FROM OUR HEROS

I hope you've all had a Happy Thanksgiving and are looking forward to enjoying the rest of the holiday season.

Things here are calming down a bit, and the weather has taken a turn to cooler temperatures, which is nice for a change. I apologize for not being in touch with you more, but I've been quite busy for the last month.

November was an interesting month for me. I was assigned as a liaison officer to the Iraqi Armed Forces for the battle of Fallujah, and began living and training with them on November 2nd. We went into the city for combat operations on the 9th, attached to a USMC infantry battalion commanded by a good friend of mine. You probably saw them on the news, especially if you listen to NPR, as we had Ann Garrels embedded with us. The battalion was BLT 1/3 -- the Lava Dogs -- from Hawaii. My friend is the commanding officer. It was especially gratifying to be in combat with someone with whom I am good friends.

We were in close fighting with the insurgents numerous times, and got sniped and ambushed many more times. There was one firefight that was particularly long and heavy, in which two guys standing right next to me got wounded when we were attacked. I was hit with shrapnel, too, but was amazingly unhurt. It's really amazing that I didn't get hit that day, considering the volume of fire that was hitting the hood of the Humvee across which I was shooting. Bullets and RPG shrapnel hit the hood and skipped right past me, coming within inches, but leaving me unscratched. I guess it really is better to be lucky than good sometimes. The windshield was destroyed by a very large caliber bullet (we even had one go through some steel plating and into the trunk, leaving a 3" wide exit hole).

The preparation fires for the battle the night of November 8th were like nothing I'd ever witnessed in my life. We had artillery, aircraft dropping bombs and tank main guns firing simultaneously throughout the night. We were positioned just north of the city waiting for the time to begin the ground assault, and it was just incredible to see the firepower we unleashed on Fallujah. I couldn't believe that anyone or anything could still be alive after such an assault. But, as we found out, plenty of insurgents survived the initial barrage to fight -- and fight hard -- for many days. In fact, the first day of fighting wasn't the most difficult -- they let us get past them, then tried to hit us in the rear and on our flanks. The Iraqi soldiers were quite timid initially, but did better as we got further into the city, and once they saw us stand and fight.

The city of Fallujah was one of the most depressed places I've ever been. There are virtually no trees, and even the houses have an industrial feel to them. There was one beautiful mosque, but it had been partially destroyed in the bombing. Nearly every house in the city had some sort of battle damage. The only thing I found worth saving was a dog we call Lava, who I'm trying to rescue and bring to the States (he's in one of the pictures).

I'm leaving here on Thursday for a month to go fill in at another job here in Iraq. This year, I feel that I've got more for which to be thankful than ever, even though I'm not with family and friends back home. Please don't ever forget how lucky you all are to be living in the greatest country on the planet. There is nothing like the United States. Have a very Happy Holidays, and enjoy all the freedoms and bounty that are part of being American.

Best regards,

LtCol Jay

Submitted by:
Ed Dougherty
President
SFA Chapter 75

A phone call from Iraq

By KAREN CLARK

Local soldiers let folks back home know they appreciate their support, care packages.

Grateful for the support they have received, local soldiers serving in Iraq thanked folks back home for holiday care packages and made clear they look forward to returning to the states.

Capt. Kurtis Barclay, Sgt. Dave Kradel, Staff Sgt. Mark Dehner, Spc. John Coogan, Staff Sgt. Randy Stachelrodt and Sgt. 1st Class Robert Fugate spoke via telephone Wednesday from their operations center in Iraq.

"We patched our phone line into the civilian network," said Barclay in a call placed to The Derrick newsroom.

The men are all members of the 28th Infantry Division, Charlie Battery, First Battalion of the 107th Field Artillery unit of the National Guard based in Oil City. They have been stationed in Iraq since February.

Under the direction of Barclay, the company commander, the unit is performing security operations in the Baghdad area.

"The unit has really been bounced around quite a few places," said Barclay, an Oil City resident.

Because of military regulations, the exact location of the unit could not be disclosed, but it appeared to be more desirable than previous assignments.

"For us, this is the best place we've been at so far in country. We've lived in anything from tents to steel buildings, nothing like this. Here we have our own restrooms, showers, TV, a few more comforts of home. The food is also better. We had a regular mess hall at the last place, but the food was not the quality it is now," Dehner, of Oil City, said.

