Last November, Hubble Middle School students participated in the Library Learning Center’s Veterans Day projects to help our troops overseas.

LLC Director Sue Luehring organized a letter-writing workshop and create-a-bookmark and place-mat crafts, while Hubble computer aide Karen Starr coordinated the “Treats for Troops” collection in conjunction with Operation Support Our Troops/Illinois. The Hubble PTA generously contributed materials for the crafts.

Brightly colored, hand-decorated place mats with uplifting personal messages were sent to veterans at Hines Veteran Hospital. Adding some color and cheer to drab food trays was one way to reach out and touch a lonely soldier recovering from injuries.

Handmade bookmarks, food items and books were sent overseas, along with students’ letters, to show support for the sometimes forgotten men and women as they fight for our freedom and safety. Library staff and Hubble parents helped children for several days with the projects.

The remarkable response from grateful soldiers was shared with Hubble students and staff by Luehring. A notebook full of poignant letters, postcards and photographs laminated by Luehring is on display in the LLC. It is quite a collection of personal reflections, advice, stories, drawings and photos that give the reader a vivid look at the stark reality of wartime heroes’ thoughts.

“If I don’t hear from you again,” wrote one, “take care of yourself and make sure to finish school, you can’t get anywhere without an education.” One soldier compared the “chow hall” to a regular school lunchroom, commenting, “the food here is pretty good.”

“Simple things like a new toothbrush or new socks make our day over here, and the baby wipes are useful as we get to shower only once every 10 days or so,” said another soldier.

“Students were amazed to see how grateful the troops were who received letters from Hubble students and staff,” Luehring said.

Soldiers spoke about their families back home, many with small children who are scattered among relatives. They wrote about their routine of trying to help Iraqi people better themselves, and about their living conditions, forwarding photos of Iraqi children with smiling American soldiers.

So many spoke of their pride in being an American and standing up for the rights of U.S. citizens and protecting all the freedoms we take for granted.

A soldier sent a copy of the Arabic alphabet, and wrote a name in Arabic for a Hubble student who must have written a fantastic letter. His personal response was a lengthy letter. He wrote that children didn’t beg for candy as much as they did for a simple drink of water.

“How precious did they impress us with their greetings in English,” he wrote, “and God bless you.”

You can still help a soldier by contacting Operation Support Our Troops/Illinois at www.osotil.org.

Thank you to Luehring for compiling the soldiers’ responses and sharing the notebook with me. Thanks to Starr, who coordinated the food collection. Their efforts along with Hubble staff and students did make a difference to our troops overseas.

Merle Burleigh’s e-mail is:merleburl@earthlink.net