A good friend of mine has been in Tikrit since February this year (and is looking at another 6-12 months) ... He had his first chance to come home for a visit recently and spent part of his time visiting a retirement home that had been taking care of him and his Platoon via letters and care packages. The full article goes on to talk about his life and duties in Iraq ... They actually live in one of the Hussein Family palaces.

Full Story Here

DOVER — The residents of Cocheco Park, a complex  for elderly residents, couldn’t say enough about U.S. Army Sgt. Mark Hickey of the New Hampshire National Guard.

                         

He was their adopted friend from a platoon stationed in Iraq. They sent him their thoughts and prayers through letters and care packages. The residents became pen pals with Hickey several months ago through a national Adopt-A-Platoon program.

On Thursday, Hickey returned the favor by paying a visit to thank them for their kindness and, as he put it, giving him a "little piece of home" with each  letter and package.
                   
"Whether you agree or disagree with the war, the support we have gotten has been overwhelming," Hickey said.

Hickey, a Laconia resident who turned 35 on Friday, is a Rochester native, and has been stationed in Tikrit, Iraq, since February 2004.

He is a military police officer and provides security to a police academy where Iraqis are being trained to become police officers, he said.

Hickey first started with the National Guard serving one weekend a month and two weeks a year while he worked as a funeral director. But he went on to make the military a full-time job.

]Hickey knows what it’s like to have someone he]loves be overseas fighting in a war since his father served three tours during the Vietnam War.

Hickey’s wife, Trish, and his mother, Reta, were both with him Thursday and took pictures as Hickey spoke to the crowd. Hickey was home on leave and returned to Iraq on Sunday.

Cool. Wish we saw more stuff like this on the national news.....

Quoted: Cool. Wish we saw more stuff like this on the national news.....

Yup