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Soldiers share best possible gift

Dec-27-2007 » Filed Under: 4/2 SBCT

By Bill Hess

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq — They are separated by a 30-minute helicopter ride but in this war-torn country it might as well be a continent away.

But Sgt. 1st Class Francisco Ramirez and his son, Spc. Donald Ramirez, were given a special Christmas gift — time with each other at dad’s place.

On Wednesday Sgt. 1st Class Francisco aRamirez, 11th Signal Brigade, and his son, Spc. Donald Ramirez, 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, talk about their experiences of being deployed in Iraq. Spc. Ramirez, who is stationed at Baquba, Iraq, arranged to come to Camp Victory to visit with his father for a few days. Suzanne Cronn•Herald/Review
“He called me a day before (Christmas Eve) saying he was coming to visit,” said the 45-year-old father.

Donald, 21, said “It was my unit who was sending people on four-day passes.” Most headed to Qatar, but the younger soldier used the time to be with his dad.

Dad remarked, “I was happy. We were trying to get together before we left (Iraq).”

The older Ramirez, who has 22 years in the Army, has a year left on his 15-month deployment, while his son has six months remaining with the 4th Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division, a Stryker unit out of Fort Lewis, Wash.

Calling Forward Operating Base Warhorse at Baquba home, the former Buena High School baseball pitcher said, like his father, he is a Signal Corps soldier. Francisco is the plans non-commissioned-officer-in-charge for the 11th Signal Brigade. Donald is a 2004 graduate of Buena High School.

“I worry about his safety,” dad said. “But, he’s a good, level-headed kid.”

Christmas day was a time to call family members, especially another son, Donald’s 20-year-old brother Daniel, who works at the Barnes Field House on Fort Huachuca.[...]


Comments For "Soldiers share best possible gift":

Maybe not the best place to post this, but there is a need in the field and as I posted it in regards to Christmas gifts, you may wish to check out this blog posting: http://daniel-webster.blogspot.com/2007/12/opportunity.html.

Posted by: LadyDi [TypeKey Profile Page] | December 29, 2007 2:10 PM

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