The "Letters TO The Front World-wide Letter Writing Contest" was initiated in the summer of 1999 as a joint effort by the Defense Commissary Agency, General Mills, Rector - Roberts Productions (the production company that tours the play "Letters From the Front" to military bases all over the world). According to Marsha Roberts, the play’s producer, inspiration for the contest came while touring military installations overseas. "We were struck by the feelings of loneliness and estrangement expressed by many of those we met during our travels,” said Roberts. “We wanted to do something to let them know how much they are appreciated. Since our play is centered around correspondence, we felt a letter writing contest would be appropriate."
The Defense Commissary Agency agreed and allowed the placement of Entry Forms in every commissary in the world. General Mills, who has sponsored "Letters From the Front" since 1994, provided the worldwide marketing support and prizes for the project. Official Entry Forms were also available on the play's web site. The Retired Officers Association (TROA - now known as MOAA, Military Officers Association of America) was the first veterans group to get on board in 1999. Many of their chapters volunteered their time to collect and judge letters on a local level, which helped to broaden the contest's reach to include schools and other civic organizations.
Each person entering the contest was required to write a letter starting with: "Dear Service Member, I just wanted to say thanks for . . .” The letters were then collected by TROA and other participating organizations or mailed directly to Rector-Roberts Productions, where they were processed and sorted. Finally, the letters were divided into bundles which were sent to MWR organizations overseas who, in turn, distributed them to the troops.
"We couldn't be happier with the results," said Roberts, who added that she was gratified by those who made the contest a "project of the heart." As an example, she sites Rene' Pfister Madison, secretary of the New York Knickerbocker Chapter of TROA in 1999, who personally solicited letters from a nearby high school. "I'm old enough to have lived through two world wars," said Ms. Madison, "and I didn't have any idea that these teenagers today cared so much about our military. Reading their letters has restored my faith in these kids."
Since the success of the 1999 campaign, the "Letters TO The Front Letter Writing Contest" has nearly doubled the number of letters generated each year, with school systems taking a much more active roll. A number of young people have received scholarship funds as a result of their outstanding letters. Adult Grand Prize winners received new computer systems. But most importantly tens of thousands of men and women serving overseas have received letters of support and encouragement from Americans back home.
Because of the anthrax scare that followed the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington, all letter writing campaigns to "Any Service Member" were canceled by the Military Postal Service. The one exception was the "Letters TO The Front Letter Writing Contest." Each letter submitted to the contest was opened, removed from its envelope and carefully inspected before being bundled, sealed and sent to distribution points throughout the world.
Today the goal of "Letters TO The Front" is to make sure that a letter of appreciation finds its way into the hands of every single man and woman serving our country abroad -- maybe several letters. With the advent of Operation Enduring Freedom and the conflict in Iraq, this is more important than ever. The focus of the effort no longer includes a contest, but is devoted to being the very best Letter Writing Campaign possible. To accomplish this, the coordinators are reaching out to the media, military related and civilian service organizations, schools, and individual Americans.
We should never forget that those in uniform are our sons and daughters, our fathers and mothers, our brothers and sisters, and our neighbors. We hope that all Americans will take the time to remind them how much we care for them.