Thursday, December 25, 2003
Merry Christmas Heroes
I'd like to wish you the very best for the holidays and the coming New Year. I appreciate your willingness to serve our country and the personal sacrifices you have made for the freedoms of our nation and for the oppressed of other lands. You all are heroes. You are in my thoughts and prayers as you are away from your familes at this special time of the year. God bless you and keep you all safe!
Terry Doyle
Mom of Adam, Ft. Carson, CO
MIL of Jenny, Kuwait
It is the men and women of our country that join our military services that enable each of us the right to live the lives we live...from our freedom of speech, to our freedom of religion, right down to our right to vote...These men and women allow us to selfishly crawl into our oversized warm beds, and cover up with our security blanket and sleep soundly at night....What most of us 'americans' over look is...well, our military people ARE our security blanket!! Without them going threw these hellish times, where would we be??....
I am eternally greatful we have such brave men and women providing such a security for me and everyone else....These men and women are TRUELY our blessing from above, so I thank each soldier from the tip of my toes to the top of my head, and I thank God for each of them nightly...
To each soldier I share this thought that gets me threw what seems to be a trial of a day........
"There are blessings all around, sometimes we just can't see them, and sometimes we only see them later in life."
Thank YOU Heroes!
Vickey in Virginia
My thoughts are with you this holiday season and even though you are far away, I
hold you in my heart forever. Be safe thank you for all you do.
Merry Christmas Hero,
Patti Patton-Bader
To My Heroes...
Whereever I go,
Whatever I do,
I want you to know,
My thoughts and prayers are just for YOU!!
GOD BLESS!!
SEMPER FI!!!
Future Marine, Trista
For all our wonderful military men and women. Thank you all for your service and sacrifice for our country. I'm sorry that many of you are spending the holidays away from home and family, but want you to know that you are in our hearts and thoughts, and that we are wishing you safe and speedy deployments.
Take care and stay safe,
Sara
Thank you for risking your lives over there. You are one person fighting for so many in the US and Iraq. Thanks,
The Bentz'
Thanks for fighting to keep our country free from terrorists. I respect you. I'm sorry you can't be here for the holidays. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. You're one of a kind and you're in my prayers. Come home safely.
Timothy Louis Cherry
You all are doing such a fine job, and I want you to know how very proud you make us here in America. I want to thank you all and wish you a Merry Christmas and New Years, and that you come home soon to celebrate the holidays that you spent away. God Bless you and know that you are thought of and loved by us daily.
Love and big hugs to you,
Dee Juliano
To all the soldiers, males and females. I just want to wish all of you a Merry X-mas. Remember that the big man up above is looking after each and everyone of you. You guys are true heroes! This country is very lucky to have brave people like you guys. Soon this will be over and you'll guys will be home.
Love, Miriam.
Every time I hear the song, " I'll Be Home for Christmas." I think of y'all. You are true heros. If there were more men and women like y'all in the world, there would not be so much hate. Even when we can not be with you, our thoughts are. May the Lord above continue to guide and protect y'all. May He bring each one of y'all home safe. Whenever a breeze goes across your cheek know that it is an angel sent to watch over you. When a breeze touches your head know that it is your family and friends reaching out to you. When you look at the stars know that we are all looking at the same stars and thinking of you. When you see the sun or the moon, know that it is God smiling down on you
May the New Year find you surrounded by family and friends.
Charlene
jaberwacky@amnetline.com
I am writing to wish you all a Merry Christmas, I know it must be hard being away from families this time of year. I would also like to thank you for what you are doing to keep our country safe. Remember you are in our thoughts and prayers daily. I hope the New Year brings you home to your families.
I will be remembering one special Marine this Christmas, his name is Cpl. Jason Mileo. Jason was killed in action April 14, 2003, in Bagdad. Jason was my cousin and I miss hum dearly.
May God Bless You and keep you safe,
Mary from Pasadena, Maryland
To all our military men and women: My sincere thanks to all of you for what you are doing for our country. Your sacrifices, loyalty and dedication is what makes this country great. You are in my daily thoughts and prayers and I pray that our Heavenly Father protects you and brings you home again soon. Wishing you much peace and happiness this Christmas and always. God Bless you all.
Much love,
Nancy
Dear Heroes,
Season's Greetings! You will have a special place in our hearts this holiday season. We are thinking of you, and we will never ever forget you.
You are in my prayers for your safe return home.
Merry Christmas!
Sharon Sparks
To our incredible Military:
Thank you for defending something to precious to us. Our Freedom.
Your bravery, dedication, and sacrifices are to be commended.
With much love,
Michele in Montana
I thank God everyday for our brave men and women in our U.S. Military...May God Bless you this holiday season. My thoughts and prayers are with each of you.
Cheriese
My thoughts and prayers are with all the brave men and women defending our country.We love you all., and are thinking about you now and always.
with love,
Melissa (maine)
For all our soldiers and sailors serving here and abroad: Thank you so much for your service to our country. Each and every one of you is "Person of the Year" and we owe you a debt of gratitude and appreciation. Sending you best wishes for a happy and safe holiday, and if you are deployed, a very speedy return home.
You are in our hearts and thoughts.
Sara
Proud Army Mom of Dan
To My Heroes,
Myself and my family will always have you in our hearts and prayers. We are very grateful for all you have done and the sacrifices you have made. I cherish my freedom and know who I owe it to. Keep safe-Be well-Come home soon !
MERRY CHRISTMAS
AMERICAN ARMED FORCES
By Peggy Baker
Mother of a Soldier
Today as we sit at our dinner tables, many of us will experience the absence of a family member, due to the upholding of our freedom. We will be brought to tears easily today but in a mixture of emotions. As for myself, my Soldier and I have spent the last 26 years of birthdays and holidays together?I will miss him terribly. On the other hand his absence has changed my life, as I am sure so many parents of soldiers can relate. I no longer take anything for granted. Everything I do is a precious freedom that I want to be thankful for. I never want to forget the brave men and women that have laid down their lives in order that I might sit here in my cozy home and enjoy all the blessings around me.
More than ever in my life I understand the meaning of patriotism. I experience that lump in my throat every time I hear the National Anthem, see our flag, or catch a glimpse of a soldier in uniform.
Because of my soldier?s commitment to our Country I have come to know some fine people. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and grandparents who are committed to making a difference in a soldier?s life. I am proud to know these people.
I received this e-mail from one of my ?adopted soldiers? ?
?It?s beginning to look a lot like Christmas?Even in Iraq.? Peggy,
I want to thank you for the phone card and Christmas decorations! It was really nice of you to send some of your own collection! We put the Santa on top of our tree in our MWR building and hung the Merry Christmas banner on our entrance way. I have also received decorations from Carol. I am planning on taking some pictures with my digital camera and sending you some so you all can see how you are ?lighting? up our holidays here! Thank you again!
Your friend,
Earl
NO Earl?THANK YOU! Thank each and every one of you that has given up so much for America! ?? We salute you??..
So when I sit down at my dinner table today, I will try not to be sad about what I am missing but rather be grateful for all I have been given?
God bless our Military and keep them safe.
Merry Christmas to all our sons and daughters!
|
I'd like to wish you the very best for the holidays and the coming New Year. I appreciate your willingness to serve our country and the personal sacrifices you have made for the freedoms of our nation and for the oppressed of other lands. You all are heroes. You are in my thoughts and prayers as you are away from your familes at this special time of the year. God bless you and keep you all safe!
Terry Doyle
Mom of Adam, Ft. Carson, CO
MIL of Jenny, Kuwait
It is the men and women of our country that join our military services that enable each of us the right to live the lives we live...from our freedom of speech, to our freedom of religion, right down to our right to vote...These men and women allow us to selfishly crawl into our oversized warm beds, and cover up with our security blanket and sleep soundly at night....What most of us 'americans' over look is...well, our military people ARE our security blanket!! Without them going threw these hellish times, where would we be??....
I am eternally greatful we have such brave men and women providing such a security for me and everyone else....These men and women are TRUELY our blessing from above, so I thank each soldier from the tip of my toes to the top of my head, and I thank God for each of them nightly...
To each soldier I share this thought that gets me threw what seems to be a trial of a day........
"There are blessings all around, sometimes we just can't see them, and sometimes we only see them later in life."
Thank YOU Heroes!
Vickey in Virginia
My thoughts are with you this holiday season and even though you are far away, I
hold you in my heart forever. Be safe thank you for all you do.
Merry Christmas Hero,
Patti Patton-Bader
To My Heroes...
Whereever I go,
Whatever I do,
I want you to know,
My thoughts and prayers are just for YOU!!
GOD BLESS!!
SEMPER FI!!!
Future Marine, Trista
For all our wonderful military men and women. Thank you all for your service and sacrifice for our country. I'm sorry that many of you are spending the holidays away from home and family, but want you to know that you are in our hearts and thoughts, and that we are wishing you safe and speedy deployments.
Take care and stay safe,
Sara
Thank you for risking your lives over there. You are one person fighting for so many in the US and Iraq. Thanks,
The Bentz'
Thanks for fighting to keep our country free from terrorists. I respect you. I'm sorry you can't be here for the holidays. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. You're one of a kind and you're in my prayers. Come home safely.
Timothy Louis Cherry
You all are doing such a fine job, and I want you to know how very proud you make us here in America. I want to thank you all and wish you a Merry Christmas and New Years, and that you come home soon to celebrate the holidays that you spent away. God Bless you and know that you are thought of and loved by us daily.
Love and big hugs to you,
Dee Juliano
To all the soldiers, males and females. I just want to wish all of you a Merry X-mas. Remember that the big man up above is looking after each and everyone of you. You guys are true heroes! This country is very lucky to have brave people like you guys. Soon this will be over and you'll guys will be home.
Love, Miriam.
Every time I hear the song, " I'll Be Home for Christmas." I think of y'all. You are true heros. If there were more men and women like y'all in the world, there would not be so much hate. Even when we can not be with you, our thoughts are. May the Lord above continue to guide and protect y'all. May He bring each one of y'all home safe. Whenever a breeze goes across your cheek know that it is an angel sent to watch over you. When a breeze touches your head know that it is your family and friends reaching out to you. When you look at the stars know that we are all looking at the same stars and thinking of you. When you see the sun or the moon, know that it is God smiling down on you
May the New Year find you surrounded by family and friends.
Charlene
jaberwacky@amnetline.com
I am writing to wish you all a Merry Christmas, I know it must be hard being away from families this time of year. I would also like to thank you for what you are doing to keep our country safe. Remember you are in our thoughts and prayers daily. I hope the New Year brings you home to your families.
I will be remembering one special Marine this Christmas, his name is Cpl. Jason Mileo. Jason was killed in action April 14, 2003, in Bagdad. Jason was my cousin and I miss hum dearly.
May God Bless You and keep you safe,
Mary from Pasadena, Maryland
To all our military men and women: My sincere thanks to all of you for what you are doing for our country. Your sacrifices, loyalty and dedication is what makes this country great. You are in my daily thoughts and prayers and I pray that our Heavenly Father protects you and brings you home again soon. Wishing you much peace and happiness this Christmas and always. God Bless you all.
Much love,
Nancy
Dear Heroes,
Season's Greetings! You will have a special place in our hearts this holiday season. We are thinking of you, and we will never ever forget you.
You are in my prayers for your safe return home.
Merry Christmas!
Sharon Sparks
To our incredible Military:
Thank you for defending something to precious to us. Our Freedom.
Your bravery, dedication, and sacrifices are to be commended.
With much love,
Michele in Montana
I thank God everyday for our brave men and women in our U.S. Military...May God Bless you this holiday season. My thoughts and prayers are with each of you.
Cheriese
My thoughts and prayers are with all the brave men and women defending our country.We love you all., and are thinking about you now and always.
with love,
Melissa (maine)
For all our soldiers and sailors serving here and abroad: Thank you so much for your service to our country. Each and every one of you is "Person of the Year" and we owe you a debt of gratitude and appreciation. Sending you best wishes for a happy and safe holiday, and if you are deployed, a very speedy return home.
You are in our hearts and thoughts.
Sara
Proud Army Mom of Dan
To My Heroes,
Myself and my family will always have you in our hearts and prayers. We are very grateful for all you have done and the sacrifices you have made. I cherish my freedom and know who I owe it to. Keep safe-Be well-Come home soon !
MERRY CHRISTMAS
AMERICAN ARMED FORCES
By Peggy Baker
Mother of a Soldier
Today as we sit at our dinner tables, many of us will experience the absence of a family member, due to the upholding of our freedom. We will be brought to tears easily today but in a mixture of emotions. As for myself, my Soldier and I have spent the last 26 years of birthdays and holidays together?I will miss him terribly. On the other hand his absence has changed my life, as I am sure so many parents of soldiers can relate. I no longer take anything for granted. Everything I do is a precious freedom that I want to be thankful for. I never want to forget the brave men and women that have laid down their lives in order that I might sit here in my cozy home and enjoy all the blessings around me.
More than ever in my life I understand the meaning of patriotism. I experience that lump in my throat every time I hear the National Anthem, see our flag, or catch a glimpse of a soldier in uniform.
Because of my soldier?s commitment to our Country I have come to know some fine people. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and grandparents who are committed to making a difference in a soldier?s life. I am proud to know these people.
I received this e-mail from one of my ?adopted soldiers? ?
?It?s beginning to look a lot like Christmas?Even in Iraq.? Peggy,
I want to thank you for the phone card and Christmas decorations! It was really nice of you to send some of your own collection! We put the Santa on top of our tree in our MWR building and hung the Merry Christmas banner on our entrance way. I have also received decorations from Carol. I am planning on taking some pictures with my digital camera and sending you some so you all can see how you are ?lighting? up our holidays here! Thank you again!
Your friend,
Earl
NO Earl?THANK YOU! Thank each and every one of you that has given up so much for America! ?? We salute you??..
So when I sit down at my dinner table today, I will try not to be sad about what I am missing but rather be grateful for all I have been given?
God bless our Military and keep them safe.
Merry Christmas to all our sons and daughters!
Wednesday, December 24, 2003
Thank you for Angels
Throughtout the year angels came and said, We want to help, we want the soldiers deployed to know "We Care'"and they came and brought clothes and food and cheer to as many as they could. These angels came and asked for nothing in return. There were there when a soldier was tired, they were they when a soldier was alone. They were there to celebrate birthdays and to comfort a wife who missed her hero dearly, They were there for a Camp who was cold and needed thermals and they were they there for Thanksgiving with 5 Turkeys, 5 Hams, dozens of boxes of stuffing and mashed potatoes and 100 fruit cups. This page is dedicated to all the Soldier's Angels who came from all corners of the world to help aid and comfort the Boots On The Ground.
Zax_mom
I have a care package ready to go to my assigned soldier...my son and I are
thrilled to be a part of this. I have his APO on the box...now direct my
empty head please!! We take it to the post office...fill out customs papers
even though it's only going to his APO and they take it from there??? I am
so confused! We actually had left overs (I guess we went a little crazy on
our shopping spree ) and I made up another box for a female who was
requesting Christmas cards...is this ok? WHEW...it doesn't take much to
confuse this mind...I'm tellin' ya! Oh...BTW...I am Elaina age 31...mom to
Zak 11 and Alexa 3. We live in Arizona. Zak's poppa (my dad) is retired Navy
and my brother was a Marine. Zak is very very interested in pursuing a
career as an Air Force pilot someday (go little man, go I say!!) We are
soooooo very excited to be a part of this. Thanks for havin' us!!
Debbie
Hi. My name is Debbie. I am married to Bob, and have 4 wonderful kids,
Nathan is 25, Josh is 23, Crystal 20 and my youngest Kylee is 12. I grew up
on the West coast and have been in Illinois now for 13 years. My brother
has been in the Army for 17 yrs. and needless to say I am very proud of him.
