overnight in Afghanistan since the start of the war and one of a very few members of Congress to ever be permitted to spend the night with the troops in a combat area.

Background information: The Indiana Credit Union League released related news on Nov. 23, 2004. Read it here: http://www.icul.org/NewsReleases/nr20041123.asp.

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