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Sorority pen pals boost soldiers’ morale
5:01 p.m., Nov. 1, 2006--Sorority sisters writing letters to homesick soldiers on the frontlines may invoke images of a bygone era, but for members of Alpha Sigma Alpha it's an image as up-to-date as text messages on a cell phone. More than 100 of the sisters corresponded with the members of Gator Battery, a field artillery regiment combat team that provided artillery support for an infantry brigade while stationed in Remagan, Iraq. The unit, which was serving its second tour in Iraq, is now home. Capt. Pete Gray, commander of Gator 6, who distributed the letters to individual soldiers, told the sisters, “We are the artillery support for an infantry brigade know as the 3rd Brigade Combat Team (Rakkasan) of the 101st Airborne Division (air assault). The word Rakkasan means 'falling umbrella' in Japanese and is a reference to the brigade's history as a parachute unit during the Korean War. The division is known as the Screaming Eagles because of the unit patch worn on our shoulders which contains the head of an eagle known as 'Old Abe' and the 'Air Assault' designation which means that our primary method of riding into battle is the helicopter. The Rakkasan Brigade is the only brigade in the Army that has fought in the Korean War, Vietnam, Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Iraqi Freedom.” At the time, Gray wrote the battery had been deployed for nine months and had three more months to serve in Iraq. Gray continued, “Many soldiers in this battery, me included, have served all over Iraq including Tal'Afar, Mosul, Ad Dujayl and Tikrit. For this tour we trained to be infantrymen, and, because of this, we conduct daily combat patrols to clear the local roads of improvised explosive devices (IEDs, or bombs), [conduct] air assault (helicopter) missions to capture enemy insurgents and engage with local leaders to ensure their government is operating effectively. “The desert is a drab, monotonous place but each of the letters brightened the spirits of each and every one of my soldiers....[W]e are proud of our service and the job we do everyday, but it always helps to have friends on the outside to pick you up when you are down. The sisters of Apha Sigma Alpha have certainly done that.” Gray is the older step-brother of Jackie Bryan, a junior political science major from Fairfax, Va., who is the public relations chair of the sorority. Working with her sister-in-law, Maggie Gray, Bryan helped coordinate the project. “My sister-in-law is really the unsung hero of this project,” Bryan said. “She took care of all the battery's families while they were in Iraq. My brother asked her to find a group of girls to write to about 80-90 guys, and she contacted me. “We (the sorority) said, 'Sure. We would be glad to write.' Most of the guys were our age. There they were only about 19-20 years old and risking their lives, and here we were in college just living our normal lives every day.” Sorority president Laura Witt, a senior fashion merchandizing major from Gettysburg, Pa., and Nikki Ennis, the sorority's vice president for programming, a senior chemical engineering major from New Freedom, Pa., worked with Bryan encouraging sisters to write and collecting the letters. “Since many of the sisters, Jackie and I included, have many friends and family members serving overseas, we wanted to do something that was very close to our hearts. Many of us received letters back from the soldiers, and in each of the letters they said how much they appreciated the time and thoughtfulness we put into them. We were so glad to be able to brighten their day while they were serving our country,” Witt said. “The letters shared funny stories and some of the girls sent pictures,” Bryan said. “Most of the soldiers wrote back or started e-mailing. Some of the guys sounded really cool.” Bryan said Gray returned safely from Iraq and was happily reunited with his wife and 18-month-old son, Jackson, who was only 6 months old when his father left. Article by Beth Thomas |
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