Conference quark::human_relations-v1

In early December, when I was doing my Christmas cards, I sent out an extra two.
One to the Army/AF address and one to the Navy/USMC address. I didn't know
what would become of the cards, but I hoped they might be received by someone
who'd appreciate them.

I got my "reward" when I came home today. A 19 year old Sailor (my daughter's
age) wrote a letter on January 11th to thank me for the card, to express his
appreciation for the support he felt, to tell me a bit about himself, to
ask some about me, and to request that I write again - regularly.

This boy's on a Marine transport vessel and has only been in the Navy for
6 months. He's a Chicago sports fan and collects baseball memorobilia.
He says that even though he's only been "there" and on board for two
months, it seems as though it's been an awfully long time. I bet . . .

He asked that I write again soon.

I asked that he keep writing to ensure me of his continued safety. I also
expressed a hope that when he comes home he might visit.

I think our efforts are appreciated. He wouldn't have written if he didn't
care. I'm glad I wrote a long letter back including a picture of the cat and
dog sleeping together in front of the woodstove.

I'll let you know when next I hear from Jerry.

Has anyone else heard from the troops?

-Jack

I don't know how the US handle this situation but mail sent to BFPO 3000 for a 
"random servicepreson" is divided equally by the RE postal crew and 
distributed: not left for a "bored squaddy" to pick up if interested.

And I can vouch for the fact that such mail is well received, both as a sign
that folks back home care, and as something to do (both reading and replying).

Care packages are also welcome, and if interested you might remember that there
are female-type people out there too, so if your package is gender specific
you should note the fact on the address.

/. Ian .\

    I am from Austria but I think very often of all these poor people
    staying in this hell. How can I get in contact with somebody, try to
    give support, help to make them think of something else? 
    
    Elke

         Many unfamiliar feelings go through a person's mind
    when they are in a different environment away from family
    plus being at war in a potentially if not a dangerous
    situation, we can only imagine...  I am sure that a box
    of support mail from the U.S., even if it is JUST sitting
    in a tent somewhere as yet unopened, has a good impact.
    
    Bill

    Please post addresses one can use to send off letters and/or packages.
    As I do not personally know anyone over there to write too, I would 
    still like to do SOMETHING and this sounds like a wonderful thing
    to do to show support and help in whatever little way I can.  Thanks!
    

    		"Any Service Member"
    	Operation Desert Shield		Operation Desert Shield
    	APO New York 09848-0006		FPO New York 09866-0006
    	(for land troops)		(for troops on board ship)
    
    Change "Shield" to whatever the new word is ...
    

I think the addresses Susan gave would be valid from other countries (as
long as "USA" was also added to the address).  From inside the US, these
addresses are considered "domestic" for the purpose of determining postage.

			Steve

	In my area (Fitchburg,MA) the local newspaper prints an
	updated list at least once of the names and addresses of
	local men/women who are serving in the Gulf.

	It is encouraging for the soldiers to hear from people
	in and around their home town, along with getting letters
	worldwide.

	Your mayors office should have a list of local soldiers
	that you could send mail too.

	kits

    
    For those in Britain the address is 
    
    	a service {man/woman/person}
    	BFPO 3000
    	
    or  an airman or an airwoman, or a sailor, or a soldier [as
    appropriate], BFPO 3000
    
    postage is normal domestic inland rate.
    
    /. Ian .\              

        Re: .1

        I sent a card to "Any Service Person" during the holidays...
        and got a reply from Scott, a day before the war started.

        I was surprised but happy to get a reply, and was very touched
        by what Scott wrote.  I think he regrets his decision to join
        the Marines, but I suspect that he had little choice.  He did
        say that he and others like him are grateful that we are
        writing letters.  The PS. to his letter said "Sorry this is so
        messy.  Don't forget to write."

        Since I got his reply, I have written ten or so letters.
        I still haven't gotten a response, but I'll keep writing.
        I hope that my letters are getting to Scott and that they
        (along with the comics I send) help him get from day to day.

