Stogie Commentary: Cigars for the Troops

Awhile back I was going through my cigars and began to notice that I had a few I’m unlikely ever to smoke. Some are brands I’ve tried and didn’t enjoy, others are flavored sticks I’ve collected at various giveaways, and there are a few that for one reason or another just don’t have any appeal.

Why am I keeping them? Mostly it’s just because they’re there. Wouldn’t it be better to give them to someone who might enjoy them? I remembered reading the other day that the two most requested items from U.S troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are Starbucks coffee and cigars.

And I thought of references I’ve run across about programs that send cigars to service men and women overseas. You can find quite a few on the web and many local shops have them as well. After a little checking, I decided to go through Cigarista, a B&M in Redington Shores, Florida, about 25 miles from my home.

I drove them down to owner Mike Smith the other day, the first time I’ve been there since he opened a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to stay and have a smoke. But that’s a great reason to go back. It’s a friendly-looking shop and looked to have a fine selection.

My guess is that lots of you also have cigars you could donate. Heck, you could toss in a couple of gems, too. I cannot imagine that every cigar won’t be met with appreciation.

This has nothing to do with support or opposition to the Iraq war or any government policy or anything else. It’s simply a way to provide a small bit of pleasure for men and women doing a tough job who are not able to stroll into a nice shop and spend time in the humidor picking out their smokes.

With yesterday being Veterans day (and many people having today off work in recognition of Veterans Day), what better time to show our appreciation of the troops?

–George E

Tags: cigars