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Toy Bear travels with AIA

1st Lt. Peter Lindsay
31st IS
Fort Gordon, Ga.

On October 1998, more than 70 third and fourth graders at the Augusta Preparatory Day School in Georgia sent small stuffed bears to friends and family to carry along on trips to overseas places.

The project, called “Geobear,” happens every other year at the school and is used as a creative means to teach children about world geography and cultures.

Each of the 70 Geobears sent postcards back to the classrooms and told of their interesting experiences as they traveled to different parts of the world.

One Geobear, and one very excited student, got an extraordinary treat, courtesy of Col. Frank Goldstein, chief, Psychological Operations Division at Headquarters Air Intelligence Agency, Kelly Air Force Base, Texas.

Goldstein received the bear named “Buttercup” from Samantha Graham in the fall of 1998. During the following six months, Goldstein and many who work closely with him made a special place for Buttercup on business flights to locations all over the world and to military bases around the United States. Postcard after postcard arrived back in Augusta as Buttercup told of exciting countries and cultures.

Samantha compiled all the postcards and photographs sent by Buttercup into a neatly arranged album displaying the many places visited by the stuffed bear, as well as pictures of Buttercup’s unique experiences during the six month journey.

“Sending Geobears gives the children a better view of geography, a better global understanding, and a better exposure to world events,” said Carol Jones, Lower School Division Head.

“The program really helps them to see that other countries are more than just places on a map, that people actually go there.”

Goldstein recently visited the Augusta elementary school on his way to the airport in Atlanta. Goldstein made special arrangements to personally bring Buttercup home.

This thoughtful homecoming thrilled teachers and students at the school who had anticipated the return of their most prolific traveler, Buttercup.

Goldstein spoke to all of the third and fourth graders at the school and presented Samantha Graham with her Geobear.

“We were so impressed by someone in the military expressing a desire to return Buttercup personally,” Jones said. “It was very meaningful to all of us - that he would care so much for a third grader.”

During the assembly, Goldstein talked about Buttercup’s travels and shared with the students many of the training certificates that Buttercup earned as an honorary member of the Air Force.

In a warmly received presentation, Goldstein gave Buttercup an Honorable Discharge Certificate and a “Bearforce Achievement Medal” draping a shiny medallion around the Geobear’s neck.

Samantha and the school also expressed their thanks to the colonel and the Air Force.

Goldstein’s goodwill trip to the Georgia school turned out to be a full morning of positive Air Force recognition.

Impressed by the Goldstein’s contributions to the third and fourth grade students, the school’s Upper School Division Head Craig Jones, invited Goldstein to address an assembly of high school freshmen and sophomores at a career day gathering happening concurrently with the elementary school event.

Goldstein, along with Maj. Laurie Smith, joined in the career day activity and strongly promoted the Air Force.

Altogether, the colonel addressed over 180 students and teachers at the Augusta, Ga., school. Better things rarely happen on the way to the airport.