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Lydia Pusser, center, and Abby Pullen, right, run through an obstacle course at Operation Purple Camp at Crow's Neck in Tishomingo County on Wednesday. The course was one of several activities for military day at the annual week-long camp for children of military families. (C. Todd Sherman)
“This is my third time at camp,” said 16-year-old Cody, who is from Corinth. Though his dad is retired from the military now, Cody and his brother enjoy the friendships with other military kids that are forged at the annual camp.
“I like meeting new people and they keep us busy,” Cody said. “Swimming is my favorite.”
All three of the other campers – Justin, 15, of Columbus, Makayla, 9, of Horn Lake and Novie, 13, of Booneville – are veterans of the camp as well. They’re among 52 children of military servicemen and women who are at Crow’s Neck this week for Operation Purple Camp.
“It’s great to see old friends and meet a couple of new people,” Justin said.
Each day of camp, which began on Sunday and ends Friday, has a different theme. Wednesday was Military Day.
Cody and Justin are in the same 15-, 16- and 17-year-old group that had 30 minutes of march training with Army Maj. Lee Ford of Panama City, Fla., who drove up just for the day to participate in the activity.
The kids weren’t too concerned about getting it just right, but neither was she.
“It gives them a little taste of what their parents go through,” said program director Debora Waz.
The groups spent 30 minutes at one station before moving on to another.
Makayla, less than 4 feet tall, was excited she reached the top of the climbing wall to ring the bell. She made as many trips up the wall as the 30 minutes allowed, but her multicolored fingernails showed she enjoyed girls’ night Tuesday as well.
“We had a spa night and my teacher did my nails,” Makayla said. “I helped do hand massages, and we did yoga, too.”
While the girls were busy with “girlie” activities, the guys were all about food. They spent an evening around the campfire making biscuits-on-a-stick, with lots of other snacks besides.
Days start early and are busy, but the kids get cabin time in the heat of the day, Waz said. Then they all come together for an evening campfire, games or other activities.
“When bedtime comes they’re tired and ready to sleep,” said Cynthia Harrell, director of the Crow’s Neck Environmental Education Center.
This is the third year Crow’s Neck has hosted the camp, which is sponsored by the National Military Family Association with support from the Sierra Club.
Crow’s Neck is the only Mississippi site that hosts two weeks of camp this year with each group staying one week. A camp in Bay St. Louis was held for boys earlier this month, and one for girls in Wiggins.
“We’re an ideal match for them,” Harrell said, “because our environmental education programs are already set up, and we only have a little adjusting to do for what they want.”
And no one could be more deserving of the camp experience, Waz said.
“You hear a lot about the soldiers, but they have kids and what they always say is don’t do anything for me, do something for my kids,” she said. “These kids give up a lot when they have to do without that parent for a year.”
People at Crow’s Neck recognize that sacrifice, and do all they can to make the camp experience special.
“We have lots of fun fishing and swimming,” Novie said, anticipating today at the beach along Bay Springs Lake. “It’s fun to be here with my friends again. We text and stay in touch all the time and some of them live close by, but some are far off.”
Contact Lena Mitchell at (662) 287-9822 or lena.mitchell@djournal.com.
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