Sacramento and UC Davis students wrote letters to troops deployed overseas on Sept. 11 at the California Republican Victory Center.

Of the six students that attended, four were from Sac State.

Lauren Lambardo, a first year Sac State student, was already on her fourth letter when she explained how she was writing them.

“I try to make them personal,” said Lambardo. “I mean the tie I feel to them is a personal tie. The pride I feel for my own family members is the pride I feel for them even though I haven’t meet them, because their sacrifices affect us each individually.”

On average, each letter took her 15 to 20 minutes to write, and Lambardo said she said would stop writing after another three hours.

Sac State student Matt Reed said he was motivated to write letters.

“It’s really important to let the troops know that they are appreciated,” said Reed. “It’s been a long time since 9/11 but it’s important to remind them that we still care and we remember them and that they are not forgotten.”

Robert Rose, a Sac State senior, said he hopes the younger generation will know of the hard work and sacrifice of the soldiers overseas.

“Personally I feel very fortunate to be born in the United States,” said Rose. “I still can’t think of a country where I would have been better off born there. The country doesn’t stay that way because of well wishes and hope. Someone has to go out there and make that sacrifice, do that hard work defending this country from those that would fundamentally change it. They may not realize it now but they will appreciate it one day the sacrifice that was made one day to give them the future and joy of America like I have and those before me have.”

William Miles can be reached at [email protected]