Every morning a student at Mount de Sales wakes up in her air conditioned home and grabs food and water, a soldier in Iraq awakens to a balmy 127 degree day with food that tastes like dust. An idea circulated around the school last year to form a new club called “Support the Troops.” It was met with an overwhelming response by students who are directly or indirectly affected by the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as those with family members serving. At the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, the Support the Troops club opened its doors. Forty to fifty students come consistently to the meetings at lunch every other week. Mrs. Clements, the sponsor of the club, has a son currently serving overseas in the United States Army.
“The kids are wonderful—they really get it. Growing up in the Vietnam era, I never really knew much about the war. And still today, we hardly ever hear about the war in Iraq,” said Clements. “Everyday is dangerous for them, yet they do their job so everyone can be safer.”
The Support the Troops club has been very successful. So far, they’ve raised $1,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project, a program that gets the public involved in helping wounded soldiers adjust to daily life and meet their specific needs. Thirty three students also participated in “Operation Welcome Home” at BWI Airport, where they greeted 387 soldiers returning from duty.
“It makes me feel good that I’m helping someone directly who gave their life to defend our country,” said junior Amanda Golebiowski.
Sailors in the club collect items for care packages to send overseas to the soldiers, and led the school wide service on 9/11. They look forward to things to come during the school year, such as a wounded warrior that is coming to Mount de Sales to speak to the students in February. Most importantly, Mrs. Clements waits in anticipation for her son to return home.
The Support Our Troops club at Mount de Sales, through every act, increases awareness in our community about the prices these soldiers pay to fight for our freedom. It gives us an inside look at the overabundance of “courage and perseverance” a soldier must have to wake up each morning in sauna-like conditions, and fight for our freedom, even when everything tastes like dust.
C. O'Keefe '12