By Anna Guido
Enquirer contributor

GREEN TWP. - Though thousands of miles and an ocean apart, students at J.F. Dulles Elementary School talk about their U.S. Army pen pal as if he were a classmate.

Army Capt. Mike West, 30, a graduate of Taylor High (Class of '92) and West Point (Class of '97) and nephew of Dulles guidance counselor Patty Hons, began corresponding with four second-grade classes in fall 2002.

Hundreds of letters and one grade later, 47 of the students - now in classes taught by Beth Ward and Lynn Carroll - have continued to correspond. Earlier this month they sent their faraway friend some Christmas cheer since he can't make it home for the holidays.

More than 100 paper ornaments, brightly colored and decorated with glitter and stickers, were packaged and mailed to West, part of the 4th Infantry Division based just outside of Baghdad. The ornaments will be hung on Christmas trees donated to U.S. troops.

"They won't be here for Christmas because they're still fighting for our freedom and Iraq's freedom," said Chloe Herzog, 8, of Green Township.

Having freedom, Chloe said, is having "rights." In Iraq, "they don't get as many rights as us."

Chloe made two ornaments, including a candy cane with enough stripes to spell out the message - one letter per stripe - "Merry X-mas Mike."

Tanner Howell, 9, also of Green Township, chose West as his "hero" in a writing assignment.

"He just popped in my mind because I think it's really nice of him to fight for America," Tanner said.

Ward said students are intrigued by some of the things West writes about in his letters. For example, on Nov. 6 he wrote:

"The weather has turned cool over the past week. Big change from the 140 (degrees) a month ago, to the 70s now."

In his first letter to students, West described his journey from the states to Kuwait and Iraq.

"We have moved over 500 KM in the past 10 days. We have been in dust storms, cold rain, hot sun and many other types of weather over this time. I would love to have some of that Cincinnati weather sent this way if you could."

West is based out of Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, Colo., where his wife, Amy, and two children reside. He's due back in the United States in May.

"The kids have really captured a special place in Mike's heart," Amy said. "When he returns, he hopes to visit them."

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