Benn El students welcome home ‘their’ guardsman, Sgt. Krawczyk
Friday January 21, 2011
BENNINGTON — Charles Krawczyk was surrounded by a class of third-graders who ran to him with open arms after he walked into a Bennington Elementary classroom Thursday.
Krawczyk, who returned from a year-long deployment overseas with the Vermont National Guard B Troop in December, has become close with the students, who sent him letters, drawings, well-wishes and candy while he was stationed in Afghanistan.
Clothing, flags, pictures
In return, Krawczyk sent items like Afghan clothing, flags, pictures and provided a glimpse of a different culture.
The interaction began unexpectedly after the troops deployed, said Judith Pennock, who volunteered in Colleen Marcoux’s second grade class, which the students were in last school year.
“It wasn’t meant to be this. we were going to wave good-bye to the bus (of soldiers on their way to the airport) in December of ‘09, and it ran late and we couldn’t get there. They were so disappointed,” Pennock said.
As a consolation prize, Pennock had the class write to Krawczyk, which was the start of a yearlong back and forth communication.
“It just grew and grew and grew and took on a life of its own,” Pennock said at a homecoming party for Krawczyk at Bennington Elementary Thursday.
“I had my wife and my boys sending things to me, but when the kids came on-board it was just like extended family. I couldn’t wait for mail,” Krawczyk said. “They wrote letters all through the summer.”
Many of the items Krawczyk sent were clothes he thought the students would find interesting because of how different they were compared to what American children wear.
“I was shocked the children wore the fancy clothing that they did when they are living in mud huts … the dresses that the little girls wore were just fantastic; they were bright and colorful,” Krawczyk said. “Every now and then we’d have the opportunity to buy a dress or something like that and I just said ‘perfect.’ I wanted to send it back to the kids so that they could see and experience the lifestyle in Afghanistan.”
After watching a slideshow of images and video clips from Afghanistan, the class presented Krawczyk with gifts. One of the most touching was a plaque with an image of the 1776 American flag and the message “We love you Sgt. K. from your fan club at Bennington Elementary,” with each student’s signature.
Krawczyk said he hopes the children learned “that there’s real people over there in Afghanistan. It’s not about the war; it’s about people, the young kids and the culture.”
Krawczyk also presented each student with a photo montage made up of 5,000 images from Afghanistan that his son Coleman made and thanked the class for its support.
Principal James Law said it was the school that should be giving thanks.
“I’ve seen some of the correspondence that’s gone back and forth … and it’s been a fine example for our kids,” Law told Krawczyk. “For you to use your time, open your heart, and to keep these kids in mind, we very much appreciate it.”
Contact Dawson Raspuzzi at draspuzzi@benningtonbanner.com
<a href="http://www.benningtonbanner.com/local/ci_17163463tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.benningtonbanner.com/local/ci_17163463Sat, 22 Jan 2011 04:25:50 GMT 00:00″>Benn El students welcome home ‘their’ guardsman, Sgt. Krawczyk
Tags: candy, elementary classroom, flags, school year
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