Christmas cards to “Recovering Soldier” at Walter Reed Medical Base? Fact Check

A circulating message implores readers to send a Christmas card to “a recovering soldier” at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Such messages, like the one below, have been circulating for years. Yet despite their persistence, sending Christmas cards to American soldiers in such a way is not recommended.

When filling out your Christmas cards this year, take one card and send it to this address: A Recovering American Soldier, c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20307-5001. If we pass this on and everyone sends one card, think of how many cards

GREAT IDEA!! When doing your Christmas cards this year, take one card and send it to this address. If we pass this on and everyone sends one card, think of how many cards these wonderful special people who have sacrificed so much would get.
When you are making out your Christmas card list this year, please include the following:
A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center

While once upon a time such a card may have found its way into the hands of someone, those times have long passed. Namely for two reasons.

One, current security measures do not allow envelopes with anonymous recipients (e.g. Recovering Soldier, Wounded Soldier) to be delivered, and are more likely to be discarded or returned to sender. In fact, because we live in times of heightened security, it’s likely that cards addressed anonymously (e.g. “recovering soldier”) would even be discarded by the US postal service and never even make it neat to their destination.

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And two, the Walter Reed Medical Base that the majority of these viral well-wishing messages include in their text actually closed down in 2011. It was renamed Water Reed National Military Medical Center and is located elsewhere.

While we cannot fault the sentiment behind such message, the Walter Reed Medical Center have stressed that people do not heed the messages…

Every year there is a Facebook Post that goes viral asking citizens to send Holiday Cards for service members, veterans and families receiving care to Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Walter Reed Army Medical Center, on Georgia Ave closed more than 5 years ago. Any cards sent to 5900 Georgia Ave addressed to “Any Soldier,” or to “A Recovering American Soldier” will be returned to sender because the address no longer exists.
http://www.wrnmmc.capmed.mil/Lists/NewsAnnouncements/Article.aspx?ID=152

If you would like to help veterans or recovering soldiers over the Christmas period, many have recommended the Red Cross’ Holidays for Heroes program, formerly the Holiday Mail for Heroes program. You can contact your local Red Cross office for details.