Fallen Soldier’s Family Buys Iraqi Girl’s School Supplies
School girls from the Dur-Mandali Primary School for Girls in the city of Balad-Ruz receive supplies from the family of fallen Paratrooper Spc. Michael Rodriguez. Spc. Rodriquez’s family said he wrote home about the wonderful kids he had met and loved. The note read, “The school supplies that we are giving you today are from the family of a Soldier who died in Iraq, who loved the children of Iraq. His name is Specialist Michael Rodriguez.”
BALAD-RUZ — The speaker is Capt. James Goethals, a Civil-Military Affairs officer stationed in Eastern DiyalaProvince. The audience is a crowd of almost (100) young girls at the Dur-Mandali Primary School for Girls in the city of Balad-Ruz.
Spc. Rodriguez was assigned to 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. He was killed in action in April, when multiple suicide bombers driving explosives-laden vehicles attacked his unit’s base in As-Sadah. He had written home telling his family about how much affection he had for the children he saw on patrol, and so his family turned their grief to a positive end, collecting school supplies for Iraqi children.
Capt. Goethals took over the mission of delivering the school supplies when Spc. Rodriguez’s unit rotated home this past October. He was accompanied by Capt. Tony Keller from 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, the Mayor of Ballad Ruz, Mohammed Rouf Hussein and the Superintendent of Schools, Morat Kadum.
Following the presentation of the school supplies, Capt. Keller, Mayor Hussein and Superintendent Kadum spoke to the school teachers, thanking them for their service to the community and emphasizing the importance of an education, both for these children and the nation of Iraq.
Once the presentation was over, the children transitioned from the well-behaved and orderly formation to a sight similar to an American elementary school without their teachers in close attendance: running, laughing and staring in curious wonderment at the American Soldiers who accompanied the delivery. The Soldiers walked in to several classrooms, snapping pictures with the children and communicating in Pidgin English.
The lasting message of the day was communicated by Capt. Keller just before going into the meeting with the teachers, mayor and superintendent: “I want to thank all of you young ladies here today for going to school. You guys are the future of Iraq. Don’t let anyone stop you from getting an education. Always remember Specialist Rodriguez.”
(MNFI)
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Funny, I thought Americans were imperialist dogs looking to plunder Iraq for their own selfish ends. Thats what the cock sucking Archbishop of Canterbury said anyway.
November 26th, 2007 at 5:38 pmHow absolutely admirable…
November 26th, 2007 at 5:58 pmThere are four kinds of people. There are those, like me, who support the liberation of oppressed people, like the Iraqis, but don’t risk our lives in doing so. There are those, mainly leftists, who oppose (often smugly) the liberation of oppressed peoples. There are those who oppress and fight to oppress and there are those who fight and risk their lives to liberate.
I have no doubt which of these kinds of people is the closest to God. I am in awe of people like Spc Rodriguez and his loving family. God bless them and God help the Archbisop of Canterbury recover his sanity.
November 26th, 2007 at 6:00 pmThink anyone will nominate this fine American for CNN’s hero of the week? I doubt it. Great men don’t get much play on the MSM…probably because CNN, the MSM in general, and Congress are so used to the rantings of smaller men and women, who know neither victory nor defeat…who know absolutely nothing about Americanism or the quiet greatness of such young men such as Spc. Rodriguez, or the generosity of families such as his.
His name, along with the rest of our fallen heroes (to quote Lincoln) “will be precious forever,” Especially so to these young Iraqi girls whose freedoms have been won by such men as Spc. Rodriguez and the Shieks of Anbar.
November 26th, 2007 at 6:07 pmWonderful story,even made me tear up a little bit
I love doing good. To the family of the soldier RIP and I wish the girls of iraq luck.
November 26th, 2007 at 6:11 pmGod, I love this country and her people.
November 26th, 2007 at 6:38 pmWhat a wonderful son and a wonderful gift to give to these schoolgirls. I hope they rename the school after SPC Rodriguez so years later, they can remember him. Sort of like in St. Mere Eglise in Normandy, many of the streets are named after the US paratroopers who liberated the town.
November 26th, 2007 at 7:59 pm[…] tip: Pat Dollard. Posted in: Iraq Send to a Friend Printer Friendly comments (0) trackbacks […]
November 26th, 2007 at 8:44 pmFallen Soldier’s Family Buys Iraqi Girl’s School Supplies…
Pat Dollard
“Prepare to have your opinion of this war changed forever.”
By Pat Dollard.
School girls from the Dur-Mandali Primary School for Girls in the city of Balad-Ruz receive supplies from the family of fallen Par…
November 26th, 2007 at 8:49 pmFallen Soldier’s Family Buys Iraqi Girl’s School Supplies…
Pat Dollard
“Prepare to have your opinion of this war changed forever.”
By Pat Dollard.
School girls from the Dur-Mandali Primary School for Girls in the city of Balad-Ruz receive supplies from the family of fallen P…
November 26th, 2007 at 9:12 pm
May God grant you peace in knowing your Son has NOT die in vain. For your Son died for a noble cause to help others….
November 27th, 2007 at 6:42 am