How to Send a Soldier a Postcard and Say Thank You

Allow children to write and send postcards to soldiers overseas.

Deployed soldiers have few connections to home while they are overseas. Letters, postcards and care packages are the best ways to give them reminders of their homeland. Sending a postcard is the least time-consuming of these activities. The cost is cheaper than a care package as well, for those who want to say thanks, but cannot afford to ship a package. Civilians can also send postcards to soldiers for free if they go through a third-party organization. However, the latter method is less personal than the former.

Things You'll Need

• Post card
• Pen
• APO address

Instructions

Send Your Own Postcard

1. Get the APO address of a soldier overseas. This soldier can be a loved one or a stranger. If you know a local family with a loved one overseas, ask for the APO address of their loved one. Alternatively, join a local military support group that sends care packages overseas. Ask fellow group members for APO addresses of their loved ones -- military support group members often have loved ones overseas.

2. Buy postcards that represent the freedom soldiers are fighting for overseas. Alternatively, buy postcards that represent the recipient soldiers' hometowns or home states.

3. Write messages thanking the soldiers for their service and wishing them the best. For example, "Thank you for your service for our country. I know your job is difficult and I know that it is sometimes necessary. I appreciate that you are using your courage, skill and strength to make the world a safer place. I hope that you have a successful tour and come home soon. Thank you again."

4. Print the APO addresses of recipients clearly on the postcards. Also print return addresses on postcards if you want the soldiers to be able to write back, if they wish. However, do not expect this, as they have just enough time to write their families and friends.

Send a Free Postcard Online

1. Go to the Let's Say Thanks website (letssaythanks.com) to make a postcard for a soldier overseas. Let's Say Thanks is an organization that sends postcards to soldiers at no cost to the sender.

2. Click on one of the postcard designs scrolling across the top of the page or go down to "view all designs." Clicking on "view all designs" will bring you to a page with a variety of postcard designs. Click on "send this card" below one to go to send one of that design.

3. Enter a name, -- full or first -- a hometown and a state for the sender on the "send card" page. The organization chooses a recipient and sends the postcard to him or her.

4. Choose one of the standard thank you messages on the "send card" page. Alternatively, scroll to the bottom and click "other." This will open a text box in which you can enter a personal message. Click "submit" after entering the message.

References

• Let's Say Thanks: Home Page