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Returning veterans face new challenges

Nov-11-2005 » Filed Under: 1/25 SBCT

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By Michael Gilbert, The News-Tribune

Fresh from a year in Iraq, Staff Sgt. Daniel Garcia and his fellow soldiers went to Boze Elementary School in Tacoma on Thursday to meet students who were their pen pals.

Garcia’s unit was among dozens of Fort Lewis troops that have fanned out all week to meet the more than 40 requests for soldiers to appear at Veterans Day events.

“It’s great. There’s definitely a lot of warmth,” said Garcia, 33.

“People around town, at restaurants, they’ll say thank you for everything. It feels really good to hear that.”

There’s a deeper level, though, than cheering kids, balloons and yellow ribbons. Veterans of the urban guerrilla war in Iraq have to cope with difficult things they saw and did in combat.

It’s hard to rejoin a family that’s been getting along for a year without them.

Guardsmen and reservists rejoin co-workers and bosses who have no idea what they’ve been through. [...]


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