Soldier finally meets penpals
Sixth-grade class adopted classmates' cousin
By Earl Horlykehorlyk@siouxcityjournal.com | Posted: Thursday, November 06, 2008
SIOUX CITY - Holy Cross-Blessed Sacrament Catholic School sixth-grader Madi Peck may be too old for show and tell, but that doesn't means she wasn't thrilled having her cousin, South Dakota Army National Guard Staff Sgt. David Peck, visit her class Wednesday morning.
"Everybody had already heard about David and had written to him while he was in Iraq," Madi said. "So it's cool that everybody is getting the chance to finally meet him in person."
As a member of B Battery, First Battalion, 147th Field Artillery, Peck had been stationed in Basra for the past 12 months.
Peck said he was already familiar with his cousin's class after receiving their letters written as part of the school's Service Week.
"It became a running joke with the other soldiers," Peck said with a chuckle. "When the mail would come, all of the other guys would receive one package while I'd get three or four of 'em."
Peck said such reminders of home, sent to him by friends, family and his cousin's classmates, gave him a sense of comfort while he was away.
"My battalion was principally involved in convoy escort missions," said Peck, an Omaha resident. "We drove guide trucks that accompanied the convoy trucks carrying supplies to Baghdad."
The 11-year-old Madi thinks it's important that kids hear about the reality of what's going on Iraq.
"When people think about the war, they think it's all about bullets and guns," she said. "But the soldiers are also working with the Iraqi people to give them freedom and make them safer."
Peck agrees but he said he's just happy to be home.
"So much has happened in the past 12 months," he explained. "My (now 4-year-old) daughter Ella was just starting preschool last year. And my (now 2-year-old) son Garrett said his first words while I was half the world away."
It's family that Peck said he's missed the most while he was in Iraq.
"Well, that and steak," he said jokingly. "I think it's a toss-up between family and real steak over what I missed the most."
"Everybody had already heard about David and had written to him while he was in Iraq," Madi said. "So it's cool that everybody is getting the chance to finally meet him in person."
As a member of B Battery, First Battalion, 147th Field Artillery, Peck had been stationed in Basra for the past 12 months.
Peck said he was already familiar with his cousin's class after receiving their letters written as part of the school's Service Week.
"It became a running joke with the other soldiers," Peck said with a chuckle. "When the mail would come, all of the other guys would receive one package while I'd get three or four of 'em."
Peck said such reminders of home, sent to him by friends, family and his cousin's classmates, gave him a sense of comfort while he was away.
"My battalion was principally involved in convoy escort missions," said Peck, an Omaha resident. "We drove guide trucks that accompanied the convoy trucks carrying supplies to Baghdad."
The 11-year-old Madi thinks it's important that kids hear about the reality of what's going on Iraq.
"When people think about the war, they think it's all about bullets and guns," she said. "But the soldiers are also working with the Iraqi people to give them freedom and make them safer."
Peck agrees but he said he's just happy to be home.
"So much has happened in the past 12 months," he explained. "My (now 4-year-old) daughter Ella was just starting preschool last year. And my (now 2-year-old) son Garrett said his first words while I was half the world away."
It's family that Peck said he's missed the most while he was in Iraq.
"Well, that and steak," he said jokingly. "I think it's a toss-up between family and real steak over what I missed the most."
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Saysa wrote on Nov 6, 2008 10:48 AM: