|
The following eMails are from the 1-506th BN CO:
03 November 2004
Fred,
Roger on your care package arriving. I talked to CPT Jason
Davis the other day and he was thrilled as were his soldiers.
Many thanks as well for the one you sent me. The Currahee flag
is wonderful and I had it hung up in the TOC. It gets rave
reviews everyday and is posted on the wall right next to the
Crest. Your contribution is very much appreciated by us all.
Many thanks . . .
Again, many thanks to you and the 506th Association for
thinking of us and for your generous gifts. It is wonderful to
be
a part of such a great group of Americans . . . both in Iraq
and at home.
"CURRAHEE"
VR
COL DAVID L. CLARK
CDR, 1-506th IN REGT
"STANDS ALONE"
23 June 2005
Fred,
Truly a great and worthwhile project, and we are fortunate
to have been the beneficiaries of all that goodness! Our
sincere thanks to you and the Association for your generosity
and good will for the packages as well as the many
hospital visits that were a great morale boost for our wounded
soldiers. I can't thank you enough for that. We all
look forward to returning to the good old USA in the not too
distant future. Thanks for your untiring and loyal support.
VR
COL DAVID L. CLARK
CDR, 1-506th IN REGT
"STANDS ALONE"
The following letters are from the CO of A Co, 1-506th:
16 May 2005
Fred May:
Thank you for the continuous support you have shown the
company. I received package number A-12 several days
ago, and once again, put some smiles on my soldiers' faces. You
and the Association have been terrific.
I change command later today with Captain Matt Farmer --
he is coming over from HHC command. It is my time
to move on, but before I go, I would like to send you some company
coins. These are only a small show of thanks
for all you have done. Two from Korea
--one from Iraq.
Please send me an Association application form. This address
will work fine.
Very Respectfully,
Captain Jason Davis, Commanding
A Company, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry
16 May 2005
Fred May:
These (company coins) are for the Association -- please
distribute to those who helped you with the outstanding
support.
Sincerely,
Captain Jason Davis, Commanding
A Company, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry
The following message is from the CO of C Co, 1-506th.
Four days after he wrote this letter, CPT Jones was WIA.
CPT John Sandler, the 1-506th BN S-3 Air, subsequently took command
of C Company.
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
CHARLIE COMPANY 1 506th IN (AASLT)
08 November 2004
Dear Mr. May and all members of the 506"' Airborne
Infantry Regiment Association (AASLT),
Thank you for your generous gift to Hard Rock Charlie Company
and for your continued selfless service to your
Currahee band of brothers. It is great Americans like you and
the fellow members of the Association that we are
fighting for over here in Iraq.
As you know combat zones are not known for their great
abundance of communications and this one is no different,
but the Battalion TOC has e-mail and I will get up there to check
out your website. I look forward to becoming a member
and one day giving you guys a briefing on the situation over
here in the Sunni triangle and I will try and keep the tall
tales to a minimum. Below is a letter that I sent to the family
members of Hard Rock for the month of November:
Dear Hard Rock Charlie Families,
Hard Rock Charlie Company has been living up to its name
here in Iraq. The company has been doing great work and
has taken on a major workload here at Camp Manhattan. The whole
battalion has been running 100 MPH and Hard
Rock has been carrying its load and then some.
I wish you could see your soldiers. They are all great
men and they truly are magnificent ambassadors for our blessed
country. The men of Hard Rock are strong but gentle when need
be; aggressive but patient; and committed. It is a
wonderful feeling to see them all prepping for a mission, standing
guard or even relaxing and telling war stories after
a successful mission. I am very proud of them and I know you
are too.
The company has been busy doing several missions to include
the majority of the force protection for the camp. That
includes manning the entry control points (ECP's); several guard
towers; and the command and control. We are also
rotating being a quick reaction force (QRF) for the battalion
and conducting a route security mission. Both missions
require one platoon. We have also conducted numerous platoon,
company, battalion and brigade size missions. It is
really amazing how much we have done in such a short period.
Hard Rock company soldiers are doing a hard job and they
do it everyday without complaining. They are able to focus
because of the grand job you the families are doing back on the
home front. I know personally I feel incredibly guilty
for leaving Suzanne and the children for so long, almost a year
in Korea and now a year in Iraq. But, she has never
said or acted in any way that would add to my guilt. She is my
rock and my humanity and I know you are for your
soldiers. Thank you for your hard work for your understanding
and your concern.