"There's a gym, a day room with computers and phones, so we can make calls. We have TV in our room. We usually have three (football) games to choose from each time slot on Sundays. There's a wide variety of games and other programs we can watch," said Kradel, a Titusville resident.

Barclay and the others indicated their holidays had passed as pleasantly as possible in a strange and hostile land.

"It was a pretty good Christmas, and morale is high, especially since we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel here. Our one-year timeline is up in February. ... There's a lot of that timeline that can swing left or right, so it's somewhat fuzzy yet, but we definitely know its getting close to the tail end of things," Barclay said.

"Morale is high. When we first got here, it seemed like this was a long way off. We still don't have any definite dates, but you can see the light," Kradel said.

"We already know the people who are to replace us. Nobody knows the exact dates, but we are making our best guesses and tentatively planning. I think about it all the time, more and more each day," Stachelrodt, of Franklin, said.

The high morale carried through all of the men interviewed.

"It's been a long year in some ways. In other ways its seems like just yesterday when we set foot in this country. Our replacement unit is en route to see us. We train these guys to do what we are doing and start moving back home to family. It's like a dream come true. There's been times it looked so far away and now we can see the end. These guys came together as one big family and worked through family problems. There is always a shoulder to lean on. The unit has turned into a pretty tight family," Fugate, of Oil City, said.

The Christmas Day feast of turkey, all the trimmings, both sweet and white potatoes and numerous pies were served Army-style to the troops, according to Barclay.

"It was still cafeteria-style, but it was a good selection and they decorated the dining facility with a Nativity set. A lot of the figures were life-sized and Christmas tree and Santa's 6-foot sleigh was up. There was a lot of effort to try to bring the spirit of Christmas here for the soldiers," Barclay said.

"It was as good as could be expected considering where we are. But nothing beats Christmas at home," Kradel said.

"Our entire unit was split up early on in our deployment, and we were joined together in late November and could spend Christmas together. We had our whole unit together," Stachelrodt said.

Barclay said a couple of different trees from the family readiness and from private groups are set up in the common areas.

"We have artificial trees in a couple of places, so there's been some lights and decorations," he said.

All of the men have been given leave to return home, some for family emergencies and others as a matter of policy.

"I went home in July, the last three weeks. Everyone of us has had the opportunity to go home at least once. Sometimes people had to go home for various family emergence or environmental leave. (out of this environment)," Stachelrodt said.

"I was home in August - I made it home for my 20th wedding anniversary. I had mixed emotions. You are excited for the first couple days. It was a little easier to go back knowing I was over half done with my tour, but emotionally it was tougher. I knew I'd be home again shortly," Dehner said.

"I was one of the last few to come home. I came home in late October. I came back here the 3rd or 4th of November. That's kind of the way it goes. We make sure that all the younger people under us get to go home first. From my level up above if we don't get leave we understand that. But we were able with the company strength to get everybody home on leave," Fugate said.

Even with a 15-day leave, it could not replace the time lost with loved ones.

"The two weeks at home was fantastic, but it was so fast that it was like a whirlwind and you didn't really get a chance to get caught up on everything. There just wasn't enough time to get caught up on all that's happened since we've been gone. It will be good to get back into the family groove again," Fugate said.

The unit works eight-hour shifts seven days a week, which doesn't allow much time for anything else.

"We had to work on Christmas," Kradel said.

All of the men commented on packages and letters sent from home, but one gift sent earlier this year, was among the most appreciated.

"My dad was able to send us a little bit of help. He was able to send us leak detectors for the Humvees so we can keep that up and running. It's not that different from a home air conditioner. It was quite a trial by fire if your vehicle didn't have air conditioning during the day. When the temperature outside is 140, it gets quite warm, maybe up to 150 with no air. Air conditioning is a blessing. I had the resources, and I used it," said Coogan, whose father, Jack, runs a heating and air conditioning business in their hometown of Franklin.

Coogan turned 21 while in Iraq, but will have to put off the celebrations until he returns home.

"I was working the night of my birthday. We love the holidays and we try to celebrate, but when you got to work you got to work, it's just another day," said Coogan.

The soldiers were all compassionate about the sufferings of their families back home, but one woman's angst was heart-wrenching for her son - that of Judith Bendetti, a nurse at UPMC Northwest and mother to John Coogan.

"The person who has had the hardest time with this deployment is my mom. For the first six or seven months of this deployment, I would call her every chance I could and listening to her crying and worrying about me was hard. We had a death in the family on Dec. 19, and since that it's been really tough for her, but she's really strong and really fighting to keep with it," Coogan said.

