Posted: 11/19/03

Bridge builder O'Connor finds jobs

Cliff Buchan
News Editor

Less than a year ago, David OíConnor was just a young kid doing his best trying to work at Menards in Forest Lake and attend college. Today, OíConnor, 22, is deep in Iraq with the 652nd Engineering Company with a primary task of bridge builder.

OíConnor, a 1999 graduate of Forest Lake High School, is the son of Kathleen OíConnor of Columbus Township. His Army Reserves unit from Ellsworth, WI, was activated in February and he has been in Iraq since April. The 652nd is attached to the 4th Army Infantry Division.

In the eight months of duty in Iraq, Spc. OíConnor has experienced a wide range of changes in Iraq. He has witnessed the overthrow of dictator Saddam Hussein and been involved in the struggle of dealing with a guerrilla war and the loss of comrades.

His mother eagerly awaits his occasional phone calls and cringes whenever news from the war hits the radio and TV waves. She spoke to David by telephone on Sunday and found her son upbeat but unaware of much of what is happening in other regions of the war.

ìHe seems to think heís perfectly safe,î she said. ìHe didnít know about the Italian soldiers who were killed or the two helicopters that went down.

ìEvery time something happens, I get worried.î

Last week three soldiers in her sonís unit were hurt when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device planted in a road, she said. They were on their way to pick up troop mail when their vehicle hit the mine.

ìThey look like a Pepsi can or a piece of junk,î she said.

Letters home

In letters home to his parents, Kathleen and Ronnie, siblings Erika, 13, and Sean, 5, grandparents and other relatives, OíConnor has clearly described what life is like for American forces in Iraq. Excerpts from some of OíConnorís letters follow.

April 28

ìIraq is a lot different than I expected. Some things are true, there are some bad apples out of the bunch, but the majority are the most friendly people Iíve ever met.

ìThey almost make us feel like celebrities! When we drive through their towns they line the streets to see us. They wave, clap, blow kisses and some scream out: ëMr.! Mr.!, I love you.í A lot of them carry American flags or wear shirts that say they support the troops. I guess it starts to get more dangerous as you get closer to Baghdad, but weíll see.î

May 5th

ìItís May 5th now. We are finishing up the last part of a four-day mission. We built a bridge that crosses the Tigris River. Our mission is to guard the bridge. We have to control traffic and do random searches of Iraqi vehicles.

ìThe locals here are awesome! Almost the entire town comes over to our area every morning and talks with us until night. They all know me by name. One guy even brought me a silver key chain as a gift!

ìSometimes itís pretty scary though. The locals crowd around you and want to touch your stuff. You never know if one of them is a terrorist or Iraqi soldier. I know they are still around. Our convoy has been shot at two separate times. There is also gunfire every night. Some of it sounds too close for comfort sometimes. I hope to God Iíll never have to fire my weapon at anyone.î

May, undated

ìThings are going pretty well over here. So far, Iíve been in Iraq for three weeks now. We set up our camp at an airfield north of Baghdad near Baqubah. It was a four-day convoy from Kuwait.

ìIn the evening, there is always gunfire. Itís getting to the point where Iíll hear a machine gun go off and not even flinch. Our guard duty rotations are two days on and two days off.

ìDuring our two days off, we become a transportation unit. Weíve had three haul missions so far. Both missions I went on were very exciting. I got a chance to see a lot of the country. They were also dangerous. Our convoy took fire both times. The shooters were distant and no one was hit, but it was still scary!î

July 18th

ìI would like to start by thanking you all for the letters and packages. You have no idea how much theyíve been helping me. I feel like a child during Christmas when I near my name at mail call. I appreciate everyoneís support and cannot thank you enough.

ìI am writing this letter from the Civil Military Operative Center, downtown Baqubah. My squad is here for one week to guard the building and the Civil Affairs Soldiers. This is one of four missions my platoon is involved in. The other three are explosive ordinance disposal, bank security and presence patrols.

ìLast week my squad and I were in charge of explosive ordinance disposal. Weíre given a 50-mile radius of which to find and destroy explosives. We found grenades, land mines, mortar rounds, tank rounds and rocket-propelled grenades. EOD is hard work and pretty dangerous, but itís well worth it when we get to blow everything that we found. Our largest explosion was 2000 rocket-propelled grenades that we found.î

ìIím sure that by the time you get this letter you will have heard about Sgt. Gabe. He was killed in an ambush attack. He was the platoon sergeant for our support platoon. I am in the bridge platoon so I did not know him very well. I saw hm every day and would ask him work related questions occasionally.

ìHis loss was tough for all of us. He was a father and husband killed by cowards. His death served as a blunt reminder of the fact that we are at war. War against terrorism. Iíve been down the road where the ambush took place 100 times. It could have been anyone.î

July 22nd

ìThe last time I checked, we were a bridge building company! Weíve been everything from police to janitors to explosive experts! We pretty much run this town.

ìToday Uday and Qusay (sons of Saddam Hussein) were killed. Thatís pretty big news to all of us in Iraq. We all hope that will reduce the number of attacks going on around here. Weíll see.î

Aug. 31st

ìI think the hardest part of being here is not knowing when youíll see your family and friends again. Wouldnít you think they would at least give us a general idea of when they might send us home? I guess Iíll just have to tough it out until I get the good word.î

September, undated

ìI can say that the mediaís portrayal of the events in Iraq is completely one-sided. Despite what the media says, I can assure you things are getting better.

ìWhen I first came to Iraq in April, this place was in chaos. There was no sense of law and order. People were looting, fighting, shooting, etc. Granted there is still a lot of work to do, but people are working very hard at this task and I think this will be a beautiful country someday.

ìAbove all, the people seem to be happy. Iíve never had so many people thank me or want to shake my hand in my life. Only a small percentage of the people want us to leave.î

Waiting at home

OíConnorís family continues to wait at home, hoping for his safe return. There is an outside chance OíConnor may get two weeks of leave and be home for Christmas. By all reports, OíConnor will remain in Iraq until next April.

ìHeís excited about getting back home and getting his life together,î his mother said.

Daily reports of Americanís wounded and killed during attacks by insurgents is cause for concern for the soldierís mother.

When her son joined the Reserves in September of 2000, she felt it was a good move for a young man needing direction.

ìHe was feeling like he wasnít going anywhere,î she says. ìYou can see how heís matured, just in his letters.

ìIím glad he went (into the service), but Iím still worried.î

Mail wanted

Like most young troops far from home, Spc. David OíConnor would welcome mail from home, his mother said.

The family has been working on its own and through a support group with other family members in Ellsworth to supply care packages to troops.

Kathleen OíConnor says military personnel continue to request powdered milk, cold cereals, pre-sweetened Kool Aid, AA batteries, magazines, newspapers, foot powder, snack chips, trail mix, pickles, Slim Jims, hot salsa and cheese spread.

Friends in the Forest Lake area can write to OíConnor at: Spec. David OíConnor, 652 EN CO, Unit 92610, APO AE 09323-2610.

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