A special thanks to Mrs. Naughton for all her hard work
keeping 2nd Platoon and the rest of the company informed
and my Suzanne for visiting recovering Hard Rock soldiers at
Walter Reed and for reviewing this letter for spelling
errors and correct grammar.
CPT William Jones C Co Commander
WILLIAM JONES
CPT, IN
Commanding
This handwritten note was also included:
Thanks again for the care package. The men really enjoyed
the snacks. We are provided with all the basics here but
chow is really bad. So if it is not too much trouble Ramien noodles
would be a welcomed item.
CPT William Jones
The following letters are from the CO of HHC, 1-506th:
27 November 2004
Sir:
My company has been receiving your boxes and putting its
contents to good use.
As a former Currahee, you know how grateful we are. Your
thoughtful gifts have a significant impact on the high morale
of the company. We are keenly aware of our heritage as Currahees
and it is nice to have some interface with those who
came before us. We most recently received two boxes on Thanksgiving-perfect
timing. The first box we received had the
Currahee Flag-which we erected during an enemy rocket and mortar
attack. The spirit of this unit cannot be broken.
Thanks for all of your support . . .
Your faithful servant,
Matt Farmer
CDR, HHC/1-506 IN
22 April 2005
Dear Mr. Helwig,
I want to let you know how much I appreciate the support
you have given HHC over these past months. The boxes upon
boxes of snacks and sundry items have served as an excellent
morale boost and have been extremely useful in this
austere environment. Coming from you, a former Currahee, the
support is especially meaningful. As a company, we
have a deep respect for the distinguished service of the soldiers
who have served in this regiment and work very hard
to preserve the legacy of the unit. Sir, again thank you for
all your support. I look forward to meeting you and other
members of the Association someday back in the States!
CURRAHEE!
Matthew Farmer
Commander, HHC/1-506
The following eMails are from the CO of A Co, 2nd BN, 72nd
Armor:
4 December 2004
Mr. May,
Sir, I am the commander of the tank company attached to
the Currahees for combat. I cannot tell you how proud I am
to serve in such a storied regiment. It means so much to me.
I did my lieutenant time at Ft. Bragg with the 82nd. I
know...don't kill me. But it has been great that I have received
such
widespread training. It is neat to look across the Company Commanders
and see all of us as Airborne Rangers and most
of us (including me the tanker) as Jumpmasters.
I think that helps us carry on the legend of the Currahees.
I have heard that you were the XO of A Co 1/506 back in the
day during Vietnam. I can only imagine that you and I share the
commonality of trying to make sense of an enemy we
cannot see.
I am a man after the things of God and try to inspire my
men in the same manner. I have lost two of my tankers and two
infantrymen attached to me during this command. That is pretty
tough, but God has sustained us.
Just wanted you to know that we received Package Number
Ar-1 mailed on November 19, 2004. It arrived at my
location on 4 December 2004 in mint condition.
The only other request for future mailings is a Currahee
Flag. That would mean a lot to the boys here. LIke I said, we
are
so proud to be a part of the brotherhood. I am connected to you
and we are connected to the original Currahees of WWII.
God Bless You and Thank you for all your support.
Everything you sent was perfect, and my boys will truly
appreciate it.
In Him,
Chris
Christopher L. F. Plekenpol
Captain, Armor
Commanding
A Co, 2nd BN, 72nd Armor
15 April 2005
Mr. Helwig,
I cannot tell you how thankful we Apaches continue to be
for your gracious gifts. We love everything you give. We
especially love the paper tablets you send. We use those for
the TOC, when my guys are trying to write down what
comes in over the radio. The cookies, fritos are also something
that all my men will enjoy. I am just going to have
to give them more PT.
Can I just say how amazed I am that you have accepted us
tankers as part of your family. It means a lot to my boys.
We really feel a part of the Currahees and we even made a flag
pole here and fly the Currahee flag proudly. I will
send some pictures soon.
Please keep us in your prayers. A couple more months and
we are going to be home. I want to bring the rest of my
boys home. How awesome it will be to come back to home sweet
home after two years deployed over seas.
God Bless You.
Chris
The following is a hand-written note from the CO of B Co,
1-506th:
Sir,
I wanted to personally send you a letter to thank you and
the Association for the package. My men and I enjoyed every
bit of what was sent and it arrived in good condition. There
are no special requests at this time. Thank you.
