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DEL.ICIO.USMemories of Iraq: Camaraderie, candy and a close call
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Louie Favorite/AJC
Spc. Jorge Luis Dumeng-Mendez has an after-dinner cigarette before leaving on a 12-hour patrol mission. He is a member of a Puerto Rico battalion.
I’m home now after reporting on Georgia’s 48th Brigade Combat Team for 10 weeks in Iraq. I made many friends and had some incredible experiences. Thought I would leave you with some of my most memorable moments.
Witnessing a roadside bomb obliterate the front of 2nd Lt. Homer Wright III’s Humvee. Wright and his troops were hunting improvised explosive devices when one found them near the Sunni-dominated city of Mahmudiyah, just south of Baghdad. Wright, of Hazlehurst, bit off a chunk of his tongue when he rocketed out of his seat and smashed his head on the roof. With blood oozing from his mouth and chin, he took cover in the vehicle I was riding in. Wright cradled his head in his hands. He said he was thinking about his two young sons back home, worrying about them growing up and having to serve in a place like Iraq. With tears in his eyes he said, “I love my boys. I would do anything for my boys.�
Going out on patrol with Puerto Rican National Guard soldiers attached to the 48th. They were hunting insurgents near Baghdad International Airport. Before their mission, they gathered around each other in the glow of a Humvee’s headlights and prayed in Spanish. Out on patrol, in the chilly night, we stood around a Humvee, sharing boiled peanuts. Stray dogs were all around us, howling eerily.
Sharing a homemade meal with the Puerto Ricans at Camp Striker, near Baghdad International Airport. In a big steel pot on an industrial size burner in their tent, they made arroz con gandules, or rice and pigeon peas. They also made beef stew, using ingredients mailed from home. They wouldn’t let a war come between them and a good meal. Everyone in their unit got something to eat. They have a real sense of family.
Watching Cpl. Joe Johnson, of Lyerly, hand out candy to Iraqi children in the impoverished, trash-strewn town of Husseiniya. At 48, the Christian missionary came to Iraq out of a sense of duty and for adventure. But he also did it for revenge. Insurgents killed his son, Spc. Justin Johnson, with a roadside bomb in Iraq last year. Justin’s death as well as the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks inspired Joe to come to Iraq. And now that he is there, his heart is changing. He said he is working on turning the other cheek.
Touring the ruins of Babylon and the ancient City of Ur, running my fingers over stray cuneiform tablets. I saw the giant Lion of Babylon sculpture. I wandered through the home of the prophet Abraham. I climbed a huge ziggurat the Sumerians built to a moon god around the 21st BC. And I wondered what had become of this once great land.
Hanging out with Maj. Ray Bossert of Douglasville, and the Iraqi officers he was training in Yusufiyah. It was night and the Iraqis had shed their uniforms in favor of athletic sweat suits and sandals. We sat in their small wooden shack, sipping hot tea and watching “The Simpsons� on television. Bossert and I were the only Americans on the Iraqi base that evening. I thought to myself, “Am I really here?�
Observing 1st Lt. Jonathan Fisher preparing for another memorial service for a Georgia National Guard soldier. He paused for a moment near me. He had already led six memorial services for 12 soldiers and one Arabic interpreter. This was the Fayetteville school teacher’s first military deployment and it was clearly wearing on him. He was only 26. I remember him saying to himself, “I hope this is the last one I do. Period. I don’t want to do any more of these.�
Seeing Iraqis bravely wind their way around concertina wire, past armed guards and into polling places. It was Oct. 15 and they were casting ballots in a referendum for their national constitution. I remember Tahir K. Kadhim dipping his finger in indelible ink after voting “yes.� The 63-year-old repairman said he wouldn’t try to conceal the stain or scrub it off, despite threats from insurgents. God, he said, could take his life at any time.
Huge elaborate meals with Iraqi sheiks, soldiers and businessmen. The Iraqis are incredibly generous. They served lamb, chicken, rice and delicious homemade bread. One of their desserts is a pretzel-shaped sweet that tastes like honey. Many soldiers warned me against it, but it was some of the best food I had in Iraq.
Wandering around the sprawling Talil Air Base at night. I nearly got lost in the immense maze of U.S. military tents and trailers, thinking, “When will we ever get out of this place?�
How tender and fatherly the Georgia National Guard soldiers were with their counterparts in the 101st Airborne Division. The 101st lost eight soldiers in less than a week after taking over the Georgians’ area of responsibility in the Mahmudiyah area. The Georgians traveled a long distance on perilous roads to be with their regular army buddies for one of the memorial services. They embraced the 101st troops, told them jokes and gazed at the stars with them that evening.
