Biggest US shopping day-- buy something important

[TexasLawyer]

If you're brave enough to hit the stores, remember the servicemen and women while you're out snapping up those bargains. Just sending a letter is fine. (Just a 37 cent stamp will get it to any APO or FPO in the world).

But if you want to do something extra nice, send a little holiday care package to some of these poor soldiers who have been sent away from their homes and families. Often they're on second and third deployments. Lots of them are just kids who get little mail and/or moral support from home.

Packages are just regular domestic postage, so it's no more expensive than mailing a box to your neighboring town. For $7.70, you can mail the USPS's new "flat rate" box. No matter what it weighs, it costs just $7.70 to mail it. Great for books, shampoo, magazines, paper, and other heavy items. Books by themselves can go "media mail" which is even cheaper.

I have lots of new and interesting pen pals and e-mail pals through sending care packages. You can too.




2LT Brooklyn A. Bertels-Becherer
Attn: Any Soldier
C CO 563d AVN SPT
159 Combat AVN
APO AE 09391
(Use address exactly as shown.)

Soldier's Title: Platoon Leader
Expected to leave Iraq: 01 Oct 2006
Where in Iraq: Balad
Contact for approx number of Males: 20, Females: 1
Unit is from: Kentucky


From the Soldier:

24 Nov 2005:

I am a platoon leader for a really hard working and dedicated group of young soldiers, most of whom have no one to send them mail. When someone does receive a package, they immediately open it up and share with the other soldiers. The disappointment on the others' faces, when they realize they have no mail again, is heartbreaking.

We are in fairly nice conditions, for a deployment. We live in trailers, with 220 power. We have a nice chow hall. We have no abilities to cook our own food items, except the occasional microwave.

We have a small store where we can purchase basic toiletries, but snacks and entertainment items are always a hit. We might be grown adults, but we are all easily entertained, by simple things, so please don't feel like what you are sending will not be appreciated. We are eternally grateful for your generosity and kindness.

The holidays are a lonely time for many of us, and mail is always a treat!!! Any mail at all!!! I have only one female other than myself, and the rest are males. We are from the 101st Airborne (Air Assault) Division, in Kentucky.

I am sending this request, more to support morale than need of items. I have quite a few soldiers who have not received any mail and you can tell it is discouraging and disappointing. It is always a major excitement when one actually gets mail.

Thank you so very much for your support!!

[damntexdem]

1. Staying home all day. I don't need to buy anything today.

Big trip starts tomorrow.

[TexasLawyer]

2. www.anysoldier.com

Oh, I meant to say that this is just one of MANY worthy groups of soldiers that post their wish-lists on anysoldier. You can find someone from your home state, etc...

[renate]

3. I bet you found that letter here:

http://anysoldier.com/index.cfm

The picture that's up right now is so sweet--a soldier with such a nice smile, surrounded by little kids.

On edit: Whoops, didn't see #2 till I'd posted, but it's worth a repeat!

[TexasLawyer]

8. I think the young soldier

is the son of the founder of anysoldier.com.

Many of the soldiers are really concerned about the welfare of the children in Iraq and Afghanistan. In fact, so much so that for some squadrons, all they ask for for is children's shoes, school supplies, beanie type toys, and wrapped candy to hand out to the kiddies.

Several groups have adopted orphanages and schools. All of the shoes that my children have grown out of have been sent to an orphanage in Afghanistan.

Sort of weird to think about!

[renate]

9. yeah, I've wondered whether the best care package

would be entirely filled with stuff for the kids.

If I were a stranger in a strange land, what I would crave more than anything would be a connection with the children there, to create a feeling that what I was doing there was not for myself but for their future--that I was there for a reason, a reason with a human face.

And since the administration isn't doing much (sarcasm....) to win the populace's hearts and minds, it'll have to be done one-on-one--and maybe that'll save some civilians' and soldiers' lives.

[LaPera]

4. We don't need to buy and consume more and more and more...

simply because we are told to do so...or worst, because we are suppose to...fuck all that bullshit!!!

[driver8]

5. I agree with you 100%!! I look through the ads in the paper and

cannot believe some of the shit that is being sold; useless, worthless shit.

My family just buys for the children now. The rest of us don't need anything and if we do, we buy it.

[ClintonTyree]

6. I'm with you on that 100%.......

our consumer based society is so wasteful it's staggering. It's estimated that we waste anywhere from 28-40% of the food we eat, that adds up to well over 100 Billion pounds of food a year. Add in the rest of the things we throw away as "worthless" or "broken" (often never even trying to repair them) and you can see why Corporate America just LOVES to sell we Americans as much as they can. They create the need and we follow along like zombies, we HAVE TO HAVE IT!
Bullshit. I admit to behaving that way earlier in life but with age came wisdom. Some people are lucky (or very smart) and never get caught up in the consumer race.
Christmas is Corporate America's wet dream but I'm no longer part of that dream. I've fallen off the consumer band-wagon and I'm not getting back on. I hope more people realize that the consumer treadmill we're on is a one way ticket to planetary destruction. Hey, I've gotta' have a dream!

[onethatcares]

7. well, I slept in line for 71 hrs waiting to buy an wbox 360

whatever the hell that is, but, in all honesty, I did no such thing. The pictures of beople willing and waiting to buy such douchebag merchandise has soured my shopping urge forever.. Why not go outside and build snowmen or sandcastles or go fishing or farkng or something other than waiting to buy a vucking wideo game?

[watercolors]

10. jusr mailed off a package

to my grandson in Iraq, have another one ready to go to'' any soldier''. My grandson said books were most welcomed,I regularly send pocket books. I have a box in my place of business for people to drop them off. Ive sent small hand games and puzzles, socks are most appreciated. Its fun to shop and see what useful things you can find that might bring a smile. That is the kind of shopping I enjoy!