About two years ago while sitting at dinner with my then 7 and 8 year old kids, my son asked about the war in Iraq and said he "Supported the Troops". It seem his teacher had a son who was in Iraq and they were talking about this in school. I asked him what it meant to "support the troops" and he said it meant that we would think of them and remember that they were fighting for us here at home. I asked if either of them had thought of writing a letter to a soldier thanking him or her for the service that they provided and they thought that that would be a great idea.

I spent the next several nights trying to find a way to get a letter to a soldier in harms way. It seems, due to all the Anthrax and other scares, you can't just send a letter to "Any soldier in Harms Way" like you could in the past. But I did come across a website, www.anysoldier.com (http://www.anysoldier.com), that allows soldiers to sign up to receive care packages from others. They post their address and what they and the men and women of their unit would like. Then they sit and hope someone sends them a little taste of home. Once they receive the packages they distribute them to the folks in their units and usually (time permitting) post a thank you on the website and even send a personal thank you back via US Mail.

Well we sent the letters and two packages, then the next day we decided to send another, and another and then I started collecting from people at work. Then i got a local business involved to pass out flyers, the we send more. All told I think we sent over 750 pounds of cookies, magazines, razors, coffee, popcon and the like. I got a dentist to donate 500 toothbrushes and 250 tubes of toothpaste.

Then the letter came rolling in. I have a binder full of letters and photos of the troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. And one day, a package arrived at my office from Afghanistan. Inside was a letter from a US Army Captian thanking me for all of the packages that were sent. Inside, I found a US Flag with another letter stating that it was flown in my honor over their base in Kandahar Afghanistan on the Day of the first National Elections. I was truly humbled to think that someone appreciated what we had done so much to take the time to do that. I hold that flag as one of my most honored treasures.

Why do i tell you this? Well, as I watch the middle east events unfold, I realize again that there are people that are fighting in Iraq and elsewhere that are no different than you and I. I have not sent a package in 12 months and I also realize that I have many blessings and take for granted like the money that I spend on this hobby. So instead of purchasing that cool new skimmer or that great coral I saw last week, I think I will take that money and fill a few boxes and make someones day.

I don't care if you are for the war, or against the war, that doesn't matter. I just wanted to share the site and my story with you so that if you wanted too, you could put a smile on someones face, a half a world away. The site is totally legit, and you send the stuff direct to the unit, no middle man. You also only pay shipping from here to NY, then it is free from there to the destination. Thanks for letting me share this with all of you!

Our church did a similar thing for our Christmas project. Some of us have never heard back from the soldier who got our box but others have exchanged letters back and forth and made a new friend.

Interestingly enough I got this email yesterday:

This is a wonderful service provided by Xerox. Let's all take advantage of it and say "thanks" to our military men and women. I did!

It's really easy to do. Just go to the web site, select a card, and write a message. www.letssaythanks.com (http://www.letssaythanks.com) You can pick out a thank you card and the Xerox Corporation will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq.

And finally I just found out today that my sister, a med tech in the Air National Guard, who is currently on border patrol is going to be shipped to Iraq in November. If you're are a praying person please keep her and her family in your prayers.

What great stories wildeone and carmiejo and what inspirations you guys are for the rest of us. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for doing what you did and sharing it with us.

I too, don't care if you are for the war or against the war. for George Bush or against him but you had better realize that the evil forces our beloved military men and women are fighting over in the far east are hell bent to destroy our life here in America. It's not just over there. It's over there because G. Bush decided to take the fight to them rather than have them bring it here. It may still wind up on our soil in a form of war we have never witnessed. I pray it never reaches our shores and I hope for everyones sake the jihadists are defeated.

The wonderful life we have here in America could come to an end. Support our troops by praying and going to the web sites given to us above and doing something positive.

May God continue to Bless America!!! These colors never run - http://www.theculturedreef.com/us_flag.gif

step foward fellow americans. sound off your support for all those who put his or her life on the line for our safety and freedom. regardless of your feelings for the president, military, or our global actions..............remember, those are our fathers, sons, mothers, daughters, brother, sisters, relatives, friends and neighors that risks their lives to defend ours while bearing the flag that has given us this great country. i pray for a safe and quick return of our troops home, but in the meantime, please do what you can to show that america will always STAND AS ONE. in case anyone disagrees with my words...........remember, it is those very same troops that ensures your very right to disagree.

I just visited the two links above and came away with a tears. They make it soooo easy to thank our brave men and women that I'm asking each of you, no begging you to do these very easy things to thank a soldier. One, visit these two web sites, two, take action. We take our freedom for granted. Never forget, Freedom is never Free!!! Someone is fighting for you and I to have the freedom to enjoy all that we have, even our reef tanks. Send something to say thanks, today! I am!!! Won't you, too?

Here are those links again.

http://www.letssaythanks.com/

http://www.anysoldier.com/

Thank you.

Dick

i sent a box of rubbers for our boys, u never know when that camel will look sexy after a hard days fighting:rotfl:

Haha!

Lmao!

I have a few friends that are in the "Sandbox". One has been in country for almost 4 months now. He is deployed at the Abu-Ghrahib Prison. This is his second tour. His first tour was in Afghanistan. His current term is not as bad as his last one. He's the IT person at the prison. My other buddy just left last week from the Medi-Vac unit in Hawaii. He is going to Mosul. I've sent my share too of care packages. Just a little taste of home for the guys out there.