RSS Feed
|
|||||
|
Christmas in Iraq:
What is the first thing you would hang on your Christmas tree...The lights? Or maybe the ornaments first, garland second? How about mouse traps? This Christmas my sister, Sergeant First Class Lisalyn Howe DeWitt, decorated the Christmas tree in her office in Balad, Iraq. They used what they had, and that was mouse traps. Evidently mouse traps are among the staples where she is deployed. She and 120 members of Headquarters and Headquarters company of the 12th Aviation Brigade in the U.S. Army have been manning an air base for eight months, using their Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters to transport supplies and personnel where they need to go. There are 1400 members of their task force, from every area of the U.S.A. Lisa works in personnel, keeping track of supplies, people, mail, promotions, and pretty much anything that needs to be kept track of. Right now it's the rainy season but they've only gotten about two inches of rain. "We've had two really big storms, you'd think a parched soil would suck in the water but it's baked so hard it takes three to four days to seep into the sand," Lisa tells us via email. "The ground is covered in a fine powder about three to four inches thick, add water and presto—a top layer of muck. So it gets really deep in the mud department. "Imagine a dirt hill road in the spring, just muck for mud instead. "I dream of Vermont where you would have snow, crisp cold and hot chocolate right about now," she says. Tension The flight crew on the helicopter that was shot down about six weeks ago, costing 16 soldiers their lives, belonged to my sister's unit. "We are sad here. I hope this will be our only loss, but we are in a war zone and every day gets tougher," she wrote. "We had very little threat when we drove into and through Baghdad on Easter Sunday; now every day they get more weapons and now the threat is very high. "It's been very quiet lately around us. I really would rather have them sending mortars over the fence, we at least would know where they were. Every day I just wonder if this will be the day they send more than mortars over the fence." Despite the hostilities, there are some bright spots, Lisa says. "You should see the little kids' faces when we visit the orphanages, hospitals and schools. At least they are happy we are here. "Being so tense here makes you realize what you have at home and how lucky we are to have it," Lisa said. "These people here don't have the comforts that Americans are used to." Stay Alert, Stay Alive "It makes me so mad when you hear all the complaining from some in the states and countries, that we had no reason to be here ... and here we are sitting in the sand and dust and heat, seeing first hand what squalor these people live in and limited foods they eat. This country could be considered a third world country. "Everything that has happened to us here has been very TENSE. We don't know what will happen next. 'Stay alert, stay alive' is our motto. "Yes I am very proud of the flag on my shoulder. I am here in Iraq because that is my job defending our country. "Every day I look at the pictures of my boys, husband and family members and it reminds me why I am here. I am here for my family, friends and those I don't even know. "Love and miss you guys so much. Keep the faith—we really are doing good things here." I read these messages from my sister and I feel grateful, sad, frustrated, and both eager and helpless to make things easier for her—and for her husband, 2-year-old son and 5-year-old son waiting for her in Germany. I am very, very proud of her. I can't imagine living in the conditions she faces, doing what she does, paying the price that she, and her fellow soldiers, pay. When I last asked what we could send her, she said, "Tums are good. "I guess we will never be the same." And, perhaps, neither will any of the rest of us. By Gus Howe Johnson |
for larger version     |
||||
