Letters To A Soldier Letters to a Soldier By Adam Crawford Dedication To Mrs. Sherry Gish and all her students that participated in mailing packages to Soldiers while they were deployed to Afghanistan. To all the Faculty, Staff, and Students of A.B. Chandler Elementary School in Corydon, KY. Forward I want to take a minute to thank you all at A.B. Chandler. I wrote this story in honor of the children and their teachers who sent letters while I was deployed. I remember back to when I was in grade school and how much I enjoyed doing projects such as this. I was in middle school when the war first started. I remember the events that brought America to her knees, if only for a minute, like it was yesterday. I remember gathering supplies for the first care package that came out of Calloway County Middle School to send to the Soldiers in Iraq. Many of you may not fully understand the value of your gesture, but you will in time. And when that day comes I just wanted you to know how much we appreciated it. Kindness is a dying art in our society, and you have taken steps to show it still exists and that you believe in the Golden Rule. God Bless! Chapter 1 It was 1989 and there was a boy named Alex. He sat in his chair of Mrs. Gish�s class at A.B. Chandler Elementary School day in and day out. He constantly wondered what the world was about. How he might someday make the world a better place. He would sit and listen to Mrs. Gish as she taught the class their multiplication tables, how the Earth had three different layers, and how the continents seem to fit together like the pieces of a puzzle. These lessons were wonderful, but what he was really after was to make difference in the world. He wasn�t quite sure how to do that yet. Then one day he was sitting in class with the other children as Mrs. Gish walked in with an American flag folded up into a triangle. She placed the flag on her desk and it stood on its own. She started talking about the war in Iraq. Mrs. Gish talked about how the Soldiers had been deployed at a moment�s notice to defend our freedom and fight for our country. She talked about how many of them had forgotten basic items such as a toothbrush or a hairbrush or a bar of soap. She told the children that the school was going to put together a package and send to the Soldiers. Alex perked up and began to write down all the things that he had stashed away in his bathroom that he could bring in for the Soldiers. He looked around and many of his classmates were doing the same thing. He smiled to himself and thought it would be a great way to make a difference in the world. �Now kids, what I want you to do is gather supplies for the Soldiers and bring them in by the end of the week. We are going to send the Soldiers a care package.� Mrs. Gish said to the class. Alex�s hand raised as a question came to mind. �Mrs. Gish, can we all write letters and draw pictures to the Soldiers?� Alex said. �Alex, that sounds like a wonderful idea. Why don�t we do that tomorrow? First thing in the morning? How does that sound class?� She smiled as the children all began to smile and laugh and nod their heads in approval. They were very excited about the new class project. Alex most of all. Alex went home and told his parents about the project Mrs. Gish had given them. He was so excited he could hardly be still. His parents immediately took him to the bathroom closet and began to fill a box with all the extra bars of soap and tubes of toothpaste they had in the house. Alex put the box next to his backpack so that he wouldn�t forget it the next day. He wrote in red, white, and blue marker on the top of it: THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE! The next day Alex carried the box to school and placed it next to Mrs. Gish�s desk. �Alex, did you get these supplies already?� She asked. �Yes, my mom and dad helped me. We got everything we had in the house that was extra and put it in the box. Can I start my letter now?� He asked. �Of course you can.� She said. She handed him a packet of markers and some construction paper and Alex went to work. When the rest of the class came in they also began working on their letters. Mrs. Gish stood up in front of the class after a few minutes and asked who would like to read their letter to the class. Alex raised his hand. �Alex, you want to read your letter?� �Yes.� Alex said. �Okay, come on up here.