Fort Hood welcomes 4th ID Soldiers home
Army News Service
Release Date: 4/27/2004
By Spc. Lorie Jewell
FORT HOOD, Texas (Army News Service, April 27, 2004) - The mother of all celebrations heralded the return home of Task Force Ironhorse, a diverse collection of Soldiers that included those involved in unearthing deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
Anchored by roughly 20,000 Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, the task force comprised more than 33,000 Soldiers who started making their way into Iraq in late March and early April of last year.
The first planes delivering them home began arriving in March. Bus loads of the last returning Soldiers rolled onto post April 21, dropping them off at Starker gym, where hundreds of anxious family members, friends, and fellow Soldiers clad in desert camouflage uniforms waited for hours in the stifling building to give them a rousing and emotional hero's welcome.
In other parts of the country, similar displays played out in 44 other homecomings held during the same week for about 3,280 Soldiers, according to reports from Operation Tribute to Freedom, an Army program that supports and tracks public recognition of service members fighting in the global war on terrorism.
In Starker gym, Gerry Kingwood wrapped her arms around her son, Spc. James Walker, grasping not just him, but the realization that he was safe and sound. Then she had a question for his company commander.
"Was he a good boy over there?" the mother queried.
"Yes, Ma'am, he sure was," Capt. Robert Wagner replied, grinning.
The next morning, Acting Secretary of the Army Les Brownlee and Maj. Gen. Ray Odierno, 4th ID commander, offered praise and gratitude for a job well done before Odierno presided over the uncasing of the division's colors.
"Not only were you courageous and relentless in battle, you represented so well the true values of the American people,'' Brownlee said, noting the rebuilding and stabilization projects the Soldiers participated in. "You have truly written a stunning new chapter in this division's proud history.''
Odierno noted some of the task force's accomplishments: seizing 94,000 tons of ammunition and $5.1 million in U.S. and foreign currency; conducting nearly 2,500 raids, more than 111,000 patrols and 3,100 ambushes that netted 11,600 enemy prisoners - including four of the 55 most wanted regime figures. Not the least of which was Hussein, who was discovered in a hole in the ground on a farm outside of Tikrit in "Operation Red Dawn," a raid conducted by Special Forces, along with Soldiers of the division's 1st Brigade Combat Team.
Brownlee and Odierno emphasized the price paid for such successes - the loss of 79 task force Soldiers, 53 from the 4th ID. Several family members of those Soldiers attended the ceremony, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd.
The tributes continued to flow from a massive stage adjoined to the 4th ID headquarters building, where a variety of entertainers - Randy Travis, Jeff Bates, Tracy Byrd, John Michael Montgomery and the group Lynyrd Skynyrd - performed throughout the day. At night, the USO show, presided over by master of ceremonies Wayne Newton, featured rap star Ludacris, pop singer Jessica Simpson, the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, actor Gary Sinise, comedian Drew Carey and the female trio No Illusion.
After performing recent hits like "I Want to Make You Cry" and "The Love Song," Bates expressed his appreciation for being invited to perform for Fort Hood Soldiers and their families. Bates said being back in an Army environment brought back memories of the six years he served in the Mississippi National Guard in the early 1980s.
"Our armed forces have given a lot, they've sacrificed a lot,'' Bates said. "It means a lot to me to be here to show my appreciation."
More than 50,000 people milled about the fields surrounding the headquarters, some relaxing on blankets and in patriotic-themed lawn chairs to listen to the music, and others accompanying their children on carnival rides. Food and refreshments were provided at no charge.
For Soldiers like Spc. Marcus Gordon, the entertainment and freebies were a small part of the day. With news outlets constantly reminding him of the turmoil and rising death count he recently left behind in Iraq, Gordon said it was difficult to focus on celebrating.
"I get upset,'' he said. "I'm glad I'm not there anymore, but at the same time, I feel like I should be there."
Gordon appreciated the effort to make Soldiers feel welcomed back, though. He arrived home in mid-March, a week before the birth of his fourth child, a son. He spent much of the party playing with another son, 3-year-old Malik, while looking forward to the evening performance of Ludacris.
Many Soldiers were not only grateful for the blowout event, but also surprised at the magnitude.
"It's shocking, actually,'' said Sgt. Joseph Meola. "I sure didn't expect a big party like this. It makes me feel important, like we actually did something over there."
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