Pawnee City fourth graders gain awareness about Iraq

What began as a writing project turned in to a history lesson for the Pawnee City fourth graders.

Students elected to write to Matthew Turnbull, a Pawnee City graduate, and Jerry E Jacobitz, son of Pawnee City graduate Kathleen Miller Jacobitz and her husband, Jerry, of Pawnee City.

Both men are soldiers serving in Iraq.

“Students gained an awareness of where Iraq is in the world, the difference in terrain and climate there and they hopefully have gained a better understanding of the differences between a country with freedom and one without,” said fourth grade teacher Deb Niss.

The children first sent cards at Christmas time and then letters to the two soldiers. They were surprised to get letters back from both.

“Once I suggested the project, they were excited about it, but I truly don’t think their goal in writing was to hear back from the soldiers,” Niss said. “They were fascinated to hear from Matt that he’d been on an air assault mission and rode in a Black Hawk helicopter.”

The students love to talk about communication and what they have learned from the project.

“I think more people should write to the people in Iraq so their confidence will help them win the war,” said Caetlen Gyhra.

“We did it because we are happy because they are fighting for freedom,” said Ted Gyhra.

The students wrote about life at home and school. They told the soldiers about the high gas prices as well as their 4-H projects.

In addition to the letters, they received a U.S. flag from Jacobitz and a patch that Turnbull had received. Turnbull told students he had received the patch for something special and sent it to them because they were special. The patch is on display in the forth grade class room.

According to e-mail correspondence from Jacobitz, the flag had been with them in Iraq.

“We hung the flag on the wall inside our compound,” he said. “We don’t fly our flags on poles here because we are not occupying Iraq and we don’t want to send the message that we are staying here for good.”

The flag along with a plaque will hang in the gymnasium.

Both soldiers said they enjoyed the letters from the students and things from home. Jacobitz said he enjoyed everything about the letters. He added, “It is hard to narrow down the best thing I have received from home. But I would have to say it is articles about Nebraska, especially Husker football. The letters I received from the Pawnee City fourth grade was without a doubt the most special thing that I have received on this tour, though.”

Jacobitz said he receives packages and letters from his family every week.

“I have the greatest family in the world,” he said “In this age of computers, I get more e-mails, but if you haven’t been deployed you can’t understand what letters from home mean to us soldiers. We share them each other and it reminds of what we are fighting for.”

One thing the fourth grade student really enjoyed was learning about the children in Iraq. Jacobitz told them the children in Iraq are full of hope that they will be able to live in freedom. When soldiers are driving their vehicles, kids come out of their houses and wave to them.

When soldiers are walking in the streets the children surround them, shake their hands and ask to take pictures with them. They love soccer and always ask if the soldiers can give them a soccer ball. They are excited about the changes that are happening around them. They love Iraq and want to have everything we take for granted in America.

SFC(P) Jacobitz is stationed 15 miles south of Baghdad, close to the Euphrates River. Specialist Turnbull is stationed at COB Speicher.