From left, Tommy Luciano, 1st Lt. Matthew Otto, McGrath and Engel enjoy a Christmas meal with turkey and trimmings.

By Vanessa Engel

Here are a couple of interesting photos of my brother's Christmas in Iraq. Sean is in the Army and in Iraq for his second tour. He is based at Schofield Barracks and stationed with the 25th Infantry Division, 2nd BN, 3rd Brigade Combat Team Delta Co. 2-27 (Tropic Lightning Brigade) at McHenry Forward Operating Base in Hawija, Iraq.

We were very happy to see the spirit that our guys had, despite the nasty conditions that they are enduring over there. A few days before Christmas, the guys cut down a tree and decorated it. They used Gatorade and water bottles covered with red and white tape, along with ornaments from loved ones at home, to decorate their tree. Many soldiers also put their unopened packages that they were saving for Christmas morning under the tree as well, giving them something to look forward to.

By Nalani Misawa

Elias Teriitahi Espiritu is in the Army's 130th Engineer Brigade. He was stationed in Germany with his wife, Romalyn, before being deployed to Iraq in October 2005.

He is from Kamalo, Moloka'i, and is a 2003 graduate of Moloka'i High & Intermediate School.

Elias was adopted by his great-grandparents, Edward and Catherine "Nani" Espiritu, who are both deceased. Edward was a World War II veteran.

By Aolani Esene

We send prayers for their continued safety and endurance, as they will soon be wrapping up their mission to support Operation Iraqi Freedom.

By Sgt. 1st Class Francis Tau'a

We have been receiving boxes of rice from people on every island and we really appreciate the treat. Rice is something we can look forward to after a long day in the 135-degree heat. Mahalo no kakou!

God Bless, Sgt. 1st Class Francis S. Tau'a, brigade engineer.

This is a poem that I wrote for my husband, Sgt. Christopher Elkins, who has been serving with the 25th Infantry Division (Light) in Afghanistan since June 2004. My husband is with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, Division Artillery, in Bagram, Afghanistan.

There's thousands of miles between us,
But you still manage to visit me every day.
We talk all the time, but there's still so much I want to say.
You're in my every thought, you're in my every dream,
You're in all that I do, or at least so it seems.
Is it possible you could be two places at once?

I could swear you lie next to me as I sleep,
Or maybe our love is just that deep.
Soon will be the day that our bodies meet again,
But it's not unfamiliar, more like an old friend.
We'll cherish every day because it just might be the last,
You never know when duty might call, our time goes by so fast.
I am proud of my soldier, so I stand by his side,
After all, he's really my husband, not just any ol' regular guy.
He's the one that made my life what it is today,
I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings, its sure to be a new adventure every day.

So go to sleep now, my love,
The Lord is watching you from up above.
I will see you soon, in your dreams,
With hugs and kiss and many other things.
Just know that I carry you with me in my heart,
And no matter the distance our love will never part.

Sending our love to our families and friends in Hawai'i. Thanks for all the love and support. From left, Sgt. Davin Takahashi, Sgt. Blandena Pagulayan, Sgt. John Mercado, Sgt. Sonia Desamito-Dietz, Sgt. Rochelle Einjel Esmena and Sgt. Dexter Pascua. We are stationed at Camp Liberty in Baghdad.

This is my Uncle Charles England and his friends from Hawai'i in Kandahar. My uncle has been an inspiration and second father to me all my life. He is one of my favorite relatives, and the one I am currently the most proud of. I was very sad to see him go but the wonderful job our troops have been doing to protect our great country is all worth it. Charlie (as we fondly call him) also left behind a brand new bride, Stacie England. She awaits his return eagerly. On behalf of my entire family I would just like him to know how much he is loved and missed, and how proud everyone is!

This picture is of Sgt. Rodgers, Sgt. Edwards and Sgt. Umpierre. They are members of the 540th Quartermaster Company stationed at Schofield Barracks and are currently deployed to Iraq. They have been overseas since mid-January and are missed more and more each day. Just want to let the guys know that they are prayed for daily and everyone is patiently awaiting your return. We love you and miss you! Come home safe! loYuTo!

