What would you write to a soldier in Iraq if you could....?

[masmdu]

I'm preparing a care package for a soldier I don't know who is serving in Iraq.

I want to send a letter along with the package and I am having a hard time coming up with something to say.

I'm torn between telling him about how angry I am that he is being used and may possiblly be killed for an illigitimate war that serves corporate interest that Bushco lied us into...

Vs

Keep those thoughts to myself and just wishing him luck and a quick, safe return home.

I don't want to make the guy feel like a sucker/schmuck but on the other hand opening the eyes of the people doing the fighting for Buschco may out-weigh that.

Comments?

[toddzilla]

1. i sent some stuff a while ago

i had the same problem, compounded by the fact that i didn't know any of the people. i just wrote "keep your chin up and your head down".. pretty lame but i couldn't lie to myself and write much of anything else.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

2. Remember, you could kill his moralle if you say something...

Just wish him luck and a safe trip home, and if he needs anything more, to just write you and let you and your family know. You're there for him. That kind of thing.
Duckie

[DrBlix]

3. My care package

A change of clothes, a little money, a map of the region, short route to Kuwait, papers to get him across the border and a short sentence. Get out of dodge. Oh and grow a beard.
.
It's a joke....it's a joke......not laughing.

[havocmom]

4. I'd ask how to help with phone cards so he/she could phone home

and talk to their family. I heard it now costs them $1 per minute at least to phone home. Tell them Thanksgiving will not feel right till they are home with us again. Then we will really be grateful.

Pass along a joke or two. Send some playing cards, along with the baby wipes and hard candy.

Then I would tell them we miss them and are here to listen to whatever they need to say, find answers for any questions we can and pray for their safe return.

Tell him/her, to look towards the moon at night and know it carries a kiss from us here from the night before when we looked up and thought of them.

Don't preach to them. Accept them, please. I saw so many lost boys home from Asia get treated so poorly back in the 60's. So many are still hurting. And now we add this mess in Iraq.

And if you have pen and paper out writing to a member of the military, take a few minutes to jot down notes to your congress critters and a letter or two to the editors. Preach all you want to them!

[Don_G]

5. SoCalDem Has The Latest Info On Phone Cards

You might PM her for the information; the least expensive is an arragment between ATT and the PX. They're available in the US over the Internet, VA Hospitals (maybe) and several other ways.

[roguevalley]

6. send cool boy magazines. write chatty stuff, tell about your family, ask

questions about his. Write it like you would to a long lost
friend, which he/she is. Hometown newspapers are good too.

[Skittles]

7. DO NOT VOICE YOUR WAR OPINIONS IN YOUR LETTER

ABSOLUTELY NOT.

[Karenina]

8. And if you even dare think about it

I WILL HOLD YOU DOWN WHILE SKITTLES KICKS YOUR ASS!!! ;-)

[Skittles]

11. lol

I did mention to my soldier that I though Bush was "dumber than a box of hair" - in his next letter he said he had held back, figuring since I'm in Texas I'm a Bush supporter. He really let loose with what he thought of this war: he thinks it's a sham.

[cocoabeach]

9. Be positive...they don't want to hear the dissent

920th (search and rescue) just returned from Iraq and they are beating down the doors to get rid of the Dixie Chicks CD's in the club....They hate them. I got into a conversation w/ them how they felt about the voices of dissent and they freaked and said that they hated it.

Wait til they are home and absorb for a bit. They need support now so give it to them 100%.

[newyawker99]

15. Hi cocoabeach!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Kamika]

10. I'd send him a copy of playgirl

And ask what he thinks of this and that model

[DemoTex]

12. A letter about my Vietnam times and a book.

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. I might include a couple of my war short stories, too.

[BiggJawn]

13. "Can't wait for all you guys and gals to come home safe..."

"I can't imagine how difficult and dangerous it is over there. You're in my thoughts daily, and I hope you get the hugest fuckin' parade ever when you get here!"

I would leave out the political proseyltizing. I would hate to thing that I had sown a seed of doubt that could cause a split-second's hesitation and cost lives.

Good enough?

[DemoTex]

14. Damn good, BJ

My sentiments, too.

[SoCalDem]

16. Please avoid politics..

Their letters might be read by someone else before they get them and you never know how brainwashed these young guys are.. They have Rush Limbaugh "piped in" and they get the military times papers and lots of them are YOUNG..

I alwars tyr to save the editorial pages of the paper and when there are scating articvles on *, I use those pages for "packing material".. Hey.. I can;t help it if the papers are telling the truth about *, can I??

Same goes for Time & Newsweek.. Send them the copies that seem to be real news..

But please, stay away from politics until you KNOW what their thoughts are :)

[Hubert Flottz]

17. Go AWOL Bush Did!

And he got promoted to pResident!

[Dr Satan]

18. Send them

some reminders of the culture and products of the reason they are there such as magazines to remind them to covet and consume.
Mementos of how our society is superior to the "Savages" because we have technology and trendy, obese, petroleum addicted, latte sipping, yuppies who go to church because of their black karma oozing from their existence.