We feel so blessed that he has a great wife & kids that has been so
supportive of his military career. Being gone 6-9 months out of every year
can take a toll on the families. I have been on my own 'mission' since
march when I heard that some guys weren't getting mail. Since then my home
has been a warehouse for our troops. Thank goodness my husband and kids
support our efforts. Every month my friends & I work on new projects to
raise money for postage. I am very proud of all and military and I
appreciate all the sacrifices that have to make. I had searched the web for
months to find support that wasn't negative and was so happy when I was told
about this group. I would just like to say Thank you to all and keep up the
great work. There are still 1000's out there not getting mail and maybe we
can all solve that problem. God Bless all our Military and their families.
Trista
Well, in case some of you don't know me. I'm Trista a 19 year old female
from the Cincinnati, Ohio area. I'm going into the Marine Corps and will be
on my way to Parris Island in the new year. Just so you all know, I think
you're all incredible!!! Keep up the OUTSTANDING work! SEMPER FI! Future
Marine, Trista
Mrs_CPT_Crain
Hi,
My name is Megan Crain,and I am the wife of Cpt nathaniel Crain, and mother
to Elianna Nicole. Elly is 21 months old. Nathaniel left ft. leonard wood on
2 April with the 5th Engineers. He is currently attached to the 223
Engineers, Mississippi National Guard, due to heavy losses suffered by this
unit. His spirits are surprisingly high considering all that has gone on. I
hear from him much more now that he is with the guard, but they are
constantly on the road moving. I am also a stampin up demonstrator and would
like to put my talents to good use for the soldiers and all those who
contribute to make our loved ones lives a little bit brighter. If any one
out there has any ideas or any interest in this please contact me. If anyone
is interesed in making any purchases I will also offer a 15% discount to the
group. Keep your chins up, everything does happen for a reason and we much
trust in God.
Laci Gerhart
Hi! My name is Laci Gerhart and I just joined A Soldier's Blog. I'm a
sophomore at the University of Kansas majoring in Ecology. I'm originally
from Hutchinson, KS, if anyone's ever heard of there... :) I've noticed most
other people have family members who are or were in the armed forces. I had
two second cousins overseas in the early 90's and my sister and I (at the
time she was around 10 and I was around 6) sent them care packages with what
we considered "essentials" which was mostly squirt guns and popcorn, but we
were so excited when they wrote us back and said that they used the squirt
guns to wake their friends up in the morning. I've never forgotten how happy
that letter made me....I am so excited to be a part of this group and I hope
I can help make a difference in someone's life.
Wendy
My husband David and I live in London, KY. When I refer to "Lovey" that is
my Hubby...I have a million "pet" names for the whole crew...is a miracle my
kids grew up knowing their actual names!!!!
London is 41 miles North of the KY/TN line on the Eastern side of KY. Its a
small town-am thrilled to be in a small town again.
The two youngest boys: Joshua, 22 and Isaiah, 20 live in London also. The
oldest boy (Jamey) lives in IN with his wife Jen and baby son Adam. Too far
for this Gramma!!!
Our daughter, Rachel ("GI Jane"), is 19 (in October) and she's also our
Soldier. We also have a younger daughter, Nicole, who is 12, and lives in
WI with her mother.
Rachel is at APG, MD for her AIT and will be graduating the 18th of this
month-her MOS is 63W (All Wheel-vehicle Mechanic). She hopes to work on her
Papa's 18 wheeler when she is back home...!(He still drives,I am
semi-retired, in more ways than one...LOL)
Love the outdoors-would love to live on the top of a mountain in a log-cabin
and live off the land!!!
Since I was a little girl (a "FEW" moons ago) I have been called "Wen" by
the people closest to me and my friends...so, please feel free to shorten it
up to Wen...!
Enough babble for now...LOL
Nancy Wiebel
Hi,
My name is Nancy and I live in eastern Iowa. I have a nephew in the NG and
he's currently stationed in CA. My dad was army in WWII. I'm happy I found
this group. You are all a wonderful bunch of people.
Hugs,
Nancy
Susie Feaster
Hello.....my name is Susie Feaster (aka medicfam). I am California girl who
moved from there 11 years ago and came to Boise, Idaho and never looked
back. I think (of course I am biased) I live in one of the best
communities!
I have been married to Randall for almost 15 years and we have a yours, mine
and ours family. His kids are Kati who is 27 and married.....she is my
bestest friend ..... and Randy who is 20 and married. My son Robert is 18
tomorrow and then we have the LITTLE PRINCESS Leah who is 12. They are all
awesome kids and we have a great family. We are all here in Idaho and all
the older kids left to go "home" to California but guess what....they all
came back!!!!
I have no military people in the family nor friends. The only military
people that I know are people that Randall works with. He is a paramedic
working on the ambulance and also helicopter. The pilots on the copter are
either retired military or reserves.
I have prayed for some type of "guidance" to show me what I was supposed to
do to help out. I pray for the military but never was able to figure out
what I could do....this one person with no connections.....to help out.
Well my daughters PTA we decided we would try and help the military with
packages for the holiday. I was given the task to do research to figure it
out. Well I stumbled upon Patti's website and was HOOKED
Now I cannot do enough to help and am knowing this is what GOD wants me to
do. I am only one person and I cannot change the world but you know
what.....I can make one person smile and they will be a little happier for
the day. Makes it all worth it. My problems are tiny compared to what our
troops are going thru. I will continue to help out however I can.
Angel Hugs to all
Susie
Vickie
Hello, my name is Vickie, I'm from Northern New Jersey. 34 years old,
single. I'm a desktop solutions specialist (crazy stresssful job) so I
definitly need something fun to keep me sane. This is the first year I've
become invovled in sending care packages to soldiers deployed overseas and I
have to say I absolutly love it!!!! It is so much fun for me and I've met
so many wonderful people. I don't have any family or friends (well now I
have friends ) in the military, this is just something I wanted to do one
day after watching the war coverage on TV. I'm looking forward to meeting
some new friends on this board. Thanks for inviting me to join.
AnneinCal
Hello everyone. My name is Anne from Southern California. I'm called Annie
by many. I am big supporter of the troops and have been supporting various
units with the help of my friends, coworkers, support groups, etc. since
this March. I have a brother named Richard in the Air Force who served in
the Gulf war and who like many other troops is willing to serve his country
again. I have the greatest respect for the military and its families for
all they endure and the sacrifices they make to keep America free. I also
enjoy reading about the military especially World War II stories and the
Greatest Generation. I have my own website which I created for my firm so
that they can see the difference we made in our troop's lives. It is called
For The Troops www.4thetroops.net
It's wonderful to be part of this group of Angels who support the troops!
Hugs and God Bless, Anne
Elizabeth
I am Elizabeth from Michigan. I am originally from South Carolina. But have
lived here for 8 years. I am married to Randy and we have 4 daughters ages
13, 10, 8, and 2. We are a very loud and busy family!
My husband and I have never served, but we have had siblings, parents,
uncles, cousins, etc... who have served our nation. We believe that it is
our duty and and privilege to support and honor our veterans and those
currently serving our nation.
Charlene
Frist I would like to go on record and say that I HATE talking about myself.
But since I don't have anyone to write this Bio for me, here goes. :)
I am 26 years old. I was born and raised in Florida, where I still live. I
hope to move out of this state one day. I have one brother. He's 16 1/2
months older than me. He's also single (wink wink). LOL I am not married,
nor do I have any children.
I am very honest, so if you would like to know anything, please feel free to
ask. There are very few questions that I won't answer. Thanks for reading.
Hope you are still awake. LOL
Charlene
jaberwacky@amnetline.com
Dee Juliano
My name is Dee. I live in New Jersey. I'm married to a Marine veteran from
the Viet Nam war. My son Ryan is 2/325 Alpha company. I am honored to be a
new member of this group and to get to know you and your soldiers I'm
looking forward to the activities and projects we will be doing.
Angel hugs,
Dee
Vickey from Virginia
Nope, I am not an angel....far from it actually!! Peggy Baker is my best
bud, so when her son went into the army it was like a family member of mine
went in! Besides, I am a mother of four children, three of them boys, my
eldest boy has total soldier envy so I'm almost POSITIVE he will join a
branch of service when he is old enough (he's only 11 now)...Oh and I am the
wife of a vet of the gulf war...
My husband, when he found out about this group said, 'I wish there was a
group like this when I was in the Navy. The entire time I was in, I got six
letters, and ONE care package when the war was going on'.....mind you fellow
'angels', he comes from a LARGE family, broke my heart when he said this,
and it was at that point that I KNEW I had to extend my family and adopt a
soldier.......So, here I am.
God Bless Our Soldiers.......whom in my mind are actually 'Peacemakers'
I love each one of them equally the same...
Vickey from Virginia
Miriam Ramirez
I live in South Gate, Ca (Los Angeles area), 23 years old. I don't have a
military backround but was about to join the Marines when I was 17 ( I
wanted to sooo bad. ), but due to an illness I wasn't allowed to go. But I
do enjoy helping out groups like this one. As well for my Fire and Police
dept. I live with parent and sisters, I have no kids but I adore them. My
little angels of my very own are my 2 godddaughters Amber 4 and Jade 2. Due
to them I'm looking forward to life. I work and go to school. I don't know
what else to say, you could go ahead and ask. But I love to help out to
whoever needs it and our soldiers will always need it.
Sharon Sparks
Hi! I am Sharon Sparks, and I live in Baltimore, Maryland. I come from a
long line of patriots. I am the daughter of a World War II veteran. My
great-great grandfather was a Civil War veteran; and I have ancestors who
fought in the American Revolution. I am in the process of gaining membership
into the Daughters of the American Revolution. I was introduced to this
group by my friend, fuzzrat. I am glad she did because I have gotten to know
many wonderful people here, as well as getting to know many of our heroes
who are serving our country in our armed forces.
Peggy Baker
My name is Peggy Baker.
I live in Virginia with my husband and four children. My oldest son is in
the Army stationed in Korea. Outside of my family, this is the greatest
honor I have ever had...
To be part of this group and to let our Heros know we support them 100%
Carol (puentec)
Hi, my name is Carol. I am from Chicago. Come from a military family.
Grandfather/Merchant Marines. Dad/Ret.Maj Army WW11 Vet and hero.2 brothers
Viet Nam vets. 1 brother Ret. Sgt. Daughter Army Res. home base Ft. McCoy,
Wis. A very proug and gracious AMERICAN who belives in supporting our
Military. Proud and honored to be a part of all you wonderful ANGELS.
'OLD SOLDIER'S NEVER DIE THEY JUST FADE AWAY'
Ana-Marie Smith
My name is Ana-Marie Smith and I reside in Sunny California. I grew up with
a father who retired from the US Navy after 23 years of service. My husband
was also in the Navy for 10 years. I have lived overseas a few times so I
am familiar with the hardships of deployment.
Turtle (Jenn Dupree)
I'm Jennifer DuPree but you can call me "Turtle". I currently live in a
small town 30 min east of Raleigh, NC called Angier & I'm a social worker in
Child Mental Health. I have also lived in the mountains of Western NC & I
grew up in Atlanta, GA! My adopting of soldiers began in the Gulf War & I'm
thrilled to be here to show my support & love for these brave men & women
during this war too! Living in Angier I am very close to Fort Bragg,
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and Camp Lejeune so it hits home even more so
for me this time around! My personal ties to the military include my dad
who served in the Army in Germany many moons ago, my Paw Paw who flew
bombers in WWII earning all kinds of honors including the distinguished
flying cross and my dear friend/adopted brother who is a marine that has now
served in both the Gulf War and our current drama production! God Bless all
of you for joining this group and making this effort so successful! You can
find me @ turtledupree@hotmail.com if you need me!
Patti Patton-Bader
Hi,
I am Patti from Pasadena, Ca.
I am founder of Soldier's Angels, I come from a military family starting
with Gen. George Patton great uncle, my dad Lt. Col Patton, my brother SPC
David Patton, and my son, my hero, Spc Brandon Varn. I am so proud of all
our Armed Forces and so very proud of each and everyone of you angels.
Thank you ,
patti
Delora
My name is Delora. I have been a single mom to 2 great kids for many years.
I have a daughter Monica, 22 who presented me with a beautiful granddaughter
one year ago January. My son Jay is now 20 and stationed at Ft Campbell. He
joined the army Sept 6, 2001. He returned from Iraq in July and is waiting
for the rest of his batallion to return in Feb. I have continued to write
his friends and others since he came home and have shared names of these
soldiers with the group. Thank you all for helping me remember them.
Becca
My name is Rebecca Vinson, I live in the middle Ga area. I have a younger
brother who is stationed in Germany and two close friends of mine are also
stationed in Germany. Myself and one of my best friends are scheduled to
leave for basic training the first part of next year for the armyas well.
My grandfather was in the navy in the Korean war, and I have a couple of
uncles who fought in WWII. My mom and my three sisters and I are sending out
boxes and cards and letters to deployed soldiers and ones at their duty
stations who we know do not recieve mail from home. This is a wonderful
site and I am honored to be apart of something so wonderful.
Terry Doyle
I'm Terry and live in Indiana. My oldest son Adam is an MP with the 59th MP
CO out of Ft. Carson, CO. He just returned 12/6 from being deployed to Iraq.
His wife Jenny is also in the Army. She is in the 68th CSB-HHD and is
currently serving in Kuwait. My husband was Army and served in Viet Nam. My
dad (passed away this summer) was Army Air Corps in WW2. I'm looking
forward to all the great projects! Love, Terry
Sara Ehrlich
I'm Sara from New Jersey. My son Dan is finishing up AIT (will graduate
12/18) at Ft Huachuca and after a course in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles at Ft
Huachuca and Airborne training at Ft Benning will (we hope) be on to the
82nd at Ft Bragg. My father and grandfather were career Navy, so this is my
first Army experience. I have a project going to collect books, magazines,
DVDs and games for deployed soldiers and have the pleasure and honor of
corresponding with a number of these wonderful men and women. I am so happy
to be part of this wonderful group.
A SOLDIERS BLOG
KEEP YOUR HELMET ON!!
We are praying for your safe return. Thank you for all We all miss you.
-Karen Humphreys Thank You! you do ? Ginny Mazzuca Come home safe!
You are in my prayers. -Bev Wood
God Bless you -Cindy Cronin Stay safe & come
All ? Rock Brockman home very soon We are all very
Thank you for keeping our Thank you for -Dave Dixon proud of you!
Country Safe ? Eileen Greilsamer all you?ve done & -Melissa Eckert
Your Bravery. Thanks for giving us peace of mind!
Best Wishes ? Betty Sidel -Candice Wilson God Bless You! Come Home Soon! Best Wishes!
-Bernadine Robinson -Clyde Garrett
Your sacrifice is very much
appreciated ? Thank you very much! We are so proud of you all. Keeping you in our
You will always be in my prayers. Thank you ? Marie Henderson daily thoughts and
- Veronica Nickerson prayers ? Karen Palazzo
A Heartfelt Thank You for a job well done!
BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON FROM EVERYONE AT EARLY, CASSIDY & SCHILLING, INC.
ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND
We are proud of you You are all Be safe ? Happy Holidays! There are no words
each and every day. Wonderful! -Lynne Cook to express the level of
Best Wishes ? Andy Cassidy - Virginia Buch respect I have for all of you.
Our Prayers -Laraine Lyons
Best Wishes Thank You! are with you!
Happy Holidays!! Tim Schilling - Lori Perkins All the best.
Sylvia Carrington You are in Our prayers.
Thank you for -Michele Way
Thank you for being there all that you do. ? Aletha Norris
For us. ? Jim Hodgson See you back home!
Best Wishes Larry Jaggers
Thank you all so Marlene Stringer
much. Be Safe!! Happy Holidays ? Tom Butler
-Debbie Lewis
A Heartfelt Thank You for a job well done!
BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON FROM EVERYONE AT EARLY, CASSIDY & SCHILLING, INC.
ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND
I hope you return
Have a happy & safe home safe and sound
. holiday - Lori Lee Sherwood soon! ?Jennie Cheng
Take Care, Be Safe -Jean Rodgers MY WHOLE FAMILY THANKS YOU
FOR PROTECTING WHAT WE HAVE.
May God Bless You All ? Jeff Hixon -DAVE MADARAS
God Bless America!
A Heartfelt Thank You for a job well done!
BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON FROM EVERYONE AT EARLY, CASSIDY & SCHILLING, INC.
ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND
SEND A CARE PACKAGE
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ANGEL'S WALL OF HONOR
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Message Board
Soldier's Angels are a group of people who came from far and wide to say " We care."
MARY UNGERMANN
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Ideas from A-Z for care packages
A Local Postcard from your area
A very small toy checkers game
Airheads taffy
Great Neck Saw Manufacturer's Inc
LORRAINE PASQUALINI
MATT RIGGLE
LINDA STOCK
ALAN OLSON
DONNA OLSON
ERIN LACEY
PAMELA S. Yglesias
THOMAS & CONNIE LITTLE
PEGGY BAKER
JIM & ELISA HAKALA
DEBORAH H. Blankemeyer
ST. MARY'S SCHOOL
RACHEL HELMS
BOBBY RATHJENS
JENNIFER DUPREE
KIM TRACY
Scotland Accelerated Academy
TAMMY DAVIS
ROSEMARY NICHOLS
KATHLEEN BILL
SHARON M SPARKS
SAMANTHA BRANDT
East Alexander Middle School
DEE DOBSON HARPER
Lewis & Clark Middle School
Capital Christian Centers
Family Music Medford,NY
DAVID&NICOLE HALVERSON
KIM HENDERSON
Mission Liquors
Al and Faye Westenhofer
East Alexander Middle School
Melinda Floyd
Nativity Catholic School
Specialized Site Design
Cherry Street Mission Ministristries
Jamie Wright
Karen Phelan
Joseph Moylan
Tony Peters
Tanya Scott
Amy Parsons
Bob, Myra, & Michael Langlois
Miriam Soledad Ramirez
Sierra Baumle
Valerie Turner
Rae Richards
Carol Puente
Karen Defond
Julie Kvasnicka
Freddy Ray
Dee Juliano
Thomas Rhoads
Tess Fleming & Family
Jessica Probasco
Kelly McBrayer
Dawn LeBlanc
Karen Olsen
JoEllen Winther
Red Mesa Unified School
Donna Holstine
Shawnee Rigby
Eric and Shawna Armstrong
Sharon Doughtie-Kramer
Jeannie Anderson
Ray and Tracey Delaney
Jessica Hebert
Tammy Griffith
Donald R. Poe
Sara Ehrlich
Trista Jones
Angela Thornton
Maggie Bailey
.
Adopt A Soldier
Submit A Soldier
Alicia M. Schiffer
Sarah Sabram
Joe Howard
Samantha Lynn
Don and Chris Kreager
Lisa A. Henneke
Lafayette School, 221 N.J.
Amanda Lieber
Christina Stump
Jessica Hall
Mallory Oglesby
John & Marti Spencer
Karen Elkin
Charleen Bick
Terry Doyle
Numia Valla
Laci Gerhart
Penny Keller
Pauline Varitek
Theresa Sweeny
John Seddon
Melanie Swan
Boxx Jewelers
Heather Gillen
Megan Crain
Dianne Martinelli
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Schaumburg High School
Douglas W. Stricker Jr
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Matt D'Souza
Michael Reolfi
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James Delbert Cockram
Bob O'Donoghue
Clifton Spears
Heidi Leahy
Mr. & Mrs. Dale Fuentes
Heather Dickey
Victoria Malone
Daniel Woolsey
David Radulski
Mary DiGianni
Sylvan Learning Center
Emma & Fred Pood
Michael Taylor
Terry Doyle
Lisa Baghal
Melissa Williams
Tai Gerhart
Harriet Baghal
Nathan Dickerson Family
Scott and Robin White
Tami Sargo
Susie Feaster
Frankie Renee Gunter
Trista Jones
Vickie Lynn Wilson
Christine Fortner
Shannon Bettes
Glasgow Middle School
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Roush Racing
NealyMalham
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Dan Thresher
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Cindi Tittle
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Michael Taylor
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Laura & Kenneth Arters
Barbara Annett
Tammy Sargo
JoAnna Zalkovsky
Courtney & Joshua Pearce
Jessica Lin Bradley
Wilbert C. & Gloria M. Fletke
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Barbara Farley
Erica Uhlmann
Maureen Moore
David Gingras
Christy Hunka
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Pat and Dave Wolanski
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Stefanie Bowlin
FREDERICK C. EASTY
Raymond & Michelle Zuspan Molly Brown
Elaine Dubuc Rhonda Metze
Lynda O'Rourke Jose Fernandez Erin Hines Mindy Jo Dyer
The Bentz Family Dan Forant
Jennifer Cunningham
Philadelphia Church Of Chicago
Nadia Martinez
Cindy Witt
Jacqueline Beattie
Mike, Dana and Maddie Fath
Matt, Angie, Grace & Ella Gunning
Bryan & Sharon Murtha
Chris & Allison Burnham
Ann McCombs & Mary Lynn Whitaker
Candace Burke
Tammy Noble
Marty Greer
Ellen Johnson
Granger Dobbins
Hector Feliciano
Bally Gaming & Systems
Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #4410
Alicia M. Schiffer
Melissa Marchand
Susan Kight
Hi all I am Kari and I live in South Bend, Indiana. My 20yr old daught is PFC Amanda and she is currently stationed in Balad, Iraq. Balad is between Mosul and Baghdad. She is from Ft Campbell with the 101st Airborne....Go Screaming Eagles!!!! She had been in the Army now for about 1 1/2 years. I am married to a wonderful man and also have a 12 yr old daughter and 8 yr old son. Thanks for having me :)
Hugs
Kari
Hello I'm Mary Ann from TN. My son Mike is a SSG with Alpha Co 2/325 82nd ABN. His wife Samona (Mona) is also in the Army and is stationed at FT.Bragg awaiting his return from Iraq. My Dad was USN as well as my biological brother Russell. Dad retired in 1960. This is Mike's 3rd deployment and is by far the worst. I look forward to meeting all of you.
Mary Ann
Hello all my name is Melissa and I am 32 yrs old married with 2 children, living in Maine..I am soooo excited to be doing this..it is the very least that I or anyone can do for our "heroes" I can not wait to send something out to my guy...
My husband's step brother was serving in I raq,with the 101st Airborn Div, and is now home on leave, to have another knee surgery... We are sooooo very proud of him, and I feel very honored to do something for someone else.
Melissa
Hi,
My name is Megan Crain,and I am the wife of Cpt nathaniel Crain, and mother to Elianna Nicole. Elly is 21 months old. Nathaniel left ft. leonard wood on 2 April with the 5th Engineers. He is currently attached to the 223 Engineers, Mississippi National Guard, due to heavy losses suffered by this unit. His spirits are surprisingly high considering all that has gone on. I hear from him much more now that he is with the guard, but they are constantly on the road moving. I am also a stampin up demonstrator and would like to put my talents to good use for the soldiers and all those who contribute to make our loved ones lives a little bit brighter. If any one out there has any ideas or any interest in this please contact me. If anyone is interesed in making any purchases I will also offer a 15% discount to the group. Keep your chins up, everything does happen for a reason and we much trust in God.
Merry Christmas To All
God Bless Our Troops
|
Throughtout the year angels came and said, We want to help, we want the soldiers deployed to know "We Care'"and they came and brought clothes and food and cheer to as many as they could. These angels came and asked for nothing in return. There were there when a soldier was tired, they were they when a soldier was alone. They were there to celebrate birthdays and to comfort a wife who missed her hero dearly, They were there for a Camp who was cold and needed thermals and they were they there for Thanksgiving with 5 Turkeys, 5 Hams, dozens of boxes of stuffing and mashed potatoes and 100 fruit cups. This page is dedicated to all the Soldier's Angels who came from all corners of the world to help aid and comfort the Boots On The Ground.
Zax_mom
I have a care package ready to go to my assigned soldier...my son and I are
thrilled to be a part of this. I have his APO on the box...now direct my
empty head please!! We take it to the post office...fill out customs papers
even though it's only going to his APO and they take it from there??? I am
so confused! We actually had left overs (I guess we went a little crazy on
our shopping spree ) and I made up another box for a female who was
requesting Christmas cards...is this ok? WHEW...it doesn't take much to
confuse this mind...I'm tellin' ya! Oh...BTW...I am Elaina age 31...mom to
Zak 11 and Alexa 3. We live in Arizona. Zak's poppa (my dad) is retired Navy
and my brother was a Marine. Zak is very very interested in pursuing a
career as an Air Force pilot someday (go little man, go I say!!) We are
soooooo very excited to be a part of this. Thanks for havin' us!!
Debbie
Hi. My name is Debbie. I am married to Bob, and have 4 wonderful kids,
Nathan is 25, Josh is 23, Crystal 20 and my youngest Kylee is 12. I grew up
on the West coast and have been in Illinois now for 13 years. My brother
has been in the Army for 17 yrs. and needless to say I am very proud of him.
We feel so blessed that he has a great wife & kids that has been so
supportive of his military career. Being gone 6-9 months out of every year
can take a toll on the families. I have been on my own 'mission' since
march when I heard that some guys weren't getting mail. Since then my home
has been a warehouse for our troops. Thank goodness my husband and kids
support our efforts. Every month my friends & I work on new projects to
raise money for postage. I am very proud of all and military and I
appreciate all the sacrifices that have to make. I had searched the web for
months to find support that wasn't negative and was so happy when I was told
about this group. I would just like to say Thank you to all and keep up the
great work. There are still 1000's out there not getting mail and maybe we
can all solve that problem. God Bless all our Military and their families.
Trista
Well, in case some of you don't know me. I'm Trista a 19 year old female
from the Cincinnati, Ohio area. I'm going into the Marine Corps and will be
on my way to Parris Island in the new year. Just so you all know, I think
you're all incredible!!! Keep up the OUTSTANDING work! SEMPER FI! Future
Marine, Trista
Mrs_CPT_Crain
Hi,
My name is Megan Crain,and I am the wife of Cpt nathaniel Crain, and mother
to Elianna Nicole. Elly is 21 months old. Nathaniel left ft. leonard wood on
2 April with the 5th Engineers. He is currently attached to the 223
Engineers, Mississippi National Guard, due to heavy losses suffered by this
unit. His spirits are surprisingly high considering all that has gone on. I
hear from him much more now that he is with the guard, but they are
constantly on the road moving. I am also a stampin up demonstrator and would
like to put my talents to good use for the soldiers and all those who
contribute to make our loved ones lives a little bit brighter. If any one
out there has any ideas or any interest in this please contact me. If anyone
is interesed in making any purchases I will also offer a 15% discount to the
group. Keep your chins up, everything does happen for a reason and we much
trust in God.
Laci Gerhart
Hi! My name is Laci Gerhart and I just joined A Soldier's Blog. I'm a
sophomore at the University of Kansas majoring in Ecology. I'm originally
from Hutchinson, KS, if anyone's ever heard of there... :) I've noticed most
other people have family members who are or were in the armed forces. I had
two second cousins overseas in the early 90's and my sister and I (at the
time she was around 10 and I was around 6) sent them care packages with what
we considered "essentials" which was mostly squirt guns and popcorn, but we
were so excited when they wrote us back and said that they used the squirt
guns to wake their friends up in the morning. I've never forgotten how happy
that letter made me....I am so excited to be a part of this group and I hope
I can help make a difference in someone's life.
Wendy
My husband David and I live in London, KY. When I refer to "Lovey" that is
my Hubby...I have a million "pet" names for the whole crew...is a miracle my
kids grew up knowing their actual names!!!!
London is 41 miles North of the KY/TN line on the Eastern side of KY. Its a
small town-am thrilled to be in a small town again.
The two youngest boys: Joshua, 22 and Isaiah, 20 live in London also. The
oldest boy (Jamey) lives in IN with his wife Jen and baby son Adam. Too far
for this Gramma!!!
Our daughter, Rachel ("GI Jane"), is 19 (in October) and she's also our
Soldier. We also have a younger daughter, Nicole, who is 12, and lives in
WI with her mother.
Rachel is at APG, MD for her AIT and will be graduating the 18th of this
month-her MOS is 63W (All Wheel-vehicle Mechanic). She hopes to work on her
Papa's 18 wheeler when she is back home...!(He still drives,I am
semi-retired, in more ways than one...LOL)
Love the outdoors-would love to live on the top of a mountain in a log-cabin
and live off the land!!!
Since I was a little girl (a "FEW" moons ago) I have been called "Wen" by
the people closest to me and my friends...so, please feel free to shorten it
up to Wen...!
Enough babble for now...LOL
Nancy Wiebel
Hi,
My name is Nancy and I live in eastern Iowa. I have a nephew in the NG and
he's currently stationed in CA. My dad was army in WWII. I'm happy I found
this group. You are all a wonderful bunch of people.
Hugs,
Nancy
Susie Feaster
Hello.....my name is Susie Feaster (aka medicfam). I am California girl who
moved from there 11 years ago and came to Boise, Idaho and never looked
back. I think (of course I am biased) I live in one of the best
communities!
I have been married to Randall for almost 15 years and we have a yours, mine
and ours family. His kids are Kati who is 27 and married.....she is my
bestest friend ..... and Randy who is 20 and married. My son Robert is 18
tomorrow and then we have the LITTLE PRINCESS Leah who is 12. They are all
awesome kids and we have a great family. We are all here in Idaho and all
the older kids left to go "home" to California but guess what....they all
came back!!!!
I have no military people in the family nor friends. The only military
people that I know are people that Randall works with. He is a paramedic
working on the ambulance and also helicopter. The pilots on the copter are
either retired military or reserves.
I have prayed for some type of "guidance" to show me what I was supposed to
do to help out. I pray for the military but never was able to figure out
what I could do....this one person with no connections.....to help out.
Well my daughters PTA we decided we would try and help the military with
packages for the holiday. I was given the task to do research to figure it
out. Well I stumbled upon Patti's website and was HOOKED
Now I cannot do enough to help and am knowing this is what GOD wants me to
do. I am only one person and I cannot change the world but you know
what.....I can make one person smile and they will be a little happier for
the day. Makes it all worth it. My problems are tiny compared to what our
troops are going thru. I will continue to help out however I can.
Angel Hugs to all
Susie
Vickie
Hello, my name is Vickie, I'm from Northern New Jersey. 34 years old,
single. I'm a desktop solutions specialist (crazy stresssful job) so I
definitly need something fun to keep me sane. This is the first year I've
become invovled in sending care packages to soldiers deployed overseas and I
have to say I absolutly love it!!!! It is so much fun for me and I've met
so many wonderful people. I don't have any family or friends (well now I
have friends ) in the military, this is just something I wanted to do one
day after watching the war coverage on TV. I'm looking forward to meeting
some new friends on this board. Thanks for inviting me to join.
AnneinCal
Hello everyone. My name is Anne from Southern California. I'm called Annie
by many. I am big supporter of the troops and have been supporting various
units with the help of my friends, coworkers, support groups, etc. since
this March. I have a brother named Richard in the Air Force who served in
the Gulf war and who like many other troops is willing to serve his country
again. I have the greatest respect for the military and its families for
all they endure and the sacrifices they make to keep America free. I also
enjoy reading about the military especially World War II stories and the
Greatest Generation. I have my own website which I created for my firm so
that they can see the difference we made in our troop's lives. It is called
For The Troops www.4thetroops.net
It's wonderful to be part of this group of Angels who support the troops!
