Guard support group

pens letter-writing effort
By Scott Nicholson
nicholson@wataugademocrat.com

The Boone post offices and 1451st National Guard Unit Family Support Group are celebrating the U.S. Postal Service’s National Letter Writing Month with “Operation Sandscript.”

They are asking High Country citizens to write a letter to a U.S. Service Person currently serving in the Middle East. A group of people came up with the idea in connection with letter-writing month, combining it with an opportunity to support the troops.

Some local schools, Boy Scout troops, and other local groups have already contributed to the effort by writing letters. “If it gets bigger, it would be great,” said Christie James, who is helping organize the campaign.

The local 1451st National Guard Unit is not deployed now, but many of the troops and their families still have friends and connections there. Names of local service personnel who are not in the National Guard will also be added to the mailing list.

Names and addresses of a service person are not needed to participate. Letters can be written and dropped at the writing stations or brought in and delivered.

“If people have friends or relatives serving in the Armed Services anywhere in the world, we’d love to hear about them,” James said. “We’re also looking for ways to help out with the cost of mailing, so if anyone has any ideas, we’d love to hear them.”

The following locations will have a drop box for the letters: both Boone post offices (King Street downtown and Blowing Rock Road), Boone Mall center court, Watauga County Library on Queen and Depot streets, Boone Mailing Center, My Mailing Center and Go Postal Mailing Center.

Letters can be dropped off there, and they don’t need to be put in an envelope. They will be shipped to officers as bulk mail to save money. From there, the letters will be distributed to individual soldiers.

Participants are invited to include a snail mail or email address in case service personnel want to respond.

However, due to hazardous conditions and duties, soldiers may not be able to write back, so it’s primarily an opportunity to show support.

To add a soldier’s name to the list, put their complete name and address on a slip of paper and mail to PO Box 1910 Boone, NC 28607 or drop off for Christie James at MTN Television at 643-F Greenway Dr., Boone, NC. You can also email the address or letter to operationsandscript@gmail.com.

Suggested writing tips
Don’t know what to write? It can be a little scary to write someone you don’t know. But, it needn’t be difficult. You might start by introducing yourself, talk about what’s going on in your life: were you happy or disappointed about the Final Four outcome during March Madness? What’s happening on your favorite TV show and why do you like it? See a movie lately? How’s your soccer team or dance troop doing? What did you see on your last hike? Share funny stories about your brother or sister, children, fiancé, or your favorite pet! You could write about your family, your hobbies, or that big exam coming up. Add drawings or paste on stickers to brighten your letter up.

This is also a great opportunity to tell a service person you are thinking about them, care that they are away from home, and appreciate what they are doing. Remember, our U.S. Service men and women are the closest that many Iraqi and Afghani citizens will come to know about our home, the United States. Let them know that you care about what they are doing to protect themselves, others, and us and to be ambassadors from our country.

The minute you take to write a letter can make a world of difference to a soldier who’s missing home. Armed Services members have been serving in the Middle East since 2002, some for over 15 months or more at a time. Let them know that we’re thinking of them.

The U.S. Postal Service says that writing, sending, and receiving letters, postcards, and greeting cards is a tradition that has preserved our nation’s history and changed lives.

Unlike other forms of communications, card and letter writing is timeless, personal, and immediately tangible. Use this great tradition to let a U.S. Service Person serving in Iraq or Afghanistan know you care and are thinking about them.