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by Karen Dillemuth [email protected] When U.S. Army Sgt. David McIntyre headed to Iraq a year ago with the 82nd Medical Co. (Air Ambulance), the flight medic and Titusville native was sure he would experience some of the same situations and emotions as during his previous five-month stint there. Instead, assisted by members of his unit, McIntyre coordinated efforts to see that the children of Iraq � the future of the country � were made aware that the soldiers were there to help while promoting goodwill. McIntyre and his co-workers learned early on in the deployment how excited children became when gifts of candy and goodies from care packages were bestowed upon them. This sparked an idea which turned into a plan for Operation Toy Drop. McIntyre placed an �ad� on www.booksforsoldiers.com, a support site that ships books and movies to soldiers around the world. The site also serves as a place where soldiers can log requests for supplies from back home. The ad, McIntyre said, requested toys for distribution to the children of Iraq. Shoes and school supplies also were on the list. Shipments came from individuals and families across the United States. The fifth grade class at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School in South Orange, N.J., also contributed mass quantities of toys and shoes. �They responded,� McIntyre said with a laugh. He estimated roughly 70,000 toys, shoes, notebooks, writing utensils and more were donated. �It grew into an enormous thing,� he said. �It just blossomed.� Soccer balls were a favorite with the kids, but stuffed animals, notebooks, candy, shoes and other items were cherished by the often-impoverished children. Swooping in on small villages, a pair of helicopters carrying approximately 20 soldiers would distribute the goodies to excited children after Iraqi National Guardsmen and U.S. Special Forces worked out the details with village leaders. Not only did it put smiles on the children�s faces, the gesture undoubtedly helped to form positive views of the American soldiers. In addition, �it also showed how we work with their forces,� McIntyre said. McIntyre estimated over the past year, the soldiers performed 20 to 30 toy drops during their days off and down time. He and a few other soldiers documented the drops with still and video cameras. He sifted through more than 12 gigabytes of photos on his laptop and about a dozen CDs filled with photos and video clips. Using Windows Movie Maker, McIntyre fashioned a 20-minute montage of favorite footage and set it to music. �We put the slide show together for our own personal memories, but the kids in schools love to see it,� he said. The images capture soldiers and guardsmen handing out gifts to smiling children and interacting with the residents of the small villages. Other pictures show children mugging for the cameras with their newly-acquired toys. Video clips catch soldiers tossing footballs with the kids. Tuesday, McIntyre visited Hydetown Elementary School � the very school he attended � to show the students his work and made a presentation to Titusville Rotary as well. McIntyre left today for New Jersey to deliver a personal �thank-you� to the fifth graders of Our Lady of Sorrows who supported the project. Along with the slide show, he will present the students with certificates of appreciation and two American flags which were flown during a mission in which his unit took part. He hopes to visit Main Street School and Titusville Middle School upon returning from New Jersey. The 1991 graduate also plans to speak to history classes at his alma mater, Titusville High School. �The main reason I started taking this to the schools is so they don�t have the impression that everybody in the Middle East is evil,� McIntyre explained. �There are a lot of good things to point out.� McIntyre returned from the deployment Feb. 16. The Fort Riley, Kan., unit will likely not ship out again until late fall, he said. Until then, the program is on hiatus. The unit hopes to resurrect it upon returning to Iraq. Although they used their down-time to carry out the project, McIntyre does not regret the hours spent spreading a positive message. �I saw both sides of the war,� he said, referring to the casualties he cared for as a flight medic and the civilian interaction through Operation Toy Drop. �But this [project] takes you out of the normal day-to-day routine ... It helps to remind you of home.� Reader Comments Don Biddle, Master Sergeant, US Air Force (3/9/2026) Titusville Herald Staff, Thank You!!! With all that goes on in Iraq, these are the type of stories much of the media does not provide to the general public! THANK YOU!! Sgt. McIntyre, WELCOME HOME and THANK YOU for representing the USA so proudly! HOOAA!!! I would also like to echo the sentiments of Sgt. McIntyre�People in the Middle East are some of the finest people I have ever met during my time in the military. I spent 8 months deployed to the country of Qatar from Dec 02-Jul 03. The Qataris as well as the third country nationals, most of Middle Eastern decent, made it such a wonderful time despite the conditions we had to live in. Mary A. Durfee (3/9/2026) Our grandson is in Iraq since last August. I am from Union City, husband from Townville, PA. A lady in St. Albans started The Gator Project. While it is getting too warm for them now, if he goes back in the fall have him give us his address over there and we will make them for him. So far they have mailed over 5,000 gators. I can be contacted at [email protected] or he can check it out at www.gatorproject.org. Add a comment |
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