Touring the USS Ingraham at port in Everett, Wash., is a group of Bill Laraway's students at Silver Oak Elementary School in San Jose, along with parents and chaperones. Students (in billed caps from left to right) are Alex Blair, Paul Dougherty, David Romanchuk and Jenna Lee.
Bill Laraway's fifth-grade students got a firsthand lesson in patriotism and compassion when they became pen pals with crew members stationed aboard a U.S. Navy warship in the Persian Gulf. The class project took them 1,500 miles away from San Jose for a face-to-face meeting with their writing buddies, a ceremony in their honor aboard ship and lots of national attention for their good deeds.
Silver Oak Elementary School student Andrew Soares 'takes command' of the USS Ingraham at Naval Station Everett.
It started when Laraway, a teacher at Silver Oak Elementary School in San Jose, discussed the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, in detail with his students. The students wanted to do something to show their support for the war against terrorism.
Having just returned from five days at science camp, they recalled how meaningful it was for them to receive mail when they were away from home - how it boosted their spirits. They decided they could do the same thing for U.S. servicemen and women.
Laraway, a member of the Evergreen Teachers Association, had a second cousin, Lt. Justin Long, serving as an assistant operations officer aboard the USS Ingraham, one of the first ships to arrive in the Arabian Sea after the attacks. He sent the letters from his class to the ship, in care of his cousin.
Commander John Kersch shakes hands with teacher Bill Laraway after a shipboard ceremony recognizing his class for thier contributions to the crew's morale during Operation Enduring Freedom.
"The kids put their hearts into the letters," says Laraway. "They were letters of support and patriotism that said, 'We are proud of what you are doing out there, and so are the American people.'"
His class had no idea of the impact they had made until they received 30 responses via e-mail. "The crew members said they were impressed with our support, and that they needed that support," recalls Laraway. "They had taken our letters out and put them along the mess decks in the chow line for display. The captain said that he saw grown men weep when they read the letters. They read them over and over again."
Students also treasured their letters from crew members. "Each letter was read aloud, and then there was total silence," says Laraway. "They had letters that said, 'I will protect our country,' and 'You are my hero for writing to me.' The students knew they would keep these letters for life; they were really special."
"The kids learned firsthand what it's like to help someone else. Sometimes 10-year-olds don't believe that what they do can really have an impact. But this demonstrated that their voices are important and that writing is a powerful tool. We talked about how acts like this helped make history in our country by uniting people. When you look back at Betsy Ross making the flag, and how people in every part of the nation stepped up to do something, it's all little pieces of a puzzle that come together and make our country great."
After students received their responses, they were even more motivated to write. They sent the sailors multiple letters, including Halloween and Christmas decorations. Letters continued to be sent back and forth. In early December, a satellite call came for them from the Arabian Sea. The classroom's speakerphone enabled the students to speak directly to officers aboard the ship and ask them questions.
"I liked writing to them because I felt confident that they'd feel more secure that someone back home cared about them besides their family," says Alison Alampi. "I said things like 'We're rooting for you.' It made me a better writer and made me feel better as a person. I think it made everyone feel that way. I think the experience really touched my heart. I got a letter back that said how much they appreciated what we wrote and how much we cared. They talked about their jobs on the ship. That was really cool."
As a result of the correspondence, "kids developed a writing style with feeling," says Laraway. "Some students, for the first time, found writing as a way to express themselves, and their writing improved dramatically. I had some reluctant readers - but now they had a reason for reading. They were picking up books on Navy frigates. This whole thing boosted my students' reading and writing skills by giving them an incentive that became self-motivating. It also made our class become more united and more close-knit."
The USS Ingraham in its home port in Everett, Washington.
When the ship returned to its home port in Everett, Wash., in late January, the students designed, constructed and sent to the base a 14-foot "Welcome Home, Pen Pals" banner that included personal portraits and a personal statement to the crew. The banner was the first welcoming sign the crew saw as the ship pulled into port.
In February, the class received a letter of invitation from the ship's commander to attend a formal military ceremony to honor the students.
On March 8, 28 students and their parents, their teacher and other staff members flew to Seattle and were bused to Naval Station Everett for the event. Southwest Airlines generously picked up the tab.
"It was an honor from the minute we walked up the gangplank until the moment we left," says Laraway. "Walking down the pier, we could see the whole crew dressed in military uniforms saluting us. At the awards ceremony, each student was honored with a certificate given by the ship's commander and were photographed with him. They were given caps from the ship. After some speeches, the students broke into small groups and went on a tour of the ship. They were able to try on firefighting gear, look through a telescope, see weapons, tour the mess hall, look at the navigational instruments and visit places that are 'sensitive' parts of the ship and usually off-limits."
Crew members take small groups of students, parents, staff and chaperones on guided tours of the ship, even the sensitive areas.
The students were featured on TIME magazine's student website [http://TimeforKids.com] and made front-page news in the "Battlegroup Newsletter," distributed to troops participating in Operation Enduring Freedom. They were also featured in numerous newspapers in Washington and California.
"The trip was very cool and very exciting," says Anthony Gonzales. "I liked meeting the crew and touring the ship."
"This whole experience would not have happened without my wonderful teacher, Mr. Laraway," says Shannon Bundy. "He is one of my heroes. He taught us how writing a letter to someone can mean so much more than you think and influence people in a positive way. I never thought I would have a chance to be involved in something so wonderful. I had a terrific time meeting my pen pals. They - and my teacher - will always be in my heart."
Sherry Posnick-Goodwin
