June 16, 2005

‘Operation Connect’

Free video e-mails sent to loved ones serving overseas

by Kymberli W. Brady
Staff Writer

Father’s Day can be tough for those with loved ones in the military, but many were offered a unique opportunity last Saturday to get just a little closer.

The Maestas and Custodio family jumped at the chance to send a video email to PFC Angelo Custodio Jr., who is currently serving in Mozul and is scheduled to return home next month. Shown from L-R, his father Angelo Custodio Sr.; sister, Rosanna Maestas; mother, Mary Maestas; and sister, Miranda Custodio.

“Operation Connect” provided a day of free opportunity for families to send video e-mails to loved ones serving overseas, thanks to entrepreneur Frank Leong of Sunnyvale, who started the program in honor of his friend, Karen Meredith after she was notified on Memorial Day last year that her only child had been killed Iraq.

It came on the heels of a proclamation issued two weeks ago by Mayor Ron Gonzales declaring June 11, 2005 as Military Video e-mail Day for the city of San Jose—just in time for Flag Day (June 14) and Father’s Day (June 19).

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our residents to send their thoughts and thanks to the brave men and women bravely serving our nation in the face of great danger,” Gonzales said. “I appreciate the creative effort that has made this possible to happen so that our troops can know that we keep them in our hearts.”

Leong pooled his knowledge and resources together to create a format that would allow people to sit down to a computer and draft an e-mail, then record a video message. The recipient is able to read the email and watch the streaming video at the same time, thanks to the technology of AGL Internet Solutions Inc., where Leong works.

It was a fitting opportunity for Scholarships For Veterans to honor their first recipient. Started last year by Sandlot Stories author Steven Hayes Young, De Anza College instructor Gary Lamit, and San Jose City College instructor Dennis Wahler, the fund offers education assistance to veterans, including Cory McCarthy of Gilroy, who was injured while trying to protect his men from a roadside bomb in Iraq. He later received the Purple Heart and the Army Commendation Medal with Valor. After more than a year in the hospital, he is back home, still undergoing physical therapy, while attending De Anza College. He plans to major in Celtic History and become a teacher.

Frank Leong (left) organized “Operation Connect” so that families could send video emails to their loved ones serving overseas. In this case, Cory McCarthy, the first Scholarships for Veterans recipient sent one to his unit, still in Iraq.

A contingency from the Digital Clubhouse Network (DCN) was also on hand to document the day’s events for its nationally acclaimed “Stories of Service” Project. Using technology to cross digital and generational divides, DCN teens and adult mentors will produce a short documentary on “Operation Connect” and premier the movie at their ninth annual digital picnic on June 25 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at History Park on Senter Road. The picnic is a free event and open to the public.

This innovative video e-mail service was offered to local families from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the museum’s lobby. Each was able to send messages to their spouses, children, parents, relatives, and friends on active duty anywhere in the world.

With assistance from the Tech Museum of Innovation, helloWorld, Logitech, Computer Solutions, Lockheed Martin, Tierra Tech Corp, and the Industry Council for Small Business Development, AGL Internet Solutions provided access to Web cams, PCs, Internet providers, and video e-mail service from helloWorld, of which Leong is an independent distributor.

“The technology is simple,” stresses Leong. “All you need I a Web cam hooked up to a PC, video e-mail service from helloWorld, and the Internet.”

“I wanted to give something back and dedicated this project to Karen’s only child, First Lt. Ken Ballard.” Leong explained. “This was a way for me to use my video e-mail services to give back to the community.”

For more information and future Operation Connect events, visit www.icsbd.org. For more information on Scholarships For Veterans, visit www.scholarshipsforveterans.org.