BETHEL – A Marine from Bethel on his second tour of duty in Iraq spent his 23rd birthday on Monday longing for presents, but not for himself or his unit.

Instead, Cpl. Brian Zinchuk e-mailed his mom, Robin Zinchuk asking for soccer balls and equipment to give to Iraqi children.

“He told me he didn’t want any presents,” Robin Zinchuk said in a telephone interview late Tuesday afternoon. “He just wants soccer balls and stuffed animals, Beanie Babies, candy, and crayons and coloring pads. Basically, anything for children of any age. I think it’s a wonderful thing, because there are a lot of kids over there and they don’t have much.”

Robin Zinchuk, executive director of the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce, mentioned her son’s wish to members of the Bethel Rotary Club.

That’s when Kathy Thrall, owner of The Inn at the Rostay on Route 2, took the ball and ran with it. She set up an organizational drive to score a bunch of soccer balls from people and schools that are replacing old, but still good, equipment with new stuff.

The balls will be deflated if not delivered that way to Thrall and shipped, along with a few air pumps, to Cpl. Zinchuk, who is with the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines out of Kanoehe Bay, Hawaii.

“I thought, ‘What a great thing,'” Thrall said in a telephone interview late Tuesday afternoon. “He used to be on the Telstar (Middle School) soccer team. I’ve only known Brian through Robin, because I own a motel and we’re both members of the Rotary. But, the last time he went to Iraq, I didn’t do anything and I felt bad.”

Brian Zinchuk served his first deployment in Iraq from March through October 2006. His job, mom said, was keeping roads cleared of roadside bombs, keeping supply lanes open, and guarding checkpoints.

He left in August for a second tour that’s expected to last until March 2008, but his job has changed.

“He’s now driving his commanding officer around to meet with different tribal leaders. So, he’s eating with Iraqis and playing with their children. He said there’s quite a bit of diplomacy where he is, and that the Marines there are encouraged to interact with the Iraqi people and children,” Robin Zinchuk said.

When they’re not interacting with and helping Iraqis, Brian Zinchuk’s unit’s second job is to be what’s called a “quick reaction force.” That means, she said, they’re on standby to help should another unit get into trouble.

“Brian’s observation in his first deployment was that Iraqi kids just never had any hope of ever having much, and that really made him sad. Soccer is such a big national sport over there, but there’s no way for kids to get the equipment.

“Brian said he really feels that most of the Marines in his unit who got (care) packages from their families, agreed as a company that (Iraqi) kids there are really the ones in need, not them. I think that’s a good thing. It shows some level of maturity,” Robin Zinchuk said.

Thrall agreed.

“He’s just a really special kid, and I’d like to blow his mind with 1,000 soccer balls. I am sure that to Iraqi kids, anything is better than what they’ve got now,” Thrall added.

To donate any good used soccer balls and/or lightweight, easy-to-set-up nets, or items for children, contact Thrall at 824-3111 or send them to: Kathy Thrall, The Inn at the Rostay, 186 Mayville Road, Bethel, ME 04217.

She’s also seeking information on the most efficient and inexpensive way to ship the items.