By:SFC. Rick Woods - December 24, 2004

Open letter to Sevier Countians:

The morning of Dec. 10, 2004, will forever be etched into my mind - that was the day we crossed over the berm into Iraq.

The fear of the unknown started to take hold; all that I had ever seen on the news was the gun battles, the IED'S, and all the insurgents.

So as we crossed the border into the first little village, I had in my mind all the bad stuff I had seen on television.

It was just before daybreak and people were starting to stir around outside. They welcomed us with friendly hand gestures and smiles - just the opposite of what I had in mind.

The ride to our new home for the next 12 months was long and tiring; you had to stay very vigilant, always looking for the bad guy.

About halfway to our new home, my truck broke down in front of a village.

The children of the village did not take long to notice that we had stopped in front of their village; they gathered around our vehicle begging for food, candy, pencils and pens. It was heart breaking to see them on the side of the highway begging for things we Americans take for granted.

It was in the 40s that day, and they had no shoes or coats. I was prepared for insurgent attacks but not for the way the little children were living. Here in Iraq, you are either poor as a whipperwill or you have money. There is no in-between.

As we pushed closer to our destination, we moved through more populated areas. I began to thank the Lord for the blessings that he has bestowed on us and our families; the people in these cities have to live in conditions that I would have never imagined unless I had seen it with my own eyes.

This will be the first Christmas that I have had to spend away from my family and loved ones. It is kind of hard, but after seeing the children over here, I am glad that we are here to help them.

Everyone from the Pigeon Forge unit is doing well - just homesick. Our living conditions here are not bad at all; the food is decent, the phone service is inexpensive (only 4 cents a minute), and free Internet access - all the luxuries of home.

I would like to wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

~ SFC. Rick Woods (address omitted)

Story Copyright to The Mountain Press