One hundred and fifty Christmas cards signed by Troy University faculty and staff are on their way to military men and women who won’t be home for the holidays.

The cards were signed on Dec. 7, the 70th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor bombing, which made the gesture even more significant to Troy’s Director of Sponsored Programs Judy Fulmer.

Fulmer’s father was 16 at the time of the bombing and when he turned 17, his father took him to enlist.

“With that personal connection to me and Troy University’s history of service to the military,” Fulmer said, “I thought Holiday Mail for Heroes would provide a perfect service opportunity for our faculty and staff.”

Holiday Mail for Heroes is an American Red Cross program, and the university expects to begin a tradition of sending cards to service members each year.

The cards aren’t the first appreciation given to the U.S. military by the university. The college has an ongoing Troy for Troops effort and hosts an annual Salute to Armed Forces football game.

Chancellor Jack Hawkins Jr. said he was pleased the university could provide a brighter holiday season for the troops.