Letter to the editor

On Thursday, September 8, 2011, my hero returned from Afghanistan having been deployed there since February. After I picked him up from the Little Rock, Ark., airport on Wednesday night, he in-processed at the 96th Reserve Squadron Unit the next morning.

We returned to Batesville just in time for our son’s 5 p.m. BJH football game. Several special people arranged for the National Anthem to be played before the ballgame, something that had never happened before a junior high game at South Panola.

But this tradition will now be continued before every game at BJH because what began as a simple request to recognize my hero returning from serving our country was honored by administrators and coaches.
When a service member returns from a long deployment just to SEE a flag flying in the air that we breathe is a beautiful sight to his/her sore eyes and to hear our nation’s anthem is music to their ears. The service member at attention and saluting, while we held our hands over our hearts, brought tears to my eyes and made me proud to be an American!

I would like to personally thank Coach Higdon, Coach Sims, Coach Smith, Coach Pipken, Mr. Beene, Mr. Allen and Justin Pope for making it his happen for me. It meant more than you will ever know! If I omitted anyone, please forgive me and thank you too! We have wonderful administrators, teachers, coaches, staff and support people at SPSD and they deserve much praise and encouragement for all they do for our children.

Gina Pearson