Reed School Students Send Letters, Gifts To Troops

Larissa Lytwyn

Imagine living thousands of miles away from your family, facing the possibility of deadly attack every day.

For the 439th division, a New England-based reservist troop stationed in Iraq, one solace was the prospect of returning home for the holidays.

Several weeks ago, however, the Pentagon ordered hundreds of troops, including the 439th division, to remain in Iraq until early March.

Newtown resident Walt Sherman, an employee at Sikorsky Aircraft in Stratford, said that the plane-manufacturing company employs many pilots, engineers, and other workers currently abroad in Iraq.

“One of my coworkers, Carl Ortiz, has a 22-year-old son named Angel in the 439th division,” said Mr Sherman. “Angel often told Carl that morale was low, that the soldiers weren’t receiving as much public support as they had [in the beginning of the war].”

With the assistance of Sikorsky manager Paula Mauricz, Sikorsky workers, in conjunction with the Teamsters Branch 1150, coordinated an ongoing drive for canned goods, supplies, and personal items for the 439th division.

Captain Jason Sullivan, whose wife Lesley is a New Haven-based teacher, heads the 439th division. Ms Sullivan’s class has been writing letters of support and conducting food drives for the troops.

Mr Sherman, who has a fifth grade daughter at Reed, thought it would be “great” to run a Reed program similar to the New Haven school’s.

Mr Sherman contacted Reed Intermediate Assistant Principal Tony Salvatore, who is also the advisor of the Reed Intermediate School Interact Club, a community services group sponsored by Newtown’s Rotary Club. Part of the Rotary’s community service mission involves accomplishing a local, national, and international project.

“This was a great project for national and even international service,” said Mr Salvatore.

Interact Club currently involves 54 students from both the fifth and sixth grades.

“I was so happy when Mr Salvatore decided to run a [food drive and letter writing] campaign through the Interact Club,” said Mr Sherman.

Upon hearing about the Interact Club’s about the food drive and letter writing campaign, fifth grade teachers Karen King and Gary Wilkinson involved their classes in the effort.

“I had been worried that individual classes might be hesitant to become involved because it could interfere with their schedules,” said Mr Sherman.

But, Ms King said, the campaign’s letter-writing component worked perfectly within her class’s writing unit.

Before beginning the project, Ms King invited Mr Ortiz, Ms Sullivan, and Mr Sherman to visit her class and discuss the 439th Division’s day-to-day life in Iraq.

“I think the experience of having our special guests visit and then writing to the troops really made what’s going on in Iraq more real for the students,” said Ms King.

In addition to holding a food drive and collecting dozens of boxes of canned goods and other nonperishable foods, the class made sure to include American mementos for the soldiers.

“Students brought in magazines, CDs, anything that’s popular or up-to-date right now,” said Ms King.

In their letters to the 439th Division, which were addressed to “Hero,” “Friend,” and other general terms, students both introduced themselves and asked questions about the soldiers’ experience in Iraq.

“I asked about how much contact the troops had with the Iraqi people on a daily basis,” said fifth grader William Northrop.

Another student, Craig Soderholm, wondered what the weather was like. Other students were interested in the soldiers’ hobbies and day-to-day schedule. Some students included pictures of themselves, poems, cartoons, and even dried autumn leaves.

Army reservists, according to their mission statement, “provide trained and ready soldiers with the critical combat service support” needed to operate.

Tasks range from fueling Black Hawk helicopters to training soldiers on everything from military tactics to cultural sensitivity. Reservists also provide civil service support to Iraqi civilians, assisting in providing safe shelter, drinking water, medical care, and other necessities.

Ms King hopes that members of the 439th Division can visit her class when they return to the United States in March.

“I just think was an amazing effort on the part of everyone involved,” said Mr Sherman. “I was also very impressed with how well the students acted when I came to visit with Ms Sullivan and Mr Ortiz. It was a great group.”

For more information on the 439th Division, visit www.nw7.org/~q439/.