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Marines Touched by Glimpses of Family in Video
POSTWAR IRAQ: DESERT DISPATCH
By FRED DODD
Tribune Weekend Editor
Previous Desert Dispatches
AD DIWANIYAH, Iraq -- Not a Marine will admit it, but there were some damp eyes in the group as they watched long-awaited videotaped messages from home Tuesday.
South Bend Marines had been expecting the tape for months. Created at the reserve center, and shipped before Valentine's Day, it finally arrived in the mail a couple of days ago. Most of the Marines packed into a warm building way before the 9 a.m. showing. As the tape began to roll, every eye was on the television set hoping to catch a glimpse of a loved one.
"My parents were on there. They were just crying -- they always cry," said Lance Cpl. Aaron Demeter, 23, of Winamac. "They said they loved and missed me and wanted me to come home safely. It was nice to see. My girlfriend, Abigail Deuberry, was on the tape, too, but I couldn't understand what she was saying."
"It was nice to hear from home," said Cpl. Brian Hennigar, 23, of Valparaiso. "They said the pets are doing fine and want us to hurry up and get home. They said we're being prayed for -- which is always appreciated. I couldn't hear all of what my wife said, but I think she said something about a vacation. I'll definitely need a vacation after this," Hennigar said.
There must've been quite a turn-out at the reserve center when the messages were created because at some points it's nearly impossible to make out what's being said.
"We had to listen real closely because of background noise," said Cpl. Chris Plencner, 23, of LaPorte. "But it was good to see my wife's face. I think we're better off seeing this now instead of a couple months ago because we know it's almost over and earlier it would've been hard."
Sgt. Todd Mansfield, 32, of Michigan City, took the opposite view. "I think it would've done more good a month and a half ago. It probably just got the guys even more antsy to get home. I think it gave them a little something more to look forward to. Everybody's looking forward to going home, but it's nice to actually see their families.
"It was kind of funny that a couple of them were talking about how cold it was there, and we're all standing in a room that's 110 degrees," he said.
"My dad's a joker," said Cpl. Eric Johnson, 24, of Granger. "He said something that got everybody laughing and then I couldn't hear anything else they said."
The evening before, the Engineer Company B Marines sat in the same room and were given a class about family reunions by the battalion chaplain.
"It's to help Marines understand that there may be some changes back home when they return and to help them ease back into their roles when they get there," said Navy Chaplain Lt. Robert Marks, of Atlanta.
The Marines were also told that a similar class would be given to spouses and families back home to help them prepare for the end of the deployment.
Otherwise, Tuesday was a slow day for the Marines. It's getting so hot here that even the buildings, which are far cooler than tents, are growing very uncomfortable. Marines sweat just trying to sleep. As most of the gear has been packed away for the trip back to Kuwait, very few Marines have mosquito netting on hand. So they have the choice of covering up inside a sleeping bag and sweating or being eaten alive by mosquitoes.
The Marines are scheduled to fly out of Iraq this afternoon in Army Chinook helicopters. Those plans are always subject to change, however. At one point they were told they would leave Tuesday in C-130 planes. Then they were told they were flying in Marine Corps CH-53 helicopters. Only time will tell for sure.
POSTWAR IRAQ: DESERT DISPATCH
By FRED DODD
Tribune Weekend Editor
Previous Desert Dispatches
AD DIWANIYAH, Iraq -- Not a Marine will admit it, but there were some damp eyes in the group as they watched long-awaited videotaped messages from home Tuesday.
South Bend Marines had been expecting the tape for months. Created at the reserve center, and shipped before Valentine's Day, it finally arrived in the mail a couple of days ago. Most of the Marines packed into a warm building way before the 9 a.m. showing. As the tape began to roll, every eye was on the television set hoping to catch a glimpse of a loved one.
"My parents were on there. They were just crying -- they always cry," said Lance Cpl. Aaron Demeter, 23, of Winamac. "They said they loved and missed me and wanted me to come home safely. It was nice to see. My girlfriend, Abigail Deuberry, was on the tape, too, but I couldn't understand what she was saying."
"It was nice to hear from home," said Cpl. Brian Hennigar, 23, of Valparaiso. "They said the pets are doing fine and want us to hurry up and get home. They said we're being prayed for -- which is always appreciated. I couldn't hear all of what my wife said, but I think she said something about a vacation. I'll definitely need a vacation after this," Hennigar said.
There must've been quite a turn-out at the reserve center when the messages were created because at some points it's nearly impossible to make out what's being said.
"We had to listen real closely because of background noise," said Cpl. Chris Plencner, 23, of LaPorte. "But it was good to see my wife's face. I think we're better off seeing this now instead of a couple months ago because we know it's almost over and earlier it would've been hard."
Sgt. Todd Mansfield, 32, of Michigan City, took the opposite view. "I think it would've done more good a month and a half ago. It probably just got the guys even more antsy to get home. I think it gave them a little something more to look forward to. Everybody's looking forward to going home, but it's nice to actually see their families.
"It was kind of funny that a couple of them were talking about how cold it was there, and we're all standing in a room that's 110 degrees," he said.
"My dad's a joker," said Cpl. Eric Johnson, 24, of Granger. "He said something that got everybody laughing and then I couldn't hear anything else they said."
The evening before, the Engineer Company B Marines sat in the same room and were given a class about family reunions by the battalion chaplain.
"It's to help Marines understand that there may be some changes back home when they return and to help them ease back into their roles when they get there," said Navy Chaplain Lt. Robert Marks, of Atlanta.
The Marines were also told that a similar class would be given to spouses and families back home to help them prepare for the end of the deployment.
Otherwise, Tuesday was a slow day for the Marines. It's getting so hot here that even the buildings, which are far cooler than tents, are growing very uncomfortable. Marines sweat just trying to sleep. As most of the gear has been packed away for the trip back to Kuwait, very few Marines have mosquito netting on hand. So they have the choice of covering up inside a sleeping bag and sweating or being eaten alive by mosquitoes.
The Marines are scheduled to fly out of Iraq this afternoon in Army Chinook helicopters. Those plans are always subject to change, however. At one point they were told they would leave Tuesday in C-130 planes. Then they were told they were flying in Marine Corps CH-53 helicopters. Only time will tell for sure.
