A letter
 

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart! I know why I LOVE it here so much!!

Here is a sample email I got the other day from my little brother! Its enough to make me want to cry my eyes out and MAKES ME SOOO ANGRY also!!!

Hey Chrissy,
Yeah well I am so done with this hell hole. Yeah it sucks but i am so beyond caring anymore. I cannot complain anymore and no one can do anything for anyone around here. This place is horrible and it only gets worse by the day and i ma so looking forward to getting outta here some day. We dont even know when we are leaving now whatever though. SOrry I am just alittle disturbed by the complete lack of leadership right now. I will explain everything when I get home eventually one day.

Yeah we will have to wait for the tattoos too bad but we will do it. I dont know what I am going to get yet maybe a celtic cross on my forearm. I dont know yet. Me and Michelle are doing great as usual. We really wanna be back together now. You know I would only have 36 days left in country if we didnt get extended.

Well besides all the bad news I dont really have any good news. Oh I have gotten alot bigger in the gym since I have been here another goosd thing. Oh and i have also quit smoking which I am really proud of. I go through cravings like mad and i dont know how I am going to deal with the whole drinking thing but i have been real serious in the gym and I am loving the results I have been getting so I am determined to remain smoke free. Plus if I can quit over here then i can do anything. You know today was 145 degrees outside man is sucked. Oh well, I got to run chrissy. I miss you like crazy too I miss everyone and i wanna come home. A little bit longer though. Well I will talk to you soon. Love you and miss you.
Your crazy little bro.
Matt


We correspond through email because he gets it faster and can read a letter from me everyday. I like to think that it makes him a little happier to talk to someone from home everyday almost. I didn't edit his email ... we were supposed to get tattoos this summer when he came home... Michelle is his girlfriend of many years. uummm... I think everything else is self-explanatory.

(((HUGS)))) to you all!

well Chrissy, I just got back from the post office and mailed a pkg. with 4 hand held games and extra batteries and a bag of fishie crackers:D Hope he enjoys them, Patty

Ur soooooo SWEET!!! :) Im sure he will LOVE it! :)

Poor guy! I know when I was gone, e-mails were the only thing that kept me going! But, I was out on a ship (I am in the Navy) I couldn't even call home!


Sooo, keep sending him emails! He probably looks forward to them everyday! You are a great sister!


Patty~ That is awesome! Everyone here is so giving!

I wish my little brother could read this right now. He is going to be a senior in high school and already set his mind to joining the marines. :( He's talked about it all throughout high school but we just blew it off cause he use to talk about different things all the time, we thought he was just teasing. I support our troops 100% no matter what, but I'm also a big weinie. Everything scares me. He is going to be old enough to make his own decisions but I really don't think he understands he could go into war. I think he thinks he will go to guards and stay home, my uncle is in the navy and he does that. I think he is just really confused!

Hi all! Thanks so much for your kindness and generousity!!!

Tillys mom, maybe you could print out the letter that I typed here from my little bro! I know my little bro LOVED the military for a LONG time. It was great for him, he has ADHD and college was out of the question, he barely made it through HS. The military did wonders for his attention span and his self esteem at first! The first 4 years he was in he couldn't wait to reup and be in for longer, so he did for 6 more years. He has 2 years left and CANNOT wait to get out of the military!

I told my mom about you guys and how awesome you are and generous and caring! She was crying! If you didn't get a chance I had to post in the general discussion forum that my moms baby girl (yorkiepoo) was attacked by a dog today and is in ICU. My mom is devastated. My mom also had minor back surgery yesterday, she was supposed to be off her feet for 48 hours but with her pup (mimi) she was at the hospital with her hubby all day.

I know it all sounds like a bad dream at this point... it feels that way! Anyways, everyone here made my mom cry tears of joy when I told her what you all offered to do! She cannot thank each of you enough! Neither can I! I don't have a big family, having people send him packages and stuff besides us helped tremendously also! My mom can take a bit of time to take care of her puppy and get her well again. its going to be a long road! (((HUGS))) and god bless to you all!!

sending my prayers and love

I am going to put together a package for your brother and send enough he can share. I know too well what your brother is going thru. The post office can provide you with a box that has a flat rate shipping cost also. You can stuff SO much stuff in them and it only cost u a flat rate.

My son is stationed here in the states now - he been in Iraq and Afghanastan. He spent 8 monthis in Afghan and 14 months in Iraq. He is with the 82nd Airborne unit. Now his job is to train officers prior to them leaving for Iraq. He tells me it is so difficult - knowing that he cannot teach them enough or give them enough advice. These are new officers, have never lead a mission or been in combat. Michael also serves on the funeral detail, has flown all over the US to perform honorary funeral details for our fallen soldiers.

So many soldiers do not have any family supporting them with mail, packages and hope.

I will light a candle for your brother and pray for his safe return.

Mailing to troops
 

I just wanted to provide this website for ppl who want to do something but dont have the time or know what to do.
www.treatanysoldier.com
This mother has it all figured out and is doing an incredible job to help our soldiers. Some of the packages are a little pricey but you can give $20 and send a nice package. Also, if u have a specific soldier u want sent to u provide all their info and they will send to them.
Shipping food and items is not cheap - its nice that it goes to an APO addy but it gets costly.

Christina - my LARGE box went out and I'm starting to gather for another shipment. pls keep us updated on Matt.

Im sending a pkg to your brother tomorrow. Keeping you and your family in my thoughts!

I am going to get a package together this week for your brother.

I feel your pain. My baby brother is going to be 22 yrs. old in Sept. He is a Marine. He had training and school this past year and in the Spring he got his orders to go to Japan for 2 years. We were so happy :)

...then a month ago, he called to tell us that he is going to Afgan in Nov.
his words:
'non job related tour, I am going to be a machine gunner'

I cry everytime I hear those words in my head. :( :( :(

this letter made me cry. it brought back alot of memories. my 26 year old son came home last dec from iraq..he too was deployed alot before he went there. that letter sounded "exactly" like the letters i got from my son..I would just sit here and cry reading them as I am now. I feel so bad for the men and women still over there.
I will get a care package out thurday for him and his buddies . I always sent alot so my son could share. because believe it or not, there are alot over there who dont get anything, my son was happy to share and his buddies were happy as well. prayers going to Matt to keep him safe and to keep his spirits up

hugs to you too, it is hard..my son was an trained as an engineer and ended up a gunner in a tank....sending prayers to keep your brother safe

Yes, my brother Adrian was trained to be an Electrical Engineer and now...

\'machine gunner\' = THIS SUCKS!!! :mad: :mad: :mad: