Letters help soldiers cope in Iraq

By: Mark Behncke

Posted: 4/23/08

Since 2003, soldiers around the world have been in Iraq serving their countries for operation Iraqi Freedom. While these soldiers may be far away from their homes, the UW-Whitewater Golden Key organization is making sure their sacrifices are acknowledged.

The Golden Key is an international honor society that stresses community service, career development, and searches out charity work to better serve the communities around them. After searching out potential ideas, senior Marc Heimerl, president of the university chapter, decided to go beyond local service.

"I felt we were limiting ourselves to just activities on campus," Heimerl said. "The idea our organization decided to pursue seemed like it would have a positive impact that we hoped would get a response from students."

The idea that Heimerl and his organization decided to pursue involved writing letters to soldiers that were currently serving in Iraq. The idea was an event that his organization had previously had success with in other international chapters.

"It was an idea that the Golden Key had done before," Heimerl said. "It's something I felt was needed. I had a friend who had served overseas who I wished I could have been able to contact while he was there."

Heimerl then forwarded the idea to advisor Kim Marino who has assisted the group since 2001.

"He asked me if it was a good idea. I whole heartedly agreed that it was worthwhile," Marino said. "I have known three people who have served during this war. It is the courage of these people that motivate me to want to let them know we support them."

During the week of March 18 students were encouraged to write letters and drop them off in boxes across campus. Heimerl's own letter was dedicated to his appreciation for what soldiers have to endure during their service overseas.

"My letter was really appreciative," Heimerl said. "I imagine how difficult it is from their perspective, they go through terrible conditions. I feel a small gesture like this can go a long way."

The letter collecting event that took place last week unfortunately did not yield the results the group had hoped for. Several factors led to poor turnouts that Heimerl attributes to timing.

"Only a few dozen people showed up," Heimerl said. "The timing unfortunately was just before spring break and many students were preoccupied. I was hoping that at least one hundred people would have showed up to the event."

For Marino, the future success of the event could be more abundant if spread more widely to other campus organizations.

"I would love for every single organization on the UW-Whitewater campus to write twenty-five letters," Marino said. "It would be amazing to send a thousand letters. Each letter is going to someone who is putting their safety on the line."

Marino stresses that events like this one are only the beginning and that more needs to be done to better improve conditions for soldiers.

"I guess I feel that whatever we can do will hopefully be of some comfort or support," Marino said.

The event however was not in vain as Heimerl suggests. The amount of letters he believes will still be relevant, even if it were not as many as originally expected.

"I feel good about the activity despite what happened," Heimerl said. "Even it it's only one letter that means a lot to me, and hopefully it means a lot to our men and women serving in Iraq."

For more information about the Golden Key please visit the group at http://www.goldenkey.org.