Joyce Crowder of Fishers said she would have been in tears Thursday had she not gotten a call from her son earlier that morning. Her son, Lance Cpl. Brad Scriff, 19, deployed with his Marine unit to Iraq last Tuesday.
“He’s there safe and sound, and I got to talk to him, and he said ‘mom it’s about 122 degrees here, and I’m looking at nothing but dirt,’” Crowder said.
This is Scriff’s first deployment to Iraq. His unit will be there until February. He is stationed in Al Asad about 112 miles west of Baghdad. He and his fellow Marines will soon receive messages of gratitude for their service courtesy of students from Indianapolis-based La Plaza, a Hispanic and Latino service center.
“What they’re doing for us is really important, and we appreciate what they do,” said Luis, 11, whose last name is withheld at the request of La Plaza.
First- through sixth-graders in La Plaza’s Summer Discovery enrichment program created the cards from art supplies donated by Holy Spirit Catholic Parish at Geist. The students presented Crowder with the cards Friday afternoon at Gambold Middle School in Indianapolis. Crowder will forward the cards to her son’s unit in Al Asad as well as Marines stationed in Rhamadi. Some of the cards will also go to Marine bases in the U.S.
Crowder told the children one of the most requested items from military personnel are cards and letters from school children.
“You’re going to brighten their day,” Crowder said.
The Summer Discovery program helps primarily Hispanic and Latino children develop math and reading skills as they prepare for the upcoming school year said Laura Dandelet, program manager for La Plaza. In addition, students in the Summer Discovery program are required to take on a community service project.
“We try to teach the children the importance of giving back to the community,” Dandelet said. “So, every year we look for different projects.”
The children from La Plaza will be recognized for their efforts at rally in support of U.S. troops Oct. 8 on the steps of the Indiana War Memorial in downtown Indianapolis. Crowder and her husband Terry are members of a Marine Corps parents’ support group. Their Web site, usmcfamilies.com, allows families to share information about family members serving at home and abroad.
Last year they organized a rally supporting all U.S. forces attended by about 350 people. This year they are expecting a larger turnout.
“This focus of this year’s rally is not just on our military personnel, and it’s not just Marines, it’s all the branches. But, we wanted to focus on the kids and what they can do to support our troops,” Crowder said.
The rally is scheduled 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 8. More information about the rally is on the usmcfamilies.com Web site.
William Fouts
Staff Writer
Fishers Weekly
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E-mail: wfouts@fishersweekly.com
Noblesville Daily Times
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E-mail: wfouts@noblesvilledailytimes.com