        I know that I have benefited from writing to him.  It has made
        the war more real to me, and while at times this has been
        painful, I wouldn't have it any other way.  While I may not
        agree with what we are doing in the Gulf, I admire anyone who
        would put their life on the line like our service people are
        doing.  I don't think I could do the same.

        I just hope Scott writes back....

        Has anyone gotten a letter that was written after the war started?

        Ulla

    
    
    	I have also written a letter included in a care package.  That
    	was 3 weeks ago.  I am still awaiting a reply.  I realize it may
    	take some time, if ever, but I am still hopeful.
    
        Some advice for those of you who wish to send letters and packages.
    	The US Post Office has requested that you send only letters,
    	cassette tapes (of letters or music), and SMALL packages only since
    	there has been a tremendous amount of mail for the Middle East.
    
    	There have also been specific requests for items to be included
    	in those care packages.  Some of them include:
    
    	Toothpaste/toothbrush 		Magazines (nothing of questionable
    	Deoderant                             content - know what I mean ;^)
    	Gum/Lifesavers                  Cassette Tapes
    	Lip Balm                        TOILET PAPER (key item to include)
    	Sun Screen                      Batteries
        Powdered Drink Mix (no sugar
           necessary)
    
    
    	Hope this list helps.  REMEMBER, keep the box small.  Send
    	a couple of little boxes.  Make a whole bunch of soldiers happy!
    
    				My love and best wishes to all
    				of them for a safe and fast return!
    
    
    						Eileen
    	

    re: .11
    
    I too am waiting for a reply.  From what I understand it's taking about
    3 weeks or a little longer for the mail.
    
    A woman that works with my sister-in-law has a son in the gulf.  He's
    on a destroyer.  Everytime he writes to her he tells her how good it
    makes them feel to get mail and little pieces of home.
    
    The time it takes to write a letter is a small price for us to pay,
    isn't it?  If you haven't sent anything....DO IT...not only will it
    make someone over there feel good, it makes YOU feel good too. Just
    MHO, ofcourse.
    
    Lynne
    

    I received a letter from the Gulf the other day that was postmarked
    January 23 (the writer didn't date the letter when it was written).
    

    I got one last week. It was dated Jan 6th. That was, as the
    letter writer put it, before the sh*t hit the fan. He told me he had
    been moved 6 times since his arrival there, so I'd imagine he's moved
    again, but I hope they'll be able to forward my last letter to him.
    
    Bobby is my best friens cousin, I was close to his little sister in
    school, so when I heard he was there, I just had to write. Turns out
    that he doesn't even remember me from high school & he wants me to send
    him a photo & write again. I plan to, regularly. I figure if I write
    three times a week, he's bound to get at least a letter a week.
    
    I met his wife & two daughters, ages 2 & 3 months. THey're a beautiful
    family & I know Bob misses them very much! I hope he gets to come home
    & see them soon. I'm always thinking about our men & women over there,
    & even if they DONT write back, I want them to know that.
    
    Please, if you've said to yourself, "I should write a letter, too." DO
    IT! They REALLY need your support. I forget the name of the noter now,
    but I was very touched by the one who said that a 19 year old boy
    answered, & asked for more mail. You're up for sainthood! :*)
    
    I must be going now, I'm off to the post office to mail my valentines!
    I know they'll arrive there late, but better late than never!
    
    Bonnie
    

    
    