Hugs and God Bless, Anne
Elizabeth
I am Elizabeth from Michigan. I am originally from South Carolina. But have
lived here for 8 years. I am married to Randy and we have 4 daughters ages
13, 10, 8, and 2. We are a very loud and busy family!
My husband and I have never served, but we have had siblings, parents,
uncles, cousins, etc... who have served our nation. We believe that it is
our duty and and privilege to support and honor our veterans and those
currently serving our nation.
Charlene
Frist I would like to go on record and say that I HATE talking about myself.
But since I don't have anyone to write this Bio for me, here goes. :)
I am 26 years old. I was born and raised in Florida, where I still live. I
hope to move out of this state one day. I have one brother. He's 16 1/2
months older than me. He's also single (wink wink). LOL I am not married,
nor do I have any children.
I am very honest, so if you would like to know anything, please feel free to
ask. There are very few questions that I won't answer. Thanks for reading.
Hope you are still awake. LOL
Charlene
jaberwacky@amnetline.com
Dee Juliano
My name is Dee. I live in New Jersey. I'm married to a Marine veteran from
the Viet Nam war. My son Ryan is 2/325 Alpha company. I am honored to be a
new member of this group and to get to know you and your soldiers I'm
looking forward to the activities and projects we will be doing.
Angel hugs,
Dee
Vickey from Virginia
Nope, I am not an angel....far from it actually!! Peggy Baker is my best
bud, so when her son went into the army it was like a family member of mine
went in! Besides, I am a mother of four children, three of them boys, my
eldest boy has total soldier envy so I'm almost POSITIVE he will join a
branch of service when he is old enough (he's only 11 now)...Oh and I am the
wife of a vet of the gulf war...
My husband, when he found out about this group said, 'I wish there was a
group like this when I was in the Navy. The entire time I was in, I got six
letters, and ONE care package when the war was going on'.....mind you fellow
'angels', he comes from a LARGE family, broke my heart when he said this,
and it was at that point that I KNEW I had to extend my family and adopt a
soldier.......So, here I am.
God Bless Our Soldiers.......whom in my mind are actually 'Peacemakers'
I love each one of them equally the same...
Vickey from Virginia
Miriam Ramirez
I live in South Gate, Ca (Los Angeles area), 23 years old. I don't have a
military backround but was about to join the Marines when I was 17 ( I
wanted to sooo bad. ), but due to an illness I wasn't allowed to go. But I
do enjoy helping out groups like this one. As well for my Fire and Police
dept. I live with parent and sisters, I have no kids but I adore them. My
little angels of my very own are my 2 godddaughters Amber 4 and Jade 2. Due
to them I'm looking forward to life. I work and go to school. I don't know
what else to say, you could go ahead and ask. But I love to help out to
whoever needs it and our soldiers will always need it.
Sharon Sparks
Hi! I am Sharon Sparks, and I live in Baltimore, Maryland. I come from a
long line of patriots. I am the daughter of a World War II veteran. My
great-great grandfather was a Civil War veteran; and I have ancestors who
fought in the American Revolution. I am in the process of gaining membership
into the Daughters of the American Revolution. I was introduced to this
group by my friend, fuzzrat. I am glad she did because I have gotten to know
many wonderful people here, as well as getting to know many of our heroes
who are serving our country in our armed forces.
Peggy Baker
My name is Peggy Baker.
I live in Virginia with my husband and four children. My oldest son is in
the Army stationed in Korea. Outside of my family, this is the greatest
honor I have ever had...
To be part of this group and to let our Heros know we support them 100%
Carol (puentec)
Hi, my name is Carol. I am from Chicago. Come from a military family.
Grandfather/Merchant Marines. Dad/Ret.Maj Army WW11 Vet and hero.2 brothers
Viet Nam vets. 1 brother Ret. Sgt. Daughter Army Res. home base Ft. McCoy,
Wis. A very proug and gracious AMERICAN who belives in supporting our
Military. Proud and honored to be a part of all you wonderful ANGELS.
'OLD SOLDIER'S NEVER DIE THEY JUST FADE AWAY'
Ana-Marie Smith
My name is Ana-Marie Smith and I reside in Sunny California. I grew up with
a father who retired from the US Navy after 23 years of service. My husband
was also in the Navy for 10 years. I have lived overseas a few times so I
am familiar with the hardships of deployment.
Turtle (Jenn Dupree)
I'm Jennifer DuPree but you can call me "Turtle". I currently live in a
small town 30 min east of Raleigh, NC called Angier & I'm a social worker in
Child Mental Health. I have also lived in the mountains of Western NC & I
grew up in Atlanta, GA! My adopting of soldiers began in the Gulf War & I'm
thrilled to be here to show my support & love for these brave men & women
during this war too! Living in Angier I am very close to Fort Bragg,
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and Camp Lejeune so it hits home even more so
for me this time around! My personal ties to the military include my dad
who served in the Army in Germany many moons ago, my Paw Paw who flew
bombers in WWII earning all kinds of honors including the distinguished
flying cross and my dear friend/adopted brother who is a marine that has now
served in both the Gulf War and our current drama production! God Bless all
of you for joining this group and making this effort so successful! You can
find me @ turtledupree@hotmail.com if you need me!
Patti Patton-Bader
Hi,
I am Patti from Pasadena, Ca.
I am founder of Soldier's Angels, I come from a military family starting
with Gen. George Patton great uncle, my dad Lt. Col Patton, my brother SPC
David Patton, and my son, my hero, Spc Brandon Varn. I am so proud of all
our Armed Forces and so very proud of each and everyone of you angels.
Thank you ,
patti
Delora
My name is Delora. I have been a single mom to 2 great kids for many years.
I have a daughter Monica, 22 who presented me with a beautiful granddaughter
one year ago January. My son Jay is now 20 and stationed at Ft Campbell. He
joined the army Sept 6, 2001. He returned from Iraq in July and is waiting
for the rest of his batallion to return in Feb. I have continued to write
his friends and others since he came home and have shared names of these
soldiers with the group. Thank you all for helping me remember them.
Becca
My name is Rebecca Vinson, I live in the middle Ga area. I have a younger
brother who is stationed in Germany and two close friends of mine are also
stationed in Germany. Myself and one of my best friends are scheduled to
leave for basic training the first part of next year for the armyas well.
My grandfather was in the navy in the Korean war, and I have a couple of
uncles who fought in WWII. My mom and my three sisters and I are sending out
boxes and cards and letters to deployed soldiers and ones at their duty
stations who we know do not recieve mail from home. This is a wonderful
site and I am honored to be apart of something so wonderful.
Terry Doyle
I'm Terry and live in Indiana. My oldest son Adam is an MP with the 59th MP
CO out of Ft. Carson, CO. He just returned 12/6 from being deployed to Iraq.
His wife Jenny is also in the Army. She is in the 68th CSB-HHD and is
currently serving in Kuwait. My husband was Army and served in Viet Nam. My
dad (passed away this summer) was Army Air Corps in WW2. I'm looking
forward to all the great projects! Love, Terry
Sara Ehrlich
I'm Sara from New Jersey. My son Dan is finishing up AIT (will graduate
12/18) at Ft Huachuca and after a course in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles at Ft
Huachuca and Airborne training at Ft Benning will (we hope) be on to the
82nd at Ft Bragg. My father and grandfather were career Navy, so this is my
first Army experience. I have a project going to collect books, magazines,
DVDs and games for deployed soldiers and have the pleasure and honor of
corresponding with a number of these wonderful men and women. I am so happy
to be part of this wonderful group.
A SOLDIERS BLOG
KEEP YOUR HELMET ON!!
We are praying for your safe return. Thank you for all We all miss you.
-Karen Humphreys Thank You! you do ? Ginny Mazzuca Come home safe!
You are in my prayers. -Bev Wood
God Bless you -Cindy Cronin Stay safe & come
All ? Rock Brockman home very soon We are all very
Thank you for keeping our Thank you for -Dave Dixon proud of you!
Country Safe ? Eileen Greilsamer all you?ve done & -Melissa Eckert
Your Bravery. Thanks for giving us peace of mind!
Best Wishes ? Betty Sidel -Candice Wilson God Bless You! Come Home Soon! Best Wishes!
-Bernadine Robinson -Clyde Garrett
Your sacrifice is very much
appreciated ? Thank you very much! We are so proud of you all. Keeping you in our
You will always be in my prayers. Thank you ? Marie Henderson daily thoughts and
- Veronica Nickerson prayers ? Karen Palazzo
A Heartfelt Thank You for a job well done!
BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON FROM EVERYONE AT EARLY, CASSIDY & SCHILLING, INC.
ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND
We are proud of you You are all Be safe ? Happy Holidays! There are no words
each and every day. Wonderful! -Lynne Cook to express the level of
Best Wishes ? Andy Cassidy - Virginia Buch respect I have for all of you.
Our Prayers -Laraine Lyons
Best Wishes Thank You! are with you!
Happy Holidays!! Tim Schilling - Lori Perkins All the best.
Sylvia Carrington You are in Our prayers.
Thank you for -Michele Way
Thank you for being there all that you do. ? Aletha Norris
For us. ? Jim Hodgson See you back home!
Best Wishes Larry Jaggers
Thank you all so Marlene Stringer
much. Be Safe!! Happy Holidays ? Tom Butler
-Debbie Lewis
A Heartfelt Thank You for a job well done!
BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON FROM EVERYONE AT EARLY, CASSIDY & SCHILLING, INC.
ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND
I hope you return
Have a happy & safe home safe and sound
. holiday - Lori Lee Sherwood soon! ?Jennie Cheng
Take Care, Be Safe -Jean Rodgers MY WHOLE FAMILY THANKS YOU
FOR PROTECTING WHAT WE HAVE.
May God Bless You All ? Jeff Hixon -DAVE MADARAS
God Bless America!
A Heartfelt Thank You for a job well done!
BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON FROM EVERYONE AT EARLY, CASSIDY & SCHILLING, INC.
ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND
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ANGEL'S WALL OF HONOR
Quarterdeck Seafood Restaurant
Message Board
Soldier's Angels are a group of people who came from far and wide to say " We care."
MARY UNGERMANN
LORRIE McCONAUGHY
IDA MIDYETTE
MATTHEW WILEY
TONIA P. KLEMETSON
DARKDAKOTA
ROBIN BOERNER
GOODY GIFT BOX
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HEATHER ERIKSON
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FRAN WILLINGHAM
JULIE MARTIN
Ideas from A-Z for care packages
A Local Postcard from your area
A very small toy checkers game
Airheads taffy
Great Neck Saw Manufacturer's Inc
LORRAINE PASQUALINI
MATT RIGGLE
LINDA STOCK
ALAN OLSON
DONNA OLSON
ERIN LACEY
PAMELA S. Yglesias
THOMAS & CONNIE LITTLE
PEGGY BAKER
JIM & ELISA HAKALA
DEBORAH H. Blankemeyer
ST. MARY'S SCHOOL
RACHEL HELMS
BOBBY RATHJENS
JENNIFER DUPREE
KIM TRACY
Scotland Accelerated Academy
TAMMY DAVIS
ROSEMARY NICHOLS
KATHLEEN BILL
SHARON M SPARKS
SAMANTHA BRANDT
East Alexander Middle School
DEE DOBSON HARPER
Lewis & Clark Middle School
Capital Christian Centers
Family Music Medford,NY
DAVID&NICOLE HALVERSON
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Mission Liquors
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Melinda Floyd
Nativity Catholic School
Specialized Site Design
Cherry Street Mission Ministristries
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Bob, Myra, & Michael Langlois
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Tess Fleming & Family
Jessica Probasco
Kelly McBrayer
Dawn LeBlanc
Karen Olsen
JoEllen Winther
Red Mesa Unified School
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Eric and Shawna Armstrong
Sharon Doughtie-Kramer
Jeannie Anderson
Ray and Tracey Delaney
Jessica Hebert
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Donald R. Poe
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.
Adopt A Soldier
Submit A Soldier
Alicia M. Schiffer
Sarah Sabram
Joe Howard
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Don and Chris Kreager
Lisa A. Henneke
Lafayette School, 221 N.J.
Amanda Lieber
Christina Stump
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Karen Elkin
Charleen Bick
Terry Doyle
Numia Valla
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Boxx Jewelers
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Schaumburg High School
Douglas W. Stricker Jr
Ken Daigneault & Family
Matt D'Souza
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Mr. & Mrs. Dale Fuentes
Heather Dickey
Victoria Malone
Daniel Woolsey
David Radulski
Mary DiGianni
Sylvan Learning Center
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Michael Taylor
Terry Doyle
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Nathan Dickerson Family
Scott and Robin White
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Trista Jones
Vickie Lynn Wilson
Christine Fortner
Shannon Bettes
Glasgow Middle School
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Roush Racing
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Laura & Kenneth Arters
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Jessica Lin Bradley
Wilbert C. & Gloria M. Fletke
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Maureen Moore
David Gingras
Christy Hunka
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Pat and Dave Wolanski
Heather Albrecht
Stefanie Bowlin
FREDERICK C. EASTY
Raymond & Michelle Zuspan Molly Brown
Elaine Dubuc Rhonda Metze
Lynda O'Rourke Jose Fernandez Erin Hines Mindy Jo Dyer
The Bentz Family Dan Forant
Jennifer Cunningham
Philadelphia Church Of Chicago
Nadia Martinez
Cindy Witt
Jacqueline Beattie
Mike, Dana and Maddie Fath
Matt, Angie, Grace & Ella Gunning
Bryan & Sharon Murtha
Chris & Allison Burnham
Ann McCombs & Mary Lynn Whitaker
Candace Burke
Tammy Noble
Marty Greer
Ellen Johnson
Granger Dobbins
Hector Feliciano
Bally Gaming & Systems
Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #4410
Alicia M. Schiffer
Melissa Marchand
Susan Kight
Hi all I am Kari and I live in South Bend, Indiana. My 20yr old daught is PFC Amanda and she is currently stationed in Balad, Iraq. Balad is between Mosul and Baghdad. She is from Ft Campbell with the 101st Airborne....Go Screaming Eagles!!!! She had been in the Army now for about 1 1/2 years. I am married to a wonderful man and also have a 12 yr old daughter and 8 yr old son. Thanks for having me :)
Hugs
Kari
Hello I'm Mary Ann from TN. My son Mike is a SSG with Alpha Co 2/325 82nd ABN. His wife Samona (Mona) is also in the Army and is stationed at FT.Bragg awaiting his return from Iraq. My Dad was USN as well as my biological brother Russell. Dad retired in 1960. This is Mike's 3rd deployment and is by far the worst. I look forward to meeting all of you.
Mary Ann
Hello all my name is Melissa and I am 32 yrs old married with 2 children, living in Maine..I am soooo excited to be doing this..it is the very least that I or anyone can do for our "heroes" I can not wait to send something out to my guy...
My husband's step brother was serving in I raq,with the 101st Airborn Div, and is now home on leave, to have another knee surgery... We are sooooo very proud of him, and I feel very honored to do something for someone else.
Melissa
Hi,
My name is Megan Crain,and I am the wife of Cpt nathaniel Crain, and mother to Elianna Nicole. Elly is 21 months old. Nathaniel left ft. leonard wood on 2 April with the 5th Engineers. He is currently attached to the 223 Engineers, Mississippi National Guard, due to heavy losses suffered by this unit. His spirits are surprisingly high considering all that has gone on. I hear from him much more now that he is with the guard, but they are constantly on the road moving. I am also a stampin up demonstrator and would like to put my talents to good use for the soldiers and all those who contribute to make our loved ones lives a little bit brighter. If any one out there has any ideas or any interest in this please contact me. If anyone is interesed in making any purchases I will also offer a 15% discount to the group. Keep your chins up, everything does happen for a reason and we much trust in God.
