A Soldiers News Blog
Saturday, November 29, 2003
Tim Robbins stabs soldiers in the back
'Embedded' by Tim Robbins Opens; Actor's Play Portrays Journos in Fictional War
'Embedded' by Tim Robbins Opens; Actor's Play Portrays Journos in Fictional War: "Robbins told the Los Angeles Times' Richard Stayton last week that vicious attacks on him and his family (especially his 13-year-old son) after he and Susan Sarandon came out against the war in the spring motivated him to write the play, which 'came really fast.' Among other things, Robbins was accused of being a traitor and his appearance at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown to honor Bull Durham was cancelled. "
So in order to assuage his bruised ego he demoralizes the troops, emboldens the terrorists, and crushes the hearts of thousands of military familys with what is truly a pack of lies and calls it art.
Do you feel better Tim?
Art is great, timing is everything, and this isn't the time for that kind of art.
Tom Hanks where are you? We need you.
A Soldier's Mom
Patti Patton-Bader
Posted by: Patti / 1:45 PM
Iraq War News
'Embedded' by Tim Robbins Opens; Actor's Play Portrays Journos in Fictional War: "Robbins told the Los Angeles Times' Richard Stayton last week that vicious attacks on him and his family (especially his 13-year-old son) after he and Susan Sarandon came out against the war in the spring motivated him to write the play, which 'came really fast.' Among other things, Robbins was accused of being a traitor and his appearance at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown to honor Bull Durham was cancelled. "
So in order to assuage his bruised ego he demoralizes the troops, emboldens the terrorists, and crushes the hearts of thousands of military familys with what is truly a pack of lies and calls it art.
Do you feel better Tim?
Art is great, timing is everything, and this isn't the time for that kind of art.
Tom Hanks where are you? We need you.
A Soldier's Mom
Patti Patton-Bader
Posted by: Patti / 1:45 PM
Iraq War News
Six Spanish Intelligence Officers Killed in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
Shevardnadze says US planned overthrow as Bush sends delegation to assess Georgia's 'needs' in IraqWar.ru (English)
Talks Could Fail if No N Korea Pledge to Scrap Nukes in IraqWar.ru (English)
Anti-Terror Raids Target Islamists Across Europe in IraqWar.ru (English)
3 held in probe of network recruiting fighters for Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
In Iraq, scorn and praise for Bush visit in IraqWar.ru (English)
Ammunition was source of concern during US invasion of Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
White House's Iraq claims rapped in IraqWar.ru (English)
Bush's visit showed US fear of Iraqis : Iran in IraqWar.ru (English)
How do we get out of Iraq? Kennedy, Owen, Alrawi, Rubin in IraqWar.ru (English)
US Is Worried Foe Is Tracking Targets in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
Sen. Clinton More Time for Iraq Power Transfer in IraqWar.ru (English)
75 US Troops Die in November in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
Turkey synagogue bombing suspect charged: "A central figure in the suicide bombing of an Istanbul synagogue was captured while trying to slip into Iran, police said Saturday. He was charged with trying to overthrow Turkey's "constitutional order" - an offense equivalent to treason."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Governor: Tikrit, Iraq open for business: "In a tightly guarded ceremony, the governor of Saddam Hussein's home province declared Saturday that the region was open for business, and thanked foreign businessmen who attended a gathering wearing flak jackets and helmets."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
77 U.S. troops die in November in Iraq: "November was the deadliest month yet for the American military in Iraq."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
7 Spanish intel officers killed in Iraq: "Attackers ambushed a team of Spanish intelligence officers on a highway south of Baghdad on Saturday, killing seven agents and wounding one, Spanish Defense Minister Federico Trillo said."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Spain mourns officers' deaths in Iraq: "Seven members of Spain's military intelligence agency were killed in Iraq and another was injured in an ambush, Defense Minister Federico Trillo confirmed Saturday night."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Troop families go to Iraq on peace mission: "Relatives of U.S. service members said they were nervous but hopeful Saturday as they embarked on a private peace mission to Iraq, where they will bring their message of friendship and doubts about the war."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Six Spanish recon soldiers killed in Iraq: "Attackers ambushed a convoy of Spanish military intelligence officers on a highway south of Baghdad on Saturday, killing at least six agents and wounding one, a Spanish defense ministry official said."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Shevardnadze says US planned overthrow as Bush sends delegation to assess Georgia's 'needs' in IraqWar.ru (English)
Talks Could Fail if No N Korea Pledge to Scrap Nukes in IraqWar.ru (English)
Anti-Terror Raids Target Islamists Across Europe in IraqWar.ru (English)
3 held in probe of network recruiting fighters for Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
In Iraq, scorn and praise for Bush visit in IraqWar.ru (English)
Ammunition was source of concern during US invasion of Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
White House's Iraq claims rapped in IraqWar.ru (English)
Bush's visit showed US fear of Iraqis : Iran in IraqWar.ru (English)
How do we get out of Iraq? Kennedy, Owen, Alrawi, Rubin in IraqWar.ru (English)
US Is Worried Foe Is Tracking Targets in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
Sen. Clinton More Time for Iraq Power Transfer in IraqWar.ru (English)
75 US Troops Die in November in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
Turkey synagogue bombing suspect charged: "A central figure in the suicide bombing of an Istanbul synagogue was captured while trying to slip into Iran, police said Saturday. He was charged with trying to overthrow Turkey's "constitutional order" - an offense equivalent to treason."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Governor: Tikrit, Iraq open for business: "In a tightly guarded ceremony, the governor of Saddam Hussein's home province declared Saturday that the region was open for business, and thanked foreign businessmen who attended a gathering wearing flak jackets and helmets."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
77 U.S. troops die in November in Iraq: "November was the deadliest month yet for the American military in Iraq."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
