Badges of Honor

Seeing images of little purple foxes stuck to elementary school student’s arms might not mean much to most people. But it means a lot to Labri Dirkse.

This fourth-grader at Forest Hills Elementary School knows that these temporary tattoos in the shape of foxes aren’t the latest youth fad, but a symbol of support for her and her family.

The Purple Foxes aren’t just a cute tattoo – they are

He wore his dress blues and spoke about the history of the squadron and did his best to answer the students’ questions.

His mother Heidi Dirkse-Graw says she was truly proud of his performance in front of the class.

‘He did a really good job dealing with fourth-graders. He talked about it in
a way that wouldn’t scare them,” said Dirkse-Graw.

She is also grateful to Labri’s teacher Ms. Favero for allowing the class to
work on these projects.

“For them to write cards and letters is one positive way that Josh and his comrades

can feel supported on the home front and one way that Labri, as a child impacted by a loved one being at war, can be empowered to do more than just worry about her brother,” said Dirkse-Graw.

Some of Labri’s classmates drew American flags or purple foxes. Some wrote
“good luck” or “come home soon” on the cards.

Fourth-grader John Lee drew a telescope with stars and the moon in the
background.

“For them, I think it would not remind them of the war,” said John, about
why he selected the image.

Fourth-grader Kanah Frausto drew a purple fox running across a field with a
sunset. She says that she likes drawing and wanted to make something nice
for the soldiers.

“I just try to tell them ‘Don’t think about bad things, just think about
good things.’ I just want the war to stop though because a lot of people are
being killed and injured,” said Kanah.

No matter what their ideas, Labri says she loved watching her classmates and
friends create something nice for her brother and his fellow soldiers.

“It’s nice because then I know I have other people that care about him and
want to support me too,” said Labri.

Last week, students in Labri’s class showed support for the Foxes and by
(voluntarily) donning temporary tattoos in the form of purple foxes. The students also spent time making cards for the troops in Schaffer’s squadron.

“I kind of like it for some reason, because they person they are writing for
is my brother,” said Labri.

She says that students have different reactions when they hear about her
brother serving in Iraq. Some ask a lot of questions – about his job and whether he shoots people – and some don’t seem to care.

One student told Labri that her brother was going to die.

“At first it really scared me. Now I’m starting to get used to it. But it
sometimes still gets to me,” said Labri.

Schaffer, 22, who Labri describes as playful and really nice, spoke to his
little sister’s class in January before he was deployed.