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 Our Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Sailors would LOVE to hear from students and the folks back home. Letters can make the difference between a good day and a bad day for a deployed service member.
Before FVTS seals a care package, we like to include a handwritten letter from a student or supporter. This is the first item they see when they open the box. “You will be brightening their long tired days with a heartfelt message.”
I present troop support programs to local scout troops, schools, churches etc. When I talk to students about supporting a service member with a letter of encouragement, I will ask them a few questions about the content of a good letter. There are three subjects that are never mentioned in a letter. And these subjects are probably very obvious to you but I still feel the need to mention them anyway.
1) Religion. I may say that I am praying for their safety and their loved ones peace of mind but I never discuss a specific religion.
2) Politics. They are over there doing their job. They answer to their Commander in Chief. Discussing politics is the last subject they want to read.
3) Any subject related to combat injuries. "Did you ever kill anybody?" or "Did you ever get hurt or did any of your friends get hurt or killed?"
And I also suggest that writing "I support you but not the war." is generally very insulting because they are doing their job and take pride in their service to our country and that includes a deployment in a combat zone.
However there are a million subjects that you can write in a letter and the list is endless. Students could write about your pets, your favorite teams, a funny story that happened in school or at home, your family...as you see, you can write about your everyday normal lives because the troops want to hear about the normalcy of your lives because theirs is anything but an average normal life.
I always ask this question "When was the last time YOU received a handwritten letter?" and usually only one or two students will raise their hand. Handwritten letters are becoming rare. Unlike emails, letters can be touched, smelled, folded and tucked away only to be reread again perhaps many years later.
A letter only takes a few minutes to write but has a lasting positive effect on the moral of service member.
Please send your letters to: Sarah Giachino
Co Chair Fox Valley Troop Support, Inc.
2901 Glenbriar Drive
St Charles IL 60174 If you have any questions, you may contact Sarah via phone at (630) 587 3789 or via email by clicking here. |