Sending Christmas Cards to the US Soldiers in Iraq

I don't know how you all feel about sending Christmas Cards to some of the US Soldiers currently supporting our Nation. A couple of months ago, I sent a care box with supplies (toothbrushes, foodstuff, etc).. Well, today, I received a thank you letter from them. It nearly broke my heart, one soldier was killed, one injured and they are trying to make it through the next several months. The letter indicated that they really appreciated (of all the things) the toothbrushes.

If anyone, wants to send them a Christmas card or anything else for that matter, please write to me for my address and I will forward them to that specific unit. I wish I could do more than that. Please address it to:

Soliders in Iraq or just plain MERRY CHRISTMAS We Love you on the first Envelope and place that envelope with in another with my address. You can write whatever you wish inside the card. These young men and women deserve our support, whether we agree with any of the politics or not. They are just the BEST there is.

I will be sending them another care box by Mid November to get it there by Christmas.

Antoinette

What all else do you put in the care box? What about the soap and sample things you pick up at motels? I used to have a ton of those, if I can remember which box they are in.

I may know of where I can get a bunch of toothbrushes. A few years ago, we did a special event for foster children at the travel agency I managed. We got people to donate luggage so the kids didn't have to move from foster home to foster home with their stuff in brown paper sacks, and a couple of dentists donated a ton of toothbrushes that they get given to them by sales reps.

I was just thinking that Christmas cards from people would cheer them up. It would cost the sender .37 cents to mail them to me inserted in another envelope so that the envelope and card are in tact.

I don't know if I can pass out the address to too many people, these are soldiers in my son's unit in the Airforce (my son is in Alaska right now). So, the box that goes from here will contain cheeses, Salomi, crackers, and some candy bars, along with more toothbrushes.. I will pay the postage from here for everything.

It seems like this Christmas card idea would not cost everyone a whole lot, but the support is what really matters.

Willl e-mail you Terre_..

This message was edited Oct 22, 2004 2:24 PM

Here is an option that works very well, too. You can send on-line messages to servicemembers.

http://anyservicemember.navy.mil/About.html


This link provides information on how you can help servicemembers stay in touch with their own families back home.

http://www.operationuplink.org/

The USO also puts together care packages that are delivered to military folks overseas. They want monetary donations only, though. Do not send them products.

http://www.usometrodc.org/care.html

Edited to add another link.



This message was edited Oct 22, 2004 5:44 PM

It seems that they have to have Internet access. I do not believe they always do during this time. I am not sure, but will try to find out. I do know, that they barely have time to write, so I don't think they have the time to spend on the Internet.

Read the information on the link I provided and it explains how everything is done, even for those who don't have ready access to the internet.

Hey Gourd! You have mail! One more thing! Do let us know what else they might like.

Somehow, I believe a tangible card in someone's hand will hold more good vibes than an internet email.

I did read it, they assume their captain or CO has Internet capabilities. That is not the case here. They are in bunkers, I assume they get relieved at some point, but would they really be relieved during Christmas (I don't know). Thank you for the site anyway smilin32. I will be sending the box in Mid November if anyone else is interested.

My DH was in the Middle East (got back this past June) and ANYTHING was better than nothing. Most folks will not take the time to send a tangible card. Oh, they all have good intentions, but not many folks follow through on it. At least when they're on the net, there's a chance they'll take a minute or two to pop something off (now, that's probably only good for the Navy and/or Air Force as their communications networks are much better than the other two branches). Most of those folks are at least stationed at a base or post of some kind. Not all situations are the same, of course.

Yes, a card would be better. Comic books would be even nicer. Oreo cookies would be awesome. Do many people bother to do that? Unfortunately, no.

We sent Christmas cards to the soliders one year (then decided to provide them to nursing homes for the last 3 years) and we felt great about it. There is such a great need for this. I applaud your efforts, Gourd. I think more people ought to do things like this. I will gladly send you a package of Christmas cards to send to your son's unit. How many do you think you might need? We have done as many as 300 Christmas cards to nursing homes before, so you can't ask for too much. Whatever you need, we will do our best to help provide.

