Thanks everyone. Tony you may be sorry for that the boy can eat....Here is an article from the local paper here. They did a pretty nice job. Hope you enjoy it.. Cindy
Thank you
By Steve Peterson
Taylor Schmit hugs Camille Michalski, one of his former teachers at St. Bede School in Ingleside, during a visit to the school to urge students to write letters to soldiers. Taylor will be heading to Iraq next month to serve in the Army.—Photo by Sandy Bressner
As Taylor Schmit entered several classrooms where he once sat, teachers gave him hugs and remembered when he was in a class of 10 eighth-graders at St. Bede School.
Schmit is preparing these days not for high school, but for defending the freedoms we all enjoy. His Army unit from Fort Campbell will be serving their country in Iraq.
“It’s great that he came back,†said teacher Dianne Schroeder.
“It means a lot to the soldiers. It helps them to have a connection with home,†Schmit said as he handed out certificates to students. The students were thanked for sending cards and letters to servicemen. “Fort Campbell is a pretty big place. People sign up for all kinds of reasons.â€
Schmit is looking forward to his new assignment, possibly in Baghdad. He has a college degree in education and hopes to be a high school history teacher.
“It is good to learn about other cultures, so you can break down the stereotypes. They’re people, just like us,†Schmit said.
He admitted, when asked by as student, that he is a little scared, but added he feels his training will assist him.
The 23-year-old Schmit, a graduate of Grant High School, visited the classes of teachers he had when he was at St. Bede, Camille Michalski and Avie Curran. One teacher has a son who is serving in Iraq.
Schmit’s mom, Cindy, said the letters from the students were a good effort and should keep coming. She sends them from Operation Care Package in New York.
St. Bede Principal Margaret Webb also said the project is a good one and students reacted well to seeing Schmit.
“Thank you for protecting our country, and thank you for helping other people beside yourself. I have two great uncles who were in the Air Force and a grandpa who was an explosive expert. Here is a part of a psalm for you, “For behold, your enemies raise a tumult and they who hate you lift up their heads. Against your people they plot, those whom you protect. They say, ‘come, let us destroy their nation,’ I am 9 years old and my brother who is 12 wants to be in the Air Force,†wrote one student.
“Thank you for fighting for our country. Do you ever get to go home and see your family? I feel really bad. You protect our country, and we appreciate it,†wrote another.
“I want to thank you for fighting for us, keep our country safe. I will pray for you each night and ask God to keep you safe. I hope you are not too lonely in Iraq, and I hope you have good food to eat,†wrote a second-grader.
“Thank you for going to war just for us. Everybody loves people who go to war just to give us freedom. You are the best. I hope you don’t get hurt a lot. I hope everyone can come home soon.â€
speterson@lakelandmedia.com