Kerry urges donations for troops

Senator John F. Kerry is asking the more than 1 million people who registered online in support of his presidential campaign to help US troops in Iraq by donating money to the United Service Organizations so that the USO can provide soldiers with free phone cards for holiday calls home.

The Massachusetts Democrat, in an e-mail sent yesterday from Ketchum, Idaho, where he is vacationing, recalled his service in the Navy during Vietnam as he said: "As a soldier, I remember how much it meant to hear from loved ones, especially at the holidays. So I thought you and I could work together to make it easier for our soldiers serving in Iraq to phone home and hear a friendly voice."

The e-mail said a $100 donation would provide 100-minute phone cards to 20 soldiers.

In his year-end note, Kerry once again thanked his supporters for their help amid a campaign that ended with him losing to President Bush.

"In the New Year, I will be writing you about our 2005 projects and priorities," he wrote.

The senator also highlighted his upcoming trip to Iraq and said he hoped the phone-card appeal would serve as a tangible expression of his support for the troops.

"In January, I will go to Iraq to see the situation firsthand and personally visit with our courageous troops who are serving America so well," Kerry wrote.

He urged donations at www.uso.org/carddonations.