Murex shells sought for birthday gifting program
A nonprofit ministry is seeking shell donations for the children of fallen U.S. service members.
Based out of Tennessee, the A Soldier’s Child (ASC) Foundation is focused on serving the surviving minors of men and women from all U.S. military branches. It offers yearly birthday celebrations, summer camps and retreats, mentorship and leadership programs, and more, along with scholarships.
Founder and Executive Director Daryl Mackin explained that he created the nonprofit 18 years ago following the death of the son of his previous neighbors, Henry and Fay Golczynski. Marine Staff Sgt. Marcus “Marc” Andrew Golczynski was killed in the Anbar province of Iraq on March 27, 2007, during his second tour of duty. Golczynski left behind his wife, Heather, and 8-year-old son, Christian.
While Mackin only knew Golczynski through his parents, he thought of him one day while trying to plan his own son’s birthday and realized that Golczynski would never do that again for Christian.
In talks with his neighbors, they had started to question if the death of their son mattered at all.
“Our country is number one in caring for widows and orphans around the globe, and we should, I think it’s awesome,” Mackin said. “But when it comes to caring for the children and widows of our own fallen military, it’s like out of sight, out of mind — they’re on their own.”
Today, over 5,000 youths are enrolled with the ASC nationwide.
Once the surviving spouse signs up, one offering that the organization provides is five gifts for the child’s birthday every year up to the age of 18. It sends out about 250-300 boxes a month.
Christian was the foundation’s first recipient.
“We have celebrated over 30,000 birthdays,” he said.
With the first birthday package comes a sealed scroll containing a message of positivity that speaks of the honor of the soldier and child. A dog tag chain is wrapped around it with a murex shell attached.
Mackin explained that while visiting friends on Sanibel, he spotted a shell display in their home that included a spiny murex. He learned that purple dye was once extracted from the spiny dye murex shell and used in the Roman and Greek days as a sign of royalty — it was even more expensive than gold.
“It just stuck in my head about this shell,” he said.
The purple dog tag shares the story of the spiny dye murex, explaining that it was originally harvested for its rare dye to provide the color imperial purple, which was used for garments worn by nobles.
The other side of it reads:
“There is no greater love than a man lay down his life for his friends.” — Jesus Christ
This shell symbolizes the legacy of royalty that you have inherited through your Father’s/Mother’s sacrifice for Country and friends.
“To date, we have never never run out of shells,” Mackin said.
Currently, the ASC has about 45-60 murexes left.
In previous wartime years, it sent out the shell-adorned scrolls to about 25 children every month. Currently, the organization is doing about 20 per month — PTDS suicides are now included.
He estimated that the shells will last to September or October.
“And then we’ll be out for the first time ever in 18 years,” Mackin said.
With the islands being its sole shell source, the ASC is asking for donations from the public of any kind in the murex family, like spiny murex and apple murex. A half-inch to up to 2 inches in size is needed.
Those with shells are urged to donate to the cause.
“It’s on us, as citizens of this country, to say, ‘Thank you,'” he said of the sacrifice of each fallen soldier and the sacrifice of their surviving family. “To send a message that we care and that it does matter.”
Donations can be mailed to A Soldier’s Child, 1197 Hazelwood Drive, Smyrna, TN 37167.
Suggestions for shipping include putting the murexes in a resealable plastic bag and removing as much of the air as possible, then wrap up the bag for extra cushioning and also use extra padding in the box.
For questions, contact Mackin at daryl@asoldierschild.org or 615-427-2970.
For more information about the ASC, visit https://asoldierschild.org/.