June 28, 2005

Carla Cody, Tribune Correspondent

For now, State Trooper Mike Bales of Hamblen County presently lives in a concrete conex in Iraq. He and the others in his platoon have made F.O.B. Bernstien (Forward Operating Base) home. Their bunkers were once used by the Iraqi air force to park airplanes, but soldiers from the 278th now call the not-so-cozy abode home. Bales said his bed is comfortable enough, but when he is in it, he is usually dreaming of being home.

He said he never imagined a two-week vacation to Morristown would sound so good. Yet, when his plane landed in Knoxville last Saturday for a two-week leave, Bales knew he was on the best vacation of his life. Nov. 15, 2005 was the last time he had seen his friends and family. His wife, Hazel, said it had been way too long.

After spending the weekend with his family, one of the first things Bales wanted to do was visit his friends at the Hamblen County Justice Center. As a state trooper, he spends plenty of time there. He said the thought of driving around in his air-conditioned cruiser sounded good, but it was the people he missed most.

As he strolled the halls of the justice center, he was overwhelmed with greetings. The women showered Mike with hugs. The men, perhaps too macho to embrace him in a hug, were more than generous with their handshakes. His fellow workers said they were proud one of their own was representing them in the fight for freedom.

Hamblen County Circuit Court Clerk Kathy Mullins said she thought about Mike often.

"We are just glad he is okay, and we are glad to see him," Mullins said.

They were not the only ones glad to see him. His wife said this year has been hard. Bales missed Christmas, and their 25th wedding anniversary. He has also missed out on plenty of home repairs.

"Everything that could tear up, has torn up," Hazel said.

Her laundry room floor fell in. Her car has constantly needed repairs, and her appliances all seem to be going faulty. Even so, Hazel said she did not take the "to do" list with her to the airport to greet her husband.

"None of that matters compared to the worst part of his being gone. I just miss him," she said.

Sure, she communicates with Mike nearly every day. They both have Web-cams, and they are fortunate enough to share e-mails and phone calls.

"But, e-mails and phone calls are not the same. There is still a hole when he is not here," Hazel said.

She said their 2-year-old grandson, Dustin, reaches for his grandfather while sitting at the computer.

"He will grab at the Web-cam as though he trying to touch Mike. He knows he is in Iraq, but it is hard for a 2 year old to grasp that concept,"she said.

Mike said there are others who have a hard time grasping the concept of a grandpa being gone to war, but not for the same reasons as Dustin.

"People aren’t used to a 46-year-old grandpa at war. Even the army doctors and nurses have had to adjust to the ailments of us older guys. We have different health issues than the 19-year-old GIs of times past," he said.

According to Bales, there are several things different in Iraq than of wars past.

His father, Dewey, a World War II veteran, has told him plenty of war stories.

Bales knows he is fortunate in many ways.

"We woke up on Christmas day and shared a fruit cake and some zucchini bread someone had sent one of the guys. That is a pretty good Christmas morning compared to the Christmas my father spent in 1944 when his ship was hit by a torpedo in the English Channel. My father woke up on Christmas morning in France with nothing but the clothes on his back," Bales said.

Dewey said he worried about his son, although many of the circumstances of today’s war are better for the GIs than in World War II.

The father knows people still die in war, regardless of the comforts or discomforts of the war zones. While he does not have Internet himself, Dewey speaks to his son weekly. He said Mike calls to give them updates on how he is doing, and how things are going in Iraq.

As for how things are going there, Mike said he does not get into the political side of the war.

"As soldiers, we are over there to do a job. On a day to day basis, the GIs are just there with our boots on the ground concentrating on doing our part of the job we are assigned to do. We stay too busy to worry about politics, but we do know there are a lot of good things going on there," he said.

Bales said the Iraqi children are one of the greatest joys of his time in Iraq.

"The kids line up in the street when they know we are going to be coming by.

They run out to see us. Of course, it helps that we give them candy, shoes, coloring books, and other things that people from home send us. We feel like this is instrumental in building relationships with the Iraqi people. As this generation of kids grows up, they will always remember the American soldiers treated them well. Also, their parents love us because they know we are good to their children," he said.

He spends his days riding around in 130-degree weather in a Humvee, carrying a machine gun to protect convoys.

The thought of her husband cruising around Iraq in a Hummer is a bit unsettling to Hazel. She knows the people there are glad Americans are there to protect freedom, but she knows there are freedom haters across the world. Her husband keeps her informed of the good things in Iraq, but she is also well aware of the media’s focus on the insurgents in Iraq.

"I read everything I can find about what is going on over there. While I know the media focuses on the bad stuff, I also know my husband is there in the middle of it all," Hazel said.

Both Mike and Hazel said they were thankful for the support of the Lakeway Area community. Mike said the guys from the 278th have been overwhelmed by the packages and support from home.

"We love getting the shipments from home. It is like Christmas every time we get them," Bales said. Mike's brother, Steve, has been a strong support system for Hazel. He has helped fill in the gap when things at home have gone wrong.

Although her husband is home for now, Hazel said she will not spend the next week and a half concentrating on all the housework and repair.

In the end, Hazel said it is not the circumstances of war time that is the hardest.

For Hazel, the maintenance of their home is inconvenient. For Mike, there are many conveniences. Yet, he doesn’t worry all that much about the dirty water that flows from the shower at F.O.B. Bermstein. Though their war time circumstances and inconveniences are different, Hazel and Mike are usually thinking the same thought: Their reunion.

For now, they will enjoy every single moment of the short-term break.

Story Copyright to Morristown Citizen Tribune