Soldiers in Afghanistan enjoy turkeys they raised

[tericared]

 

BARAKI-BARAK, Afghanistan (AP) -- As daylight faded and the winter cold set in, soldiers huddled inside a crude wooden hut to tuck into Thanksgiving turkeys the unit itself had fattened and to give thanks for having survived a year of combat in Afghanistan.

"They become your family and being able to eat together like this, to break bread together is a highlight," said 1st Sgt. Gonzalo Lassally of soldiers from Able Troop, 3-71 Cavalry Squadron sitting down to the traditional turkey plus ham basted in brown sugar and honey, five varieties of pies and nonalcoholic beer. A stack of local flatbread added an Afghan touch.

A much-scaled down version of the feast was helicoptered to a handful of soldiers in an observation post perched on a 6,900-foot (2,100-meter) spur.

"We're thankful for all still being here. We've been lucky, on the lower spectrum when it comes to casualties," said Lassally, a father of three from Deltona, Florida, who has spent four Thanksgivings, three Christmases and "quite a few birthdays" away from home.

"We're with our family just like we would be at Thanksgiving back home," said Staff Sgt. Ben McKinnon, of New Haven, Connecticut, nodding toward the soldiers around him that have daily shared hardship, suffering and some elation over the past year.

Commander Capt. Paul Shepard said his unit, part of the 10th Mountain Division, had lost two soldiers in action and seen a number wounded, but none in Alpha Troop have died.

"Knock on wood we've had some really good luck in our district. We've had a relatively good welcome from the locals and the severity of contact with the insurgents has not been great," Shepard, of Black River, New York, said. "And we have tried to give out as much as we can."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_AFGHANISTAN_THANKSGIVING?SITE=IADES&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2009-11-26-12-19-33

[sweetie00]

I wish for the  the rest of their holidays to be  at home! Where they belong.

[tericared]

Quoting sweetie00:

I wish for the  the rest of their holidays to be  at home! Where they belong.

Me too......

[07upsydaisy]

Quoting sweetie00:

I wish for the  the rest of their holidays to be  at home! Where they belong.

Me, too.  I wish we could bring all our boys home from everywhere.