     I was not going to say anything but now that I've read the comments,
     I will.    I've been writing guys in various armed services since
     September and have gotten a lot out of it.   I had cousins die in
     "Nam" and the one who made it back.   I still have all the letters
     and presents he sent me from all over Southeast Asia and being quite
     young ;-) , this present day situation makes a very deep impact on me.
     To answer you guys who are wondering if you'll hear........believe me,
     you will.   It now takes up to 60 days to get a reply since as one of
     you put it, "sh*t hit the fan".   I got two letters from a
    comunications specialist in the Army and they both took 31 days to
    receive and just got a letter from an Air Force A-10 pilot and his took 
    18 days.   Before the 15th of Jan, it only took 6 to 8 days for me to
    get their mail.   Obviously, they are not going to make mail delivery
    their first priority but they do the best they can........I'm sure they
    realize it is a moral booster.   I've also sent packages of home made
    cookies, dried fruit and banana chips, M & M 's, cans of water packed
    tuna and salmon with the flip tops, crackers to go with the fish,  and
    various other foods.   Also, the items mentioned in another note.  
         The most touching thing I got from all of the ones I write to 
    was a Christmas card.   Some had printed their own on a computer and
    the guy in the Army from Fort Stewart, Ga. sent me very nice one that
    the Army had printed up for their service people.   
          For my efforts in sending the care packages,  I've been asked 
    out on a dinner date by every guy I write.  They are stationed in my
    state, BTW.  I'm looking forward to these events.  ;-)
        
          Sorry for this being sooooooooooooo long.
    
          Melinda
                 

    And I hope every single one of them makes it back safely to take you
    out Melinda!  :-)
    
    Although I'm still waiting for my reply's, the fact that I've written
    makes me feel good.  As someone mentioned earlier in this topic...if
    you're thinking about doing it....DO IT.  Think of it as the 1990's
    version of "rolling bandages".  :-)
    
    Lynne
    

    I don't know if this has been said, but sending mail to those in the
    Gulf now is more of a hindrance than a help.
    
    Reason:  They're flooded with mail!  That's why it's taking so long for
    mail to go back and forth.  They appreciate it, but it's a logistics
    problem now, and the worst part is that the FAMILYS mail isn't getting
    through cause of all the nice folks that want to do something so they
    send mail.  I like seeing the support, but I'll heed the advice of the
    government and not clutter the mail system so that hopefully, the mail
    they really NEED to get from their families will get through in a
    reasonable amount of time.
    
    If I were in their shoes, I'd rather get mail from a wife, parent, or
    other family member than "joe" citizen.

    
    For what its worth, we received a letter from my husband's brother
    on Saturday.  He said NOT to send packages as they are not being
    delivered due to the threat of terrorism posed...letters only!  
    Jon's letter said that the 2 M's (meals and mail) are the highlight
    of their day...but I agree with -.1 that it is unfortunate that
    mail from families isn't getting through because of the mail drives.
    Here in HLO, there are mail drives where some committee is giving out
    cards (first Xmas, now Valentines) for people to sign and mail....
    I think it's silly to clog the system with xerox-ed valentines cards
    with some stranger's signature.     MHO, Carol

Odd!

FWIW the British forces are still asking for letters *and parcels* for the
troops.

Letters to individuals get absolute priority over the BFPO 3000 "generic mail"

/. Ian .\

    FWIW In Ann Landers the other day were two letters from servicepeople
    in the Gulf. They asked for people to stop sending things like
    toothbrushes, deoderant, chewing gum, sunglasses, etc. since they can
    get those from their supply station. What they WERE interested in
    getting is cookies, current magazines, tapes (music), paperbacks, etc.
    More the "extras" than the necessities. Also, an article in the paper
    last night said that the shopkeepers in Riyadh had started gouging
    prices for things like portable heaters, foam mattresses, soda,
    cigarettes, etc. So I suppose if you know someone in S.A. and you can
    figure out how to send any of that stuff, it would be greatly
    appreciated.
    
    I have gotten two letters from my initial letter sent to "Any
    Serviceperson". The last letter was received last week and was sent
    just before the war broke out. He is "somewhere in northern S.A.". I
    was a bit surprised though when he told me he has a wife and baby at
    home. I assumed that those letters addressed to anyone would be given
    to people without family or who weren't geting any mail. I may not
    write as frequently since I don't want to hinder any mail from his wife
    getting to him.
    
    Debbie
    

    
    ah yes,
    
    note however that magazines and newspapers are checked 'thoroughly' to
    ensure that they don't offend the susceptabilities of our Arab hosts.
    
