10. A Week of Surprises

Emilee, I’m back!
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, you would never believe it! If I did not experience it I would not have believed it either, what a week. I met soldiers, real soldiers, and I met some great older people who volunteered, and I touched an M16 gun, and … but I am getting ahead of myself.

Remember I told you that Mrs. C. was packing and that she was taking me with her? well she did. On Sunday morning we took the train and we got to the airport. Since Israel has only one big airport and it is an international airport, I thought that maybe we are flying somewhere. Instead, we met a group of people coming from everywhere. The people were directed to three army bases to help with whatever was needed. Our group of 4 ladies and 5 men arrived from USA, Israel, Poland, and Norway, and went to a base near Ofakim settlement in South Israel, close to Gaza. A large bus piled us all in with our luggage underneath the bus, and drove us for the next two hours to the bases.

Sar-El is a non-profit organization that works with and inside the IDF - Israeli Defense Forces - and brings volunteers to work in the Israeli Army from one week to three months from all over the world. While they work in the army bases, they also travel in Israel on all types of great tours. Mrs. C. signed up for one week, just for the fun of it and took me with her. On one week “tour of duty”, there is no weekend tour, so we only stayed on the base and returned home last night. We were assigned rooms by the two “Madrichot” (guides), Lior and Hadas, and each one in our group received a bed, a sponge for a mattress, an army uniform, a sleeping beg, a blanket, an army jacket and a hat. We also were assigned work.

For the next 5 days the group worked in the armory cleaning tank parts, clearing armory shelving, oiling M16 guns, sorting uniforms, working in the kitchen, setting tables in the dining room, organizing warehouses, checking and greasing communication devises. I could not touch the guns, I am too young, but I was there with the group all the time. We met lots and lots of soldiers. Most soldiers were 18 – 20 years old men and women. Some soldiers worked with us, others had different duties. The base we were on, included a section for two main combat units which trained day and night against ambush in the hilly, desert-like terrain, a unit that specialized in urban war, and the paratroopers. Most soldiers worked in the supplies which help and prepare all the needed equipments for the army at war. The entire base participated in the Gaza War last year and performed its’ emergency duties in an exemplary fashion.



The Israeli flag was raised every morning and each evening we had time with the soldiers, talking, and going on walks. We slept on the base and could not go out of the gate without permission. We had to ware the uniform all the time and we had to ware our hats during flag raising. Same as the regular soldiers. On the last night we met an entire unit of elite combat soldiers that showed us their guns, took us for a ride in an armored car with a loud speaker and let us look through the night telescopes that made everything look green, and told us of their last patrol, and of how they learned to fight an ambush. We shared pizzas and soda drinks and had a bunch of laughs.

The ladies from the state were old friends of mine. Debra used to read the book about me to her children and Arleen, who is a retired teacher, used to arrange my visits in her class room. We were very glad to meet each other again. Emilee, did you know that there was a book about me? “The Story of Flat Stanley”. If I knew, I must have forgotten.

It was the most unusual week and the least expected experience. I know why Mrs. C. had to keep it a secret before we went but I am so glad that she took me with her. I have to wait for some of the pictures to arrive from the other people in the group because Mrs. C. camera had only a few pictures in it.

Mrs. C. is very happy and excited about this week and so do I.

Regards from Mr. and Mrs. C. to you, to your teacher and to your classmates.

Reporting from a very hot (32 degree Celsius in the desert) Israel ,
Flat Stanley