Sharing Our Stories
Daniel P. Diaz Our son, Sgt. David P. Diaz, serves with the 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Ky. He is part of Headquarters Battery 2-44, Air Defense Artillery, 2nd Battalion. I’m sure you know the events leading to the invasion of Iraq. Being parents of a soldier, these events held special significance for us. We listened to news hours on end hoping and praying that progress could be made, and that our son and the sons and daughters of so many others wouldn’t have to be put in harm’s way to resolve the situation. By February 2003, it became obvious that war was imminent. David called us in mid-February and told us it was official. He, his unit and most, if not all, of the 101 st Airborne were being deployed to Kuwait to set up a staging area the assault on Iraq. He couldn’t give us the date he was shipping out, for that was known only by those high in the command. Janet and I drove down to see David one last time before he shipped out. It was tough, to say the least, knowing that our son was most probably going to war. David shipped out Feb. 28 and entered Kuwait March 1. We didn’t get to talk to him for over a week, and weeks seemed like months in times like those. War broke out on March 19 with a huge bombing campaign as soldiers awaited their orders to move out. David’s unit crossed into Iraq March 21. The 101 st’s mission was to attack from the western flank of Iraq and move in the direction of Baghdad. The first city they took was Najif. From there they entered and took control of the ancient city of Babylon. This was all happening very fast. The temperatures were extremely high, and they had sandstorms David told us were so bad that when following in a convoy, sometimes the only thing they could see to keep traveling in the right direction and not lose their way was the aerial whip antenna of the vehicle in front of them. They made their way to the outskirts of Baghdad, and provided support for the siege of that city. That is when the war officially ended, and in many ways it had just started. David and his unit stayed there on the outskirts of Baghdad for a more than two weeks. From there, they moved to the city of Tikrit and then onto their final destination, the city of Mosul. They were the first American troops to enter the city, and although the war was declared over, it really wasn’t. They had to secure the city. This meant ferreting out hostile forces and making their presence known. It was no easy task, and it continues to be a formidable one today. This wasn’t just a task of fighting a war. It was a task of feeding the people and getting water and utilities up and running. David was even involved in building a school. And while they were doing the job of rebuilding, they were under terrorist-like attacks constantly from insurgents in the area. In the last months of my son’s duty in Mosul, his job was to train a new Iraqi army in the belief that they’ll be able to protect and defend themselves. David’s tour in Iraq ended Jan. 28, 2004. He and his unit arrived at Fort Campbell at 1:30 a.m. My wife and I had found out several days in advance, and drove down knowing that it is so important that he his family was there when he got off the plane. The returning troops stood in formation in full combat gear, weapons and all. There was a brief ceremony before they were able to join their families. David saw us and couldn’t keep his eyes forward, which is proper military protocol. I’m not a crying man by nature, but I was a mess that night. About a week after his arrival, David received a 30-day leave. He was a changed man, and it took a little while before he was his old self again. He is a soldier of strong character. He realistically deals with situations, and was able to adapt well to life after a very trying time. We are so thankful that he is home and out of harm’s way. We will be on edge until he leaves the service next fall. Janet and I wrote this to honor our son, who is our hero. In the prelude to this war, during it and during his entire time in Iraq, it wasn’t us picking up his spirits. It was David always making jokes about his situation, downplaying his situation and what was going on, when we knew things were much worse. He always assured us that “he was just fine and don’t worry your little heads off.” If he did get serious and have concerns, they were about his men and their wellbeing. I fought in Vietnam, yet I admire my son as the bravest man I know. My wife and I wrote this not to endorse this conflict, but to recognize the heroic efforts of all our sons and daughters who, when called upon, do so in such a fashion that is awe-inspiring.
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