Photo By Spc. Ryan Stroud | Spc. Michael Hudson, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st...... read more read more
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By Pfc. Ben Fox
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division
BAQUBAH, Iraq – Waking up early, Soldiers could hear distant explosions and sporadic gunfire from outside their base, echoing through Forward Operating Base Warhorse.
While these sounds may not have been considered ideal to listen to on a Christmas morning, the Soldiers of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division were going to have to make the best of it, even if they were surrounded by harmful and stressful situations.
To counteract these situations, events were planned that day including a special meal at the dining facility where the leaders served the Soldiers their Christmas dinner. There was also a gift exchange with donated gifts later that evening.
Almost all of the Soldiers in the company took part in the exchange, which was organized by the brigade chaplain, Maj. Douglas Fenton, a native of San Diego.
The gift exchange included rules similar to a white elephant party, where individuals may choose to open a present or to steal somebody else's already opened present.
Fenton said the idea came to him as he remembered his deployment to Korea, where many of the Soldiers didn't receive presents on Christmas day, so he resolved in his mind that none of the Soldiers would be without a present this year.
"I thought, 'what do we do for the Soldiers who won't get anything?'" he said.
Thoughts of Thanksgiving and gift baskets for needy families came to mind, but he said he didn't want to embarrass any Soldier who didn't receive any presents.
"The only way I could give to those Soldiers and not make that an issue, was to give everyone a gift," said Fenton.
Once he decided to give everyone a gift, Fenton was faced with the problem of finding over 280 gifts to give, as well as some help. Another problem was that he had less than three months to get it organized and accomplished.
Fenton said he reached out to organizations, churches, Boy Scouts and various individuals, many of whom had little or no affiliation with the unit, who donated the gifts and ended up giving more than was needed.
"These organizations had to gather the stuff in no time, get it wrapped in no time and get it mailed in no time for it all to come in time," he said.
Along with the gifts at the exchange, Fenton was also able to hand out over $6,000 worth of calling cards, which were mostly donated by various individuals with money from their own pockets, he said.
"People's generosity was incredible, especially if you factor in the fact that everyone's Christmas budget is stretched anyways," he said.
Pfc. Latoriya Jones, a native of Dallas, took part in the gift exchange.
"It wasn't like being home for Christmas, but everyone received a gift so no one in the company was left out," she said.
"I would enjoy being home with my family, but my section... is my family here," said Jones.
Many of the items the Soldiers received may seem ordinary to most, but Fenton stands firm on the belief that the items, such as personal hygiene products, are valuable to these warriors, he said, telling a related personal story.
"I got a box a couple of months ago with a toothbrush in it, and it didn't mean that much to me until I dropped my toothbrush in the bathroom one day," he said.
"I went back to my (container housing unit), and there was that toothbrush that didn't mean too much to me a month ago when I got it," said Fenton, "and then it was the most priceless thing in my CHU."
Jones said the gifts she and the other Soldiers received were full of essential hygiene items that run out quickly at the post exchange.
"When they opened the gift... it was something that they really needed," she said.
"The smallest little things become treasures here," said Fenton.
| Date Taken: | 12.27.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 12.27.2006 11:12 |
| Story ID: | 8685 |
| Location: | BAQUBAH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 144 |
| Downloads: | 83 |
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