Fairfield Citizen November 12, 2008
Doing Their Part
A veteran of the Iraq war who received letters from students at St. Thomas Aquinas School while he was overseas got to see his letter writers in person Monday morning, in addition to all of the other children who attend the school.
Former Army Capt. Jordan Vanek, who spent a year abroad in Baghdad and other cities as a military adviser to the Iraqi army, told the Fairfield Citizen-News Monday that it was easier for him to be in Iraq and do what he had to do than it was to talk to the kids Monday during the school's Veterans Day ceremony.
"It got a little emotional for me," he said, adding he sort of felt alone fighting a war in a foreign country. However, seeing all the children happy and safe and not facing daily threats of violence made him feel good. It made him realize the effort in this war and others helps keep America from dealing with the strife that people in other countries deal with on a regular basis.
Vanek, who grew up in Fairfield, was one of two featured guest speakers on Monday. The other was a Pearl Harbor survivor.
"It's a good thing that America can continue its way of life without having the war loom over its shoulder," said Vanek. "No car bombs every day, no chance they're going to die from violence. It makes you feel good you can keep it away from Americans for at least [the time you're serving], to do your part to keep America safe."
Vanek, Pearl Harbor survivor Army Maj. Daniel Fruchter, and others who got the chance to say a few words, were a hit.
"We had our whole school there, grades K through 8, and you could have heard a pin drop," said Crescent Kral, whose eighth-grade class wrote to Vanek twice during the last school year and also sent care packages. "They were hanging onto every word. It was a beautiful thing to see the children so respectful and so interested. They were enthralled by it all."
Vanek talked about his service, his combat time and what he thought of how the Iraq war was turning out. Vanek, who was in field artillery in the U.S. Army, got out of Iraq and finished active duty in September. He is now a part of the Individual Ready Reserve, a category of the Reserve Component of the Armed Forces composed of former active duty or reserve military personnel.
"I think the war has turned a corner for the better," said Vanek. "Generally, violence there was down [when I got out] and there was more support, more pro-U.S. feelings."
Vanek and others served as advisers / liaisons between the U.S. Army and Iraqi forces. He participated in operations in Sadr City, which is within Baghdad, and in Salman Pac, which is 15 miles south of Baghdad, during the surge.
"In both operations we were cleaning out al Qaeda and al-Sadr's militia," said Vanek. Muqtada al-Sadr is one of the most vocal critics of the U.S. occupation of Iraq. The leader of the Sadriyun Movement, he insists U.S. troops should leave the country immediately and that Iraqis be given an opportunity to create an Islamic state if they choose, according to globalsecurity.org.
A great deal of improvement was made in Salman Pac. It went from a really bad area to a really quiet place, according to Vanek. Also, the local concerned citizens forces the Sons of Iraq subsequently began to take control, taking the burden off of the U.S. troops.
In Sadr City, Vanek's troops were called in to hold a part of the city's perimeter after Al-Sadr broke a ceasefire pact that had been followed for six months.
"He decided that the U.S. military was exploiting his ceasefire to make key arrests of local militias," said Vanek.
Vanek and his troops held a key intersection with their Iraqi tank battalion. The U.S. forces eventually would erect a wall "but our Iraqi forces were there initially," said Vanek. As the wall got built, he said, "the threat to us diminished."
Vanek worked with two local Iraqi interpreters and if those interpreters got any useful intelligence, the intel would be passed along to U.S. forces. "A lot of the soldiers live in these battle cities and have sources that pass along information," he said.
Vanek liked the fact he could help make a difference regarding a dangerous environment. "My team being there allowed us to help an Iraqi element become more self-sufficient," said Vanek. The same thing has occurred in other areas of the country and in fact, there are now more Iraqi forces in Iraq than U.S. forces, according to Vanek.
"We've turned over some area of the country to the Iraqi army," he added. Vanek said that while the U.S. is trying to bring stability to the country, the terrorists look at the U.S. as an occupying force.
Vanek said most of the violence will likely subside when the fringe elements see the government and the Iraqi army can provide for the health and well-being and the security of the country.
"You can't stop a terrorist group," he added, "but you can eliminate the breeding ground for [terrorism], where they set up, by making a more stable country. Terrorist militias prey on the unemployed and those with no education. Terrorist groups know a lot of people are illiterate and they employ local clerics to twist the words of the Koran to suit their purpose."
Vanek said if the cities can be made safe for youths to go to school, that will be one step towards eliminating terrorism.
"There are plenty of schools inside Baghdad," said Vanek. "It's just a matter of providing that safe haven."
One of the things Vanek stressed to the children Monday was service to country, serving something greater than yourself.
"It doesn't have to be military service," noted Vanek. It can be community service (volunteering for the Red Cross or the Fire Department) or committing time to the Peace Corps. He believes every American should at least give a few years in some fashion.
"Pay your dues to your country for everything it's done for you," he said. "If you change one person's life for the better it makes you feel better I think."
He reminded the children that even though the war seems to be on the back burner, at least from a media coverage standpoint, there still are men and women in uniform "serving the country to protect you" and so they should try to support them as best they can. Vanek didn't have to go to Iraq. He volunteered to go. He had been finishing his active duty years with a unit over in Germany that wasn't deploying.
However, he felt compelled to head to Iraq. "It was almost eating me up inside [not being there]," said Vanek. He added, "If there was a way for me to get over there, then I was going to find a way."
In Iraq from July 2007 to July 2008, Vanek is now back on home soil and teaching military science at Fordham University. There were different generations of veterans at Monday's ceremony. While Vanek represented as an Iraq war veteran, there were also veterans of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He felt a connection with all of them.
"We have shared experiences even though [the wars] are all different," said Vanek. However, he admits that what he went through pales in comparison to what the veterans of World War II had to face. "It was more constant," he said. "If they were on the front line, there was no base to come back to at night for them. There was no safe zone to bunker down to. They were often exposed to the enemy for weeks and months at a time."
Also, World War II veterans didn't have the opportunity to contact their families via e-mail, instant messaging and Web cams like today's soldiers can. "Today, there's more communication with family and friends," said Vanek.
Asked what kept his spirits up when he was in Iraq, Vanek responded that it was knowing "one more day down, one more day closer to being home."
Osama bin Laden has not yet been captured. However, Vanek points out getting Bin Laden won't bring an end to terrorism.
"He's a face to the enemy, but he's one small head," said Vanek. "If we get him the threat is not erased. We have to ensure that their way of life is satisfied enough that whatever a terrorist may bring to the table, that they see through his lies, the violence and the hatred he represents. If they say no and reject him, it will lessen the terrorists' footholds in those areas."
Ryan McMahon, an eighth-grader at St. Thomas, said Vanek's talk was powerful enough that he might one day look into joining the military. "It's not only a privilege but also a great honor," said McMahon, who noted he would be proud to tell his children and grandchildren he served if that becomes the case.
He added, "He spoke with much respect for the natives in Baghdad. Because most of the people who talk about Iraq make the Iraqis out to be bad people. He spoke about them with much respect and said they are not much different from us. They just have less education."
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