Every shipman on USS Shoup to receive Christmas card

Students at Exeter and Cassville schools are shipping some cheer to a ship this Christmas.

The effort was made as a result of the deployment status of Charlie Seymour, 2017 Cassville High School graduate and Petty Officer Second Class, in the U.S. Navy serving aboard the USS Shoup.

The ship is an Arleigh Burke-class Flight IIA guided-missile destroyer currently deployed in the Middle East, with its main task to provide protection for the US aircraft carrier, the USS George Washington, and is a part of the 7th Fleet.

Seymour joined the Navy in 2019 and has been stationed in Japan since 2024, and recently, he informed his mother, Angela Seymour, via video call that his deployment had been extended until after the New Year, meaning he would not be back in Japan as originally planned.

Realizing that time was running short to send care packages and Christmas cards, Angela sprang into action. She also wanted to make sure Charlie’s fellow sailors received a little extra Christmas cheer, so she asked her husband, Chris Seymour, whether any of his students at Exeter Elementary might be interested in making Christmas cards for Charlie and his shipmates.

Chris, Exeter Elementary School principal, shared the idea with his teachers, and the response was incredible. Within just a few days, Exeter students had created several hundred handmade Christmas cards filled with holiday wishes and messages of encouragement.

Wanting to spread the holiday spirit even further, Chris reached out to Cassville schools, where Charlie attended school as a child, and invited their students to participate as well. 

Anglea, who teaches at Southwest Middle School, invited her fifth- and sixth-grade students to join as well.

As a result of the generosity and enthusiasm of students from all three communities, the Seymour family has collected enough handmade Christmas cards for every sailor aboard the USS Shoup to receive one before Christmas.

“What began as a simple idea from a grateful mother has grown into a heartwarming community effort,” a press release said. “Through their creativity and kindness, these students are reminding hundreds of sailors serving far from home that they are appreciated, remembered, and thought of during the holiday season.

“Sometimes, the most meaningful Christmas gifts aren’t wrapped in paper or placed beneath a tree. Sometimes, they’re handmade with a little paper, a few words of encouragement, and a whole lot of heart.”