Any Soldier Dot Com

Here’s a website to explore in honor of Memorial Day.

I am inexpressively sad that our soldiers are in Iraq, a war I do not support. When I discovered “Any Soldier Dot Com,” I became a devotee. You can get the address of a soldier and send a "care package."

The website was started by a soldier. Soldiers/Sailors/Marines/Air Force and Coast Guard personnel sign up with the website. Any soldier/sailor in harm’s way is eligible. The gifts are shared, but soldiers and sailors who don’t get any mail are given things first. You can follow the links on the website to:

Look up a soldier/sailor by country
Look up a soldier/sailor by name
Look up a soldier/sailor by service
Look up a soldier/sailor by gender
Look up a soldier/sailor by state
Order treats online to be sent
Get the names and addresses of any soldier/sailor who has signed up
Follow comments from soldiers/sailors, including preferences of what they’d like to receive
Donate money to Any Soldier Dot Com

Items which are always appreciated include (in no particular order): clean socks, candy, books, toiletries, phone cards, snacks, DVD’s, beanie babies (to give to children), etc.

I usually make up my own packages to send. At the post office I ask for pre-paid Priority Mail boxes, labels and customs declarations. These are free. Because the boxes are sent to APO addresses, you do not need airmail postage. The boxes, regardless of weight, are a flat fee to mail, which I think is about $9, although it could have just gone up.

You know those toiletries the hotels give you when you travel? I save those up and fill up a box with them, paperback books I’ve read and candy of the season (Halloween, etc.) I don’t think of it as a big deal—it’s just a small way of thanking them for their service.

If you have a favorite activity you do for our service men and women, leave a comment and let us know.