CPT Toma Kim
CDR, B/1-506 IN
The following eMails are from 1SG Jesse Rodriguez of B
Co, 1-506th, sent to Frank Algeciras (B Co, 1st
BN, 1964-1965),
who mailed his own Currahee Package to the troops in Iraq:
1 May 2005
Dear Frank,
Hello, and how are you doing? I am 1SG Rodriguez of Baker Co
1/506. I would first like to thank-you for the care package
that you sent. The items that you sent of granola bars, jerky,
cocoa powder, and trail mix are greatly appreciated as they
are luxury items here. My guys will seriously enjoy them. As
I was putting them out in our bins, guys were already coming
by and grabing them up. I would like to also thank-you for paving
the way before us in this great company and battalion's
history. It's guys like you that made me come in the Army 20
years ago. Don't ever think what you did wasn't appreciated by
someone, cause it was. We get mail and care packages from all
over the States, but this one means a lot more to me,
coming from a Baker brother and Currahee. Thank you so much for
your support.
1SG Rod
26 June 2005
Frank
How are you doing? We are doing quite well as it is coming
to an end here. We should all be home by the begaining of Aug.
We just need to make sure we bring everyone else home. Right
now that's all I care about, is to bring all these kids home
to
their families. I just wanted to e-mail you and tell you thanks
for all the various snacks you sent. As soon as I put them out,
they were being grabbed up by everyone, so I seriously appreciate
your continued support of my company. It means so much
these guys can get those items from back home from people who
support them. That means everything to the guys here.
Thank you,
Jesse
The following eMails are from 1SG Jesse Rodriguez of B
Co, 1-506th:
3 May 2005
Dear Alfred,
Hello , I am 1SG Rodriguez from B Co 1/506. My wife has
told me about you, and I know that you have been coresponding
with my CO, CPT Kim, so that's why I have never written you before.
I would like to start by saying thank-you for all the
care packages that you have sent the company, and the support
of our fellow Currahees, which means more than anything
else. If there is ever anything you need from us, just ask.
In answering you about the T-shirts, yes, my guys can wear
T-shirts around the barracks area, and company area, so if this
supporter wants to send shirts, we would really appreciate his
donation of shirts. Also, if you give me an address for him,
I
will send him a thank you letter or e-mail.
Again, thank-you for all you and your Association does
for the company and the rest of the Currahees. It is you all
that we
should be thanking for giving us the history and honor to follow
as CURRAHEES.
1SG Rod
27 June 2005
Alfred,
Hello, and how are you doing? We are doing good here as
it is really winding down and time is going fast. Just wanted
to
send an e-mail telling you what a class act the 1/506 Association
is. You have made some rough times enjoyable by all the
various items that you all have sent. The thing that has impressed
me the most is, your members going and visiting
wounded soldiers, that is way above the call of duty, and I seriously
appreciate the fact that your members have taken
their personal time to do that. If it means alot to me , I can
only imagine what it means to the wounded soldiers, since
we can't go see them. Thank you and your Association for all
that you have done.
Thank you,
1SG Rod
Baker 1/506
The following letter is from the CO of D Co, 1-506th:
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
DESTROYER COMPANY
1ST BATTALION, 506TH INFANTRY REGIMENT
To All Currahee Brothers:
First, I would like to apologize for the formality of this
typed letter and ensure you that my heartfelt sincerest thanks
go
out to each and everyone. All the things we do as Americans or
in any society are a zero sum game, wherever we devote
our efforts, unfortunately we must sacrifice somewhere else.
Your time and effort are no less precious than anyone else
involved over here. We understand the daily problems and issues
we all face at home raising families and caring for
others don't come to a screeching halt when tough times come
along. It truly says something about our society when we
sacrifice our efforts for others we may never get to know.
I would love more than anything else to sit down with each
of you and discuss how your day was and what life is like
back home. Although, I am sure you must have some of the same
questions about life over here in Iraq. I can't answer
all of your questions, but I would like to take this opportunity
to share some truth and reality into a confusing media
display by CNN. Everyone perceived the fall of Saddam and march
into Baghdad would end the violence. The violence
is not over and we are not here to adhere to any sort of timeline
being discussed on the news. You know military forces
are determined and do not set forth or plan for any sort of exit
strategy. We plan on staying until the end state or goal
is achieved. We will achieve our goal of putting security into
the hands of the Iraqi forces and letting them decide on
democracy for themselves. As a uniformed military, we will never
be able to force democracy on anyone and that is not
our belief as Americans. We are only here to provide them with
an opportunity. We are stationed in Habbaniya, Iraq.
