It’s hard to be away from family at Christmas, and even harder if you’re fighting a war in Iraq.
But at least three Snohomish County soldiers are trying to keep their Christmas spirits up, as are their families back home.
The three are in high spirits after the recent capture of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. One even played a role in the capture. Another played a role helping victims of the bombing at the United Nations building, and the third comes under fire every day.
Army Pfc. Aaron Boyd, 22, of Marysville was securing a road across the Tigris River when Hussein was caught in an underground bunker.
"I wish he was home," said Rebecca Boyd, his mother, "but the fact he got to participate in that historic event — his dad and I are so proud it’s unbelievable."
Boyd has been in Iraq since April 1 with the 299th engineering battalion of the 4th Infantry Division based in Fort Hood, Texas.
This is Boyd’s second Christmas away from home.
"Last year it was a little easier, simply because we knew where he was and pretty much what he was doing. This year we worry that he’s in harm’s way," Rebecca Boyd said.
She said she appreciates the support she gets from the community.
"Our faith has been strengthened by the power of prayer, and also I personally have been helped by a support group for military moms that was formed through my church (Marysville First Assembly) right after Aaron was deployed."
Rebecca Boyd said her son struggled as a teenager and joined the military to find direction. He feels by helping the majority of Iraqi people he is doing something important with his life, she said.
"We as a family could not possibly be more proud of our son and of all of the men and women who sacrificed themselves for the Iraqi people and for the people in this country."
As Christmas neared, Rebecca Boyd felt the stress.
"My heart is very heavy today. I wish more than anything that our son would just walk through the door so I could hug him.
"His dad (Wade) watches the news every day in hopes for either a glimpse of him or some word that it’s all over, and he’s coming home."
Meanwhile, U.S. Army Cpl. Jason Bierman, 26, of Marysville triaged and treated seemingly countless patients when the United Nations building was bombed. The military noted that Bierman helped treat the last patient extracted from the U.N. building.
Bierman has been stationed since March with the 159th Medical Company at the Baghdad International Airport. He is a flight medic on helicopters. He boasts that they’ve flown more than 5,000 patients and 4,000 flight hours, including 38 patients from the U.N. bombing. Four other Medivac companies in Iraq combined haven’t done half of that, he said.
He said the high point of being in Iraq is "saving countless soldiers’ lives with emergency medical treatment and the fast transport time in our Blackhawk helicopters."
However, the hardest part is "working my heart out on a patient in flight, and they being too injured to save."
Bierman’s father, Dan Bierman, who served in Vietnam, said he applauds the military for letting soldiers communicate with their families, adding that it makes it better for those back home. To compare, he said when he was in Vietnam he only got to call home twice by ham radio.
The younger Bierman said he has a Christmas wish for those back home.
"Be thankful for all that you have as Americans. It’s our way of life, and it is not without a price. Soldiers die every day, some on my helicopter, but it is not in vain, it is for everyone back home," he said.
Unlike Dan Bierman, Susan Locke hasn’t heard much from her son, Army Sgt. Christopher Shelton, 22, of Snohomish. He is with the 173rd Airborne and will be there until April.
Locke said she didn’t hear much from her son until she got an e-mail about a month ago. But he did call excitedly the day Hussein was caught.
"He lives in a tent. He doesn’t have much access to a computer," she said.
When he does call, he’s limited to eight minutes. One call he said, "’Man, Mom, can you hear the gunfire?’" she said, adding, "He gets shot at so many times. Bullets just zing by his head. He’s so nonchalant about it because it happens on a daily basis."
As Christmas neared, Locke sent three huge boxes of goodies and six Christmas stockings to her son and his friends.
Her son recently told her, " ‘Mom, it’s getting harder for me the closer it gets to Christmas,’ " she said.
Assistant city editor Steve Powell: 425-339-3427 or powell@heraldnet.com.
Sgt. Christopher Shelton wrote the following letter to those back home:
Dear family and friends,
This is just a letter to thank everyone who supports me, my comrades, and the United States’ mission over here in Iraq.
Things are going well. As everyone knows, we have captured a man who brought tyranny and slaughter to a nation. Our efforts continue over here to bring peace and prosperity to the Iraqi people.
Our morale is high, and our focus is strong. The chase for evildoers is exhausting, but we will win it.
As the holidays come and go, we only appreciate more what so many take for granted. God has blessed our nation and has given us strength for times like these.
It has been a long road for us over here, but the bumps are smoothing out. Rebuilding Iraq has been a little rough, but the outcome is overwhelming.
It would take me weeks to tell you the good things that have come out of this, but it took sacrifices from many.
We are far from finished in ridding terror from this world, but we can only take it one step at a time.
God bless you all, and God bless the United States of America. From all of us here in Iraq, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Pfc. Aaron Boyd, 22, of Marysville has been in Iraq since April 1. He is with the 299th engineering battalion with the 4th Infantry Division based in Fort Hood, Texas.
U.S. Army Cpl. Jason Bierman, 26, of Marysville has been stationed since March with the 158th Medical Company at Baghdad International Airport.
Army Sgt. Christopher Shelton, 22, Snohomish is a member of the Army Rangers’ 173rd Division.
For a list of Snohomish County troops stationed in Iraq, see Page A10.
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