My husband received his draft notice on our wedding day; he was sent to Vietnam exactly to the day of our first anniversary – Happy Anniversary from the United States Marine Corps. Yes, he was the first name they called to be drafted into that historical military organization in the entire Los Angeles Recruitment Depot.  I became pregnant with our first son during that year of training and had the baby while his father was in the Demilitarized Zone. I recall vividly what it was like when he returned to the States, he and his buddy ducking down in the car, afraid to be seen in their uniforms.  The climate was pretty hostile for returning war heroes during the Vietnam era, and it was even worse for those wounded or disabled while on duty. Keeping an eye out for the welfare of vets became important to me. In the town where I now reside, large groups of people go to the DFW airport and greet returning vets with balloons, signs and cheers — quite a positive change from the painful experience of Vietnam era veterans.

Books for Soldiers floated across my consciousness at some point, I do not recall the specifics, but believe it was advertised in one of the online vet letters I receive monthly. I decided to signup, which meant getting my application notarized and awaiting its approval. Before long, I received an email that I was now an Official Volunteer (OV) and could gain access to the names and addresses of our military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan.  When I first reviewed the dozens of names of people, I was dismayed to see how many of them had little or no responses to their requests.  These are people that are risking their lives for us; some of them may never walk on U.S.soil again. Was this the best we could do? I frequently receive emails requesting me to pray for our troops, but decided it was time to do more than pray.  So I sent out an email to most folks on my email contact list, asking for help.  I recruited three new OV candidates, and they all seemed willing to be actively involved. I also asked for any books. magazines, CDs, or DVDs that anyone wanted to donate, to be mailed to me and I would forward them to our troops.

Becoming an Official Volunteer

The post office was quite helpful, showing me how they offer free boxes for Flat-Rate shipping – meaning I could fill a large box with up to 20 lbs. of goodies and books for under $12 in shipping. I had sent DVDs and books in smaller packages for only $3 or $4, but this seemed a more reasonable way to show support and get things into the hands of our troops. They loaded me down with labels, boxes, stickers, and customs forms for future shipments. They also offered thanks for doing something for the troops.

With every shipment, I included a picture drawn by Justin, my grandson, age 3; a letter of encouragement and gratitude, and a small photo of Justin and I, a request from some of the troops. I hoped the packages would help with morale but never expected to hear back from any of the troops – they have so much to deal with as it is. But one day, Justin and I went to the mailbox to await a package I was expecting, and found a small padded envelope from a faintly familiar name. It was one of the medics to whom we had sent a goodie package. Inside was a beautiful letter and a real army patrol cap, incamouflage, with Justin’s name embroidered in black on the back rim. We were both so excited; Justin loves anything made with camouflage, although he was quite unclear as to what being a soldier means and who had sent it to him.

We came back and wrote a letter to “our” medic, offering profuse thanks and happy to hear that this particular soldier was planning to pursue a medical career. I took a photo of Justin in his new cap, and related that this cap will be an momento for him as he grows up. I will save it and the letter for him, along with his baby book and other keepsakes.

A few weeks later, one of the other OVs, my sister, received a beautiful burgundy (her color!) pashmina from Afghanistan. She had been sending quite a few boxes with numerous books overseas and expected nothing in return. But the package for her came on a day with a lot of heat and hassles, and it heartened her. “Our” soldiers felt more and more like ours, less and less like anonymous young people in a tough situation. The letter I received back was generous and filled with amazing fortitude and courage. It is wonderful to know there are so many young people, so brave and so idealistic, willing to serve their country and their fellow soldiers under tough circumstances, difficult terrain, and inhospitable climate.

You Can Support our Troops!

For only a few dollars a month (or even pennies) you can join BFS and send a postcard or a letter to a service man or woman that might really help cheer them.  One of our soldier-recipients wrote back that it is the intents more than the contents that really means something. You can send candy, socks, soap, plastic baggies, drink mixes, crackers, chips, magazines, old DVDs and CDs. If you do not have the time to get involved, you can make a one time donation on their website to help keep the website operating and serving our troops. The organization is receiving many requests but is falling behind in donations. With long, ongoing wars, I know it is easy for us civilians to get compassion fatigue. But the troops must carry on their duties, fatigued or not.

As a mental health practitioner, it is of grave concern to me that so many of these young people are suffering with Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). To make matters worse, many are having to go through repeated deployments, negatively impacting their finances, their families, and their marriages. It is a mark of their great devotion that we civilians hear so little about the disruptions to their personal lives; we know so little about the dearth of services for many of these amazing people.  (If you are a licensed therapist with an available office, you may volunteer to serve these folks by donating an hour of your time to them.  Go here to volunteer.)

The Soldiers Project offers free confidential counseling for soldiers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan and their family members. To use the service, call 818-761-7438 or toll-free 877-576-5343 and leave your info if necessary. After a brief telephone conversation with an intake professional, The Soldiers Project will find you a therapist in your area.

Your Help is Needed!

One of my recruited OVs said it felt so good to send off that first package, finally to be able to DO something for the troops besides hoping, praying and wishing they were home. If you are willing to send a package occasionally, or simply mail a couple of postcards, please consider signing up to be an OV online at Books for Soldiers. You can take your application, which can be downloaded from the site, and get it notarized free of charge at most any bank. Now when I think about our soldiers, they are no longer anonymous. They are “our” troops, and they are yours as well. Let’s find a way to support them whenever and wherever we can.