HERO MAIL: The Power of a Pencil
21
Ever since her daughter joined the US Navy after graduating from Troy Buchanan High School,
Troy Middle School teacher Christie Proctor has participated in a program called Operation Write
Home. The program sends blank, handmade cards to deployed heroes to send to their families
back home. In her spare time, Proctor, a scrapbook connoisseur, participates in the program by
crafting her own version of Hallmark cards.
This military mom began incorporating her love and support for those who serve into her
classroom. “During my Academic Lab, students that do not have homework and have all of their
points can choose to write a hero letter. In 2012, I had a lot of students with family members
serving,” Proctor said. The middle school teacher compiles the letters, creates some blank
cards and sends the care package overseas.
In 2013, Proctor decided Operation Write Home could be a
school wide service project for Veterans Day. In fact, Troy
Middle School extended the invitation to all of the schools in the district. More
than 705 letters and cards were sent by students and staff throughout the
Lincoln County R-III School District.
Some heroes have written the students back, too. Proctor said the letters
sparked conversation and gave students a new perspective on our military. “They
weren’t all soldiers either. One of our people that wrote back was a comptroller, so
we talked about what that meant. There are a lot of people behind the scenes that
we need to talk about. They aren’t all on the front line,” she said.
In March, the school received a certificate honoring their service, a letter from Lt.
Col. Scott Hoffman of the United States Air Force and an American flag that flew
with Hoffman on a combat sortie over Afghanistan.
Ten percent of the
2012 graduating class
chose to go into the
armed forces.
SERVICES OFFERED ARE:
• Immunizations
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• Maternal Child
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• WIC
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• Food Permits
• Dental
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& Education
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10% of graduating
class chose to go to
the military.
2.5 million hero
mail sent by 2013
through Operation
Write Home
Takes approximately
2-3 months for our
heroes to receive the
hero mail.
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