Comment
Rate
Army officer gives lesson of thanks to class
|
||
| Advertisement |
By Angie Hutschreider
angieh@newstribune.com
Lt. Col. Jim Branson had been waiting for this moment.
As he walked into the kindergarten classroom at St. Joseph Cathedral School, the students became hushed. All heads turned toward him. It is not every day the students bend their necks backward and look up at a real solider.
Branson has been serving in the Baghdad area with the 35th Engineering Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, as an electronic communications operator since June, leaving just before his son Gavin entered kindergarten at St. Joseph.
Knowing the trials and tribulations that can be faced with a parent serving their country overseas, kindergarten teacher Charlotte Braddock decided some of the Christmas cards the class was preparing should be sent to Branson.
“When you have a little one with a Mom or Dad overseas, it makes it special to have the whole class pitch in and do something,” Braddock said.
Branson's trip to the classroom was to thank the children for the cards that line his sleeping quarters in Iraq.
“Do you know what a hero is?” he asked the class.
“Someone who saves the world,” one young girl answered.
“Someone who saves people,” another boy said.
“In this war, I have a different definition of hero,” Branson said. “The true heroes are the people back home - people in the parish, friends and family that help my family so I can be alert and do my job in Baghdad.”
Branson showed the students pictures from his time in Iraq, and explained to the children that getting support from home, especially his son's, class was special.
“Almost every solider has been adopted by a classroom,” he said. “I have been adopted by a class in Festus and Ballwin, but this class is extra special because Gavin is in it.”
Branson said it is hard to explain how much care packages mean to soldiers.
“There are things that we cannot get over there,” he said. “In my unit, when one person gets a package, we share it with everyone else - so it brightens everyone's day.”
Before presenting the class with a gift of appreciation, Branson explained the tradition to them.
“I am going to give you a coin and when I do that, I will salute you first,” he said.
One by one, the students lined up, each almost falling backwards to watch Branson salute them.
Gavin paused for an extra moment and saluted his father before being handed the coin which reads: 4th Infantry Division on one side and, Operation Iraqi Freedom on the other.
Branson was deployed to Iraq in June of last year. He currently is home on leave and will return to Iraq. He said that he will return home sometime this summer.
“It is amazing knowing that a card touches someone so much halfway around the world,” Braddock said. “The students are so proud to be called heroes. But they know that Lt. Col. Branson is a true hero.”
As he walked into the kindergarten classroom at St. Joseph Cathedral School, the students became hushed. All heads turned toward him. It is not every day the students bend their necks backward and look up at a real solider.
Branson has been serving in the Baghdad area with the 35th Engineering Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, as an electronic communications operator since June, leaving just before his son Gavin entered kindergarten at St. Joseph.
Knowing the trials and tribulations that can be faced with a parent serving their country overseas, kindergarten teacher Charlotte Braddock decided some of the Christmas cards the class was preparing should be sent to Branson.
“When you have a little one with a Mom or Dad overseas, it makes it special to have the whole class pitch in and do something,” Braddock said.
Branson's trip to the classroom was to thank the children for the cards that line his sleeping quarters in Iraq.
“Do you know what a hero is?” he asked the class.
“Someone who saves the world,” one young girl answered.
“Someone who saves people,” another boy said.
“In this war, I have a different definition of hero,” Branson said. “The true heroes are the people back home - people in the parish, friends and family that help my family so I can be alert and do my job in Baghdad.”
Branson showed the students pictures from his time in Iraq, and explained to the children that getting support from home, especially his son's, class was special.
“Almost every solider has been adopted by a classroom,” he said. “I have been adopted by a class in Festus and Ballwin, but this class is extra special because Gavin is in it.”
Branson said it is hard to explain how much care packages mean to soldiers.
“There are things that we cannot get over there,” he said. “In my unit, when one person gets a package, we share it with everyone else - so it brightens everyone's day.”
Before presenting the class with a gift of appreciation, Branson explained the tradition to them.
“I am going to give you a coin and when I do that, I will salute you first,” he said.
One by one, the students lined up, each almost falling backwards to watch Branson salute them.
Gavin paused for an extra moment and saluted his father before being handed the coin which reads: 4th Infantry Division on one side and, Operation Iraqi Freedom on the other.
Branson was deployed to Iraq in June of last year. He currently is home on leave and will return to Iraq. He said that he will return home sometime this summer.
“It is amazing knowing that a card touches someone so much halfway around the world,” Braddock said. “The students are so proud to be called heroes. But they know that Lt. Col. Branson is a true hero.”
 |
||
| Woman charged in child's death posts bond |
Article Rating |
|
Before commenting read the News Tribune Forum's policies and procedures.
Thanks.
RSS
ndnlvngcherokee wrote on Mar 20, 2008 12:34 PM: