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The Classic May 2003
Close tie to soldiers person radio that they wouldn't allow troops by Jennifer Gong and Angela Hom The United States Marine Corps and to talk online because of the possibilArmy are actively involved in the cur- ity that Iraqi intelligence might inter~ rent Iraqi conflict, doing their best to cept the messages," explained Sarah. serve their country. Many around the Now that the war has come to an end, nation have adorned their houses and however, she has been in contact with neighborhood trees with yellow ribbons him and knows that he is in Iraq . "It was such an incredible relief to in support of these troops and feel distant connections to them; however, there speak to him again after not hearing are some who are feeling the brunt of from him for so long. He was back to the war more than others. These include relatives and close friends of soldiers stationed in the Middle East or those involved in Homeland Security. Career Sergeants "I feel that all of the soldiers out there are heroes," said Security Agent Alice Gatling. This includes her nephew Algie Gatling, a sergeant -5 in the United States Army, who has " c53 been with the force for 15 years and ~ is currently serving in Iraq . One of ~ his main tasks has been disarming ~ landmines that were set in the roads. ~ When Agent Gatling found out s: that her nephew was in combat, she was "upset," but not only for her nephew. "I am upset for all the sol- Security Agent Alice Gatling's nephew Algie diers out there," she said. "One loss Galling is an army sergeant currently serving in is too many as far as a mother's Iraq. Her son Staff Sergeant Mark Alexander Gatling will be leaving for Kuwait on August 18. child. [When I hear of a casualty,] I take it personally, because it is still his normal fun self. He kept laughing somebody's child." Algie was featured in an article in The and joking around with me and was New York Times while he was serving in glad to be coming home soon," said Kuwait. "It was about coming home to Sarah. Although Sarah does think that "war visit his mother," who was concerned with Algie being away for so long, said is never a good thing because armed Agent Gatling. "In it, he said something forces as well as civilians die," she also [along the lines of] ' It's not over until feels as though people should support the troops that are out there. "I read a the President says it's over.", lot of these anti-war e-mails that target Agent Gatling's son, Staff Sergeant the soldiers specifically, that they Mark Alexander, is currently preparing spread death, and it gets me upset," she to go out into Kuwait and will be leaving on August 18 to help rebuild the said . "They are just trying to do what country. He, like Algie, is making a ca- they think is right, trying to serve their reer out of his term in the armed forces . country," Sarah added. Even though combat in Iraq seems "It doesn't matter how they feel personally about the war," said Agent Gatling. to have ended, sophomore Venus "They must support their commander-in- Cheung still doesn't have much information about the location of her older chief." "I'm not happy," said Agent Gatling brother, Jacky, a marksman in the Maabout her son's duties. However, "I guess rines who might be in Kuwait or Iraq. I'm a lot luckier than other mothers be- Venus spoke to her brother a few cause he's not going into combat, but I months ago for only "a 15 second talk." Venus is able to contact her brother know that they still have to be on point, solely through letters, which she sends as the saying goes," she said. to an address provided to her family Out of Contact Senior Sarah Schnee met her close by the wife of a sergeant in the Mafriend Evan Hsieh a few years ago while rines. "She told us where to send them working at the Flushing YMCA. She saw and what we can send [with] them," him almost every day over the summer said Venus . Some commodities that and talked to him regularly through in- were suggested included bug repellent, stant messages on the internet, but these bottled water, and deodorant. At the moment, Venus hasn't reexchanges disappeared when Evan's Marines Reserve force was called to serve ceived her brother's response to her last in Kuwait. "They gave him one week's letter and she's unsure as to whether notice," said Sarah. "He was supposed "he's just really busy or the letters to graduate from Stony brook [Univer- haven't reached us yet." One of her sity] in May and his term was almost only worries is that "if something hapover. This was something that he did on pened to him, I wouldn't know until the very end" because of the lack of weekends." Evan, who is an infantryman and elec- information that can be released contrician in the Marines, left for the Middle cerning the troops. Jacky originally joined the Marines - East about two months ago. "About a because "he wanted a challenge," said week before the war [began], he wasn't Venus. "He was going to Binghamton online anymore. I heard a report on the
