Spouses club: Thanks to Yuma for support

In the summer of 1998, I drove my white Honda Civic "over the hill" into Yuma and promptly got a speeding ticket.

I sheepishly asked the police officer if he could let me off as I was rolling into town for the first time. He smiled and happily tore off the ticket, handed it through the window and told me to "drive safely."

I have spent the better part of the last 15 years here since that sweltering day — with stints in Kansas and Virginia nestled in between. It’s a rarity for a military family to spend so much time in one place, but one I’ve come to appreciate our time here, particularly during these last few years when my husband and many other Marines and soldiers have deployed on a near constant cycle.

Yuma — you are our temporary home and we are thankful for all you do. You bid farewell to friends and frequently welcome, with open arms, new families into your neighborhoods. You patiently explain the Big Curve, the best place to get Mexican food, why to drape a towel over the steering wheel during the summer and all about the Telegraph Pass rite of passage. And recently, Yuma, you have given more than just your friendship.

During the holidays, the Officers’ Spouses Club (OSC) appealed to you for monetary donations to support our youngest and most vulnerable Marines and their families — who balance their lives a breath away from poverty. Donations poured in. Checks arrived from RV parks, first responder clubs, book clubs, church groups, military affiliated organizations and Yumans. Thanks to your generosity, hundreds of military families enjoyed what so many of us take for granted — the pride and pleasure in preparing a home-cooked holiday meal.

The Officers’ Spouses Club of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma is profoundly grateful for your assistance and benevolence. And on behalf of OSC, it is my honor to say thank you. We are forever indebted.

Semper Fidelis

Molly Blake and the entire Officers’ Spouses Club of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma