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Oak Grove students write letters to 'any soldier' and get responses By MICHAEL
BOYLAN
Though students in Teri Besch's second-grade class at Oak Grove Elementary School are still perfecting their cursive handwriting, their letter-writing skills have proven very successful. The students wrote letters to "Any Soldier" and many of them received responses. Besch got the idea after speaking to a sorority sister who told her that lots of people in the service never receive any mail. Besch had an address for a base and had her students write letters. Most of the girls wrote to "Service Woman," while the boys wrote to "Service Man." The students got responses from PV2 Amanda Smith, a 19-year-old woman in the Army, and Captain Donna Johnson. The students asked lots of questions, mainly about the persons likes and dislikes, what they were like growing up and how far away Iraq was. John Posey sent another letter to Smith after getting his letter, incluidng lotion, a camera and a notebook. Sergio Saleh shared information about his new baby brother. Smith responded to the letters by telling the students she enjoyed playing kickball and basketball, and that she wasn't very good at the latter. Smith also sent pictures so that the class could see what Iraq looked like. Johnson told the students that she was very appreciative for the letters because it was lonely over there and that many people missed their families. Several of the students have family members in the military, including Jesse Cunningham, whose father is a Lieutenant in the Army. The letter-writing project has stirred an interest in the military for the students and Eric Sulkowski feels that the letters were important because it showed the soldiers that "there were people rooting for them." Some students are still waiting for responses to their letters but none of them are discouraged and several plan on writing some more letters this summer. They now have a specific person to write to but may just try to find another "Any Soldier" and brighten his or her day.
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