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President George W. Bush
greets the soldiers of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
The parade ground at Fort Campbell was a celebration
field on Thursday, March 18 as President George W. Bush
turned out to welcome home soldiers of the 101st
Airborne Division "Screaming Eagles", who were deployed
February 6, 2003 in "Operation Iraqi Freedom." In turn,
he received a hearty welcome from a sea of 18,000
cheering, flag-waving troops who gathered in
observation of a year of service and sacrifice in that
country.
"I'm proud to be here once again with the Screaming
Eagles of the 101st," the president declared, "With the
Green Berets of the 5th Special Forces group and with
the Night Stalkers... Thank you for a job well done.
Welcome home."
The visit came on the day before the first anniversary
of the war to liberate Iraq from former dictator Saddam
Hussein.
Eliciting a roar of approval from listening troops, the
president declared, "After his years of defiance, we
gave the dictator one final chance. He refused. And so
in one year's time, Saddam Hussein has gone from a
palace, to a bunker, to a spider hole, to jail."
Reminding the audience that more was at stake in the
regime that the possible existence of weapons of mass
destruction, he continued, "Because America and our
allies acted, one of the most evil, brutal regimes in
history is gone forever. The dictator of Iraq committed
many atrocities and he had many more in mind. This was
a regime that tortured children in front of their
parents. This was a regime that used chemical weapons
against whole villages. This was a country in which
millions of people lived in fear, and many thousands
disappeared into mass graves. That was the life in Iraq
for more than a generation, until the Americans
arrived. Because America and our allies acted, a state
sponsor of terror was put out of business...When Saddam
Hussein went down, the terrorists lost an ally
forever."
President Bush is hailed
by a sea of 18,000 troops, many of who recently
returned from service in Iraq.
Fort Campbell was the first Army post visited by the
president in the weeks after 9-11, around Thanksgiving
2001 advising the soldiers they "once again had a
rendezvous with destiny."
The division proved themselves ready, deploying to
Kuwait with a full contingency of vehicles, aircraft
and equipment just ten days after receiving orders on
February 6, 2003; the fastest deployment in their
61-year history.
There, they helped defeat key elements of the
Republican Guard and assisted in the liberation of An
Najaf, Karbala and Al Hillah and the southern section
of Baghdad, as well as delivering 200,000 humanitarian
rations, 100,000 bottles of water, and 50,000 blankets
to the citizens of An Najaf immediately after securing
their freedom.
They conducted the longest air assault in history after
arriving in northern Iraq on April 22, 2003. And, they
assisted in the restoration of public services and
utilities in the northern city of Mosul, located along
the Tigris River. There, they rebuilt Khazir Bridge,
increased the amount of available electricity, dug new
wells, restored more than 500 schools, built new health
clinics, and employed over 15,000 residents.
Additionally, they facilitated the first free election
in Iraq in 30 years, rebuilt, trained and equipped
Iraqi police forces, formed a border police and created
the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps as a supportive element
of the country's new army.
"Today, more than 200,000 Iraqis, including 78,000 new
police, are protecting their fellow citizens," advised
Bush. "They're building a country that is strong and
free, and America is proud to stand with them. All over
Iraq today, as that nation moves closer to
self-government, Iraqis can be certain that in the
United States of America, they have a faithful
friend... and in our military, they're seeing the good
heart of America."
Major General William C. Lee, the division's first
commander, would have been proud. It was he who, on
August 19, 1942, first promised soldiers of the newly
activated unit that, although the 101st had no history,
it had a "rendezvous with destiny."
Today, division literature asserts, the 101st is the
"Army's and the world's only air assault division with
unequaled strategic and tactical mobility."
Among the crowd, Specialist Bradley Harris of Tennessee
was candid in his appraisal of the war: "Personally I
didn't want to go, but once I got there I realized why
I was there," he said. Staff Sergeant Steve Miller of
Seattle, Washington agreed, going on to say the morale
of the Iraqi people was "better than a lot of people
might hear."
Specialist Rick Lopez of Tampa reacted as if he'd
been slapped when asked if he approved of President
Bush's policies. "That's my dawg right there," he
declared; I voted for him and I'll vote for him again -
send me (back) to Iraq!"
PV2 Groncki of New
Jersey, PV2 Henderson of Connecticut, SSGT Steve Miller
from Seattle, Washington and SPC Bradley Harris of
Tennessee wait expectantly for the arrival of their
commander-in-chief.
SGT Carlos Morten from
Miami, SPC Ron Llanos of Puerto Rico, and SPC Rick
Lopez of Tampa join to express pride in their unit and
in their Latino heritage and to express thanks to the
public for their support.
A female private (PV2), set to deploy to Iraq in the
coming months, remained unconvinced, stating America
needed to take care of problems at home before tackling
the concerns of other nations.
