What would you do?

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2003
What would you do?
8
Wed, 04-27-2005 - 12:48am

About a month ago I got a mysterious email from someone with the email domain of us.army.mil. I looked up the URL and it is the army's enlisted members email service.

The letter seemed to be addressed to a group of people, it is from a soldier in Iraq. At first I didn't think anything of it, but then I got another one.

I wrote back to him, just to let him know that I was getting his emails and that I didn't know who he was, and that he should know that I was getting them (and reading them). They are very sincere and heartfelt...I don't detect any kind of scam, but maybe I am naive??

Anyway, I told him in my email that he could continue to send them if he wanted to...but he did not reply back to me personally. Since then I have gotten two more emails from him, but they are always addressed to "Everyone." He seems to be writing one a week. They are very full of very personal emotions and feelings as well as information about what is going on with his unit...stuff you can see on the news later that night, or within 24 hours!

What would you do?

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-28-2005
Wed, 04-27-2005 - 8:30am

Sounds like your address is very similar to someone who SHOULD be getting his email. Maybe you could reply again as you did before, letting him know you are getting the mail and not the person it's intended for, and request a "read receipt" so you can be fairly certain he gets it. I don't know the army protocol for email and I guess it's possible for somebody else to open his email before he does though.

If they still come to you, I would continue to read and reply, just as a show of support from back home.

Very interesting situation.

Jessie

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 04-27-2005 - 10:37am


From my point of view, that is not cool. Information about troop movements being given out that close to time of execution is a bad idea. I don't know what you should do about it. You might ask on the "military wives" bb here on ivillage. They would probably have some ideas.

Candi

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2003
Wed, 04-27-2005 - 2:23pm

It's not like that. I don't think he is sharing any info that he shouldn't and he isn't sharing any information that is going to happen, he is only describing things that already did. Here's a sample from one of his emails:

"Here are the only pictures I can show you of the explosion. These do
not even begin to show the true depth of the destruction. If you see
the news tonight, all the soldiers you see in the video are from my unit.
Remember to pray for them. Thanks to all that have sent us gifts.
They truly make our day more bearable."

Anyway, I know this was off topic for this board, just thought I'd get some of your opinions.

thanks

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2003
Wed, 04-27-2005 - 2:28pm

That makes sense to me. At first I thought, I have a pretty unique email address, but then there is probably someone else out there who thinks hers is pretty unique too, and looks just like mine.

I will try emailing him again... I don't mind getting the emails...I just want him to know that I am getting them.

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-25-2004
Mon, 05-02-2005 - 10:28pm
I would inform him one more time - and then after that DELETE.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-06-2003
Wed, 05-04-2005 - 10:30am
having many friends and family members in Iraq i know that they dont get all of their e-mails and sometimes dont have a chance to check them, because they are so busy. they just get on and say what they have to say anl log off. I guess the choice is yours, do you want to keep reading these personal e-mails (i prob would, you tried to tell him who you were :) ) or do you stop because you feel like your reading someone elses mail?
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-04-2003
Thu, 05-05-2005 - 12:31am

Hi, I'm from the Military Wives board...do you mind if I give some input here?

If you are really concerned about what you are reading, keep e-mailing this person, reminding him that you are getting his e-mails. The soldiers don't have very much time to read e-mails over there (I know, my DH was over there last year, and he said they got MAYBE 15 minutes a week IF THEY WERE LUCKY!!!), so maybe this soldier is seeing your e-mails and just skipping over them if he doesn't recognize your "from" name. If you keep e-mailing him, maybe he will eventually get the picture. Who knows, maybe this is divine intervention and you have a relationship in the making!

If he continues to e-mail you, and it's bothering you, go ahead and delete his e-mails if you see them in your inbox. Are there any soldiers you know? Maybe someone you knew a "long time ago"? I agree this is wierd, but who knows...maybe this is a lonely soldier who needs someone, and you're the right person for him!

Amy

 

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-28-2003
Thu, 05-05-2005 - 8:45am
Hi, another military wife here. My DH was in Iraq too. I can tell you now that those e-mails, with pictures of such content would be interceded and deleted, and he would get in trouble for passing them on. I would block his e-mails, it sounds like he's preying on a single mother. Sorry.