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MADISON - ST. CLAIR RECORD

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Cheers from Iraq!

To the Editor:

Greetings from Iraq!

Currently I am serving with the United States Air Force at a Forward Operating Base, called Camp Anaconda near Balad, Iraq. My home of record is St. Louis, Mo., where I am a traditional guardsman with the 131st Fighter Wing at Lambert IAP.

I am a truck driver in my civilian life with Pepsi Americas, but here in Iraq, I am a load master/aircraft cargo supervisor. The days over here are long and tedious and we take mortar and rocket fire from insurgents sometimes on an hourly basis. So, it is with utmost respect and gratitude for recently we received a care package in the mail.

From the bottom of my heart I want to thank Mayor Graham of O'Fallon, Ill., for paying the shipping cost and the Republican ladies of St. Clair County for all the great stuff--thank you so much.

We are all overwhelmed by the generosity from people like yourselves for we cannot get many of the items that you and your friends acquired for us. Not to worry at all, for it all will be used up and probably before the end of the year.

Things get tight around here with many personnel, especially with the Army folks we have here at Anaconda. Every now and then we get volunteered (I call it volun-told) to go outside the wire (off the main post) to serve as gunners for truck convoys.

It really is no good here. However, I do believe in what we are doing and that we can, one day, help the Iraqi people help themselves.

I am saying this because if it were not for all your support and heartfelt care from back home I don’t think I could spend one week in this place let alone one year. So thank all who gave and pitched in.

May God bless each and everyone of you and your families over the holidays.

Tech Sgt. David K. Lawrence
Balad, Iraq

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