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| A-1-8 Chapter of the 4th Infantry Division |
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President, Americans Remembered, Inc. - http://www.americansremembered.org
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Past President/Historian - Nat'l 4th Inf Div Assn - http://www.4thinfantry.org
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Correction on Casulty Announced Yesterday:
The casualty announced yesterday in Baqubah was not a 4ID or TF Ironhorse soldier. However, we still mourn the loss of any coalition soldier.
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>From Killeen Daily Herald 2-17-04:
Welcome home, soldiers
By Debbie Stevenson
Killeen Daily Herald
FORT HOOD — When Sgt. 1st Class Jesus Luna last saw his youngest child, she couldn't even crawl.
In fact, at 5 months, Jeni had waited until the day after her father left Fort Hood for a yearlong stay in Iraq to cross that all-important milestone.
But Monday, clad in pink frills and white sandals, 17-month-old Jeni trotted around, oblivious to the significance of the long-awaited homecoming that had brought her mother, Monica, brothers, relatives and more than a hundred other family members to the post's largest gymnasium.
"I don't have any words, but I'm glad to be home," said Jesus Luna of the 4th Infantry's Division Artillery as he hugged his 5-year-old son, Jesse, and 14-year-old son, Sergio Sontag. "Seeing my little kids, I haven't seen them in about a year now — my little girl's walking. I'm just happy to be home."
For Monica Luna, the reunion, almost two hours after the aircraft carrying the soldiers touched down at Robert Gray Army Airfield, was a welcome relief from a year-long separation.
"I'm shaking. I'm glad he's home, I'm glad he's safe," said Monica, who was joined by her husband's older brother, Frank Luna of Arizona, and his mother, Tomasa Luna of Brownsville. "We have some friends that aren't as fortunate as we are and we just thank God he made it home."
Marking the beginning of the 4th Infantry Division's official return from its deployment to Iraq, the entry of 60 soldiers into the gym Monday afternoon prompted whoops, cheers and more tears from their families, friends and comrades.
"It's awesome," said Pfc. Lance Rollason, who finally was able to thank Sgt. John Truax of Bravo Company, 299th Engineer Battalion for pulling him to safety during an attack Dec. 18 near Baji.
It was a proud moment for Ronda Truax as she watched her husband reunite with the young soldier who had been evacuated out of Iraq for medical treatment.
"He's a hero," she said. "But he's going to kill me for telling everyone about it. He's really modest."
Truax's said his plans were to "take a shower and sit on my section of the sofa" before dining on his wife's pot roast at their home in Copperas Cove.
The Fort Hood-based division deployed more than 12,000 troops from Fort Hood in late March. Because their departure was delayed because of political wrangling with Turkey over landing rights in that country, the 4th Infantry missed the U.S.-led thrust into Baghdad. However, the Ivy Division secured its spot in history on Dec. 13 after some 600 of its 1st Brigade soldiers pulled Saddam Hussein from a hole in the ground at a farmhouse just south of Tikrit, the ousted dictator's hometown.
"You are one of the first to come back. Over the next several weeks we are going to have the entire division in and Task Force Ironhorse," said Col. Dan Shanahan, the division's rear detachment commander. "We're proud of you."
Shanahan's command to "fall out" prompted a human tidal wave toward the small desert uniform-clad contingent.
"I can't believe it's like it's not going to happen, even though I'm sitting here," said Karen Gilder of Akron, Ohio. "I just want to hug him and hold on tight."
Her husband, Master Sgt. Henry Gilder, a Lufkin native and member of the Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, had other ideas, snapping pictures of his wife with his disposable camera.
"It's great to be back," said Gilder, pausing long enough from his photography endeavors to hug his wife.
Gilder said his only plans now that he was back were to spend time with his wife and daughters, Tayla and Cydnee.
In the next few weeks, the 4th Infantry's advance party will make necessary preparations for the return of most of the division's units. Their duties will include operations at Texas seaports and Fort Hood railhead when the division's tanks and heavy equipment begin arriving from Iraq.
The advance party soldiers arrived early to spend time with their families before the division begins the bulk of its return after March 25. Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of the 4th Infantry and its Task Force Ironhorse units, has said he wants all of his troops back home by Easter.
The advance party's return to Fort Hood also came hours before a community rally to show support for the post's other major command, the 1st Cavalry Division.
