OKLAHOMA CITY -- Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores chairman Tom Love said that his company will donate the gasoline needed to ferry more than 2,600 soldiers training at Fort Bliss, Texas, to Oklahoma, according to the Associated Press. The soldiersmembers of Oklahoma's 45th Infantry Brigadeare set to deploy from the post in January, but have 10 days of leave, from December 23 to January 2.
"Love's is an Oklahoma company and proud of it," Love said. "We're delighted to be able to do this."
Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry earlier [image-nocss] this month announced "Operation Holiday Homecoming" and asked Oklahomans to donate the $600,000 needed to pay for 60 buses and meals for a round trip of less than 2,000 miles. Department of Defense regulations do not allow the Army to pay for the soldiers' trip home while on leave.
Major General Harry M. Wyatt III, Oklahoma's adjutant general, said the gift from Love's would "make 2,600 Oklahoma soldiers, and a lot more Oklahoma citizens, very happy."
"It is a huge expense to get back home," he said, adding that the program is likely the only way many soldiers can come home for the holidays.
Wyatt said the buses would take the soldiers to Oklahoma City, Tulsa or McAlester. The buses will also return the soldiers to Texas.
About $100,000 has been raised, and several buses have been supplied for the trip, said Michael Taylor, state commander of the American Legion.
Phil Bacharach, a spokesman for Henry, said the governor was "very grateful" for Love's donation. "It's a generous gift, and it's going to go a long way toward ensuring members of the 45th are going to be able to spend the holidays with their loved ones," he said.
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