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                         December 5, 2003

Supporting the troops

Community members collect hundreds of books, magazines for soldiers in Iraq

Story and photo by Spc. Nate Jastrzemski
Staff Writer

Despite the heightened tensions of our Soldiers currently in Iraq, off-duty hours can drag on endlessly. Some military members and civilians across the country have done what they can to fill that down time by donating reading materials.

Here at West Point, Maj. Blair Harms, executive officer to the office of the dean, collected a massive stockpile of books and magazines for shipment to the 101st Airborne Division in Northern Iraq.

"I was thinking about our Soldiers in Iraq and had heard that others had sent them books, so I contacted Maj. Gen. David Petraeus -- commander of the 101st in Mosul -- and asked him if he would like reading materials sent to his troops," Harms said. "He said they could definitely use the books, so I just went through the Dean’s staff here to do a collection."

She said two people in particular -- Dr. Ken Grice, vice dean for resources and Steve Scott, assistant dean for facilities -- had some great ways to help.

"I worked with the Highland Falls-Fort Montgomery school system and enlisted the aid of the Rotary Club to do collecting and boxing and we came up with hundreds of books," Grice said. "It was a wonderful and positive outreach effort that will benefit many people in Iraq -- not just soldiers."

Scott had recently inherited a large collection of books from a longtime friend who had passed away and gave these books to the cause as well.

"My friend, John H. Mueller, was a Navy veteran of World War II and Korea and his life was in his books," Scott said. "I’m confident he would be proud to know his books went to such a worthy cause."

Together with the community, the three managed to collect roughly 4,500 books, enough to fill four shipping pallets.

"In all, we ended with more than 150 boxes of books," Harms added. "We had to go through them and make sure the content was suitable and we then divided them up into different groups, so some were to go to troops while others were intended for Iraqi schools and colleges.

"We also placed many children’s books in the boxes for the troops, so they could deliver them to local children on their own."

Harms said she knew from personal experience how thankful the troops would be to get books.

"I’ve been in the field and I know how boring it can get," she said, "I always read anything I could get my hands on. With no TVs and nothing to do besides play hearts, Soldiers appreciate having some reading materials.

"Gen. Petreaus told me he intends to start a library there in Iraq for Soldiers who will be stationed there in the future and I’m just glad I was able to help them in some way from here at West Point," she added.