Hartshorn Students Make Valentines for Veterans

They're mainly red and white, but there's some with blue and purple. And there are even some in Spanish. And they'll be headed to the two local veterans hospitals.

Hartshorn Elementary School students presented hundreds of Valentines, which are headed to the veterans hospitals in East Orange and in Morris County, on Monday to U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen. Frelinghuysen visited fourth graders with Jim Smith, of Chester and a World War II veteran, and have been visiting schools around the district to pick up the Valentines they'll bring to the two veterans hospitals.

Smith spoke with the students about his experiences during World War II when he injured his leg during combat when a cave collapsed on him. He was taken to a military hospital where they took care of him, but he was required to be in a body cast from his feet to chest for six months after surgery. Eventually he flew several times to get him back to the east coast, but he never spent time in a veterans hospital.

The veterans in today's hospitals have limited access to people, and anything people can do to lift their spirits is apprciated, Smith said.

"They like phone calls and letters and visits," he said. "There is a special significance to the Valentine cards you send."

Frelinghuysen told the fourth graders the veterans will decorate their rooms with the Valentines and some get emotional over the cards. "You may not know who they are, but you know what they've suffered," he said.

Frelinghuysen and Smith will deliver 8,000 to 9,000 Valentines to the veterans. Hartshorn Principal Ron Castaldo said there is one card from each student in the school, and it's part of the school's character education program, which also focuses on community service.

"Rather than focusing on ourselves (for Valentines's Day), we write cards to the service men and tell tehm how we love and respect them for all they do," he said.

In addition to hearing from Smith, some of the students also read their Valentine's Day cards. One was read in Spanish. Frelinghuysen also spoke with students about their family members who are veterans.