Memorial Day

The Things They Carried

They carried P-38 can openers and heat tabs, watches and dog tags, insect repellent, gum, cigarettes, Zippo lighters, salt tablets, compress bandages, ponchos, Kool-Aid, two or three canteens of water, iodine tablets, sterno, LRRP-rations, and C-rations stuffed in socks. They carried standard fatigues, jungle boots, bush hats, flak jackets, and steel pots. They carried the M-16 assault rifle. They carried trip flares and Claymore mines, M-60 machine guns, the M-70 grenade launcher, M-14's, CR-15s, Stoners, Swedish K's, 66 mm Laws, shotguns, 45 caliber pistols, silencers, the sound of bullets, rockets, and choppers, and sometimes the sound of silence. They carried C-4 plastic explosives, an assortment of hand grenades, PRC-25 radios, knives and machetes.

Some carried napalm, CBU's, and large bombs; some risked their lives to rescue others. Some escaped the fear, but dealt with the death and damages. Some made very hard decisions, and some just tried to survive.

They carried malaria, dysentery, ringworms, and leaches. They carried the land itself as it hardened on their boots. They carried stationery, pencils, and pictures of their loved ones real and imagined. They carried love for people in the real world, and love for one another. And sometimes they disguised that love: "Don't mean nothin'!"

They carried memories!

For the most part, they carried themselves with poise and a kind of dignity. Now and then, there were times when panic set in, and people squealed, or wanted to, but couldn't; when they twitched and made moaning sounds and covered their heads and said, "Dear God," and hugged the earth and fired their weapons blindly, and cringed and begged for the noise to stop, and went wild and made stupid promises to themselves and God and their parents, hoping not to die. They carried the traditions of the United States military, and memories and images of those who served before them. They carried grief, terror, longing, and their reputations.

They carried the soldier's greatest fear, the embarrassment of dishonor. They crawled into tunnels, walked point, and advanced or flew into fire, so as not to die of embarrassment.

They were afraid of dying, but too afraid to show it. They carried the emotional baggage of men and women who might die at any moment. They carried the weight of the world, and the weight of every free citizen of America .

THEY CARRIED EACH OTHER.


Sent by Major Ross W., via Seamus

Graphics by Doc

POSITIVE FEEDBACK - An Iraqi boy waves a sign, written for him in English by an older Iraq boy, as a way to say "thank you" for the paper that was donated to his school in Baghdad, Iraq, by a school district in Wyoming, May 10, 2008. The supplies were distributed by U.S. Marines assigned to Headquarters Company, Regimental Combat Team 5.U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Shawn Coolman

Soldiers Distribute School Supplies

From Multi-National Force - Iraq:

A student from Abu Shear School takes an arm full of backpacks back to the classroom April 14 in the Monsouri area of Iraq. Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1-76th FA, 4th BCT, 3rd Inf. Div., delivered backpacks, soccer balls and notebooks to students there. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Tami Hillis.


Friday, 18 April 2008
By Sgt. 1st Class Tami Hillis
4th BCT, 3rd Inf. Div. PAO

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU — A convoy rolls up to a small school in the Monsouri area of Iraq, just outside FOB Kalsu, and at first glance the school looks abandoned. Then small faces start appearing and heads lean out the windows.

Moments later, Soldiers with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 76th Field Artillery, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, and the 415th Civil Affairs Battalion, from Kalamazoo, Mich., currently assigned to 1-76th FA, are surrounded by helpful faculty and eager students, waiting to see what has been brought.

The Soldiers delivered backpacks filled with school supplies, soccer balls and notebooks April 14 to the al-Raqhaa School, for primary and secondary students, and the Abu Shear School, for primary students. Each school has approximately 800 students.

“A lot of the missions we’re doing right now are school improvements and this mission helps the kids get the materials they need in order to get an education,” said Cpl. Markbradley Vincze, a father of one from Lufkin, Texas.

Spc. Christopher Ryder, a Lake Charles, La., native and three-year veteran, said they try to put a smile on the kids’ faces.

“It makes me feel like I am actually making a difference,” Ryder said. “It shows the kids that we’re good people.”

Over time the goal is to get a backback and supplies to each student.

“Right now we’re using a systematic way of distributing our generosity throughout our (area of operation),” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Robert Green, target acquisition platoon leader. “So we started with these two schools and we’re kind of going in a clockwise motion around our AO with school drops.”

