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| A-1-8 Chapter of the 4th Infantry Division |
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Bob Babcock - "Deeds not Words"
President, Americans Remembered, Inc. - http://www.americansremembered.org
President, 22nd Inf Regt Society - http://www.22ndinfantry.org
Past President/Historian - Nat'l 4th Inf Div Assn - http://www.4thinfantry.org
babcock224@aol.com
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A Moving Experience
My son (1-66th AR) returned home last week. He just left for FT Hood after spending his 96 hr. pass at home with us. He was truly overwhelmed by the gratitude of everyone he saw. Everywhere we went people young and old came up to him and said, "Thank you!"
One of the most meaningful thank-you's came today at church from a member who lost her mother on September 11th. Her mother was on one of the flights that was flown into the World Trade Center that day. This church member came up to my son, gave him a big hug, and with tears streaming down her eyes presented him with an envelope. When he opened it, inside was the American Flag pin and ribbon she had been given at Ground Zero at the memorial service in honor of those who lost their lives 9/11. She wrote a beautiful thank you note and said she wanted him to have the pin as a thank you for his service in the war on terrorism. My son was so moved he said, "I don;t know what to say." To which she responded, "You don't have to say anything, I wanted you to have it as my thank you."
Needless to say there were not many dry eyes around! For my son, it made the whole deployment worth every minute of it.
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59 Years Ago Today - 4ID in Germany:
30 March 1945 - D+298
The enemy continued to fall back in apparent confusion keeping well ahead of our forces in order to contend with only a minimum of contact with our troops. Resistance in the form of scattered rifle shots and an occasional hand grenade thrown by soldiers in civilian clothes or by bona fide civilians in a burst of anti-Allied feeling characterized the period.
The 4th Infantry Division continued movement of all units and immediatly attacked to the east within its zone, passing through elements of the 12th Armored Division and the 101st Cavalry Reconnaissance Group.
The 8th Infantry with the 29th Field Artillery Battalion and other companies, closed within its assembly area in the vicinity of Heppenheim after the motor march on the night of 29-30 March. From this assembly area movement was begun at 1040 to the east through its new zone of action. The only enemy resistance reported was a slight artillery barrage.
The 12th with the 42nd Field Artillery Battalion and other companies remained in Division reserve in the vicinity of Ellerstadt until shortly before the close of the period when movement was begun across the Rhine river.
The 22nd Infantry with the 44th Field Artillery Battalion and other companies, upon closing in the forward assembly area, moved as a motorized regiment, beginning at 1230. No enemy resistance and excellent progress was made toward securing the Seventh Army bridgehead line.
Thanks to Philippe Cornil at www.revive-it.com.
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What Our Families Are Hearing From Our Soldiers in Iraq:
1) In response to the story in Friday's update from the mother of a B/1-22 soldier and his return, I was sent the following responses from our readers:
"Maybe it's because I haven't heard from my son in about a week... Maybe it's because this sounds just like him... Maybe it's the portrayal of this soldier's trip to the mall w/his buddies... Maybe it's being able to read about the pride toward his unit and the President that hit me in a soft spot... I don't really know why but I've become a blubbering idiot reading this mother's story..."
Oh how beautiful.!!!!! I am crying right along with thinking of the time when I can say my son is home, but that will be a while - he was just deployed last week. THANK U FOR THE STORY. MY PRAYERS TOO.
Made me cry remembering the relief I felt when my son called to say he was back stateside. After spending time with him and hearing some of the stories, you know it has had an impact on all of our soldiers. They went over there as our children and came back men and women. They have all probably grown up a lot. But from this letter you can still see the impact all you mothers have on your children. What a beautiful story.
2) I just wanted to let you know that my brother-in-law made it home safely on Friday evening. He is with the 1-22 IN. Thanks to you and your readers who have sent their stories in, we knew exactly where to sit at the gym in order to get a good view of him. It was such an amazing experience! What a joy and honor it was to be there to experience the homecoming. I wanted to hug each and every soldier there and let them all know just how proud of them I am. They are all heroes!
3) He's actually here! My husband (HHC, 1/68) made it home Friday evening. Our former LTC's wife came & stayed w/the boys for me so I could stand in the bleachers & take pictures, then she sent me to go find him while she stayed with them. Our sons took to him right away. Our 4-month-old (he just met him Friday) was a little shocked that his build-a-bear & this man had the same voice, but Daddy got a smile from him within minutes. It's just like he was never gone!
