Family of Marple Newtown Alum and Iraq Vet Receives Flat Daddy From Paxon Hollow Students

NEWTOWN SQUARE–Last year, sixth-grade geography teacher Angela Matt spearheaded a Flat Daddy/Mommy project in her classroom.

The Flat Daddies/Mommies are life-size photos of the military parent serving overseas to help children of military families cope. The to send to military families.

One of those families included Paul Charron's family, who was a Marple Newtown alumni and a student of Matt's.

"She was a student teacher during my fifth-grade class at . Besides being a great teacher, I remember that she was very fair and very nice. Being the youngest and shortest kid in my class, I was picked on quite a bit. Mrs. Matt helped me through that," fondly recalled Charron over an email.

Charron, who was deployed four years ago to Iraq with the Air Force and currently serving overseas in Afghanistan, kept in touch with Matt ever since.

Periodically when he came home from serving overseas, Charron would frequently visit Matt's class. Though he didn't have a particular goal in mind, Charron said over time he began to develop a few personal ones.

"I do want to let children know that they can chase their dreams no matter what obstacles they have. Like I said before, I was one of the kids that was picked on in school," shared Charron. 

"Back then I never dreamed I would be successful in the military, but here I am," continued Charron. "I also want to keep kids from creating their own obstacles. I tell the kids I never took drugs or cheated on any tests. Had I done that, I might not be where I am today."

Matt's sixth-grade students collected and fundraised for weeks, sometimes giving up their own lunch money, for the project and their efforts were not taken lightly.

"I thought it was really neat for these kids to do something like that for us," said Charron's wife Caroline. The Charrons have three boys, Allen, 11, Nicholas, 9, and Phillip, 7. Having their father away is not easy on them, said Caroline.

"We Skype but the quality for the Internet connection over there isn't the best," said Caroline about communicating with her husband overseas. "It's nice for them [the three boys] to have another form of the picture around the house. Hopefully the presence of the photo will help fill that gap that's there right now."

In an email, Charron wrote, "I know my kids miss me quite a bit. This [Flat Daddy] will definitely help them. Anything to help them will make life easier on my wife."

Although he believes the Flat Daddy will help his own family cope, the life-size photo goes a long way. Charron said, in turn, it also helps the current soldiers with families serving overseas.

"When you take care of the childrens' emotional needs, you help whoever is left behind taking care of them," said Charron. "When the family is taken care of, the troops that are deployed are more emotionally sound. They can concentrate on the mission, get it done quicker, and hopefully all come home a little sooner as a result."