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Brothers reunite in Baghdad for Thanksgiving

Photo By Sgt. Johnnie French | Staff Sergeants Lorenzo, Tyrone and Corey Antley catch up on old times at an impromptu...... read more read more

ISKANDARIYAH, IRAQ

11.23.2006

Courtesy Story

2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division Public Affairs

By Sgt. J.H. French
4th BCT (ABN), 25 Inf. Div. Public Affairs

KALSU, Iraq - Thanksgiving is a time to reflect, remember and give thanks for the blessings in life.

Out of all the things Staff Sgt. Corey Antley, a communications and network administrator with A Battery, 2nd Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division is thankful for, being in Iraq at first seems the most unlikely.

However, Antley is in Iraq fighting along side his two older brothers.

Tyrone Antley has been deployed for the last 16th months. Corey Antley and Lorenzo Antley are just beginning their second tours here in Iraq.

Staff Sgt. Lorenzo Antley, the oldest brother, is an intelligence analyst in the 1st Cavalry Division and Staff Sgt. Tyrone Antley, the middle brother, is and infantryman with the 172nd Stryker Brigade.

"It is almost overwhelming," said Lorenzo Antley. "Getting to see both of my brothers here after such a long time is all such a surprise."

The last time the brothers were all together was during a chance meeting at home in Orangeburg, S.C., nearly seven years ago.

Corey was home on leave and Tyrone was there while changing duty stations. When Lorenzo heard his brothers were home he drove in from Ft. Gordon to visit.

"The last time we were all together was in May of 2000," said Corey Antley. "It was just a chance occasion. Once the three of us were home, the whole family started showing up. We had the whole family there, even our cousins from Baltimore and New York came in."

The chance occasion turned into an impromptu family reunion, complete with food, drinks and fun.

"We had a huge cook-out and were grilling steaks and chicken. It was a great time," he continued. "We were sneaking and having a few beers behind mom's back. She would still kick out butts if she caught us. It was the best time I can ever remember having."

This family reunion was in a little different setting. The brothers traded their family farm in South Carolina for a palace in Baghdad, Iraq and their own pond for a lake complete with palaces and chalets that once belonged to Saddam Hussein. The beer was still around but in non-alcoholic variety and the rest of the family was there via telephone.

"How's the war coming along?" asked the brothers' father, Joseph, when he answered their phone call.

Their father is a retired Vietnam Veteran who urged his sons to go to college and stay out of the military.

"He raised us to be strong, confident young men," said Corey Antley. "I think all of us want to be half the man he is."

"He always told us to stay out of the military and definitely stay out of the infantry. One by one we all joined and Tyrone even joined as a grunt. Dad would just shake his head but he always had little smile that showed he was proud."

Their mother, Gladys, was so excited she nearly cried on the phone when it was her turn to talk.

"I wish you were here with me but I understand why you can't be so I'm just happy you are together," she said. "It puts my mind at ease knowing you're with each other."

Mrs. Antley has had to worry about her sons being deployed before, but this is the first time that the three of them have deployed at the same time.

"Our mom definitely has a strong backbone," said Tyrone Antley. "She worries a lot and prays for us a lot more."

"Hearing our voices on the phone and knowing we were together for Thanksgiving gave our mom a huge sigh of relief," said Corey Antley. "It was the first good night of sleep she has had since we got here. She is constantly worried about her boys. It meant everything to her that we could be together."

Even though the brothers couldn't be with their mother, father, wives and children on Thanksgiving it was special to them all the same.

"We are right where we should be this year," said Lorenzo Antley. "I get to spend Thanksgiving with my family, my little brothers and that makes is special."

"It is a great story we can all tell our grand kids one day," continued Tyrone Antley.

Even though the brothers were all in Iraq together the Baghdad reunion wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been for the efforts of Corey.

"I started thinking that it might be possible back in Alaska. Tyrone thinks Alaska is the best thing since sliced bread and that is why I wanted to get stationed there. We were supposed to go king salmon fishing when he got home but he ended up getting extended," he said. "I think it bothered me more than it did him. I knew exactly where he was and what he was out doing. That was when I started thinking about getting the three of us together."

Corey and Lorenzo arrived in Kuwait at the same time on the same day so the youngest of the brothers was given renewed hope of setting the reunion up.

"We had just arrived at the airport when someone told me he had just ran into another staff sergeant Antley," Corey said. "I knew exactly where to look for him. After that many hours on an airplane I knew he would be in the smoking area."

"After we saw each other at the airport he was determined to track me down again," said Lorenzo. "At Camp Buehring he must have walk about four miles in the middle of the night to find out where I was staying. That was when we started talking about the possibility of all of us getting together."

Once the two brothers arrived in Iraq, Corey made a few phone calls, talked to the right people and the reunion was arranged, but was still a challenge to make happen.

Tyrone arrived at Camp Liberty with his body armor peppered with shrapnel from an improvised explosive device that hit his truck on the way to meet his brothers.

The next day, Corey flew in to Baghdad from Forward Operating Base Kalsu.

"I was like a kid at Christmas time," said Corey. "I couldn't sleep at all the night before. I was wondering how they had changed. I wondered how they would look and if Lorenzo had gotten fat."

In fact, the brothers hadn't changed that much at all.

Lorenzo did have a little gut going and Tyrone had some gray hair but other than that it was just like old times, he continued. They were even picking on me like we were kids again.

Having Lorenzo and Tyrone as big brothers, Corey began his training to be a paratrooper at a young age.

They used to launch me off of teeter-totters and push me out of trees all the time. Needless to say, I spent a lot of time at the emergency room, said Corey.

"I think the fact that I am Airborne saved me from a lot of their jokes," he continued. "Tyrone and I were actually picking on Lorenzo. We were calling him soft and asking him how many pizzas he has had delivered to his room since he has been here."

All of their jokes aside, the brothers were thankful to be together on Thanksgiving.

"Being here together just shows what a great Army this is," said Tyrone. "It brought three brothers together from all over this country just so we could spend the day together."

"I leave in less than a week and it is great to see them before I go," he continued. "It really sends me home on a high note."

Seeing Tyrone finally get to head home to his family makes this Thanksgiving even more special for his younger brother.

"This get together was a little more low key than the last time but it has been just as exciting," said Corey. "Now that we have finally gotten to see each other I can't wait for Tyrone to finally get out of here. He needs to get back home to his wife and kids."

For the last 16 months the family has worried about Tyrone, now it is his turn, said Lorenzo.

"I know that he will be praying for us. I know that the whole family will be," Corey continued. "For that I am thankful."

"I keep God and my family close to my heart. It is the only thing in the world that is constant," Corey said. "My father and brothers give me an example to live by and live up too. My wife and child keep me grounded and for that I am thankful."