Meanwhile, back in the war…
…the men and women of the Armed Forces are carrying out their missions daily, hourly, while politicians and activists argue about how badly it’s going and how quickly they can pull the troops out. So, thinking of those troops and the rather thankless job they’re doing out of sight of the media who tend to follow car bombs and attacks on outposts and arguments on the floor of the Senate, Shauna Fleming decided to start a campaign for ordinary Americans to directly contact our servicemen and women and say ‘thank you.’
It was March 2004 when Shauna and her dad — who had experience supporting U.S. troops through the USO — cooked up an improbable idea: collect and send a million thank-you letters and e-mails to American service men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan.
With the help of friends, family and lots of media exposure, she not only reached that goal but also personally delivered the one millionth letter to President Bush at the White House last November…
Meanwhile, the campaign is closing in on its second goal of 1.4 million letters, which represents the number of active service men and women in the U.S. military. Shauna has plans to start chapters across the country to keep the project going.
“The best part of this has been meeting the extraordinary men and women who serve our country,” she says. “Seeing how much of a difference the letters have made has been the single most rewarding part of this journey. It leaves an awesome feeling in my heart.”
A lot of folks out there want to join the effort, and the ‘million thanks’ website formed as a home base for the operation. Now, car dealerships have entered the grassroots movement to send the troops letters from people back home, and they’re placing large, flag decorated boxes on their floors as mail drops.
It’s National Military Appreciation Month, and these people are stepping up. It’s another heart-warming, mainstream story we probably won’t hear in the mainstream media. But it’s news, and good news we need to hear for a change.