Soldiers visit WMS pen pals

December 16, 2005

CASEY RESSLER/Frontiersman Valley Life editor

WASILLA - Nine soldiers from Fort Richardson's 95th Chemical Company came to Wasilla Middle School Thursday and made the students' day, as a way of thanking the students for making the soldiers' days during a long deployment.

Students in LeAnn Mansavage's language arts class wrote to the soldiers, who were deployed to Kuwait the day after last Christmas. Thursday, the soldiers came back to the school to thank the students for taking the time to write and send packages.

&#8220I don't think the students know how much soldiers appreciate getting cards, letters and packages,” said Lt. Nicole Schmal. &#8220It really does break up the monotony of going through every day over there. These kids were great.”

For the students, the highlight of the day was when the soldiers gave them the actual patches off their U.S. Army uniforms. A.J. Maresch's pen pal, Spc. Kimberly Housernewell, presented him with the U.S. flag patch to say thanks.

&#8220I wrote her and asked her if she missed her family, I asked her when she's coming home, and I told her I hope she is having a good time,” Maresch said. &#8220I was surprised to meet her. I didn't think I'd ever meet her.”

Mansavage said the class had to write formal letters to the soldiers as part of a class assignment started last year. She said her sixth-graders took to the project immediately, and the response she got from the soldiers surprised her.

&#8220They all took the time to write back and tell them how important it is to get good grades, things like that,” Mansavage said. &#8220I was also impressed that the students built a strong sense of patriotism with the project. A lot of the letters had things like, ‘Thank you for serving,' and ‘Thank you for risking your life for us.'”

The soldiers were stationed in Kuwait, and told stories about their day-to-day lives there. Students asked numerous questions, ranging from the middle school standard - &#8220Has anyone shot at you?” - to unusual ones - &#8220Did you get yelled at?”

The students were amazed to learn that the soldiers did many of the same things they liked to do - play video games, exercise and play dodgeball.

&#8220They are very, very intelligent students,” said SSgt. Kevin Sanders. &#8220I was surprised by a lot of the good questions they were asking.”

The nine soldiers - Sanders, Schmal, Housernewell, Sgt. Craig Behrendt, Spc. Jonathan Lyons, Spc. Jason Freyler, Spc. Kevin Golden, Sgt. Christina Clark and Sgt. Melissa Rogers - are from the Lower 48, but will be spending the holidays at Fort Richardson. When one student asked them if they miss their home, the nine answered in unison. &#8220Yes,” they said.

Contact Casey Ressler at

352-2265 or valleylife@

frontiersman.com.