Merry Christmas To All
God Bless Our Troops
Friday, December 19, 2003
Iraq war news
Bremer Says He Survives Iraq Assassination Bid: "Iraq's U.S. administrator PaulBremer said Friday he had escaped an assassination attempt inBaghdad in early December. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Saddam's Daughter Cried at Dad's Capture: "Saddam Hussein's eldest daughter said she broke down and cried when she heard news of her father's capture, adding in an interview that TV images of a disheveled Saddam beamed the across the world were meant to "break the spirit of Arabs." (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Saddam's daughter cried at dad's capture: "Saddam Hussein's eldest daughter said she broke down and cried when she heard news of her father's capture, adding in an interview that TV images of a disheveled Saddam beamed the across the world were meant to "break the spirit of Arabs.""
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Truck blast wounds two soldiers in Iraq: "A roadside bomb exploded near a U.S. military truck outside Baghdad on Friday, wounding two U.S. soldiers, the military said, while an Iraqi woman died as another blast hit the office of a major Shiite party."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. warns Israel on imposing solution: "The United States warned Israel against imposing a solution if peace efforts remain stalled, and the Palestinians called Ariel Sharon's ultimatum unacceptable."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Saddam's arrest brings humiliation debate: "Was he an Arab hero or a dictator? This is the question being debated in newspapers in the Middle East and by Arab intellectuals faced with the image of a bearded, bedraggled Saddam Hussein in the hands of American captors."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Truck Blast Kills 2 U.S. Soldiers in Iraq: "A U.S. military tanker truck exploded on a road outside Baghdad on Friday, and witnesses said it killed two U.S. soldiers and wounded one. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Saddam's Arrest Brings Humiliation Debate: "Was he an Arab hero or a dictator? This is the question being debated in newspapers in the Middle East and by Arab intellectuals faced with the image of a bearded, bedraggled Saddam Hussein in the hands of American captors. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Blast Hits Office of Iraq's Shiite Party: "A predawn explosion Friday at an office belonging to Iraq's major Shiite party killed one Iraqi woman and wounded five others, witnesses said. It was the second attack this week on the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution Party. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Truck blast kills 2 U.S. soldiers in Iraq: "A U.S. military tanker truck exploded on a road outside Baghdad on Friday, and witnesses said it killed two U.S. soldiers and wounded one."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
One killed in explosion at Shiite building in CNN - War in Iraq
Officials: WMD chief may quit in CNN - War in Iraq
Saddam's daughter wants fair trial in CNN - War in Iraq
Witnesses: Iraq Tanker blast kills two: "A U.S. military tanker truck exploded on a road outside Baghdad on Friday, and witnesses said two U.S. soldiers were killed and another was wounded."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Sharon probes removing some settlements: "In an extraordinary shift of Israeli politics, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the leading patron of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza, is talking about dismantling some of them."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Turkey captures man suspected in bombings: "Turkish authorities have captured a Turkish man suspected of planning last month's deadly truck bombings in Istanbul after meeting with Osama bin Laden, an intelligence official said Friday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Blast hits office of Iraq's Shiite party: "A predawn explosion Friday at an office belonging to Iraq's major Shiite party killed one Iraqi woman and wounded five others, witnesses said. It was the second attack this week on the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution Party."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Reserve Unit awaits OK to use steel armor: "Fearing roadside bombs and sniper bullets, members of the Army Reserves' 428th Transportation Co. turned to a local steel fabricator to fashion extra armor for their 5-ton trucks and Humvees before beginning their journey to Iraq earlier this month."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Woman killed in Baghdad bomb attack: "An explosion at an office belonging to Iraq's major Shiite party has killed one Iraqi woman and wounded five others in Baghdad."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Witnesses: Iraq Tanker Blast Kills Two: "A U.S. military tanker truck exploded on a road outside Baghdad on Friday, and witnesses said two U.S. soldiers were killed and another was wounded. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Blast Hits Office of Iraq's Shiite Party: "Rebels killed a U.S. soldier in the first fatal ambush for the U.S. military since the capture of Saddam Hussein last weekend. The violence continued Friday, when an explosion at office belonging to Iraq's major Shiite party killed one Iraqi woman and wounded five others, witnesses said. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US to pour more troops into Iraq; Russia to consider cutting Iraq's crushing debt: "The United States said it will pour more troops into Iraq after another US soldier died there in a roadside ambush, and Russia agreed to consider reducing Iraq's crippling debt. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.N. to Meet With Iraq Council, Coalition: "Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Thursday called for a Jan. 15 meeting of the key players in Iraq to pin down what role they want the United Nations to play as the country moves from U.S. occupation to a democratically elected government. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Blast hits office of Iraq's Shiite party: "Rebels killed a U.S. soldier in the first fatal ambush for the U.S. military since the capture of Saddam Hussein last weekend. The violence continued Friday, when an explosion at office belonging to Iraq's major Shiite party killed one Iraqi woman and wounded five others, witnesses said."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Reserve Unit Awaits OK to Use Steel Armor: "Fearing roadside bombs and sniper bullets, members of the Army Reserves' 428th Transportation Co. turned to a local steel fabricator to fashion extra armor for their 5-ton trucks and Humvees before beginning their journey to Iraq earlier this month. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
AP: European Militant Network Shut Down: "Authorities in Europe have shut down a network that recruited at least 200 Islamic militants to carry out attacks on U.S.-led forces in Iraq, Italian investigators told The Associated Press. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Explosion Rocks Office of Iraq Shi'ite Party: "A blast ripped through a housebelonging to Iraq's main Shi'ite Muslim political group earlyon Friday, killing at least one person and injuring seven,witnesses said. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US to pour more troops into Iraq; Russia to consider cutting Iraq's crushing debt: "The United States said it will pour more troops into Iraq after another US soldier died there in a roadside ambush, and Russia agreed to consider reducing Iraq's crippling debt. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. warns Israel on imposing settlement: "The Bush administration is warning Israel it will oppose any effort by its longtime ally to simply impose a Mideast settlement, saying a joint Israeli-Palestinian process remains the best chance for peace."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. says catching bin Laden difficult: "Al-Qaida suspects are being interrogated. Afghan and Pakistani villagers are being courted. Troops and unmanned aircraft are poised to strike. But finding Osama bin Laden remains enormously difficult, much more so than capturing Saddam Hussein, say American intelligence officials, lawmakers and analysts."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
|
Bremer Says He Survives Iraq Assassination Bid: "Iraq's U.S. administrator PaulBremer said Friday he had escaped an assassination attempt inBaghdad in early December. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Saddam's Daughter Cried at Dad's Capture: "Saddam Hussein's eldest daughter said she broke down and cried when she heard news of her father's capture, adding in an interview that TV images of a disheveled Saddam beamed the across the world were meant to "break the spirit of Arabs." (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Saddam's daughter cried at dad's capture: "Saddam Hussein's eldest daughter said she broke down and cried when she heard news of her father's capture, adding in an interview that TV images of a disheveled Saddam beamed the across the world were meant to "break the spirit of Arabs.""
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Truck blast wounds two soldiers in Iraq: "A roadside bomb exploded near a U.S. military truck outside Baghdad on Friday, wounding two U.S. soldiers, the military said, while an Iraqi woman died as another blast hit the office of a major Shiite party."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. warns Israel on imposing solution: "The United States warned Israel against imposing a solution if peace efforts remain stalled, and the Palestinians called Ariel Sharon's ultimatum unacceptable."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Saddam's arrest brings humiliation debate: "Was he an Arab hero or a dictator? This is the question being debated in newspapers in the Middle East and by Arab intellectuals faced with the image of a bearded, bedraggled Saddam Hussein in the hands of American captors."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Truck Blast Kills 2 U.S. Soldiers in Iraq: "A U.S. military tanker truck exploded on a road outside Baghdad on Friday, and witnesses said it killed two U.S. soldiers and wounded one. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Saddam's Arrest Brings Humiliation Debate: "Was he an Arab hero or a dictator? This is the question being debated in newspapers in the Middle East and by Arab intellectuals faced with the image of a bearded, bedraggled Saddam Hussein in the hands of American captors. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Blast Hits Office of Iraq's Shiite Party: "A predawn explosion Friday at an office belonging to Iraq's major Shiite party killed one Iraqi woman and wounded five others, witnesses said. It was the second attack this week on the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution Party. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Truck blast kills 2 U.S. soldiers in Iraq: "A U.S. military tanker truck exploded on a road outside Baghdad on Friday, and witnesses said it killed two U.S. soldiers and wounded one."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
One killed in explosion at Shiite building in CNN - War in Iraq
Officials: WMD chief may quit in CNN - War in Iraq
Saddam's daughter wants fair trial in CNN - War in Iraq
Witnesses: Iraq Tanker blast kills two: "A U.S. military tanker truck exploded on a road outside Baghdad on Friday, and witnesses said two U.S. soldiers were killed and another was wounded."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Sharon probes removing some settlements: "In an extraordinary shift of Israeli politics, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the leading patron of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza, is talking about dismantling some of them."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Turkey captures man suspected in bombings: "Turkish authorities have captured a Turkish man suspected of planning last month's deadly truck bombings in Istanbul after meeting with Osama bin Laden, an intelligence official said Friday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Blast hits office of Iraq's Shiite party: "A predawn explosion Friday at an office belonging to Iraq's major Shiite party killed one Iraqi woman and wounded five others, witnesses said. It was the second attack this week on the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution Party."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Reserve Unit awaits OK to use steel armor: "Fearing roadside bombs and sniper bullets, members of the Army Reserves' 428th Transportation Co. turned to a local steel fabricator to fashion extra armor for their 5-ton trucks and Humvees before beginning their journey to Iraq earlier this month."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Woman killed in Baghdad bomb attack: "An explosion at an office belonging to Iraq's major Shiite party has killed one Iraqi woman and wounded five others in Baghdad."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Witnesses: Iraq Tanker Blast Kills Two: "A U.S. military tanker truck exploded on a road outside Baghdad on Friday, and witnesses said two U.S. soldiers were killed and another was wounded. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Blast Hits Office of Iraq's Shiite Party: "Rebels killed a U.S. soldier in the first fatal ambush for the U.S. military since the capture of Saddam Hussein last weekend. The violence continued Friday, when an explosion at office belonging to Iraq's major Shiite party killed one Iraqi woman and wounded five others, witnesses said. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US to pour more troops into Iraq; Russia to consider cutting Iraq's crushing debt: "The United States said it will pour more troops into Iraq after another US soldier died there in a roadside ambush, and Russia agreed to consider reducing Iraq's crippling debt. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.N. to Meet With Iraq Council, Coalition: "Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Thursday called for a Jan. 15 meeting of the key players in Iraq to pin down what role they want the United Nations to play as the country moves from U.S. occupation to a democratically elected government. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Blast hits office of Iraq's Shiite party: "Rebels killed a U.S. soldier in the first fatal ambush for the U.S. military since the capture of Saddam Hussein last weekend. The violence continued Friday, when an explosion at office belonging to Iraq's major Shiite party killed one Iraqi woman and wounded five others, witnesses said."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Reserve Unit Awaits OK to Use Steel Armor: "Fearing roadside bombs and sniper bullets, members of the Army Reserves' 428th Transportation Co. turned to a local steel fabricator to fashion extra armor for their 5-ton trucks and Humvees before beginning their journey to Iraq earlier this month. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
AP: European Militant Network Shut Down: "Authorities in Europe have shut down a network that recruited at least 200 Islamic militants to carry out attacks on U.S.-led forces in Iraq, Italian investigators told The Associated Press. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Explosion Rocks Office of Iraq Shi'ite Party: "A blast ripped through a housebelonging to Iraq's main Shi'ite Muslim political group earlyon Friday, killing at least one person and injuring seven,witnesses said. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US to pour more troops into Iraq; Russia to consider cutting Iraq's crushing debt: "The United States said it will pour more troops into Iraq after another US soldier died there in a roadside ambush, and Russia agreed to consider reducing Iraq's crippling debt. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. warns Israel on imposing settlement: "The Bush administration is warning Israel it will oppose any effort by its longtime ally to simply impose a Mideast settlement, saying a joint Israeli-Palestinian process remains the best chance for peace."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. says catching bin Laden difficult: "Al-Qaida suspects are being interrogated. Afghan and Pakistani villagers are being courted. Troops and unmanned aircraft are poised to strike. But finding Osama bin Laden remains enormously difficult, much more so than capturing Saddam Hussein, say American intelligence officials, lawmakers and analysts."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Thursday, December 18, 2003
Iraq war news
Fuel Tanker Explodes, Unnerving a Tense City: "A powerful explosion killed at least 13 people and injured 22, when a truck collided with a bus at an intersection in western Baghdad."
In New York Times: World Special
Remember 'Weapons of Mass Destruction'? For Bush, They Are a Nonissue: "President Bush suggested in an interview that he no longer saw much distinction between possessing banned weapons and pursuing weapons programs."
In New York Times: World Special
Iranians, Once Attacked by Hussein, Are Elated by His Capture: "After Saddam Hussein's capture, calls for revenge coursed through Iran, where anger still blazes over an eight-year war with Iraq in the 1980's."
In New York Times: World Special
Victims of Gas Say Swift Death for Hussein Would Be Too Merciful: "In the Kurdish village of Halabja, the survivors of aerial gas attacks are debating how the hand of justice should guide Saddam Hussein."
In New York Times: World Special
Italy to Reduce Iraq's Debt: "Iraq has an estimated $120 billion of debt, of which about $1.7 billion is owed to Italy."
In New York Times: World Special
No "smoking gun" to convict Saddam Hussein yet, say Iraqi experts: "Iraqi legal experts warned of the huge difficulties ahead in finding decisive evidence of Saddam Hussein's guilt in crimes committed by his regime in Iraq. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Americans advised on leaving Saudi Arabia: "Nonessential American diplomats and the families of all U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia should leave, the State Department said Wednesday, stepping up its warnings about risks in the country."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Saddam's Last Stand: "What was it like in that hole where Saddam Hussein spent his last moments as a free man? Scott Pelley takes you to the site where Saddam was found and talks to some of the people behind his dramatic capture."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
Baker Gets Support on Iraq From Italy: "President Bush's envoy to Iraq received support Wednesday from Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi for a plan to relieve Baghdad's huge debt burden, adding another European nation to the list supporting the U.S. goal. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Lawmakers Urge Iraq Relations With Israel: "The Bush administration should try to ensure that the next Iraqi government has diplomatic relations with Israel, two U.S. lawmakers said Wednesday while visiting the Jewish state. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Hunts for Militants North of Baghdad: "Using sledgehammers, crowbars, explosives and armored vehicles, U.S. forces smashed down the gates of homes and the doors of workshops and junkyards Wednesday to attack the Iraqi resistance that has persisted despite the capture of Saddam Hussein. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Troops Kill Three Attackers, Swoop on Iraq Town: "U.S. forces killed three attackers andthousands of soldiers swooped on a town in a major crackdown onWednesday as violence and instability gripped Iraq in the wakeof Saddam Hussein's capture. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
ADL poll rates U.S. attitudes on Israel: "Some 43 percent of Americans believe Israel is a threat to world peace, according to a poll presented Wednesday by a Jewish group, but many more are concerned about North Korea, Iraq and Iran."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Baker gets support on Iraq from Italy: "President Bush's envoy to Iraq received support Wednesday from Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi for a plan to relieve Baghdad's huge debt burden, adding another European nation to the list supporting the U.S. goal."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Lawmakers urge Iraq relations with Israel: "The Bush administration should try to ensure that the next Iraqi government has diplomatic relations with Israel, two U.S. lawmakers said Wednesday while visiting the Jewish state."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
TASK FORCE ?ALL AMERICAN? CAPTURES FINANCIER, TRAINS ICDC, AND CONDUCTS CIVIL AF in CENTCOM: News Release
Lawmakers Urge Iraq Relations With Israel: "The Bush administration should try to ensure that the next Iraqi government has diplomatic relations with Israel, two U.S. lawmakers said Wednesday while visiting the Jewish state. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Troops Kill Three in Major Anti-Guerrilla Drive: "U.S. forces killed three attackers andthousands of soldiers swooped on a town in a major crackdown onWednesday as violence and instability gripped Iraq in the wakeof Saddam Hussein's capture. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
A Daily Look at U.S. Deaths in Iraq: "As of Wednesday, Dec. 17, 457 U.S. service members have died since the beginning of military operations in Iraq, according to the Department of Defense. Of those, 313 died as a result of hostile action and 144 died of non-hostile causes, the department said. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
|
Fuel Tanker Explodes, Unnerving a Tense City: "A powerful explosion killed at least 13 people and injured 22, when a truck collided with a bus at an intersection in western Baghdad."