But ten-year-old Devin Gilliam, in camouflage and
wearing the green beret earned by his father, Sergeant
First Class Devin Gilliam, Sr., who remains in Iraq,
was resolute in his assessment of the day's events.
"I think it's really good for the soldiers to be here
and listen to the president," he said, his manner
reflecting the bearing of a professional soldier. Asked
how his family, including mom, Nita, and his
seven-year-old brother, Caleb, endures in his father's
absence, he stated, "Well, we pray for him, and we've
got pictures to remember him (by) and he sends letters.
We love him."
Devin Gilliam, age ten,
wearing the green beret earned by his father, and
brother, Caleb, 7, proclaim appreciation of the
president’s visit and pride in their father, Sergeant
First Class Devin Gilliam, Sr., in whose footsteps both
boys plan to follow.
Sergeant Chris Cummings of Montgomery, Alabama, who
also served in Iraq in the 1991 Gulf War, remarked, "I
was amazed by the difference in the people's attitudes;
that was a blessing to us and a reassurance that we are
making a difference."
Awed by the president's visit, he continued, "He
could have picked (any other military installation) to
visit. That we were honored makes all of us very proud;
it's a day I'll never forget."
SGT Chris Cummings of Montgomery, Alabama says
the attitude of the people in Iraq was a blessing
to the troops and a reassurance that they are
making a difference. |
The president informed the troops that in
eliminating terror, America and its allies make the
world a safe place for freedom, indicating clearly that
the two cannot co-exist.
"September the 11th, 2001 taught a lesson I will never
forget," he stressed, "America must confront threats
before they fully materialize. In Iraq, my
administration looked at the intelligence information,
and we saw a threat. Members of Congress looked at the
intelligence, and they saw a threat. The United Nations
Security Council looked at the intelligence, and it saw
a threat. I had a choice to make, either take the word
of a madman, or take such threats seriously and defend
America. Faced with that choice, I will defend America
every time."
Because of the actions of the United States and its
allies, he counseled, America's word is made strong.
"By speaking clearly, by speaking consistently, and by
meaning what we say, it is more likely the world will
be more peaceful. Because America and our allies acted,
all the world is now seeing democracy rising in the
heart of the Middle East. A year ago, Iraq was ruled by
the whims of one cruel man. Today, Iraq has a new
interim law that guarantees basic rights for all:
freedom of religion, the right to cast a secret ballot,
and equality under the law. And these historic changes
are sending a message across the region from Damascus
to Tehran: Freedom is the future of every nation."
Speaking a week after terrorists brought Spain to its
knees after an attack that killed 201 people and
prompted its newly elected government to declare the
withdrawal of troops from Iraq, Bush stated, "There's
no safety for any nation in a world that lives at the
mercy of gangsters and mass murderers. Eventually,
there's no place to hide from the planted bombs, or the
far worse weapons that terrorists seek. For the
civilized world, there's only one path to safety: We
will stay united, and we will fight until this enemy is
broken."
And, undeterred after a Paris newspaper received a
letter from a Muslim group threatening to "plunge
France into terror and remorse" through terrorist
attacks that would make "blood run to (its) borders,"
Bush asserted, to the applause of the troops, "They're
testing our will. And, day by day, they are learning,
our will is firm, their cause will fail. We will stay
on the offensive. Whatever it takes, we will seek and
find and destroy the terrorists, so that we do not have
to face them in our own country."
The soldier's welcome for General Larry R. Ellis,
Commanding General of the U.S. Armed Forces Command,
was nearly as great as that for their commander in
chief. General Ellis arrived at the post in the company
of Congressman Ed Whitfield from Kentucky and
Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee.
President Bush praised the 101st Airborne Division
Commander, General David H. Petraeus, "for being such a
strong leader and a good man," thanking Petraeus' wife,
Holly, as well. "She deeply cares about the men and
women from this base," he said, "It's clear when you
talk to her, she's got a lot of love in her heart."
He praised as well the "strong community of people"
composed of military families and others "who care
about each other, and share the challenges and rewards
of army life."
"America is grateful. America is proud of our military
families," he said.
He also thanked veterans "for the great example you've
set for today's soldiers" and expressed appreciation
for traditionally part-time soldiers, saying, "Hundreds
of Guard and Reserve units across America have been
activated in this time of war. These fine citizens and
their families and their employers have put duty
first."
Concerning the 60 101st soldiers who paid the ultimate
sacrifice in Iraq - more losses than any other
division-sized unit - the president stated, "Each of
these Americans brought pride to our country. We pray
for their families. We will honor their names forever."
