By Jeff Lipton
The 11 names are posted so that parishioners can pray for the safe return of the soldiers, who are putting their futures on hold and risking their lives for their fellow Americans. The soldiers have missed spending the holidays with their families so that others may enjoy peace and prosperity.
As Iraq prepares for elections on Jan. 30, more and more Iraqi insurgents are trying to disrupt the process with violence. The number of American servicemen and women killed in the war in Iraq reached 1,324 last weekend, and more than 11,000 have been wounded.
As a tribute to the sacrifices they have made, the Five Towners serving overseas have been chosen the Nassau Herald's People of the Year for 2004.
According to the Veterans of Foreign Wars-John J. Oliveri Post 1582 in Inwood, prayers are being offered for James Gannon of the Marines; Lt. Tom Acerno of the Army; Lt. Col. Brian Lavelle of the Air Force; Jennifer Riddle, an Army Signal Corps staff sergeant; Sgt. Scott R. Beauchamp of the Army; Lt. Col. Matthew Noble of the Army; Sgt. Josh Bessel of the Army; Joshua Ports of the Marines; and Pvt. Kevin Doherty of the Army.
Others serving include Sgt. Mark Dennington of the Army, who is deployed in Korea, and Jason Dennington of the Army, who is in the Georgian Republic.
"We say prayers for them all the time," said Bob O'Brien, commander of the VFW in Inwood. "What can you say? This is an all-volunteer Army today. These people have got to know what to expect. Despite the dangers they face, they know that this is a job they've got to do. I call them heroes. They are unsung heroes."
Bob Fullam, commander of the Nassau County VFW, said, "We have freedoms here in this country because of the veterans. People who scream about the war don't understand everything.
"It's much better to fight the war over there than it is over here," he added.
Neil Halloran works with Nassau County families whose sons and daughters are in the military and have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. He said that holding meetings with local families has gone a long way to help them come to terms with their fears and anxieties. "I have a son who is a captain in the Army and is serving in Iraq, and I sometimes feel helpless," Halloran said. "So I began to get involved with these other families. The parents are comforted by getting the real story on how their deployed loved ones are truly helping ... people that were victimized by brutal tyrants."
Lt. Col. Eric Schnaible, an alumnus of Hewlett High School who is deputy director of public affairs for the Air Force, volunteered for his mission to Iraq to help rebuild the country. He has been stationed there since Sept. 28 and will not leave until the election process is complete in February.
"There's still a powerful minority of truly evil radicals here whose sole purpose in life is to kill and intimidate us and the local Iraqi citizens to halt this country's forward progress," Schnaible said last week in a e-mail to the Herald from his temporary office in Baghdad's Green Zone. "America's military men and women serving in this hostile environment, and elsewhere around the globe, just amaze me with their adaptability to the austere and dangerous environment and what we ask them to do.
"They've voluntarily left the comforts of their homes, family and friends - many for well over a year now - to serve a cause greater than themselves," Schnaible added. "Our troops serve us for lesser pay, work unbelievable hours under stressful conditions and make personal sacrifices most would not. But to a person, they firmly want their mission to succeed before they get to head home."
Schnaible asked Five Towners and all Americans to continue to pray for the troops. "Please remember them and those they leave behind," he said. "The sacrifices and dangers are real, and they ask for nothing but acknowledgment that their effort is a worthy one. They reassure me of the goodness in our collective hearts, especially at the holiday season. Bless all of you for your thoughts, prayers and continued support."