7 Spanish intel officers killed in Iraq: "Attackers ambushed a team of Spanish intelligence officers on a highway south of Baghdad on Saturday, killing seven agents and wounding one, Spanish Defense Minister Federico Trillo said."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Spain mourns officers' deaths in Iraq: "Seven members of Spain's military intelligence agency were killed in Iraq and another was injured in an ambush, Defense Minister Federico Trillo confirmed Saturday night."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Troop families go to Iraq on peace mission: "Relatives of U.S. service members said they were nervous but hopeful Saturday as they embarked on a private peace mission to Iraq, where they will bring their message of friendship and doubts about the war."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Six Spanish recon soldiers killed in Iraq: "Attackers ambushed a convoy of Spanish military intelligence officers on a highway south of Baghdad on Saturday, killing at least six agents and wounding one, a Spanish defense ministry official said."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
US press divided on appraisal of Bush's stealth visit to Baghdad: "President George W. Bush's surprise holiday visit to Baghdad was the main course in US newspapers' post-Thanksgiving issues Friday, but the dailies diverged in their assessments of the trip's outcome. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
New purported Bush tape raises fear of new attacks (28 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA
Paper: Israel weighs removing settlements: "Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is considering dismantling Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip while simultaneously annexing blocs of West Bank settlements if peace efforts fail, an Israeli newspaper reported Friday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Analyst defends prewar spy data on Iraq: "A top U.S. intelligence analyst who supervised the production of the U.S. government's key prewar findings on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs says he believes those conclusions were sound, even though many have not been validated."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Suspected Iraq Attack Recruiters Caught: "Three North African men were arrested in Italy and Germany as part of efforts to smash a network seeking to recruit Islamic militants for suicide attacks against coalition forces in Iraq, officials said Friday. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Pentagon funds pro-U.S. network in Iraq: "One of the chief U.S. weapons in the battle to win Iraqi hearts and minds is Al-Iraqiya - a Pentagon-funded TV station with an optimistic, pro-American slant."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Rice defends Bush trip to Iraq: "President George W. Bush's national security adviser defended his lightning trip to Baghdad, denying it was a political stunt that inadvertently highlighted the chaos still blighting Iraq. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Analyst Defends Prewar Spy Data on Iraq: "A top U.S. intelligence analyst who supervised the production of the U.S. government's key prewar findings on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs says he believes those conclusions were sound, even though many have not been validated. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
New purported Bush tape raises fear of new attacks (28 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA
Paper: Israel weighs removing settlements: "Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is considering dismantling Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip while simultaneously annexing blocs of West Bank settlements if peace efforts fail, an Israeli newspaper reported Friday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Analyst defends prewar spy data on Iraq: "A top U.S. intelligence analyst who supervised the production of the U.S. government's key prewar findings on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs says he believes those conclusions were sound, even though many have not been validated."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Suspected Iraq Attack Recruiters Caught: "Three North African men were arrested in Italy and Germany as part of efforts to smash a network seeking to recruit Islamic militants for suicide attacks against coalition forces in Iraq, officials said Friday. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Pentagon funds pro-U.S. network in Iraq: "One of the chief U.S. weapons in the battle to win Iraqi hearts and minds is Al-Iraqiya - a Pentagon-funded TV station with an optimistic, pro-American slant."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Rice defends Bush trip to Iraq: "President George W. Bush's national security adviser defended his lightning trip to Baghdad, denying it was a political stunt that inadvertently highlighted the chaos still blighting Iraq. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Analyst Defends Prewar Spy Data on Iraq: "A top U.S. intelligence analyst who supervised the production of the U.S. government's key prewar findings on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs says he believes those conclusions were sound, even though many have not been validated. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Friday, November 28, 2003
Iraq war news
Bush wows troops with secret visit to Iraq: "US President George W. Bush was headed back to the United States after braving the threat of missiles over Baghdad to join 600 troops for an emotional Thanksgiving dinner in Iraq, in a trip arranged under strict secrecy. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqi oil close to pre-war levels in IraqWar.ru (English)
A Paper Trail Follows Iraqi Merchants of Tyranny in IraqWar.ru (English)
Bush makes surprise visit to Iraq for Thanksgiving holiday in IraqWar.ru (English)
Bush's Iraq coup unlikely to boost US polls in IraqWar.ru (English)
Iraq's scientists get a new academy in IraqWar.ru (English)
Not enough troops in Iraq: Garner in IraqWar.ru (English)
US 'won't seek Iraq resolution' in IraqWar.ru (English)
Russia Praises IAEA Iran Resolution in IraqWar.ru (English)
Roadside bomb hits convoy outside Baghdad in IraqWar.ru (English)
Ex-U.S. general recalls mistakes made in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
Bush visit underlines commitment to Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
On Secret Iraq Trip, Bush Pays Holiday Visit to G.I.'s: "In one of the most secretive presidential trips in American history, George W. Bush visited U.S. troops in Baghdad."
In New York Times: World Special
Meeting of Iraqi Leaders Gives Lift to U.S. Plan on Power Shift: "The Iraqi Governing Council's president and a senior cleric appeared to be moving toward a compromise on a new government."
In New York Times: World Special
Guarding the Gaudy, G.I.'s Gorge Near a Hussein Palace: "Soldiers in the First Armored Division shared Thanksgiving dinner by the bombed-out palace of Saddam Hussein's youngest son."