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[University} and had friends [in the Marines] who liked it, and he wanted to try it out. He was in the Marines for two summers and didn't expect to go to war," she explained. Going into the conflict with Iraq, Jacky was scared because "it's dangerous out there," said Venus, but then again, "he likes to live on the dangerous side." Frederick Ortiz joined the Marines in January of last year "on a whim," according to his cousin, freshman Christy Tomecek. "His friend was joining and the paycheck ~as good," she said. Then, as he left for the Middle East, Frederick, a lance corporal in the force, was "eager to see combat and to defend his country," said Christy. "He was excited to go," she added . . Christy, however, who last saw her cousin at a family get-together over the holidays, was "very nervous" when she found out that Frederick would be fighting "because I didn't support the war," she said, and has been experiencing "lingering jitters" ever since. "I hope the war ends soon and that he comes home soon," she said. Mixed Emotions One senior, who wishes to remain anonymous, has many family members in the military. Her sister and her mother are both in the Navy, her godfather is in the Air Force, and several of her relatives who have been retired are planning to re-activate because of the war. She also has friends in the Marines, This senior faces "mixed emotions" towards the involvement of her friends and family. "Of course I am afraid of someday receiving news of the death of someone I love," she said in the early days of the war. "Of course f feel a great sadness when my mother tries to prepare me for her own departure ; But at the same time, I feel great pride each time I see them in uniform . . . All I can do now is support them and their cause." She does not see the necessity of this
challenge? They will have to face and accept the ugliness of war. .. The most important thing to do now is to unite," she said. Freshman Danielle Trosa's cousin, Adrienne, has been a part of the United States Army for about a year and has been serving in Kuwait since January. In the army, Adrienne is a special military officer and searches Iraqi suspects for weapons and other such items. "She's in high demand because she's a woman and a specialized soldier," said Danielle. Adrienne was involved in special training to serve in the military police and is the only female in her unit. Although Adrienne is "scared and doesn't get much sleep, she is proud be serving her country," said Danielle, who sends letters and care packages to her cousin once in a while. These packages include basic amenities such as snacks, lotion, antibacterial soaps and eyedrops . Danielle said that it is a "little scary" to know somebody who is out in Iraq. However, "I know she's tough and can get through it," she said . "I have no worries." "It hasn't quite hit me that there's a possibility that he won't come back," said senior Diana Hsiao, whose cousin, Daniel Wang, has been in Kuwait serving as a part of the United States Army since the end of February. Daniel has been in the Army for about one and a half to two years since the age of 18. . Before he'Ieft to serve, Daniel called his family on the telephone to say his goodbyes. "I took it lightly because we hadn't talked to each other for a long time, and we just caught up. It was a 'How've you been? What have you been up to?' kind of thing," she said . "After we hung up with him, our whole family spent the next hour praying for him." Homeland Security For Jessica Hetherington, senior, the involvement of a close family member in the war effort is closer to home. Her father, Christopher Hetherington, is the First Deputy Commissioner of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Office of Emergency Management (OEM). She feels that the war is necessary. "Knowing what my father does for a living gives me a little more insight than most, and I am able to say that war is necessary to maintain our freedom and protec~ tion. We need to trust our govern~ ment and believe that everything . ~ is in our best interest," she said. ] Jessica trusts that her father 1i'will remain safe throughout the ~ duration of this war. She believes ..c:: 0.. that he "is very intelligent and would not put himself in danger. The OEM is advanced enough to Senior Sarah Schnee is all smiles after hearing from her close friend Evan Hsieh, an engineer in the Marines, avoid danger." She is proud of who has been serving in Iraq. him, and feels that "there is no one war, and "cannot even express [her] an- else who could do his job," which inger towards our president," but she feels cludes being part of the management that "all we can do now is support our team at OEM. "I believe that everything troops." "Who am I to voice any oppo- happens for a reason, so his being in sition I might have when, clearly, my [OEM] is the best thing for everyone," friends and family a~e up for a greater said Jessica. e,