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Morale-Boosting Program a Casualty of Anthrax Scare

Friday, October 19, 2001

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The anthrax scare has sidelined Operation Dear Abby, an effort that urges readers of the popular newspaper column to send holiday messages to members of the military.

The Dear Abby columnists were asked this week by the Pentagon to stop the service, which was conceived 17 years ago as a way boost morale for troops far away from family and friends. The column is distributed by the Kansas City, Mo.-based Universal Press Syndicate.

In the past, the column encouraged readers to mail letters to a single address, and military officials distributed them randomly among personnel. The letters weren't addressed to any specific person.

The recent detection of anthrax spores in mail, however, show the program's vulnerability, Marine Corps Capt. Craig Erlanger of the Military Postal Service Agency said in a statement.

Universal Press said it did not dispute the military's request.

"As important as emotional support for our men and women in the military may be, their physical well-being is far more important," said Jeanne Phillips, a co-writer of the Dear Abby column.

Also suspended due to recent events is the government's year-round Any Service Member postal campaign. Any mail sent to the programs will be returned, Erlanger said.

Erlanger said those interested in supporting service members had alternatives, such as visiting veterans hospitals and reaching out families of soldiers in their communities.

Phillips is urging readers who would have participated in Operation Dear Abby to help stock food banks, with a special emphasis on helping those who became unemployed in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.

-- Anonymous, October 19, 2001

Answers

Damn.

-- Anonymous, October 19, 2001

There's an email program for "adopting" serve people. I think Dottie over at IC had the address.

-- Anonymous, October 19, 2001

SAR, do you have that, please? Oh crap, she's busy. Anyone?

-- Anonymous, October 19, 2001