When the next school year begins for Iraqi children, many of them will be carrying new school supplies, thanks to an international program initiated by an Oscar-nominated Hollywood actor and students of Our Lady of Malibu school.

Gary Sinise, perhaps best known for playing "Lt. Dan" in the film "Forest Gump," co-founded Operation Iraqi Children after visiting military bases in Iraq twice last year on USO trips. "I saw such wonderful things happening between Americans and Iraqis," Sinise told The Tidings. "I saw a camaraderie and affectionate outpouring of gratitude toward the Americans." According to Sinise, he witnessed children hugging American soldiers for helping to rebuild schools.

During one of those Iraqi trips, Sinise was deeply moved when an Iraqi school principal of a recently refurbished school led Sinise and fellow USO entertainers Wayne Newton, Chris Isaak and Neal McCoy to his office, no bigger than a broom closet, which had a plaque on the wall commemorating the rebuilding of the school by Coalition Forces.

"By the Grace of God, and the cooperation between the Free Iraqi People and the Coalition Forces [this school] has been rebuilt," the plaque announced in English and Arabic. "This school is rededicated on September 30, 2003 for the education of a new generation of Free Iraqi people. May this work stand, under God's Watchful Eyes, as a testament to the hard work and dedication to freedom of Iraq and the Coalition Forces."

"Their perspective is one of hope and pride in what they're doing," commented Sinise. He was equally impressed with the efforts of the American soldiers to collect school supplies for the children.

When he returned to Los Angeles, he contacted friend Matthew Weber, Our Lady of Malibu School principal, to see about holding a school supplies drive at the school. Last fall, the students collected 25 boxes of plastic-bagged school kits containing basic items such as pencils, notebook paper, scissors, a ruler and colored pencils (crayons would melt in the Iraqi heat). Sinise paid for the initial shipment, but has since formed a partnership with FedEx which ships the boxes to Iraq for free from a Midwest warehouse location.

Pictures on the Operation Iraqi Children website (www.operationiraqichildren.org) show children holding kits from the first shipment. In an e-mail to Sinise, an Iraqi present at the school kit distribution declared that the schoolchildren's parents "will not forget this day and the kids will remember the soldiers who help Iraqi children."

Since that first shipment less than a year ago, Sinise has joined forces with "Seabiscuit" author Laura Hillenbrand to formally establish Operation Iraqi Children. Hillenbrand had previously organized "Operation Seabiscuit" to send translated versions of her book to Iraq at the request of a military officer stationed at Camp Anaconda. Operation Iraqi Children is now a worldwide effort to better the lives of Iraqi students.

Sinise and Hillenbrand have also joined forces with other non-profit service organizations to help in collecting and shipping the supplies. They have partnered with groups such as "People to People," directed by Mary Eisenhower, (granddaughter of President Dwight Eisenhower), "Heart to Heart" and the VFW.

According to Sinise, thousands of people have participated. Over 1,000 boxes have been received from church and service groups from 37 different states. "It's a way for people to come together and do something positive," said Sinise.

"It felt good helping less fortunate people in poverty," commented Our Lady of Malibu sixth grader Ryan Houge. "We were doing our part in the community," added classmate Chase Bosworth.

"We want a grassroots effort of kids putting supplies together," explained Sinise. "We've gotten so many letters from schools that this project teaches the importance of service to others."

Sinise, who headlines the cast of the new CBS-TV show "CSI: New York" premiering in October, encouraged all those interested in Operation Iraqi Children to carefully follow the instructions listed on the website concerning suggested supplies and packing methods. Participants are specifically requested not to send any religious materials with their shipments.

"If we can pull together and make Iraq a success," Sinise declared, "our troops can come home."