Veterans Day: Giving Back….
Most everyone knows my philanthropy-of-choice will always be Cancer. Those who know me also know I volunteer, most especially during the holiday season, visiting patients in the oncology wing, and also trying to visit with their grief-stricken families. While I have no advanced degree in counseling or medicine, having lost my Mom to cancer when I was 15 brings with it a wealth of understanding of the disease and its lifetime effects on those left behind.
So, I will do my usual oncology visits… but this year I have added another cause already quite close to my heart. This year I have adopted a soldier!
I have no connection to the military. My Dad was in the Army in his early 20’s but served his 4-years and then got the hell out. 
I grew up near the Naval Academy and Ft Meade (Army base). I dated a few midshipmen/ensigns, and a Navy pilot when I was living in Southern California … oh yeah, Top Gun all the way, baby! … And my close friend and current Bronx, NY Emergency Room Doctor, Brian, upon order will be serving the Army as a doctor (I don’t even want to think about that call from him when he is leaving!)… But beyond this I have no firsthand connection to the military. I don’t care. I don’t need to have a brother or sister or spouse or friend overseas to feel indescribable gratitude towards the brave men and women who serve our country in uniform.
Recently I was reading an article about our courageous, patriotic souls who are quite literally giving their lives to help protect our nation and preserve our freedom. The article mentioned an estimated 25% of deployed soldiers receive NO mail. !!!!
I was horrified!!!!
My heart broke at the thought of any of them not feeling loved and appreciated, most ESPECIALLY during the holidays. That is simply unacceptable.
The article connected me with this wonderful program to adopt a deployed soldier. I feel guilty I haven’t done something like this before now. The program assigns you a deployed soldier at random and gives you their contact information so you can send whatever you wish: letters, care packages, whatever.
I signed up and received the information for my adopted soldier yesterday, which I felt was quite appropriate on the eve of Veterans Day. I was embarrassingly excited and giddy when I received his name, ready to make certain my soldier is NOT among those poor souls in the 25% no mail category! I feel like a new Mom! 
I’ve already sent him a letter, several pages in length. I’m probably going to freak the poor guy out with my outpouring of constant affection but I don’t care. Sharpie on a mission is a force to be reckoned with!
His name is SSG Steven Heigh and he is from Oregon. This is his 2nd deployment to Afghanistan. I have no idea if he will able to respond to letters; the program indicated not every soldier will have access to return letters or emails but he/she will receive them. So, even if I never hear from him, I will keep on writing. My lifetime as an only child has made me quite capable of carrying on full conversations without response. : ) If I am able to ever hear from him I will try to report in on how he is doing from time to time on my blog… and for public kudos: THANK YOU, SSG HEIGH, FOR YOUR DEVOTION AND SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY!
If this idea resonates with you, I strongly urge you to consider adopting a soldier – for the holiday season and beyond.
http://adoptaussoldier.org
I can only imagine how much it would mean to me if I was overseas, living in whatever hell (literally) is going on there, eating the crap we saw Hawkeye and BJ try to stomach on M*A*S*H* episodes, away from family and friends, while quite literally giving my LIFE to my country — how much it would mean to me if someone cared enough to want to support me however they could. Sending letters or care packages?? PLEASE. It’s the least I can do…
Cheers.
That is very cool – I didn't know you could adopt a soldier! OR that so MANY were going without receiving any form of communications. Hmm….I may just have to adopt one of my very own!
That's such a great idea; I'm definitely going to do it too… thanks!
Wow….I am heading over there right now to sign up, too. Thanks so much for sharing!
I'm in!
Carole…I was in the Marines for 4yrs, and I remember mail call. It was worth more than gold. It was one thing that you looked forward too-something "normal". Not everyone would get mail, and so we would share. If I got a letter from back home, I would let my buddies read it and vise versa. So know that you are not just helping one soldier, but he's probably sharing it and you are putting a smile on many faces!
That is awesome Sharps! Just don't send the guy any pics of you in the ducks at starbucks or the supermarket. I hear that is a federal offense now haha.Very cool you are doing this!