HISTORY AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF OPERATION MORNING STAR

Operation Morning Stars very first Truck in 98...a MAC...donated by Jack Carter of Carter Glass in Kansas City...in the front yard of Mildred Alkire in Manderson on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. 2 of my very best friends and helpers on the right...Sandy and Steve. The 2 previous years, deliveries were made with a 74 J-10 4x4 JEEP pulling a 18 foot flat bed trailer!

The 06 Christmas trip was made possible by the Conservative Jewish Congregation of Beth Shalom Congregation in Kansas City, They financed the rental and fuel costs for the Penske Truck used for that trip. It is a LOVING Jewish Congregation under the leadership of Rabbi Scott White. I call them "Jews after the example of Jesus the Jew"! :)

A donation in late 0/6 of 23 NEW wood burning stoves and piping from Victorian Sales allowed us to deliver "HEAT" to homes without. These went to Cheyenne River, Rosebud, and Standing Rock Tribal Members in 12/06 and 2/07...in 2007 because when we returned to CRST in Oct. 0/7, the stoves delivered in Feb. 0/6 were NOT delivered to those in need. According to the Property and Supply workers under Galan Means, the reason they were not delivered was because the stoves were "to heavy"!

With permission of Tribal President Joseph Brings Plenty, I "repossessed" the HEAVY stoves with the help of two men from the substance abuse treatment center, and we delivered them to the families and elders on the original list.

The two stoves "missing" apparently went to Means and a "rich" well to do tribal member names Ted Minor.

The semi used in this was from Dave Jungeblat of "Fright Limo". I drove it all by myself and yes, I have a Class A CDL! :) Thanks also to Local 41 of the Teamsters and OOIDA for allowing for "radio publicity".

Both organizations, Teamsters 41 and Freight Limo, allowed for the use of their"18 wheelers" which were fully LOADED and which totaled OVER 80 Thousand Pounds or 40 TONS of food, appliances, clothing, wood burning stoves, toys, etc were delivered and distributed to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation!

The Christmas Trip in 0/4 went to Pine Ridge Residents. The full semi-load from Teamsters 41, made stops at Allen at the Tribal Secretary's home, Donna Saloman, in Porcupine at Wilson Coleman's home, and in Manderson at Wilda Black Bear's home.

Over a 11 year span, at least 13 fully loaded 22-26' box trucks and 10 pick-up w/18' flat bed trailer loads "collectively" went to the homes of Mildred Alkire in Manderson, Darwin Apple in Manderson, Arlette Loud Hawk at her home in Oglala, Wilda Black Bear in Manderson, to Loneman High School in Oglala to feed and "house" the '99' Tornado Victims with Family Size Tents. All of the above residents live on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Besides trips during the year, EVERY CHRISTMAS OMS made a delivery of toys, food, wood burning stoves, appliances and clothes to a Lakota Community since it's inception.

Operation Morning Star raised over $6700 dollars when I was a "radio talk show host" at KCXL 1140 (they stole my OMS web page) and used that money to purchase, deliver, and set up over 60 large 5 room family size tents for families who's homes were either destroyed or damaged by these tornados in the community of OGLALA! We got a special deal from Target.

Deliveries of food and clothing have gone to the Community Buildings in Pine Ridge under the "watching eyes" of Eileen Janice...and Mary Long and Ima Jean Charging Elk at the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Reservation (3 full loads). Appliances, wood burning stoves, furniture along with food and good quality clothing were in these "give away" loads.

Close to 20,000 donated garden plants such as tomatoes, squash, beans, peas, watermelon, cucumbers, peppers etc., have been delivered to the Pine Ridge and Rosebud "Sioux" Reservations on two trips, one this year to Rosebud and in 2001 to the CAP Office in Manderson on the Pine Ridge Reservation. In 09, another load of garden plants went to Pine Ridge...5000 of a variety of beans, squash, tomatoes etc.

Also, gardens planted, mini chicken farm put in place, 1 commercial and over 3 dozen non commercial sewing machines have been given for "work".

Over (not enough) 70 families and individuals have been "adopted" by OMS supporters and myself personally. Moneys were sent to the grocery stores and propane companies in the name of the families at the Sioux Nations Grocery and PTI Propane and other locations at Eagle Butte on the CRST Rez, at PR or direct to individuals or families or Elders.

We also built a food pantry in Manderson at the home of Mildred Alkire. It was lost in a fire. She was a recipient of a used donated commemorative "Smith and Wesson" van which was given her while I was a radio talk show host. She and her granddaughter Nikki came to Liberty to receive this "gift" and drive it back to Pine Ridge where it now sits broken down because she has no money to fix it.

There are hundreds of additional photos including the delivery of over $100,000 worth of new and like new wood burning stoves to 5 Dakota/Lakota Nations.

This is a SEMI being loaded for our 0/4 Christmas Trip to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation taking "gifts" to the communities of Manderson, Porcupine, and Allen.

In the first photo, you see former Independence Mayor Ron Stewart on the left. He helped load the "Teamsters Local 41" 18 Wheeler which they "loaned to us"!

In the next photo, you see the "volunteer loading crew" who assisted loading the van! I am next to Mayor Stewart on his right. Ray Lewis on my right, was the "backbone" for many years of Operation Morning Star!

Yes...we need assistance to do this type of work...so if you want to help...monetary Donations Can Be Sent To:

Operation Morning Star, 1437 South Hedges, Independence MO 64052

Contact Number: 816-352-7999 Email us at operationmorningstar@gmail.com