No more letters from Iraq for me.

[Fraxinus]

I thought some of you folks might like to read this.  Fred is a fellow I was in the National Guard with and he's just finishing his tour of active duty.  I particularly liked reading the part about the treatment they got from the folks back home.  Makes me feel good.
Hello,
This morning I'm typing from the warmth of my own
living room and it's SNOWING.
We landed at McGuire Air Field at 11:30 pm Thursday
night. By the time we got settled in it was around
1:30 am.
We had been told that because of the large number of
soldiers coming into Ft. Dix for demobilization
(around 2000) and the fact that it was a holiday
weekend (welcome back to the US) that our demob
process wouldn't start 'till Tuesday and that we had
a three day pass.
Well, do you really think we got this close to home
only to end up spending three days at Fort Dix
poking at our belly buttons? No!
So a bunch of us rented cars and zipped home for the
weekend. We still have to go back (I'm leaving in a
couple of hours) and will be "officially home" next
Saturday between 4 and 6 pm in Plymouth N.H. (at the
High School, I think)
I guess I had no idea what it was like back home,
the attitude I mean. On our way home we came across
people whose reactions to these uniformed travelers
kind of blew us away. From the lady at the Trenton
airport who slapped her credit card on the counter
and offered to pay for our rental car to the woman
at a convenient store in Connecticut who grabbed my
room mate Ray and hugged him and thanked him and
then thanked us all again in the parking lot as we
were leaving. Wow.
I'm sorry that I didn't call anyone while I was
here. I just needed these days with Margaret and the
girls. God, it's good to see them.
Well, I have to get ready to go now.
It's good to be home.
Fred

[Patty]

Thank you for sharing that letter. It brought a tear to my eye.
I am glad your friend is home safe and sound.  8)

Please tell him THANK YOU for me.

[thecfarm]

Glad he's back home where he belongs.I wish they all could come back to the USA and stay here.Tell him THANK-YOU from a guy from Maine that apprecate all that he has done. smiley_clapping

[Grawulf]

Fraxinus,
That's sooooo good...........give Fred the addy to this thread 'cause I'm sure more on this forum want to thank him for his service to our country. Fred, I know you don't know me from Adam but YOU DA MAN .........along with everyone else you served with. Thank you and a salute to you, sir! 8) 8)

[Roxie]

Thank you for sharing that....it's beautiful and I'm moved to tears.  Please tell Fred "God Bless You, God Bless Your Family, and God Bless the USA!"

[Wudman]

A Big thanks to all of our service men and women!!  We owe our lives to you and the people that served before.  Welcome home Fred!  Thanks.

8)

Wudman

[tnlogger]

now that is a story that warms my heart and soul and makes this olldman choke up more the a little.  we still have a whole bunch of the 278th still over there and it gives me hope that they
might be on their way in the near future.
  thanks so much for forwarding this .

[Cedarman]

Welcome Back

Big, Big Thank You to You and Your Buddies!!!!!!

[Ga_Boy]

Fraxinus,

Great post.

Tell your buddies; from a broken down old salior:

HOO YAH!!!   Good job and welcome home!!



Mark

[DanG]

Thanks for posting that, Frax!

Fred, I hope you read this thread. I just want you to know that there is at least one old coot down here in Florida that very much appreciate's the risks you took and the sacrifices you made.  The world is a  better place for it!  My hat is off to you and all of your comrades.

[pigman]

Thank you Fred for serving our country, and thank you Fraxinus for posting the letter.
Bob - the thankful one

[farmerdoug]

Thank you Fred for serving your country.  You and all of your fellow servicemen and women should be treated the same way and with respect for their service to our country.  I am glad you guys are not being treated like my relatives and their fellow soldiers were when they came back from Vietnam.  I think all men and women who serve duty in a war zone deserve a medal and our undying thanks for their sarcifice.  I hope they all come back well respected and alive.  It was people like you that have fought to keep democracy and the USA alive all of these years.

Thanks Fraxinus for posting the letter also.  And for being in the National Guard yourself.

[Fraxinus]

You're welcome, Farmer Doug.  I also was in the Marine Corps, 1970-72.  Was in the National Guard '79-'92.  When 9/11 happened, I tried to get them to let me back in again but they didn't want old fat dudes like me.  I would have gladly gone with the unit over there but they wouldn't take me.  Heck, they wouldn't take some of the guys that were in the unit so I guess I shouldn't feel too bad about that.

[sigidi]

Good on ya Fred - you boys keep up the good work.

And thanks Frax. (oh dear that sounds like Anthrax : not supposed too!)

[Ed_K]

 Tell Fred, Thank You for me also  ;). Glad he's back safe  8) 8) 8).

[Tom_Averwater]

Thank you for the post Fraxinus. It's good to hear how well the soldiers are being treated when they return from war now .

[FiremanEd]

<<<<< Speechless,,   


Thank you to each and every Vet who reads this thread. Young and not so young, THANK YOU!!!

[twoodward15]

Wish I had known he was here!!  I'm stationed at McGuire.  iwork here as a full time civilian during the week and a national guardsman one weekend a month.  If he's coming back or is here and needs anything tell him to call me at     754-3704.  Ask for Woody.  I'll be there for the next 3 weeks from 0630 until 1630 everyday!!!!