Soldiers thank students for 600 letters

[Soldier4Christ]

Soldiers thank students for 600 letters
Make appearance after receiving missive from everyone enrolled at school


U.S. soldiers had a chance to say "thank you" Friday to students at Lewis and Clark Elementary School who wrote them while they were overseas.

Last spring, every student in the school wrote a letter to soldiers serving in Iraq. The letters were given to Capt. Chris Andersen, from Kansas City, and he distributed them to hundreds of soldiers in his platoon.

"When you're overseas for a while and missing friends and family, it's nice to have support -- and especially from great kids with a lot of enthusiasm," Andersen told KMBC's Jere Gish. "We thought the least we could do is to let them know that we appreciated it."

Some soldiers said they get few letters from home, so when someone writes them -- even if it's from a stranger -- it means a lot.

"Just to know that the families back there are still in your corner and everybody's still thinking of you," said Pete Andersen, Chris' father.

Chris Andersen presented the school with a flag that flew over his base in Iraq, and he showed the students pictures from the country and of people he met overseas.

"Once you get to know these people, they're nice and they care about their kids just like we do," he said.

Principal Josh Fields said the letter exchange helped the students because they got a better understanding of a complicated conflict.

"Now they know -- they see those things. 'Well, I've seen that, I know somebody now that is involved in that,' and it helps them make a connection," Fields said.

The Student Council at Lewis and Clark organized the letter-writing campaign. In all, students at the school wrote 600 letters to soldiers.

[Brother Jerry]

I remember when I was over there during the first war.  We got a bag of letters in from some kids at an elementary school and it was very nice to see that.

I sat right down and sent a letter back, thanking the little boy I had received the letter from.

I know my oldest sent a letter out as well a few years back.  Always a nice touch.

[ibTina]

What a great story... got me crying...