RED CROSS LINKS FAMILY TO SOLDIERS

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- For area servicemen and women, the local chapter of the American Red Cross provides a vital communications link with relatives back home.

The Service to Military Families is one that the Red Cross provides in both times of peace and times of war.

But the number of messages sent to area soldiers about births, deaths and serious family illnesses has increased noticeably since U.S. troops were first deployed to the Persian Gulf last August, said Debbie Bowers, executive director of the Cape Girardeau County chapter of the American Red Cross.

Bowers said Saturday that she had no figures on how many messages to servicemen and women had been handled by the Red Cross office here last month.

But, she said, the chapter's telephone bill reflects the added messages being handled. The bill went from $160 in December to about $400 for the month of January, said Bowers.

"Essentially, what we are providing is 24-hour communication, 365 days a year, no matter where the service person may be," noted Bowers.

She said the service is provided by Red Cross employees and a group of 10 volunteers.

The message service is provided for all servicemen, those stationed in the states, as well as those overseas, said Bowers.

Nationwide, the Red Cross is sending one message every 21 seconds, seven days a week.

Bowers said that on one particular day, the Red Cross nationally was sending a message every six seconds.

The messages are relayed from the local Red Cross office to the Red Cross office in Washington, which then sends the messages to the appropriate military bases and units.

"We use the same lines as the military," she noted.

Due to the Persian Gulf war, said Bowers, the military has limited the types of messages that can be sent to troops stationed overseas.

Messages can be sent regarding births, deaths and serious illnesses of immediate family members. "I cannot send information with regard to a grandparent," she explained.

In addition to the messages sent to servicemen and women, the Red Cross relays messages back to the families regarding any emergency leave that might be granted in response to the news from home.

Bowers said the local Red Cross provides this message service for residents of Cape Girardeau, Stoddard and Bollinger counties in Missouri and Pulaski and Alexander counties in Illinois.

The Red Cross initially receives the messages from family members or, in some cases, attending physicians.

The messages are always verified before being sent out, said Bowers.

"We can expedite the handling of that message much more efficiently if we have the full name, the individual's rank, branch of service, Social Security number and the full military address," she noted.

Bowers said that, through the aid of volunteers with beepers, the local Red Cross is able to deal with the message needs of servicemen and women and their families at any time of the day or night.

"I kind of refer to them (the volunteers) as our silent soldiers," said Bowers, noting they provide an important service without any fanfare.