The Ottumwa Courier

833rd Engineer Company

June 8, 2008

Back home

Southeast Iowa welcomes 833rd heroes

By MARK NEWMAN and MATT MILNER Courier staff writers

OTTUMWA — For the soldiers of the 833rd, the transition from military to civilian life came in a wave of happy chaos.

The recently returned 833rd Engineer Company stood at attention on Indian Hills Community College indoor basketball court Saturday afternoon. The bleachers around them were packed full with parents, wives, children and friends.

The company first sergeant brought the deployment to an end with one word: “Dismissed!”

A roar went up from the crowd. The bleachers spilled family members onto the floor while the soldiers flowed outward toward them.

Sgt. Shawn Force was pushing a baby carriage within moments.

“It’s great,” he said. “She wasn’t even born [when we deployed].”

Force was able to see his daughter briefly while on leave: She was a week old. She’s 5 months old now. None of the noise or cheering mattered to her; she was sleeping. His eyes welled up as he looked down at her.

“She’s a beauty,” he said quietly, his voice catching.

Ben Baker’s fan club was a bit older. At least 15 people wore T-shirts reading “Welcome home Ben.” They were relieved to be able to wear them.

“The worry’s gone,” said his mother, Michele Baker of Chariton. “He’s home safe and sound.”

Other families had shirts made up, too. One warned enemy combatants to “Beware of Tony.”

Yes, it’s a bit tongue in cheek, said Lisa Nordyke of Eldon, a relative of Spc. Tony Cloke. But it’s serious, too; the 833rd is dangerous to the bad guys.

And the “War Pigs,” as the 833rd is called, proved themselves formidable while in Iraq. They cleared more than 40,000 miles of roads over the course of 495 combat patrols. Twenty-one members earned bronze stars. Four received purple hearts.

It was hard to count the number of signs calling the soldiers heroes.

Soldiers boarded the buses at Fort McCoy, Wis., early Saturday. The ride home was a strange experience, one said.

“It was really surreal, in the morning, cleaning the barracks, getting everything packed, and then getting on the bus,” said Spc. Levi Amrine. “It was awesome to see all the support [along the way]. We were looking out the window at all the people.”

It was an emotional wait for the families. This was the third welcome home ceremony for Meri Lipper of Burlington. Her husband deployed for the Gulf War. He left again when the 224th deployed in 2004-05.

“This time, it’s for my son, Logan,” Lipper said.

Her cell phone rang. Someone was calling to tell her the buses had made it to Fairfield. They also told her the turnout was “unbelievable” with well-wishers lining the street and crowding into medians to welcome the 833rd home. She began to cry.

Someone expressed concern. “It’s OK,” she said gently, “It’s the good kind of crying.”

“It’s unbelievable,” said Theresa Wilson of Fairbank, mother of Jared Wilson. “I can’t believe it’s finally here. It’s always seemed so far away.”

The waiting was tough for everyone, even those in uniform.

“Right now, there’s still a weight on my shoulders,” said Sgt. Dan Hoy of the 833rd as he waited for the bus to arrive.

Hoy was injured during the unit’s first tour in Iraq, and was forced to stay behind for this deployment.

Later, around 5 p.m., Meri Lipper said things had not quieted down much as the family arrived back in Burlington, where they were getting ready to go out for a celebratory steak dinner.

“[The emotions] are just relief and excitement,” she said. “Everybody’s on a high.”

That includes Logan.

“I’ve never seen him smile so much in my life as he is today,” she said.

The 833rd’s commanding officer, Capt. Ben Lampe, was smiling, too, as he played with his children after the ceremony.

“Thank you for the overwhelming support, not just today, but throughout the year,” said Lampe when asked for a comment. “A deployment like this isn’t easy. The support of the people of the community, and of the businesses, we can’t be more proud. It makes things so much better. For what it’s worth, we are very appreciative.”

The challenges, though, may not be over, warned one officer, and these soldiers and military families may need further understanding and support.

Maj. Gen. Ron Dardis, the leader of the Iowa National Guard, encouraged families to take advantage of programs designed help with the challenge as soldiers work to reintegrate into everyday society.

“Deployments change soldiers, and deployments change families,” said Dardis. “They deserve a chance to be made whole.”

Saturday was a start.

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