In New York Times: World Special
Police ID explosives from Turkish attacks: "Ammonium nitrate-based explosives were used in four deadly suicide truck bombings in Istanbul, police said Thursday, as the bodies of two British diplomats were flown home after a somber ceremony."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Italy arrests five suspected terrorists: "Five people led by a suspected senior al-Qaeda operative were arrested late Thursday by Italian anti-terror police on suspicion of having recruited suicide attackers for strikes in Iraq, the Milan prosecutors office said. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Ex-Iraqi General Dies During Interrogation: "A former Iraqi general died while under American interrogation, the U.S. military said Thursday. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush stuns troops with Iraq visit: "It was the biggest of holiday surprises."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. Wanted to Avoid Label of Occupiers: "American military commanders did not impose curfews, halt looting or order Iraqis back to work after Saddam Hussein's regime fell because U.S. policymakers were reluctant to declare U.S. troops an occupying force, says an internal Army review examined by The Associated Press. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Turkish town in shock after attacks: "His path to radicalism began four years before he blew himself up in front of a synagogue, part of what appeared to be a coordinated chain of deadly suicide attacks."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Secrecy Key to Bush Mission to Baghdad: "Behind President Bush'sextraordinary visit to Baghdad -- the first by any U.S.president -- was an elaborate plan that called for absolutesecrecy. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Didn't Want to Be Called Occupiers: "American military commanders did not impose curfews, halt looting or order Iraqis back to work after Saddam Hussein's regime fell because U.S. policymakers were reluctant to declare U.S. troops an occupying force, says an internal Army review examined by The Associated Press. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush's Iraq coup unlikely to boost US polls: "US President George W. Bush's surprise visit to troops in Iraq was a public relations coup, but is unlikely to boost sagging domestic support for US involvement in Iraq, analysts said. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Inside Bush's Secret Trip to Baghdad: "Slouched in the back of a nondescriptvehicle with a baseball cap pulled over his face, PresidentBush sneaked out of Texas on the first leg of his bold trip toBaghdad. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
President Travels to Baghdad and Addresses Soldiers at Airport: "International Herald Tribune"
In New York Times: World Special
Iraqis May Be Moving Toward a Compromise on Government: "The head of the Iraqi Governing Council met with the senior cleric who has raised objections about a provisional government."
In New York Times: World Special
Bush wows troops with secret visit to Iraq: "US President George W. Bush was headed back to the United States after braving the threat of missiles over Baghdad to join 600 troops for an emotional Thanksgiving dinner in Iraq, in a trip arranged under strict secrecy. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqi oil close to pre-war levels in IraqWar.ru (English)
A Paper Trail Follows Iraqi Merchants of Tyranny in IraqWar.ru (English)
Bush makes surprise visit to Iraq for Thanksgiving holiday in IraqWar.ru (English)
Bush's Iraq coup unlikely to boost US polls in IraqWar.ru (English)
Iraq's scientists get a new academy in IraqWar.ru (English)
Not enough troops in Iraq: Garner in IraqWar.ru (English)
US 'won't seek Iraq resolution' in IraqWar.ru (English)
Russia Praises IAEA Iran Resolution in IraqWar.ru (English)
Roadside bomb hits convoy outside Baghdad in IraqWar.ru (English)
Ex-U.S. general recalls mistakes made in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
Bush visit underlines commitment to Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
On Secret Iraq Trip, Bush Pays Holiday Visit to G.I.'s: "In one of the most secretive presidential trips in American history, George W. Bush visited U.S. troops in Baghdad."
In New York Times: World Special
Meeting of Iraqi Leaders Gives Lift to U.S. Plan on Power Shift: "The Iraqi Governing Council's president and a senior cleric appeared to be moving toward a compromise on a new government."
In New York Times: World Special
Guarding the Gaudy, G.I.'s Gorge Near a Hussein Palace: "Soldiers in the First Armored Division shared Thanksgiving dinner by the bombed-out palace of Saddam Hussein's youngest son."
In New York Times: World Special
Police ID explosives from Turkish attacks: "Ammonium nitrate-based explosives were used in four deadly suicide truck bombings in Istanbul, police said Thursday, as the bodies of two British diplomats were flown home after a somber ceremony."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Italy arrests five suspected terrorists: "Five people led by a suspected senior al-Qaeda operative were arrested late Thursday by Italian anti-terror police on suspicion of having recruited suicide attackers for strikes in Iraq, the Milan prosecutors office said. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Ex-Iraqi General Dies During Interrogation: "A former Iraqi general died while under American interrogation, the U.S. military said Thursday. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush stuns troops with Iraq visit: "It was the biggest of holiday surprises."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. Wanted to Avoid Label of Occupiers: "American military commanders did not impose curfews, halt looting or order Iraqis back to work after Saddam Hussein's regime fell because U.S. policymakers were reluctant to declare U.S. troops an occupying force, says an internal Army review examined by The Associated Press. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Turkish town in shock after attacks: "His path to radicalism began four years before he blew himself up in front of a synagogue, part of what appeared to be a coordinated chain of deadly suicide attacks."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Secrecy Key to Bush Mission to Baghdad: "Behind President Bush'sextraordinary visit to Baghdad -- the first by any U.S.president -- was an elaborate plan that called for absolutesecrecy. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Didn't Want to Be Called Occupiers: "American military commanders did not impose curfews, halt looting or order Iraqis back to work after Saddam Hussein's regime fell because U.S. policymakers were reluctant to declare U.S. troops an occupying force, says an internal Army review examined by The Associated Press. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush's Iraq coup unlikely to boost US polls: "US President George W. Bush's surprise visit to troops in Iraq was a public relations coup, but is unlikely to boost sagging domestic support for US involvement in Iraq, analysts said. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Inside Bush's Secret Trip to Baghdad: "Slouched in the back of a nondescriptvehicle with a baseball cap pulled over his face, PresidentBush sneaked out of Texas on the first leg of his bold trip toBaghdad. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
President Travels to Baghdad and Addresses Soldiers at Airport: "International Herald Tribune"
In New York Times: World Special
Iraqis May Be Moving Toward a Compromise on Government: "The head of the Iraqi Governing Council met with the senior cleric who has raised objections about a provisional government."
In New York Times: World Special
Thursday, November 27, 2003
War dampens holiday - hattiesburgamerican.com
War dampens holiday
By Janet Braswell
American Senior Writer jbraswell@hattiesb.gannett.com
After eight months hauling fuel in Iraq, Thanksgiving means more than turkey and dressing to Michael McSwain of Hattiesburg.
"I feel a whole lot thankful that I'm back home with loved ones, family and friends," he said.
A member of the Army Reserve's 296th Transportation Co. in Brookhaven, McSwain left Mississippi in January, got to Iraq in February and returned home in September.
"There were a few close calls," he said. "It just happened the ones that shot at us needed a little bit more target practice."
McSwain, 29, will be on the road today, picking up his girlfriend and traveling to the homes of relatives, including his mother, Marjorie McSwain in Hattiesburg.
"It's going to be a joyful time," he said.