The gymnasium, set up to send off some 17,000 members of the 1st Cavalry to Baghdad where it will relieve troops from the 1st Armored Division, was a reminder of what still lies ahead for Fort Hood and its surrounding communities.
Looking around the familiar setup, Monica Luna urged her 1st Cavalry counterparts to stick together during the separation that is expected to last at least 12 months.
"Stay close to your FRG. My FRG was my lifesaver," said Monica Luna of her unit's family readiness group. "We all told each other our woes and our yays. The best thing for us was each other."
Contact Debbie Stevenson at deborah@kdhnews.com
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Redeployment Briefings Scheduled at Fort Hood
LTC (Chaplain) Dewayne Brewer, rear detachment chaplain of 4ID at Fort Hood, has asked that I provide the following information to help publicize the upcoming redeployment briefings for 4ID families. These are ones scheduled through the end of February, I'll list the March dates later:
Date Unit Time Location
17 Feb 04 49th Trans, 13CC 1800 Bldg 89010 (CIF)
18 Feb 04 64 CSG, 13CC 1830 13CC Chap
18 Feb 04 All 2nd Bde Families 1000 2nd BCT Conf Room
18 Feb 04 All 2nd Bde Families 1800 2nd BCT Conf Room
19 Feb 04 1-58 AVN, 1CD 1800 Unit Location
19 Feb 04 21 CSH, 13CC 1800 LVC
19 Feb 04 1-22 Inf 1830 Bldg 14010
19 Feb 04 1-66 Ar 1830 4ID Ironhorse FRC
20 Feb 04 1-10 Cav 1430 25th St Chap
20 Feb 04 Walker Village 1600 Walker Village Comm Ctr
20 Feb 04 299 Engr Bn 1800 1 BCT Conf Room
23 Feb 04 4ID Band 1800 LVC
23 Feb 04 720th MP Bn 1800 Bldg 9422
24 Feb 04 404 ASB 1800 25th St Chap
25 Feb 04 64 CSG, 13CC 1830 13CC Chap
26 Feb 04 1-10 Cav 1430 25th St Chap
26 Feb 04 DISCOM 1500 25th St Chap
27 Feb 04 104 MI 1830 PWC
28 Feb 04 HHC 4BDE, 2-4 Avn 1100 LVC
You are highly encouraged to attend the session for your unit. Very valuable information will be covered.
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Fund Raiser for Iraq Monument at Fort Hood
This note is from Ted Kostich, the president of the Ironhorse Chapter of the National 4th Infantry Division Association at Fort Hood:
On behalf of the Fort Hood chapter of the National 4th Infantry Division Association, I am requesting your financial support for the 4th Infantry Division's Operation Iraqi Freedom Memorial Wall Project Fund. The Memorial Wall and statue will be constructed at the home of the 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
The Memorial will recognize those brave Ivy Division soldiers that have made the supreme sacrifice in the service of our Nation during Operation Iraqi Freedom. We have already raised over $20,000 towards the Memorial Wall, but our current estimate is it will take a total of $50,000 to complete this project. Your generous contribution will assist us in attaining our goal, with a project completion date prior to the Welcome Home Ceremony of the Army's First Digitized Division on April 22, 2004.
The statue for the Memorial Wall has already been paid for and completed. The cost of the $18,000 statue was borne by donations from the deployed soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Ironhorse.
Mr. Kalat, a local Iraqi artist, was the creator of the sculpture to honor the fallen soldiers of 4th Infantry Division. Under Hussein's regime, he was forced to fashion statues of Saddam Hussein on horseback. These two original statues, which adorned a gate at the palace complex where 4th ID's headquarters group is located. He had no idea that someday he would melt them down ot create a memorial for American soldiers. The original toppled statues once created by Kalat were cut up into pieces by members of the 555th Engineer Group and spirited quietly back to him. Kalat then reshaped the chunks of bronze into a likeness of an American soldier being comforted by a small girl as he mourns a fallen comrade. First Sergeant Glen Simpson, former HHC first sergeant, knelt for the picture that has beome an immortal portrait in bronze. The statue will soon be shuttled to Fort Hood, where it will become part of the Memorial Wall project at the 4th Infantry Division Museum. There, plaques will be hung in memory of those Task Force Ironhorse soldiers who have given their lives in Iraq.