Just an FYI...
Did you know that many folks over in the Middle East, for example, aren't in Iraq or Afghanistan. Did you know we have military personnel in Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Djibouti, Oman, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Jordan and many other places in the Middle East you've probably never heard of? All of those people deserve special treatment. The separation isn't easy for them or for their families, as I'm sure you're aware. Some of those places I had never heard of until my DH told me about them.

Yes, they are all over the place. This unit in particular is in Iraq.. I got the opportunity to meet a couple of the soldiers that are there now, two years ago, for Thanksgiving, I was fortunate enough to visit my son in Alaska. What a sight. Anyway, I feel the same as you. But, I can purchase boxes of Christmas cards here, that was not the point. It would just feel Grand, if complete strangers, just said, "We Want YOU home SAFE".. That was all I was trying to do.

One card will suffice if you want to send one. Thank you for your efforts. Antoinette

I guess I was wanting to make sure that each service member in the unit received a card. Was I mistaken? I get wound up sometimes and forget to read the fine print. :) Sorry about getting on my soapbox earlier. I feel very strongly about our military and what they risk every day.

I feel very strongly about them too (my hubby is retired Army, my son-in-law AF). We just do what we can. The cards won't go to a specific soldier, they will go to their unit. The gentleman that I will mail the box to can pass them around and share the goodies. I have been sending boxes for the last 10 years. You would think that the postage to send them these items would be lowered for them (it is if they are sending out, it is free), but not for us sending them.

That is my plan, and I'm sticking to it.. Maybe it was just a dream to get a bunch of gardener's to send cards, I don't know. But, I had to try.

Gourd...I want in...does it work this way? I send 10 or 20 cards to you...I have signed each one with a little message in it...then you will mail them to the C.O. and he will distribute them?? We send our packages to the Chaplains Office...and they distribute them. Jo

You should tie your request in with this thread: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/463821/

Ok, so all the boxes of partially used Christmas cards that I have sitting around, cause I can't send the same card two years in a row, I will put a note on the inside of each, and mail to you Gourd! I can do that!. There are a lot of other things we can gather and send, but I think it could get very costly to mail? And do you have to mail to Iraq or do you mail to a point in the US and then the military takes it?

I see no reason why a bunch of gardeners can't make a nicer Christmas to some of the young men and women who ensure we have the freedom to play in the dirt!

Antoinette, I am touched and inspired by your thread. I work for a hotel management group and one of our ongoing philanthropy projects in to send shampoo, conditioner and lotion to homeless organizations. What each hotel does is to combine the partial bottles of these products and then donates them. Do you think these products would be useful to our soldiers? The products are of a good quality. Perhaps we can redeirect the supplies from a few of the hotels.

LMK -

Thats great Gourd for the thread and a great idea to get the word out not to forget the ones still over there..
My Son was in Iraq for over a year and by Christmas his spirits were really going down fast, and just to get packages from back here in the states is a real moral booster for them..My school district for our annual Christmas gift giving gathered items for his unit and they loved getting the packages and knowing people still care and are thinking of them.
They loved the cards, cookies ( we baked them lots of cookies and stuff), but they really needed shampoo's, conditioners, shaving supplies, allot of stuff that is more difficult to get over there but the best treat they kept asking for was beef jerky they could not get enough of that..
When he was over there they had me send them nails and stuff so they could make their tent area a little more homey with furniture and plants it was so cute to see them trying to make the best out of a bad situation..
Well count me..........Great idea

Gourd, I want to help also.

Ruth

All of you are wonderful. When 9/11 happened, my son was sent out the very next week, I got an e-mail that said he was leaving for what he thought were 6 mos., and could not say where. That was it. So, when I did get an address, I sent a small pumpkin (for halloween, a small plastic turkey for Thanksgiving, a christmas ornament) and a few other things to try to cover the holidays. It is hard as a parent too, to sit back and wait.