But for those with loved ones still overseas or preparing to leave for Iraq or Afghanistan, much of the joy is missing from the family gatherings.
"We're going through the motions," said Angela Hoeflich of Richton.
Her husband, Sgt. Samuel Hoeflich, is in Iraq with the National Guard's 890th Engineer Battalion.
"We're trying to keep things light and happy for the kids but they know it and we know it," she said. "What else can we do? One of my cousins is home on R&R and we saw him the other day and my littlest one cried all the way home."
The Hoeflichs have two sons, 11-year-old Tyler and Blake, 7.
Children also will be in the thoughts of Sgt. Christopher English's family in Hattiesburg and Petal. He and his wife - Spec. Leah Frojen English - are both in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division and their three children are in Seattle with her parents.
"We're going to be thankful that they're safe," said Ginny English of Hattiesburg, Christopher English's stepmother. "We're going to pray a lot for all of them."
The couple met while serving in Korea and were married Dec. 4, 1998. Leah English, who serves with a quartermaster unit in Mosul, deployed in early August after giving birth to their third child, Tyler, on May 22. Kylee is 4 and Blake is almost 3.
"She stayed at Fort Campbell and took care of the kids until Tyler was born," Ginny English said. "We told her when she left she had to put her mommy hat on the shelf."
Christopher English's family - Steve and Ginny English of Hattiesburg and Dwayne and Cathy Thrash of Petal - are especially thankful that he was not on either of the Blackhawk helicopters that crashed Nov. 15 in Mosul.
"He had called us the morning before and said he was flying over but something happened and he didn't get to go," Ginny English said. "That was a long 25 hours. There's guilt you feel after rejoicing that the KIA (killed in action) was not yours. It is a double-edged sword because you know there is a family that will never be the same."
The crash killed Spc. Jeremiah DiGiovanni, 21, of the Pricedale community. He and Christopher English were friends and English photographed the memorial service held in Iraq and will send the photos to his family, she said.
Dale Carnahan of Beaumont will spend today with his younger son and think a lot about his older one who will be home from Air National Guard training for Christmas.
But by then, Carnahan will be deployed with the 298th Corps Support Battalion in Philadelphia.
"The hardest thing is leaving family and friends," he said. "A lot can happen while you're gone."
Carnahan, 50, is a full-time employee at Camp Shelby, Perry County fire coordinator and chief of the Beaumont Volunteer Fire Department. He served during Operation Desert Storm in the 155th Armored Brigade which was finishing training in California when the war ended.
The 298th will report to Fort Stewart, Ga., on Dec. 9 and go overseas four to six weeks later.
"It will be a unique experience," he said. "It's something we've trained for for many years. It's time for a lot of folks to come home, so we'll go over there and do our thing and come back and live a normal life."
He'll spend today with his wife, Sherri, and 12-year-old Sean.
"He's proud that I'm going, but he hates that I'm going to be gone at Christmas," Carnahan said. "I told him he's going to have to take care of things until big brother gets home."
Joshua Carnahan, 22, is a member of the 186th Air Refueling Wing in Meridian and is at firefighting and crash rescue school at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas.
"I haven't seen him since August," Dale Carnahan said. "I just hope he doesn't get caught up in it."
War dampens holiday - hattiesburgamerican.com
By Janet Braswell
American Senior Writer jbraswell@hattiesb.gannett.com
After eight months hauling fuel in Iraq, Thanksgiving means more than turkey and dressing to Michael McSwain of Hattiesburg.
"I feel a whole lot thankful that I'm back home with loved ones, family and friends," he said.
A member of the Army Reserve's 296th Transportation Co. in Brookhaven, McSwain left Mississippi in January, got to Iraq in February and returned home in September.
"There were a few close calls," he said. "It just happened the ones that shot at us needed a little bit more target practice."
McSwain, 29, will be on the road today, picking up his girlfriend and traveling to the homes of relatives, including his mother, Marjorie McSwain in Hattiesburg.
"It's going to be a joyful time," he said.
But for those with loved ones still overseas or preparing to leave for Iraq or Afghanistan, much of the joy is missing from the family gatherings.
"We're going through the motions," said Angela Hoeflich of Richton.
Her husband, Sgt. Samuel Hoeflich, is in Iraq with the National Guard's 890th Engineer Battalion.
"We're trying to keep things light and happy for the kids but they know it and we know it," she said. "What else can we do? One of my cousins is home on R&R and we saw him the other day and my littlest one cried all the way home."
The Hoeflichs have two sons, 11-year-old Tyler and Blake, 7.
Children also will be in the thoughts of Sgt. Christopher English's family in Hattiesburg and Petal. He and his wife - Spec. Leah Frojen English - are both in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division and their three children are in Seattle with her parents.
"We're going to be thankful that they're safe," said Ginny English of Hattiesburg, Christopher English's stepmother. "We're going to pray a lot for all of them."
The couple met while serving in Korea and were married Dec. 4, 1998. Leah English, who serves with a quartermaster unit in Mosul, deployed in early August after giving birth to their third child, Tyler, on May 22. Kylee is 4 and Blake is almost 3.
"She stayed at Fort Campbell and took care of the kids until Tyler was born," Ginny English said. "We told her when she left she had to put her mommy hat on the shelf."
Christopher English's family - Steve and Ginny English of Hattiesburg and Dwayne and Cathy Thrash of Petal - are especially thankful that he was not on either of the Blackhawk helicopters that crashed Nov. 15 in Mosul.
"He had called us the morning before and said he was flying over but something happened and he didn't get to go," Ginny English said. "That was a long 25 hours. There's guilt you feel after rejoicing that the KIA (killed in action) was not yours. It is a double-edged sword because you know there is a family that will never be the same."
The crash killed Spc. Jeremiah DiGiovanni, 21, of the Pricedale community. He and Christopher English were friends and English photographed the memorial service held in Iraq and will send the photos to his family, she said.
Dale Carnahan of Beaumont will spend today with his younger son and think a lot about his older one who will be home from Air National Guard training for Christmas.
But by then, Carnahan will be deployed with the 298th Corps Support Battalion in Philadelphia.