Along with mothers, girlfriends and wives also bear a burden of separation from their loved ones.

"For the three years since I've been with her, I've spent half of my time away. I was either here or getting out of basic. I've only seen her for a year and a half really. It's been hard but it's worth the effort," said Coogan of his girlfriend, Lauren Witherup of Oil City.

The mission has not been without peril and the unit lost two soldiers in May near Fallujah. Spc. Carl F. Curran II, 22, of Union City, and Spc. Mark J. Kasecky, 20, of McKees Rocks, died May 16 when an explosive lashed to a bridge they were crossing near Fallujah blew up and flipped their Humvee into a canal where they both drowned.

Several of the men have been wounded in action and will receive the Army's Purple Heart, according to Capt. Cory Angell of the public affairs office of the Army National Guard.

"A lot of the people back home are really showing their support and they are the hometown heroes. Thank you for that," Barclay said.

"We're doing fine, we've got each other to take care of and we are getting through with everybody's love," Fugate said.

A Canvas of Tears and Blood

My Marine son, Adam called me a few minutes ago. For the first moment or two I didn’t recognize his voice; it was raspy, tired and older than when I spoke with him last. I suppose that is to be expected. One doesn’t endure the hell that he has and go on with business as usual.

“Son, are you okay? “ I asked quietly. The response was forced. “I’m not sure,” he said.

“Adam, I’m so sorry. I am so very sorry,” I struggled to get the words out.

His whispered voice screamed with pain. “Dad, I was supposed to be on that helicopter. That should have been me.”

As most Americans know by now, we lost 31 of our boys last Tuesday when the CH-53 Sea Stallion they were flying in went down in an Iraqi field about 200 miles west of Baghdad. When the incident first crossed my news wire I was only seconds from going on the air. It took my breath away and I prayed a quiet prayer for all of the families but, to be honest, I never even considered that Adam, a Lance Corporal in the Corp, would be in that part of the country. Days earlier he told me his team would be moving out but even he was uncertain where they would land.

As the day progressed and the news said the guys were from Charlie Company I became even more concerned. My wife, Laurie, and I awaited word but it didn’t come. As the minutes ticked into hours every devastating thought a person can have ran through my mind. As Laurie paced and emailed, I sat in my office working on the next show. I had to stay busy. I had to keep my mind off the “sandbox” and the tragedy that had just changed families’ lives forever. Finally, 17 hours after the accident we heard from a source that our son had been spotted on the ground and that he was okay. We breathed for the first time all day.

I’m a pretty strong soul and a man who doesn’t often express emotions, but since that fateful day I find myself tearing up as my mind races to that point in time. Today, though, was the worst. Today, I heard the full story. It broke my heart.

“Dad, I was the last guy on that helicopter. I stowed my pack and was inside when an officer from the other copter yelled out my name. ‘Ankarlo, jump out of there and climb into our copter. We need you to be stick man’.”

The night was windy. It was draped in a heavy desert fog but still the Stallions had to fly. Charlie Company had just received their security orders. And so, off they went. Our helicopter pilots have to fly their crafts close to the ground, with few lights on, to avoid enemy fire. They stay low so the surface-to-air missiles won’t blow them out of the sky. In fact, at this low altitude the enemy fire actually bounces off the helicopters before they can explode.

“I am so numb dad. I’m just numb. I saw an explosion and looked out a side window but wasn’t sure if the flash came from the other chopper or not. To avoid fire our pilot swerved back and forth and finally shot straight up. We actually lost power for about 15 seconds and were plummeting back to the ground when he finally regained control. We were sure we were all gonna die but we thought the other copter was okay,” he explained in an honest but devastated tone. “It wasn’t until we landed that we were told it had crashed. At first we were told a few guys had died, and then it was 10; then it was 20 and finally the whole group. Dad, I knew every one of those guys. They were my friends. Now they are all dead. Dad, they’re all dead.” A long paused followed. He was in too much pain and I didn’t have a clue what to say. What does one say to a guy who just saw all his friends get wiped out? A tired cliché would be the worst route. We sat in silence.

“Dad, why am I alive? I was strapped in and we were taking off. Why was I yanked off that copter?” His hoarse voice strained to say more but he couldn’t. I cried with Adam for a moment. “Son, who can explain this? I certainly can’t. I will tell you that thousands of people are covering you in prayer and I don’t doubt that played a major role; but your pop can’t explain the questions you are asking. Only God can do that, and He may choose never to do it,” I offered the only comfort I knew.