4) Our call finally came on Thursday, March 25. Our son was on a flight scheduled to be back at Fort Carson on Friday, March 26 at 5:30 P.M. He is with the HHC, 3rd Brigade, 1-68 Armor. Thank heavens my friends at the office were calm enough to search for low rates on the internet so all we had to do was pack and get to the airport. A few cell phone calls later, with changes in arrival time, and we were at the Special Events facility at Carson. They marched in tired, hungry and beautiful! Our son said he looked up in the bleachers and couldn't believe it when he saw us. He said he just knew we wouldn't have had time to get there from Texas. I told him I could have flown - with or without the airplane. He said the people in Bangor, Maine were amazing. He was very touched by a poem he read there about a soldier letting another soldier take over the watch. I will try and find that poem for him. If any of your readers know how we could contact the Bangor greeters, I would love to write them and tell them how much their efforts are appreciated. He was surprised and moved when they drove by the gym at Carson and he saw that it had been renamed for his friend who died in Iraq, Cpl. Gary Coleman. He said he saw Coleman's picture up on a wall in the Bangor airport and he wrote some words under his picture. When we arrived home from our trip, he had already called to check on us. Talk about role reversal. He said he is anxious to get back to work so that "things start feeling normal again." When we were waiting for him to check into his barracks, a soldier walked by still in uniform and helmet and another soldier told him he could take that helmet off now. He's back in America! What wonderful words.
5) We are thankful and fortunate to say "Our son is home" our part of the 4th ID, 1st Brigade. We received a phone call Monday at 1:30 am from him saying he was home now, in Ft. Hood, Texas. Later that morning, several times, as usual, we thought of him and then... the next thought was, he is home! What a great thought! We give God praise for his homecoming and the answering of many prayers. We are thankful for our son and all the soldiers who have served for this cause and those who are still serving. America has been given much and I am thankful that we were able to share in giving back. We believe and agree with, to whom much is given much is required. Not one thing or person has been given for nothing regardless of the outcome, because we have done what we were called to do.
6) Our son will come into Ft. Carson as he is stationed out of Denver as a reservist. We live in Denver and his unit is to be having some sort of a welcome home ceremony for them at a later date. We will not be able to attend that at Ft. Hood in person, but as it has been during this whole ordeal, our thoughts, prayers and happiness is with all of our returning troops. I can't wait to read about the big party in your updates. I am sure it will be a dandy!
7) My Grandson - 1/17 FA, C Btry is safely home at Fort Sill OK !!! Thank you for sharing all the family E-Mails and news with us. Grandma in Florida.
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Memories of a Year Ago - Waiting for Deployment to Turkey through the Early Days in Iraq
He called. He spoke. He hesitated. Then he told me he was going to Iraq. Or Turkey. Or Kuwait. No one was quite sure yet where they would be headed... just the general vicinity. He had thought he would soon be getting out of the Army...to begin a new life as a student and eventually a teacher.
Now his plans had to be put on hold (once again). This was probably the hardest thing for him to accept. STOP LOSS was not what he wanted to hear. Mine was the thought of not being able to pick up the phone at any time of the day or night and talk to my son. Through our seven and half military years we had only had to endure one overseas stint...but that was in Germany and I felt he was safe there. Now I knew that where he was going (or thought he was going) was not safe.
The waiting on Turkey took a toll on everyone. He called in February and said rumor was that they might leave in a week. So Mom packed up, sent daughter to Nana's, Dad couldn't get off work (offshore) and headed to Fort Hood. The 8 hour trip seemed to take forever. Then I was there. We talked, slept, shopped (daily Wal-Mart and PX trips for another thing we thought he might need), celebrated Dad's birthday, Valentine's Day, my Anniversary and my birthday all in one week. Then the news came that they would not be leaving. So I packed it up, hugged him tight and headed back home to wait some more.
He called again in late March to wish his sister happy birthday and then told me that it would probably be real soon that he would leave. Two days later he called and said it's time. My heart sunk. This time Dad and I packed it up, sent teenager to Aunt's house (sister and brother though 10 yrs apart in age are very, very, very close...but she refused to go with us...did not want to cry the whole time and upset her brother) and off we went. The trip was rather quiet...I told my husband that I would save my tears for later.
We spent the next four days packing (yes, another procrastinator... told us he had most of it packed...NOT). Then it was off to base to see him off from the gym. We were even asked by the 1st Sgt to haul around some of the soldiers to the gym after receiving their weapons since we had a truck and they would have otherwise had to hoof it about mile down to the gym with all that gear!
That was the longest night of my life! At 4:30 in the morning we finally said our goodbyes. There were many tears shed it that gym that night but not mine. I had kept my promise to my husband and son. We left from there and picked up our truck and the trailer and headed toward home. We had had only a few hours of sleep but were determined to get home. Just a few minutes out of Austin I became very tired and really felt bad. My husband called and said we would stop at Mickey Dees to eat breakfast. I pulled into the parking lot and just sat there. Husband got worried and came to the truck to ask if I was alright. I started squalling! He talked to me into calming me down and then we left (did not eat) and went in search of a rest area to stop at to sleep.
A few hours sleep and I was able to make it home. The TV news would be on most of the day. But when I finally started getting Bob's newsletter things really got better for then we had news.
Son is home now...ETS'ed in August...best day of my life so far. Tying for worst day is my son leaving for Iraq...and today, my teenage daughter drove her car (birthday present given Sunday) to school by herself.
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