"The hardest thing is leaving family and friends," he said. "A lot can happen while you're gone."
Carnahan, 50, is a full-time employee at Camp Shelby, Perry County fire coordinator and chief of the Beaumont Volunteer Fire Department. He served during Operation Desert Storm in the 155th Armored Brigade which was finishing training in California when the war ended.
The 298th will report to Fort Stewart, Ga., on Dec. 9 and go overseas four to six weeks later.
"It will be a unique experience," he said. "It's something we've trained for for many years. It's time for a lot of folks to come home, so we'll go over there and do our thing and come back and live a normal life."
He'll spend today with his wife, Sherri, and 12-year-old Sean.
"He's proud that I'm going, but he hates that I'm going to be gone at Christmas," Carnahan said. "I told him he's going to have to take care of things until big brother gets home."
Joshua Carnahan, 22, is a member of the 186th Air Refueling Wing in Meridian and is at firefighting and crash rescue school at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas.
"I haven't seen him since August," Dale Carnahan said. "I just hope he doesn't get caught up in it."
War dampens holiday - hattiesburgamerican.com
Wednesday, November 26, 2003
TheBostonChannel.com - News - Soldier Welcomed Home For Holiday
Soldier Welcomed Home For Holiday
Army Lt. Cara Mezzetti Home From Iraq
POSTED: 4:58 p.m. EST November 26, 2003
UPDATED: 6:13 p.m. EST November 26, 2003
NEWTON, Mass. -- A Newton family is welcoming their young soldier home this Thanksgiving following her service during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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NewsCenter 5's Jim Boyd reported that the Mezzetti family has a lot to be thankful for but they haven't forgotten the soldiers who are still far from home this holiday.
Cara Mezzetti, 25, an Army lieutenant on leave from Iraq, was welcomed home by her family Wednesday.
"From the minute I got off the plane and saw all my sisters and nieces and nephews, my mom and dad holding up banners, everybody my whole family, right there," said Cara Mezzetti.
"I'm just so happy she's here. Just want to be with her and get your arms around her all the time," said Liam Mezzetti, Cara's father.
Cara Mezzetti said she expected a warm reception from her family, but she said what she was overwhelmed by was the amount of support she received from the entire community.
"If you look on my street, every single tree has yellow ribbons," said Cara Mezzetti. "I just was so emotional. My oldest neighbors put up a welcome home sign right across the street out there."
Mezzetti said there were very stressful times during the war.
"I believe there were Scuds (missiles) coming in and in between them, you were just sitting there and we were just trying to have fun as best we could to lighten the mood just a little bit, to take a little bit of the seriousness out of the situation," said Cara Mezzetti.
Mezzetti is now stationed in Germany. But at home in Newton, this family's is tempered by thoughts of less fortunate military families who have lost loved ones in Iraq.
"I'm just so happy. Tears of joy, but I also feel so very sad for the other people," said Cara's mother, Emer Mezzetti.
"Maybe it's over for me, but it's not over. There's so much still going on over there, every single day," said Cara Mezzetti. TheBostonChannel.com - News - Soldier Welcomed Home For Holiday
Army Lt. Cara Mezzetti Home From Iraq
POSTED: 4:58 p.m. EST November 26, 2003
UPDATED: 6:13 p.m. EST November 26, 2003
NEWTON, Mass. -- A Newton family is welcoming their young soldier home this Thanksgiving following her service during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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NewsCenter 5's Jim Boyd reported that the Mezzetti family has a lot to be thankful for but they haven't forgotten the soldiers who are still far from home this holiday.
Cara Mezzetti, 25, an Army lieutenant on leave from Iraq, was welcomed home by her family Wednesday.
"From the minute I got off the plane and saw all my sisters and nieces and nephews, my mom and dad holding up banners, everybody my whole family, right there," said Cara Mezzetti.
"I'm just so happy she's here. Just want to be with her and get your arms around her all the time," said Liam Mezzetti, Cara's father.
Cara Mezzetti said she expected a warm reception from her family, but she said what she was overwhelmed by was the amount of support she received from the entire community.
"If you look on my street, every single tree has yellow ribbons," said Cara Mezzetti. "I just was so emotional. My oldest neighbors put up a welcome home sign right across the street out there."
Mezzetti said there were very stressful times during the war.
"I believe there were Scuds (missiles) coming in and in between them, you were just sitting there and we were just trying to have fun as best we could to lighten the mood just a little bit, to take a little bit of the seriousness out of the situation," said Cara Mezzetti.
Mezzetti is now stationed in Germany. But at home in Newton, this family's is tempered by thoughts of less fortunate military families who have lost loved ones in Iraq.
"I'm just so happy. Tears of joy, but I also feel so very sad for the other people," said Cara's mother, Emer Mezzetti.
"Maybe it's over for me, but it's not over. There's so much still going on over there, every single day," said Cara Mezzetti. TheBostonChannel.com - News - Soldier Welcomed Home For Holiday
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In Alternet: War On Iraq
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2 G.I.'s, Throats Slashed, Found Dead in Iraq: "Three American soldiers were killed in Iraq on Sunday, including two whose throats were slashed after they came under attack in the city of Mosul with rocks and gunfire."
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Of bombs and bombast (23 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA
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Sunday, November 23, 2003
As Iraq deaths mount, grief surrounds Fort Campbell
It can start with a knock on the door.
A soldier in full dress uniform, sometimes accompanied by a chaplain, has the duty of delivering the terrible news to the next of kin.
At dawn on Oct.24 Jeannie Hancock looked out the window of her Clarksville, Tenn., home and saw a car turn into her driveway. Two uniformed men approached the house.
She had had an uneasy feeling overnight. Typically, she said, she chatted online several times a week with her husband, Sgt. Michael Hancock, serving with Charlie Battery of the 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery. But that night he did not reply to her e-mail message.
"Something did not feel right," she remembers.
When she opened the door, she said, "I remember looking at them and telling them, `No, tell me he's hurt, he's wounded, don't you dare tell me he's dead.' They hung their heads down. I so wanted that to be what they were telling me, that he was injured."
