Kid sends packages to troops in Iraq

The fighting in Iraq is winding down. But, Thomas Van Horn says he wants to keep up his flow of home-made care packages to troops in the 101st Airborne Division.

Thomas said, "The war is over but the troops are still in Iraq."

Thomas is a 1st grader at Andrews Academy in Creve Coeur. He turned a Cub Scout craft project into a little home business that brings American troops in Iraq a reminder of home.

He makes tiny American flag pins out of safety pins and tiny red, white and blue beads. Then, he sells them at school, church and to friends. He uses the proceeds to buy snacks, instant cameras, baby wipes and candy.

He puts these personal items into little care packages and sends them to Capt. Matthew Kerr of the 101st Airborne. Captain Kerr then distributes the packages to the more than 100 troops under his command in Iraq.

Seven-year-old Thomas got his care-package idea from a sermon at his church, Salem in Ladue United Methodist Church. The head pastor, Rev. David Kerr, mentioned that his son, Matthew, was serving with the 101st Airborne in Iraq.

Thomas started making lots of pins for sale. But, he also recruited kids in his Sunday School class to assemble some more.

"I had to ask for help because I wasn't keeping up with demand," Thomas said. The Sunday School kids made 40 more pins.

In total, Thomas' little business has produced some 150 pins. The red and white beads make the flag's stripes and the blue beads are the star field. "But, I don't have any stars on the blue beads. They're too small," he said.

He has priced the pins at $2 but sometimes people pay more. "One person bought two for $10," he said. But, "my No. 1 customer was at my mother's work. He bought 10 of them," he said. Beth Van Horn works at BioMerieux, Inc., a medical device maker.

At mid-May, Thomas already had raised over $350.

He started sending the care packages in March. "I made one shipment in March, three in April and one more so far in May," he said.

Thomas has had only one e-mail from Captain Kerr because personal communication with Iraq is difficult. "We don't know where he's stationed. We just send the packages to an APO box," he said.

But, Captain Kerr's wife, Meredith, made a special trip to St. Louis to present Thomas with personalized thanks from the 101st Airborne. Mrs. Kerr is a former military officer but left the service when she started to have kids.

She lives in Fort Campbell, Ky. That's the 101st Airborne's home base when the division isn't off fighting in wars.

The thanks for Thomas came in the form of a specially engraved 101st Airborne coin. One side has the division's "Screaming Eagle" symbol. On the other are names of all the places the division has fought in the past.

Thomas' name is also engraved on that side of the coin. His parents have given him a special coin holder. It's transparent so you can see the coin but protect it from damage.

Mrs. Kerr's presentation came at Thomas' church on Easter Sunday morning. "I got the coin right before the children's sermon in front of everybody," he said.

He said the best part of his care-package project was "when I met Mrs. Kerr for the first time and she hugged me."

The presentation of a 101st Airborne coin doesn't happen too often. The division gives the coins only to people who have done special things.

Of course, Thomas has taken the coin to school to show his classmates. "That was pretty neat," he said.

From Mrs. Kerr, he also got samples of the MRE food packages the troops get in the field. He brought those samples to school also so his classmates could sample the food.

He said the meal included chicken, Mexican-style rice and an ice-tea mix. There were MandM's and shortbread cookies for dessert. "The cookies were all broken up just like they'd be if you carried them in your backpack for a long time," he added.

Thomas said he's going to have to think of more ways to market his pins. "Just about everyone in my school has bought one," he said.

However, he said his dad, Scott, is going to take more to his work place. Thomas also recently sent some pins to a cousin in Rolla, Mo., for sale there.