Barbara Baldwin - Dear Soldier

TO ___________________________________________________ FROM ___________________________________________________ DATE ___________________________________________________ I pray for you every night
before I go to bed. byBARBARA WARFIELD BALDWIN
AMBER BALDWIN DAMICO
DR. HEATHER BALDWIN DUFF DEAR SOLDIER
Heartfelt Letters from Americas Children Copyright 2006 by Barbara Warfield Baldwin,
Amber Baldwin DAmico and Heather Baldwin Duff Published by Integrity Publishers, a division of Integrity Media, Inc.,
660 Bakers Bridge Avenue, Suite 200, Franklin, Tennessee 37067 All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Cover and interior design: Greg Jackson,
Thinkpen Design, LLC, www.thinkpendesign.com ISBN 159145808 06 07 08 09 RRD 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in the United States of America Contents DedicationThis book is dedicated to the courageous men
and women of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom
and to the families who have stood behind them.We thank you and salute you. A portion of the proceeds from this book will be donated to the cause of wounded soldiers and veterans. Thankyou to the children who created these letters and picturesand to their parents who gave permission for their work to be included in this book.

This book would not have been possible without the support of teachers and staff from the following schools and organizations: John H. Amesse Elementary School, Denver, Colorado; Galva-Holstein Elementary School, Holstein, Iowa; Lockport Elementary School, Lockport, Louisiana; J. I. Barron Elementary School, Pineville, Louisiana; Pontotoc Elementary School, North Pontotoc Elementary School, South Pontotoc Elementary School, and D.T. Cox Elementary School, all from Pontotoc, Mississippi; St. Matthew Catholic School, Franklin, Tennessee; Brookhaven Country Club Child Development Center, Dallas, Texas; Mound View Elementary School, Elk Mound, Wisconsin We would also like to thank Mark Gilroy and Byron Williamson of Integrity Publishers; our agent, Leslie Nunn Reed, Nunn Communications, Inc.; Greg Jackson, Thinkpen Design, LLC; Steve and Jeannine Lee, Quicksilver Interactive Group, Inc.; Hopkins and Associates, Inc.; and countless others who have provided encouragement and support along the way.

Dear Soldier... Thank You! Over the course of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom, a group of faithful volunteers met weekly in Pontotoc County, Mississippi, to assemble care packages for our troops. The packages included personal care items and heartfelt letters of support from children. Because the childrens letters were so compelling, we would read them aloud as the packages were assembled. Their innocent wisdom and humor never failed to brighten and enrich our days. We soon started receiving feedback from soldiers telling us how much they appreciated the letters.

Our own son and brother, who is an Apache helicopter pilot, said that letters like these meant the world to him while he was deployed. An idea was born. Why not compile some of these letters into a book to be shared with active troops, veterans, military families, and the public? The yearlong process of gathering letters and attempting to secure a publisher was exhilarating and sometimes discouraging, but also rewarding because of how strongly we believed in the message of Dear Soldier. Coming from a family of soldiers, veterans, and Department of Veterans Affairs employees, we have seen up close and personal the depth of sacrifices made to protect our freedom. We wanted to create a book that would uplift our troops spirits and express our gratitude. We hope every reader finds as much comfort and inspiration in these letters as we have. Barbara, Amber, & Heather