An American soldier receives a Valentine's Day card at Camp Hovey, South Korea, Feb. 11, 2025. (Luis Garcia/Stars and Stripes)
CAMP HOVEY, South Korea — Nearly 500 Valentine’s Day cards were delivered to soldiers near the DMZ this week, marking the first time a Washington congresswoman’s annual program has reached overseas.
Rep. Marilyn Strickland, D-Wash., sent a staffer to Camp Hovey on Tuesday to deliver valentines collected in Washington state’s 10th Congressional District, which includes southern Tacoma, Olympia and Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
The Valentines for Veterans and First Responders program, launched in 2022, has grown into an annual effort involving thousands of messages from students and community groups in Strickland’s district, spokeswoman Siena Miller told Stars and Stripes by email Wednesday.
This year, for the first time, cards were sent to soldiers deployed to Hovey from Lewis-McChord, she said.
“Service members who are stationed abroad should also feel appreciation for their service,” Miller said.
At the 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment motor pool, soldiers received valentines decorated with handwritten messages, drawings and crafts.
“To me, small things count, and they really matter,” Spc. Todd Marquez, of California, said at the motor pool Tuesday. “Sometimes you might be having a bad day, and little things like this help a lot.”
American soldiers receive Valentine's Day cards at Camp Hovey, South Korea, Feb. 11, 2025. (Luis Garcia/Stars and Stripes)
Hovey is 11 miles south of the Demilitarized Zone, a 2 ½-mile-wide, heavily guarded swath that divides the two Koreas. Units of the 2nd Infantry Division, primarily combat arms such as field artillery and mechanized infantry, are stationed there.
Marquez, who serves with the artillery regiment, said the gesture reminds troops that people back home are thinking about them.
“I probably speak on everybody’s behalf in saying that we appreciate it,” he told Stars and Stripes. “It’s really thoughtful, and it does help morale with the unit.”
For 1st Lt. Gerard Massey, of Texas, the impact went beyond the physical gift.
“It’s not necessarily the valentine itself; it’s the mental acknowledgment,” he said. “It’s the ‘hey, we know you’re forward, we know you’re making a sacrifice, and we appreciate you.’”
Massey said the effort resonated across the unit.
“What may have taken them five minutes to make means the world to us,” he said. “There were huge smiles on faces today because of this.”
American soldiers pose with their Valentine's Day cards at Camp Hovey, South Korea, Feb. 11, 2025. (Luis Garcia/Stars and Stripes)
