# Remember Our Soldier Project?



## ChickFilet (May 20, 2004)

This is one of the updates I receive in email from the ministers I worked with. I am always uplifted by their terrific spirit and dedication.

God Bless Our Troops!

FC

*The email:*

"If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, 
give him water to drink; for so you will heap coals of fire on his 
head, and the LORD will reward you."
Proverbs 25:21, 22

Dear Everyone,

Had a wonderful time last week traveling down to my old stomping 
grounds around Baghdad. My flight down was rather pleasant, for a Black Hawk 
ride. Instead of being cramped in with 12 other passengers and their 
gear, there were only three of us, so I was able to stretch out my legs 
and "enjoy" the ride. It is moments such as these where I almost feel 
sorry for the average civilian church pastor. I get to wear cool Army 
clothes and gear, battle armor, helmet, and goggles and ride around in 
helicopters, airplanes, and humvees and all the while I minister to a 
gun totting parish. I get to travel to exotic countries, all expenses 
paid, and see "historical" sites. I don't have to wear a clerical 
collar, or suit and tie, and it is okay if I am sweaty and dirty while I am 
preaching. And whatever I am doing, eating, sleeping, reading, working 
or playing, I am being paid to do it&#8230;what benefits! However, I did 
enjoy my chopper ride from Balad to Baghdad, as I stretched out and
got another bird's eye view of Iraq. The weather right now is almost 
perfect, nice and warm during the day and nice and cool at night and 
just about everyone was outside taking advantage of this optimum time of 
the year to work and play. As the choppers passed by it was fun to 
watch the children play, or the farmers working the fields, and more often 
than not they would all stop what they were doing and wave at us. One 
of the gunners would often throw out small bags of candy with long 
ribbons attached for the kids. All this brought back memories of my convoy 
from Kuwait to Baghdad during my last deployment. We traveled for a 
better part of 3 days, over 200 vehicles in our convoy, mostly on 
hardball road but for a long stretch on detour dirt road. But all along the 
way Iraqis of all ages would come along the road and wave at us, most 
were probably hoping for a hand-out, and I am sure others had ill-intent, 
but by and large it was a welcoming sight. It was just kind of 
neat to see the same reaction, over a year later, extended to two U.S. 
Army Black Hawk helicopters. Even as we flew over Baghdad, people 
still continued to wave, though not as frequently, and it was kind of funny 
to see two young boys trying to throw rocks at us. This short 
eyewitness account I'm sure flies in the face of what the major media is 
reporting concerning Iraq. Though there is much violence in Iraq, most of 
the people over here are trying to go on with life. The supposed civil 
war being waged over here is exactly that&#8230;supposed. There is, and has 
always been, fighting between Shiite and Sunni factions, most of which 
is centralized in and around Baghdad.

Speaking of the average citizen over here in Iraq, it is they who are 
the biggest victim in this war. A large number of attacks inflicted by 
the insurgents often do not injure American or Coalition forces, but 
Iraqi citizens. The Air Force hospital here on Anaconda treats many 
Iraqi citizens as well as American and Coalition forces. The hospital has 
a big need for adult clothes and pajamas for their patients, 
particularly for the Iraqi nationals, who after being released often do not have 
any real clothes to wear so they can return home. A notice was put out 
to the chaplains here to inform as many as possible of this request, 
the hospital needs donations of adult clothes and pajamas. If you would 
like to make a donation, please send any packages to the following 
address:

MAJ Patrick Howard
HHC 3rd COSCOM G-5
APO, AE 09391

So instead of dropping that bag of old clothes off at the local 
Salvation Army, perhaps you can just send it over to Iraq for the hospital 
patients. The good deeds which we do over here hardly ever get mentioned 
on the front pages back home, but they speak volumes to the local 
nationals.

Until next time.

Dwight

About the Pictures: The first one is of me and my assistant, SPC Amber 
Minear. We are visiting Camp Victory down near Baghdad. The second 
picture is of a Black Hawk gunner. The third picture is a picture of a 
plane called a SHERPA. I have flown a few times on these birds, and 
they are definitely NOT for the weak stomachs. They can fly at extreme 
altitudes, or for the fun of it, just a few feet above the 
ground&#8230;depending on the threat level. The last picture is needs no explaining, but 
for those of you who might not know, they are Black Hawk helicopters.


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