‘My Military Suitcase’ poet visits White House

PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) - A mystery with a Pine Belt connection; a poem written a decade ago surfaces in our nation’s capital.

How did this poem about life as a military dependant send a young woman to the White House?

“Oh, I’m just proud of her. She wrote a poem back when she was in the fourth grade called ‘My Military Suitcase’,” said Virginia Garick of Moselle.

Virginia brags about her granddaughter, 20-year-old Kylee Garick.

“She talks about what it was like to move, and change friends, and lose friends and get new ones, so there are sad moments and happy moments,” Virginia said.

This past weekend, Kylee met with First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, talking about her prize-winning poem that’s about military families constantly on the move.

“To be able to talk to Dr. Biden, directly and you know, mention how it affected kids and how it’s not just the families that are sacrificing,” said Kylee. “It’s the children especially.”

Kylee’s father, an Ellisville native, was a career Marine, moving the family every three years from Maryland to Florida to Japan and Texas. Finally, the family and Kylee, now a college student, settled down in Florida.

However, this poem turning up after some 10 years was sort of a mystery.

Turns out, it was chosen as a Family of Veterans contest winner.

“So mine has been in the White House for two years now, and we just found that out about a week ago,” Kylee said.

About the whirlwind trip to D.C.?

“It was really sudden and it was really cool to be there,” Kylee added.

There are more than two million military-connected children of active duty service members, according to the White House.

The poem was on display in the East Wing for the entire month of April.

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