In New York Times: World Special
Remember 'Weapons of Mass Destruction'? For Bush, They Are a Nonissue: "President Bush suggested in an interview that he no longer saw much distinction between possessing banned weapons and pursuing weapons programs."
In New York Times: World Special
Iranians, Once Attacked by Hussein, Are Elated by His Capture: "After Saddam Hussein's capture, calls for revenge coursed through Iran, where anger still blazes over an eight-year war with Iraq in the 1980's."
In New York Times: World Special
Victims of Gas Say Swift Death for Hussein Would Be Too Merciful: "In the Kurdish village of Halabja, the survivors of aerial gas attacks are debating how the hand of justice should guide Saddam Hussein."
In New York Times: World Special
Italy to Reduce Iraq's Debt: "Iraq has an estimated $120 billion of debt, of which about $1.7 billion is owed to Italy."
In New York Times: World Special
No "smoking gun" to convict Saddam Hussein yet, say Iraqi experts: "Iraqi legal experts warned of the huge difficulties ahead in finding decisive evidence of Saddam Hussein's guilt in crimes committed by his regime in Iraq. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Americans advised on leaving Saudi Arabia: "Nonessential American diplomats and the families of all U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia should leave, the State Department said Wednesday, stepping up its warnings about risks in the country."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Saddam's Last Stand: "What was it like in that hole where Saddam Hussein spent his last moments as a free man? Scott Pelley takes you to the site where Saddam was found and talks to some of the people behind his dramatic capture."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
Baker Gets Support on Iraq From Italy: "President Bush's envoy to Iraq received support Wednesday from Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi for a plan to relieve Baghdad's huge debt burden, adding another European nation to the list supporting the U.S. goal. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Lawmakers Urge Iraq Relations With Israel: "The Bush administration should try to ensure that the next Iraqi government has diplomatic relations with Israel, two U.S. lawmakers said Wednesday while visiting the Jewish state. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Hunts for Militants North of Baghdad: "Using sledgehammers, crowbars, explosives and armored vehicles, U.S. forces smashed down the gates of homes and the doors of workshops and junkyards Wednesday to attack the Iraqi resistance that has persisted despite the capture of Saddam Hussein. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Troops Kill Three Attackers, Swoop on Iraq Town: "U.S. forces killed three attackers andthousands of soldiers swooped on a town in a major crackdown onWednesday as violence and instability gripped Iraq in the wakeof Saddam Hussein's capture. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
ADL poll rates U.S. attitudes on Israel: "Some 43 percent of Americans believe Israel is a threat to world peace, according to a poll presented Wednesday by a Jewish group, but many more are concerned about North Korea, Iraq and Iran."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Baker gets support on Iraq from Italy: "President Bush's envoy to Iraq received support Wednesday from Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi for a plan to relieve Baghdad's huge debt burden, adding another European nation to the list supporting the U.S. goal."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Lawmakers urge Iraq relations with Israel: "The Bush administration should try to ensure that the next Iraqi government has diplomatic relations with Israel, two U.S. lawmakers said Wednesday while visiting the Jewish state."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
TASK FORCE ?ALL AMERICAN? CAPTURES FINANCIER, TRAINS ICDC, AND CONDUCTS CIVIL AF in CENTCOM: News Release
Lawmakers Urge Iraq Relations With Israel: "The Bush administration should try to ensure that the next Iraqi government has diplomatic relations with Israel, two U.S. lawmakers said Wednesday while visiting the Jewish state. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Troops Kill Three in Major Anti-Guerrilla Drive: "U.S. forces killed three attackers andthousands of soldiers swooped on a town in a major crackdown onWednesday as violence and instability gripped Iraq in the wakeof Saddam Hussein's capture. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
A Daily Look at U.S. Deaths in Iraq: "As of Wednesday, Dec. 17, 457 U.S. service members have died since the beginning of military operations in Iraq, according to the Department of Defense. Of those, 313 died as a result of hostile action and 144 died of non-hostile causes, the department said. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Wednesday, December 17, 2003
US envoy Baker leaves Berlin for Rome on Iraq debt relief mission: "US envoy James Baker left Berlin after securing a deal on debt relief for Iraq and continued his tour of European capitals in Rome, a US embassy spokesman revealed. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Governing Council Says Saddam Still Held in Iraq: "Iraq's U.S.-backed Governing Councilsaid Wednesday that captured dictator Saddam Hussein was stillbeing held in Iraq and would face a public trial in thecountry. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Death Toll Revised to 10: "From The Australian :
In Command Post: Irak
Iraqi Minister: U.N. Failed us: "
Read the whole thing."
In Command Post: Irak
Truck Bombing Kills at Least 10 in Iraq: "An explosives-laden truck speeding toward a police station collided with a bus at an intersection before dawn Wednesday, killing at least 10 Iraqis amid a surge of violence since the weekend arrest of Saddam Hussein. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
AP: bin Laden approved attacks in Turkey: "Osama bin Laden proposed attacking a Turkish military base used by the United States, but militants stymied by tight security bombed civilian targets instead, killing Muslims and upsetting al-Qaida leaders, Turkish officials told The Associated Press."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Israeli official wants W. Bank withdrawal: "Israeli vice prime minister on Wednesday stepped up his calls for a sizable withdrawal from the West Bank, urging a clear "separation" between Israelis and the Palestinians."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Tanker explodes on Baghdad road: "A fuel tanker explodes at a crossroads in the Iraqi capital, killing at least 10 people and injuring 15."
In BBC: Conflict with Iraq
Saddam loyalists take to streets: "The BBC's Roger Hardy looks at why the capture of Saddam Hussein has triggered such angry protests in the so-called Sunni Triangle area of Iraq."
In BBC: Conflict with Iraq
VP says Iran to sign nuclear agreement: "Iran will sign an agreement Thursday giving unfettered access to its nuclear facilities, the vice president said."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Rumsfeld Ponders Getting Saddam to Talk: "Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld sounded intrigued when asked how to get Saddam Hussein talking to his interrogators. "Does he have any interest in his family? ... I don't know," Rumsfeld told reporters Tuesday, ruminating about the possible pressures that could be applied to the former dictator. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraq's Minister Says U.N. Failed His Nation: "Iraq's foreign minister accused the United Nations on Tuesday of failing to rescue his country from Saddam Hussein's 35-year "murderous tyranny." He urged the world body not to fail Iraq again and to return to help build a democratic nation. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Nell unhappy with Iraq army base: "Nell McAndrew has demanded to be taken out of her army accommodation after branding it a "dump"."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Bush: Saddam deserves ultimate penalty: "President Bush said Saddam Hussein deserves the "ultimate penalty" for his crimes, but he faced objections from Europe, the United Nations and the Vatican, which are adamantly opposed to the death penalty."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Baghdad tanker blast kills many: "An explosion engulfs a fuel tanker in the Iraqi capital, killing at least 17 people and injuring many more."
In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)
Police: 10 dead in Baghdad truck blast in CNN - War in Iraq
17 killed in Baghdad tanker blast: "An explosion engulfs a fuel tanker in the Iraqi capital, killing at least 17 people and injuring many more."
In BBC: Conflict with Iraq
Baghdad truck bomb 'kills 22': "A petrol tanker loaded with explosives has rammed into a bus and exploded in Baghdad, killing 22 people."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Baghdad tanker blaze kills many: "An explosion engulfs a fuel tanker in the Iraqi capital, killing at least 17 people and injuring many more."
In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)
Bush calls for Saddam execution: "The US president says the captured former Iraqi leader should pay the "ultimate penalty" for his crimes."
In BBC: Conflict with Iraq
Rumsfeld ponders getting Saddam to talk: "Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld sounded intrigued when asked how to get Saddam Hussein talking to his interrogators. "Does he have any interest in his family? ... I don't know," Rumsfeld told reporters Tuesday, ruminating about the possible pressures that could be applied to the former dictator."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
|
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Governing Council Says Saddam Still Held in Iraq: "Iraq's U.S.-backed Governing Councilsaid Wednesday that captured dictator Saddam Hussein was stillbeing held in Iraq and would face a public trial in thecountry. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Death Toll Revised to 10: "From The Australian :
A Truck loaded with explosives rammed into a small bus and exploded near a Baghdad police station today, killing at least 10 people, an Iraqi deputy minister said.The BBC's has pictures of the aftermath."
Earlier reports said at least 17 people, and possibly as many as 22, had died.
The blast happened early today in Baghdad's Bayya'a district, police said. Two cars nearby were destroyed in the blast.
Ahmed Kadhim Ibrahim, deputy interior minister, said the death toll was 10 and that the truck was speeding towards a police station, but collided with a bus in the way.
Bassem Naiem, a policeman at the scene, earlier put the toll at 22, but authorities later revised the toll.
In Command Post: Irak
Iraqi Minister: U.N. Failed us: "
Taking a harsh view of the inability of quarreling members of the Security Council to endorse military action in Iraq, Mr. Zebari said, "One year ago, the Security Council was divided between those who wanted to appease Saddam Hussein and those who wanted to hold him accountable.
"The United Nations as an organization failed to help rescue the Iraqi people from a murderous tyranny that lasted over 35 years, and today we are unearthing thousands of victims in horrifying testament to that failure."
Read the whole thing."
In Command Post: Irak
Truck Bombing Kills at Least 10 in Iraq: "An explosives-laden truck speeding toward a police station collided with a bus at an intersection before dawn Wednesday, killing at least 10 Iraqis amid a surge of violence since the weekend arrest of Saddam Hussein. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
AP: bin Laden approved attacks in Turkey: "Osama bin Laden proposed attacking a Turkish military base used by the United States, but militants stymied by tight security bombed civilian targets instead, killing Muslims and upsetting al-Qaida leaders, Turkish officials told The Associated Press."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Israeli official wants W. Bank withdrawal: "Israeli vice prime minister on Wednesday stepped up his calls for a sizable withdrawal from the West Bank, urging a clear "separation" between Israelis and the Palestinians."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Tanker explodes on Baghdad road: "A fuel tanker explodes at a crossroads in the Iraqi capital, killing at least 10 people and injuring 15."
In BBC: Conflict with Iraq
Saddam loyalists take to streets: "The BBC's Roger Hardy looks at why the capture of Saddam Hussein has triggered such angry protests in the so-called Sunni Triangle area of Iraq."
In BBC: Conflict with Iraq
VP says Iran to sign nuclear agreement: "Iran will sign an agreement Thursday giving unfettered access to its nuclear facilities, the vice president said."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Rumsfeld Ponders Getting Saddam to Talk: "Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld sounded intrigued when asked how to get Saddam Hussein talking to his interrogators. "Does he have any interest in his family? ... I don't know," Rumsfeld told reporters Tuesday, ruminating about the possible pressures that could be applied to the former dictator. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraq's Minister Says U.N. Failed His Nation: "Iraq's foreign minister accused the United Nations on Tuesday of failing to rescue his country from Saddam Hussein's 35-year "murderous tyranny." He urged the world body not to fail Iraq again and to return to help build a democratic nation. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Nell unhappy with Iraq army base: "Nell McAndrew has demanded to be taken out of her army accommodation after branding it a "dump"."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Bush: Saddam deserves ultimate penalty: "President Bush said Saddam Hussein deserves the "ultimate penalty" for his crimes, but he faced objections from Europe, the United Nations and the Vatican, which are adamantly opposed to the death penalty."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Baghdad tanker blast kills many: "An explosion engulfs a fuel tanker in the Iraqi capital, killing at least 17 people and injuring many more."
In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)
Police: 10 dead in Baghdad truck blast in CNN - War in Iraq
17 killed in Baghdad tanker blast: "An explosion engulfs a fuel tanker in the Iraqi capital, killing at least 17 people and injuring many more."
In BBC: Conflict with Iraq
Baghdad truck bomb 'kills 22': "A petrol tanker loaded with explosives has rammed into a bus and exploded in Baghdad, killing 22 people."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Baghdad tanker blaze kills many: "An explosion engulfs a fuel tanker in the Iraqi capital, killing at least 17 people and injuring many more."
In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)
Bush calls for Saddam execution: "The US president says the captured former Iraqi leader should pay the "ultimate penalty" for his crimes."
