Afghan veteran visits South Rich Elementary

I am going to put this article up because it was such a fun day.
Afghani veteran visits south Rich Elementary
Posted: Friday, Mar 18th, 2011
BY: FAE DALKE, Rich County Reporter




Army Specialist Jeramy Bills poses with Kennedy Eastman and the second graders at South Rich Elementary. The class corresponded with Bills while he was deployed in Afghanistan over the past year. Eastman (standing in the center in front of Bills) started writing to the serviceman and then got her class involved. Bills is flanked by second grade teacher Renee Hoffman, his mother Gayla Bills on the right and his grandmother Raeoma Tingey on his left. HERALD PHOTO/Fae Dalke





Army Medic Jeramy Bills visited South Rich Elementary on Wednesday to meet some of the students who communicated with him while he was deployed in Afghanistan. Second grader Kennedy Eastman began writing to Bills and soon had her whole class sending him letters.

Bills showed the students slides of his unit’s base camp as well as souvenirs of his deployment. The slides demonstrated the primitive conditions that his unit endured, including no running water or indoor plumbing.

He said he likes the army and re-enlisted while serving in Afghanistan. He expects to go to Honduras at the end of May. He also expressed his appreciation for the letters and support he received from the students.

Jeramy is the son of Craig and Gayla Bills of Evanston and grandson of Fred and Raeoma Tingey of Woodruff.