Pocket-size thanks

A Boy Scout leads a project to send flags to Hawaii-based troops in Iraq

It was done initially to earn an Eagle Scout ranking, but Francis Eyre's Boy Scout project became a bigger effort to bolster the morale of 1,800 Hawaii-based troops now in Iraq.

Eyre, 13, is sending a miniature flag and a note of gratitude to each of the soldiers, thanks to the help of about 85 people who came to fold them into a tight triangle yesterday at the American Legion Hall in Moiliili.

His volunteers ranged from fellow Scouts, war veterans, parents of deployed soldiers, and people who just wanted to help.

"I picked this project because I wanted to help someone I didn't know. I wanted to raise the morale of the troops and give them more hope," said Eyre, better known as "Frenchie" among members of the Boy Scout Troop 135 at Hickam Air Force Base.

The Moanalua Middle School student comes from a long line of relatives who have military rankings. Eyre said his father fought in the Gulf War in 1992 and "still has a few Valentine's Day cards from a school in Texas."

His father, Col. Michael Eyre of the U.S. Army, said, "This may seem like a little thing, but to the soldier who gets it, it's immeasurable beyond words."

Eyre, 13, came up with the idea after perusing the Internet and finding the Web site www.pocketflagproject.com. The nonprofit organization charges $55 for 300 flags, each about 8 by 14 inches. To pay for the flags, he wrote letters soliciting donations from several organizations, including the American Legion, which gave the most. With donations from relatives and others, he raised $460.

The volunteers put the folded flags into plastic bags with a note (provided by the organization) that reads, "A flag for your pocket so you can always carry a little piece of home. We are praying for you and proud of you. Thank you for defending our country and freedom."

Volunteers included Bobby and Anita Loo of Kaimuki, who came with their son, Leighton, and his wife. Their grandsons, Jason and Jeffrey, are now U.S. Marines and former Eagle Scouts.

Toni Fujinaga brought her daughter, Shelbie, 10, and two other members of the "No Fear" Amateur Softball Association Softball team of Mililani to help. "It's good for them (to volunteer), and we're doing this for the soldiers in Iraq, Fujinaga said.

Leyna Tamaye, 10, said, "I already know how to fold flags through JPO (Junior Police Officers)."

But Tamaye and many others found folding the tiny flags a lot harder than it looked, among them six Boy Scouts from Troop 311, sponsored by St. John Vianney Church in Kailua.

J.P. Spencer "thought it would be easier than folding the big flags because you wouldn't need two people."

Hopena Pokipala said the flag material was stiff, and they had to use a popsicle stick to stuff the last bit of material back into a pocket fold or, Spencer added, "it pops right back up."

Branden Sawyer summed it up, "It's the luck of the draw. Sometimes you get it wrong, sometimes you get it right. But it gets easier as you go."

Coddy Eyre, Francis' mother, called the turnout "phenomenal. ... I'm so proud of my son I could cry."