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Staff writer

In December the Meadow Creek Christian School second-graders carefully wrapped and mailed Christmas gifts to soldiers serving in Iraq.

On Jan. 20 the class got a surprise visit from Air Force Reservist Tech. Sgt. Jason LeMire.

In all, the Minnesota Red Bulls unit he was with received five boxes from this school, LeMire told the excited second-graders in Karen Carter’s class.

“The gifts were well wrapped. We had to get a pair of scissors to open a couple,” he said.

LeMire thanked the students for their gifts.

“The footballs and basketballs were excellent gifts. All the ones we have over there were flat because we can’t get tire pumps (to inflate) them,” said LeMire, who is attached to the Fort Snelling unit.

After receiving the students’ gifts, everyone had basketballs and footballs to throw around again, he said.

During his 20 minute visit, the 31-year-old medical technician answered questions from the inquisitive bunch and shared tidbits about his life in Iraq.

As a medical technician with the Air Force, he helped move the patients from the hospital to a plane bound for Germany.

His group helped about 4,000 soldiers out of the county in the six months he was over there, LeMire said.

“It’s always an honor when you get to move the injured guys out of the county and seeing them off,” he said.

When asked what it is like in Iraq, LeMire said “hot and dirty. I didn’t see anything green until I landed in Balitmore.”

LeMire returned from Iraq Jan. 14 after his tour of duty ended. This was LeMire’s second deployment to Iraq in the eight years he has been a Air Force reservist, said Sue Fleming, LeMire’s mom.

It was a 22-hour flight from Iraq to here, about two days counting the waiting for planes and time zone changes, LeMire said.

One student wanted to know how LeMire’s unit celebrated Christmas.

They had a couple of Christmas parties and stood outside and sang songs. The church group also sang for the unit, LeMire said.

They also had to work, he said.

When he returns to his South Carolina home, LeMire said he will be celebrating Christmas with his fiancée Chasity and her daughter McKenna, 9. The couple plan to marry in October.

“I missed my family and wanted to be home (for Christmas), but I couldn’t work it out,” he said.

It was extremely hard for him to be away from McKenna at Christmas, said Fleming.

“It’s hard being away from family during the holidays,” said the Lake Elmo mother.

Of the 65 people in LeMire’s unit, about half do not receive letters or packages from home.

“Mail time is a big deal, but there are some people who don’t bother going because they know they won’t get anything. And a lot of the soldiers are forgotten at Christmas,” Fleming said.

LeMire is the second oldest of four brothers. His older brother was in the Army Reserves but was never deployed to Iraq. His youngest brother was in the U.S. Army and is now a defense contractor, Fleming said.

When LeMire’s tour of duty ended, he spent a week with family in Minnesota.

They celebrated his Dec. 18 birthday, Christmas, had a coming home party, visited with friends and the Meadow Creek second-graders, said Fleming.

Tammy Sakry is at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it