This is my soldier, my husband, Spc. Erik Estrada with the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment Wolfhounds of Schofield Barracks. He is from Arlington, Texas, and joined the Army in July 2000.

We met here in Hawai'i that year and were married on New Year's Eve of 2001. He is a wonderful father to our two kids, Mikaylah, 4, and Nikelis, 5 months. This is his first deployment anywhere, but he is very strong and makes the best of every situation.

He won't get to see his son take his first steps or hear his first words, but he will be able to hear him say "I love you, Daddy" when he gets back. We can't wait for the day that we get to hug him again.

We, along with the rest of his family in Texas, are very proud of Erik and we all miss him very much.

Our thoughts and prayers are also with all the Wolfhounds and other soldiers in Iraq — you are all doing a great job.

Mikaylah, Nikelis, and I love you and miss you very much Erik.

Stay safe and hurry home because it just isn't the same without you here with us.

Still there!

Sgt. Jason Thomas Escritor was deployed to Kuwait in February 2003, then into Iraq in March, when Operation Iraqi Freedom began.

Jason is from Hilo and graduated from Hawaiian Mission Academy in Honolulu, and the University of Hawai'i-Hilo.

His wife, Faith, and daughter, Shayelin, reside in Fort Hood, Texas. He is a mechanic on the Apache Longbow helicopters for the Army's D Troop, 6-6 Calvary, 11th Aviation Regiment, 5th Corp. Division.

He prays for his troops' safe exit, sincerely thanks those who will be replacing them and also prays for their safety.

My son, Spc. Keoni C. Escobido, is serving his country proudly in Iraq. He is a member of Company B, 4th Engineer Battalion.

After graduating from Pearl City High School in 1999, he promptly joined the Army. He wanted to see the world. He was stationed in Germany on his first assignment. He toured Europe and definitely saw the world.

He was deployed in 2000 to Kosovo — so being in Iraq, he has seen his second war. Much too much for a young man to experience, but he serves his country proudly.

He has been deployed in Iraq since April and I pray for his safe return and for the safety of all our troops.

I love you, son!

— Mom

By Kathie S. Earhart

My story is of a woman’s pride. On the left is my husband, Lt. Frank Earhart, who has been in the U.S. Navy for 26 years. We’ve been married for 22 years. On the right is our only son, Lance Cpl. Brandon Earhart, who proudly follows in our family’s military tradition with the U.S. Marine Corps. Brandon is in Iraq with the 4th Force Recon out of Kane‘ohe.

Brandon joined the Marine Reserve just after 9/11 and shortly thereafter became active, spending the past two years in training for Force Recon. Brandon is from Charleston, S.C., but moved to Hawai‘i when we received orders here with the Navy.

Although only 20, Brandon has seen much of the world due to our military travels, and he is proud to be helping the Iraqi people find peace and freedom in their own country. We pray for his safety and the safety of all our troops. Keep the love of God in your heart and he will guide you safely back to us.

By Victoria Correa

This is Staff Sgt. Marcus Emilyon of the Air Force, my youngest brother, who is deployed in "who knows where" land. Marcus is a 1978 graduate of Waipahu High School. Here is an excerpt from his latest e-mail:

"It has been the worst day so far as the weather. The wind is blowing very hard, about 55 mph and gusting up to the 70s and it's cold. We worked anyway. We have to support those Army and Marine troops nearing Baghdad. They have it even worse than we do. Sometimes I fear that this could escalate into something bigger and that I would be here even longer than we expected. We all need prayers.

"The work is always busy and that's good. Even 12-hour days seem to fly by. We still shower every other day and the food is a little better. We got to move from the tents to a trailer-type building. We have more room and it's a lot quieter. For the first time I slept without earplugs. No jets overhead, only in the distance. Keep the prayers, e-mails and packages coming. It really helps!"