Noah Rodgers of Lehighton, who is in the Navy, accentuated how a Christmas tree so elevates the morale of military members who are away from home during the holidays.

He spoke briefly during a Trees for Troops send-off program Friday morning at Yenser’s Tree Farm in Mahoning Township.

So did retired Maj. Gen. Marvin Jay Barry, who told about his first Christmas away from home 53 years ago during a deployment in Vietnam. He said because of the support he’s always received from the residents, “I’ve been very proud to represent this little town” throughout his 35-year career.

This is the 21st year that Yenser’s Tree Farm has participated in the Trees for Troops program. A total of 300 evergreens were loaded from a flatbed trailer at the farm into a FedEx, 40-foot trailer to be transported to Fort Stewart in Georgia, an Army base.

Barry, wearing his Air Force dress suit, said of Trees for Troops, “Programs such as this do mean a lot to all the men and women in uniform today.”

He said of the backing that the Trees for Troops program has received, “I can’t be any prouder of the support from this community.”

The program was hosted by Ryan and Jan Wentz, owners of Yenser’s Tree Farm, in the Valley View at Yenser’s banquet hall. Served were doughnuts, made on the premises, and hot chocolate to the more than 150 people who attended.

Jan Wentz said the Trees for Troops program was started by her father and uncle, Dennis and Drew Yenser, in 2005. During that span, more than 8,500 Christmas trees have been provided to military members at various bases.

Each of the trees contained a tag listing the name of a donor.

The trees were unloaded from the flatbed by volunteer high school students; members of the National Honor Society of Lehighton Area High School and the Panther Valley High School Junior Reserve Officers Training Corp.

Even though many of the trees were snow covered and temperatures were the coldest of the season, the students were cheerful and energetic. Some weren’t even wearing coats or gloves, but not a complaint about the weather was heard. They passed the spruces and firs to an employee of Yenser’s, who loaded them neatly into the FedEx unit.

FedEx is a major sponsor of the Trees for Troops program and transports the trees to the military bases without charge.

Jan Wentz said she regards the trees as “a living symbol of Christmas” for the troops.

Drew Yenser said he and his brother, Dennis, started the Trees for Troops program after hearing about it during the National Christmas Tree Growers Convention in Maine.

“I knew right away we were in,” he said.

Drew had served for six years in the Army National Guard and Dennis was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam.

Numerous donations to Trees for Troops were received during the Friday program. They were:

• Lehighton Middle School, $723.

• Vietnam Veterans of Carbon County, amount not stated.

• Sons of the American Legion in Lehighton, $300.

• Lehighton Orioles Club, $200.

• Lehighton Area High School National Honor Society, $2,308.

• Carbon County Veterans’ Council, $500.

• Zion United Church of Christ, $295.

• NOVA at Packer Ridge Academy, $820.81.

• Lehighton Elementary Center, $1,789.42.

• McAdoo AMVETS, $1,000.

• Jim Thorpe Legion, Auxiliary, Sons of the American Legion and Patrons, $1,200.

• Dinkey Memorial Church, Ashfield, and St. John’s Church, Mahoning, $673.

• Panther Valley JROTC, $575.

• Palmerton Legion and Palmerton VFW - $360.

• Lehigh Township Elementary School, Northampton (from a pajama day), $1,450.

• George Wolfe Elementary School, Bath (from a coin drive), $667.

• Lehighton United Veterans Organization, $600.

• Panther Valley Chapter, Knights of Columbus, $550.

The Lehighton United Veterans Organization Color Guard participated.

The national anthem and a Christmas song were performed by the Lehighton Area High School Chorus.