 |
The
lights went out, but no one was home
Fighting child abuse with knowledge
Head Start effort reaches finish line
Larson can remain on board until June 30
|
Soldiers' homecoming |
Five Newberg residents return home safely from war
in Iraq |
By Gunnar
Olson, Newberg Graphic reporter
E-mail Gunnar at
golson@eaglenewspapers.com
|
The ink was two days dry on the deed to the first house Dawn and
Oliver Hall could call their own when Oliver was called to active
duty with the Oregon Army National Guard. Capt. Hall was gone for
training two weeks later.
Hall, 39, returned to civilian life this week after 18 months of
active duty, 12 of those months spent in Iraq, to the 1950s house in
Newberg, which his wife had already begun fixing up despite his
absence. He came home to a newly landscaped yard, two new toilets
and new flooring.
His 4-year-old son, Kaleb, had grown, as had his 6-year-old
daughter, Caitlin, who let her first loose tooth dangle for two
months waiting for her dad to witness its removal. His wife, Dawn,
said becoming a single mother for more than a year was the hardest
thing she’s done in her 34 years.
“It’s been a long 18 months,” Dawn said. “But it was also short. I
was so busy.”
Capt. Hall was among the more than 700 soldiers in the 2nd
Battalion, 162nd Infantry — including at least four more from
Newberg — to return to Oregon March 17 and 18 after a year fighting
the war in Iraq. Thursday was their last day of active duty, a
demobilization ceremony after two weeks of debriefing.
The soldiers were still standing in formation Thursday afternoon as
Oregon welcomed them stateside at the pavilion at the Oregon State
Fairgrounds in Salem. Gov. Ted Kulongoski, a Marine Corps veteran
himself, told the expansive grid of men and women standing at
attention in desert fatigues that no moment of his governorship
compared with this one, but that he would keep his remarks short.
“A grateful state and a grateful nation welcome you home. Job well
done,” he said, adding shortly, “With your families in sight I know
you don’t want to stand here and listen to your commander in chief.”
After remarks from more dignitaries, including U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden,
after the retirement of the colors and the close of an hourlong
ceremony, the soldiers were dismissed. A roar went up. The clean
lines of soldiers standing in formation suddenly melted into a sea
of civilians free to go home, available now to embrace their mothers
and fathers, girlfriends and boyfriends, husbands and wives, sons
and daughters.
Hall’s mother, Virlea, described what it was like having a son at
war. “You feel like you’re under a blanket,” she said. “You can’t
live with the worry in the front of your brain. So you carry it.”
The Halls are among the lucky ones. Nine soldiers didn’t return to
their families; Hall knew three of the fallen.
Hall was doubly fortunate in that he lived close enough to Salem to
slip home at night during the two weeks of debriefing. For scores
more, Thursday was their first chance to reunite with loved ones.
Soldiers returning to Newberg include 1st. Lt. Christopher Beoholt,
Spec. Ryan Brown, Sgt. William Duffer and Pvt. Aaron McNelly.
The members of the 2-162 bring home many memories, including one
unit’s discovery of weapons caches and also the intervention in the
abuse of Iraqi prisoners at the hands of their own countrymen.
Hall’s duties didn’t get him outside the fence much. He was a part
of headquarters, working in a secure area in downtown Baghdad. A
computer guy with a microbiology degree from Oregon State
University, Hall’s job was to oversee communications and advise the
commander.
Hall said his worst memory was the death of a Iraqi community
leader, assassinated for his efforts to take advantage of the
country’s newfound freedoms. Worse, the sheik left behind a young
daughter.
“It broke my heart,” Hall said.
Hall said the climax of the tour was Jan. 30, 2005, the day of the
first Iraqi elections. He characterized it as the beginning of the
soldiers’ end in Iraq.
“We kind of realized we were done,” he said.
Hall likened the changes in Iraq to the American Revolution, and
said it was “cool” to be there for theirs.
Hall’s best memory was of the acquaintance he made with a family of
brothers. The oldest two were well-educated and fled the country to
escape Saddam Hussein’s regime. They returned to help rebuild the
country.
“They were there to bring Iraq into the modern world,” he said.
“That was the most inspiring thing.”
Hall and his wife said they didn’t have any immediate plans, just
to resettle the house and to rest. Oliver has a job waiting for him
at Providence St. Vincent Hospital, where he works as a pharmacy
technician and Dawn works as an operating-room nurse.
“It’s unbelievable,” Hall said, when asked how it felt to be home.
“It’s like life starts again.” |
|
From
April 2, 2005, Newberg Graphic
Click Here to Subscribe |
|
|