Around Christmastime Adam sent us some movies he had taken of his pals. There is serious war footage from the day they took Fallujah but there was a lot of time devoted to guys in their twenties just cutting up and having some fun. “Dad, almost all the guys on those tapes…” his voice trailed off. He didn’t have to say another word. I knew where he was going. It was just too surreal. The next pictures I will see of them will include their families crying around their flag-draped coffins. War hurts.

After a few minutes Adam wanted to share a few more details, “We went back to the wreckage but the biggest piece left was only about four feet in diameter. Everything was torn to bits,” he explained. “I looked for my pack but it was incinerated. Every letter, every thing I have over here was burned. Dad, your book, the one you wrote and that I have shared with about a hundred guys over here, is nothing but ash. I should have been with that pack.” I finally jumped in, “No you shouldn’t have. You are suffering from something called Survivor’s Guilt. Why them and not me? It’s a natural emotion and you have to work through this, but in the end, if you believe in God and know that He’s looking out for you, then you have to believe He knows what He’s doing. I don’t understand it but that’s all you have to hold on to.” We prayed a short prayer and choked back the tears. “I’ve gotta go dad. They just called us back to action. They are loading us on to another helicopter. We’ve got a mission to do before Sunday’s election.”

As he started to go I whispered, “Stay safe.” It sounded so trite when it fell off my tongue. “Stay safe,” what kind of advice was that I wondered? “I’ll try. I love you dad.” For the first time, he sounded like he really was on the other side of the world and with that, the call disconnected.

For the longest time after our conversation, I sat quietly; privately. While staring at a darkened room I realized in the deepest sense of the term what the ultimate price of freedom is. My son, America’s son, painted its picture in stark detail. Its color is red and it has stains that flow like rivers. Those rivers came when a few Marines and God Himself poured out their tears like rain to create a priceless portrait of sadness and hope.

Darrell Ankarlo
Copyright 2005
Ankarlo.net

To see more of Adam's photos, click here.

Email from Dave - Jan 30, 05

Dear Dad –

Today, the interim Iraqi Government held elections. I am not sure how the media is portraying the day’s events; but I thought you might want to know how things went here in Fallujah.

Part of the motivation for the attack on insurgents in Fallujah back in November was to set the conditions for successful elections to be held 30 January. It was understood going into the attack that Fallujah had become a source of instability and violence that radiated to all corners of Iraq. If the insurgent leadership headquarted inside the city was not directly projecting operations to cities as far away as Basrah or Mosul, their activities and overt posture undoubtedly inspired insurgents in other parts of the country to continue.

Once the Marines, Soldiers and Sailors were finally turned loose on the muj in the city, they dealt the enemy a crushing defeat. As I have described to you earlier, one of the most effective weapons the insurgents have employed to date is their propaganda. They lord over the people of Iraq by maintaining a very credible atmosphere of fear and intimidation. However, they also focus their information efforts inward.

When recruiting a 22-year-old Syrian or sustaining the morale of a 19-year-old Saudi, the mantra concerning Fallujah was common: “The Americans will never enter the city. They are afraid to fight us face-to-face and their people will never accept the casualties necessary to remove us from the city.” We know this to be true. Their information efforts were very effective and resulted in a brazen defiance among the muj and a life of fear and subjugation among the people.

When the Marines finally took the city, it was a tremendous psychological defeat to the enemy in addition to the obvious tremendous losses in enemy personnel and supplies. The dogged, relentless pursuit lead by the Captains and Sergeants in hunting down the final pockets of enemy inside the city and destroying them in exceptionally close and violent engagements following the main battle further cemented November’s losses. It is becoming obvious that the inescapable reality of the insurgents’ plight and the foundation of lies upon which they pinned their cause in the end was both obvious to them and to the population that was watching closely from the edges of the city as well.

In the ensuing weeks as the population returned, the Marines have committed an amazing effort to cleaning the city and coexisting with the people. The planning and work that went into November’s offensive was extensive but now it pales in comparison to the effort that has been made to make the city livable again while building a relationship with the people of Fallujah themselves.