Hancock, 31, collapsed, sobbing.
Since the United States began the war in Iraq on March20, similar scenes have played out 52 times among families of Fort Campbell soldiers, mostly involving the 101st Airborne Division and its supporting units. As of Friday, 424 U.S. service members had died since the beginning of military operations in Iraq — 294 from hostile action.
Most recently, 17 members of the 101st were killed on Nov.15 when two Blackhawk helicopters collided over Mosul.
Michael Hancock was killed while on guard duty in Mosul and several armed Iraqis opened fire.
Upon hearing the news, Jeannie Hancock beat her fist against the wall, waking her four children, ages 10, 9, 7 and 3. "My little 3-year-old, Christopher, stomped through the house and said, `I'm going over there and bring my daddy back.' He's the only one who really doesn't understand," she said.
The rest of the morning was a daze. Hancock kept her children home but went to their school to talk with teachers and counselors. Then she stopped at a pancake house where she and her husband used to drink coffee. Hancock said the news was "devastation — everything in your life just crashes."
Dreading the Army's knock on the door
Eugene Acklin knows that feeling. He has heard the knock, too.
He turned on his porch light and looked out the peephole.
"I saw a soldier in a uniform," he said. "The first thing that came to my mind was that something had happened bad." The soldier didn't have to say a word. "I knew," Acklin said.
His grandson, Michael Acklin, a 25-year-old Louisville resident, was killed in the Blackhawk collision. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery, 101st Airborne Division. Eugene Acklin was asked to call Michael's parents. Then he and the soldier waited together until Michael and Dottie Acklin arrived so they could all hear the news together.
The Monday after the deadly Blackhawk collision — on a Saturday — Maj. Gen. David Petraeus, commanding general of the 101st, in a statement asked the Fort Campbell community to embrace "those who have lost loved ones in the fight to bring freedom and democracy to a long oppressed nation."
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the 17 soldiers who were killed. ... The losses we suffered are almost beyond comprehension," he said.
"Our fallen comrades were friends and fellow soldiers with whom we had served and sacrificed, fought a tough enemy and helped a nation rebuild. The losses however will not cause us to falter or fail. To the contrary, these losses will lead us to redouble our efforts and drive on. If we are to continue making progress, and we have indeed made great progress, we must continue to move forward. We are resolved to do just that. The 101st suffered a terrible loss the night of the 15th and it may be that we will suffer more losses before we all return to Fort Campbell. However, every loss serves as a grim reminder of the need to remain determined, resolute and courageous in the fight in which we are engaged."
It was April when family members of Spc. Thomas A. Foley III of Dresden, Tenn., got the news they feared. Anetta Courtney of Dresden, Foley's grandmother, had nodded off to sleep when she heard a car coming up the driveway to her rural home.
Two Army officers came to the door. With two grandsons, Tommy and David Foley, both serving in Iraq, Anetta Courtney said she frantically asked them, "Which one? Just tell me which one?"
Foley's mother, Emily Darden, lives elsewhere in Dresden, so the family and soldiers waited until everyone was together. Thomas Foley, 23, assigned to B Battery, 2nd Battalion, 44th Defense Artillery Regiment, was killed near Iraq on April14 in a noncombat grenade explosion.
"He told us he was sorry," Anetta Courtney said of one of the officers. "They stayed for about 30 minutes and tried to comfort us. They were great. They came to Tommy's funeral and have been very good to work with his wife, Paulette, and her son, Logan.
"We are just trying to get our life back to normal now," Anetta Courtney said.
Army Chaplain Maj. David Giammona is one of the people trying to help grieving families return to normal. He has met with several families at Fort Campbell who lost soldiers in the most recent helicopter crashes. Everyone reacts differently, he said.
"You don't want it to happen," he said, "but in the military, you brace yourself for it and try to prepare."
When he meets with families, he said, "I do a lot of praying and reading the Bible."
He can identify somewhat with their experiences, he said, since his son, a Georgia National Guardsman, was injured in Iraq. He said military families always know in the back of their minds that a tragedy can happen.
The weekend after Michael Hancock was killed, Jeannie Hancock said, her family did things together to stay busy. They went out to eat and watched a movie.
Now, she said, she feels she is living a nightmare.
"I keep waiting to wake up. ... I wait for it to end and we will all be together again," she said. "Then I realize I am living a military family's worst nightmare."
Michael Hancock was in his second tour of duty at Fort Campbell. He had asked to return to the 101st Airborne from an assignment in Alaska in August and was shipped out to Iraq on Oct.1.
Hancock was the 25th soldier from Fort Campbell to die in the Iraqi theater. Since then there have been 27 more.
Hancock was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star for valor and the Purple Heart. Army documents say he left his post to lead his men to safety after they came under attack while guarding a grain storage facility near Mosul. The citation said Hancock repelled an attack by overwhelming enemy forces when he was fatally wounded.
Jeannie Hancock said Petraeus, the commanding general from the 101st Airborne, called her from Iraq to offer condolences.
"He said he did not know Michael, but from everything he had heard he was a very good soldier," Hancock said. "He almost started crying on the phone with me."
Stress on families knows no boundaries
It isn't just the families who have suffered a loss of a loved one who are affected by the deaths. Some families at Fort Campbell say the toughest part of the deployment is not knowing the fate of their loved ones.
Leona Ferrell, coordinator of the Family Readiness Center at Fort Campbell, said she tries not to watch television news. "Last year, my husband was in Afghanistan and I watched the news day and night every single day — I didn't miss — and it made me crazy, so I try not to watch," she said.
"I know by seeing the news people outside Gate 4 that something has happened and then I'll watch. But, you can't — I have kids, our families go on and our daily lives go on — and you can't be upset all the time," she said. "We watch the news when something's happened so we're up to date when people call us and we'll know what to tell them and how to help them."
As word of an accident, ambush or helicopter crash moves through the post, waiting for word about the soldiers "is like somebody wanting to rip your heart out," said Phyllis Moreno of Oak Grove, whose husband, Antonio, is a sergeant serving near Mosul.