In BBC: Conflict with Iraq
Rumsfeld ponders getting Saddam to talk: "Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld sounded intrigued when asked how to get Saddam Hussein talking to his interrogators. "Does he have any interest in his family? ... I don't know," Rumsfeld told reporters Tuesday, ruminating about the possible pressures that could be applied to the former dictator."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Tuesday, December 16, 2003
Iraq war news
Saddam 'giving information' on terror fight: "Two US soldiers have been wounded in an explosion in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Israel to coordinate with U.S. on moves: "Israel will coordinate any unilateral moves in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with the United States, the Israeli foreign minister said Tuesday, after meeting with Bush administration officials who oppose any actions that will make it harder to create a Palestinian state."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Israel planned to kill Saddam in 1992: "The Israeli military planned a daring assassination attempt against Saddam Hussein in 1992 - a plot that would have involved landing commandos in Iraq and firing sophisticated missiles at him during a funeral, an Israeli legislator and media said Tuesday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S.: Saddam linked to insurgency in CNN - War in Iraq
U.S. says Saddam giving useful insights: "Two U.S. soldiers were seriously wounded in an explosion in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit on Tuesday, a day after U.S. commanders said the former leader was providing useful insights into the escalating insurgency."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Germany to Press Baker on Iraq Contracts Dispute: "Germany said Tuesday it hoped to usetalks with U.S. special envoy James Baker to persuade theUnited States to drop its refusal to grant major rebuildingcontracts in Iraq to countries that opposed the war there. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Saddam Response in Baghdad Square Subdued: "When Saddam Hussein's statue was toppled April 9 in Baghdad's Paradise Square, it was a globally televised moment of jubilation and hope. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqi Killed, U.S. Soldier Wounded in Iraq Riot: "An Iraqi gunman was killed and aU.S. soldier was wounded in an exchange of fire during riots ina restive town west of Baghdad, U.S. military sources saidTuesday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqi officials seek fast execution for Saddam in IraqWar.ru (English)
Three Rockets Hit Kabul, Cause No Injury in IraqWar.ru (English)
Midsouth Journalist Who Met Saddam Reacts To His Capture in IraqWar.ru (English)
Bush Says Saddam Will Get a Fair Trial in IraqWar.ru (English)
'Broken' Saddam betrays henchmen in IraqWar.ru (English)
Howard Dean says US no safer after Saddam's capture in IraqWar.ru (English)
Iran Wants Saddam Tried for Iran-Iraq War in IraqWar.ru (English)
Bin Laden 'ordered Istanbul blasts' in IraqWar.ru (English)
Will US change insurgent hunt tactics in Iraq? in IraqWar.ru (English)
'Defiant' Saddam Denies He Possessed WMD in IraqWar.ru (English)
Saddam capture tainted by bombings in IraqWar.ru (English)
Saddam's capture by U.S. forces raises a groundswell of unease in Arab world in IraqWar.ru (English)
Iraq: Reconstruction Efforts in IraqWar.ru (English)
Violence in Iraq continues with two suicide bombings in IraqWar.ru (English)
Saddam refuses to give anything away in IraqWar.ru (English)
PowerPoint Makes You Dumb in IraqWar.ru (English)
Aziz helped identify Saddam, official says in IraqWar.ru (English)
'And still, the Iraqis hate us' in IraqWar.ru (English)
Iraqi cheer fades into ire at U.S in IraqWar.ru (English)
Saddam 'could face death sentence': "Iraqi officials say Saddam Hussein could be sentenced to death if he is found guilty of war crimes."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
|
Saddam 'giving information' on terror fight: "Two US soldiers have been wounded in an explosion in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Israel to coordinate with U.S. on moves: "Israel will coordinate any unilateral moves in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with the United States, the Israeli foreign minister said Tuesday, after meeting with Bush administration officials who oppose any actions that will make it harder to create a Palestinian state."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Israel planned to kill Saddam in 1992: "The Israeli military planned a daring assassination attempt against Saddam Hussein in 1992 - a plot that would have involved landing commandos in Iraq and firing sophisticated missiles at him during a funeral, an Israeli legislator and media said Tuesday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S.: Saddam linked to insurgency in CNN - War in Iraq
U.S. says Saddam giving useful insights: "Two U.S. soldiers were seriously wounded in an explosion in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit on Tuesday, a day after U.S. commanders said the former leader was providing useful insights into the escalating insurgency."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Germany to Press Baker on Iraq Contracts Dispute: "Germany said Tuesday it hoped to usetalks with U.S. special envoy James Baker to persuade theUnited States to drop its refusal to grant major rebuildingcontracts in Iraq to countries that opposed the war there. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Saddam Response in Baghdad Square Subdued: "When Saddam Hussein's statue was toppled April 9 in Baghdad's Paradise Square, it was a globally televised moment of jubilation and hope. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqi Killed, U.S. Soldier Wounded in Iraq Riot: "An Iraqi gunman was killed and aU.S. soldier was wounded in an exchange of fire during riots ina restive town west of Baghdad, U.S. military sources saidTuesday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqi officials seek fast execution for Saddam in IraqWar.ru (English)
Three Rockets Hit Kabul, Cause No Injury in IraqWar.ru (English)
Midsouth Journalist Who Met Saddam Reacts To His Capture in IraqWar.ru (English)
Bush Says Saddam Will Get a Fair Trial in IraqWar.ru (English)
'Broken' Saddam betrays henchmen in IraqWar.ru (English)
Howard Dean says US no safer after Saddam's capture in IraqWar.ru (English)
Iran Wants Saddam Tried for Iran-Iraq War in IraqWar.ru (English)
Bin Laden 'ordered Istanbul blasts' in IraqWar.ru (English)
Will US change insurgent hunt tactics in Iraq? in IraqWar.ru (English)
'Defiant' Saddam Denies He Possessed WMD in IraqWar.ru (English)
Saddam capture tainted by bombings in IraqWar.ru (English)
Saddam's capture by U.S. forces raises a groundswell of unease in Arab world in IraqWar.ru (English)
Iraq: Reconstruction Efforts in IraqWar.ru (English)
Violence in Iraq continues with two suicide bombings in IraqWar.ru (English)
Saddam refuses to give anything away in IraqWar.ru (English)
PowerPoint Makes You Dumb in IraqWar.ru (English)
Aziz helped identify Saddam, official says in IraqWar.ru (English)
'And still, the Iraqis hate us' in IraqWar.ru (English)
Iraqi cheer fades into ire at U.S in IraqWar.ru (English)
Saddam 'could face death sentence': "Iraqi officials say Saddam Hussein could be sentenced to death if he is found guilty of war crimes."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Monday, December 15, 2003
Saddam nabbed
At home, some celebrate, some hold breath
11:17 PM CST on Sunday, December 14, 2003
By BILL MARVEL / The Dallas Morning News
Just a click of the remote control, and it was a whole new day.
With a Cowboys-Redskins game in prospect, we awoke, brewed our morning coffee, dressed for church or shopping and turned on our TV sets. And there he was, bearded and unkempt, looking for all the world like some street person hauled out from under a bridge, blinking in the morning light. Many viewers may not even have realized at first who it was they were looking at.
In that first moment there was for many of us a sense of dislocation. The face on the screen didn't match the memory. Who did they catch?
The war in Iraq has not given Americans many reasons to cheer lately. The car bombs, the roadside booby traps: It has seemed every day there is fresh reason to mourn. Will we ever get out of Iraq?
But on Sunday, some Americans broke out the flags and hung them from porches and front-yard flagpoles. The news was announced from pulpits. Prayers of thanksgiving were offered. Grocery clerks asked customers, "Have you heard?" Folks thought of loved ones in harm's way thousands of miles from home, and now – perhaps – a few steps closer to safety. There was a collective exhalation of relief.
But there were also those who held their breath. This was not the end of the war, they pointed out. Not a time to drive through the streets honking horns, throwing confetti. Not a time for celebrating sailors to kiss nurses in Times Square.
At a time like this, what is the mood of the country? Perhaps there is no single mood, only the individual feelings and reactions of Americans as they went about their (almost) ordinary Sunday of church, football and shopping – and thinking about that haggard face seen on the morning TV. ON THE HOME FRONT
'They pulled him out of a hole!'
Jeanne Jacobs awoke 4:30 a.m., unable to sleep, unable to figure out why. Something told the 59-year-old Garland mother to turn on the television. As soon as she saw the news she suddenly knew why.
She called her daughter, then she called her son. Navy Petty Officer Quentin Gray, 27, recently returned from several months' combat alongside the U.S. Marines in Iraq with what his mother calls a case of post-traumatic stress syndrome.
He's staying with friends near the Camp Pendleton Marine base in San Diego, where it was barely 2:30 a.m. But for Ms. Jacobs, the news couldn't wait.
"I said, 'Missy, tell Quentin they got the bastard! Just like the snake he is, they pulled him out of a hole!'
"This is the best Christmas already," she says. "I've got two darling grandbabies, my son is home from Iraq, and Saddam Hussein has been captured! I'm giddy. I just think it's wonderful. I think it'll be a turning point, I really do."
Dennis Patterson, 49, heard the news at 5:45 a.m., when his mother called. He stayed on the phone and called his son, Luke, just back from a tour of duty in Iraq.
"He was incredulous, he was blown away." says the elder Mr. Patterson. His son, Army Specialist Luke Patterson, 21, a graduate of Plano East Senior High School, immediately rounded up his buddies in DarmstadtÖ, Germany, and headed to the nearest Burger King, where CNN was already on and the room was packed.
A short time later Luke called dad to report on the troops' reaction. "He said that when Bremer [American Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III] came out and announced, 'We got him,' the room erupted with everyone cheering and celebrating. Luke said he felt like not just him but everyone in the military had been given a big Christmas present. He said, 'Now we have the guy who's responsible for them being sent halfway around the world, for having to endure sandstorms and 135-degree heat.' "
For David and Barbara Rozier of Katy, who spent years raising their kids in DeSoto, Sunday's news felt like long-awaited vindication – not just for them and the son who died, but for President Bush as well.
Their son, Army 1st Lt. Jonathan Rozier, 25, was guarding a Baghdad checkpoint July 19 when he was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade. He left behind a wife and a son, Justin, who's only now beginning to walk.
Sunday morning, his mom and dad had all but tired themselves out, sharing phone time with North Texas relatives.
"We are excited," says Mr. Rozier, 49. But "We're careful not to be overly excited. We know there's a lot of work to be done. We know it's not the end of the road. But it's a major milestone and maybe even a turning point."
Mr. Rozier says he was happy for and "extremely proud" for the president. "Despite all the naysayers and criticism he's been receiving, particularly from the left, he stuck to his calling," says Mr. Rozier, who shares a real-estate business with his wife.
Not every parent of a fallen Iraq war veteran shares his enthusiasm. Lufkin mother Rena Mathis, 47, is coping with the "non-combat-related" death of her son, Army Spc. Joseph D. Suell, 24, in Todjie, Iraq, on June 16.
"I don't blame Hussein," she says. "I blame Bush. He had no business sending them boys over there. Not only Joseph but all of them."
For the family of the one-time high school basketball star with loads of promise, Spc. Suell's death is a mystery that may never be solved. The death notice says only "investigation pending." His widow, Rebecca Suell, 22, said recently that a base chaplain at Fort Sill, Okla., and two officers told her that husband committed suicide – a conclusion she and her mother-in-law dispute. He was a chronic asthmatic, which, his mother says, should have kept him out of Iraq anyway.
Ms. Mathis says her son's death feels like an "open wound" and one that Saddam Hussein's capture will never heal. When her husband woke her Sunday with the news, her reaction was immediate. " 'It ain't over with,' I said. Just 'cause they caught him; it still ain't over with."
IN CHURCHES AND MOSQUES
'How interesting the way God works'
"We pray five times a day, the same prayers," said Abdul-Malik Hamidulla, operations manager of the Dallas Central Mosque. "But after we pray, people typically make personal supplication for peace in the world. We like to see peace everywhere, and certainly hope this will bring us one step closer to the days we can bring the boys home."
The Rev. David McKinley, teaching pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church, stuck to his prepared sermon during the 9:15 a.m. service and preached about the Christmas carol "Silent Night." Then he spoke of Saddam Hussein's capture.
He described waking up at 6:30 a.m., holding a cup of coffee and turning on the television. "There on the bottom of the screen I read those words, 'Saddam Hussein is captured.' "
The congregation of a several thousand immediately broke into applause.
The congregation at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship also broke into applause when the Rev. Anthony Evans announced the news.
"Across the road was one of Saddam Hussein's palaces," Mr. Evans pointed out, "but in fact he was found in a dirt hole.
"How interesting the way God works."
AMONG THE EXPATRIATES
'I've been waiting for this day my entire life'
At the Coit Road office of the Kurdish Human Rights Watch, a couple hundred jubilant Iraqi-Americans danced in the parking lot, waving Kurdish and American flags, and burning pictures of their former leader.
Dallas is home to several thousand Iraqi-Americans, most of whom fled the country during Saddam Hussein's rule and settled in Texas as political refugees. Arabs and Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites, they all seemed to be celebrating Sunday, gathering for parties at homes or community centers.
Men, women and children held hands, bouncing their shoulders in a traditional dance while a band keened the Kurdish words for "Freedom, Freedom, Democracy." Old men in black and white turbans and baggy pants trilled with joy and shouted "Piruzby!" – congratulations – to each other.
"It's unbelievable, unbelievable," said Zuhair Almissouri, KHRW program director. "I've been waiting for this day my entire life." He moved to America from the northern city of Dohuk in 1996 after three sisters died during the Kurdish struggle to break away from Mr. Hussein's regime.
The phone calls began early in the morning, he said, and by afternoon he still hadn't time for a sip of water or breakfast. "I am full, even if I didn't eat for two or three days more, I am full with happiness!"
When Saddam Hussein's armies invaded Kuwait in 1990, Abdul Akil and his family escaped, making the dangerous trek across Iraq, Syria and Jordan before landing safely in Chicago, and eventually Richardson.
Now, 53, he is owner of Grand Café American and Mediterranean Grill, where customers gathered Sunday to feast and celebrate. "Café busy with Arab people," he says, "all very happy because this stupid man is over."
"I am very happy, of course, very happy to be getting this news." Nevertheless, he is pessimistic about Iraq and its prospects. "If you read the history of Iraq, you'll understand it's bloody. Iraq has never lived in peace. Iraq needs somebody who will walk straight, but nobody could walk straight with Saddam around."
OUT AND ABOUT
'Have you heard? Have you heard?'
Pete Hoag, manager of the Webb Forest Newsstand, opened his doors for customers at 6:30 Sunday morning. "At 7 a.m. it started," he says. "They started coming in, going on, 'Have you heard? Have you heard?' Most of them heard about it – I love this – on The Ticket, the sports talk show."
Mr. Hoag's customers love sports and politics, in that order. It's hard to walk into the place and not get into a discussion about one or the other.
About Saddam's capture, he says, "They're all very optimistic, they're all feeling very vindicated. Everybody loves the way he looks so haggard and distraught. A lot say since they found him in that hole, they wished they'd just covered it up and left."
By mid-morning the parking lot at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Dallas was Sunday-full, mostly the cars of folks using the center's gym or attending meetings. In the coffee lounge one TV was showing an episode of Rugrats, the other was set to Fox News.
Marc Sheff, 44, was the only person watching the newscast. He had learned of Saddam's capture from two men talking in the sauna.
Mr. Sheff sells lighting supplies, a job that puts him on airplanes a lot. He doesn't figure Sunday's news will affect his work much,
"It would mean more if bin Laden were captured," he says.
At the Chuck E. Cheese on Arlington's Fielder Road, where several kids' birthday parties were in noisy progress Sunday afternoon, news of Saddam's capture worked its way into conversations between choruses of "Happy Birthday" and photo ops with the Chuck E. Cheese mascot.
"Haven't you heard?" Barbara Germany asked another mother attending a 6-year-old's birthday party.
Word of the capture arrived via a news alert in her email, says Ms. Germany, 44. "I think it's great. We needed some good news."
Monitoring a table full of 6-year-olds, Stephen Moore of Arlington says the first thought that popped into his mind at the news was, "Finally."
"I knew this was coming at some point," he says. "And I'm glad they got him alive.'' But Mr. Moore, 42, doubts the capture will bring an early end to the bloodshed.
"Oh no! This is an ongoing war."
IN THE PARK
'People are sick of the war'
Waxing his wife's Suburban under an Oak Tree on Flag Pole Hill Park near White Rock Lake, retired Air Force Tech. Sgt. George Bowe paused to consider whether the capture would lead to reprisals against American troops in Iraq.
"I don't think it will, even if there's a short spasm of violence," says the 54-year-old Vietnam veteran. Over time, he says, Iraqis may finally take control of their own country. "I suspect we'll be there a few more years, but be able to get out eventually.
"The next challenge is for us to capture Osama, but I don't think he's going to go as easily. I think he'll kill himself before he lets us take him alive. Saddam was used to letting other people do his dirty work.
Also enjoying Sunday's warm spell at Flag Pole Hill was Jay Brewer, 41, a Dallas hairdresser. "As a single event [the capture of Saddam] won't turn tide, it won't increase President Bush's popularity over all," he says. "People are sick of the war.
"I think this is just going to make room for someone else to come up under him. But maybe we'll like this person. But of course we used to like Saddam, too, until he killed 300,00 people."
Even so, Mr. Brewer says, "I think the political cartoon this year will be GB as Santa Claus, with Saddam all wrapped up in the back of the sleigh."
AROUND THE COUNTRY
'He looked like a caged animal'
The streets of Detroit saw dancing too. Arabs also celebrate in snowy suburban streets, banging drums and waving Iraqi and American flags.
In homes and stores everywhere, people gathered around TV sets and shook their heads as they watched footage of the scruffy, bearded man some thought would never be caught.
Kristin Williams, who lives in suburban New Albany, Ohio, found it fitting that a man she considers a coward was caught hiding in a hole.
"Still, it's sad to see someone in that state of affairs. He looked like a caged animal," said Ms. Williams, 36. "Going to church, he was one of the people I prayed for, too."
AT THE STADIUM
'This day carries a special meaning'
At the New York Jets-Pittsburgh Steelers football game President Bush's announcement was broadcast over loudspeakers to prolonged cheers.
In Washington, the capture was the talk of the town, not the late-season clash between the Cowboys and Redskins, traditional rivals.
With 1 minute 56 seconds to go in the first half, announcers Dick Stockton and Daryl "Moose" Johnston (who once played for the Cowboys) took time after the two-minute warning to note the day's events.
"This day carries a special meaning," said Mr. Stockton.
