Dec. 28, 1951

 

Nebraska Gifts To Give Waifs Late Christmas

 

WITH 1^ST MARINE AIR WING (AP)-A Christmas from Nebraska is coming for 200 Korean orphans here Sunday.  Marine airmen will hand out to the children of the orphanage at Pohang, on Korea's west coast, more than 1000 gifts sent from Nebraska, most of them from Omaha.

THE WIDE EYED little orphans will get everything from toys to tooth brushes, along with a mountain of warm winter clothing.  The Santa Claus of the belated yuletide party is a young sergeant from Omaha named Gene A. Leahy.

SERGEANT LEAHY, 22-year old amphibious vehicle operator attached to the 1^st Marine Air Wing, wrote a letter recently to the Omaha World-Herald seeking Christmas gifts of clothing, toys and food for the Pohang orphans.  The letter was carried in the newspaper and Leahy's appeal brought immediate and voluminous results.  More than 200 packages poured in from Nebraska to the chaplain's office of Marine Air Group 33.

"WE FILLED A tent with the things we received," exclaimed Lt. Cmdr. James A. Sullivan, Newport, R.I., Catholic chaplain who worked with Leahy on the project.  "In all," said Sullivan, "there are more than 1000 gifts for the homeless children."  "Our project almost got out of hand." he added with a broad smile.