Blach Junior High School students recently shipped nearly 300 DVDs to U.S. troops in Afghanistan to thank them for their service to the country. March 11, they received a response.
The U.S. Army Task Force Viper, 318th Psychological Operations Company, stationed at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, sent a framed American flag and letter of appreciation to Blach students thanking them for the library of movies.
“When I first saw (the flag), it just brought tears to my eyes,” said Principal Leslie Crane. “It’s amazing how you can do something and maybe not think how it can affect someone else. … The amount of appreciation is overwhelming.”
“The soldiers needed something to entertain themselves, so we wanted to do something to help them because they are helping us,” said eighth-grader Patrick Chao.
Student Trina Goguen said it was important for students to get involved.
“I also think it’s important that the soldiers know that people have taken their time to do something for them,” she said.
Blach librarian Cindy Andrews, whose son Tim, a graduate of Homestead High School, is stationed in Afghanistan, said the entire student body embraced the DVD drive with open arms, although she doesn’t know exactly why.
“Usually we have points for food drives, but with this (campaign), there was no incentive for the kids,” Andrews said. “I … don’t know why the students embraced this. It wasn’t publicized in the Parent Teacher Association or anything.”
The student-produced “Blach Talk,” a weekly video update, announced the arrival of the flag to the student body.
“Normally you can hear chatter during these things, but when they showed the flag, I said, ‘Oh my gosh, this is the first Blach Talk where there was no sound (among the students watching),’” Andrews said. “I think the kids will remember this forever,”
Contact Elliott Burr at [email protected].
