Though students

in Teri Besch's second-grade class at Oak Grove Elementary School are

still perfecting their cursive handwriting, their letter-writing skills

have proven very successful. The students wrote letters to "Any Soldier"

and many of them received responses.

Besch got the

idea after speaking to a sorority sister who told her that lots of people

in the service never receive any mail. Besch had an address for a base

and had her students write letters. Most of the girls wrote to "Service

Woman," while the boys wrote to "Service Man." The students

got responses from PV2 Amanda Smith, a 19-year-old woman in the Army,

and Captain Donna Johnson.

The students

asked lots of questions, mainly about the persons likes and dislikes,

what they were like growing up and how far away Iraq was. John Posey sent

another letter to Smith after getting his letter, incluidng lotion, a

camera and a notebook. Sergio Saleh shared information about his new baby

brother.

Smith responded

to the letters by telling the students she enjoyed playing kickball and

basketball, and that she wasn't very good at the latter. Smith also sent

pictures so that the class could see what Iraq looked like. Johnson told

the students that she was very appreciative for the letters because it

was lonely over there and that many people missed their families.

Several of

the students have family members in the military, including Jesse Cunningham,

whose father is a Lieutenant in the Army. The letter-writing project has

stirred an interest in the military for the students and Eric Sulkowski

feels that the letters were important because it showed the soldiers that

"there were people rooting for them."

Some students

are still waiting for responses to their letters but none of them are

discouraged and several plan on writing some more letters this summer.

They now have a specific person to write to but may just try to find another

"Any Soldier" and brighten his or her day.