Small-town boy who became national hero

The Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | 12/16/03 | Alec Russell

[Pokey78]

When Maureen Hickey saw on television that her husband was in charge of the unit that captured Saddam she jumped up from her sofa so abruptly that she sent the two cats that had been snoozing on her lap flying across the room.

Col James Hickey, the Chicago-born son of Irish immigrants, had been leading the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade, known as the Raider Brigade, in the hunt around Tikrit for the past eight months.

He was the toast of Chicago yesterday, as it emerged that he was in the lead armoured vehicle as commander of the 600 soldiers on the successful raid.

As congratulatory telephone calls flooded into his home in Naperville, 30 miles west of Chicago, his family painted a picture of a small boy from Middle America overcoming disadvantages and aspiring to and achieving the status of a national hero. "As a boy growing up in the Seventies you had dreams of playing for Notre Dame [a local American football team]," said his brother Ken.

"But Jim always wanted to be a general in the United States military."

The second of six children he was commissioned in the American army in 1982. He joined the 4th Infantry in April and left days later for Kuwait and then Iraq.

His wife who lives at his unit's base in Fort Hood, Texas, spoke to him on Sunday. "I asked him, 'Did you know it was him when you got him?' He said, 'I really had a strong sense it was him; it wasn't a body double.' He just thinks it happened so fast Saddam didn't know what hit him."

Col Hickey, 43, had taken part in more than 500 raids in the turbulent area north-west of Baghdad, looking for Saddam and any of his lieutenants still at large.

[Southack]

HUA!

[CholeraJoe]

Wolverines!

[CatoRenasci]

Jim Hickey is a Virginia Military Institute man, Class of 1982.

Lt. Gen. J. Jackson The Insitute will be heard from today...

[CholeraJoe]

"But Jim always wanted to be a general in the United States military."

I expect that will happen the next time he meets a General Officer Promotion Board.

[squarebarb]

No heroes! No heroes! We mustn't have any heroes! They are just toooo agressive and boorish! Hooray for Fort Hood, remember the Alamo, cheers from Texas!

[squarebarb]

Forgot to put in the sarcasm tag. So hit me. Urk.

[ElkGroveDan]

Col James Hickey, the Chicago-born son of Irish immigrants

God gave us whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world. Then he sent the potato famine so that America would.

[SICSEMPERTYRANNUS]

What about the "Snuffy" who actually found the hole. Doesn't he get any love?

SIC

[krb]

He should...they guy who would've eaten the first lead had the quarry fought back deserves some attention too...

[Temple Owl]

Col. Hickey and the "Snuffy" and the rest of the guys who found the B@$tard should be invited to the White House for Christmas dinner.

[Salvation]

A bump for our troops, including this soldier.

[U S Army EOD]

Good leaders, lead from the front.

[CHICAGOFARMER]

Hurray

Naperville is my home town. Will drive by tomorrow and give my thanks.

[July 4th]

Cool! I just found out today that someone I knew pretty well in high school was there too. It's nice to be able to make that connection - for so many, the military is just a concept.

[tgslTakoma]

U.S. army commander, Col. James B. Hickey, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, of Chicago, IL, smiles near Tikrit, northern Iraq, Monday Dec. 15, 2003. Hickey was the top officer in charge of the capture of Saddam Hussein. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

US soldiers from the 1st Brigade of 4th Infantry Division guard the entrance of the hut where toppled Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was captured in Ad Dawr.(AFP/Mauricio Lima)

[El Gato]

"But Jim always wanted to be a general in the United States military."

I suspect his chances of doing that, although already high, just skyrocketed. We can only hope.