2,340 letters sent to NMI soldiers

Over 2,340 letters from CNMI school children and teachers were sent out to the NMI soldiers currently serving in Iraq.

Pacific Star Center for Young Writers director Katharyn Tuten-Puckett, Military Veterans Affairs Officer executive officer Ruth Coleman, and Mount Carmel School principal Galvin Deleon Guerrero spearheaded the collation and sorting of the letters yesterday at the Mount Carmel School library in the morning together with student volunteers helping out in the project.

Tuten-Puckett said the letters, part of the Project Holiday Cheer, would all be forwarded yesterday afternoon. She said her involvement with the project is one of her contributions to the community.

Last year Tuten-Puckett also got involved with the same project when she was still connected with the Public School System. She added that she was overwhelmed with the turnout of the project. She said the letters sent to the soldiers are more creative and more touching that would certainly put a smile to the soldiers. She said there were jokes, poems, songs, and photos of the classes and families were sent to the soldiers.

Coleman, who is a war veteran, said the project is a fantastic project she considers a way to tell the CNMI troops that they are always remembered. “That we’re always thinking of them all the time especially this holiday season,” she said.

She recalled that when she was proofreading the letters of the students and some teachers, it made her smile and brought tears to her eyes. She said such project should always be done all the time. “The kids are so good,” she added.

Guerrero said it had been a wonderful project for the NMI soldiers. “This is the least we can do for our men and women in service,” he said. Guerrero said his brother just came back from service that he knows how it felt to bring joy to the servicemen. “The project proves that kids nowadays are not apathetic anymore,” he said.

The MCS principal also was astounded with the contents of the letters that some of them came from non-resident students in the CNMI. He said even though some children are not from here, the project only shows that the entire community is a one big family. MCS contributed 495 letters this year.

Garapan Elementary School, Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary School, Kagman Elementary School, San Antonio Elementary School, San Vicente Elementary School, William S. Reyes Elementary School, Hopwood Junior High School, Kagman High School, and Marianas High School participated in the Project Holiday Cheer.

Private schools such as the Calvary Christian Academy, Grace Christian Academy, Mount Carmel School, Northern Marianas Academy, Saipan Community School, and Whispering Palms also participated in the project.

Coleman said out of over 600 NMI soldiers in active duty now, they only 188 addresses as of the moment. She said for families who still want their loved ones be recognized in the project, she said they can contact her through the Military and Veterans Affairs Office with tel. no. 664- 2650 or contact Katharyn Tuten-Puckett through email: pacificstarcetner4yw@yahoo.com.

Military and Veterans Affairs Office, VFW Post 3457, and Toyota Microl Corporation co-sponsored the project. The committee thanked the assistance of Sherry Ana Atalig and Mt. Carmel School principal, students, and the library.