Fuente : Multinational Force Iraq
http://www.mnf-iraq.com/

IRAQ : Louisiana Guard Soldiers win Iraqi hearts with bike

Louisiana Guard Soldiers win Iraqi hearts with bike

/noticias.info/ CAMP JUSTICE, Iraq -- Two Soldiers from the 256th Brigade Combat Team have made a new friend, and they want to show him what he means to them, so they presented him with a new bicycle.
Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Bryant from Shreveport, La., of Company B, 1st Battalion, 156th Armor Regiment, and Staff Sgt. Joe Speck from Deville, La., of Company C, 3rd Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment, were won over by a little boy, whose mother is a first sergeant with the 36th Commando Iraqi Battalion. The 36th falls under the command of the 40th Iraqi National Guard, and Speck and Bryant are stationed at Camp Justice training them.
“His father was with the Iraqi Army and killed by an insurgent about a year ago,” said Speck, “and this kid has the biggest smile. We just wanted to do something to make him happy.”
Acquiring the bike proved to be a challenge. Bryant tried to purchase one in the Camp Justice area, and when all attempts failed, he turned to the 256th Brigade Combat Team historian.
“[Bryant] came to the office and mentioned that he was trying to find a bike for a little boy, but that he was having some trouble,” said Sgt. Jessica Dubois from Abbeville, La, of Headquarters Co. 256th Brigade Combat Team, “A man in one of the shops here usually gets me things pretty quickly, so I asked him about this, and in two weeks he had it for me.”
Dubois said she feels good to have been able to participate in this, even if she had to do it from an office.
“I wish that I could get out more in the community and do something to help the people,” she said, “I work in homeless shelters in the States, and I just want to contribute in whatever ways that I can.”
Bryant recalls the moment the little boy stole his heart.
“I was having dinner with one of our interpreters and the little boy was there with a female Soldier. I gave the Soldier a candy bar that I’d had in my pocket and asked her to give it to the little boy. She told him that if he ate everything on his plate that he could have it.”
Bryant laughed at the child’s reaction.
“I’ve never seen a kid eat so fast, he looked like he was actually starting to break a sweat!”
When the Soldiers finally had the bike in hand and presented it to the child, Bryant says that his smile lit up the room.
“He was so cute; it just made my day to see his reaction,” he said.
The Soldiers are not finished, yet. After much probing, they finally found out from the mother what she and the child needed.
“We asked her what else we could do for her and she kept saying nothing,” said Speck, “but we knew that there just had to be something that they could use.”
The Soldiers kept asking, until she told them that they both needed clothes and shoes.
“We’re going to do everything for them that we can,” said Speck. notas_de_prensa_archivo