San Mateo's Adopted Troops Returning Home from Afghanistan

San Mateo's adopted troops, the 101st Airborne "Bastogne" Company, is returning home from deployment to Afghanistan and residents are encouraged to write a thank you letter to the soldiers.

DATE: Letters must be received by City Clerk no later than July 12

LOCATION: Names, supplies and details can be located at City Hall, 330 West 20th Avenue, San Mateo or call (650) 522-7040

To write a letter:

1: Pick a name of your soldier from the list – pick several! Call City Clerk Office to select a name (650) 522-7040
2: See below for “Tips for writing a Welcome Home letter” to a soldier
3: Use your favorite stationary or pick up a card
4: Write to your soldier(s)
5: Return UNSEALED and addressed envelope with soldier name to: City Clerk Office, 330 West 20th Avenue, San Mateo, 94403

Tips for writing a letter:

1. Start with an emphatic welcome home!
2. Use your best handwriting.
3. Write letters that are natural and in your voice. Write as if they are standing in front of you and you are actually talking to them.
4. Make it personal; use the soldier’s first name, at least a couple of times in the letter. 
5. Keep the tone upbeat. Be sincere. Be positive and encouraging and express your gratitude for the job they have done. 
6. Say it simply without heaps of flowery language, but do use inflection to convey intent and meaning. Importance (underline); excitement (exclamation point); explanations (parenthesis); Use pictoral language – “My dog is as fat as a hog” is more interesting than “My dog is fat.” 
7. Introduce yourself. Tell a little about yourself.
8. Tell why you wanted to write to them.
9. Avoid topics such as death, killing, and politics.
10. The letter doesn’t have to be long.
11. Say thank you. Say you are proud of them. Say they were missed.
12. Kids can draw a picture – of themselves, of how they envision the soldier, of what makes them happy.