GULF MAILBAG WARMS HEARTS OF 99 SOLDIERS

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Thanks to a Jackson man and his wife, 99 area servicemen and women were able to enjoy some comforts of home during their tour of duty in the Middle East.

In November, the couple, David and Noretta Blattner, came up with an idea for a newspaper feature that would honor area men and women who were serving in the gulf conflict.

Noretta Blattner called the Southeast Missourian with the idea and the Gulf Mailbag began as a daily feature December 2. She said the feature was originally her husband's idea.

Last week, the feature ended. But in the nearly three months it appeared, 43 Army soldiers, 22 Marines, 18 Navy personnel and 16 Air Force personnel were featured.

People sent in information about their family members who were deployed to the Persian Gulf. The Gulf Mailbag ended when all of those servicemen and women, whose families submitted information, had been featured in the paper.

Along with a little background on each serviceman or woman, the address of each one was listed. This gave local residents a chance to write or send packages to the soldiers.

And according to Blattner, the feature led to lots of mail, which contributed to the troops' high morale.

"He was just swamped with letters," said Blattner of her son, Mark Ketcher. Ketcher, a Marine, was featured in the Gulf Mailbag on Dec. 3.

"He got packages with candy, cookies, magazines," she said. "Once, he wrote that he'd gotten 60 letters in one day, and so much candy, he didn't know where to put it all. Of course, he shared it with the other boys."

The letters and packages were sent by many people Ketcher didn't know, she said.

"He got a lot of things from people he does know," Blattner said. "But so many people he didn't know sent him things. I think that really touched him."

Ketcher has left the gulf and is now in Okinawa. He hasn't been home since July, Blattner said.

In all, 56 of those featured were from Cape Girardeau, 16 from Jackson, 10 from Scott City, seven from Chaffee and four from Illinois. Oak Ridge, Benton, Altenburg, Sikeston, Oran and Marble Hill each had one serviceman featured.

Listed along with the person's educational background were his or her hobbies or favorite foods. Requests for "junk food" were popular, as were requests for newspapers and magazines.

Others asked for specific foods. Spec. David Fales of Cape Girardeau wanted Cheese Wiz and Oreos. The mother of Sgt. Bryan Keith Driscoll of McClure, Ill., said he "would love to have a Coke and an Almond Joy."

But almost daily, the troops asked for letters.

Some of the troops are now on their way back home. But others, like Lance Cpl. Eric Richardson of Cape Girardeau, will stay and assist with reconstruction. Richardson, a Marine who specializes in surveying and construction, was featured Tuesday.

Sent to Saudi Arabia in February, Richardson can expect to stay for several more months, said his father, the Rev. Carl Richardson.