thedrifter
03-25-08, 09:03 AM
Mary Duty, guest column: Converting war zone into school zone
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Many of you met our son, Caleb, when I wrote about his last days in Waco before he left for Iraq. He has been gone almost five months now. He sends his heartfelt thanks for all of your prayers and support during this deployment. He wants you to know that parts of Iraq have been transformed from a war zone to a school zone.
A lot has changed since 2006. In 2006 Caleb’s deployment was filled with numerous IED and sniper attacks. He lost 15 friends in combat. One of the more notable attacks happened just at the outskirts of Husabya. Caleb captured the entire event on his helmet camera.
It was in the early morning. Their convoy was hit with sniper fire. The shots came from a building to the right, just at the edge of town. Caleb’s squad was sent into the building to search for the shooter. They approached the building, their weapons locked and loaded.
As part of the team that took the left side of the building, Caleb and his buddies broke down the first door and burst into the room.
As they scanned the room they immediately realized that it was a schoolhouse. The neatly spaced rows of desks were bare. The blackboard was clean.
They quickly went on to the next room and repeated their assault, only to find another empty classroom. The side window was open and the shooter was long gone. With sighs of relief, they turned back to the empty courtyard where children used to play. That was 2006.
Fast-forward to this January. Caleb said that you could close your eyes and think that you were home again. The sounds of children laughing and shouting filled the air. Boys and girls were heard bragging about who was going to win the foot races. The sizzle and sweet smell of hamburgers grilling on an open fire brought back memories of backyard barbecues. Only this was happening thousands of miles from Texas. This play day was happening in a little town in the Al Anbar province in Iraq.
After the games and the awards and the meal, Marines handed out packages of pencils, paper and other simple supplies to the children. What a day of friend-making it was.
This spring, communities all over the Al Anbar province are beginning to rebuild their community schools. These are local schools that teach basics. These schools prepare boys and girls to read and cipher and understand geography.
Instead of harboring insurgents planning to attack our troops, the school buildings are being swept and cleaned up and prepared to take students back into the classrooms. The children seem to be excited to think of lessons and playtime with friends.
To help these children, Marines in Caleb’s unit pass out pencils and paper and other school supplies to the children as they travel through the little towns in the Anbar province.
Imagine war zones being transformed into school zones. Imagine the children of war now having a chance to learn and grow, free from fears born out of violence.
To help these children, the Junior ROTC program at A.J. Moore Academy High School is organizing a school supply drive.
They are being assisted by the 3/2 Marines Parents Network. University High School Student Council is also participating.
Several other school and civic groups in the Central Texas area are helping collect these supplies.
“Pencils for Peace” is what one local teacher called the project. What a wonderful message these students are sending to the children of Iraq.
Mary Duty is a teacher at G.W. Carver Academy and co-owner of Poppa Rollo’s Pizza. E-mail: mduty@wacoisd.org.
‘Pencils for Peace’
Iraqi school-supply drive
To contribute, contact Mary Duty
mduty@wacoisd.org
Ellie
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Many of you met our son, Caleb, when I wrote about his last days in Waco before he left for Iraq. He has been gone almost five months now. He sends his heartfelt thanks for all of your prayers and support during this deployment. He wants you to know that parts of Iraq have been transformed from a war zone to a school zone.
A lot has changed since 2006. In 2006 Caleb’s deployment was filled with numerous IED and sniper attacks. He lost 15 friends in combat. One of the more notable attacks happened just at the outskirts of Husabya. Caleb captured the entire event on his helmet camera.
It was in the early morning. Their convoy was hit with sniper fire. The shots came from a building to the right, just at the edge of town. Caleb’s squad was sent into the building to search for the shooter. They approached the building, their weapons locked and loaded.
As part of the team that took the left side of the building, Caleb and his buddies broke down the first door and burst into the room.
As they scanned the room they immediately realized that it was a schoolhouse. The neatly spaced rows of desks were bare. The blackboard was clean.
They quickly went on to the next room and repeated their assault, only to find another empty classroom. The side window was open and the shooter was long gone. With sighs of relief, they turned back to the empty courtyard where children used to play. That was 2006.
Fast-forward to this January. Caleb said that you could close your eyes and think that you were home again. The sounds of children laughing and shouting filled the air. Boys and girls were heard bragging about who was going to win the foot races. The sizzle and sweet smell of hamburgers grilling on an open fire brought back memories of backyard barbecues. Only this was happening thousands of miles from Texas. This play day was happening in a little town in the Al Anbar province in Iraq.
After the games and the awards and the meal, Marines handed out packages of pencils, paper and other simple supplies to the children. What a day of friend-making it was.
This spring, communities all over the Al Anbar province are beginning to rebuild their community schools. These are local schools that teach basics. These schools prepare boys and girls to read and cipher and understand geography.
Instead of harboring insurgents planning to attack our troops, the school buildings are being swept and cleaned up and prepared to take students back into the classrooms. The children seem to be excited to think of lessons and playtime with friends.
To help these children, Marines in Caleb’s unit pass out pencils and paper and other school supplies to the children as they travel through the little towns in the Anbar province.
Imagine war zones being transformed into school zones. Imagine the children of war now having a chance to learn and grow, free from fears born out of violence.
To help these children, the Junior ROTC program at A.J. Moore Academy High School is organizing a school supply drive.
They are being assisted by the 3/2 Marines Parents Network. University High School Student Council is also participating.
Several other school and civic groups in the Central Texas area are helping collect these supplies.
“Pencils for Peace” is what one local teacher called the project. What a wonderful message these students are sending to the children of Iraq.
Mary Duty is a teacher at G.W. Carver Academy and co-owner of Poppa Rollo’s Pizza. E-mail: mduty@wacoisd.org.
‘Pencils for Peace’
Iraqi school-supply drive
To contribute, contact Mary Duty
mduty@wacoisd.org
Ellie