Student Pen Pals Meet Their Hero Soldier
Published: April 10, 2007
Army Sgt. Maj. Elwood Johnson spent months in an Afghan war zone in treacherous conditions. But throughout his time in Afghanistan, the Purple Heart winner carried a special friend named Sid in his backpack.
Shipped all the way from Stevenson Ranch, Sid kept Johnson company on long hikes, airplane and Army Humvee rides.
Tina Csiszar, a sixth-grade teacher at Stevenson Ranch Elementary School decided to “adopt” Johnson after finding out that one of her students had a brother serving in Afghanistan. Johnson, who is now stationed at Ft. Bragg, N.C., flew to California to visit his sixth-grade friends on Monday.
He shared his photos and stories and presented the class with the American flag that he had flown over his camp on Veterans Day.
The class had sent care packages, e-mails, pictures and letters to him and Johnson, who is in special operations, said he would always share his mail with his fellow soldiers.
One student came up with the idea to go to Build-A-Bear Workshop and make a bear to send to Johnson to keep him company. They named the bear “Sid,” dressed the bear in camouflage and digitally recorded a voice message wishing him a safe homecoming.
“You don’t have immediate access to a telephone or the Internet every day,” said Johnson. “So when you get mail, it reminds you of what you have back at home.”
Johnson said he didn’t know they had recorded a message until he was carrying the bear in his pack on a long hike. He was traveling alone and suddenly heard a strange voice coming from behind him wishing him a safe homecoming.
In November, the students sent Johnson all of their Halloween candy. Johnson said that as he traveled through the villages of Afghanistan, he would sometimes pass out candy to the local children.
“Word would get out somehow,” he said. “Kids would come running from almost as far as the eye could see.”
After corresponding with him throughout the entire school year, the students couldn’t wait to meet their overseas hero.
“We knew right before spring break,” said student Lauren Hedwall. “Everyone was really excited. We were all talking about what we were going to wear.”
“I’ve seen a soldier before, but I had never talked to one,” said L.J. Finley.
Johnson showed photos of children the same age as the sixth-grader and told them about the lifestyle of Afghan children.
“Children that are your age don’t go to school,” he said. “They work.”
He said the children herd sheep and take care of camels and fetch water from the wells.
Csiszar said that one day, the students received a letter from Johnson saying that he had sustained injuries in an accident.
“The class was shocked,” Csiszar said. “It made them realize how much they cared about him without even knowing him.”
She said Johnson has taught the students a valuable lesson.
“They need to realize that they are safe because of him,” she said. “They can live their lives day to day as if nothing going on because of him and all of the other men and women fighting over there.”
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