Among those soldiers was Specialist Thomas A. Foley,
III of Dresden. The 23-year-old died on April 14, 2003
following the accidental detonation of a grenade near
Baghdad. Assigned to B Battery, 2-44th Air Defense
Artillery Regiment, Foley was the fourth fatality of
the unit.
At least three local soldiers served with the 101st Air
Assault Division in Iraq: Sergeant Chris Owens is the
24-year-old son of Floyd and Diane Owens and the
grandson of Dorothy and Edie Mae Pearson, all of Hollow
Rock.
"We're proud of all of them," said his father,
expressing relief to have his son safe at home. "We're
glad they're back."
PFC Justin Butler, 22, of Bruceton, is the son of Gina
Pierce. He and his wife Rachel (Replogle), also of
Bruceton, reside in Clarksville.
Specialist Jeremy Bracknell of Atwood is married to
Adrianne (Barker) and is the son of Kathy Finucane and
Jerry Mathis and stepfather Daniel Finucane. His
grandparents are Hazel (Barr) Richard and Roy Richard.
His brother is Shawn Bracknell.
Following his remarks, the president and Mrs. Laura
Bush enjoyed lunch with some of the soldiers before
meeting privately with family members of those killed
in Iraq.
In the hour preceding the arrival of the president,
troops endured rising heat and muddy field conditions
during a concert featuring entertainers Lane Brody
(writer and performer of All the Unsung Heroes), pop
and Latin hit Christian performer Jackie Velasquez,
Mark Wills (19 Something), and Darryl Worley, who
brought a flag-waving chorus of cheers with his
performance of "Have You Forgotten?"
"This isn't about politics," he said. "It's to honor
and bring some long-overdue respect to you men and
women. We want to thank you all for your sacrifices and
tell you how much we appreciate and support you."
Written as a reminder of the details of 9-11 in
response to those who "just don't seem to understand
what's going on", the single commanded #1 on
Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
Astounded by the song's whirlwind popularity, Worley
states on his Web site, "I knew the song had a strong
message, but you really don't know how something is
going to be received. You hear about the 'silent
majority,' but you don't realize how much of a majority
it is until something like this happens."
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Relatives of Staff Sergeant Morgan
Kennon grieve during Jacqueline Velas-quez's
rendition of "Amazing Grace".
Staff Sergeant
Morgan Kennon
A native of Memphis, 23-year-old Morgan Kennon
was guarding a bank in downtown Mosul, Iraq when
his position came under fire in a
rocket-propelled grenade attack. Kennon was a
member of the 3rd Battalion, 327th Infantry
Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division (Air
Assault) at Fort Campbell. He died on November 7,
2003.
His sister Nikki wrote often on a "Fallen Heroes
Memorial" Web site in an effort to assuage her
pain. One entry reads: "There is not a day that I
don't cry or think of you. You were my best
friend and I miss you so much. I still can't get
used to the fact that you are not coming home and
I won't get to hear all of your corny jokes and
your good advise. Morgan, you were wise beyond
your years and it was an honor to be your sister.
I am the luckiest girl in the world to have you
as my brother. I carry a picture of you and the
last letter that you wrote to me everyday and
everywhere that I go. I also have your dog tags
on my neck everyday; I do not leave home without
them. I miss and I love you and hopefully we will
be reunited one day and see that movie that we
didn't get to see. Until then I will keep
thinking of you and keep you in my heart. And I
want you to know that I am taking care of myself
and Mom and Kayla. We are all doing OK. So don't
worry about us we will be alright. Love always
your sister Nikki"
Another site reveals Kennon is memorialized
through poetry he wrote while serving in Iraq,
revealing his faith and courage. Among other
poems, he penned:
"My destiny shall stay within
the wishes of the all-knowing,
But my effort will stand strong.
My fears will stay buried,
While my bravery lives on."
Specialist
Thomas Arthur Foley III
Army Specialist Thomas A. Foley III, 23, of
Dresden, was killed when a grenade exploded
inside his Humvee near Baghdad on April 14, 2003.
He was assigned to B Battery, 2nd Battalion, 44th
Air Defense Artillery Regiment at Fort Campbell.
Thomas and his wife Paulette had been married
less than two years and his son was just six
months old at the time of his death.
A 1999 graduate of Dresden High School, Thomas
had hopes of one day becoming a schoolteacher.
Both he and his brother David, one year younger
than he, were stationed in Iraq at the same time.
Tommy's mother, Emily Darden, and his
grandmother, Anita Courtney, both reside in
Dresden.
On the "Fallen Heroes Memorial" Web site, among
many entries of prayers and condolences from
well-wishers from a multitude of states and as
far away as Baumholder, Germany, is prose
submitted by Vietnam veteran Dave Alexander of
Lebanon:
"Freedom has a Flavor
That the protected will never know.
May God ease your pain for now
when in time you shall have him back.
Rest easy little Brother."
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