Christmas Presents for the Troops

I usually delete e-mails that try to sell me things...even, with deep regret, the books I'm hoping to be able to buy in real life...but USO Wishbook is special enough to deserve a blog post. This is an official site that allows Americans to send pre-approved gifts to our troops overseas. If you want to send a prezzie to a soldier you don't know personally, this is generally agreed to be a good way.

For just $25, you can give a soldier enough prepaid phone time to have a real conversation with friends and family: https://usowishbook.uso.org/templates/product.aspx?id=45&rid=34

For $50, you can have a soldier recorded reading a bedtime story for the children back home: https://usowishbook.uso.org/templates/product.aspx?id=44&rid=34

For $15, you can send a soldier "a good book." Hmm. What's the USO's idea of a good book? Do they fill soldiers' requests, or just stock libraries with publishers' remainders? Further information is needed here: https://usowishbook.uso.org/templates/product.aspx?id=55&rid=34. (Of course, if you know a soldier who wants to read it, you can also send a soldier a Book You Can Buy From Me.)

For $50, you can send a musical instrument: https://usowishbook.uso.org/templates/product.aspx?id=64&rid=34

For $75, you can send sports equipment: https://usowishbook.uso.org/templates/product.aspx?id=42&rid=34. (If you scroll through the "All Gifts" page, you'll find four $75 packages of sports equipment. The link given here is for multiple games.)

For $150, you can treat a wounded soldier to a night on the town: https://usowishbook.uso.org/templates/product.aspx?id=52&rid=34

And if you want to be madly generous, $5,000 will buy a custom-built bicycle for a soldier with a partial or temporary disability: https://usowishbook.uso.org/templates/product.aspx?id=53&rid=34.