Hunter Braun gets some surprising help on report about his dad's job

Courier-Post:

Hunter Braun went to Cooper Elementary School Wednesday thinking he was going to give a report on what his dad does as an Army colonel stationed in Baghdad.

But as the 7-year-old, wearing his father's spare combat boots, spoke to the student body at an impromptu assembly, Principal Mary Kline interrupted.

"Hunter, I know it's awfully hard to do your report at an assembly like this. I thought and thought about somebody who would be the best person to help. Who could that be?" Kline asked.

Hunter's 9-year-old sister, Rachel, didn't know either. After all, their dad, Col. Lars Braun, was in Iraq.

Suddenly, Lars Braun strode into the multipurpose room in his Army fatigues. Faster than a soldier could snap to attention, Rachel Braun ran across the room and leaped into her father's arms, while Hunter -- still not quite believing his eyes -- sauntered over for a hug.

"At first I thought, "That can't be him. Then I thought, "It has to be him, because he doesn't look much different,' " Hunter said.

He helped his dad refold an American flag the career soldier, 45, brought with him, presenting the starry triangle to Kline.

Kline planned the surprise with Rachel's teacher, Eileen Steidle, and the children's mom, Terri Lynn. No one was sure it would happen, since it depended on when Lars Braun would be home. Terri Lynn got the word around noon Wednesday.

...

The timing turned out perfectly for Kline, who had yet another reason to celebrate. She spent Monday and Tuesday in Washington, D.C., collecting her school's recent Blue Ribbon Award given by the federal Department of Education for consistent academic excellence.

"As our country has honored us, we want to honor our country," she told her students.

...

"We're making a big difference. You can see that in everything that matters. The level of violence has dropped considerably," he said.

"We used to experience three mortar attacks a day. We haven't had one in the last couple of months," he said.

When Hunter's second-grade classmates Ryan Stanczyk, 7, and Michael Cha, 6, asked why Braun was still serving in Iraq, the answer came swiftly.

"We have to make it safe for everybody and make life be normal again. That's what the people there want, too," Lars Braun said.

...

It is too bad that more people in this country do not understand the importance of Lars Braun's work and the sacrifices he is making to make Iraq a better place. Too many anti war Democrats don't care. Their main concern is a political defeat for the President and for the country, so they can get back to spending money on vote buying schemes and pork.

The Brauns are fortunate to have their kids in a school that is so understanding of the sacrifices made by those kids too.