Ms. Gendron:
My name is Susan Laukat and my husband, SGT William Laukat, is a member of the North Carolina National Guard (Reserve). I am a volunteer with Soldiers' Angels ( www.soldiersangels.org ) on several of their teams and with the North Carolina chapter of Blue Star Mothers ( http://www.bluestarmothersnc.org/). I am reaching out to the schools of Maine, as well as all other states, for letters to send to our troops who are deployed overseas, our wounded heroes who have returned home and those who are still being treated abroad.
In 2005, William was recalled from being a reservist to active duty and served most of the year in Iraq. During this time, I wrote daily letters and shipped care packages with anything and everything he and his fellow soldiers could possibly need and/or want. He enjoyed getting his mail and packages but there were so many who were with him who received NOTHING. Earlier this year, I became a part of Soldiers' Angels letter writing team and since April I have personally written over 300 letters to our men and women serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, on ships providing support to those with "boots on the ground" and in the various VA hospitals scattered throughout the country as well as sending care packages to those who need them. One thing William and I talked a lot about were those serving whose families did not support their service, their mission or simply didn't understand how much a simple "hi" from home would make their day so much better. It breaks my heart to know there is someone who never hears their name at mail call and my goal is to make sure that does not happen.
Sunday I received notification from a chaplain who is over a group of 1,100 Army and National Guard soldiers whose morale is really low right now. It would take me months to be able to write all those soldiers and this is just ONE request of hundreds looking for something from home to brighten their day. Here are a couple of examples of the requests Soldiers' Angels receives from our service members. They have not been altered in any way and are copied from the emails I received from my mentor:
"I apreciate what this organization has done for the soldiers. It has improved morale and many soldiers are greatful. Well im going through some situations back home and would love for something that will keep my mind out of things (if possible). If not a letter will do the job. Well I know you have sent great things for the soldiers and i recommended my soldiers to sign up. Thanks for everything and we do appreciate the support we get from you."
"Hi Please when sending any mail to me do not put my rank only name ty.How are you doing? Well first of all i would like to thank you for your support.It is people like you that make me feel proud to serve in the US Army. Well a little about myself i am in Iraq for the 3rd time in five years,and have been here this time for 1 month. i would like to get letters and would like to recieve what ever support i can it is hard over here at times i have a 11yr,4yr,15 yr girls also i have a boy 13. it is hard being away from them but i know i am doing a great service for the men and women of our country. I closing i would like to say if i could get anything to help this 15 month deployment go by quicker i would be most thank full. Well take care and have a great day."
"I don't really have any special requests.... I just haven't gotten much mail at all since being deployed this time. I feel like since it is my 2nd time here (just left Baghdad April 06) that my family feels its no big deal anymore. Kind of sad."
This past April I put out a request to a few friends and family members for a project I called "Applauding You." They took hand cutouts and had students write well wishes, draw pictures, etc. for me to send to the units I'm given information on. With 7 friends/family members participating, simply asking their kids' classes to participate, I received over 2,500 hands!!! These have been strung in sections of ten and will be sent to over 250 different units. This was in a rush request before the end of the last school year I'm hoping to get 100 times that amount this time.
I am sending this out to you to see if your schools will please participate in this project with me. It does not need to be anything fancy or time consuming. I'm simply asking for a small note with well wishes to include in packages and letters I send. It can be a simple few line letter, picture or whatever the students and teachers wish to do. Paper can be notebook paper, construction paper or whatever materials you have. The only thing I ask be on all of them is the student's FIRST name, grade, school name, city, state and if the teacher would, their name (Ms./Mr. XXX's class). They can be put all in one large envelope/box and mailed to me. I will then sort them, fold them and distribute. My daughter's school participated from the 2K class all the way through the seniors. The smaller children colored pictures of flags the teachers copied and the older students wrote wishes. I would like to have this project completed and returned to me by October 31, 2007. This will give me the time needed for me to begin sending them out to begin being received around Thanksgiving. Some will be boxed and sent to Chaplains, such as the one who is looking for support for 1,100 soldiers, and others I will send to specific soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and guardsmen I've been given addresses on. While I would love for everyone to participate, my main goal would be to have one class from each school participate.
I'm sure there are several of you who have children or staff members in your schools who have a parent(s) or family members who are deployed or have been deployed. While I can't share any address information with you, I will notify your school if I get any feedback from the soldiers who receive your letters, which is why the teacher's name would be helpful so we'll know whose class letters they are and, of course, the school name so I'll know which one to contact.
I have had wonderful feedback so far from the states who have chosen to participate. I know many school systems have internal email systems for their principals and if you think you may have schools who would like to participate in this worthwhile project, I ask you forward this on my behalf. I also ask that those schools email me to let me know they are going to participate.
I will be glad to answer any questions you may have and can be reached via email ncsoldiersangel@gmail.com or by phone 704-242-2075.
The completed letters can be mailed to:
Susan Laukat
Letter Writing Project
1323 Tucker Rd.
Monroe, NC 28110
I look forward to as much participation as possible. Please also note that I am simply looking for letters, artwork or cards to send to troops; I am not seeking donations of any type.
Thank you for considering this worthwhile project.
Kind regards,
Susan Laukat
