Soldier greeted with a welcome home banner

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
February 26, 2004

Le MARS - Third graders at Gehlen Catholic in Le Mars on Feb. 20 reunited with their penpal who had been stationed in Egypt.

Sgt. Michael Nelson had been stationed in Egypt since last May and recently returned to Le Mars where he took the time to visit the third grade students that he had been writing to while in Egypt.

"They asked about the country and about the people," said Nelson. "I tried to describe it to them the best that I could."

Nelson met the students when they were in second grade last spring and asked them if they would write to him. The students wrote him once in May and then when school started in August they started writing to him again.

"They wrote him conversational letters and asked him about what he was doing over there," said Linda Hughes, one of the third grade teachers. "He wrote back, individually to each student and answered the questions that they had asked in their letters. We e-mailed him good luck and best wishes and things like that."

He wrote the students letters and e-mails and vice versa. During his stay in Egypt, Nelson sent at least one letter to each of the 36 students in third grade classes at Gehlen. One set of letters that he received arrived in Egypt on Christmas Eve. He commented that it was a nice gift.

During his visit to Gehlen, Nelson talked to the students about his experience in Egypt. Along with answering their questions, he showed them pictures on his computer. One picture was of Mount Sinai.

Some of the questions the students asked Nelson were about what he wore, where he slept, what his favorite part about Egypt was and did he have to learn the language. In reply, he told the students that he wore the uniform that he was wearing that day including a hat and he slept in a building. He explained to them that his favorite part of being in Egypt was seeing how a different culture lives, and that he only had to learn a little bit of the language.

He also brought a box of things that he had purchased while in Egypt. He showed them a head dress that a woman would wear, a plant that was native to the desert, an Egyptian newspaper, a Coke with a Hebrew inscription, a mask, his uniform hat and a patch that he had received from an Iraqi soldier. He passed his belongings around so that the students could see them. Some of the children also tried the different things on.

One third grader, Catherine Pratt, commented that she was glad to see him safe and back at home. She enjoyed seeing the things he brought to show the class.

The third grade teachers, Hughes and Sue Shoup, commented that Nelson helped the students understand the similarities and differences between Americans and those living in Egypt and the Middle East.

One of the highlights of Nelson's visit, for the students, was that he brought each student a piece of papyrus paper with a painting on it. They came rolled up in a decorated tube and a different one was presented to each child. The students were excited to get something from Nelson that represented Egypt.

Nelson is originally from Aurelia, Iowa. He is a sergeant and medic with the Iowa Army National Guard 1/133 Infantry of Waterloo, Iowa. While in Egypt he was stationed on the Sinai Peninsula. He noted that he didn't get to visit Mount Sinai.

He experienced culture shock and commented that there were a lot of differences between the United States and Egypt. Nelson explained that they are not as modern.

"One thing we talked about when we were over there were all the things we take for granted," said Nelson. "When we got back things are even better because we had been without it for so long. We really appreciate everything now."

He is back for now, but is uncertain if he will be re-deployed.