I’m doing “Mail Call” at VBS this year. Instead of doing art projects to take home, we are going to be sending them out to the soldiers. Our service projects are going to be writing letters to the soldiers.

Here are some recent things I’ve found:

“If anyone would like to support me they can do so by contacting my wife and supporting her. In the last 6 months she has had surgery, lost our home, and she has had to relocate areas which caused her a demotion with the company she worked for and less hours. I’ve been married for 15 years and have 3 beautiful children. My initial posting strictly asked for things for my troops, there was hardly, if no response. I’ve noticed allot of the other soldiers getting personal with their requests so now I am. My wife and kids have supported me throughout these last 3 years. This is my 3rd consecutive voluntary tour. The second voluntary tour here in Iraq. People all the time from various agencies write me and tell me how they appreciate the sacrifice I have made to protect our country and ask what I need, but I don’t think they always remember who else is making the sacrifice. Not once has my wife or children complained to me for our losses, they stand with their heads held high proud to have a father and husband that is so willing to serve their country and give his life if need be. So if you want to support me, do so by supporting her. I’ve seen some care packages here that were worth well over $50 dollars or more.”

“What I ask is much less than that. All I ask is that you send her a letter, send her a card, send a small donation if you want to, just let her know that this nation appreciates HER sacrifices as well. I love her and my children dearly and I know that if there was something THEY could do to help this nation they would, and they are and don’t even realize it by giving 100% of their support to me. So show me some support by supporting her. Please if you want to show my wife Jen that her sacrifices as well are appreciated, send letters to:
Jen Cline
C/O South View Baptist Church
6904 Crawford Morrow County Lane
Galion, OH 44833
(Her church’s address for security reasons).”

“Please, I know your hearts you want to support me! But I have everything I need while I am here and I truly know the Nations gratitude with no question even though the correspondence was very limited. What I need is for the nation to recognize the families that were left behind and support them. Being in the guard there is no base that she can go to. Where she has moved to there are no families close that have deployed soldiers that she can talk to about her daily struggles and worry. The family support meetings are 2 hours away and almost impossible for her to attend with work and the children and the everyday job of doing both her job as a mother and my job as a father while I am away. I am not aware of any groups organizations out there that support the families of deployed soldiers and when I get back, maybe with some of your help, I can start one, but please, forward this to your friends, church organization, relatives. Help me lift her spirits and let her know that this nation appreciates her sacrifices as well and stands behind her…”

CPT Charles W. Ziegenfuss (or Carren Ziegenfuss or Alice Ziegenfuss)
PO Box 59051
Washington, DC 20012

http://tcoverride.blogspot.com/
Their blog.
He’s at Walter Reed.

Jason Spencer, LT Meeks or 1SG Williams (are a few of his closer friends)
AT
C/2-34 AR, 3 BCT
OIF III, FOB Gabe
APO AE 09397
Friends of Chuck’s who are still in Iraq.
(Jason Spencer saved his life.)

I found both of these via Soldiers’ Angel

We want to tell the soldiers’ stories to our kids and let them write the families as well, so both of these work.

Anyone have any more ideas?