Alec Baldwin may criticize the president's policies when it comes to the war in
Iraq, but don't ever accuse him of not supporting the troops.
After reading a Mar. 4 article in the New York Times about an 18-year-old female Army soldier preparing to embark on her first tour in Iraq, the 30 Rock star was so touched he decided to reach out and offer to help pay for her college education.
The Times article chronicled Pvt. Resha Kane's emotional farewell with family and friends as she left behind her innocent teen years for the grueling military life she was about to encounter upon shipping out for training at Fort Hood, Texas.
According to Baldwin's spokesman, Matthew Hiltzik, the story and accompanying photo of the soldier tugged at the thesp's heartstrings because Resha reminded him of his 11-year-old daughter, Ireland, and he was so affected he wanted to lend a hand.
So Baldwin, a staunch liberal democrat who's flirted with the idea of running for public office, put politics aside and took it upon himself to track down the girl's mother, Patricia Kane, at the discount store where she works in Mohave Valley, Arizona, and offered to foot part of her daughter's tuition bill.
"As you know, Alec has a younger daughter of his own, so I think this hit close to home," Hiltzik told E! Online. "Alec's always been very supportive of the troops, and I think this really inspired him to want to do something specific. He personally sought out the family and wanted to ask how he could be helpful."
The rep said Baldwin offered to arrange a "low-key, below-the-radar" meeting with the Kanes in their small railroad town of Needles, California, or to take part in a larger event that would include the media and bring more attention to their daughter's poignant story.
The family thanked him for his interest and chose the latter, having become accustomed to press attention after making the front page of the Times. That profile not only garnered them national media attention but spurred people from all over the United States to write letters expressing support and gratitude for Resha's service.
For her part, Patricia Kane was dumbstruck upon hearing from the Oscar nominee.
"I didn't know what to say," Kane told the Associated Press. "And then I asked him if he could send me his autograph. I've never met a star, let alone talked to one on the phone."
With the aid of a family friend, the Kanes are currently working with Baldwin on arranging a visit to take place within the next three months hopefully at the VFW Post 404 in Mohave, the veterans club where their daughter bid her goodbyes and where a motorcade of bikers gave her a honorary send-off.
Hiltzik said they hoped to have a date by next week.
As for Resha, upon hearing from the acclaimed actor of such films as The Hunt for Red October, Glengarry Glen Ross and more recently this year's Best Picture winner, The Departed, she was overwhelmed to say the least.
"It's very generous," the private told AP from Fort Hood, where she's studying to be a chemical operations specialist. "Actors have all this money, and it's a good thing to see them do something other than for themselves and show some character and use their money wisely."
Resha joined the army in April and is scheduled to deploy with her unit for Iraq in September, where she's expected to spend at least six months.
Baldwin's check, the amount of which was not disclosed, will supplement the $37,200 the soldier is due to receive from the Army College Fund for her education. She plans to study biochemistry when her enlistment is up in three years.
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