� She smiled and motioned her hand to the front of the class. Alex stood up and walked down the isle. Without a fear in the world Alex began to read: Dear Soldier, Hello, my name is Alex. I am from Chandler Elementary School in Corydon, Kentucky. My teacher is Mrs. Gish and she said we were going to make a care package for you. I asked her if we could write letters to go with it. She said yes. The whole class is writing letters now. Thank you for your service to our country and thank you for fighting for our freedom. I have been wanting to know how I could make a difference in the world. I think this letter is a good start. Be safe and come home soon. We love you! Alex Alex took his seat and he looked up at Mrs. Gish, she had tears rolling down her cheek. She took a second to gather herself. She then asked if anyone else wanted to read their letter and three other children stood up in front of the class. Alex continued to draw a picture of the American flag and a boy and a Soldier standing in front of it, both smiling. At the end of the day Alex turned in his picture and letter to Mrs. Gish. �When will you send the package?� He asked. �I will mail it on Friday. We will put all of the letters and items in the box together and send it to the Soldiers.� She replied. �Do you think I could go to the post office with you on Friday after school? I want to see it go off.� Alex asked. �Well, if that�s okay with your parents than it�s okay with me.� She answered. �I�m very proud of your hard work on this Alex.� Mrs. Gish gave him a hug he said goodbye. Friday came and Alex couldn�t sit still in his chair waiting to go to the post office after school. He watched the clock all day long until it was time to go. He rode with Mrs. Gish to the post office and watched as she had the mail clerk fill out the information and tape the shipping label onto the box. �How does that look Alex?� Mrs. Gish asked. �Will that make it to Iraq?� He asked the mail clerk. �It sure will, Son.� The mail clerk replied. �It should be there in about three weeks.� �Thank you!� Alex said. �Do you think they will write back?� He asked his teacher. �I bet if they have any free time they will.� She smiled at him. �I hope they have free time.� He said. Chapter 2 The first mail call on the base had left PFC Damon Smith empty handed. But he knew he would get something soon. The days had been hot and dry, and not to mention really long. The Soldiers had arrived in Kuwait three months earlier. The war had snuck up on them and they still weren�t quite sure what would come of it. To many of them writing letters and reading mail was their only past time. Damon sat on his cot and stared at the tent. He was thinking of home. He was thinking of his teachers in school since he had just graduated high school six months earlier. He wondered what the war would seem like to the children sitting in class. �MAIL CALL!� A thunderous voice called from outside. Damon jumped up and ran out of the tent. Two large containers of mail sat in front of their tent. A tall and burly man was calling out names and tossing packages around. �James Darden! Michael Brooks! Damon Smith!� �Right here!� Damon raised his hand and walked forward to grab his package. It was a good size box with red, white, and blue letters on the outside that read: THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE! He smiled and took it back to his cot. He plopped it down and cut the tape open with his pocket knife. The first thing he saw was the letter from Alex. He read it five times and couldn�t hold back the tears. He folded it up and put it in his pocket. Then he grabbed his note pad and began to write a letter back to Alex from Mrs. Gish�s class. Once he finished the letter he placed it in an envelope and walked it over to the mail room. He turned it in. �Please take special care of this letter. The person it�s going to deserves to read it.� Damon said to the mail clerk. �You got it!� The clerk said. Damon walked back to his tent and gathered his composure. He passed out all the supplies to his friends that were in the tent with him. He explained the letter to his buddies and how the stuff had come from a class of elementary school students. The package made them all feel like they were at home. � All the children were seated as Mrs. Gish walked into the classroom. They all looked at her and what she was carrying in her hand. �Alex, you have a letter.� Mrs. Gish said. �Me?� He asked. �Yes, you.� She smiled as she held out the envelope. �It�s from a PFC Damon Smith.� Alex stood up and grabbed the envelope from Mrs. Gish. He tore it open in front of the class and began to read it. Dear Alex, I just wanted to say that I can�t tell you how much the package and the letter meant to me. I read the letter and began to cry at the love you expressed in your letter. The Soldiers here appreciated everything you sent to them. It is very nice to get things from home when you are so far away. I can�t imagine what the war looks like from your perspective, but you have participated in making my life better. Please tell your whole class that all the Soldiers here are grateful. And as to your question about making a difference in the world; you have made a great start. You made a difference in my life and the lives of my friends over here. God Bless, Damon Alex finished the letter and he was grinning from ear to ear. Mrs. Gish was crying. Alex took his seat and folded the letter up and placed it in his pocket. �I am going to frame this when I get home.