Dear American Soldier -- A Gift in Remembrance of 9/11

[rancar]

Remember The Troops Who Fight For Freedom
On This Day Of Remembrance

Source: American Family Association

This past February, Cable News Network (CNN) posted a very moving story about U.S. soldiers who have received letters from fellow Americans. The soldiers fighting a war on the other side of the world carry with them, photos and words of encouragement from children who want to show their patriotic support.

According to Pat Centner, coordinator for AFA's "Dear American Soldier" campaign, "These letters are the direct result of AFA supporters who gave messages of hope to men and women protecting our country." She says a miracle has allowed AFA to get over 15,000 letters to the soldiers, despite the anthrax scare (Read more about this miracle from an earlier report).

The campaign began last fall, when AFA encouraged citizens to write letters to soldiers. Both hand-written letters, and those written via a special Internet site, are hand delivered by Chaplain (Capt.) Aaron D. Nowland at Ft. Hood, Texas.

Centner refers to a letter of thanks by Air Force Senior Master Sergeant Vernon Ash. "Words cannot express the warm feeling one gets from someone else who is caring,..." he wrote, "...it really means a lot to us for the folks at home to pick up a pen and paper and take the time to write people they have never met."

Centner recalls one special story about a homesick soldier. "It seems that when the letters from AFA were received overseas, they were spread on a table. Soldiers gathered there and scrambled to grab one or two for themselves. After a moment, one soldier gasped in astonishment, 'Oh my gosh, you're not going to believe this, but this letter is from my daughter!'"

I appeal to all TBNers to take a moment on this Day of Remembrance to go online and send a letter "from the heart" to a member of our service personnel. Your letter will be printed and mailed to Fort Hood, Texas for overseas delivery.

Remember to forward this message to your address list. God bless you for caring and acting!

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.dearamericansoldier.com>http://www.dearamericansoldier.com</A>

 

[Ledgemere Farm]

I was sent to the Gulf last fall after 9/11. I remember eating Thanksgiving dinner in the chow hall and someone came around passing out letters from schoolchildren. The one that I got was cute and from the heart. I still have it.

 

[Redman59]

Rancar,
Thanks for the tip. While in Beirut many years ago, we all got tons of mail addresed to Any Marine. It sure meant alot to us, especially since we had arrived right after the barracks had been hit by a truck bomb.

I strongly endorse your suggestion to use the link. We don't know what some of these guys and gals are going through and your letter just might get someone through their day.

Our church has a bulletin board with names and addresses of all the relatives in the service. I will make it a project for my Royal Rangers to pick someone and handwrite a letter to them.

Thanks for this suggestion.

Redman