Military News
LT Choe in Afghanistan, stocking the United Through Reading bookshelves so others could stay connected to their families at home (photo courtesy of AnySoldier.com)
United Through Reading Champion Killed While Serving in Afghanistan
LT Florence Choe was a staunch supporter of the United Through Reading Military Program, having recorded stories for her daughter while at the Pat Tillman USO center at Bagram Air Base.
She built a United Through Reading program at Camp Mike Spann and ensured that troops serving throughout Afghanistan had access to this valuable way to stay connected with little ones at home.
According to Sally Ann Zoll, CEO of United Through Reading, "She recruited the help of others on the base to build bookshelves, and she accessorized the reading room with stuffed animals, pictures and lamps. She also volunteered to serve as the volunteer Active Duty Coordinator for the program, responsible for the day to day operation of the site.
The site opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thanksgiving Day, just after they had received their Spike Camera Kit (Spike TV partnered with the USO to deliver deployable kits with cameras, DVDs and books, so troops deployed to remote bases could participate in the program). The site at Camp Spann has served Army, Navy, and Civilian personnel assigned to the base."
Zoll added, "LT Choe also recruited her husband, LCDR Jay Choe, a Navy physician assigned to Naval Medical Center San Diego, to be the United Through Reading Homefront Coordinator. He worked with the hospital librarian to get donated books to send to Camp Spann’s United Through Reading Military Program site.
While traveling to other bases in Afghanistan, LT Choe talked about United Through Reading, and let us know where there was interest in setting up additional sites." The United Through Reading family mourns the loss of LT Choe.