John Hendler
The Chronicle
Marshall Middle School seventh grade social studies teacher Bill Dryer has a lot on his mind besides geography and state capitals these days.
His son Jordan, 19, a 2006 Marshall High School graduate and a Marine Lance Corporal, was deployed to Iraq in August for seven months. He’s currently on a mission and will not be able to communicate for the next two months.
“We are two, three weeks into it,” said Dryer. “Before his mission he called home a dozen times and he brought his laptop over, so we’ve been able to communicate.”
Jordan is situated southwest of Baghdad where his main responsibility is detonating insurgent improvised explosive devices also known as I.E.D.s and fortifying defenses.
“Basically, he’s building things,” said Dryer.
After Jordan was deployed, Dryer said some other teachers approached him.
“Some of my co-workers said they’d like to do something for my son,” he said. “But during the discussion, they said that wouldn’t it be nice, because our school mascot is the Patriot, to include kids who go to school here as well as adults. So, it went from interest in my son to ‘let’s include our entire school family.’”
The plan is for students to provide names of people they know are in Iraq and to donate items to put in care packages.
“Some instrumental players have been Jan Elyea and Steve Swaton,” said Dryer. “They have shown an incredible amount of interest in this in supporting and organizing.”
Dryer said that a newsletter had been mailed to all middle school families notifying them of the project and what items that are needed.
“We’ll also have that same letter at parent-teacher conferences next week,” he said. “People can bring in items or money which will be needed to mail the packages.”
Dryer said each package sent would cost $8.
Among the items to be sent include hand sanitizer, disposable cameras, personal hygiene items, snack crackers, powdered drink mix, local newspapers, puzzles, dried fruit and the holy grail of them all, beef jerky.
“Beef jerky is a really big deal,” he said. “It’s like Christmas every time they get a package.”
Dryer said pork products will not be accepted out of respect for Muslim dietary laws.
“Students should bring in items and give them to their home-room teacher,” said Dryer “Once we get enough items for one package, we’ll send it. We’re not waiting for one big package send date.”
He said, however, he’d like to make sure that packages go out between Thanksgiving and Christmas and also after the first of the year.
He said packages would be sent until at least March, when Jordan is scheduled to return home.
“We’re not taking a political stance,” said Dryer. “We are doing this to support our troops.”
Dryer said that he had been in touch with a liaison between the families and troops, but because of security reasons, couldn’t get a list of names to send the packages to.
“We’re going to send these items to specific individuals or it will be Jordan’s job to dispense the packages once they get over there,” he said.
Dryer said that his son’s spirits have been good.
“He said that what people see and hear about the war in the U.S. is not accurate,” said Dryer. “Jordan told me that statistically there’s less than a one-percent chance that anything is going to happen to any military personnel over there.”
Dryer said the initial response to the project has been positive and has been spreading by word of mouth.
“People have risen to the occasion,” he said. “This has become an ‘if you build it they will come’ sort of thing.”
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