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Mason native sees progress in Iraq, despite violence

Sep-26-2005 » Filed Under: TF Freedom

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By Nicole Geary, Lansing State Journal

It's a few minutes after 9 a.m. on a typical weekday in mid-Michigan.

There's an eight-hour difference and thousands of miles between Maj. Darren Klemens in Mosul, Iraq, and his hometown of Mason.

Another day of planning Iraq's new police stations and health clinics is not quite over.

But he picks up the phone anyway.

Klemens, 37, wants to talk about smiling children with backpacks at school ribbon-cutting ceremonies. He hopes we hear about new maternity clinics boosting babies' health and pipelines bringing more fresh water to neighborhoods.

Too many headlines about violence hide the progress he's seen firsthand since arriving in July.

"There are diehards still willing to kill themselves to get at us," the Michigan State University graduate said, his voice carrying through a two-second delay.

"(But) there are 25 million people who would like to have a peaceful, prosperous environment where they can raise their children and have a good job."

Back in Lansing, Klemens' only sibling calms her fears by staying away from the news, and remembering her brother is helping a nation in need.

"We'd love for him to come home, but we know he has a job to do," Laura Knaggs, 33, said.


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