Tamera McLaughlin has received mail from the White House before, but never like the package she opened at the end of February in her East Lackawannock Township home.

Hidden beneath the packing material was a presidential coin and letter written and signed by President George W. Bush, saying he read Mrs. McLaughlin’s story about her husband, who was killed in Iraq, in the November issue of Views & Voices, the women’s magazine published by The Herald.

“That little magazine from the Sharon Herald made it to the president,” Mrs. McLaughlin said, adding she has no idea how it got to the White House.

She’s received White House mail in the past for events like an annual memorial service to honor those killed in war, but Bush’s letter was a pleasant surprise.

“I was really surprised, honored, that he took the time out to acknowledge something I had done,” she said.

Her husband, Lt. Col. Michael E. McLaughlin, 44, was killed Jan. 6, 2005, in Ramadi, Iraq, by a suicide bomber.

Mrs. McLaughlin’s first-person story, titled “Making a Difference,” tells of her experience in dealing with his death and how people like her husband worked to help the Iraqis.

“It just came from my heart,” she said of telling her story.

Dated Feb. 13, Bush’s letter supports Mrs. McLaughlin’s beliefs that U.S. troops are making a difference in Iraq. The letter is very personal and something she said she’ll cherish.

Here is an excerpt from the letter:

“I am deeply moved by your love and pride for Mike, and I am grateful for your continued support of the brave men and women who wear our Nation’s uniform.

“You and your family have shown tremendous courage in the face of terrible loss and grief. Mike served our country with honor and distinction, and we will always remember his sacrifice in defense of American’s freedom.

“Courageous individuals like him are what make our military the greatest force for freedom in the history of the world, and I am proud to have been his Commander in Chief.”

The letter will be framed and hung in a spare room Mrs. McLaughlin is turning into an office and space to display items she’s received honoring her husband.

The coin, which features the Presidential seal, is an addition to a small collection McLaughlin had already started. Other coins depict scenes from various branches of the military, Mrs. McLaughlin said.