A SOLDIER'S PERSPECTIVE
THE WEB'S LEADING MILITARY BLOG SINCE 2004
This letter kind of scared me a little bit. I recieved it about 5 days before the war. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something about this letter caused a little bit of anxiety. It was almost as if someone was worried I wouldn’t make it back.
Mon., Feb. 24, 2003
Dear Soldier,We thank you for going to the war and fighting for our country and community. We appreciate you for going to the war. When you do that you know that that’s good. Even if you don’t come back you know that you tried. You know that everybody wants you to come back. I hope that you’re protected from all of those bullets and bombs. If you come back everybody will be so happy. Everybody would probably start to cry. So try your best to fight for our country and other communities. I hope that you make it safely and back!! I hope that you are protected!!!!!!
Love
Kiard [last name deleted]
Central
Elementary
School
Blytheville,
Arkansas
I still can’t quite figure out why this letter made me nervous about fighting. At least I knew someone was REALLY hoping for my safe return…besides my family. In hindsight, Kiard may have been responsible for my safe return. But, at least if I didn’t come back, I can say that I tried!!
Kids are awesome. I wish I could just give a huge hug to every child that wrote me. When I went to Maryland in May, I was given a book called “A Million Thanks.” It’s very hard to read because I get very emotional reading a lot of these letters. The author, a 16-year old named Shauna Fleming, started a project to get 1,000,000 thank you letters sent to soldiers (airmen, marines and sailors included) serving in the military. She accomplished her mission and presented the 1,000,000th letter to President Bush. The book is awesome and prints many letters sent by people from across America. If there is any doubt that a vast majority of Americans support their military and what it’s doing, this book is just one of many proofs.
She didn’t stop with that letter, she raised the bar to 1.4 million, the symbolic number of people in the military. Her thinking was that there shouldn’t be any servicemember that doesn’t get a letter. She’s already surpassed that mark as well, working her way to two million now. The book talks about how she grew up under patriotic parents who frequently served military members and their family through the USO and other endeavours.
Anyway, here’s yet another letter filed under “Letters From Children.” There will also be a new Nigerian Scam thread coming soon. I’ve got a few in my inbox I haven’t had time to action on yet, so stay tuned. If you haven’t seen my conversations with Nigerian Scammers, click HERE.
Thanks to Mudville Gazette for the link! HERE‘s one back atcha!
(9) Readers Comments
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devildog6771
I love reading your letters from the kids. I think that one got to you because grown ups would not have come out and openly told you what this kid did. The reality hit when you read the kid’s letter. You know what they say? Kids are brutally honest. I fine it refreshing.
Byron
This child feels may have felt somewhat powerless but really wanted to help. She was scared. Maybe she lost her grandfather in Viet Nam. In her struggle she didn’t protest the war or become cynical. Children are usually not cynical. They are unable to ignore reality as they understand it. How many adults feel the same way that this child did?
Hilary
I was going to put what devildog and Byron put. So, well put you two!!
Kat from AAP
Whenever I collect cards at church to send to my guys, I ALWAYS read them before sending them. There were a couple that said, “I hope you don’t die!” I didn’t send those two ~ I mean, the thought and intention was right, but…..!!!!!!
CJ
My next letter that I publish will be along those lines. It left me with kind of a “huh?” moment after reading it.
Holly - A Soldiers Angel
My children (I have 4 boys ages 10, 6, 4 & 2) also love to make pictures and write letters to soldiers. They are younger (except for my 10 year old) so most of their letters consist of telling the guys and gals how cool they are to be soldiers, and drawing pictures of soldiers/power rangers. That probably gets a few laughs. (I have to tell my kids, “No, their trucks don’t assemble into a giant battle robot.”)
Thanks for the post though. I haven’t had my kids write anything close to that letter but if they did I would have wondered what to do with it. Now I know.
~Holly
Robin in Ohio
Hey, CJ. Just an FYI, your Mudville Gazette links don’t work.
Robin
rightwingprof
I hate to admit it, but I had to wipe my eyes.
Thank you, all of you, for your service.
jonny239
jonny979