School: Washington Elementary School (2 Feb. 2005)

Transcribed by: Crystal Wendt

Surnames: VanStraten, Wollersheim, Karau, Day, Gebert, Pankow, Gryskiewicz, Winter, Reed, Brown, Skoug, Greenlee, Boquist, DeWerdt, LeDuc, Ponzer, Schmidt, Sczygeski, Lashua

---Source: Merrill Foto News (Merrill, Lincoln, Co., Wis.) Wednesday, 2 Feb. 2005; page 7

KINDERGARTEN CLASS ADOPTS LOCAL MARINE STATIONED IN IRAQ

By Collin Lueck (Foto News Editor)

Washington Elementary School kindergarten teacher Vicky VanStraten didn't need to look far to find a way to make Veteran's Day more real for her students this school year. Vicki's daughter's fianc', Merrill native Sam Wollersheim, is currently stationed in Iraq with the U. S. Marine Corps.

The students learned about Sam and how far away from home he is. Each student dictated a letter to Sam, telling them something about themselves. In his very limited free time, Sam wrote letters responding to each child individually.

"The kids were just thrilled," VanStraten said. The students have since sent two more batches of letters and have assembled a care package to send to Sam for Valentine's Day.

Sam's mother, Karen, said Sam is enjoying his correspondence with the kindergarten class."He loves it," she said.

Sam, 22, had been in the Marine Corps for three years. He has been on duty in Iraq for the past five months. He keeps in contact with his family through e-mails and phone calls when he can. Free hours are few and far between, however. The soldiers many have as little as two hours over a three-week period to take care of things such as showering and making contact with their families.

Sam is expected to be back in the United States at Camp Pendleton in California in April, and could be home to visit his family in Merrill in June.

WASHINGTON KINDERGARTEN students are sending a care package to a Merrill man stationed with the U. S. Marine Corps in Iraq. Students kneeling from left are Noah Karau, Emily Day, Caleb Gebert, Maria Pankow, Seth Gryskiewicz, Allison Winter-Reed, Ben Brown, Sara Skoug, and Miles Greenlee; standing from left, Jerry Lee Boquist, Emily DeWerdt, Hunter LeDuc, Daniel Ponzer, Grace Schmidt, Megan Sczygeski and Chequess Lashua.

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