Corey Cole, 27, whose husband, Eric, is a specialist with the 101st, said she learned last week that Eric was supposed to have been on one of the helicopters that crashed Nov.15. Two members of his unit were onboard and were killed.
"My heart went to my stomach and I said to myself, `It's time for him to be home and be here seeing his children grow up,'" Cole said. The Coles have four children. The youngest, 5-month-old Dakota, was born after Eric was deployed.
"My biggest fear is that he could die and never have seen his son," Cole said.
For Moreno the hardest part of her day is putting her children to bed. "They ask, `When is daddy coming home?'" she said. "I tell them, `Soon.'"
Nine months into what is expected to be a yearlong deployment for the 101st, families left behind are preparing for the holidays and are worried about at the rising casualty list.
Ferrell, whose children are 21, 18 and 5, said she keeps her spirits up by believing that her husband will return. But the waiting is sometimes awful, she said. "We wait, every day."
"For Thanksgiving, we will charge full steam ahead. We are going to do the best we can. Every time we have a holiday, we take pictures, digital pictures. We pretend as if he's there."
Rise in deaths takes a toll on morale
But Farrell said she believes morale among military families has fallen.
"The units can only tell us so much, and we know they can only tell us so much," she said. "We get our strength from our friends and the other people who are going through the same thing we are going through."
Michael and Jeannie Hancock talked online for the last time on Oct.21.
"We said that we loved each other and he couldn't wait to get home," she said.
Hancock said she now spends her days collecting paperwork for the Army casualty officer assigned to assist her in obtaining benefits. And she said the family will soon begin attending counseling.
Seven-year-old Ashley still draws pictures for her father. "She writes on them, `I love you dad' and I tell her he is a guardian angel looking over her," Jeannie Hancock said.
And for other spouses who lose a soldier, she said, "They will never get over it; they will have to live with it." Hancock said she has begun attending family support groups for her late husband's unit.
"Some people tell me that I am their inspiration because I am so strong," she said. "I tell them I'm not that strong. It's just a front. What hurts most is when you're laying there in your bed at night by yourself. It's OK when they're deployed, it's OK when they're in the field because you know where they are. But when you know they have gone on, it hurts."
As Iraq deaths mount, grief surrounds Fort Campbell
BY MARY ANN GERTH, THE COURIER-JOURNAL
"I remember ... telling them, `No, tell me he's hurt, he's wounded, don't you dare tell me he's dead.' They hung their heads down," Jeannie Hancock said of learning about the death of her husband, Sgt. Michael Hancock. "I so wanted ... that he was injured."
The Hancocks took this family photo in 1996. Clockwise, from left, Jeannie, holding baby Ashley, James, Michael and Amber. Their 3-year-old had not been born.
A soldier in full dress uniform, sometimes accompanied by a chaplain, has the duty of delivering the terrible news to the next of kin.
At dawn on Oct.24 Jeannie Hancock looked out the window of her Clarksville, Tenn., home and saw a car turn into her driveway. Two uniformed men approached the house.
She had had an uneasy feeling overnight. Typically, she said, she chatted online several times a week with her husband, Sgt. Michael Hancock, serving with Charlie Battery of the 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery. But that night he did not reply to her e-mail message.
"Something did not feel right," she remembers.
When she opened the door, she said, "I remember looking at them and telling them, `No, tell me he's hurt, he's wounded, don't you dare tell me he's dead.' They hung their heads down. I so wanted that to be what they were telling me, that he was injured."
Hancock, 31, collapsed, sobbing.
Since the United States began the war in Iraq on March20, similar scenes have played out 52 times among families of Fort Campbell soldiers, mostly involving the 101st Airborne Division and its supporting units. As of Friday, 424 U.S. service members had died since the beginning of military operations in Iraq — 294 from hostile action.
Most recently, 17 members of the 101st were killed on Nov.15 when two Blackhawk helicopters collided over Mosul.
Michael Hancock was killed while on guard duty in Mosul and several armed Iraqis opened fire.
Upon hearing the news, Jeannie Hancock beat her fist against the wall, waking her four children, ages 10, 9, 7 and 3. "My little 3-year-old, Christopher, stomped through the house and said, `I'm going over there and bring my daddy back.' He's the only one who really doesn't understand," she said.
The rest of the morning was a daze. Hancock kept her children home but went to their school to talk with teachers and counselors. Then she stopped at a pancake house where she and her husband used to drink coffee. Hancock said the news was "devastation — everything in your life just crashes."
Dreading the Army's knock on the door
Eugene Acklin knows that feeling. He has heard the knock, too.
He turned on his porch light and looked out the peephole.
"I saw a soldier in a uniform," he said. "The first thing that came to my mind was that something had happened bad." The soldier didn't have to say a word. "I knew," Acklin said.
His grandson, Michael Acklin, a 25-year-old Louisville resident, was killed in the Blackhawk collision. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery, 101st Airborne Division. Eugene Acklin was asked to call Michael's parents. Then he and the soldier waited together until Michael and Dottie Acklin arrived so they could all hear the news together.
The Monday after the deadly Blackhawk collision — on a Saturday — Maj. Gen. David Petraeus, commanding general of the 101st, in a statement asked the Fort Campbell community to embrace "those who have lost loved ones in the fight to bring freedom and democracy to a long oppressed nation."
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the 17 soldiers who were killed. ... The losses we suffered are almost beyond comprehension," he said.
"Our fallen comrades were friends and fellow soldiers with whom we had served and sacrificed, fought a tough enemy and helped a nation rebuild. The losses however will not cause us to falter or fail. To the contrary, these losses will lead us to redouble our efforts and drive on. If we are to continue making progress, and we have indeed made great progress, we must continue to move forward. We are resolved to do just that. The 101st suffered a terrible loss the night of the 15th and it may be that we will suffer more losses before we all return to Fort Campbell. However, every loss serves as a grim reminder of the need to remain determined, resolute and courageous in the fight in which we are engaged."
It was April when family members of Spc. Thomas A. Foley III of Dresden, Tenn., got the news they feared. Anetta Courtney of Dresden, Foley's grandmother, had nodded off to sleep when she heard a car coming up the driveway to her rural home.
