Over the past two years, Anthony Geanopulos has performed almost 20,000 small acts of kindness, handing out thank-you cards to military members, veterans and their families. It is his way of telling these people that their service and sacrifice has not gone unnoticed.

Geanopulos, a former Big Spring resident, was back in town Thursday, distributing the cards to patients at the VA Medical Center.

The former food director at Big Spring Federal Corrections Institute said he wanted to do something to thank military members ever since he saw how Vietnam veterans were welcomed home in silence — or worse.

“What they did to the Vietnam veterans coming home was despicable and disgraceful,” Geanopulos said. “I didn't want the same thing to happen again.”

After retiring from the Bureau of Prisons, Geanopulos and his family eventually moved to Colorado Springs, Colo. While there, he heard of the thank-you card program, initiated by Richard Glasgow of Michigan.

“I called him up and said I'd help and a couple of days later he sent me a case of cards,” Geanopulos said.

Geanopulos' first project was handing out cards to members of the U.S. Paralympics team training in Colorado Springs, and he's only picked up steam since then.

“I take them with me everywhere I go,” he said. “If I see a serviceman in airports or restaurants or on the streets, I hand them the card,” he said. “I think it has had a tremendous effect ... When I give them to Vietnam vets, half of them break down in tears. They tell me, 'No one ever said that to me when I came home.'”

Geanopulos estimated he has distributed 20,000 cards in the past two years and has logged quite a few miles in doing so, traveling to North Carolina, Texas and Georgia.

And he has no intentions of stopping his personal 'Thank You' tour anytime soon.

“I'll keep doing it indefinitely,” he said.”These people are our sons and daughters and neighbors ... and we are acknowledging their service.”

Contact Staff Writer Steve Reagan at 263-7331 ext. 234 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it