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Soldiers Bring America's Pastime to Afghan Children
Monday, October 21, 2002
By Kathleen T. Rhem
American Forces Press Service

American soldiers and Afghan youngsters play a pick-up game of baseball in the Orgun Valley region of Afghanistan.
Image Credit: SFC Victor Andersen -- U.S. Army.

"What a difference a year makes. The Afghan youngsters are back in school, they're learning to play baseball instead of cowering in fear and hiding from the Taliban's religious beliefs."

WASHINGTON -- AFIS
A snapshot of two Afghan boys sent home by a soldier to his wife started a chain of events that would come to capture the attention of President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Sgt. 1st Class Jay Smith, a civil affairs engineer, had sent his wife a photo of two boys he'd befriended. Smith's wife sent gifts for the two -- used baseball gloves and a ball -- in her next care package.

"Jay gave them to the boys, and it just caught on fire," Sgt. 1st Class Victor Andersen, Smith's teammate and friend, said in relaying the tale.

Andersen and Capt. Britton London, both from the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion, Fort Bragg, N.C., recently shared some of their experiences in Afghanistan during an interview in the Pentagon.

Andersen explained that after hearing how much the boys had liked the baseball equipment, a member of Smith's church "took that as his calling" and sent enough baseball gear for two teams.
(More: DoD News Source)
2002 © The United States Department of Defense.

Dan