“Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to.” – John Ed Pearce
“I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world.” – George Washington
I’m happy to report that our soldier in Iraq is coming home. Some of you have been following the story of a local Japanese American soldier (01/04/07 column) who was sent to Iraq last year for a one-year tour of duty. He is actually a Navy Seabee, which is the phonetic spelling for C.B., meaning “Construction Battalion.” In the past, those doing construction for the military during wartime were not allowed to arm themselves, but during WWII, it was determined that a mobile fighting construction battalion was needed.
The earliest Seabees were recruited from the civilian construction trades and were placed under the leadership of the Navy’s Civil Engineer Corps. More than 325,000 men served with the Seabees in WWII, fighting and building on six continents and more than 300 islands.
The official motto of the Seabees is “Construimus, Batuimus” – “We Build, We Fight.” The Seabees have a history of building bases, bulldozing and paving thousands of miles of roadway and airstrips, and accomplishing myriad other construction projects. Jonathan has been working six and a half days a week, with only a half day for rest. He recently helped construct a building that had to be put up in just 24 hours. They named it for one of their fallen fellow Seabees from Montana.
From Al Asad, a large former Iraqi airbase in the western Anbar Province, Jonathan writes in his own military-speak. I try to decipher details as I go.
“I am almost done. My counterpart arrived today and I am going over the turnover. It is really crazy here. NMCB 28 main body arrived and also most of the people who were out on the remote det sites are back. It is a zoo. We still have local work to do and people have short-timer syndrome. Plus we have to clean our weapons, mail stuff home, clean and turn in tools. There is a lot of story telling going on. Lots of adventures people are sharing. Some more heavy than others, of course.
“The new guys are pretty motivated, but it is all new too. They are getting a real education on how things are. I am going through a lot of reflection on my time here. What I did and could have done better. My roommate, Bruce, has been a good friend. Someday I have to go to Montana to visit. A lot of people I worked with are MT types. Talk later.”
One reason Jonathan wants to get back home is knowing that his 80-year-old dad has become very ill while he’s been away. The rest of his family has been trying to cope without him.
“We get PA (public announcement) info on mil (military) programming about families having to sacrifice along w/troops and I see this as the same deal. We are coming home soon. The oncoming battalion is in Kuwait now and their advance party should be here any day. I hope to be home by Easter. It will be real close. I had put in for the 96-hr liberty when we land so I can just sleep before coming home but sort of regret it now. I don’t think I need it. The demob (demobilization) unit in Gulfport doesn’t work weekends, so it will be real tight. See you when I get back. – Jonathan”
I had never really thought of it that way, but he is making me see how taking the troops’ place during crises on the home front is part of the sacrifice we here at home make as our wartime contribution. Although he is anxious to get home, in the meantime, he needs family and friends back home to fill in for him while he’s away, and they are doing just that.
“Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit ever answered to, in the strongest conjuration.” – Charles Dickens
