
From left, Maj. Annette Hoffman, Hawai'i Kai; Sgt. 1st Class Joel Quebec, Maui; and Spc. Merlinda Suka, Wai'anae, get around Baghdad in a Humvee with a Hawai'i license plate. |
By Joel Quebec
Here are three more soldiers from Hawai'i serving in Iraq. We are the 30th Military History Detachment from Fort Shafter.
We arrived in Kuwait on April 26 and moved into Baghdad on May 7 after a two-day drive from Camp Doha, Kuwait. We will document the actions of the 75th Exploitation Task Force, the unit from Fort Sill searching for weapons of mass destruction. We are staying in the complex of one of Saddam Hussein's palaces southwest of Baghdad.
The Hawai'i license plate on our Humvee belongs to me and gets quite a few comments. A full-size Hawaiian flag is on display at the entrance to my quarters. It was also flown at Eagle Base in Bosnia last year.
Aloha mai no.
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Master Sgt. Abraham Queja Jr. |
By Anna Tes Queja Belen
I am extremely proud of my brother, Master Sgt. Abraham Queja Jr. Originally from Kalihi, he is stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., with his wife, Michelle, and daughters, Shayna and Tiffany.
"Junior" joined the Army in 1986, when he was 17. He is a paratrooper with the 307th Engineer Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division. Junior is a responsible, dependable, patient and caring man with a great sense of humor. He is always joking around and can make you laugh at any time. Even on deployment, he is thoughtful enough to send out birthday wishes and gifts.
Our parents, along with his wife, girls, in-laws, brothers, sisters, niece Ashley, and nephew Kaleb miss him a whole lot. We pray for him every day and for his safe return, as well as for the other brave men and women in our military. We thank him for the wonderful job that he does and love him very much.
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