Two Army officers came to the door. With two grandsons, Tommy and David Foley, both serving in Iraq, Anetta Courtney said she frantically asked them, "Which one? Just tell me which one?"
Foley's mother, Emily Darden, lives elsewhere in Dresden, so the family and soldiers waited until everyone was together. Thomas Foley, 23, assigned to B Battery, 2nd Battalion, 44th Defense Artillery Regiment, was killed near Iraq on April14 in a noncombat grenade explosion.
"He told us he was sorry," Anetta Courtney said of one of the officers. "They stayed for about 30 minutes and tried to comfort us. They were great. They came to Tommy's funeral and have been very good to work with his wife, Paulette, and her son, Logan.
"We are just trying to get our life back to normal now," Anetta Courtney said.
Army Chaplain Maj. David Giammona is one of the people trying to help grieving families return to normal. He has met with several families at Fort Campbell who lost soldiers in the most recent helicopter crashes. Everyone reacts differently, he said.
"You don't want it to happen," he said, "but in the military, you brace yourself for it and try to prepare."
When he meets with families, he said, "I do a lot of praying and reading the Bible."
He can identify somewhat with their experiences, he said, since his son, a Georgia National Guardsman, was injured in Iraq. He said military families always know in the back of their minds that a tragedy can happen.
The weekend after Michael Hancock was killed, Jeannie Hancock said, her family did things together to stay busy. They went out to eat and watched a movie.
Now, she said, she feels she is living a nightmare.
"I keep waiting to wake up. ... I wait for it to end and we will all be together again," she said. "Then I realize I am living a military family's worst nightmare."
Michael Hancock was in his second tour of duty at Fort Campbell. He had asked to return to the 101st Airborne from an assignment in Alaska in August and was shipped out to Iraq on Oct.1.
Hancock was the 25th soldier from Fort Campbell to die in the Iraqi theater. Since then there have been 27 more.
Hancock was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star for valor and the Purple Heart. Army documents say he left his post to lead his men to safety after they came under attack while guarding a grain storage facility near Mosul. The citation said Hancock repelled an attack by overwhelming enemy forces when he was fatally wounded.
Jeannie Hancock said Petraeus, the commanding general from the 101st Airborne, called her from Iraq to offer condolences.
"He said he did not know Michael, but from everything he had heard he was a very good soldier," Hancock said. "He almost started crying on the phone with me."
Stress on families knows no boundaries
It isn't just the families who have suffered a loss of a loved one who are affected by the deaths. Some families at Fort Campbell say the toughest part of the deployment is not knowing the fate of their loved ones.
Leona Ferrell, coordinator of the Family Readiness Center at Fort Campbell, said she tries not to watch television news. "Last year, my husband was in Afghanistan and I watched the news day and night every single day — I didn't miss — and it made me crazy, so I try not to watch," she said.
"I know by seeing the news people outside Gate 4 that something has happened and then I'll watch. But, you can't — I have kids, our families go on and our daily lives go on — and you can't be upset all the time," she said. "We watch the news when something's happened so we're up to date when people call us and we'll know what to tell them and how to help them."
As word of an accident, ambush or helicopter crash moves through the post, waiting for word about the soldiers "is like somebody wanting to rip your heart out," said Phyllis Moreno of Oak Grove, whose husband, Antonio, is a sergeant serving near Mosul.
Corey Cole, 27, whose husband, Eric, is a specialist with the 101st, said she learned last week that Eric was supposed to have been on one of the helicopters that crashed Nov.15. Two members of his unit were onboard and were killed.
"My heart went to my stomach and I said to myself, `It's time for him to be home and be here seeing his children grow up,'" Cole said. The Coles have four children. The youngest, 5-month-old Dakota, was born after Eric was deployed.
"My biggest fear is that he could die and never have seen his son," Cole said.
For Moreno the hardest part of her day is putting her children to bed. "They ask, `When is daddy coming home?'" she said. "I tell them, `Soon.'"
Nine months into what is expected to be a yearlong deployment for the 101st, families left behind are preparing for the holidays and are worried about at the rising casualty list.
Ferrell, whose children are 21, 18 and 5, said she keeps her spirits up by believing that her husband will return. But the waiting is sometimes awful, she said. "We wait, every day."
"For Thanksgiving, we will charge full steam ahead. We are going to do the best we can. Every time we have a holiday, we take pictures, digital pictures. We pretend as if he's there."
Rise in deaths takes a toll on morale
But Farrell said she believes morale among military families has fallen.
"The units can only tell us so much, and we know they can only tell us so much," she said. "We get our strength from our friends and the other people who are going through the same thing we are going through."
Michael and Jeannie Hancock talked online for the last time on Oct.21.
"We said that we loved each other and he couldn't wait to get home," she said.
Hancock said she now spends her days collecting paperwork for the Army casualty officer assigned to assist her in obtaining benefits. And she said the family will soon begin attending counseling.
Seven-year-old Ashley still draws pictures for her father. "She writes on them, `I love you dad' and I tell her he is a guardian angel looking over her," Jeannie Hancock said.
And for other spouses who lose a soldier, she said, "They will never get over it; they will have to live with it." Hancock said she has begun attending family support groups for her late husband's unit.
"Some people tell me that I am their inspiration because I am so strong," she said. "I tell them I'm not that strong. It's just a front. What hurts most is when you're laying there in your bed at night by yourself. It's OK when they're deployed, it's OK when they're in the field because you know where they are. But when you know they have gone on, it hurts."
As Iraq deaths mount, grief surrounds Fort Campbell
BY MARY ANN GERTH, THE COURIER-JOURNAL
"I remember ... telling them, `No, tell me he's hurt, he's wounded, don't you dare tell me he's dead.' They hung their heads down," Jeannie Hancock said of learning about the death of her husband, Sgt. Michael Hancock. "I so wanted ... that he was injured."
The Hancocks took this family photo in 1996. Clockwise, from left, Jeannie, holding baby Ashley, James, Michael and Amber. Their 3-year-old had not been born.
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