You won't find this place on CNN because it is the suburbs of
Ar Ramadi and Fallujah. We see our fair share of violence
as a main thoroughfare between the two places and operate within
each, but I assure you the Iraqi people are taking
control of their own destiny.
In closing, I am truly grateful for all that you have done
for us and the support you continue to provide to the Currahees.
I am invigorated each passing day by the letters of support you
all maintain in the band of brothers. We are not war-
mongers and fight for freedom of the oppressed; we all raised
our hands and agreed to do these things. We will stay the
course.
Jason M. Sabat
Captain, Infantry
Commanding
The following eMails are from the CO of C Co, 44th Engineers:
19 December 2004
Fred,
On behalf of all of the men of C/44th Engineers, I would
like to say "thanks" to you and the 506th Airborne
Infantry
Regiment Association for your kind generosity. We recently received
a care package from the association and I
shared the contents with all of the soldiers. We're very proud
to be a part of the Task Force 1-506th team in Iraq.
My "Sappers" have conducted numerous missions
as the engineer support for the task force that have ranged from
cache searches, to demolitions operations, to force protection
missions. We couldn't have asked to be with a better
team and we're very thankful that the association has included
us in their support.
The only question we had was whether or not we would get
a sharp Currahee flag too?
Thanks again for the support!
v/r
CPT Adam J. Czekanski
Commander, C/44th Engineers
30 December 2004
Fred,
Sorry for the delay in a response to your e-mails. Our
e-mail has been touch-and-go here for the last week, between
the mission OPTEMPO and "technical" issues with the
internet. Many "thanks" for squaring my company away
with the coveted Currahee flag. Once we receive it, we will take
the requested photo and send it to you so that the
association can see how we are displaying it. Thanks again for
the great support and best wishes for a happy and
safe New Year!
v/r
Adam
30 May 2005
Fred,
We appreciate the thoughts on Memorial Day and WE salute
YOU and all the men of the Currahee Association
who also sacrificed. Thanks again for all of the great support
the Association has given to us throughout our tour.
v/r
Adam
25 June 2005
Fred,
Thanks again to you and to all of those in the Currahee
Association for the outstanding support you've all
provided over the last 11 months. I truly feel honored to have
had the privilege to serve in a combat zone
with the Currahees of 1-506th Infantry and to have had the opportunity
to be part of the Currahee family.
My application has already been submitted! Take care and thanks
from all the Sappers of C/44th Engineers.
v/r
Adam
The following eMails are from the FSO of C Co, 1-506th:
13 January 2005
Mr. May,
I just want to thank you for the numerous care packages that
you have sent for the soldiers in Charlie Company.
They are very appreciative of all the support while they fight
for freedom and try to make Iraq a safe and peaceful
country. I hope that you have enjoyed the holidays and wish you
a happy belated New Year!
Thank You Again,
1LT Claude A. Lambert
C Co. 1-506th IN (AASLT) 2ID
12 February 2005
Mr. Moore,
In regards to the pictures, no message is necessary at this time,
however maybe at a later date and I will try to have our
photo rep send some more. Sorry it has taken long to reply back,
we have been very busy due to the past elections and
stabilizing the country. I just want to thank you and the Currahee
Association for all the continued support and gene-
rosity. The care packages are being distributed to the soldiers
and they really appreciate the efforts, care, and hard
work that goes into them.
Thank You Again,
1LT Claude A. Lambert
23 June 2005
Mr. May,
The soldiers thank you once again for all the care packages and
support that you have given the "Currahees"!
The care packages have always been a terrific morale booster
and reminder of home. Thank you again for all the
hard work!
Sincerely,
1LT Claude A. Lambert
The following letter is from the CO of B Battery (Bushwhackers),
5th Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery:
February 2005
To Mr. Ron Helwig,
Thank you for the package sent from the Currahee Association.
The soldiers of B/5-5 appreciate your contribution to
their morale. The Currahee Flag enclosed in the package is on
display in our company day room, and the soldiers of
B/5-5 are honored to be a part of the Currahee heritage and tradition.
Currahee!
David L. Taylor
CPT, AD
Commanding
The following eMail is from HHC, 1-506th, Support Platoon
Sergeant:
8 October 2004
Dear Hoyt,
I just wanted to let you know that us Currahees over here in
Iraq really appreciate everything you are doing for us.
It has been going very well and it looks like we are gaining
lots of ground on the bad guys everyday.
I am looking forward to meeting the past Currahees in the future,
maybe at Fort Carson in September 05.
Once again, thank you for support.
Jeff Lover
SPT PSG
|