Please address the cards to:

SSGT. Steffen and the 494 AEF 44 CSB

Roadrunner, That is the only contact I have there, this young man and his wife are both in the Airforce and she just got back from her detail, then he left. They have probably spent a total of months together since their marriage of almost two years.

I sometimes send boxes to the soldiers in that unit because I remembered my son saying that some would ask "How come we don't get anything", so that really bothered me. He said they share, whatever one gets, they all share. That made me feel alot better.

I would mention what State you are in and let them know who you are and that you are all here waiting for all of them to get home.

Please do not send anything to me, other than the Cards.

Plant_fiend, I can send you some postage and the address to send the Shampoos to them if that is alright with you. It would save some postage on your part, sending them this way. Let me know how that would work with the hotel. That sounds great, because I am sure they can use those items.

Each box I send costs about $30.00, it is heavy by the time I get done (magazines, soups, hot choc, micro popcorn, cheeses, salomi's, crackers, etc. I have already started the shopping for this next box.

CARDS, CARDS, CARDS, from everywhere, that is what they need to see. They will be there another 4 months. We have time to cheer them up.

my address is in the address exchange and if you cannot get it there, please e-mail me at:

summerthrufall@yahoo.com

Darius, thanks for that link. Boy that is something, I had not seen that. How happy it makes everyone to see and smell familiar things.

Antoinette, why don't you just send me the address and I will work out the postage. Thanks for the inspiration. This is such a good thing you do.

If I may make another sugestion, my son regularly sends packages to his former men [ he has been retired three years] I don't know if the boys need them year round or not but they requested flea collars....they put them around the bottom of their pant legs at the boots to keep those awful sand fleas away from their feet...They correspond by e mail regularly..the guys send pictures of interest from over there[ near Baghdad] It is a joy just to be contributing to the packages ......

Gee MaryK I totally forgot that one, my son's unit used them and they worked those sand fleas were so bad..Plus I had to send him a large supply of white sock, seems they go through so many and I loved the pictures he sent me from over there and one in particular him washing his clothes on a wash board at least now I know he can do if he has to..

Gourd ... you got mail!!!

I included some flea collars in the packages we sent to Iraq...through our Chaplains Office here at the base. Our Chaplain emailed the Chaplains over there and told them to pull the flea collars as they caused sores...So....maybe he just thought they would. Jo

When we lived in Oklahoma, my DH was dearly loved by fleas. Warm blooded, I guess. We went to the feed store and bought the ear tags they use for cattle, and put them on his boot straps. Much cheaper than flea collars.

Well, I just got off the phone with my son, he says all the mail goes to Bagdad and when they have enough to fill a pellet, then it goes to this destination and it may not get there in time for Christmas. He also said If I want it there before Christmas to mail it now. He sent a package to them via DHL a month and half ago and they still have not received it. So, I will be mailing the box early November 1st or 2nd, and leave the rest to God.

Terre_, do the ear tags have medicine on them? I've not heard about those. We have nasty sand crabs and you can't see them, but all of sudden you itch. I found out about them when we moved here. Apparently they live here in the desert sands. I was just thinking that maybe those would work on our shoes too.

Antoinette, I don't really know. It has been years and years, but that was the only thing that kept DH from getting eaten alive when he worked outside. Maybe someone who farms would be better to answer.

I will get you the Christmas cards off quickly so you can include them.

Look on the Farm Life Forum for KathyJo or Nebraska Jewel and ask them about the ear tags. From what I hear they do have insecticide in some kinds of them. That is the purpose behind using those. Others are just numerical tags for IDing animals.

Our DGD was in Iraq. She said the baby wipes were so welcome because the water kept getting shut off. The watersorb crystals are also great as they absorb perspiration and can be refrigerated and used around the neck to help cool the body.

Freezer pops were welcome too. Even if the person can't get them frozen or even cold, the memories are there and they seem to love the taste of the things. YUK! I think they are horrid.