And Brad Sham, voice of the Cowboys on KLUV-FM (98.7) observed during the game that one sideline reporter, in an effort to stay warm in the freezing rain, was hiding in a "spider hole."
AT THE AIRPORT
'He's the big cheese we were after'
At 8:20 Sunday morning, an group of about 130 Army soldiers left Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport for Iraq.
About six hours later, another group of soldiers arrived after a 30-hour flight with stops in Kuwait, Germany, and Atlanta, home for 15 days of rest and relaxation. Some of them left the airport for Fort Hood in Killeen; others caught connecting flights.
Wearing desert camouflage, the arriving troops filed into the terminal just after 3 p.m. to cheers from a crowd of loved ones. Earlier in the day as the soldiers' charted flight approached U.S. soil Sunday, the civilian pilot came on the intercom to deliver the news about Saddam Hussein. Many of the passengers clapped and a few cheered.
Capt. Kenneth Sanders, nurse a registered in Baqubah, Iraq with the 204th Forward Support Battalion – part of the 4th Infantry Division that captured Mr. Hussein – said he was proud of the men who found the former Iraqi leader. He said the news gave some a "sense of accomplishment," and he was more hopeful that the capture would help make the country safer.
"He's the big cheese we were after," said Capt. Sanders, 49, just reunited with his wife, Penny, after more than eight months away. "Maybe things can quiet down now over there."
Another member of the 4th Infantry Division, Capt. Steve Heringer, 28, said he hoped the capture would reassure Iraqis that Mr. Hussein wouldn't return to power. "Time will tell," whether the attacks wane, he said. "It's definitely going to make a different in the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people."
He said the news on the plane "was like a Christmas president for everybody."
Contributing to this report were staff writers Tyra Damm, David Tarrant, Michael Precker, Jeff Weiss, Michael Granberry, Karen Thomas, Scott Farwell, Gretel Kovach, Ed Timms and The Associated Press.
DallasNews.com | Dallas-Fort Worth | Local News
|
11:17 PM CST on Sunday, December 14, 2003
By BILL MARVEL / The Dallas Morning News
Just a click of the remote control, and it was a whole new day.
With a Cowboys-Redskins game in prospect, we awoke, brewed our morning coffee, dressed for church or shopping and turned on our TV sets. And there he was, bearded and unkempt, looking for all the world like some street person hauled out from under a bridge, blinking in the morning light. Many viewers may not even have realized at first who it was they were looking at.
In that first moment there was for many of us a sense of dislocation. The face on the screen didn't match the memory. Who did they catch?
The war in Iraq has not given Americans many reasons to cheer lately. The car bombs, the roadside booby traps: It has seemed every day there is fresh reason to mourn. Will we ever get out of Iraq?
But on Sunday, some Americans broke out the flags and hung them from porches and front-yard flagpoles. The news was announced from pulpits. Prayers of thanksgiving were offered. Grocery clerks asked customers, "Have you heard?" Folks thought of loved ones in harm's way thousands of miles from home, and now – perhaps – a few steps closer to safety. There was a collective exhalation of relief.
But there were also those who held their breath. This was not the end of the war, they pointed out. Not a time to drive through the streets honking horns, throwing confetti. Not a time for celebrating sailors to kiss nurses in Times Square.
At a time like this, what is the mood of the country? Perhaps there is no single mood, only the individual feelings and reactions of Americans as they went about their (almost) ordinary Sunday of church, football and shopping – and thinking about that haggard face seen on the morning TV. ON THE HOME FRONT
'They pulled him out of a hole!'
Jeanne Jacobs awoke 4:30 a.m., unable to sleep, unable to figure out why. Something told the 59-year-old Garland mother to turn on the television. As soon as she saw the news she suddenly knew why.
She called her daughter, then she called her son. Navy Petty Officer Quentin Gray, 27, recently returned from several months' combat alongside the U.S. Marines in Iraq with what his mother calls a case of post-traumatic stress syndrome.
He's staying with friends near the Camp Pendleton Marine base in San Diego, where it was barely 2:30 a.m. But for Ms. Jacobs, the news couldn't wait.
"I said, 'Missy, tell Quentin they got the bastard! Just like the snake he is, they pulled him out of a hole!'
"This is the best Christmas already," she says. "I've got two darling grandbabies, my son is home from Iraq, and Saddam Hussein has been captured! I'm giddy. I just think it's wonderful. I think it'll be a turning point, I really do."
Dennis Patterson, 49, heard the news at 5:45 a.m., when his mother called. He stayed on the phone and called his son, Luke, just back from a tour of duty in Iraq.
"He was incredulous, he was blown away." says the elder Mr. Patterson. His son, Army Specialist Luke Patterson, 21, a graduate of Plano East Senior High School, immediately rounded up his buddies in DarmstadtÖ, Germany, and headed to the nearest Burger King, where CNN was already on and the room was packed.
A short time later Luke called dad to report on the troops' reaction. "He said that when Bremer [American Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III] came out and announced, 'We got him,' the room erupted with everyone cheering and celebrating. Luke said he felt like not just him but everyone in the military had been given a big Christmas present. He said, 'Now we have the guy who's responsible for them being sent halfway around the world, for having to endure sandstorms and 135-degree heat.' "
For David and Barbara Rozier of Katy, who spent years raising their kids in DeSoto, Sunday's news felt like long-awaited vindication – not just for them and the son who died, but for President Bush as well.
Their son, Army 1st Lt. Jonathan Rozier, 25, was guarding a Baghdad checkpoint July 19 when he was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade. He left behind a wife and a son, Justin, who's only now beginning to walk.
Sunday morning, his mom and dad had all but tired themselves out, sharing phone time with North Texas relatives.
"We are excited," says Mr. Rozier, 49. But "We're careful not to be overly excited. We know there's a lot of work to be done. We know it's not the end of the road. But it's a major milestone and maybe even a turning point."
Mr. Rozier says he was happy for and "extremely proud" for the president. "Despite all the naysayers and criticism he's been receiving, particularly from the left, he stuck to his calling," says Mr. Rozier, who shares a real-estate business with his wife.
Not every parent of a fallen Iraq war veteran shares his enthusiasm. Lufkin mother Rena Mathis, 47, is coping with the "non-combat-related" death of her son, Army Spc. Joseph D. Suell, 24, in Todjie, Iraq, on June 16.
"I don't blame Hussein," she says. "I blame Bush. He had no business sending them boys over there. Not only Joseph but all of them."
For the family of the one-time high school basketball star with loads of promise, Spc. Suell's death is a mystery that may never be solved. The death notice says only "investigation pending." His widow, Rebecca Suell, 22, said recently that a base chaplain at Fort Sill, Okla., and two officers told her that husband committed suicide – a conclusion she and her mother-in-law dispute. He was a chronic asthmatic, which, his mother says, should have kept him out of Iraq anyway.
Ms. Mathis says her son's death feels like an "open wound" and one that Saddam Hussein's capture will never heal. When her husband woke her Sunday with the news, her reaction was immediate. " 'It ain't over with,' I said. Just 'cause they caught him; it still ain't over with."
IN CHURCHES AND MOSQUES
'How interesting the way God works'
"We pray five times a day, the same prayers," said Abdul-Malik Hamidulla, operations manager of the Dallas Central Mosque. "But after we pray, people typically make personal supplication for peace in the world. We like to see peace everywhere, and certainly hope this will bring us one step closer to the days we can bring the boys home."
The Rev. David McKinley, teaching pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church, stuck to his prepared sermon during the 9:15 a.m. service and preached about the Christmas carol "Silent Night." Then he spoke of Saddam Hussein's capture.
He described waking up at 6:30 a.m., holding a cup of coffee and turning on the television. "There on the bottom of the screen I read those words, 'Saddam Hussein is captured.' "
The congregation of a several thousand immediately broke into applause.
The congregation at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship also broke into applause when the Rev. Anthony Evans announced the news.
"Across the road was one of Saddam Hussein's palaces," Mr. Evans pointed out, "but in fact he was found in a dirt hole.
"How interesting the way God works."
AMONG THE EXPATRIATES
'I've been waiting for this day my entire life'
At the Coit Road office of the Kurdish Human Rights Watch, a couple hundred jubilant Iraqi-Americans danced in the parking lot, waving Kurdish and American flags, and burning pictures of their former leader.
Dallas is home to several thousand Iraqi-Americans, most of whom fled the country during Saddam Hussein's rule and settled in Texas as political refugees. Arabs and Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites, they all seemed to be celebrating Sunday, gathering for parties at homes or community centers.
Men, women and children held hands, bouncing their shoulders in a traditional dance while a band keened the Kurdish words for "Freedom, Freedom, Democracy." Old men in black and white turbans and baggy pants trilled with joy and shouted "Piruzby!" – congratulations – to each other.
"It's unbelievable, unbelievable," said Zuhair Almissouri, KHRW program director. "I've been waiting for this day my entire life." He moved to America from the northern city of Dohuk in 1996 after three sisters died during the Kurdish struggle to break away from Mr. Hussein's regime.
The phone calls began early in the morning, he said, and by afternoon he still hadn't time for a sip of water or breakfast. "I am full, even if I didn't eat for two or three days more, I am full with happiness!"
When Saddam Hussein's armies invaded Kuwait in 1990, Abdul Akil and his family escaped, making the dangerous trek across Iraq, Syria and Jordan before landing safely in Chicago, and eventually Richardson.
Now, 53, he is owner of Grand Café American and Mediterranean Grill, where customers gathered Sunday to feast and celebrate. "Café busy with Arab people," he says, "all very happy because this stupid man is over."
"I am very happy, of course, very happy to be getting this news." Nevertheless, he is pessimistic about Iraq and its prospects. "If you read the history of Iraq, you'll understand it's bloody. Iraq has never lived in peace. Iraq needs somebody who will walk straight, but nobody could walk straight with Saddam around."
OUT AND ABOUT
'Have you heard? Have you heard?'
Pete Hoag, manager of the Webb Forest Newsstand, opened his doors for customers at 6:30 Sunday morning. "At 7 a.m. it started," he says. "They started coming in, going on, 'Have you heard? Have you heard?' Most of them heard about it – I love this – on The Ticket, the sports talk show."
Mr. Hoag's customers love sports and politics, in that order. It's hard to walk into the place and not get into a discussion about one or the other.
About Saddam's capture, he says, "They're all very optimistic, they're all feeling very vindicated. Everybody loves the way he looks so haggard and distraught. A lot say since they found him in that hole, they wished they'd just covered it up and left."
By mid-morning the parking lot at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Dallas was Sunday-full, mostly the cars of folks using the center's gym or attending meetings. In the coffee lounge one TV was showing an episode of Rugrats, the other was set to Fox News.
Marc Sheff, 44, was the only person watching the newscast. He had learned of Saddam's capture from two men talking in the sauna.
Mr. Sheff sells lighting supplies, a job that puts him on airplanes a lot. He doesn't figure Sunday's news will affect his work much,
"It would mean more if bin Laden were captured," he says.
At the Chuck E. Cheese on Arlington's Fielder Road, where several kids' birthday parties were in noisy progress Sunday afternoon, news of Saddam's capture worked its way into conversations between choruses of "Happy Birthday" and photo ops with the Chuck E. Cheese mascot.
"Haven't you heard?" Barbara Germany asked another mother attending a 6-year-old's birthday party.
Word of the capture arrived via a news alert in her email, says Ms. Germany, 44. "I think it's great. We needed some good news."
Monitoring a table full of 6-year-olds, Stephen Moore of Arlington says the first thought that popped into his mind at the news was, "Finally."
"I knew this was coming at some point," he says. "And I'm glad they got him alive.'' But Mr. Moore, 42, doubts the capture will bring an early end to the bloodshed.
"Oh no! This is an ongoing war."
IN THE PARK
'People are sick of the war'
Waxing his wife's Suburban under an Oak Tree on Flag Pole Hill Park near White Rock Lake, retired Air Force Tech. Sgt. George Bowe paused to consider whether the capture would lead to reprisals against American troops in Iraq.
"I don't think it will, even if there's a short spasm of violence," says the 54-year-old Vietnam veteran. Over time, he says, Iraqis may finally take control of their own country. "I suspect we'll be there a few more years, but be able to get out eventually.
"The next challenge is for us to capture Osama, but I don't think he's going to go as easily. I think he'll kill himself before he lets us take him alive. Saddam was used to letting other people do his dirty work.
Also enjoying Sunday's warm spell at Flag Pole Hill was Jay Brewer, 41, a Dallas hairdresser. "As a single event [the capture of Saddam] won't turn tide, it won't increase President Bush's popularity over all," he says. "People are sick of the war.
"I think this is just going to make room for someone else to come up under him. But maybe we'll like this person. But of course we used to like Saddam, too, until he killed 300,00 people."
Even so, Mr. Brewer says, "I think the political cartoon this year will be GB as Santa Claus, with Saddam all wrapped up in the back of the sleigh."
AROUND THE COUNTRY
'He looked like a caged animal'
The streets of Detroit saw dancing too. Arabs also celebrate in snowy suburban streets, banging drums and waving Iraqi and American flags.
In homes and stores everywhere, people gathered around TV sets and shook their heads as they watched footage of the scruffy, bearded man some thought would never be caught.
Kristin Williams, who lives in suburban New Albany, Ohio, found it fitting that a man she considers a coward was caught hiding in a hole.
"Still, it's sad to see someone in that state of affairs. He looked like a caged animal," said Ms. Williams, 36. "Going to church, he was one of the people I prayed for, too."
AT THE STADIUM
'This day carries a special meaning'
At the New York Jets-Pittsburgh Steelers football game President Bush's announcement was broadcast over loudspeakers to prolonged cheers.
In Washington, the capture was the talk of the town, not the late-season clash between the Cowboys and Redskins, traditional rivals.
With 1 minute 56 seconds to go in the first half, announcers Dick Stockton and Daryl "Moose" Johnston (who once played for the Cowboys) took time after the two-minute warning to note the day's events.
"This day carries a special meaning," said Mr. Stockton.
And Brad Sham, voice of the Cowboys on KLUV-FM (98.7) observed during the game that one sideline reporter, in an effort to stay warm in the freezing rain, was hiding in a "spider hole."
AT THE AIRPORT
'He's the big cheese we were after'
At 8:20 Sunday morning, an group of about 130 Army soldiers left Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport for Iraq.
About six hours later, another group of soldiers arrived after a 30-hour flight with stops in Kuwait, Germany, and Atlanta, home for 15 days of rest and relaxation. Some of them left the airport for Fort Hood in Killeen; others caught connecting flights.
Wearing desert camouflage, the arriving troops filed into the terminal just after 3 p.m. to cheers from a crowd of loved ones. Earlier in the day as the soldiers' charted flight approached U.S. soil Sunday, the civilian pilot came on the intercom to deliver the news about Saddam Hussein. Many of the passengers clapped and a few cheered.
Capt. Kenneth Sanders, nurse a registered in Baqubah, Iraq with the 204th Forward Support Battalion – part of the 4th Infantry Division that captured Mr. Hussein – said he was proud of the men who found the former Iraqi leader. He said the news gave some a "sense of accomplishment," and he was more hopeful that the capture would help make the country safer.
"He's the big cheese we were after," said Capt. Sanders, 49, just reunited with his wife, Penny, after more than eight months away. "Maybe things can quiet down now over there."
Another member of the 4th Infantry Division, Capt. Steve Heringer, 28, said he hoped the capture would reassure Iraqis that Mr. Hussein wouldn't return to power. "Time will tell," whether the attacks wane, he said. "It's definitely going to make a different in the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people."
He said the news on the plane "was like a Christmas president for everybody."
Contributing to this report were staff writers Tyra Damm, David Tarrant, Michael Precker, Jeff Weiss, Michael Granberry, Karen Thomas, Scott Farwell, Gretel Kovach, Ed Timms and The Associated Press.
DallasNews.com | Dallas-Fort Worth | Local News
