Local Kids Send Gifts To Troops

DAYTON -In February 2005, a young Dayton man was sitting in an airport in Kuwait passing the time while waiting to fly home on a two-week break. He was in his second tour of duty in Iraq.

That's when he overheard two young soldiers behind him talking about the coolest thing that had happened to them at Christmas time. Some tiny town in Washington state had made and filled Christmas stockings and mailed them to soldiers in Iraq, they said.

There were newspapers from the town, goodies, handmade stockings and more.

Jerry Carlson couldn't resist. He turned around and introduced himself to the two...