OxfordPress.com

MIDDLETOWN — The photos covering the walls are filled with smiling faces.

Looking at the snapshots, Rick Hart is reminded of happy times at his Monroe Meadows home. He's proud of those moments.

Hart and his wife, Linda Lou, members of the Middletown VFW Post 3809, open their home regularly to traveling members of the military on active duty.

"We take soldiers in to stay in our house when they are going from one base to another," said Hart. "If they are going to Iraq they are invited to stay, going on leave, if they go up this way" there's room.

Since 2003, as many as 20 service members — including many return visitors — have spent the night in the couple's guest room en route to assignments. A game room — open noon to midnight during fundraisers, and when requested by service personnel — has been visited by an estimated 200 people.

Hart serves as quartermaster and coordinates the military assistance program at the post. Helping today's soldiers is personal for the Marine who "lived like an animal" for 13 months in Vietnam in the late 1960s. After less than a hero's welcome in his return home, Hart has vowed today's military feel welcome, supported and appreciated.

The Hart game room has the feel of a NCO club and is open to any service personnel visiting in the area. Complete with beer, soft drinks, and snacks, the "desert sand" painted walls and ceiling are covered with photos of past visitors, celebrities, album covers and memorabilia. Pinball machines, a jukebox and more are also part of the decor.

"We do as much as we can to spoil them. For some it could be the last place they visit....," Hart said. "It's not about me. It's about the soldiers. They're the only thing between us and the terrorists."

A stack of boxes, addressed to soldiers overseas, stands to the side awaiting Hart's regular trip to the post office. The post allocates $300 a month for weekly packages of coffee, sugar, socks, walkie talkies and whatever else the soldiers request in their e-mails. When requests tally more than the monthly allowance, the Harts raise the needed funds.

His actions reflect his proudly displayed mission statement: "To lift our soldiers morale in the war on terror by any means possible."