Encouragement on Written Letters to US Military Soldiers

By Hailey Ziegler

Did You Know? There are currently 315,435, 908 US Citizen living in the United States right now. There are 5,000,000 million that are active military soldiers and 23.5 million that has served in the military and is now a veteran. That means there is an accuracy of 73,500,000 US Citizens that have served or is currently serving in the military.

Most Americans do not have much knowledge when it comes to the Military or service simply because they have never served or known anybody that has served.

Majority of the United States Armed Forces have been young men and women that had just graduated from high school or had recently graduated from high school. Most high school kids join the Military either because they do not know what they want in life or there is nothing for them where they are located at and the only outcome was to join the military.

The Statistics Did you know that one out of every ten soldiers do not receive much mail or even any mail. That means there are over 600,000 active soldiers that do not receive any letters.

For many young adults, it is their first time officially being out of state and being away from home.

Investigators found that 193 married army soldiers who returned from military deployment within the past year had more frequent

spousal and immediate family members communicate through “delayed communication,” such as letters, care packages and emails ended up having a lower chance of symptoms of a soldier getting

PTSD. (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

Letters have a stronger effect than phone calls.

Can You Imagine...

Yes, I agree. Nobody should be writing a letter unless they have the desire to write a letter, otherwise it will not be an effective

letter BUT, can YOU imagine leaving home being in a whole other state away from all your loved ones and not receiving any

letters? When you receive a letter, you can read it

over and over again. Where as having a conversation over the phone, you can not

remember every word for word.

As Members of being a US Citizen...

If we know of any new recruits or soldiers, they should be remembered and sent care packages or letters, and we as an

American Citizens should have the courtesy to do so.

Maybe I do not have the ability to enforce written letters to Armed Forces as a law BUT, I definitely feel that we should

increase encouragement in immediate families and friends to write letters to their US Soldiers.

What if they do not have any family back at home?

Even if they DO NOT have any family back home, you should still have the desire to make somebody feel cared about and

appreciated of.

We should create an organization where high school kids who are interested in joining the military, should write letters to the

soldiers who do not receive any family support back home.

Imagine the effect in a soldier receiving a “Dear John Letter,” and how it effects ones life after they finally get out of the

military.

Personal Quotes from Military Soldiers & Spouses

“The waiting and anticipation of receiving a letter was the only form of communication that I could rely on.”

- Sarah Ziegler

“I find this ridiculously disrespectful. I’m in the United States Marine Corps and I fight on the front lines. We are out here risking our lives every step we take and civilians back home have no respect. Sometimes I would rather be out here chilling with these towel - heads than be back at

home and realize how ignorant some of my fellow Americans can be. - Anonymous

“When you receive letters they can be read over and over again and when you write them, they can be therapeutic.

- Leow

“My husband repeatedly told me that receiving letters were like gold. It is their only tie to home or the outside world.”

- Anonymous

“My biggest fear is getting a “Dear John letter from you while I am gone. I love you so much Hailey. Especially

being in basic training right now, I would die if I ever lost you. You are my one and only, the only person I can see

myself spend the rest of my life with .” - Kris Plantaz (US Army Soldier)

“My biggest fear is getting a “Dear John letter from you while I am gone. I love you so much Hailey. Especially

being in basic training right now, I would die if I ever lost you. You are my one and only, the only person I can see

myself spend the rest of my life with .” - Kris Plantaz (US Army Soldier)

Cited Work Sites

http://marriedtothearmy.com/writing-letters-during-basic-training-and-ait/

-http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110603080109.htm

http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/dod101/index.html

http://www1.va.gov/vetdata/docs/4X6_fall07_sharepoint.pdf

http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html

Cited Work Sites

http://marriedtothearmy.com/writing-letters-during-basic-training-and-ait/

-http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110603080109.htm

http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/dod101/index.html

http://www1.va.gov/vetdata/docs/4X6_fall07_sharepoint.pdf

http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html