This is an email I recieved from my niece..
Her husband is in the forces and she wanted to have people send him cards,
Please read the following note and I will add more at the end of the post....
My niece is the one who's mommy died at the age of 39 of Breast Cancer... and she too developed it
at the tender age of 22... she had a double mastectamy and since has had other surgeries for more preventatives..
She's since went into the testing end of it, the whole family did, and found that all the kids had the gene and so her sister also has the gene,
and had a double mastectomy too...
The third, they watch dilagently as she's still young and would like to have children yet..
and the only boy also has had things removed....
She also had 3 little girls herself,
and they watch them also thru testing for this gene...

But with her hubby gone so far away after all of this has happened to her... she would get a very big kick out of it, if you would add her husband to the list...

Like she stated also, he's a big BEARS FAN...
and love's to talk football...

And we fit the bill for being from ALL OVER THE WORLD...

THANK~YOU, THANK~YOU, THANK~YOU.....
MY CYBER GARDENING COMMUNITY FAMILY....

P.S. If anyone has any questions please feel free to PM me at the forum... (or post them right here)

Oh, this will be FUN!

Yes it will. I so enjoy doing things like this.

I know that Chip will get a kick out of it,
but she will tooooo!!!

Oh, I would love to be a part of this. Thanks so much Weezie for starting this thread!

Oh, another thought. Does anyone else know soldiers who we can send cards to? Family or friends of family who could use some cheering up this time of year and lots of mail from the states?

I'll see if I can PM Jon...
He might have some in his company
that might like it.. *and him too*

Thanks so much Weezie!

Thanx Weezie, for starting this thread! I'll certainly get a Christmas card off to Chip, & I'd like to add a name to the list here, as well.

I too, am a Bears fan but I married into the Raiders so I've learned to like them over the years... (which is easier now that they've gotten past their "Roller Derby" style of nasty sportsmanship, that I thought they were into for so long!) ...so, maybe I'll send along a couple photos of some Raider "goons" that I took when we went to Calif to watch a game "in person" last month. (If Chip doesn't like the Raiders, he might have fun using the photos for target practice!) Either way, I'm sure that when you're serving away from home, in a strange land, anything from home is more than likely, a treat!

The young man I'm adding to the Military Christmas Card List here, is with a Medical Evacuation unit of the Air National Guard, presently posted near Baghdad. In his late 20's, he married just last year & makes his home in Cheyenne, Wyoming. His Father is a former Army Chaplain/Lutheran Pastor, now retired, also living in Cheyenne.

As with the address that Weezie posted, the address on your envelope should look like this:

Thor F. Rasmussen, TSGT
332 AEW/379EAES
APO AE 09315-9997

I believe that supporting the people serving in our military is a privilege as well as a responsibility for us, as they protect the freedoms we enjoy here & strive to help other nations accomplish the same. Your Christmas cards and prayers are needed and welcomed!

BTW, Christmas cards should be sent ASAP, as APO & FPO mail goes through a slow sorting process. (Although receiving any type of mail from "HOME" , even if it's received "late", is better than none at all!)

Raiders Patty, ICK. This coming from a Broncos fan! I will add Thor to my list.

Being from Buffalo *and really not a big sports fan* My first pick is the BILLS...
But this whole family *spread acrossed all of the miles* reallllllllly likes the
BEARS...

How 'bout dem BEARS!!!!

Thanx, Triss. As I mentioned, I think it's important that we support these guys... especially the ones who are away from their families for the holidays. I hope the list here grows within the next few days, as more people notice this post.

About the Raiders: Ya I know, but that's what it's all about... competition! They aren't doing very well this year anyway, so as West teams go; How 'bout dem SeaHawks!!!! Weezie, (Too bad the Bills have had so many guys out with owies this year) Maybe football would be an appropriate topic right now, cuz it's just about that time ... (& might keep this topic from being hijacked!)

I have an appointment that I can't be late for, so I don't have the time to start 1 right now... too long-winded, you know!!!

If you haven't when I come back
I will..
*off to Subway to visit with the girl
in the next room at the hospitol when I had my
first kid..*
*and I'm packin' my son up to go to Boyscouts sleep out for the winter's weekend..
*talk about long winded, I am too..*
I'll check back..
*and it's an awesome idea!!!