Sgt. Jess Weatherholt, of Douglasville, calmly telling me to take cover in an armored Humvee as insurgent mortar rounds started raining down around us at his base in Lutayfiyah. I was struck by how calm and collected he was. He said he heard shrapnel hit the back of our vehicle. And then, almost automatically, he and his buddies were rolling out the gate to hunt the attackers.
Staff Sgt. John Conley, an aggressive, shotgun-wielding soldier from the Atlanta area, zooming out of the base in Lutayfiyah on the hunt for the insurgents who fired the mortar rounds. He questioned several people living near the site where the insurgents placed their mortar tube. No one had good descriptions of the suspects. Frustrated, Conley and his platoon started heading home after four hours of unsuccessfully hunting their attackers. Conley growled, “I hate this place.�
Feeling the shock wave of a roadside bomb vibrating through my body. The blast struck a Humvee I was riding in near Ramadi. Three soldiers and I were enveloped in brown dust and smoke. Staff Sgt. Joshua Winchester, of Jesup, commanded the driver to get us out of there. And then he cheerfully shouted, “Well, fellas, happy Thanksgiving!�
After I finished my 10-week assignment in Iraq, I caught a shuttle to the Kuwait International Airport for my flight home. Inside, I saw a giant Starbucks, a Burger King, clothing shops, and brightly lit commercial signs. It felt so strange. I had just been walking through treacherous Iraqi cities carpeted with garbage and plagued with insurgents and abject poverty. And in the airport, there were people strolling along, shopping, apparently with no concern for their safety. It all seemed unreal. As I walked through the airport on my way home, I wondered, “Did I really spend all that time in Iraq or was it just a scary, crazy, beautiful, enlightening dream?”
Comments
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By Judy
December 2, 2005 12:54 PM | Link to this
Hi Jeremy Glad you made it back safely. You did a good job there. Thanks for making the extra effort to actually go to the FOBs and to the people, and report some of the positive side of what is happening instead of just hanging “inside the wire” and being a parrot. It is quite humbling to actually witness history as it happens. Should make us all stop and be thankful for who we are, where we are and what it took to get here. Now that you are home, don’t get so caught up in other things that you forget what you have experienced - “until they all come home”- they still need a voice! Happy Holidays! Chastain’s Mom
By Mike
December 2, 2005 01:02 PM | Link to this
America is proud of you, VERY! I hope you get to kick back at Christmas, see the family and your friends and have a long well deserved rest. My hat is off to you and all the other fine men and women serving our country proudly. May all the military men and women accomplish their mission and come home soon. Godspeed to you all, a job well done soldiers.
By Grandhusul
December 2, 2005 01:59 PM | Link to this
Thank you for your sharing your experience fighting this war. I am of hispanic descent and I am very familiar with the “arroz con gandules” and trust me if I were that far away a homecooked meal like that would be greatly appreciated. Funny, the things we take for granted. When I say my prayers before meals and before I lay my head to sleep, I include all the brave men and women overseas fighting for our freedom. You are greatly appreciated and I truly believe each and every soldier involved in this fight is heaven sent with their purpose. I believe God has a special seat in heaven for all of you, for doing what is right not just for your own country but for others as well. God Bless you and may you have a safe and happy holidays with your friends and family.
By Linda Healton
December 2, 2005 02:25 PM | Link to this
Jeremy..You did a FANTASTIC job reporting from Iraq. Every day, I would get on the AJC to see the new postings you made, and unlike others,they were not few and far between. You kept us up to date and sent GREAT photos along with your reports. Thank you for showing life outside of the camps. WELCOME HOME!!
By Alesia O'Keefe
December 2, 2005 06:08 PM | Link to this
Jeremy, I remember asking you before you left to use good judgement and think of the families back home. I cannot thank you enough for the pieces that you have written. You made us proud! Thank you so much for your care and honesty. Glad you made it home safely!!!
By Joe
December 2, 2005 09:42 PM | Link to this
Jeremy, Thank you. We hear so much rhetoric about what is going on in Iraq, it is hard to believe anybody unless they are there. Reading your article, I got a glimpse of the war and feel for the troops fighting there. Hopefully, they will be home soon.
By CCM
December 2, 2005 09:55 PM | Link to this
Jeremy, another BIG thank you for a job well done. If you write a book about your Iraqi tour please let us know so we can get a copy. I enjoyed your articles and hope to find some on the AJC in the future. Thanks for getting in there with the soldiers.
Welcome home - Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
God bless our military and keep them safe and God bless you.
By Tim
December 5, 2005 08:56 AM | Link to this
Hey Jeremy, Too bad we did not have a chance to do some more catching. I finally worked the whip out of the Lacrosse sticks. It was great meeting you. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
By Karen Dingler
December 5, 2005 02:14 PM | Link to this
Jeremy, You are awesome! I only wish we had more reporters like you. Thank you for all you’ve done to make us ALL look like Hero’s not just our fallen. I’m proud to know you.
Sincerely, Karen Dingler