There are approximately 10 schools in the unit’s AO.

“We’ve gotten to know the people in our AO and it feels nice doing something good for them,” said Spc. Joseph Carroll, a one-year veteran from South Bend, Ill. “It also gives the Army a positive image.”

This type of mission helps build relationship between Coalition forces and Iraqi residents.

“It shows the people that we’re not just here for ourselves; we’re going to work for the community, work for the children,” said Green, a father of three and St. Louis, Mo., native. “I think if you win the children, you win the adults. They’re kids just like our kids, they just have less.”

The unit plans to work with the CA team on a continuous basis until each school has supplies for every student, said Green.

“Hopefully the young ones remember American Soldiers as helpful, so maybe our kids won’t have to be here in 20 years,” said Pfc. Agustin Aguilar Jr., a one-year veteran from Tucson, Ariz.

“They are grateful for anything and they don’t look at us and run away - they know we’re friendly to them.”

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Thanks to Holly, we have a new logo:

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Camp Teaches Iraqi Children Basketball

From Multi-National Force - Iraq:

With the ball, Spc. Cortez Cox, a water purification specialist, and Staff Sgt. Howard Benjamin, a section leader, both with Company B, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), teach Radwaniyah children how to defend and take the ball away during day two of a three-day basketball camp at Patrol Base Lion’s Den. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Tony M. Lindback, 3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. (AASLT).


Friday, 11 April 2008
By Staff Sgt. Tony M. Lindback
3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. (AASLT)

PATROL BASE LION’S DEN — Radwaniyah area children were treated to something a little out of the ordinary when U.S. Soldiers at Patrol Base Lion’s Den held a basketball camp recently.

Holding a basketball camp where Soldiers could teach lessons in teamwork, discipline and hard work, resulted from Staff Sgt. Christopher Dickerson and his company commander, Capt. Sean Morrow, putting their heads together.

Dickerson and Morrow wanted Company B, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), to give back to the community and get the kids in the area together. Their idea captured the support of many company Soldiers, some of whom, like Sgt. Dwight Williams, added ideas and manpower to make the camp a hit.

Williams, originally from Birmingham, Ala., has a brother who holds a basketball camp at home every summer. Williams said he tries to make it to the camp to help each year, but donates $500 to sponsor five children when he can’t be there.

“Being over here this time, I got to work with the Iraqi kids and I felt just like I was back at home,” Williams said. “I was able to give back to the community.”

Giving back to Radwaniyah has involved more than just teaching basketball. One sheikh said the security the Americans had established was the first gift to the community.

“Thanks to God, the Iraqi Army and the Coalition forces, the security is very good,” said Sheikh Hameed Shalal Al-Tharib, a local leader in Radwaniyah. “That makes a good situation where our kids can play soccer, or come here and learn basketball.”

Teaching the children basketball, an American game, instead of soccer - a much more common game in Iraq - had its purpose. The Soldiers wanted to share American culture, but they also wanted to get everyone on common ground, starting off as beginners. They brought in Iraqi Army Soldiers and sheikhs to give the youth figures to look to for learning.

“We wanted to bring them in and have the IA with us so they could serve as good role models,” said Atlanta native, 1st Lt. Trivius Caldwell, 3rd Platoon leader for Co. B, 2-69th Armor Regt. “We wanted to teach them basic elements of life – teamwork, discipline, hard work – things of that nature. I think we accomplished that.”

Williams said he felt the Iraqi children may have had a misunderstanding of why Americans are in Iraq and the basketball camp was one way to show them what kind of people Americans really are.

“The kids really enjoyed it because they had heard about Americans,” Williams said. “But there’s a big difference between hearing about us and standing there with us and shaking our hands. I think they really enjoyed that more than the basketball camp – getting to interact with us.”

Eighteen children showed up for the first day of the three-day camp, 27 came on the second day and there were 47 by the last day.

“It’s just like spreading the word back home; if one kid likes it, he’s going to tell a friend and then he’ll tell a friend,” Williams said. “We were just glad to have so many kids come out.”

The children formed teams and played a championship game at the culmination of camp, allowing them to show off what they had learned. They were then treated to a cookout and given awards. Twenty-five children got one more thing, something they held dearly as they walked away – their very own Quran.

