Operation Playmate

Last fall, Playboy's Editor-in-Chief Hugh M. Hefner received a letter from Captain Bobby J. Simmons, Jr., of the 101st Airborne Division, stationed in Saudi Arabia. Captain Simmons suggested that letters from Playmates would boost his platoon's morale. Hef, an Army vet himself, saw his duty and did it. "In times of war or military action," he said, "Playboy Playmates can be fully appreciated for what they are--a part of the American dream." Hef and his wife, Kimberley, encouraged her fellow Playmates to enlist as pen pals. Word of Operation Playmate spread quickly; here we share just a few of the messages we received from lonely Servicemen.

Dear Playboy,

I am in charge of a detail of Marines, a group of hard-working, hard-nosed, dedicated men with a strong sense of patriotism. We have endured the explosion on the U.S.S. Iwo Jima in October, death and injury from exercises in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and a continuing lack of mail, resulting in very low morale. It would, as I am sure you can imagine, boost morale to an extremely high level if your beautiful and prestigious Playmates would write to these "ordinary" men. All of this may sound like a bunch of auspicious horse crap, but you just can't put emotions on a piece of paper. Thank you very much for your time, and semper fidelis!

Sgt. Jason Lee, Joiner, MWSS-274, MAG-40, 4th MEB, FPO New York, New York 09503-0539

Dear Playboy,

I would like the person reading this letter to sit back and think for a moment about the everyday things that we often take for granted. The sound of birds chirping merrily on a cool Sunday morning, or sitting in the dark, listening to the rain pelt against your roof during a thunderstorm. These are just a couple of the things that almost every soldier in the 82nd Airborne Division has given up for approximately the past 120 days.

Once again, I thank your staff for its support. We are here for you; please be there for us.

Sgt. Joseph C. Kyle, 82nd Airborne Division, 2/319th AFAR, APO New York, New York 09656

Dear Erika [Eleniak],

We're from Alpha Battery Second Battalion, Seventh ADA BDE (Patriot). We work in Fire Controls Maintenance Section, better known as Potter's Raiders. We really enjoyed watching you on your series Baywatch and, of course, seeing your Playboy pictorial. We all feel you are a real hot number.

The Patriot radar system is a real hot number also, so we've named our radar after you. If there is any way that you could arrange to come out and autograph our Erika, we'd greatly appreciate it. It would sure make life over here more bearable.

WO1 Terry O. Hall, Sfc. Bobby B. Potter, S/Sgt. Richard Smith, S/Sgt. Ardis Alexander, Sgt. David Trujillo, Sgt. Jeffrey Storch, Sgt. George McCarthy, Spc. Larry Cruz

Potter's Raiders, U.S. Army, A 2/7 ADA, 11th BDE, APO New York, New York 09616

Dear Playboy,

I'm writing to thank you for all the things you have done for our morale. When we are flying across the Saudi desert in 14-ton armored vehicles or humping an M-60 machine gun with binoculars glued to our eyes, we always think back and talk about Playboy. It makes things a little easier.

L/Cpl. D. Carraway, "Skull Crew," U.S.M.C., 1st Plt., B Co., 3rd LAI FPO San Francisco, California 96608-5526

Dear Tawnni [Cable],

I am a U.S. Marine machine gunner who was born and raised in Honolulu, and I am writing to you because I believe you are from Hawaii, too, and good letters here are hard to come by. If you could somehow write back, it would be a wish come true. Enclosed are some pictures of my friends and me some pictures of my friends and me here in Saudi Arabia. Please accept my apologies if I have bothered you in any way. Take care and God bless you and keep you safe!

L/Cpl. Rodd J. Malina, WPNS Plt., G Co., 2nd Bn., 7th Marines, FPO San Francisco, California 96608-5513

Dear Playboy,

As you know, conditions over here prevent the troops from having the usual pleasures of home, such as reading Playboy. However, through covert means, I have been able to obtain two of your issues. It is unbelievable the impact that these magazines have had on my guys. The quality of your magazine is unsurpassed and I salute you for this achievement. Over here, Playboy is far more precious than oil.