Yes...Weezie...thank you for giving us this opportunity! Isn't this what Christmas is all about? BUT...I hope that we don't forget these men after Christmas...I would like to continue to send them cards or notes as long as we can. I can only imagine how homesick and forgotten they must feel at times. It kind of reminds me of my soapbox reguarding nursing home residents. They are overwhelmed with visitors during the holidays...but fight tremendous bouts of loneliness throughout out the rest of the year...because a lot of them have NO visitors and certainly receive no mail through the year! So...I try to make my focus more on the Non~holiday months for these people.

~V~

You are so right Vanessa!

That is sooooooo true Vanessa....

I just applied at a Nursing Home to work
in the kitchen, so keep me in your prayers
to get a job and get my foot into the door
to be doing some more work for them there..

I would love to some little things around there
in the future, I have to say, in the future,
cause right now I got two wee~little~men to be gettin' after and a wee~little~mom as well...

I think it would be cute if we could adopt a company or troop... like Chips', Jon's or Thor's..

That would be so much fun!

Hey Weezie,

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

& I sent off cards to Chip and Thor.

Hi all,

i know it s not aaaaalllllll over the world like other cultures and stuff but it s canada,eh!!

i ll do it from the bottom of my canadian hart and would like to send a message to anyone working at an airport like i am:try getting your hand on the bears and have them sign for Chip and send him...woooww he d loove it,i don t garanty anything but i ll do my gdm best to look out for them.

yes it would be wonderfull if we could adopt a troop and each our turn send them homemade food like cookies,cakes etc....

lets not forget thor,

it ll be fun

Good gravy! I sent cards & letters (& Raiders pics - tee hee!) off to Chip & Thor today, & completely forgot to "warn" Thor that he might start getting mail from strangers!! I do hope that somebody has the presence of mind (as I did when I wrote to Chip) to explain where they got his address, when they write to Thor! Guess I should send him another card & tell him that I posted his addresss for all the world to see... but as good as I've been lately about getting distracted easily, I might get around to that in time for Valentine's Day!
SOMEBODY KICK ME HARD !! (I really need to start wearing post-it notes so I can get organized... the other kind just get lost!)

That is ME to a "T"!!!
Only problem is...... I'd probably loose 'em!!! :rolleyes:

Well I explain to boht of them that while I may be a stranger, someone they loved put their name on a list and was thinking of them here at home.

Howdy folks

The concept is a very sound one. It has always been a big hit. The guys in Korea and other hardship areas are pretty much being ignored these days - everyone at home seems focused on Iraq - - even forgetting that we are actually fighting in Afghanistan - - more deaths there than here.

Even here - - we have some troops falling through the cracks. My unit - we are supposed to be getting direct support from a particular company - - I am in contact with one of their VP's and writing with her son and another youth in cub scouts that the VP is Den mother of. Yet - we have others who are saying "where is my contact"?

Don't take this as a complaint - please. It is not meant that way - - rather - just the facts of life are the facts of life.

If you want to send some cards - what I can do is take them over to the chapel - or simply distribute them through my own unit. I'll give you my address.

Wish there was someway to direct some support up to Afghanistan. Also - - while you are praying for the troops here - - keep the familys at home lifted up. It is actually a lot harder on them than it is on us. The other night, my wife told me "saw a headline in the paper and then I thought nope that don't pretain to me." She's been avoiding the news like it was the plague. And I know she is not the only wife doing that.

One thing that we really praise God about - - email. Lori likes to say "I can't imagine what it was like for the wives as short ago as Desert Storm or VietNam - at least we have the internet." Also phone service is pretty good too, which helps. We have one really old timer - served in VietNam two tours - like me - was called out of retirement to come here. He says "when could get to a phone it was stand in line for 5 hours for a very brief call" here - depending where in Iraq one is - may stand in line for a few minutes - or even upwards of an hour but no 5 hour waits. And calls are a lot cheaper than then. Still - - there are some here - like one guy I work with who has next to no family at home - no wife, no kids and he's 46.

Well, I've rambled long enough - again - thanks for the support you are giving where you are giving it.

Jon Watt

SSG Jon C. Watt
A 490 CA BN
APO AE 09378

another one - - he's a chaplain assistant and can put out cards for soldiers at the chapel
(best to use say a larger envelop and have the cards in them - - marked "to any soldier")

SGT Mark Lans
3ID Division Chapel
APO AE 09344

(this is Camp Victory - where I just left to come here to Camp Taji a week ago)

Again on behalf of all the soldiers

"Thank you"

Another real hit - - besides the cards

home made cookies and such.

there are companies that send over care packages that are full of things that can be obtained at the PX - - almost no one has to go out and buy toothpaste or soap or deodorant - - so much is shipped in by companies trying to do their part to support the troops. But the quickest way to bring tears to a soldier's eyes - -

the personal touch sort of things - - so if you get someone who responds to a card or whatever, and you find yourself wanting to send something (NOTE, Please not asking for me - - my mom does enough for me) but that is the sort of thing.

