1. Encouragement on Written
Letters to US Military Soldiers
By Hailey Ziegler

2. Did You Know?
There are currently 315,435, 908 US Citizen living in the United
States right now. There are 5,000,000 million that are active
military soldiers and 23.5 million that has served in the military
and is now a veteran. That means there is an accuracy of
73,500,000 US Citizens that have served or is currently serving
in the military.
Most Americans do not have much knowledge when it
comes to the Military or service simply because they have
never served or known anybody that has served.
Majority of the United States Armed Forces have been young men and women that had
just graduated from high school or had recently graduated from high school. Most high
school kids join the Military either because they do not know what they want in life or
there is nothing for them where they are located at and the only outcome was to join the
military.

3. The Statistics
Did you know that one out of every ten soldiers do not receive
much mail or even any mail.That means there are over 600,000
active soldiers that do not receive any letters.
For many young adults, it is their first time officially being
out of state and being away from home.
Investigators found that 193 married army soldiers who returned
from military deployment within the past year had more frequent
spousal and immediate family members communicate through
“delayed communication,” such as letters, care packages and emails
ended up having a lower chance of symptoms of a soldier getting
PTSD. (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
Letters have a stronger effect than phone calls.

4. CanYou Imagine...
Yes, I agree. Nobody should be writing a letter unless they have
the desire to write a letter, otherwise it will not be an effective
letter BUT, canYOU imagine leaving home being in a whole
other state away from all your loved ones and not receiving any
letters?
When you receive a letter, you can read it
over and over again.Where as having a
conversation over the phone, you can not
remember every word for word.

5. As Members of being a US
Citizen...
If we know of any new recruits or soldiers, they should be
remembered and sent care packages or letters, and we as an
American Citizens should have the courtesy to do so.
Maybe I do not have the ability to enforce written letters to
Armed Forces as a law BUT, I definitely feel that we should
increase encouragement in immediate families and friends to
write letters to their US Soldiers.
What if they do not have any family back at home?
Even if they DO NOT have any family back home, you should
still have the desire to make somebody feel cared about and
appreciated of.

6. We should create an organization where high school kids who
are interested in joining the military, should write letters to the
soldiers who do not receive any family support back home.
Imagine the effect in a soldier receiving a “Dear John Letter,”
and how it effects ones life after they finally get out of the
military.

7. Personal Quotes from
Military Soldiers & Spouses
“The waiting and anticipation of receiving a letter was the only
form of communication that I could rely on.”
- Sarah Ziegler
“I find this ridiculously disrespectful. I’m in the United States Marine Corps and I fight on the
front lines.We are out here risking our lives every step we take and civilians back home have no
respect. Sometimes I would rather be out here chilling with these towel - heads than be back at
home and realize how ignorant some of my fellow Americans can be.
- Anonymous
“When you receive letters they can be read over and over again
and when you write them, they can be therapeutic.
- Leow
“My husband repeatedly told me that receiving letters were like
gold. It is their only tie to home or the outside world.”
- Anonymous

8. “My biggest fear is getting a “Dear John letter from you
while I am gone. I love you so much Hailey. Especially
being in basic training right now, I would die if I ever lost
you. You are my one and only, the only person I can see
myself spend the rest of my life with .”
- Kris Plantaz (US Army Soldier)

9. “My biggest fear is getting a “Dear John letter from you
while I am gone. I love you so much Hailey. Especially
being in basic training right now, I would die if I ever lost
you. You are my one and only, the only person I can see
myself spend the rest of my life with .”
- Kris Plantaz (US Army Soldier)

10. Cited Work Sites
http://marriedtothearmy.com/writing-letters-during-basic-training-and-ait/
-http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110603080109.htm
http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/dod101/index.html
http://www1.va.gov/vetdata/docs/4X6_fall07_sharepoint.pdf
http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html

11. Cited Work Sites
http://marriedtothearmy.com/writing-letters-during-basic-training-and-ait/
-http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110603080109.htm
http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/dod101/index.html
http://www1.va.gov/vetdata/docs/4X6_fall07_sharepoint.pdf
http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html