 |
Hearts Around Arena
(March 31, 2011) |
|
| | HERAT, Afghanistan (3/27/2011) – When deployed soldiers,
airmen, Marines and sailors are told people back home are
thinking of them and praying for them, it is encouraging.
When people back home send hundreds of paper hearts chained
together, covered with hand written notes and drawings, a
deeper chord is struck. |
1st Lt. David Roland
from Anniston Ala., stationed at Camp Arena in
Herat province, holds up part of a chain of more
than 500 paper hearts with messages to troops
serving in Afghanistan on March 23, 2011. The
hearts were sent by students and teachers from
Anthony Burns Elementary School in Stafford,
Va., to tell the troops how much they are
appreciated and to thank them for their service. |
|
That is what students and teachers from Anthony
Burns Elementary School in Stafford, Va., did
for coalition forces stationed at Camp Arena,
Herat on Mar. 23, 2011.
The response from
the troops was overwhelming.
“I was taken
aback. This was amazing,” said Air Force Maj.
David Johnson, Pentagon Air Staff, stationed at
Camp Arena.
Johnson has two girls
attending Anthony Burns Elementary.
Johnson sees the communication as a good
opportunity for kids to learn about other
countries and to see what the military is
accomplishing.
|
|
“I have been emailing the school a couple times
a month saying how we are doing and I sent them
a couple pictures,” said Johnson. |
|
The chain of hearts was a surprise though.
One of his
daughters hinted to Johnson the school was doing something
special but he had no idea what they were planning. The
hearts were unboxed and spread out along the flag poles at
Camp Arena.
It took eight people to hold up all of
the hearts.
“It made me feel great to be an
American,” said Air Force Capt. Ryan Clark, 69th Bomb
Squadron from Minot Air Force Base, N.D.
Air Force
Capt. Cyndi Eslingar, 81st Range Control from Tyndall Air
Force Base in Panama City, Fla., read the messages as she
helped put up the chain.
The hearts had simple
messages such as "Come home safe" and "We appreciate what
you are doing" as well as "You rock our world!" and "Happy
trails."
“That the whole school made hearts for us
was awesome,” said Eslingar.
Some of the notes
written on the hearts mentioned specific service members.
“We found a couple hearts that were for parents serving
in Camp Arena that said ‘Miss you daddy',” Eslingar said.
Other hearts mentioned troops serving at different
bases.
“One heart was for a particular soldier. We
pulled it off and are going to try to find him,” said
Eslingar.
Johnson said he was heartened by the
thoughtfulness of the students and teachers at Anthony Burns
Elementary.
“It was encouraging to know that they
were thinking of us,” he said. |
By Petty Officer 1st Class Stephen Hickok
Navy Visual News Service
Copyright 2011 | |
Provided
through DVIDS
Comment on this article |
|
