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sgunter@wmbb.com

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Baseball to Iraq and Back

BONIFAY- In December of last year, members of Bethlehem Methodist Church in sent care packages to soldiers in Iraq.

The packages included cookies, shaving cream, razor blades among other everyday necessities.  But a few packages had something extra, a baseball.

“Corporal Thomas Bailey, Lieutenant Forehand, Sergeant Lopez,” 10-year-old Trace Head read.

The baseball is not signed by any of Trace’s favorite player, but it’s signed by some of the nation’s greatest heroes.

“Some of these I can’t really make out.”

Trace stuffed a baseball in a few of the packages before they were sent out never thinking he would see the baseballs again.

“We stuck some peanuts in there, then he stuck a baseball in there,” Trace’s father Robbie Head said.  “’Cause he’s got a million of them lying around the house.”

“If they ever had any free time, they could just toss it around,” Trace said.

On the morning of Aug. 5th at Bethlehem Methodist church, the father of one of the soldiers was in town for a family reunion.  To the surprise of Trace, the father of Lt. Roy Forehand presented the ball back to Trace.

“I really got to do something with it to show this young man my appreciation for sending me his baseball,” Lt. Forehand said.  “Several things came to mind, but one was to carry it with me and to send it out with other marines on patrol.”

Lt. Forehand did exactly that.  The baseball traveled on several convoys and helicopter missions mostly in Al Anbar Providence in Iraq.

“It’s done stuff that I would never do really,” Trace said.

Trace has something he can treasure for a lifetime.

“Build a case for it, set it in my room.  Leave it there forever.  Where ever I go, I’ll take it with me.”

Lt. Forehand added that the baseball is a constant reminder of our great nation and all the great Americans who live in it.

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