Remembering Our Winston-Salem & Greensboro Soldiers in Iraq

From my friend, Jill:

Americans have sharply divided opinions about the war in Iraq, and this was also true when U.S. forces were involved in combat operations in Vietnam and Korea. Wars are rarely popular but we all appear to agree on the need to support our troops.

From a personal viewpoint, I was especially pleased last month when 169 North Carolina Army National Guard soldiers returned home after spending close to a year in Iraq. I corresponded with one soldier from Winston-Salem whom I had never met. I was trying to boost his morale but he may have done a lot more for mine.

The soldiers who are now back are part of North Carolina's National Guard Bravo Battery and they were deployed to Balad, a city 80 miles north of Baghdad. Of the returning soldiers, 28 earned the Bronze Star for their service. Another 24 earned the Combat Action Badge. One soldier was awarded the Purple Heart. But, perhaps the best news of all is that all 169 soldiers in the battery made it back home safely.

This unfortunately can not be said for other NC soldiers. Over 120 Army soldiers and 140 Marines from North Carolina will never be coming home. These heroes include: Staff Sgt. Patrick O. Barlow, 42, of Greensboro, Lance Cpl. Kenneth J. Butler, 19, of Rowan, Sgt. Leonard W. Adams, 42, or Mooresville, Sgt. Mark P. Adams, 24, of Morrisville, Lance Cpl. Brian E. Anderson,26, or Durham, Cpl. Felipe C. Barbosa, 21 of High Point, Spc. Bradley S. Beard, 21, of Chapel Hill, Gunnery Sgt. Darrell W. Boatman, 38, of Fayettville, Spc. Lunsford B. Brown II, 27 of Creedmore, Lance Cpl. Benjamin S. Bryan, 23, of Lumberton, and Lt. Col. Charles H. Buehring, 40, of Fayetteville.

We will continue to honor our dead, but I think they would most want us to support their comrades who are still overseas. They will not be with us this Christmas but they should not be forgotten. You can communicate with them by snail mail, or as I did, through e-mail. (Of course, many do not have access to e-mail). The soldiers from Bravo Battery emphasized that mail is very much desired and it is a “mental lifesaver.”

It does not matter what you say. It can be about your dog, music, sports, Winston-Salem news, etc. Just anything but what they see and hear everyday. The link below is one way to find people from any of the Services, and it gives some ideas of what you can send and what the people over there may need or desire. Please remember that not everyone has a family that writes to them, and mail from our generation is especially appreciated. I did get to meet my soldier, and I want him to be the featured guest at our next happy hour. I am now writing to another guy in Fallujah because I could clearly see the impact this correspondence had. You will not change the world by writing to one soldier, but you can have a special role in their life.
www.anysoldier.com/index.cfm