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DEL.ICIO.USFinding joy far from home
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tallil Air Base, Iraq — In the darkness of this vast military base, sometimes it was hard to tell that Christmas was here.
Many of the soldiers kept to their trailers. Others were out on supply convoys that would last all night or even a few days.
“Is it Christmas? I hadn’t noticed,” was a common comment.
Soldiers can find Christmas especially difficult because of the separation from family and friends; they give up the comforts of home for a crude, and sometimes lonely, existence in a combat zone.
Here in southern Iraq, members of the Georgia Army National Guard’s 48th Brigade Combat Team tried to make the best of it. Some units threw Christmas parties or organized gift exchanges. A few Christmas lights and decorations sparkled among the trailers soldiers call home. An inflatable snowman bobbed up and down in the wind that swirled between the metal buildings.
In a courtyard outside the main recreational facility, some troops gathered for a Christmas program of carols, readings and a live Nativity scene.
Two friends who serve in the 220th Engineer Company, based in Festus, Mo., held up battery-operated plastic candles and sang “Away in a Manger” together.
“I’d probably be heading to my aunt and uncle’s house right now,” said Spc. Jeremiah Johnson, 22, a corrections officer from DeSoto, Mo. “That’s what we do every Christmas Eve. I miss the food, the gifts.”
Johnson said he could go for a good roasted turkey.
Sgt. Robb Breck, 37, a driver for United Parcel Service in Imperial, Mo., said he was really missing his twins.
“It’s kind of sad to be here,” he said. “We usually go visit relatives on Christmas Eve and exchange gifts.”
Spc. Lisa Evans, 37, a Macon State University student from Griffin, said soldiers try to make the best of being so far from home on this special day.
“I didn’t want to be thinking about home,” she said. “I wanted to be in the Christmas spirit.”
“This is wonderful,” she said of the outdoor Christmas program. “The narration of the whole event — why we celebrate Christmas was represented really well.”
Across the street and by the rows of trailers that occupy Living Area 2, members of the Puerto Rican National Guard took out guitars and gathered at a gazebo to sing traditional songs from the countryside known as aguilando. They shared arroz con dulce (a sweet rice pudding) and later went from trailer to trailer regaling soldiers with Christmas cheer.
“I feel great,” said Capt. José Lopezmolina, 48, commander of the 1st Battalion, 295th Infantry Regiment’s Charlie Company. “This is what we do at home in Puerto Rico. It’s real meaningful for the soldiers to be able to do this.” See photos
Sgt. Emeline Felix of the brigade’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company said she was warmed by the Puerto Rican contingent’s sense of family.
“When you do something together, it makes you feel like you belong,” said Felix, 51, a full-time Guard soldier from Marietta.
At the main base chapel, about 50 Georgians were joined by a group of Romanian soldiers for a service.
“Christmas by Chemlight,” led by chaplains of the 48th Brigade, included readings from the Bible and Christmas carols — and of course, outdoor chemical lights instead of candles.
The Romanians sang a few carols in their native language.
“We saw something here tonight that was amazing to me,” said one chaplain, Lt. Col. Stanley Bamberg, 53, of Fawnsdale, Ala.
“Sixteen years ago, NATO was in the West, Warsaw in the East. The dividing wall came down. We could have met in the plains of battle. Tonight we met to sing Christmas carols.”
AJC photographer Curtis Compton contributed to this article.
Comments
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By SSG Martin's Mom
December 25, 2005 12:37 AM | Link to this
Merry Christmas SSG Cory Martin. We love you and miss your face! My god bless and keep you all safe and may you return to us very soon! XO Mom, Eddie Elisha, Hazen, Haley & Family. XOXO
By Stephanie
December 25, 2005 03:15 PM | Link to this
Merry Christmas, Sgt. McDaniel! We love and miss you so much. Thank you for the emails addressed to each of us. The boys rode their bikes for you. All the family and friends send their love and wishes for you to return home safely.
By Stephanie
December 25, 2005 03:19 PM | Link to this
Merry Christmas, Sgt. McDaniel! We love and miss you so much. Thank you for the personal emails addressed to each of us. The boys rode their bikes for you. All our family and friends send their love and wishes for a safe return.
By Mistee Lambert
December 25, 2005 07:22 PM | Link to this
I want to say Merry Christmas to my husband,SPC. Lambert. We all love you very much and are so proud of you. Hope your spirit is high knowing that WE WILL SEE YOU SOON !!!! We love and miss you.Always your “SHORTY”
By Two Soliders Serving in Iraq
December 26, 2005 07:36 AM | Link to this
T’was the night before Christmas and all through the FOB BDOC was stirring and the CO’s sawing logs The stockings were hung in the C huts with care In hopes a fake Rolex would soon be put there The platoon was all tucked into their bunks I was up playing GTA 3 fightin some punks All the sudden I heard such a clatter I grabbed my NODS and weapon to see what was the matter I threw open the door after fumbling with the latch Saw a shiny HMMWV with a whole haji mart stuffed in the hatch The HMMW was haulin, I mean movin real swift In the back were some hajis slingin out gifts Its not Col King, and Rodeheaver’s no fun Could it be Old Saint Nick manning that gun? Look for out IED’s I heard him exclaim Lets move out Hajis then he called them by name On Ali, On Hadi, On Abbas and Omar On Akmed,On Hamed, On Abdul and Kumar Next Christmas will be better he said with great cheer And so much for one weekend a month two weeks a year.
By: ODZilah
By Mom of one of the poets
December 27, 2005 10:45 PM | Link to this
Loved the poem…I knew it was you before I read the name, I know your sense of humor too well. I’ve laughed all day.