"If you know someone who's serving there, write to them; write often; write regularly."

USS Clueless ^ | Nov. 19, 2003 | Steven Den Beste

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

USS Clueless ~ Steven Den Beste

 

Blogger Steven Den Beste responded yesterday to a reader's concern about potential suicides among our troops stationed in Iraq with an 'actuarial' explanation of the higher suicide rate among US civilians ~ and advice on one sure way to lift the spirits of our troops serving overseas*:

 

Another thing that helps is mail from home. It's perfectly fine if it's mundane and trite; it's a link back to normalcy for the soldiers. If you know someone who's serving there, write to them; write often; write regularly. Tell them what's happening in your life. Don't wait for something big to happen; keep writing. A letter from home is a lifeline, a promise that all the insanity around the soldier will eventually end, and a way of keeping hold of what "normal" life is like, because after a while it starts getting hard to remember. It also tells the soldier that someone cares, that he isn't just a piece of a machine, but still a person that someone misses. And when that mail stops coming, that lifeline breaks and hangs limp, leaving that soldier adrift, abandoned. So keep writing.

Even if he doesn't write back. He's busy, you know; there's a war to fight. email is good, but paper mail is better; soldiers carry their letters from home with them, and reread them when the situation is getting them down.

Don't write to him about what he's doing; he knows what he's doing. Write to him about the stuff he wishes he could do but can't: write about movies you've gone to see, and how your favorite football team should draw and quarter its quarterback but still managed to pull it out and win the big game, and about trips to the store, and what you bought, and about people you've talked to, and why the new television season is the worst ever. Think "Lileks writing about Gnat" and write about that kind of stuff. Write about all the things that you take for granted that a soldier in a combat zone can't do. He can read your letter, and vicariously do them through you. As he's reading, he's home again, if only for a few minutes. And he will read it, more than once.

There's never enough mail from home.

 

 

*Mr. Den Beste adds: "By the way, two things which will reduce the suicide rate a lot are bars and brothels, but we can't encourage either of those in Iraq."

[Graybeard58]

My son is in Kuwait and will move into Iraq when the Stryker Brigades moves. He tells me before Dec. 1st.

I have an address for him but he says it isnt effective until Dec.1st.

I'll post his address here if that's advisable. I am sure he would appreciate hearing from anyone.

Is this the right place to post it?

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Moms can get away with this as Moms outrank a General anyday of the week.

You tell 'em, Ma'am. *g*

Y Sending a Son to War: A Mother's Story

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Please thank your son!

It isn't a good idea to post addresses ~ not all visitors to FR are friendly.

There are a few options...you can leave his address with Tonkin, Kathy and the Canteen crew. They have a list of Freepers serving and share mailing addresses with caring Freepers.

snippy and SAMWolf keep in touch with troops in Iraq from the FR FoxHole, as do 2JedisMom and friends at the Hobbit Hole....and, of course, there are many other Freeper military parents who I know have tips on making sure loved one know we're thinking about them back home.

[Brad’s Gramma]

BTTT!!!!!!

[McGavin999]

There are a lot of lists here. I always send as much of everything I can fit into the box. Beef Jerky, candy, nutrition bars, powdered drink mix, snack foods of all kinds, toothbrushs and toothpaste, deoderant, a couple of magazines. It really doesn't matter, they'll love whatever you send. Oh, I usually tuck in a disposable camera too. Don't expect to get any pictures back, they probably can't get them developed until they get back.

[armymarinemom]

If you see a story written in your local paper or a national publication that is supportive of our military print it out and mail it along with your letter or care package. Show them that not everyone in the media has biased reporting.
A new request that I have had this week from returning troops is for disposible gloves. They are saying that if they are with a unit that does a lot of patrol work they could use some disposible gloves because, well,....not all of the people over there have clean clothes. They can't wash their hands after every search. If you buy a box to send a few over with each shipment try to buy latex free gloves. They are safer and tend not to snag as easily.
You can go to the Blue Star Mothers forum and print out support messages that are there for our troops and also put those in care packages and letter.

[cjshapi]

I was able to adopt one thru the Operation AC website. Just type that in a search engine and it will get you right to the site. Took them about 6 days to process my request.

[VOA]

I went home last night and informed my wife and (2) sons ages 17 and 18, that
each of them needed to write a letter to a total stranger.

Excellent!
I suspect that your sons will learn more trying to compose and write those
letters than they'd get out of a Freshman English Composition class at most
Ivy League schools.

[VOA]

experienced 'caregiving' Freepers

Golly, I'm not worthy!
Just doin' my (volunteer) job, ma'am.

[VOA]

We are sending several hundred cards from the central Texas area.

Giving the benevolent care of all those folks would make that
"Deep In The Heart Of Texas".

OK, there I go trying to elaborate on my bump-posts!

[VOA]

bump

[armymarinemom]

I sent several articles with my youngest before he left for the Middle East to be carried with him during his deployment. One was something from a 9/11 family. He also carried a memorial patch from a Fire Fighter friend of ours who was almost like an Uncle to our son. We also sent a small paper back edition of the Constitution of the United States. That is something that anyone can send. He seemed happy to take it with him and his brother thought it was a great idea. That is a hint for Mom to send him one too. It is a reminder of what they defend and they get the time to really study just how important of a job that they have in front of them. It can also help in case some left wing nut job tries to talk nonsense to him during a time when he feels alone.

[pax_et_bonum]

Thank you for the help!

I just requested to adopt a soldier. It's the least I can do to say "thank you" to our troops.

[VOA]

bump!

[McGavin999]

This is good advice. I usually send long letter about twice a month. Maybe I should break those down a bit and write shorter letters more often.

[VOA]

bump

[technochick99]

Oohh this is so neat! I just requested a soldier to adopt!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

We also sent a small paper back edition of the Constitution of the United States. That is something that anyone can send. He seemed happy to take it with him and his brother thought it was a great idea.

Thanks, armymarinemom. (You rock!)

[VOA]

bump for publicity

[VOA]

bump for exposure