Donations can be mailed to the Ironhorse Chapter of the National 4th Infantry Division Association (4IDA), PO Box 5009, Fort Hood, TX 76544. Thank you for your consideration and support.
Respectfully,
Ted Kostich
President Fort Hood Chapter
National 4th Infantry Division Association
(Time is of the essence, if you can help with this project, please do so. And indicate that you heard about it from the "4ID Update from Iraq" so they'll know how much our readers contributed).
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>From 2-17-04 Killeen Daily Herald:
Super-sized send-off
By Debbie Stevenson
and Zac Sorensen
Killeen Daily Herald
On a Presidents Day few will forget, the Killeen area rallied to show its support for 1st Cavalry Division soldiers as the division leaves for Iraq and welcomed home 60 of its 4th Infantry Division heroes from the desert hotspot.
As he thanked about 2,000 supporters gathered Monday at the Killeen Civic and Conference Center, the 1st Cavalry's commander urged the area's nine communities to give the 4th Infantry and its Task Force Ironhorse units a hero's welcome.
"If there's one thing that you can do for us, that is to welcome home the great soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division when they come home next month," said Maj. Gen. Pete Chiarelli to thunderous applause. "We, like you, think every single member of Task Force Ironhorse ... are all heroes and we know you'll welcome them back as heroes."
With the arrival of the 4th Infantry's advance party Monday, the division is expected to begin returning in bulk in late March. Maj. Gen. Ray Odierno, the 4th Infantry's commander, has set a goal of bringing all of the division's troops home by Easter.
Noting it was a different time, location and mission for the 1st Cavalry Division as it prepares to relieve the 1st Armored Division in Baghdad, Chiarelli urged the community to stop harmful comparisons of the two divisions.
"I ask you to help Ray and me forever put aside some of the ... unhealthy competition that the two divisions have had," Chiarelli said. "We are a nation at war and we've got to pull together. If there's anything this community has taught us, it's the need to pull together."
Thanking the community for its support of his division, Chiarelli said his soldiers are finding comfort knowing their families will be taken care of.
"There is absolutely nothing this division or its family members need as far as preparing for Iraq; you've done it all. You've done it in a way that makes us so proud and so thankful," Chiarelli said. "We've gotten to watch the way that you have taken care of the spouses of the 4th Infantry Division and 13th COSCOM (Corps Support Command) and all the Fort Hood soldiers and for the soldier, there's nothing that makes us feel better than watching that and knowing you'll do the same for our spouses.".........
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This is a repeat of some information I included in the January 20 update:
A Few Words From Bob:
On an extremely slow news day, I thought I'd take this opportunity to focus in one more time on my favorite topics:
- Make sure your soldier gets the full names, social security numbers, home addresses, and any other pertinent information on all of his or her buddies in Iraq - and send them home to you for safekeeping. That includes those attached to his/her unit from other support type units - all the fellow soldiers, and even Iraqi civilians, that have been important. Don't let them say it is on a company roster they can get when they come home. Their support unit personnel that they work so closely with are not on their unit roster, so they need to get ALL the full names (not Shorty or Tex but full names) of everyone, including commanders above them, that they worked with. Trust me, your soldier will thank you in the future for holding their feet to the fire and making them do that. In the future, 15-25-50 years from now, they will want to find those buddies that shared this memorable time with them. Without preserving the information now, it will be an uphill battle to find it in the future. I had a call Monday from an 84 year old WWII vet of the 4ID trying to find some buddies - so don't let your soldier make the same mistake of not getting full names, social security numbers and permanent addresses.
- Before the chaos and excitement of redeployment takes over, spend a little time to organize and preserve the mementos you have saved from this deployment - letters, pictures, these updates, things your soldier sent home, etc. If you do nothing more than buying a plastic box with a lid (and label) on it, at least keep it all in one place so it doesn't get lost. Again, I speak from experience. Fortunately, my wife and parents both did that for me so I have great memorabilia from my tour in Vietnam. I've talked to far too many vets who have lost things that they wish they had saved.
