INTERVIEW WITH SANDY

Sandy and her husband live in Joplin, MO. Their son, David, is career military based in Germany and currently deployed to Iraq. Sandy� husband is a Vietnam vet and her father is a WW II vet.

Sandy: David� current job in the military is a little different in that his working day is spent amongst the Iraqi people talking, making contacts, looking for the enemy. He doesn� interrogate anyone but writes reports about who he has talked to and what he heard. 

This is David's first posting in the field of intelligence and the opportunity to work among Iraqi people. He is aware of various construction projects, improving water filtration systems, sewer systems, building schools and so on.

The day David arrived in Iraq was stressful for me. Although he's 37, and career military, Iraq is his first combat mission. I turned to my friends for support and they asked me what they thought David or his squad -- 50 men and women -- might need over there. Then they packaged up 50 parcels and sent them to Baghdad.

When he first arrived in Baghdad he said he didn't know if he could use his gun against the people. David is a very compassionate person and felt he understood the difficult position Iraqi people are in. He has two children of his own and seeing Iraqi children playing in streets covered in garbage and sewerage breaks his heart. Last Christmas he was down in spirits as he missed his own family. I sympathized and then reminded him that he had a job to do and he'd better pick his chin up off the ground and get on with it. That helped him! He said he felt better for my stern words.

David has been invited into the homes of Iraqis and shared their meals. His translator is an Iraqi who is a US citizen, lives in the US, and volunteered to return to Iraq to help our troops. David says that most of the people he comes into contact with are pleased we're there; they say they have fresh food in the markets for the first time in years.

At one home David was introduced to the young daughter who was born blind. David asked me to make her a quilt as a gift, which I did. When he delivered it to the family they were astounded that David's mother -- someone so far away who doesn't know them at all -- did such a thing. His unit volunteered to take on a local orphanage as a project doing minor repairs and sharing supplies. He also worked at another orphanage with 70 young girls in Mosul. With the help of Internet friends and local quilters we sent 70 quilts, shampoo, tooth brushes, toothpaste, etc.

March 2, 2004, was a bloody day in Iraq when simultaneous bombs exploded into crowds of Shite Moslems celebrating a religious holy day: over two hundred people killed, hundreds wounded. They were desperate for blood and I suggested David donate blood �especially as he's a rare blood type. He didn't know if that would be acceptable but he said he'd try. 

He's had some close calls while on duty. Once a RPG aimed at their humvee actually went right over the vehicle before exploding; the occupants were badly shaken. Another time, a humvee right behind him was hit by an IED. David� vehicle shot off over a hundred rounds at the suspect although they don� know if they made contact. 

He believes that some, not all of course, but some of these opportunistic bombings, lobbed grenades, and IEDs are carried out by local, desperately poor people. They are paid for shooting at our troops. 

I was so saddened by 9/11 and I�e tried to understand the frame of mind of people who plan such events. I wish I knew more so I could understand how people could think so little of their fellow human beings and of their own lives. I don� understand man� inhumanity to fellow beings. If they just let us mothers talk to each other across the world maybe we could convince them that we�e all God� people and to treat each other as such. 

But, now we�e in Iraq we must do our job. It won� happen quickly but perhaps things will calm down in a year or so. 

I don� see things from a political perspective but I believe there�l always be difficulties between a civilian administration and the military as both have an agenda. 

A couple of weeks ago President Bush was in this town and he went to buy a fishing pole in the big sporting goods store here. In a town about 30 miles away a family was burying their son who� been killed in Iraq. 

Townspeople were very angry that President Bush didn� pay his respects at that funeral. But David said, �om, the President can� just change his mind any time he wants. His itinerary and security is worked out weeks before hand. He can� just rush off wherever he wants.�nbsp;

The following letter is from a fellow quilter who offered to mail boxes to David's unit. The second letter is David� reply. 

Dear Sandy: 
I'm a little embarrassed to let you know that I haven't mailed a package to David yet. In my enthusiasm to help, I purchased and boxed a lot of 'goodies.' Alas, postage cost $60.00!  I'm disabled and live on Social Security and couldn� afford it. Heartsick and tearful, I put the box in my car. That weekend my 28 yr old son went into hospital with acute asthma attack and almost died. Hospital staff resuscitated him but I rushed there with David's box still in my car.  

Late that night my son awoke and was hungry for �eal�food. I took Mac & Cheese, crackers, individual cans of fruit, and double stuffed Oreos from the box. My grandchildren visited and wanted cookies too. I took those from the box. Later I fed them peanut butter and jelly from the box! After their baths I found microwave popcorn in the box. The kids were thrilled and my daughter-in-law enjoyed cremora and sweet & low, also from the box!

God took something bad and turned it around. I felt bad about not shipping the box to your son and his friends but I helped out my own son's family in their time of crisis. God Bless your family and our troops! 

David� reply: 
I was moved to tears by your email to my mother. Your box was meant for a more important destination. And God was helping me do my job, too: the protection of the American people. Not only to protect them from tyrants who would harm them, but to allow them to live free, provide for their families, and not worry about someone trying to take away something they�e worked for.

Seeing the way people in Iraq to live, I am thankful for what we have in America. Today I saw children trying to avoid puddles of raw sewage and piles of trash in a vacant lot where they were playing. It� because of this my soldiers and I ask that you help us do our job and complete our mission with Honor and Integrity. It means more to us than a box from home if you take future items that you wish to send us and give them to your grandchildren in our name. That� our small way of giving something back for all the support, love, and prayers that sustain us through our duties. We�l be honored and grateful if you do this. Thank you for keeping us in your prayers, as we will keep you and your family in ours.    

Sandy: �ife is so precious and war is so dumb.