For the students in Barb Kuck’s class at Benjamin Logan Elementary School, fourth-grade includes learning the art of letter writing.
Kuck planned for two of this school year’s seven letters to go to area veterans — one in the fall for Veteran’s Day and one now as part of the annual Logan County Vets to D.C. Mail Call Campaign.
After missing the last two years due to the pandemic, about 50 World War II, Korean and Vietnam veterans will be traveling to Washington, D.C., May 13-15 (and another group from Sept. 23-25) to see war and service memorials.
Each time they go, the Vets to D.C. committee asks local schools to participate by writing encouraging letters to members of the armed forces. And fourth-grade teacher Kuck appreciates the opportunity to involve her students.
“We start by brainstorming questions to ask, things to talk about and list vocabulary words,” Kuck said. “The students thank them for serving their country and for the sacrifices they made.”
Two of the students in Kuck’s class have close ties to the military. Recently, the two fourth-graders and their families attended graduation ceremonies for their siblings at the U.S. Marine Corps training center at Parris Island, S.C.
In addition, fourth-grader Emery Cluck said she wants her letter to be more encouraging for the veterans “because they will probably see names of people they know (at the memorials) and that will be sad. And I want to thank them for their sacrifices and bravery.”
All participating classes need to have their letters in by March 1.
For more information about the mail call campaign — or to schedule a veteran to speak at your class or school — contact Scott Stewart at (937) 407-6766 or e-mail him at [email protected].