Lynn soldier gives thanks in Saugus

SAUGUS – As Army Spc. Jared Ward enjoys a much-welcomed break from his first tour in Afghanistan, on Friday the Lynn resident went on a different kind of tour.Ward went class-to-class at the Oaklandvale Elementary School in Saugus to thank students in person for the letters and care packages they’ve been sending him while he’s been stationed in Kandahar Province in Afghanistan.”The kids have been sending me boxes with all kinds of goodies and have been writing me letters so I had to come see the kids,” said Ward. “It’s pretty awesome. They sent all kinds of snacks.”Click for a photo gallery.The gift baskets included everything from foot powder, deodorant and shaving cream to Jolly Ranchers and trail mix, which Ward said made him a popular man with his platoon because he shared just about everything.But of all the snacks sent over, Ward said it was the letters he liked the best.”I loved getting the letters and seeing all the questions,” said Ward, who graduated from Lynn Classical in 2006. “Some people had some great questions and the cards I got on Valentine’s Day were great.”Those questions continued as Ward, 24, made his way to each classroom, with students from kindergarten to fifth grade asking everything from what it’s like in Afghanistan, to if he ever gets scared to what kind of animals there are in Afghanistan.”I got there in July so my first day it was 120 degrees,” said Ward. “It’s different. Here you have all the roads and cars. There it’s just one main road and the rest is desert. It’s like a culture shock. Everything just operate differently over there. It’s like going back in time.”Ward has been in Afghanistan since July and is on leave until April 1. His father, Jim Ward, was with him Friday and said he’s relived “big time” to have his son home, but sad that he has to go back.”I thought it would be easy but it’s not,” said Ward. “We’ve been golfing every day and tonight he played hockey at the high school. I rented the ice there and all of his friends are going to come down and have a little get together.”Ward said he leaves Afghanistan for good in July, and will be out of the Army in December after more than four years of service. After that, Ward said he wants to attend school right away.Shylah Gerald, 11, said she thought Ward would look “completely” different.”I thought he would have red hair and a beard,” said Gerald. “They don’t have a lot of stuff out there so it’s important to send them a lot of stuff.”Grant Rust said it was “cool” to finally meet Ward.”I never knew it was that hot in Afghanistan or what they did,” said Rust, 11. “I always wondered what they did in Afghanistan.”Ward’s aunt, Debbie Ward, teaches fifth grade at the Oaklandvale School and took her nephew to each classroom to say hello.Ward said students have been asking to meet her nephew all year.”This is awesome,” said Ward. “It’s amazing. The kids were so excited to see him. The questions are just unbelievable.”But while Ward was at the school to say ‘Thank you,’ students had their own message of thanks for him.”We’re just saying, ‘Thank you,’ for all the things you’re doing for the country,” said first-grader Zack Berkowitch.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].