Collin Pincumbe recently learned that U.S. soldiers give Iraqi children toys and in return those kids often tell the soldiers where bombs are.
With his new knowledge, the H.T. Burt Elementary student joined forces with his fellow fourth graders at the school, wrote letters and sent them? along with toys, food and health care items? in care packages for soldiers who are originally from Michigan and are serving in the war-torn country.
‘It felt good,? said Collin, 10. ‘I was happy to hear the letter back because we helped them.?
He is referring to a letter the students recently received from Sgt. Michael Peters, one of the soldiers to whom they sent a care package.
Robin Loughlin, an H.T. Burt parent and Brandon Township Library employee, began the care package drive after she met Louise Downs, known as the ‘Desert Angel? for her dedication to sending letters and care items to the troops. Loughlin wanted to do the same with the H.T. Burt fourth-graders and began a collection at the end of April. The children also wrote individual letters to be mailed in the boxes.
‘In the letters, they wrote about things like their playground and the Pistons (basketball team),? said Loughlin, who had shown the students a scrapbook with pictures of Iraqi children with the troops and letters from soldiers to Downs. ‘The kids really got it and understood what we were doing. Their letters were very colorful. It was very moving.?
On May 6, they packed and mailed 13 boxes for Michigan soldiers and their respective units.
One of the fourth-graders, Kendrah Foster, collected Pokemon cards with her brother to send and also gave some of her stuffed animals.
‘I think the (Iraqi) kids will feel really good because they don’t have a lot of toys and there’s not much to do when it’s 110 degrees in the sand,? Kendrah said. ‘I thought of how they’d feel if they didn’t have anything. I was happy that I could support the soldiers and people in Iraq. I think I might want to do more next time.?
For more information on how to help, call Loughlin at (248) 627-6479.

18 May 05
Greetings 4th grade class of H.T. Burt Elementary,
Just received your package today and thank you so much!! I really can’t describe the feeling you get knowing someone back there in Michigan is thinking of you. It means sooo much!!
Some of y’all had such good questions. I’ll try and describe this country a bit. First off, it’s really starting to get hot. The week you folks got that snowstorm, we just broke 100 degrees and it hasn’t stopped. It was 111 degrees today (and we’re sure it’ll get worse).
The toys (and candy) that you and other folks have sent is such a treat for the kids here. Remember, they’re just like you. They play football (soccer), basketball, some have dogs and cats. I haven’t seen any, but I bet they play video games, too. Many times the kids just want to talk to us about America, or our families and what we do back home.
Ninety-eight percent of the people here in Iraq are good, hardworking, honest folks just living their lives as best they can. What we would think of as poor, they (the Iraqi people) would see as a comfortable life. There really aren’t many homeless people here and Iraq produces enough food that no one (that I’ve seen) goes hungry. If they had clean water and a working sewage system, this country would be just as nice as America.
Haven’t had a chance to fish the Tigris River yet, but I keep hoping. Someday…
Well, again, thank you for the package and for thinking of us. We’re so far away, sometimes we forget what home is really like.
I will keep you all in my prayers and hope your summer is fun and safe. Be careful on your new playground equipment!
I’ll write again (but you will be out of school, LOL)
Take care all,
Sgt. Michael Peters
Rocketmike13@yahoo.com
Mike.Peters@US.Army.mil