Soldiers grateful for his boxes of treats and supplies Conrad Schott is a postal worker with 34 years experience when it comes to delivering the mail. He knows all about the importance of making sure the mail gets through to his customers. But for the past year-and-a-half, he has been on the shipping end of packages - boxing up supplies and treats for soldiers stationed in Iraq. When asked how it all got started - and led to his being recognized by the United States Army for his dedication to the troops - he said it all began with a batch of Cajun peanuts. "I made some peanuts for the man who does my taxes. He put them out at a party and one of the guests tried them and mentioned that her son, who was stationed in Afghanistan, would also like them," Schott said. "I made up six pounds of them for her son and she came into the post office to pick them up and that's how it all started." After that, word got around to the customers on his mail route. "There was a lady at the liquor store who said her nephew was going to Iraq and I told her I'd make up a package to send to him." He did that for seven months, until that soldier's deployment ended. "I received a really nice letter, thanking me for thinking of him," Schott said. The next soldier that Schott began sending care packages to was Lieutenant Colonel Tony Morales, 98th Division, United States Army Reserve. Morales, who was deployed in Iraq for 15 months and has been in the Army for 19 years, returned home recently and came to the post office to make a presentation to Schott. He lives in Spencerport with his wife, Michelle, and their four children. "Conrad, who is my postman by the way, is a great patriot and supporter of the soldiers serving in the Middle East," Morales said. "He sent me a package every other month - phone cards, snack foods, socks, personal hygiene items, books and games which I shared with my fellow soldiers." Recently, Morales came to the post office and presented Schott with a flag that was flown over the camp in Arifjan, Kuwait during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was also presented with a photo of the flag flying and a certificate that reads in part, "This flag was flown over camp Arifjan, Kuwait during Operation Iraqi Freedom in honor of Conrad Schott in appreciation of your support and encouragement to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom." Schott, who has been doing this outreach effort behind the scenes and has only met one of the other soldiers to whom he was sending packages, said he doesn't do this for the glory nor does he want any recognition. "I never expected him to present me with anything. I was dumbfounded," he said. He knew that Morales was home from his deployment and knew he was coming to the post office, but Schott said he figured he was just coming to introduce himself. John Baker, postmaster at Spencerport, has a connection with both Morales and Schott as he is Schott's supervisor now and was Morales's supervisor when he was in the Army. Baker worked with Morales and he was in the process of returning from the Army when Morales was deployed in 2004. "I knew Tony was coming in to honor Conrad for the support he offered the troops," Baker said. "It really means a lot to those who are deployed to receive packages from home. I commend Conrad for his efforts." When asked why he supports people he has never met, Schott said, "These soldiers, a lot of them are kids and they're far away from home in a foreign country and they are alone except for the people in their division, really look forward to mail call. It probably makes them feel good to know that people from home are thinking about them." Because of the heat in Iraq, Schott said he has to plan what he will send in his care packages by the weather. If it's too hot he doesn't send the Cajun peanuts because he said they will quickly spoil in the heat. "I usually send beef jerky or Oreos along with gum and maybe underwear or socks - stuff they either need or food that is nice to have as a treat," he said. Mail can take anywhere from three to five weeks to get to the soldiers, depending on whether they are out on patrols or at their base camps. The well wishes of strangers, Morales said, directly impact the morale and attitude of the servicemen and women who are fighting in the war. "It's so important to see the support and generosity of the American people when we are stationed away from home," Morales said. "It made me personally believe that my fellow citizens were behind me 100 percent. The cards from children and prayers from all the different people and organizations were always well received." "The thrill and excitement of getting packages from the U.S. breaks up the routine and sometimes dangerous work that's being done on a day-to-day basis," Morales said. "Also, since we work 24/7, it's nice to have snacks available for everyone on all the shifts." While Schott might downplay the part he is playing with helping build morale, the soldiers - Morales included - see it as a big deal. "It feels great to get that mail," Morales said. "Everyone shares their packages and it's quite common to have tables and desks dedicated to community 'help yourself' areas. People like Conrad help keep our spirits up." Anyone interested in sending packages to servicemen can get information at: www.anysoldier.com or www.treatsfortroops.com or by calling any local Army, Navy or Marine unit for information. December 4, 2005 |