    Nothing salacious (pictures of women in swimsuits or less) will be
    allowed through. A lot of material that we consider harmless or just
    part of the background in a magazine is considered deeply offensive by
    the Saudis.
    
    /. Ian .\

    
    
    RE: .17 and others...........
    
        I should have KNOWN better than to reply knowing somebody would
        come up with a negative remarks!  :-pppppppppppppppp    You
        people who are down on everything just make my day!!  ;-)
    
        First of all, I wrote loooooooooonnnnnnnnnnggggggggggggggg before 
        this war started (Sept.), they told me to write back and that
        they look forward to my mail!!   As far as "any Joe citizen",  I
        am writing to the ones who supposingly have no spouse and since I'm
        not in this to see who is married or not,  as long as they ask me   
        to reply, by God, I'm gona reply!  :-pppppppppppppp
    
        As far as packages go,  I sent them BEFORE the war started and
        had the sense to stop after hearing that letters had first priority
        because of the mail services getting bogged down.   I'm STILL asked
        to send my packages as of last week so after I hear back from each
        of them that it's o.k.......I *will* resume.  :-pppppppppppppp
    
        BTW, *I* think it's the people who send mail every week or so who
        are clogging up the mail system...........not "any Joe citizen"!!  
        Some people have the common sense to wait until they get a reply
        before writing back!!  ;-pppppppppppppppppp 
        
             (wearing my tongue out) ;-)
                Melinda
                                        
      

    Melinda....you really should try to verbalise how you're feeling and
    not keep it pent up.
    
    :-)
    
    Lynne
    

    in response to 1135.22
    
    
     Milinda 
    
     I write to my son 3/4 times a week to let him know
     we are thinking of him and all the men and women in the service.
    
     He has been in the Military for over 6 years now. He has stated
     many times how getting just a little note or cards means every thing
     to these men and women serving in a foreign country.
    
     He has asked  that we do not send packages. I've recieved 3 cards
     from him since he arrived there on Jan 15th.             
     He shares these letters and cards with everyone that in  his unit.
    
     All I can say is keep sending those letters and cards my son has
     told us there are so many young men and women that are scared and
     frigten these letters and cards can bring so much to them....
    
    
       dot
    
 

    
    
      RE: .23
    
      Thanx, Lynn.................I NEEDED that to make me laugh!  ;-))))
    
      It just hit me first thing this morning which BTW is the beginning
      of MY work week.....I work Thurs - Sat / 12 hr days and to see that
      or rather how I took as negative comments to something I have my
      heart and KNOW I'm not just "any Joe citizen" to the ones I write
      didn't set well.   Sorry!  ;-)   Guess I should consider the source
      from now on and let negative remarks fly or just keep my comments
      to myself.  ;-)   

I read an item in yesterday's paper that asked people to restrict their
mail to letters and audio cassettes.

			Steve

    From what I've seen (did everybody get that mail?) if the addressee is
    in an M! tank you might be able to make a satellite transmission
    directly the console.  :-) :-)
    
    Nah, the DOD would get upset.
    
    ed

    I have written twice to the "Any Servicemember" addresses and got some
    really wonderful letters back.  I found it was very rewarding for me,
    and they both told me how grateful they were to get mail.  Their "spare
    time" is spent doing nothing.  They have no TV's or anything to distract
    them from reality like we do and it is really nice for them to have a
    distraction from the war.
    
    It is really tough for them (especially the women, most of the books
    and things sent over there are for men.  There is a special company set
    up here in DC that sends donated paperbacks "cleared" by Islamic
    censors to the troops.  These books are enthusiastically received but
    are mostly spy/war novels.)
    
    Please don't give up writing to these people!  I'm going this weekend
    to the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial and purchasing a Desert Sheild
    bracelet, like most of the people I know are doing down here.  I
    remember having a POW/MIA bracelet back in the '60's and I'll do all I
    can to show support of the troops.  They don't deserve to be ignored.
    
    Tammi

    Thanx Tammi, for the great reply! How was the Vietnam Vets Memorial?

