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Claim: Walter Reed Hospital will accept Christmas cards addressed to "A Recovering American Soldier."
Example: [Collected by e-mail, October 2007]
Origins: Sometimes a great-sounding idea proves to be far less of a brainstorm once considered from all angles. That is indeed the case with the October 2007 open-hearted entreaty to add The U.S. Postal Service will not accept mail addressed to "Any Soldier," "Any Wounded Soldier," or the like because if it did, it could be providing a conduit for those who might do harm to armed services members. Such offerings are either returned to sender (if a return address has been provided or if one is found within the package) or donated to charities (if no address for the sender is found). Similarly, military hospitals will not accept letters, cards, or packages addressed in such manner for the same reason. Such beneficences, no matter how kindly meant, are not permitted to reach the soldiers they were intended for. Walter Reed Army Medical Center officials echoed this information in a statement regarding the proposed plan to send cards to unnamed soldiers in its care:
Mail to Wounded and Recovering Soldiers
In response to this issue, on 5 December 2007 the Red Cross and Pitney Bowes announced the creation of a program through which people across America can send holiday greeting cards along with personal messages of support to wounded service members at military hospitals around the country:
Walter Reed Army Medical Center officials want to remind those individuals who want to show their appreciation through mail to include packages and letters, addressed to "Any Wounded Soldier" that Walter Reed will not be accepting these packages in support of the decision by then Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Transportation Policy in 2001. This decision was made to ensure the safety and well being of patients and staff at medical centers throughout the Department of Defense. In addition, the U.S. Postal Service is no longer accepting "Any Service Member" or "Any Wounded Service Member" letters or packages. Mail to "Any Service Member" that is deposited into a collection box will not be delivered. Instead of sending an "Any Wounded Soldier" letter or package to Walter Reed, please consider making a donation to one of the more than Other organizations that offer means of showing your support for our troops or assist wounded servicemembers and their families include: http://www.usocares.org/ http://www4.army.mil/ocpa/tooursoldiers/ http://www.redcross.org For individuals without computer access, your local military installation, the local National Guard or military reserve unit in your area may offer the best alternative to show your support to our returning troops and their families. Walter Reed Army Medical Center will continue to receive process and deliver all mail that is addressed to a specific individual. As Walter Reed continues to enhance the medical care and processes for our returning service members, it must also must keep our patients and staff members safe while following Department of Defense policy. The outpouring of encouragement from the general public, corporate America and civic groups throughout the past year has been incredible. Our Warriors in Transition are amazed at the thanks and support they receive from their countrymen.
This holiday season, we have a great opportunity to bring a touch of home
to wounded service members recovering in military hospitals across the
country.
Walter Reed has also provided some tips about the mailing of such cards:
As you know, the American public has a strong desire to send holiday cards to the men and women in the armed forces who are recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and other military medical centers. However, for security reasons, the previous holiday card distribution program was discontinued. One of our colleagues at Walter Reed said, "If anyone can find a solution to this, it's the Red Cross." We're proud that this holiday season, communities across America are invited to mail holiday greeting cards along with personal messages of support to wounded service members at military hospitals around the country through a unique partnership between the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes Inc. This solution will benefit service members at Walter Reed and will also benefit those recovering at other military hospitals. With the help of the U.S. Department of Defense, Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Pitney Bowes, between now and December 27, members of the public can mail their holiday cards to: We Support You During Your Recovery! c/o American Red Cross P.O. Box 419 Savage, MD 20763-0419 Red Cross volunteers will sort the cards for appropriate content and repackage them for shipping. Our partner, Pitney Bowes, will ship the cards to Red Cross stations at the military hospitals.
Be sure to affix adequate postage. Cards must be received no later than
Last updated: 7 December 2007
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