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Sending our hearts from the home front to the front lineBy Reneé Rades | NIE Educational Consultant "I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams." These memorable lyrics to a holiday carol made popular by singer Bing Crosby in the 1940s, amid the chaos of World War II, still strike a chord in the hearts of soldiers-and the families of those soldiers-who are separated by distance and circumstance.
As long as mankind has waged war, deployed soldiers and their families have had to face the loneliness that comes from being separated from each other by thousands of miles. Until recently, there were only a few ways that families could get messages to their loved ones serving in the military. Letter writing was the preferred method, since soldiers could keep the letters as personal reminders that others were thinking of them. Even schools have gotten involved in letter writing. More recently, telephone calls and e-mail messages also have helped loved ones keep in touch, and care packages filled with goodies provide soldiers with some of the comforts of home. Although, for soldiers, the care packages cannot replace being back home, they are expressions of love and support. Hearing from the home front helps soldiers keep their morale high while allowing their families back home help out in the best way they can, by being supportive. Some letter exchanges have even led to romance. In the past, those in the military could look forward to receiving letters and care packages addressed to "Any Service member." This was done to make sure that most troops would receive some mail. It also allowed civilians to show their appreciation of and support for those who were on duty around the world. However, after the terrorist attacks of 2001, the U.S. Department of Defense, which is in charge of the armed forces, stopped the practice of accepting packages that were not addressed to a specific soldier. Since the 9/11 attacks, if civilians want to send letters or packages to unspecified troops overseas, they must go through an agency or approved organization, such as the U.S.O. or military family support groups. These groups work with the government to ensure that all packages are safe. They also let donors know what kind of things the soldiers need. Some people send e-mail messages rather than packages. Operation Dear Abby is a service that allows people to send e-mail messages to the troops as a whole, instead of to one individual. After a person sends the message, the commanding officers typically print copies and distribute them to the soldiers under their command. This "attitude of gratitude," connecting the home front with the front lines, is an activity that many believe should be a year-round activity. Learn more about the military with these News-Journal activities:
1. Use The Daytona Beach News-Journal to find articles about places where U.S. troops are stationed around the world. Locate the countries on a map and follow the news to find out the following: How long U.S. troops have been stationed in those places; What U.S. relations are like with each country; What can you discover about the culture and customs of the countries, such as language(s) spoken, religion(s) practiced, etc. Use what you learn about each country to help you understand why the United States feels it necessary to keep troops there. LA.A.2.3, SS.B.1.3 2. Operation Dear Abby was started in 1967 when Sgt. Billy Thompson wrote into the famous advice column, Dear Abby, asking civilians for a very special Christmas present, a letter from home. The outpouring of support from that one request printed in the newspaper still goes on today online. Write letters to our troops telling them how much you support them! Work out a rough draft in class or with a family member, then type your letter and use an agency such as Operation Dear Abby to send your message. LA.B.1.3, LA.B.2.3, LA.D.2.3 3. Deployment to active duty can be as hard on the families left behind as it is on the soldiers themselves. Use The Daytona Beach News-Journal to find articles about military families and how they cope with the absence of their loved ones. Share your findings with your classmates or family. Then write about how you would feel if you were being deployed. What are some things you could do to pass the time? How would you stay in touch with your loved ones? LA.B.1.3, LA.B.2.3, LA.D.2.3 4. Once soldiers have left the armed forces, they are called "veterans." Use The Daytona Beach News-Journal to find articles about the Veterans of Foreign Wars, or VFW for short, and how they help their communities. After your initial newspaper research, create a list of interview questions you'd like to ask someone about serving in the military and then ask a member of your local VFW to help you find the answers. LA.A.1.3, LA.A.2.3, LA.B.1.3, LA.B.2.3, LA.C.3.3, LA.C.1.3 5. If you had to be away from home for a year, what would you take with you? Make a list of things you'd want and need, and look for photos or illustrations of them in The Daytona Beach News-Journal. Clip them out and use them to create a poster. Include an explanation of why you chose the things you did. Show your poster to a classmate or friend, and then ask that person if he or she would have chosen similar items. LA.A.1.3, LA.A.2.3, LA.B.1.3, LA.B.2.3 Check out these cool links:http://www.letssaythanks.com/ThankYou.html - This site will send a postcard from you to one of our troop stationed abroad. www.vfw.org - Home page for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. http://www.seacadets.org/public/ Have you considered a career in the Navy? Then the Naval Sea Cadet Corps may be just right for you! http://www.army.mil/ Learn about the Army at this page. http://www.peacecorps.gov/kids/ This site has kid-friendly information about the Peace Corps. Published December 28, 2004 |
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