Fourth-graders get pizza party thanks to Marine they befriended

[thedrifter]

May 21, 2003

Fourth-graders get pizza party thanks to Marine they befriended

Associated Press


DAVENPORT, Iowa ? A fourth-grade class at Madison Elementary School got special certificates, pizza and pop thanks to a Marine they befriended in the Gulf.
The students in Lori Bates? class wrote Marine Andy Saldivar this spring. The 22-year-old Davenport resident is in Iraq with an engineering force, building bridges and dismantling mines.

The children stood rigidly at attention as U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Charles Rohm read the citation:

?Though you are young citizens of this great United States of America, you helped bring about the end of Saddam Hussein?s dictatorship. Your words of encouragement and caring were with the Marines and helped them accomplish the mission to provide peace for your generation.?

The children then marched in order past Rohm and Sgt. Ryan Easton, receiving the special certificates.

Saldivar helped orchestrate the school event after speaking to his mother in a telephone call, helping set up the pizza and pop party.

Saldivar, a Davenport West High School graduate, is based in Kuwait. He appreciated the letters from the class.

?We told him congratulations,? student Molly Spaulding said.

?We told him about ourselves, too,? said D?Anthony Logan and classmate Shamika Carmen, who also sent money for servicemen to buy personal items.

Andy?s mother, Carol Saldivar, told the class her son and others serving their country appreciate the letters as it helps them feel closer to home.




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Copyright 2003 The Associated Press



Sempers,

Roger

[usmcsgt65]

Off the topic, but I thought you had a tap on the AP. How did you manage to do it?

Great PR for the Corps to show the kids that they cared about their efforts to support the troops during the conflict.