Some things transcend politics.
Now, some of y’all know that politically, I’m the leftiest left that ever lefted a left. Well, I want to tell you about a great site for supporting our soldiers.
http://www.booksforsoldiers.com is a clearinghouse where men and women who are posted overseas can post their wants and needs through the board’s moderators. It varies widely from soldier to soldier and from posting to posting. Some guys in Afghanistan need shower bags because they have no running water and want to bathe. Some gals post asking for Better Homes and Gardens or “girly stuff” to be sent to them. Most folks just seem to be bored out of their gourds and want books, magazines, CDs or DVDs to help occupy the “wait” part of “hurry up and wait” that is so prevalent in the military.
My dad was in the Air Force in Alaksa in the 50’s, back before it was a state. As near as I can tell from his stories, the main entertainment was, 1) drink beer, 2) listen to music, 3) repeat 1 and 2 as necessary. Now, though, he’s got everything he needs. The one thing he loves to do is to help people, to give special treats to kids or co-workers or a stranger on the street. He’s a genuinely caring, wonderful person, the original cream puff.
So to honor my dad, this year instead of getting something for him for Christmas, I’m getting something for someone else. A guy posted on the Air Force boards saying that he and his crew would surely love to have a copy of Strange Brew. That’s one of Dad’s and my favorite movies. So I posted that I’d fill his request, and I’m sending this care package to the guy. That’s some entertainment, snacks, and a letter, with envelopes and paper so he and his can write to their families. (I’m given to understand that envelopes tend to run out.)
I hope you’ll consider going to books for soldiers and registering, so that you can poke around and see if any requests strike your fancy. Remember, you only have to pay domestic postage to a military post office in the US. Shipping is free from there. I managed to stuff all that crap into a flat rate priority envelope, so it’ll only cost me $3.85 to ship it all to the Middle East.
Even if you don’t send anything, (but really, a Christmas card for someone under the “forgotten soldier” section will only cost you 37 cents), still look around. It’s a good reminder that we’ve got a lot of good folks a long way from home. Regardless of what the folks in Washington may say or do, those individuals deserve our support.