FLOODING WALTER REED WITH CARDS FOR SOLDIERS - I will pay for the first 50 FReepers to send one

Doug,

Here’s a summary of where to send cards and letters to soldiers that I thought your readers might appreciate:

Let’s Say Thanks!

Please help us in sending handwritten Christmas (or thank you) cards or letters to our troops — the troops have said how much more a handwritten card means to them! Let’s show the troops we truly appreciate the sacrifices they have made and are still making for us, and that we support and haven’t forgotten them through all of the difficult situations they’re experiencing!

There’s a terrific new Hallmark movie out about this subject called “A Christmas Card”. “Once in a while, a movie comes along that reminds us how powerful love can be. In the midst of war in Afghanistan, Captain Cody Cullen is touched by lovely card sent by Faith Spelman from the small picturesque town of Nevada City, California. As months pass, the card never leaves his side, giving him the strength to survive and setting him on a mission to find her. “A Christmas Card” has received massive critical acclaim and audiences are raving. Now for the first time on DVD, Emmy-nominated (TBD) The Christmas Card is available with great bonus features and is the perfect gift for this holiday season!” (I think you’ll love it as much as my family did: it’s one of the best, most moving stories that we’ve seen in a long time.)
http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Card-Ed-Asner/dp/B000TGUUFA

Ed Asner: Send holiday cards to the troops - Holiday Guide- msnbc_com
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15991894/
http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/AmericaSupportsYou/Content.aspx?ID=44715205&SectionID=1

Below is a summary of the addresses (from below) to which you can send cards or letters to our troops. Please note that the Post Office will not deliver mail that is addressed only to “Any Soldier”, etc. unless there is also an actual person’s name or job classification somewhere in the address (for example, “Commanding Officer”).

Injured troops:

(Spc. Kevin Hardin, who was seriously wounded in Samarra, Iraq on 9/30/07 http://www.anysoldier.com/News.cfm)
Any Soldier Inc.
ATTN: Kevin Hardin
P.O. Box 715
Waldorf, MD 20604

(Joshua received death wish while being treated at Walter Reed http://michellemalkin.com/2005/12/23/good-wishes-for-pfc-joshua-sparling/
http://michellemalkin.com/archives/004021.htm)
Joshua Sparling
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20307-5001

(Bundle multiple cards in one big manila envelope and send them to the Red Cross office at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and they will distribute them to injured troops.)
Red Cross
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue NW
Heaton Pavillion
3EO5
Washington, DC 20307

(VFW Post 8208 will accept and deliver cards and gifts to the patients at Walter Reed and Bethesda Hospitals as well as to other hospitals where there are Patients from this war. Bundle multiple cards addressed to “Dear Soldier” in one big manila envelope and send them to John.)
John Miska CDR
VFW Post 8208
PO Box 653
Ruckersville, VA 22968

Please don’t forget to send some cards to our troops still in harm’s way:

You can obtain the addresses of up to two Active Duty soldiers a day from this link to send cards to. The site lists the number of times each address has been requested, and states that approximately one requestor out of five actually sends anything. It lists the number of people in the group, so you can address one card or letter to the soldier’s name given, address the ones for the other soldiers in the group “Dear Soldier”, then bundle them in an outer larger envelope addressed to the soldier’s name and address that you are given. If you aren’t mailing the cards, letters or gifts the same day, remember to check again on the day that you mail them, as soldiers are on the move and addresses frequently change:
http://www.anysoldier.com/WhereToSend/
Address the card or package exactly as shown on each page in “Where to Send”.
Example:
SGT Johnny B. Rock
Attn: Any Soldier
HHC, 123rd Grenade Repair Bn
APO AE 09999
(Of course, the above is a bogus address to give you an idea that military addresses don’t look like yours.) If your letter is for a Soldier other than the contact you address it to, PLEASE start your letter “Dear Soldier” not “Dear SGT Smith” as on the address. The contact passes the mail out to folks around him or her and when that service member opens the letter it will feel better without the contact’s name on it. There is not one thing on this site that requires you to send stuff. Letters are THE MOST requested thing by these Soldiers. So, all you need do is send a normal letter in a normal envelope with a normal stamp.

Good ideas: If you want, put your email address in your letter, many Soldiers can and prefer to reply that way. What to write? Too easy: like you are talking to a friend, because that is what that Soldier is going to be real quick. It is also VERY helpful if you leave your full return address (and email address, if you wish) as part of your letter, envelopes tend to get trashed quickly. Please do not require answers, as the soldiers are sometimes too busy to respond, but many times they do.

See http://www.anysoldier.com/HowToSend.cfm if you want more information.

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