Photo By 1st Lt. James Lavelle | As the children and service members cleaned the paint off their hands and picked up...... read more read more
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CAMP SLAYER, Iraq — One of the greatest motivators for men and women joining the military is the opportunity to serve others and to make a difference in the world.
A group of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines on Victory Base Complex, Baghdad, have found a way to do just that.
On Aug. 2, this group of approximately 40 service members joined forces with the Iraqi Boy Scouts and Girl Guides in an effort to clean up and beautify the "Flintstone Palace."
The Flintstone Palace was originally a play area for Saddam Hussein's grandchildren. Hussein had it constructed to mirror the town of Bedrock, from Hanna-Barbera's 'Flintstones' cartoons. Unfortunately, very few children ever had an opportunity to play here as Hussein restricted the use to his own family members and close friends.
In recent years, the Flintstone Palace has been neglected and vandalized and now is in poor condition
On a sunny Sunday afternoon the Iraqi Scouts and service members took the time to give back, and worked to make the Flintstone Palace a little nicer.
The event was led by Maj. Gary Farley, of the Iraqi Ground Forces Command Military Transition Team and 1st Lt. Jessica Burton, of the 2/664 Ordnance Detachment, 620th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade. With a little help from their U.S. friends, the scouts worked together to clean up and paint portions of the palace.
The project kicked off when the scouts lined up and toured the palace. They were surprised to find the rooms so badly covered in graffiti, but excited to learn that they would be able to paint over it and make their own mark.
The scouts picked up their brushes and rollers and covered the walls, themselves and their service member friends with a fresh coat of white paint. As the children painted the walls, painter Abdul Sajad, a local Iraqi artist impressed many onlookers as he hand painted a mural with a cheerful theme, full of colorful flowers and birds in flight.
Once the paint had a chance to dry, the scouts were able to put their handprints on the wall, and leave a little bit of themselves behind. At first the children were a bit hesitant, but with a demonstration by Burton, an Army officer from Fort Hood, Texas, and a little gentle encouragement, they were soon hand painting masters. The only question was who had the bigger smiles, the scouts or their American friends.
One of the goals of the project was to teach the children about service. "This was an opportunity for the kids to improve their country with their own hands. They are learning to take pride in their work and their community," said 1st Lt. Burton.
The final project of the day also tied in with this theme. As the children and service members cleaned the paint off their hands and picked up their tools, a small group attached a commemorative plaque to the entryway of the palace. The plaque read "Restoring Iraq one place at a time. Iraqi Boy Scouts and Girl Guides worked to improve this site. Please keep this site beautiful. The future of Iraq thanks you."
| Date Taken: | 08.02.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 09.21.2009 10:14 |
| Story ID: | 39084 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 80 |
| Downloads: | 40 |
This work, Many hands make light work, by 1LT James Lavelle, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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