Congratulations to Dick and Bonita

On Saturday, April 5, 2008 amongst a small group of family and friends, Dick Long and Bonita Chamberlin were married.

Most of you already know about Dick Long and his accomplishments. Bonita, too, is a very accomplished person.

Bonita Chamberlin, a San Diego native, has been working in Afghanistan since 1976. She specializes in economic development of lesser developed countries, and in the case of Afghanistan, originally worked in raisins with SunMaid, and in cotton with Lummus out of Columbus, Georgia.

During the Soviet invasion, bombs uncovered gemstones and minerals previously unknown. From 1983 until 1997, Bonita crossed the Hindu Kush mountains from Pakistan with the mujahideen who were bringing in arms and needed supplies, to work with the local people in proper recovery and mining of the gems. As a result over the next years, she has walked over the country, thereby being a resource for the Department of Defense after 9/11. She also now trains U.S. Special Operation Forces who are being deployed to Afghanistan out of Ft. Bragg, NC.

In March 2002, Bonita started her own income generating project on jewelry making. All revenues are returned to the area. This began and continues to sustain a primary girls’ school, a healthcare clinic (hiring a woman doctor), clearing two landmine fields: of which one is a reforestation program for indigenous fruits and nuts, and timber; and the other, an irrigation project for wheat and barley. Each year she sends back tens of thousands of dollars and as now started a school for boys and an orphanage.

To learn more about Bonita and her work with Afghanistan, visit www.insideafghanistan.org

Susan Long had the pleasure of being Dick's "Man of Honor" and helped to celebrate the event by taking Dick for a ride in an authentic B17 bomber, the "Aluminum Overcast" the day prior. With less than 10 of these planes still flying, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for both of them.