1st Lt. Kirk Sampson, 317 TAW (41 TAS), APO New York, New York 09608

Dear Lisa [Matthews],

Hello from the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the largest sandbox in the world! My names is Bruce and I'm in the Air Force stationed in Dhahran. I volunteered to come over here and a lot of people think I'm crazy, but, hey, that's my job.

Right now, I'm lying on my sleeping bag in a tent with 13 other sweaty guys. I told them I was going to write to the most beautiful young lady I've ever set my eyes on and hoped you'd write back, and they all laughed. But I wanted to give it a try, anyway. I remember that you said in your Playmate story that you wanted a cow named Hank. Well, it just so happens that my grandfather has dairy cattle on a small ranch in east Texas, and I named one of them Hank for you. It is a female, brown and white.

If you do write, please spray the letter with whatever kind of perfume you wear. I really miss the smell of a woman (these guys stink).

Airman First Class Bruce K. Gay, 438 MAC/ALCE, APO New York, New York 09894

Dear Playboy,

My husband is in Saudi Arabia and his platoon has written a letter and sent some film that they asked me to forward to you. They are hoping you will publish their picture in your magazine, showing the pride they take in the name Playboy Platoon. Thank you.

Kelly Smith, Clarksville, Tennessee

The enclosed letter:

Greetings from Saudi Arabia! The men of Second Platoon, A Company, 6/101 Aviation Regiment, the Playboy Platoon, would like to thank you for the journalistic excellence your magazine has provided over the years. The Playboy Platoon takes great pride in its name, because we fly and fix our helicopters as the name suggests: intelligently and with a touch of daring. We have taken this photo in the hope that you will publish it and share with the world the pride that we feel serving in this distant land.

The Playboys

Dearest Playmate,

I think it's really great that you beautiful young women would take the time to write to us GIs in Saudi Arabia.

Today is Christmas, but over here, it is just another day, another doller. My job in the Army is that of cavalry scout we're the guys up front sneakin' and peekin', the eyes and ears of the Army. Saudi Arabia is a very desolate land; no fun in the sun here. We used to have scopion fights, but our commander put an end to that. Too many people were getting stung. Lately, it has been all work getting ready for what could happen. We would all like a peaceful solution, but we are ready to kick the shit out of this bastard, with all he has done to Kuwait, much less taking us away from our families and bringing us to this fly infested wasteland with no bear or women. Hell has no wrath like a sober GI!

I hope you and your family had a very merry Christmas. It looks like our New Year will start off with a big bang

Pfc. Robert E. Owens, HHT 1/7 CAV, ICD (S-3), APO New York, New York 09306-0330

Dear Miss Evridge,

Hi! My name is Leon, and I'm a lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. I command a platoon of 33 Marines and two Navy corpsmen; we're dug in on a small sand hill here in the desert, overlooking a road that runs out of Kuwait. It's our mission to stop any Iraqi attack coming down this road. We hope none will come, but if it does, we're ready for it.

This is the first letter I've ever written to a Playmate. I hope it brightens your day. Just writing to you is helping me pass the time a little more quickly.

Your friend in the desert, Lt. L. J. Grim, A Co., 1st Bn., 6th Marines, 3rd MarDiv FMFPac, FPO San Francisco, California 96602-9002

Dear Lisa [Welch],

In your letter, you said you wished you could do more. I want you to know that you have done more than you know. I feel so much better than I did yesterday, and that because of your letter.

My father was in the war, too, in the Sixties in Vietnam. He always told me it wasn't glamourous like the movies. I found that out in Panama last December. I know that was just a small invasion, but I saw friends die. I don't know if I'm ready for that again. But I have a job to do and if I don't do it, a lot of people will die. Please write soon.

HN Everett Dean Williams, 1st FSSG, Group Aid Station, EPO San Francisco, California 96608