Although Capt. Rosa-Miranda knew only one person who worked at the store, he held each one of the employees close to his heart. They earned his gratitude because of a generous "care package" that was delivered to his squadron in December. To show his appreciation, he presented the staff on Wednesday with an American flag that had flown in combat in Iraq.

The story begins earlier in the year when the Wal-Mart Super Center began a tradition it called "Red-Shirt Fridays," in which the associates had the option of wearing red shirts emblazoned with a yellow ribbon and the phrase "We support our troops." Although this was a voluntary practice, it quickly became so popular among the employees that everyone was wearing red, even the third shift workers who work while the store is closed to customers, said store manager Patti Allen.

When Deb Tedesco, the store’s community involvement coordinator, saw the show of support among the employees, she proposed a fund-raising idea to Allen. Associates would contribute $1 to a special fund for troops every day they chose to wear jeans to work. In all, more than $1,000 was raised.

Allen asked store employees as well as suppliers if they had any family or close friends who were serving in Iraq. Six people stepped forward, including Capt. Rosa-Miranda’s mother, of Dover, who supplies books and magazine to the store. The fund was subsequently split six ways, with Rosa-Miranda’s squadron one of the recipients.

Allen said of the associates’ generosity, "We wanted to make some kind of a difference. We wanted the soldiers to know that here in Epping, New Hampshire, there’s a store full of people thinking about them."

Capt. Rosa-Miranda said of his squadron’s care package, "It was amazing the amount that they sent over. It was almost 65 pounds worth of goodies ... "

Employees bought items they thought deployed troops would need - including shampoo, soap and antibacterial wipes - as well as items they might enjoy, such as calling cards.

"Some of their thoughts were dead-on with exactly what we needed, especially those antibacterial wipes, with as unsanitary as it is out there. They had CDs in there as well. They also had calling cards. What a great gift for a deployed member, to be able to use that calling card and talk to their loved ones back here. That was another real hit. Not to mention all of the food that they sent."

Capt. Rosa-Miranda said the items in the package were intended to tend to the soldiers’ basic needs, but at the end of the day, it was their emotional well-being that was most profoundly served.

"I put the box outside in the hallway with the thank-you letter from the Epping Wal-Mart, a letter thanking the men and women that were out there, protecting the freedoms of those back home. To see the folks read that letter and then look down into the two boxes of items that they sent and just to see their eyes light up ... It makes you as a soldier really feel that appreciation and the love and time that they took out of their busy schedules. It really says a lot about the honor and the character of the folks at Epping Wal-Mart."

Several of the associates wiped tears of joy from their eyes as Capt. Rosa-Miranda told them how much comfort their generosity provided. Others beamed with pride as he offered his own gesture of appreciation: an American flag encased with a certificate, certifying that the flag flew over Baghdad, Iraq, during a combat mission on Dec. 7, 2004, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Capt. Rosa-Miranda said, "I just want to say ‘thank-you,’ simply ‘thank-you.’ It was much appreciated."