Down but not out
Linderman students decorate duvet for a ‘Wounded Warrior’
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POLSON — The fourth graders in Mrs. Perry’s class at Linderman School turned into textile designers during January to make a duvet cover for a special Navy SEAL, Chief Petty Officer Jonathan Cummings.
How the fourth graders learned about Jonathan is quite a story, involving local businessman and entertainer Bob Ricketts.
Ricketts, owner of Three Dog Down, sang “O Holy Night” at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church on Christmas Eve as he always does, he said.
Jack Cummings, Chief Petty Officer Cummings’ father, approached Ricketts to thank him for the “very moving” music.
The men struck up a conversation, and during which Jack shared that his son had been injured in Afghanistan. In 2009, Jonathan was wounded by an improvised explosive device that broke his back and injured his knee and ankle. Jonathan had previously sustained shrapnel wounds to his back, shoulders and head from a mortar attack in 2007 in Iraq.
Ricketts was touched by Jonathan’s story. He decided to donate a down comforter from his store, Three Dog Down. He talked the idea over with factory manager Julane Matejovsky, and they also discussed a duvet cover. Ricketts said Matejovsky’s daughter, Annette Schiele, is “one of those really involved mothers at Linderman” and “took the ball from there.”
Schiele’s son Gatlin is a fourth grader at Linderman, and Mrs. Perry, Gatlin’s teacher, was excited about the idea of her class designing a quilt for a “Wounded Warrior.” Wounded Warriors is an organization that honors and empowers wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and SEALS. Their vision is “to foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded warriors in this nation’s history.”
These are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and SEALS women and men injured in service to the United States.
To show pictures of Jonathan and tell the fourth graders about his son, Jack, a former Marine, came to class.
“There are approximately 1,800,000 active duty people in the military, serving our country,” he said. “How many of those are Navy SEALs? About 2,200 — they are a very select group.”
Jonathan liked to hide when he was kid, Jack said, and jump out and scare people. He went to his father when he was quite young, around 10 years old, and said, “Dad, I know what I want to do with my life.”
What he wanted to do was be a Navy SEAL, and Jonathan attended a summer camp in Coronado, Calif., when he was 15. The SEALS welcomed him, included and encouraged him, Jack said.
So Jonathan went home and put himself on a running, swimming physical fitness program to get into good shape and at age 17, he went into the Navy. Jack had to sign a paper saying he could join so young. When Jonathan was 19, he had finished SEAL training, Jack noted, the youngest SEAL in 12 years.
“Jonathan has lived a very exciting life,” Jack explained to the kids. “He’s been all over the world.”
Embassy missions, special missions for the White House plus 750 jumps from an airplane, loaded down with a 150 to 200 pound backpack were some of Jonathan’s tasks.
After the kids questioned Jack about what happened on 9-11 and the elevation of the planes Jonathan jumped out of, Jack told the students about the Wounded Warriors program. Jonathan’s wounds are healing, and he is in rehabilitation. Jonathan, now 36, is up and around helping other soldiers — Marines, SEALS, and sailors — by coordinating services for Wounded Warriors and speaking around the country on the issue.
Last summer a group of Wounded Warriors climbed Mount McKinley in Washington, even though some are missing limbs. They plan to return this summer.
After processing this information and getting some exercise and fresh air at recess, the kids each drafted a design, many of which incorporated eagles and flags and Jonathan’s name. After the paper designs were taped down on desks, each student traced his or her creation on a square of fabric using big boxes of crayons provided by Ricketts.
Matejovsky “heat set” the squares by pressing them between two sheets of brown paper. Then she added red and blue sashing and backing to form a duvet cover.
On Feb. 4, Matejovsky, Ricketts and Schiele brought the completed duvet cover stuffed with a light and warm down comforter to Perry’s classroom to present to Jack and his wife Diane. Matejovsky, cautioning “no peeking,” helped the kids unfold the blanket. It was a celebration so Ricketts brought his accordian and entertained, singing “Grandma’s Featherbed,” among others.
Before the comforter was handed over to the Cummings, students got to try it out on the floor of the cafeteria. They formed a large square with heads facing out and legs in, and Perry, Matejovsky and Schiele spread the comforter over them. With heads peeking out, the kids patted the blanket and commented on its lightness.
As for Jack and Diane, they thanked the students, Perry, Matejovsky, Schiele and Ricketts.
Soon they’ll head to Washington, D.C. to present the comforter in person.
