THOUSAND OAKS : Postcards for Gulf Troops Printed Up

Sending messages to the 307,000 troops still on duty in the Persian Gulf can be difficult if addresses aren’t known.

To make it easier, a Thousand Oaks businessman had the idea of printing up pre-addressed postcards.

About 25,000 addressed postcards--and 10,000 unaddressed--were printed by GTE California Inc. and are available free to send to the troops. The cards require regular postage.

Vietnam veteran Forrest Frields said he wants to give as much support to the remaining soldiers as possible.

“If you make it easy, people will do it,” Frields said. “Rather than go out and buy a card, where people are not sure what to say or what address to send it do, this does it all for them. The card is ready to go. All they need is a 19-cent stamp.”

About 25,000 cards are pre-addressed, with 5,000 each to Any Soldier, Air Force Member, Marine, Sailor and Seabee. Although all the Seabees have returned home, Frields said they would be rerouted to the Seabee base at Port Hueneme. “The men will enjoy them anyway,” he said.

The 10,000 cards that have no address can be picked up at Frields’ business by families with relatives in the gulf. They can be addressed, returned to Frields and he will pass them out at Conejo Valley Days for people in the community to sign. “People who are in the service from this area will get 100 postcards from people they may or may not know,” Frields said.

A pre-printed message covers the top half of the red, white and blue postcard, with the lower half available for a personal message. The message says that the cities of Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills and Westlake Village send congratulations for a job well done.

“We wish you continued success followed by a safe and swift return home. We are very proud of you and your courage, determination and skill,” it says. “May God bless you and the United States of America.”

Pre-addressed postcards are available at the Thousand Oaks interim City Hall, 2150 W. Hillcrest Drive.

The unaddressed postcards are at Photography by Forrest, 100 N. Rancho Road, Suite 7.