San Ramon's Blue Star Moms Sending Holiday Cheer to Troops

SAN RAMON (KCBS)— For many military families, sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner with an empty chair at the table is difficult to deal with. But a local chapter of Blue Star Moms is organizing care packages for troops to make things a little easier on everyone involved this holiday.

After 9-11 Peggy Conklin and some friends started the Blue Star Moms chapter in San Ramon. Ten years later they are still offering support, most recently to the family of lance corporal Josh "Chachi" Corral, the third local service member to die.

All three of Conklin's sons have served in the military. One is out two are in the army and one is stationed in Afghanistan.

"In 2004 we lost Kyle Crowley, a Marine who graduated from California High School. We've lost Evan Mooldyk in Danville. I think Chachi might be the first actual combat casualty," Conklin said.

The care packages she's preparing include; baby wipes, cookies, and puzzles, basically whatever they need, according to Conklin.

"[We're] asking people to write cards to the troops, because we put three to four depending on how many total cards we get in each care package so that whoever opens the package, the first thing they see is cards from people that care."

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