    
Just received the following --
    
    Subj:	email to troops from Digital

An Internet address has been established to route personal messages to U.S.
military personnel involved in Operation Desert Storm and can be addressed
from within Digital.
 
Since there is presently no known direct Internet route to
Saudi Arabia, these messages will be uploaded to the Saudi Connection,
a BBS network. Traffic on the Saudi Connection ends up with a sysop in
Saudi Arabia who prints the messages on a laser printer and delivers
them to the U.S. military postal system there.
 
Although the routing is very complex, these messages are now
being delivered to the addressee in Saudi Arabia in less than a week.
In comparison, there have been reports that snail-mail is taking six
to ten weeks.
 
While the contents of these messages are not available for
public viewing, they are also not private. One or more sysops in the
system will censor the messages for racial slurs, profanity and
obvious things of that nature. The Saudi Connection is a private
endeavor and those involved in it feel strongly that it should only be
used to send "positive" messages. No message will be passed which
might adversely affect the morale of the recipient.
 
This is presently a one-way deal. No system has been
established for return mail, so be sure to include your snail-mail
address, especially if you are writing to ANY SERVICEPERSON.
 
To send a message via Vax Mail, using the following addressing ...
 
To: decwrl::"[email protected]" 

(You may wish to use nmail, as DECWRL is often very busy and sometimes not
available.  To do so, put nm% in front of decwrl.)
 
Include the serviceperson's name and address in the body of
your message as shown below:
   
        Specific Individuals:
 
        Name, Rank, Social Security Number
        Operation Desert Shield
        Organization/Unit (Deployed)
        APO NY ZIPCode
        Local Forces <----THIS MUST BE INCLUDED OR IT WILL GET SENT
                          TO NEW YORK AND THEN BACK TO SAUDI!!!!!
        Any Serviceperson:
 
        Any Servicemember
        Operation Desert Shield
        APO New York 09848-0006
        Local Forces <----THIS MUST BE INCLUDED OR IT WILL GET SENT
                          TO NEW YORK AND THEN BACK TO SAUDI!!!!!
  
It is important that you put "Local Forces" as the last line
of the address. If you don't, it will take a very long time,
indeed, to reach the addressee.
  
Please try to limit messages to 20 lines.

    Re;. 31
    
    I was unable to go last week and will probably go this weekend if I
    have the time.
    
    Anyway, if this VI (Victory in Iraq) day is true, then I guess I won't
    need the bracelet?
    
    Tammi

    
    I had written to six people on Feb. 8th, all from my hometown who's
    names were listed in the local newspaper.  I received a letter
    yesterday for a guy who turns out went to high school with my son.
    This person said he was very happy to hear from me.  and I was very
    happy to hear from him.  He is on the USS Midway and has one of the
    most dangerous jobs their.  Also, turns out his father-in-law works at
    my site and I know who he is.  I am going to hunt him up today and show
    him the letter.  
    
    Have a good day everyone!
    
    Dianne

    
    
       Well..............the A-10 pilot I'd been sending care packages and
       letters to since last August has come home...........safe and sound
       and called me from Myrtle Beach Air Force Base last Friday (5th) to
       thank me for writing, (some of my letters he would reread when he
       was feeling depressed or down), and the care packages, (many of
       which I made a box full of home-made cookies), and cards around all
       the holidays.  He kept his promise of wanting to take me out to 
       dinner at the restaurant of my choice and I will be meeting him 
       either this week or next.  BTW, I asked how many "sorties" he flew
       and he said 46.  I told him I was so glad he made it home safe! ;-)
       He mentioned numerous times that it was sooooo great to be home. 
       It's been about a month since I've heard from the Army and Marine
       guys.  I look forward to the Marine coming home in about 3 more
       months......that's what they told him.  The Army guy had no idea as
       they'd not mentioned any time frame to him by the last letter I
       got.   Hope they both get to come home soon.  
        
       Melinda
    

The sailor I was writing to when I started this note back in January is back
in the states safely. He's even had a couple of weeks leave!

Welcome back, Jerry!

-Jack