Cliff Buchan
News Editor

Nearly 16 months in a war zone is a long time, Matt Thelander will tell you. The days are long and nerves can fray. But through it all, a letter or a package from home is a spirit lifter.

Thelander knows first-hand. A junior high science teacher in ISD 831, it was only a year ago when Thelander was pulling night guard duty at a military base in Iraq or riding shotgun on convoys carrying supplies and goods to Baghdad.

A man can get nervous when riding in the cab of a semi-truck hauling fuel, Thelander says.

Thelander, a 27-year-old North Branch resident, is more relaxed today. He splits his time in science classrooms at Southwest and Century junior high schools. No more convoy duty and carrying an M-249 machine gun will do that for a guy.

Thelander endured his duty time in Iraq and Kuwait that extended from April of 2003 until July of last year. The packages from home are a big spirit builder for the men and women in harmís way, he says.

ìItís unbelievably important,î Thelander said from his classroom at Southwest last week. ìThere is nothing better than getting a care package from home.î

Thelander is one of a dozen or so staff members at Southwest who are supporting a student drive this month to collect goods and services needed by troops serving in the Middle East. The drive will continue through Friday, March 18.

Students at Century will also be collecting goods. The items will be mailed to Minnesota units serving in the war zone in partnership with Forest Lake-based Project Hope North, Inc. and Hugo American Legion Post 620. Project Hope has spent most of the winter collecting items for care packages that are being sent to Minnesota military units based in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Christ Bairaktaris, coordinator.

Students in English classes at Southwest will also be writing letters for distribution to troops from Minnesota.

At Southwest, students in the Students Against Destructive Decisions group are coordinating the drive, dubbed Operation Military Pride III, as a community service project.

Thelander says he was fortunate during his stay in Iraq. At Christmas 2003 he received a shipment of 24 boxes from his wife, Jessica, who frequently shipped care packages to her husband. He was quick to share his booty with other men and women in his unit.

Jessica Thelander would send cookies, food snacks, blankets and personal hygiene items that troops needed. A blanket made by his wife was very welcomed, he said.

ìThe blankets were great,î he said. ìIt gets cold at night. And I loved the beef jerky.î

Thelander said mail from strangers is also important. Troops deployed overseas appreciate letters and notes and the fact that strangers at home are supporting them in their time away from home.

What they need

The list of items needed by troops is long.

Military personnel on duty in Iraq and Afghanistan have requested the following items: baby wipes in unscented plastic cases, Nerf footballs, Kool Aid with sugar, raisins, powdered Gatorade or Poweraid, Tang, sunflower seeds in shells, toothpaste, toothbrushes, gum, coffee or tea, hot cocoa mix, lip balm, hard candy, AA batteries, paper and pens.

Southwest students will collect goods in their home rooms through March 18. The two home rooms with the most items will be treated to juice and doughnuts as a reward.

The public is also welcome to participate. Donations from the public can be delivered to the main office at Southwest Junior High, 943 SW 9th Ave. through March 18.

Southwest Principal Marc Peterson says the drive has been endorsed by the 12 veterans who are on staff. They include Thelander, Larry Underkoffler, Paul Iwaszko, Jim Noll, Don Bjerke, Tom Malerich, Bill Sullivan, Jeff Henry, Jim Stromberg, Dennis Hughes and Rosie Quale.

Staff members Stromberg, Lee McNiesh and Sue Peterson have sons in the military.

ìI think they would like it, because some people over there donít have family or little family,î said Rosie Quale. ìAnd it shows that they are fighting for a reason, and that people they donít know are thinking about them.î

Thelander canít say enough about the drive.

ìIím all for the drive,î he said. ìIt means more than you can believe. It means a lot to get one piece of mail or one package.î
Thelanderís story

Thelander, a 1996 graduate of North Branch High School, enlisted in the Army Reserves in December of 1995 and was assigned to the 457th Transportation Unit at Fort Snelling. He remained in the Reserves while attending Cambridge Community College and the University of Minnesota-Duluth where he earned a teaching degree in 2002.

He worked part-time subbing at four area school districts in the 2002-2003 school year, including jobs at the two junior high schools and high school here. He was in position to land a full-time job when his active duty deployment order arrived.

He was deployed in February of 2003 and transferred to the 413th Chemical Company, Florence, SC, for specialized training in dealing with chemicals and weapons of mass destruction. On April 15, 2003, Thelanderís boots were on the ground in Iraq.
After a three-month period of doing odd jobs, Thelanderís company of 130 troops was assigned to new duties as no weapons of mass destruction were ever found.

Most of the early odd jobs involved cleaning Marine vehicles. It was easy work, but it didnít last for long, Thelander said.
For the next year, Thelander split time at Victory Base located halfway from the Kuwait border to Baghdad. His duties included eight-hour guard duty shifts at night and also providing military support for convoys traveling to Baghdad carrying goods, supplies, food and fuel.

ìMy crew was lucky,î Thelander said. ìWe came under fire just once.î

Troops in the South Carolina unit were part of the military force that provided firepower for the 50-vehicle convoys that provided critical support service to troops at bases throughout the country. ìWe were riding shotgun,î he said.

The danger and uncertainty of the convoy duty gave plenty of reason to worry, he said. Troops could never tell when an insurgent attack would come. While Thelanderís unit was involved in just one direct attack, they saw plenty of evidence of car bombings, road-side bombings and sabotage.

Thelanderís duty extended into the summer of 2004, largely due to the fact that its commander structure had been sent home and the unit was easily reassigned. ìWe were a free flowing unit with no higher headquarters. We were there for the picking.î

Thelander said his worry was compounded last summer by the idea of coming home with no job. But good fortune was on his side.
Through his wife, Jessica, Thelander learned of a job opening in Forest Lake. He may have the distinction of being the only Forest Lake teacher to be hired from a telephone interview from a war zone.

Thatís how his job offer came after a long-distance photo interview with Peterson and Ben Lewis, Century principal, last summer.
ìMy wife did a ton of leg work for me,î he said.

Thelanderís six-year Army Reserve stint has long since expired as his stay in the military was extended. He plans to leave the Army Reserves this spring. While he has no plans to extend his Army duty, he may consider a later enlistment in an Air Force or Naval officer candidate program.

For now, he plans to teach and looks back on his Iraq duty with the knowledge that he served when called. The idea that the effort was appreciated at home is encouraging.

ìYou accept it,î he said of his duty in Iraq. ìWe were doing what we had to do. We did what we were supposed to do. It is good to see the support for the troops.î

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