Jenks High School students adopt former students fighting now in Iraq

"Everything you do is so amazing you're protecting us everyday in our country, I canâ€™t imagine what it is like over there we will continue to pray that you come home safely." <br/><br/>News on 6

Thursday, January 13th 2005, 10:35 am

By: News On 6

"Everything you do is so amazing you're protecting us everyday in our country, I canâ€™t imagine what it is like over there we will continue to pray that you come home safely."

News on 6 reporter Ashli Sims says students at Jenks High School are not writing to anonymous, faceless soldiers. For them, the war in Iraq is personal.

Two of their own, boys who used to walk the halls of Jenks High School are now patrolling in Iraq. Jenks senior Meredith Roskamp: "It just makes it more real that we know someone over there who's fighting in Iraq."

A group of marketing students known as DECA has adopted not only the former Trojans Corporal Eric Wolfe and Lance Corporal Jonathan Gobbo, but their whole unit.

When the unit was attacked in the fall, these students felt it. Jenks senior Megan Reese: "that was definitely scary some of our pen pals actually were injured. So we were worried about them." Now they're hoping to give back to the Marines who have become their heroes. Meredith Roskamp: " Since we knew those boys that went over to Iraq we just wanted to do some personalized to bring something from home to ease their homesickness over there cause its got to be hard being over there."

Jenks High School students collected almost 4,000 items, enough for boxes for all 18 members of the unit. Jenks senior Abby Ervin: "we take it so for granted that we can go to the drugstore every day and get whatever we need and they're just begging for the smallest bottle of shampoo or just a bar of soap."

Some goodies, some necessities and a few words of support. "We canâ€™t wait for you to come back safely you're in my thoughts and prayers."