Students in Kelly Bodziak’s third grade class at McKinley Avenue School in Stafford got a visit from a friend recently as 1^st Lt. Eddie Lipositz (USMC) took time during his leave at home from Afghanistan to visit his cousin Vincent Ciraulo and classmates.

The class recently wrote letters to  Lipositz and his men and he wanted to personally thank them.

“When we get letters from students they are usually addressed ‘Dear Soldier’ but your letters were addressed ‘Dear Marine’ and that meant a lot to us,” Lipositz told the class of 22 students. “Personal letters mean a lot.”

Students inquired about the individual Marines that they wrote letters to, asking specific questions about their jobs, their families, and their nicknames. When asked what a Lance Corporal is, Lipositz took to the board and wrote the different ranks and explained each to the students.

Students asked what his job was in the Marines and he explained that he is a “tanker” and is in charge of 119 men and they all work to maintain the four tanks that he is responsible for.

Students also asked where the Marines sleep (on cots in tents), if there are women Marines (not a lot, but they do important jobs), and what is the difference between the Army and the Marines.

 “When you are going to be somewhere for a long time, you use the Army,” explainedLipositz. “But you know when you have an emergency and you call 911 to get help right away? Well, when the country has an emergency, the Marines are who they call. The Marines are the country’s emergency fighting force.”