Soldiers make most of holiday season

Courtesy Photo | The Sports Oasis was filled with service members and civilians hungry for a good Christmas dinner. Among the favorite dishes of the Soldiers were candied yams and collard greens.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

12.29.2005

Courtesy Story

DVIDS Hub       

By Pfc. Mark B. Matthews
MNC-I PAO

CAMP VICTORY, Baghdad, Iraq " As service members and civilians endure the separation from friends and family members back home during this holiday season, they can rest assured that dinner will be served.

A special Christmas lunch and dinner were served at both the Coalition Café and the Sports Oasis here.

Lunch was served and service members had many traditional foods to choose from like candied yams, turkey, dressing, ham and shrimp. For those who missed lunch or just couldn't get enough the first time around, a special dinner was served as well.

Food seemed to be a welcomed shortcut to morale. Even though it would never be able to replace home cooking, it was still a nice change.

Although most service members did not have the pleasure of being in the presence of family during the holiday season, they agree that having their friends around makes the holidays away much more bearable.

"Being able to be with my buddies during Christmas helps a lot," said Pfc. Ander Bishop, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 18th Airborne Corps. "They're a bunch of good guys."

Some service members took matters into their own hands. If they couldn't be with their real families they would surround themselves with the next best thing.

"If you have people that you really care about around you, they become your surrogate family," said Maj. Taina Delaney, Multi National Corps - Iraq. "You learn to adapt and make the most of the situation."

Service members seemed to appreciate the thought that went into making the Christmas lunch and dinner happen.

Even though this Christmas may not be the most comfortable, service members still continue to bring stability to a country that next Christmas may be able to celebrate its own holiday season in peace.

• Date Taken: 12.29.2005
• Date Posted: 12.29.2005 11:49
• Story ID: 4223
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