The same goes - - towards Korea or anywhere else.

Jon

Thank you so much Jon. How big is a typical unit? If I were to send cookies, I want to make sure that I send enough for everyone to get some.

JONNNNNNN!!
Good to see you got my PM...
I edited your post so that if anyone asks you
a question, you can get back to them on it...

I hope you end up getting some cards from the people here..
I think that would be so much fun
for you guys..
and hope it adds a wee~bit of levity for you,
during your time/tour over there...

And **Franny,
Don't go frettin' on that end for that..
believe it or not, we got that part covered quite
nicely I believe...

Hi

Having a bit of trouble here - computer glitch - sorry for the double posting of simply "hi".

Triss - units vary in size from a couple of handfuls of soldiers to a couple of hundred, and more. Generally soldiers share goodies when they come in - - and the amount they receive is never really at issue.

There was one set of cookies my mom sent though, that after I called home to say I had received them and she asked "how are the rum balls - the rum is not cooked in them?" I had to make them disappear from general consumption - - big "no no" having any type of alcohol here - - and could not chance anyone getting in trouble - - so mom knows that now

Generally speaking if a soldier gets a package it will simply be shared in his "section" (shop, office, squad room, etc.) and that pulls the numbers down to perhaps top out at 10.

Weezie - - you are a "Doll" I'm gonna have to make a trip back east after I get home - - take the wife on a little trip and meet you and hopefully others on this list.

Jon

Thanks for the information Jon.

My dad being retired military when I went off to boot camp sent 52 pounds of cookies and candy. Homemade. It took the extended family all weekend to cook and package it all up. The were shared by 250 young women and no one was left out. The parents packed them in lined paint cans. It must have taken dad most of the weekend just to clean up those cans lol. It's a memory I will never forget.

Up to the top...

Anyone still interested,
Please send one..
He'd be very grateful...

*also don't forget our own member "JON"
he's over there and Patti's Thor too!!!!

Thanx for bringing this topic up to the front again, Weezie. With "Only 12 days 11 hours and 57 minutes left until Santa comes", the guys won't get Christmas cards in time, but they'll STILL appreciate mail from home! Even a "thinking of you" card would probably make their day (ANY DAY OF THE YEAR)!

I just got an e-mail with an attached photo from Thor's Dad, & thought I'd share it with you all.
Dec 11 2005

He sent the following note: 12/11/05

As I said on page 1 of this topic, Thor is with a Medical Evacuation unit of the Air National Guard, presently posted near Baghdad. In his late 20's, he married just last year & makes his home in Cheyenne, Wyoming. His Father is a former Army Chaplain/Lutheran Pastor, now retired, also living in Cheyenne.

For anyone wishing to drop a "Thinking of you" card to Thor (or to his unit, to pass around) send mail to:

Thor F. Rasmussen, TSGT
332 AEW/379EAES
APO AE 09315-9997

Thanx for supporting our troops

Patty,

Thanks so much for sharing the pics with us. It is great to put a face to the card that went out.

Just a note to say hi

2 days to the elections over here. 10 days after that - Christmas.

Keep the soldiers in prayers - combat loss continues and seems to hurt even more the closer we get to the Lord's day - and the closer these particular units get to rotating out. Some of the men and women have gone almost a year - they are so close to tasting home - only to be robbed of it or to see their friends robbed of it.

On the other hand - - with the elections - these men and women can take pride in getting something done for the vast majority over here - - and the vast majority are very appreciative.

Jon

thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you

My day was really made today - - I cannot begin to say how much it impacted me to get a couple of cards. When I was first told that I had mail - I was thinking, ok, Wendy (an email-pal from Lockheed Martin - LM has a project whereby they adopted an entire task force to write to and do other support things) - but then I saw the return addresses and thought "now who could these be?"

You really made my day. I cannot thank you enough for this simple thought and gesture. You all know who you are (more than one person) and I want you to know what it meant.

Believe it or not - it meant more than gifts I've gotten from home - because you did not have to do this - thank you.