Navy families meet Christmas mail deadline by painting early

Published 11:00 am Wednesday, November 14, 2001

Christmas is still more than a month away, but it’s much closer for those hurrying to send cards, letters and packages to military loved ones overseas.

Last Friday a group of NAS Whidbey wives got together and made a neighborhood project out of sending loving messages to their spouses, whose squadron was recently dispatched overseas.

The women carefully crafted the letters, but made sure their children, ranging in ages from 18 months to 3 years, literally had a hand in sending the messages to their dads. Aluminum pie pans filled with red, green, blue and yellow paint were placed on the garage floor. Then the kids, some wary and others enthusiastic, dipped their hands in the paint and pressed them against the “Happy Holidays” poster on the wall. The tiny imprints will no doubt leave quite an emotional impact when their dads unscroll the poster as Christmas nears.

With the nation embroiled in the war on terrorism, the spouses left behind can only pray for the safety of their loved ones overseas. For security reasons, they won’t say what squadron their husbands are with. They don’t know where they are bound or when they will return home.

Regina Bradley has remained behind before when her husband left for duty overseas. But this time is different, because of the war. “Under the circumstances, it makes it a little bit scarier,” she said.

Dawn Burks is experiencing her first deployment as a Navy wife, but she quickly learned how it feels. “I already miss him,” she said.

The women and their children created posters, a December calendar, and other messages to be sent overseas. If they go to the post office quickly, the packages will likely arrive in time for Christmas.

Postal officials urge people to mail early, especially this year when the anthrax scare may delay certain items, depending on how they are routed.

The military mailing deadline for first class letters and cards and priority mail is Dec. 11, while the deadline for parcel airlift mail is Dec. 2. Mail sent on a space available basis must be shopped by Nov. 27. The deadline for standard mail was Nov. 6.