MOSUL, Iraq (July 3, 2006) --The 274th Forward Surgical Team held the grand opening of Ikai"ka house on Forward Operating Base Diamondback, Mosul, Iraq June 26.
The house is named in honor of 1st Lt. Nainoa K. Hoe, platoon leader, 2nd Plt, Company C, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, (Tropic Lighting), Stryker Brigade Combat Team. Hoe paid the ultimate sacrifice when he lost his life in June 2005.
1st Lt. Sara Horak, executive officer, 274th FST, went out her way to insure the memory of her friend is carried on forever.
"This house is dedicated to Hoe, who was a close friend of mine," said Horak. "I feel a sense of closure, for me to be able to dedicate it to my friend, it is kind of a healing process."
Ikai"ka which means strength, is a house where patients who have been treated at the 47th Combat Support Hospital can stay anywhere from a few hours to a few days. It gives them a place where they can relax and begin the healing process from their injuries.
"I feel good now that Soldiers have a place to stay and be comfortable, they get tremendous world class patient care from the hospital and now they can come here to Ikai"ka house and that care will continue," said Horak.
The house took just over a week to finish and several Soldiers helped to make it a reality including Soldiers like Sgt. 1st Class Rejan Robinson, and Staff Sgt. Paul Keel, 872nd Maintenance Company, who helped with the carpentry.
"I can't thank everyone enough for helping out and what this means to me," Horack said. "It just shows you that everyones heart is in the right place."
According to Horack she has three months left in theatre and hopes that the new team replacing her unit will keep up with the care of the facility.
Sgt. 1st Class Jomo Anderson, 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 172nd SBCT was the first Soldier to stay at Ikai"ka, and finds the accommodations very respectable.
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"It is very comfortable with all the accommodations," said Anderson. "It is a whole lot better than sleeping in one of those cots, or staying in one of those combat housing units."
Hoe was one of those individuals that left an impact on people," said Horack. "This is our way of saying thank you to him for paying the ultimate sacrifice and helping to free the Iraqi people."
Hoe also had an assault course renamed in his honor back in Fort Lewis, Wash. That dedication was conducted on the same day as Ikai"ka House.
"Even though we are separated by thousands of miles and three continents we were still brought together by the type of person Hoe was," said Horack. "We want to leave his memory and our memories all over the world".
| Date Taken: | 07.06.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 07.06.2006 13:18 |
| Story ID: | 7066 |
| Location: | MOSUL, IQ |
| Web Views: | 48 |
| Downloads: | 17 |
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