Cutups

Project Murtha

The Operation Perk-up Patrick story (left) spawns an idea (right)  that may answer the question: "Murtha, what good is he?" Shirtless at the Jacksonville, Florida airport, Staff Sgt. Patrick Thomas made a grand entrance. He's not actually here in the flesh, but as a cardboard cut-out. His girlfriend carries him around everywhere she goes. Anne Schollard recently carried the cutout to his favorite destinations in California. "We broke it up into days and I mailed them to him. He said 'I'm so excited to see what this project is. I just love it so much,'" Schollard said. It started as a joke, but then got serious as Schollard bought the cutout. It's all part of a mission she calls "Perk Up Patrick". "Typically I'll hear from Patrick mostly every day.  There was a time when I went five days without hearing from him. Oh my gosh, you worry even though you know they're probably fine," Schollard says. Patrick Thomas has been stationed in Iraq with the U.S. Air Force for two months. He's scheduled to return home in November. Decoy Murtha Taliban are confused to see Rep. John Murtha with the Americans, and hesitate to shoot, giving our snipers time to pick them off.