I doubt that the package has been in the mail all of that time.  It was probably the first time the soldier was able to write to you to thank you. 

 Very nice!  :)

Andrea-- how wonderful for you and everyone else that have received free mail-- I have received several since I started doing this years ago- sometimes it is a long time between the receipt of pkgs and a response-- sometimes there is never a response but I keep on - keeping on

i have had the MOST responses when I include a letter with my snail mail and email-- many of our Troops are young and seem to reply via email asap- if they have access to a PC.

FGM

FlyGalsMom:

Andrea-- how wonderful for you and everyone else that have received free mail-- I have received several since I started doing this years ago- sometimes it is a long time between the receipt of pkgs and a response-- sometimes there is never a response but I keep on - keeping on

i have had the MOST responses when I include a letter with my snail mail and email-- many of our Troops are young and seem to reply via email asap- if they have access to a PC.

FGM

I have 6 three-ring binders full of letters, e-mails and cards from troops we've adopted in the past five years. I'd say 95% of them have been in response to letters rather than care packages. I'm with you, FGM, even if I never get a response to a care package I've sent, I keep on sending. I know our Warriors appreciate everything their supporters do for them, the same as we all appreciate everything they are doing for us.

  We got our first free mail today!  We had gotten a few emails from the previous group but this is the first free mail. 

My son (he's 16) brought the mail in and said "we got a letter from Iraq".  At first I thought he was just kidding but he handed me the envelope and sure enough it was from our latest contact.  I was so happy! My girls were grabbing for the letter and then we all stood there and read it all huddled up...it was kind of funny to see all of us huddled up trying to read this letter instead of me reading it to them.  We all wanted to see it for ourselves. 

I wasnt expecting anything but it felt wonderful seeing that letter!  It also makes us feel good knowing the letters and packages we've sent got there and helped put a smile on someone's face.  We'll keep on praying and mailing letters and packages and if we get more mail that is wonderful and if we dont, we'll still pray and send mail and support these guys because it's about them.

amelia

 Tell the truth now....did y'all do the "happy dance?" It's always wonderful to get Free Mail; the joy never dims. I wonder if our Warriors do the "happy dance" when they get letters from us? Hmmmmm...hadn't even thought of that 'til now...LOL!

Okay, please explain to a newbie here - do the troops have free mail? They don't need stamps? I was getting ready to send my 2nd box off (the first was halloween candy) and wanted to include some blank cards, but didn't know if I needed to send stamps too. I figured Uncle Sam would bring the letters to the US and then mail them with US stamps, but from what I've read on this thread they don't use stamps. Right?

Thanks!

Hi Thea,

Welcome and you are correct, they do not have to put postage on letters being sent to the US.  If they were to send a package to the US they would need postage, but not letters.  Hope you get free mail soon.  It's very exciting.

 Anna

PatioticLady,

I actually had one contact say they did the happy dance when they got my first packages and danced again when they opened the boxes.  It was the first set of packages they had received from everyone and their first deployment. 

Anna

Awesome, Anna! I did get to watch one of my Soldiers open a care package once - he went on Yahoo! Messenger and turned on his web cam. He didn't do the "happy dance," but he was grinning from ear to ear and looked like a kid at Christmas who found a puppy AND a pony under the Christmas tree...That was awesome.

Today I received an email from a soldier in reply to a box I sent.  He wanted to let me know it arrived yesterday. This box sure has been around.  I mailed it on May 28 to a different contact and had listed him as the alternate address.  It came back to my PO in June and they allowed me to put a new label on it sending it directly to this alternate since it had not been forwarded.  So it was mailed out to him on June 19.  It was finally delivered on Oct. 19!  I am so glad it was hygiene items and not snacks!

Heavens to Murgatroyd!! That box certainly took the long way to get there, didn't it?? I like to joke about snail mail - there are two different snails that deliver; Zippy the Super Snail, who gets things there in record time, and his cousin, Cletus the Slack-Jawed Snail, who move so slowly that his slime trail dries up and acts like super glue, fastening him firmly to the tarmac where he stays until someone realizes he's gone missing and rescues him so he can finish delivering his load of mail. I believe Cletus gets the credit for this one...

Good Morning Ms Patriotic Lady - Well Thank you Ma'am - You certainly made my morning with that one! I'll be laughing the morning away as I pack my packages today:):).  Sorry bout that box tho - maybe u should ask for your postage fees back - u know delayed delivery and all:). Wear and tear on materials (the boxes ;);)), your nerves, etc etc , JK.

Thnaks again  for the hilarious outlook.  Ann

PS Murgatroid Who?

 I can't remember which cartoon character it was - Snagglepuss, I think, but I've slept since then... - that used to say "Heavens to Murgatroyd!" I have no idea who Murgatroyd is...LOL! Maybe he's Zippy and Cletus's other cousin...

 Got a FREE MAIL today - letter written August 10th, postmarked Sept. 4, finally arrived today. What were we just discussing about the snails who take turns carrying the mail? LOL! It's not from the contact, it's from one of his Soldiers - I think I've figured out which one. Going by zipcode alone, it could be one of two - going by the FOB name, I've narrowed it down. I'm going to sit down this evening and write one back.

PatrioticLady:

 Got a FREE MAIL today - letter written August 10th, postmarked Sept. 4, finally arrived today. What were we just discussing about the snails who take turns carrying the mail? LOL! It's not from the contact, it's from one of his Soldiers - I think I've figured out which one. Going by zipcode alone, it could be one of two - going by the FOB name, I've narrowed it down. I'm going to sit down this evening and write one back.

This must be a lucky month for some of us-- I received an email last week and today a FREE MAIL Thankyou card signed by 12 Soldiers from Any Soldier----

I think I threw my back out doing the Happy Dance for too long LOL