St. Louis Park Students Sending Troops Off With Support

Lt. Col. John Morris deals with a lot of difficult things as state chaplain for the Minnesota National Guard, including comforting injured soldiers and telling families the worst news of all—that their loved one died in combat.

But Morris also gets to see a lot of beautiful things in his job, and Tuesday morning presented one such opportunity. Students from the Amos and Celia Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School in St. Louis Park welcomed Morris and presented him a banner that offers words of encouragement and appreciation to all the troops. Later this summer, the banner will travel with a unit of the Minnesota National Guard to Kuwait and Iraq.

“This is a symbol that our community supports us,” Morris said. “That’s priceless.”

For Dr. Ray Levi, the day school’s director, the banner presentation—done on the last day of school—is part of an effort to better connect with Jewish soldiers, as well as students, that will continue into next school year. The school and the deployed National Guard unit plan on communicating via Skype in the fall, allowing students to better connect with and understand soldiers.

“For so many American kids, the work of soldiers is something distant,” Levi said. “I saw this as an opportunity to really add a human dimension.”

Morris himself won’t be deploying this time around—he just got back from a tour in Iraq last year—but he said the troops who will be going will enjoy the interaction, and the students figure to learn a lot from it, too. Morris said the unit will be driving right past the ruins of the historic city of Ur, which is the birthplace of Abraham, according to Jewish tradition.

“We’re coming full circle,” Morris said. “That’s pretty powerful.”

The journey will begin in mid-July, as the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 34th Infantry Division departs for a year overseas. But Morris knows the soldiers won’t be traveling alone.

“We will remember your kindness for our entire year in the desert,” he said to the students Tuesday. “We thank you for your love.”