Iraqi children learn the shaka

By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer

Children are fascinated with U.S. soldiers, in most cases giving the "thumbs up" and waving.

Chaplain Everett Franklin of the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, visited the Citadel in Kirkuk, an old fortress that's said to contain the tomb of Daniel the Prophet. While Franklin was there, upwards of a dozen children gathered around.

"They want to know your name and where you're from," Franklin said.

"There's an innocence, really. Many have lived through a lot of pain, (but) they will greet you and say, 'Hi, mister,' and they really try to learn your language — a lot more than we know theirs.

"You see the hope that this nation can do better with all the resources it has."

Franklin has seen something else demonstrated by children — the shaka sign. Soldiers from Schofield gave the shaka on the first of three convoys from Kuwait. That's all it took.

A lot of youngsters picked it up within a day and "were giving us the shaka on the way up," Franklin said.

Road accidents leave eight injured

The Army says eight Schofield Barracks soldiers have been injured in two separate Humvee rollovers in northern Iraq.

So far more than 10 soldiers have been injured in all, including a gunshot wound and eye injury. No injury was life-threatening.

Saturday night, a Humvee belonging to the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, rolled over in a chase with a suspect vehicle in Al Huwijah west of Kirkuk, officials said.

Capt. Nathan Minami, 2nd Brigade assistant operations officer, said the the lead Humvee in a group of three hit a ditch and flipped over. Three soldiers suffered some broken bones and lacerations, and were medevaced.

The 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, had a similar accident Sunday during a raid southwest of the city of Tuz when a Humvee rolled into a ditch and several soldiers were thrown from the vehicle, Minami said. Those soldiers also suffered some broken bones.

"The body armor really is saving guys' lives," Minami said, referring to the 16-pound Kevlar flak vests, with ceramic plates front and back, that provided protection for the upper chest during the rollovers.

Last week, a 21-year-old private first class from Schofield was shot in the arm during a raid near Al Huwijah. A 35-year-old staff sergeant suffered an eye injury in an "improvised explosive device" attack.

A Humvee with the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment also tipped on its side during the convoy trip from Kuwait to Kirkuk. No one was seriously hurt.

Letters, goodies boost morale

When it comes to mail from family and friends, soldiers say the more, the better.

The delivery time from Mainland post offices to recipients at Kirkuk Air Base is about two weeks.

"It's important. It brings up your morale," said Pfc. Benjamin Grieve, 24, of Denver, who is with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry.

"It's always nice to get some sort of letter from the outside. Most of my family sends me stuff letting me know how things are."

Grieve recently got a Valentine card from his grandparents in Pueblo, Colo., and a "miss you" card from his aunt.

Pfc. Kevin Smith, 28, a Squad Automatic Weapon gunner with Charlie Company who's also from Denver, received letters from his mom, several from his fiancée in Las Vegas, and a carton of cookies, potato chips, beef jerky, Kool-Aid and candy for the 2nd Platoon.

"It's awesome. It puts a big smile when you read everything (family and friends) are thinking," said Smith, who plans on marrying his fiancée the first chance he gets — and that could be when, and if, the soldiers get a "rest and relaxation" trip back home part way through their yearlong deployment.

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