More than 6,000 miles away from Chantilly, Marines are serving in Iraq. These Marines hear about the protests here. They read about the politicians arguing over the war. They read the angry editorials written by those who might be their neighbors back home.
Victoria Forgione, media liaison at Brookfield Elementary School in Chantilly, decided that the Marines needed to hear something different for a change.
Enlisting the help of two Brookfield Elementary fifth-grade classes, Forgione began a pen-pal correspondence between the students and 3/11, United States 3rd Battalion 11th Marine Regiment. Now the students patiently await hearing from "their" Marines.
"It’s very demoralizing for the people over there to hear about the protesting," said Laurie Katz, one of the fifth-grade teachers whose class is participating in the correspondence. "The CO said it’s a shot in the arm — a morale boost — when they see the children’s letters."
IN THE LETTERS, the children ask 3/11 Marines what they like to do, and what pets they have. The children ask the Marines if they are scared, and tell them that they’re brave. Some of the children draw pictures and send them along with their letters, while others write about their grandfathers who served in the Vietnam or Korean wars.
"The children want them to be safe," said Katz. "They say that they care about them, even though they don’t know who they are. When the Marines write back, it’s almost like a brother-sister relationship."
Letters from 3/11 Marines encourage the children to stay in school, and tell the students to do well. They also tell the children that they’ll be home soon.
"They were so excited to write back," said Katz, speaking of 3/11. "The guys have been wonderful."
Students in Donna Duceatt’s fifth-grade class began writing letters two months ago to a 3/11 Marine battery deployed in Okinawa, Japan. "The kids are excited to write because we just studied Japan," said Duceatt. "We’re hoping to boost morale over there. I thought morale wouldn’t be a word used over there, but the Marines have been missing their families."
PARTICIPATION in the pen-pal correspondence is voluntary. When the teachers asked how many students would like to write more than one, hands in both classrooms shot up. Some of the students even volunteered to have their letters photocopied so they could be read and answered by more than one Marine.
Ann Connally, wife of Lt. Col. Thomas Connally, commanding officer of 3/11, writes that the letters are a reminder of who the Marines are really defending and working for. "The Marines really loved them," he said.
11th Marines, known as the Cannon Cockers, are an artillery battalion based out of Twentynine Palms, Calif. Though 3/11 is an artillery battalion, they are working as a stabilization and security force during their mission. 3/11 Marines in Iraq could be deployed up to a year.
Forgione, thinking it would be neat to compile all of the letters, is producing a booklet of letters written by both the children and the Marines. Forgione will provide a booklet for each of the children as well as the families of 3/11 Marines the children have written to.
Though Brookfield Elementary’s school year ends on June 18th, Forgione plans to contact parents to see if they are comfortable with the children sending out their summertime addresses. "We want to go through the right channels," said Katz. Students will only receive one more batch of letters before the school year ends.