445 AES reservist meets faces behind letters

  • Published
  • By Stacy Vaughn
  • 445th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  A 445th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron reservist who recently returned from a deployment presented an American flag flown during one of his many AES missions down range to a 7th grade class in West Chester, Ohio. The flag was just a small token of his appreciation for the overwhelming support the students gave him while deployed.

Senior Master Sgt. Gregory Sersion, 445th AES assistant superintendent, nursing services, received more than 115 letters written to him personally by the children at Hopewell Junior School.

The letters started to flow in after Sersion's sister-in-law, Jennifer Miller, contacted the school his niece attends when she learned Mrs. Katie Treherne's Information Technology classes were preparing to select members of the military to send Veterans Day letters to.

"The students were told to use different letter formats and letterheads. The letters also had to contain a watermark. When the letters arrived, I brought them all back to my room. I thought they were meant for any service member so I planned to hand them out to the many wounded warriors that my crew of seven and I flew back from Afghanistan or flew from Ramstein (Air Base, Germany), to (Joint Base) Andrews (Md.). But then I went through the letters and started to read them and noticed they were all written directly to me!"

Sersion said the letters were extremely flattering about what he was doing to support the war effort. He said many of the letters were funny and were describing their individual lives.

"Some of the letters were more personal and they wrote not just about family members and friends they knew that served, but about their potential future service. Overall, most of the letters were students asking me questions and wanting me to write back."

The sergeant was so moved by the letters that he personally wrote back to each student. "I must have gone through about three or four pads of paper and several pens but it was worth it," Sersion said.

But Sersion wanted to do more to show his appreciation for what the students did and to let them know how much the letters meant to him.

"I purchased and flew a U.S. flag in honor of Hopewell Junior School on a combat mission that my crew flew to Bagram. After the flight, I had a flag certificate made and signed by our unit commander (10th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Flight). As he was signing it, I told him I was going to mail the letters, certificate, and flag all back to thank the class. He suggested that I mail the letters, but deliver the flag and certificate in person. I thought about it, and decided what a great idea."

Sersion wrote to Treherne and thanked her. He discussed with her meeting with the class after he returns from his deployment. She e-mailed him back after speaking with the principal and decided to have him come to the school February 19th to meet the class.

"I started off my presentation by walking them through a typical mission down range from start to finish. I explained what we do before in preparations of a mission, how we set up an aircraft and receive patients, and how we wrap up as a crew until our debriefing. I wrapped up my presentation with a Q&A session with the kids."

Sersion said the last five minutes of his presentation was dedicated to a flag folding presentation using the flag he brought back from his deployment. He and his wife, Jody, did the folding while the school principal, Jeff Rouff, read the '13 folds' detail presentation.

"I was thanked very much by the kids and was told by the principal and teacher that it was one of the most captivated they had seen the students in a long time. It was one of the most wonderful events that have taken place in my nearly 28 Air Force years. "

The flag is now displayed in the school's lobby. February 19, 2014, will be a memorable day 115 students and one 445 AES senior master sergeant will always remember.