- And a new piece of advice - send your soldier a camera if he/she doesn't already have one. (It may be too late now to mail them a camera, but encourage them to buy one at the PX when you talk to them or email them). It can be several disposable cameras or a cheap camera with plenty of film, or a digital camera with plenty of memory sticks - whatever you can afford. Encourage them to not only take pictures of their buddies - and have their buddies take pictures of them - but also encourage them to get pictures of where they live, their sleeping and eating quarters, the palace, the countryside, their guard posts, the natives, whatever strikes them as picture worthy. They should take too many pictures rather than not enough. People, places, things, surroundings, the unit's pet dog - all are memories that they will be glad they have when they look back at this year sometime in the future. And their kids and grandkids will thank them for having pictures to support their stories. I carried a $12 Kodak Instamatic 104 in an ammo pouch when I was in Vietnam and got lots of great pictures that I still treasure today. Just Monday I sent a copy of one of them to a Vietnam vet who asked for it. Again, in the future, they will thank you for pushing them to do this. And make sure they get lots of good pictures of themselves as well as of all the other things and people. (Don't worry about them taking pictures when they should be alert. Of all the pictures I took, I never once thought to pull my camera out when bad guys were trying to hurt us. Your soldiers have the same common sense that I had).
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59 Years Ago Today - 4ID in Germany:
17 February 1945 - D+257
Brig.Gen. Blakeley presented one DSC and 26 Silver Stars to personnel of the division and attached units.
The enemy defended along the same line and except for a small arms demonstration in the vicinity of Prum between 1000 and 1045 confined its action to harassing small arms fire and interdictory mortar and artillery fire.
The 8th Infantry Regiment with the 1st and 2nd Battalions on the line made preparations to demonstrate by fire to divert attention from the attack of the 90th Infantry Division.
The 12th Infantry continued to occupy the defensive line with the 1st and 3rd Battalions.
The 22nd Infantry maintained defensive positions with the 1st and 2nd Battalions.
Thanks to Philippe Cornil at www.revive-it.com.
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What Our Families Are Hearing From Our Soldiers in Iraq:
1) Hi, I met you on Sept. 11 at Fort Hood when my son was returning from Iraq. (He was discharged in December) The other day you mentioned about continuing to read the updates even after the soldiers have returned. This I have done and have found valuable information on the updates. I also print them out for future years. I wish I would have had some of the information that has been printed about the returning soldiers and what to expect. The biggest problem my son had was the regret on leaving his friends behind. I know that in his heart he won't feel quite right until they are home. Thank you again for your updates.
2) Thank you so much for this wonderful post. I am sitting here with tears streaming down my face, partly fro relief knowing my son ( 720 TH MP) out if Fort Hood will be returning soon and partly because I feel sorrow for those families who's soldiers will deploying soon. I would like to say to them "Keep your helmet on, you will get through this, just think one day at a time, one hour, one minute if you need to - that your soldier is okay right now." To all those returning THANK YOU! And to those deploying Stay SAFE and take care of number one - yourself! Proud to be an American! Until they all Come Home..
3) I've read with great interest about some soldiers not wanting anyone to greet them when they first arrive back from Iraq. I asked my son (HHC 4ID) who is single if he wanted his mother and I to be there when he arrives at Fort Hood and he stated "I won't lie...I really really want you guys there." Bob, he is not only my son, but my best friend. My son, my hero. I have a school board conference in Orlando, FL at the same time that he is supposed to arrive at Fort Hood so I have started cancelling all my Florida plans to be there when he arrives. I don't care how much it costs me to cancel my conference, flights, and hotel because I know how much it will mean to my son to have his mother and me at Fort Hood to welcome him home. Being there for him is the least I can do for him after all he has does for us and his country.
4) Our son, 1-67, HHC has internet access every other day. I feel so fortunate because I know what it's like to go 3 months without a word. He said he might be coming home earlier because he didn't get to take R&R. I know the army has reasons for what they do and as civilians, it might not make sense. Instead of driving 20 hours just to see him when he gets off the plane, we decided to meet halfway so we can bring his truck to him. We will be lucky to have a day to ourselves with him. That will also avoid the big airport scene which I'm sure my Mother has in mind. I know my son would not want that. We all need to keep in mind what our soldiers want. Let's continue our prayers for all those that are coming and going.
5) I just wanted you to know that my son (B CO 299 ENG BN) arrived back at Fort Hood Thursday, Feb 12th! He said they flew American Airlines and when they boarded the plane in Kuwait, the flight crew announced they had a square of sod which was American soil, and let the soldiers touch/or kiss. I thought that was a thoughtful gesture, and it actually made me get a lump in my throat when he told me about it....... I can honestly say that last Thursday, Friday and Saturday were the happiest three days of my life!
