Tulsa child gets letter from President Bush

Monday, six year old Zach Shrum got a very special letter in the mail from Washington DC, the White House in fact. <br><br>Tuesday, News on Six reporter Rick Wells went to Zach's school to find out

Tuesday, April 16th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Monday, six year old Zach Shrum got a very special letter in the mail from Washington DC, the White House in fact.

Tuesday, News on Six reporter Rick Wells went to Zach's school to find out what all the excitement was about. Zach Shrum is 6, he's in Mrs. Bush's kindergarten class at Key Elementary, and he's enjoying his status as BMOC, which would be Big Man On Campus.

Zach got a letter from the President, the President of the United States, and he brought it to school to share. Actually the President wrote Zach responding to a letter Zach wrote to him shortly after the September 11th attacks. His grandmother, Nancy Forrest, did the writing, he did the drawing. "I said OK you can write a letter, you tell me what you want to write, and he drew a picture of a rainbow, and the flag, and he wrote to just to tell him how sorry he was, and how much he loves our President and how glad he is he's our President now."

And who would ever have thought he'd get an answer, but he did. Mr. Bush said he was touched by Zach's concern and encouraged by his kindness and compassion. Rick Wells, "Now what are you gonna do with that letter? You gonna hang it on the wall?â€ Zach, â€œYeah, hang it on my wall." Wells, "Are you gonna write him again?" Zach, â€œYes, we're gonna tell him thank you for the letter."

Zach's sense of patriotism is developing with the encouragement of his grandmother Nancy Forrest. They along with little brother Josh have e-mailed questions and comments to the White House and occasionally visited the White House picture gallery, Zach likes Ophelia, the President's longhorn. "It's at his ranch in Crawford, Texas. I guess if you had a ranch in Texas you'd have longhorns on it wouldn't you."

And while we're at it how bout that thank you note. "We are praying for you and our country, God Bless You and God Bless America, Zach Shrum and Josh Shrum." Pretty cool stuff for a six year old and his little brother.