Many of Eastern Europeans may have heard a short and simple joke about a soldier who writes home starting his letter with the words: «Send me some lard. Hello, Mom!» It is difficult to say how old this joke is, but it definitely was relevant in ancient times as well. No matter how well a soldier is supplied, it always ain't enough for him, as the young body will be hungry most of the time, yet bumming others' cigarettes.
This phenomenon is international, but, perhaps, only pragmatic Germans have clothed help requests to their relatives in an artistic form. The Bundeswehr soldier himself did not have to write anything, it was enough to send a postcard in between. It is difficult to say who, when and where first came up with such an idea, but the four postcards presented below date back to the 1960s and 1970s.
![The poor child has nothing to smoke and no pfennig to spend in the soldiers' canteen. Everyone will be getting soft seeing such a sad picture! The text reads: «Wollt ihr euren Sohn noch retten — schickt ihm Geld und Zigaretten!» — «If you want to save your son — send him money, cigarettes and so on!» - Highligts for Warspot: Beggars from the Bundeswehr | Warspot.net](articles/pictures/000/005/231/content/01-7a52b3f6b8fc9fdb9c95c8cf8f8cac2c-882b156a9ce35f2782766dd34c8d6076.jpg)
![Many of such handmade postcards were produced right on the spot. This one is to send greetings home from Wahnheide air base near Bonn and… definitely, to ask for money and cigarettes - Highligts for Warspot: Beggars from the Bundeswehr | Warspot.net](articles/pictures/000/005/229/content/02-ef2e8f7c4a2b79718e8c316b616374c8-f7b5537b1e6743452a699fbbe5f989d3.jpg)
![Two very similar variations of the same plot: «Schreibt mir doch bitte bald ein Paket» — «Please just send me a package as soon as possible» - Highligts for Warspot: Beggars from the Bundeswehr | Warspot.net](articles/pictures/000/005/230/content/03-bfd63c4ef6101a24d0ed302499256476-7f177787cac3367d489ab83cd0775a9d.jpg)