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    Soldier's son sends school supplies to Iraqi children

    Soldier's son sends school supplies to Iraqi children

    Photo By Spc. Daniel Bearl | Nathaniel Laye, 11, stands with boxes of school supplies he gathered and packed to be...... read more read more

    TIKRIT, IRAQ

    09.07.2007

    Story by Spc. Daniel Bearl 

    25th Infantry Division   

    By Spc. Daniel Bearl
    Task Force Lightning Public Affairs

    TIKRIT, Iraq – Back-to-school sales have become an annual event in the United States and a source of both excitement and anticipation for the new school year to come.

    But for one 11-year-old boy in Smithsburg, Md., it presented an opportunity to help other children half a world away, and on Sep. 4 his vision came to life as boxes of school supplies found their way into the eager arms of Iraqi school children near Tikrit.

    Nathanial Laye, the son of Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Laye currently deployed to Iraq, seized on the back-to-school spirit by organizing the collection and delivery of over 100 pounds of school supplies to Iraqi school children.

    "When I heard of the back-to-school sale for supplies, I thought it would be nice to get our church to help buy supplies for the Iraqi children," Nathaniel said in an e-mail interview.

    Nathaniel's father, the 25th Infantry Division Provost Marshal operations non-commissioned officer, is currently serving near Tikrit and provided the connection Nathaniel needed to get his supplies to their destination.

    "I call my son every Sunday," Laye said. "He had told my mom that he wanted to send some school supplies over. I said, 'Yeah, send them over and I'll make sure they get out.'"

    To help gather the supplies, Nathaniel enlisted the aid of the members of his church, Emmanuel Chapel in Smithsburg. Once the supplies were collected, Nathaniel packed them into boxes himself, and, with the help of his grandmother, took them to the post office to be shipped to his father.

    Nathaniel wanted to send the school supplies because he knew that there were children in Iraq who did not have access to enough school supplies and that his father would be able to distribute the supplies, Nathaniel said.

    And while he said carrying the boxes to the post office was hard, he enjoyed packing all the supplies up knowing that the children in Iraq could use them.

    On Sep. 4, Nathaniel's plan came to life as school children from a small school outside Tikrit crowded around the back of a small, white pickup truck eagerly taking handfuls of notebooks, crayons and other school supplies from Nathaniel's father.

    "It makes you feel proud as a father," Laye said, "because you're over here and your son decides he wants to help out in any way he can. Everything that any child can do helps out. Can you imagine if 1,000 kids across the country each put together 100 pounds of school supplies and had it delivered to Iraqi children?"

    As for Nathaniel and his father, they have plans of their own for when Laye returns from Iraq.

    "When I get back, he and I are planning on going hunting together and probably ride my motorcycle together," Laye said.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 09.07.2007
    Date Posted: 09.07.2007 08:22
    Story ID: 12225
    Location: TIKRIT, IQ

    Web Views: 429
    Downloads: 408

    PUBLIC DOMAIN