The Marines’ days have been spent mentoring new Iraqi soldiers, removing debris, delivering potable water to tanks placed throughout the city, organizing civic leadership, and a myriad of other tasks you would never expect of young men who fought so hard to take the city at great personal cost. However, even as these humanitarian efforts continue daily, the Marines know that the enemy wants nothing more than to re-enter the city and return it to the violent abyss where it resided at the beginning of November. It is impossible for me to put into words how these young men are able to travel the spectrum of violence and emotions every day and simply continue to deliver without failure. It is easy to become cynical and believe that the local people do not appreciate the positive aspects of the effort. Today, it appears as if they do.

During the weeks leading up to the elections, the enemy had been relentless in his threats and posturing against the people and has made it very clear that anyone who attempted to vote would be killed. Compared to the average American, the Iraqi people have lived a life of extreme violence and fear. Because of this, the insurgents’ threats did not fall on deaf ears.

In all honesty, we expected a very light turnout at the polls in Fallujah. To provide just a couple of specific examples of the terror campaign that has been ongoing in this area consider the following:

Several days ago, in the area just south of the city, Marines found a local sheik dead in the road. His hands were tied behind his back and he had been shot from behind. On his body, a rock was placed over a note that read that the sheik was cooperating with coalition forces and that anyone else who did so would meet the same fate. Down the road in Ramadi, two Iraqi Solders were kidnapped, beheaded and left in the street. Their heads were placed on their bodies and cigarettes had been put in their mouths.

Rumors of huge explosions and suicide attacks on polling places were widely circulated.

With this backdrop in mind, today’s elections began shortly after dawn. Even though the days for the Marines here tend to run together, this morning was different. By dawn, the Regiment had surged and both Iraqi Soldiers and Americans canvassed the streets.

Five polling places were established inside Fallujah. As the polling stations opened, trucks of Iraqi Soldiers began arriving to vote at one of the primary stations. The enthusiasm of the Iraqis surprised the Marines. Watching them move past the Marines and Iraqis on the perimeter of the site and then reemerge from the polling tent, the best description I can offer was “joyful.” They got it. As bleak as things have seemed to them over the past two years, this morning was a tangible reward for their personal courage and sacrifice.

As the locals saw the Iraqi Soldiers emerging from the polling tent and exchanging handshakes with the Marines, they began to slowly emerge from their houses. The Regimental CO ordered the PSYOP trucks to begin broadcasting wake up calls extolling the locals that the polling centers were open and secure and that the people should come out and vote.

Seeing must have been believing because before we knew it, they were emerging from their houses and moving into line to vote. The first person I actually saw go into the polling tent was a woman who came out alone. Others soon followed. Even after everything the Marines have seen, it was an amazing site.

Nearby, the Marines were walking through a recently established open-air market on a street corner. People gathered around and informal conversations began between them and the Marines. This same intersection had been a muj strong point just weeks before. This morning, Marines and locals were on the same intersection shooting the breeze as elections were taking place down the block. As the day went on, more and more people came out to vote. The positive atmosphere seemed to build.

Just a few images as the day progressed:

HMMWV’s parked in the median of the main avenue through town with Marines hanging out talking with Iraqis as they walked to the polling center.

A few people actually seeking Marines, Soldiers and Sailors out on the street and thanking them relating that it was the first time in their lives their votes meant something.

A truck pulling up to a polling site overflowing with Iraqi Soldiers going to vote. The Soldiers were actually singing in the back of the truck and then jogging through the wire to get to the polling station. Kids going through the polling centers with their parents. Kids lined up outside the polling centers to watch. Marines on rooftops overwatching the polling centers taking in the first free elections in an area they literally just fought through weeks before. The RCT SgtMaj attaching a full sized Iraqi flag to the back of his vehicle and driving through the city being greeted by thumbs up and shouts of encouragement from both the Iraqi soldiers and citizens.

Of course not everyone voted in Fallujah today but just under eight thousand people did. No one expected such a turn out and any voting in Fallujah at all seemed like fantasy just three months ago.

There are no delusions here as the insurgency is still alive and well and the Marines know that Fallujah remains a dangerous place. There is still much work to be done. Just outside the city, guys were still fighting their tails off today. But for one day in Fallujah it was great to watch the Marines and Iraqi Soldiers enjoy a little success that they sacrificed so much to earn.

Tomorrow will probably be back to business as usual. However, even after all that the Marines have seen and been through you could see it on their faces - Today was a good day.

See you soon,

Dave

www.thegreenside.com - Email from Dave

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