Letters from our troops

Some women collect love letters -- and perhaps that's exactly what Elizabeth Henderson is doing, too. At 24, the office manager and volunteer director of USO of Northern Ohio, based in Cleveland, is privy to letters from soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait.
Reared on World War II movies, the grandchild of a World War II veteran and the sister of a young man about to finish his basic training, Henderson is a cog in a machine that sends 100 packages a week to our soldiers at war (a machine to which she'd like you to contribute), and, in turn, receives their thank-you notes.
"Our packages are very appreciated," Henderson said. "They say, 'I didn't know people cared; the media is so negative.'" In fact, according to Henderson, soldiers who return to Ohio sometimes end up volunteering with USO.
The group has receivedmany thank-you letters
As for Henderson, she puts in 40 paid hours a week and 20 more volunteering. For some of Henderson's time, she gets to compile her "love" letters from Ohio's soldiers.
The following excerpts are taken from correspondence received in the last few months by the USO of Northern Ohio, which serves our area.
For security reasons, identifying information has been excluded:
U"I received all of your packages the other day and I am writing to thank you for the wonderful gesture. I am currently deployed to Mosul, Iraq with a [hospital unit] ... I have been in Iraq for six months. ... I want to thank you for keeping all the troops in your thoughts and prayers. We appreciate it greatly. Thank you again for everything and thank you for supporting the troops."
U"Thank you for the Boodle Boxes. I'm currently with the coalition forces training and rebuilding the new Iraqi army in Kirkush. Our resources here for just about everything you send are slim or in short supply, relying on incoming convoys or packages from home. The other N.E.O. [North East Ohio] Marines and myself disbursed the boxes throughout the compound and [the boxes] were greatly appreciated."
One soldier mentionsprogress in Iraq
U"It is great to know that we have people like you back in the U.S. who appreciate what we are doing. The items you sent were great. Things are going well, and the soldiers and I are also doing well. We are making a lot of progress and accomplishing a great many things in order to help make the country of Iraq a free and prosperous one. ... Soldiers are working hard every day and we are making a difference. These are some of the projects we have and will continue to do: providing medical care and building clinics, building schools, bringing electricity into homes, improving irrigation and providing drinking water to the local community. ... I am truly proud to be part of this rebuilding. Support from home is what keeps our morale high. ... "
The package was 'great,'one soldier writes
U"I'm serving under the 1st I.D. [infantry division], better known as "the Big Red One." ... I've been in Iraq since March but away from home since September 2003. The package was 'great.' It's nice to know people at home care and haven't forgotten about us. Daily life here is different from life back in Ohio, but we all have a sense of purpose and feel honored to serve our great nation, and I think we are making a difference. Everything traveled OK. The items were all needed. ... I know a lot of soldiers love to hear from the USO and we thank you for all the support, and all that you do for the services. We can't thank you enough for always being there for us."
XIf you would like to inspire some of these love letters, contact our local USO volunteer Dianne Clark at (330) 270-9670 or Elizabeth Henderson at (440) 717-0999. Either can provide volunteer opportunities or a list of needed items. If you have a soldier in need of a USO package, give his or her address to Clark.
murphy@vindy.com