We celebrated our first major holiday this month away from our families and loved ones. The dining facility put together a great holiday meal. There was turkey, roast beef, ham, cornish game hen, lobster, roast pig, shrimp, mashed potatoes & gravy, candied yams, macaroni and cheese, cranberries, stuffing, pies, and sparkling grape juice. The only thing that was missing was sitting down to the dinner table with our loved ones. The dining facility was open from noon until 7:00 pm to ensure that everyone could enjoy the meal. We are very thankful that we have not had any serious injuries since we have been mobilized. The living accommodations, the food, the facilities such as the PX, the weather, and the overall working environment are all better than we expected. We have a lot to be thankful for. We thank you for supporting us while we fulfill our duty to our country.
This month will be another difficult month to be separated from our loved ones. It will not be easy for us in Iraq, and it will not be easy for you at home. We have received several boxes of Christmas cards from the Veterans of Foreign Wars Lodge in Ogden, Utah and have distributed them amongst the soldiers to be mailed to their loved ones. Care packages have been arriving daily for many of the soldiers. Some soldiers have had the opportunity to send holiday greetings that will be aired on local television networks back home. We are coordinating for a Morale Video Tele-Conference (VTC) to be established between our base camp and other military installations back home. We are looking at military installations in Utah, Colorado, and Pennsylvania for the VTC connections. As we get more information, we will contact the Family Support Group Leaders to inform everyone. We are thinking of you during this time of year and wish you happy holidays. As always, we will do our best to stay safe and to take care of each other.
Sincerely
Major Harold C. Clements