� He said to Mrs. Gish. �I think that�s a wonderful idea, Alex.� Chapter 3 It is 2013 and Alex is now in the Army. The sun is hot and the air is dry in Afghanistan. He sits in his office and looks at the framed letter from PFC Damon Smith he received 25 years ago. He has carried it everywhere he�s been with the Army. He still thinks of the kindness of his class and the kindness returned by the Soldier in his letter. He wondered if Mrs. Gish is still teaching and if she is still inspiring her students to change the world. A knock on the door startles him. �Sir, you have a package. Would you like me to bring it in?� �Yes, please do.� Alex said. �Okay, I�ll be right back.� Said the man. The man left the office and returned within a moment carrying a large package. �Thank you.� Said Alex. He smiled as he read the shipping label. The return address was from Chandler Elementary School. Mrs. Gish is at it again. He thought. He pulled out his pocket knife and cut the tape on the box. The lid popped open and letters and drawings flew all over the room. He laughed to himself as he picked up the first one. It was a letter to him from a 3rd grade girl. Dear Alex, Mrs. Gish told us the other day that she knew a Soldier who was deployed. She wanted us to write letters and mail snacks and goodies to you. We did. I hope you like the magazine we sent. Tom Brady is Ryan�s favorite player and he made us pack it. We were excited when she showed us the video of you on the computer. We hope you are safe and will come home soon. Enjoy the pictures and have a Happy Halloween. Thank you for your service. Ellie Alex read the note two or three times and looked in the box. Sure enough there was a magazine with famous quarterback Tom Brady. There was a bunch of chips and packs of gum, candy, and all sorts of stuff. He knew his Soldiers would enjoy looking at the cards and the goodies. He looked at the letter he received from PFC Damon Smith 25 years earlier and knew he had to return the favor to the kids. He sat at his desk and began to write a story for them. He thought and thought about how he could show his appreciation for the time they took. He wanted to make a difference in their hearts as they had in his. He wanted them to understand how their teacher had inspired them to make a Soldier feel at home. He wanted to tell the children that love can be shown in many ways. That no matter how difficult life seems; even when you are thousands of miles away from home, kindness and love impact the people in this world. His final letter went something like this� Dear Students of Chandler Elementary, I just wanted to take some time and let you know how much I appreciate your letters and your packages. When Soldiers are away at war it is the little things we miss the most. Hugging our families and watching sports are among the most missed. The act of showing someone you miss them and hope they get home safe is something you will learn the importance of as you go through life, and how much a simple �thank you� can mean. You are blessed with wise teachers who care deeply about your success in life. One of those teachers in the room you are sitting in is my Aunt and she is one of the kindest and sweetest people you will ever meet. There is no amount of gratitude that will explain how much your letters and cards touched me in a time when life can be really hard. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Maybe once I return home I can stop by and see all of you. God Bless, Alex He folded the letter and placed it into an envelope, sealing the back flap as he rubbed his fingers across it. He turned it over and wrote the address to A.B. Chandler Elementary School and placed his name in the top left corner. He smiled as he walked it over to the mailbox and slid it in the slot. He sat back at his desk and looked at the letter from PFC Damon Smith one last time. It will be nice when I can stop by and see those kids. He thought. Chapter 4 Months went by and Mrs. Gish continued to teach her class and inspire her children. They had sent several other care packages to deployed Soldiers and the kids loved it more and more each time. One day she was discussing how the multiplication tables for the number 11 were the easiest when she heard a knock on her door. She put down her marker and walked over to the door. She could see a sharply dressed Soldier through the small window. She opened the door and Alex stood in the doorframe braced for a giant hug. They held an embrace and Mrs. Gish began to tear up. �Class, do you remember the letter you received a while back from the Soldier?� She said to her students. They all nodded. �Well, this is him.� Alex walked in the room and waved at all the students. The kids jumped up from their chair and crowded around him as he pulled out a packet and began to read them his story. �It was 1989�� He read. The End
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