6) I shed a few tears after reading the note from the mature wife of a soldier who stated that she would never exclude his parents. My husband, a 4ID chaplain and I, wish his parents were still alive so they could be here to share in his homecoming. His dad was a Chaplain in WWII, and they were very proud of their youngest son's and oldest grandson's service to our country. (I know they're looking down from Heaven and smiling). They were so helpful to our family during my spouses many deployments. God bless them and the family and friends who step in to help when our spouses are deployed.
7) Bob, what you said in this update about being there for your son or daughter, hit home!! All I can say, Amen! No one better stand in the way of this Mom and Dad being there. (Of course, I can say that, being that our son is a single soldier, but...) We will be there, all we have to know now is WHEN!!!!
8) I got a call from my friend in 4th FSB on Saturday and heard those wonderful first words of "Happy Valentine's Day!" Not much news other than they're working on getting things ready to go and of course are all looking forward to pulling out of there. They're getting a little antsy and cranky with time seeming to move so slowly. I'm concerned about the trip out with the number of convoys getting hit, but I just keep telling myself that we only have a few more weeks and our 4ID troops will be back. Of course we'll keep praying for all the troops still over there.
9) I read a couple of recent postings from family members whose soldiers will be "riding shotgun" in intelligence and in the air as the 4th ID leaves Iraq and that these assignments will lengthen their stay in Iraq. As the Mom of a 1-10 CAV soldier who will be coming home, I thank your soldiers for having our son's back. It's been a long, difficult year. Our son is physically and mentally tired. He's had dysentery; something he calls "the Iraqi damn flu"; and leishmaniasis. The days since the attack on their tents in Balad have been particularly difficult. We can hardly wait to see him so please let your soldiers know how much we appreciate their work and that they are in our thoughts and prayers.
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Families Share R&R Moments:
1) I had given up on the possibility of my husband getting to come home for R&R, but he was one of the very last ones to get a slot. I was so excited to actually touch him and see that he is real. I think I did that for several hours straight. The first week was wonderful, it was as if he had not been gone. We bought a BIG screen TV to watch the Super Bowl on. I don't think we saw more than 1 quarter, we were too busy entertaining friends that he hadn't seen in awhile. But the last week was not so good because he got real sick with a high fever, severe sore throat, and chills. He spent most of the last week wrapped up in a blanket on the couch. I didn't know what to do for him because he is never sick and this was strange. After several trips to the ER he finally got rid of the fever and felt a little better, but needless to say we didn't go anywhere that week. I had to put him on the plane not knowing what made him so sick in the first place and he still had a sore throat. But I am thankful that he was here in my arms for 2 weeks where he was safe. Even if it the blanket got to hold him more than I did. I wouldn't have traded the 2 weeks for anything.
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Redeployment Tips:
1) Be as smart as a cockroach..... That was the theme of one of the best motivational speeches I ever heard in my IBM sales management days, given by Dr. Bill Boast, a WWII navy veteran, former university president, former governor of Wisconsin, and former CEO of an insurance company. He talked about the cockroach and the dinosaur both roaming the earth millions of years ago. The dinosaur did not adapt to change, the cockroach did - and look what is still around.
His message is clear - we all must change because change happens to us every day of our lives. Nothing ever stays the same and if we don't accept it and adapt to the new set of circumstances, we are destined to the fate of the dinosaur. We must adapt and change and thrive like the cockroach has over the centuries. The only thing that is guaranteed is that things will change and never go back to 'what used to be'.
In the past year, you have changed, your soldier has changed, your children have changed, the world has changed, the Army has changed, everything has changed. You are about to complete what will be one of the most intense and memorable years of your life. Dr. Boast described his experiences at the Battle of Okinawa in WWII as a ten on his life scale, everything else he has done in his life was no more than a one by comparison - and he did lots of significant things.
You will never go back to the way it was just one short year ago. Once you understand that and start adapting to the exciting new life ahead of you, with the different circumstances than what you were comfortable with in the past, you will start adapting and become as smart as a cockroach - and continue to evolve and thrive and live a happy life. Can you be as smart as a cockroach?
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