As the Memorial Day parade proceeds down Long Beach Road this weekend, the Oceanside Daisy Girl Scouts, Troop 2201, will march with colors that appeared in a combat zone.
Participating in their first Memorial Day parade, the Daisies will display an American flag that flew aboard a U.S. aircraft that provided combat support in Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom. The 5- to 6-year-old girls received these stars and stripes after sending holiday cards, cookies and candy they made to U.S. troops stationed in Kyrgyzstan in central Asia.
The eight Daisy Troops from School 9E are Rebecca Burak, Alexis Fein, Sabrina Glaser, Rachel Myer, Mallory Nolan, Kelly Poulous, Caroline Rowley, and Victoria Staltare.
A friend of Pat Poulos, leader of the Oceanside Daisy Troops, has a friend who transferred to Kyrgyzstan from a base in Fort Worth, Texas, in October 2003, and returned to the states in March. In return for the girls' good deeds, the troops in the nation once part of the Soviet Union sent them the flag, flown just for them inside an aircraft from the 376 Air expeditionary Wing over Afghanistan in January.
They also sent the Daisies a photo of them holding the holiday cards, along with various information about the nation where they are stationed, sandwiched between China and Russia.
"The girls were absolutely delighted to see their cards get to the other side of the world," Poulos said. "And during this project they learned a great deal about our government and the military."
