By David Myers

Southwest Kansas Register

When the sixth grade students at Sacred Heart Cathedral School in Dodge City filtered into a classroom, their eyes were immediately drawn to former student Ryan Ackerman, a 23-year-old Marine sergeant the pupils had only known through letters and pictures sent from Iraq.

"I want to thank you so much for writing to me," Ackerman told the two sixth grade classes. "It meant a lot to me. The whole platoon appreciated the care package," which he said consisted mostly of food and candy.

"The care packages made me feel great," Ackerman later told the Register, "especially when I got that one. I was hungry at the time. They were thinking about what we were doing, and support what we were doing. It felt really good."

On a wall in the classroom were more than a dozen pictures of Sergeant Ackerman in Iraq and the Philippines, which he had sent to the children throughout the eight months he served in Iraq.

"What did you eat?" one child asked.

"Was it like they show in the video games?" another queried.

"Did you go to Mass?"

"What is the Iraqi army like?"

"When do you think our soldiers will be able to leave?"

Ackerman was born and reared in Dodge City. He attended Sacred Heart Cathedral School and graduated from Dodge City High School. He joined the military in 2000, due in part to his desire for travel. Besides Iraq, he has served in Japan, Korea, the Philippines and Egypt.

His military stint was scheduled to end prior to serving in Iraq. Ackerman said he asked for an eight-month extension to serve in the troubled country, and said he would do so again, if his contract would allow. But unless another major conflict arises, such as the battle for Falujah in which he fought, he said he doubted he would be called to return.

Of the food, Ackerman had no complaints. "They had a chow hall; even in the battle of Falujah, we just ate whatever."

As for the question of war being "like they show in video games," he responded, "Yeah, a little."

Ackerman said that Mass was celebrated each Sunday, and that he would attend when he wasn’t on a mission.

Regarding the Iraqi military, he commented, "We were trying to get the Iraqi military trained, but I don’t have the biggest confidence in them. Half the time we didn’t know if they were good or bad. "

And as far as when U.S. forces would leave Iraq: "The forces will decrease, but we’ll have soldiers over there for a while yet."

He spoke of the temperature often topping out at 130 degrees, and of Marines giving themselves ice-water IVs to "cool us down." He told of making split-second decisions that would mean the difference between living and dying, and of the bodies that littered the streets of Falujah.

When asked if the experience had changed him, he told the Register, "It definitely did. I understand a little more about how fragile life can be and how easily it can be taken away. I kind of understand more about what had to be done to make our country the way it is.

"Before every convoy I’d say a prayer to God to watch over us, protect us and bring us back to base that night," Ackerman added. "I left it up to God if I would live or die, and I didn’t worry about that."

Ackerman took part in his share of firefights – losing two friends in the process. On other occasions, he and his 26-man platoon were able to present items to local children and families.

"Children would stand on the side of road," he said. "We’d stop and hand out soccer balls. We’d get so many care packages; more than we could ever use. We would collect them all — all the extra stuff — and hand them out to kids and families that needed them."

Ackerman is the son of David and Brenda Ackerman, and the father of three-year-old Aiden. He and Aiden will soon celebrate their first Christmas together. Ackerman said he plans to attend college in the fall.