Home from Kuwait

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

ST. JAMES--Anthony Smith couldn't have been more proud as he sat on the Northside Elementary gymnasium floor waving a small American flag on a stick, surrounded by his first-grade classmates.

He broke into a face-wide grin as Principal Tony Faith called him up in front of 425 schoolmates to stand beside, and be introduced with, his mom, Sgt. Taime Smith of Fort Hood, Texas, who was there for Faith termed "one of the most unusual show-and-tells" the school has ever had.

In short, Anthony was the talk of Barb Price's first-grade class.

Having just returned from five and a half months in a tiny oil-rich, sun-baked country on the Persian Gulf, with its inland borders on Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Smith gave the students a little background on what it's like to live in a far-off place for that long a time.

She and her 1st Cavalry support unit from Fort Hood were there as a result of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on American soil.

"Last night, it was 44 degrees here which is about the same as night-time temperatures over there," Smith told the students, "but during the day temperatures will rise to 100 to 115 degrees. And it's all sand--everywhere!"

Many Kuwaitis live like American soldiers lived, in tents, Smith said.

"You sleep in a house; I slept in a tent for five and a half months. You sleep on a bed; I slept on a cot."

A third grader wondered how she protected herself when someone was shooting at her.

"We wear armor-protecting jackets so the bullets can't go through," she explained. "If we are hit, we have bandages attached to our battle gear to stop the bleeding; then we get help."

Smith opened her presentation Friday afternoon by showing a U.S. Army public affairs video, provided by Sgt. 1st Class Lyle Webb, Army recruiter in Mankato. Webb, who assisted Smith during her presentation, said the video is designed to inform the public about the Army, as well as helping to attract recruits.

She then showed slides of Army equipment used during her tour in Kuwait, including the Super Cobra and Blackhawk helicopters. A scene showing a helicopter hauling an army truck at the end of a steel cable drew "oohs" and "aahs" from the youngsters.

She also had a picture taken of herself and TV comedian Drew Carey who led a group of entertainers to Kuwait to boost troop morale.

When another third grader wanted to know if she had fired a "gun," Smith corrected him. "Yes, but they aren't guns, they're weapons."

It was an important distinction, one that figured into Faith's decision to approve Smith's presentation.

"Certainly, it raises issues, and distinctions need to be made," Faith said. "After all, much of what the military is about runs counter to what we are trying to teach students. I thought about this a lot and 'tested the waters' before approving it."

The country's return to physically demonstrating patriotism had a lot to to do with his decision, too. "We've gotten away from patriotism ; now it is back. I'm happy to see it."

To open the presentation, Smith led the assembled group in singing the National Anthem. The children had carried small American flags as they entered the gymnasium, and Smith had placed an American flag and a Minnesota state flag inside the entrance.

Later in the presentation, Smith and Webb split the audience into two groups for a cadence march competition. While the children marched in place, they sang a cadence ditty made up for the occasion by Smith.

For Smith, her duty in Kuwait was the second overseas assignment in a 12-year career. A single parent with two children, Smith now calls Fort Hood home "because that's where I've been the longest since I joined the army." Her parents, Roger and Darlene Langevin of rural La Salle, cared for her children while she was overseas and Anthony until the end of this school term.

"My kids usually are with me, but when I went to Kuwait, I was fortunate enough to have mom and dad here to take them. It was a good opportunity for Antony to get to know his grandparents better. I stayed in touch through phone calls and e-mail."

Smith won't be at Fort Hood much longer, either. She's signed up for a three-year tour in Germany. Because of the length of the tour, she'll be able to take her children with her.