Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country | Founded 05-05-05

1451st Family Support Group Sponsors Operation Sandscript

Show Your Support by Writing a Letter to a Service Person Overseas

April is the U.S. Postal Service’s National Letter Writing Month. The Boone Post Offices and 1451st National Guard Unit Family Support Group are celebrating by supporting Operation Sandscript and asking High Country citizens to write a letter to a U.S. service person currently serving in the Middle East.

The local 1451st National Guard Unit is not deployed now, but their hearts are with their friends who are. They hope you will share your care by writing a letter between now and the end of April.

It’s easy for adults and children to participate. You do not need to know the name or address of a service person. Once you write your letter, you don’t need an envelope. Simply fold the letter and drop it in the Operation Sandscript box at one of the following writing stations. Volunteers will do the rest.

• Both Boone Post Offices

• Boone Mall center court

• Watauga County Library

• Boone Mailing Center

• My Mailing Center, 1095 E. King Street (with the totem pole in front)

• Go Postal Mailing Center, New Market Center

Precision Printing, My Mailing Center and Wal-Mart have donated supplies for Operation Sandscript.

Don’t know what to write? It can be a little scary to write someone you don’t know. But writing a letter isn’t difficult. You can start by introducing yourself and discussing what’s going on in your life. Were you happy or disappointed about the final four outcome during March Madness? What’s happening on your favorite TV show and why do you like it? Have you seen a movie lately? How’s your soccer team or dance troupe doing? What did you see on your last hike? You can share funny stories about your brother or sister, children, fiancé or pet. You can write about your family, your hobbies or that big exam coming up. You can even add drawings or stickers to brighten up your letter.

The letter is also a great opportunity to tell a service person you are thinking about our troops overseas, care that they are away from home and appreciate what they are doing.

Include your snail mail or email address in your letter and you may hear back from your service person. Keep in mind, however, that many are in difficult locales under very difficult and dangerous circumstances. The demands of their jobs may prevent them from being able to write back. And that’s OK. Operation Sandscript wants above all else to give service personnel a chance to be remembered at mail call—to know that we are thinking about them.

The few minutes you take to write a letter can make a world of difference to a soldier who’s missing home. Armed Services members have been serving in the Middle East since 2002, some for over 15 months or more at a time. Let them know we’re thinking of them!

Unlike other forms of communication, card and letter writing is timeless, personal and immediately tangible. Use this great tradition to let a U.S. service person serving in Iraq or Afghanistan know you care.

Volunteers are adding the names of local service personnel to the mailing list. Do you want to add your loved one to the mailing list? Write his or her complete name and address on a slip of paper and mail or drop it off for Christie James at MTN Television: PO Box 1910, Boone, NC 28607 or 643-F Greenway Drive in Boone. You can also email the name and address to OperationSandscript@gmail.com. Type NEW ADDRESS in the email subject line.