Students hear firsthand account about war on terror

South Carolina National Guard member Ron Peeler has been home for Christmas once in the past four years.

Peeler, a chief engineer with WSPA-TV, has been in the national guard since 1970. He is a communications specialist who has served with the military in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. He recently spoke with Blacksburg High students about the year he spent in Afghanistan after being called to active duty in October of 2004.

Peeler is the father of Blacksburg High teacher Anne Wayne Peeler. He gave a slide show presentation and spoke about serving in Afghanistan with his son, Ronald Gilbert Peeler.

Large areas of the country have been destroyed over the past couple of decades with soldiers in Afghanistan fighting military factions from the Northern Alliance, Russia and the Taliban.

"There are open markets on a daily basis in Afghanistan because there are no provisions to keep food. There are glaciers which are used for ice and water," Peeler said. "We saw three schools where students in all grades were sitting outside for class because there are no buildings. The children are so happy when you see them on the street. These children don't realize there is a war going on."

Peeler showed Blacksburg High students the humanitarian side of the soldiers' work in Afghanistan. These acts of kindness ranged from handing

out toys to arranging for tents so children have a place indoors for school.

Peeler recalled an incident where he saw a child who had been victimized by one of the land mines still buried from the 1980s war between Russia and Afghanistan.

"The child had on a shirt that was worn down to the elbows because he was using it to crawl around. His leg had been blown up by a land mine," Peeler said. "I ran him down so I could give him a dollar."

Blacksburg High social studies classes collected items over the past month for a "Tribute to the Troops" effort to recognize Cherokee County military personnel stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The school shipped 13 boxes to military personnel with items such as hand sanitizer, phone cards, nail clippers, foot powder, hot chocolate, writing pads, pens and trail mix. "Somebody in every classroom

has a family member or friend who is serving in the military," Blacksburg High social studies teacher Sherri Beam said. "We need to support our troops."

The VFW Ladies Auxiliary provided the school with a list of names so students could send personal letters to the servicemen and women serving their country.

Blacksburg High sophomore Danielle Sprouse was moved by listening to Peeler's account of military life in Afghanistan.

"I was crying during the program," Sprouse said. "I guess it made me think about how much we take for granted."