Mt. Carmel Students
Get a Visit From Soldier
- Article
& photo by Ben Boehl
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The
Students at Mt. Carmel Elementary
School got to meet a real American Hero, Master Sergeant Paul M. Blitz,
for Veterans Day at the school. While many may call Blitz a hero, he
humbly disagrees.
"I have to tell you, I'm not a hero. I have never fired a shot and
never been shot at, but I'm very proud we took 204 soldiers overseas
and we brought back 204 soldiers home," he said.
Blitz has served 16 years in the army and is a member of the 200th
Military Police Command. He lives in Essex, is a historian for The
Heritage Society of Essex & Middle River and teaches at a private
school in Pikesville. He served over in Iraq from 2004-05.
Blitz told the students stories of what it was like to serve in the
military. He said that one year in Iraq was tough, from sleeping in a
30-person tent to carrying 60 lbs. of body gear and walking in a desert
that is 140 degrees in the day and only 40 degrees at night. But Blitz
recalls many great experiences like traveling across the world. Blitz
hasbeen to Italy, England, France, Switzerland, Spain and many other
countries. He said a soldier gets to see the world.
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Major Sergeant Paul M. Blitz, who is
stationed at Ft. Meade, described many facets of his duties to Mt.
Carmel students.
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"I have been very fortunate. I've been to 15 foreign countries and I
don't hold a passport," he added. "It was a great experience and I
wouldn't trade it for anything."
He mentioned that teamwork is a part of the army and said that female
soldiers don’t get enough credit because many of them have just as
large of a role in the military as male soldiers.
Blitz said the worst experience of his career happened after Sgt. 1st
Class James J. Stoddard Jr. of Crofton was killed in combat and Blitz
had to delivery the news to his family.
"The hardest thing I had to do was tell Mrs. Stoddard that her husband
was not coming home,” Blitz said. “When I walked in the door, a little
boy said "daddy" because I was dressed in my uniform and he thought I
was his dad. I had to tell him, 'no, daddy isn't coming home.'"
Blitz advised the Mt. Carmel sixth graders to focus on school work
because the things they learn today will help them in the future. He
give an example of how geometry helped him navigate on a road and how a
foreign language can be used to communicate with different cultures.
"Pay attention. Try to be a sponge and soak up as much knowledge as you
can," Blitz said. "Things that you think you will never use will become
practical skills later in life."
In addition to Blitz’s visit, Mt. Carmel students continued their
ongoing projects of making cards for Operation Welcome Home. In fourth
and fifth grade technology classes, students used their computer skills
to research and create a display honoring fallen Vietnam Veterans.
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