“In my brother’s camp (in Birmingham) we give out Bibles,” Williams said. “Here, a lot of families don’t have Qurans, so we gave out Qurans … Giving out a Quran is letting them know, ‘I respect your religion, just like I respect mine.’”

Local sheikhs happily brought the Qurans in at the request of Morrow.

“It’s a great thing to give the Quran to the children at the end of the basketball camp,” Sheik Al-Tharib said. “We want to teach our kids about more than sports … Since the people here are poor, it’s good that each kid can now have his own Quran – something his family maybe didn’t have before.”

Fallen Soldier’s Family Continues Mission of Love for Iraqi Children

From Multi-National Force - Iraq:


Calif., native 1st Lt. Casey Zimmerman of Company C, 3rdBattalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, hands out footballs at a school in Mullah Fayad March 27. All the items were donated by the family and community of Sgt. Nathan Barnes, who served in the area and was killed in Rushdi Mullah July 17. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Tony M. Lindback, 3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div.

Tuesday, 01 April 2008
By Staff Sgt. Tony M. Lindback
3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. (AASLT)

PATROL BASE YUSIFIYAH — Whoever said violence begets more violence never met the family of Sgt. Nathan Barnes.

American Fork, Utah, native Sgt. Nathan Barnes, a Soldier with 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, was killed in Rushdi Mullah, Iraq, when his unit came under attack by small-arms fire July 17.

Rather than hold bitterness toward the people of a foreign land where their son died, Barnes’ family is embracing them. Barnes often sent home photos of children in the areas he served. His father, Kevin, said Nathan truly loved the Iraqi children.

Nathan’s love for those children inspired his father and other residents of American Fork to collect enough donated items to fill a 40-foot shipping container. Sewing machines, book bags, newborn kits, personal hygiene items, food, toys, children and women’s clothing, school supplies and even wheelchairs were donated to residents in and around Rushdi Mullah and Yusifiyah, places Barnes did most of his service in Iraq.

Rushdi Mullah, where Barnes was killed, is one of the communities now supported by Rakkasan Soldiers of 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). The Rakkasans took on the task of distributing the items once the shipping container arrived in Iraq.

Company C, 3-187th Inf. Regt., distributed some of the gifts at a school in Mullah Fayad, an impoverished Yusifiyah community.

Santa Barbara, Calif., native 1st Lt. Casey Zimmerman, who helped hand out the donations at the school, wanted everyone to know the source of the aid.

“I made a point at the beginning to convey who Nathan Barnes was, how he died, and what kind of loving family and country he belonged to,” Zimmerman said. “I bet we saw over 1,500 men, women, and children – mostly children.”

The generosity of the Barnes family and the American Fork community led to a similar address in Rushdi Mullah by Brig. Gen. Ali Jassim Muhammad Hassen Al Frejee, commander of the 25th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division.

“A Soldier who came from thousands of miles away and was killed here – his family spends money to rebuild this area,” Ali said. “We have to respect that.”

Capt. Clifford Kazmarek, commander of Company B, 3-187th Inf. Regt., said the experience was remarkable and humbling.

“I have just the greatest amount of respect for that family for doing this, and I know that the people here truly appreciate it,” Kazmarek said.

The citizens received most items with a smile and without hesitation. But there was one gift that had many children puzzled.

“The Frisbee befuddled them,” said Pittsburgh native Capt. Michael Starz, commander of Co. C, 3-187th Inf. Regt. “They didn’t quite grasp the concept. They thought it was a serving plate so we had to engage with the kids for a few throws until they got the idea. In the end, though, they still said, ‘Where’s the football?’”

There were many footballs – soccer balls to Americans – handed out as well.

Thousands of Iraqis from Rushdi Mullah and Mullah Fayad benefited from the generosity.

“I never imagined a family – American or otherwise – could provide unmitigated charity to the people of a foreign town in which their son was killed,” Zimmerman said. “The Barnes family and those who have contributed to their noble foundation are true testaments to America's values.”

MAKING ARMY FRIENDS - U.S. Army Capt. Troy Thomas holds hands with a young Iraqi girl as he walks to his Humvee in a village outside Patrol Base Assassin, Iraq, Jan. 10, 2008. Thomas is assigned to 1st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Timothy Kingston