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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2004)
Page 7 Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, December 1, 2004 Iraq service changes views of Jordan Anderson By CHRISTINA HILL Correspondent Thousands of soldiers are putting their lives at risk to fight the war in Iraq. He’s the son of Steve Anderson, of Stevereno’s Family Restaurant in Down- town Cave Junction. “Everybody keeps ask- hours off, but for the most part it was an 18- to 20-hour work day. “In our spare time, a group of us would meet on a (From left) Grandmother Louise Anderson with grandson, U.S. Army Sgt. Jordan Anderson; his father, Steve Anderson; his aunt Kathy Bintz; and Jon Anderson, his brother. (Photo by Christina Hill) U.S. Army Sgt. Jordan Anderson, 21, a graduate of Illinois Valley High School, is one of them. “I’m about two weeks short of a year of being in Iraq,” he said. “Part of my job was to keep track of en- emy fire, where they were shooting from, what time, and so on,” said Anderson, of the Second Battalion, Third Infantry. “We maintained control of the city pretty well,” he said. “For the most part, it was OK. It wasn’t like Baghdad or Fallujah.” During Thanksgiving weekend, he was able to come home for a few days, but it was back to work on Monday, Nov 29. He said that he’ll be taking his two- or three-week leave during Christmas time. ing me what I want for Christmas, but I keep saying I’m just happy to be home,” Anderson said. “I definitely perceive life a lot differently after being in Iraq. “I try to enjoy every- thing I can and not let little things get to me.” However, he’s back to work in Iraq and suffering through “dry, nasty heat,” which is uncomfortable. “I drove almost all the way through Iraq,” he said. “I don’t care to see it again. If I had a choice, I would definitely pick somewhere else.” While fighting a war is difficult, he said, there are a few situations that help make life more tolerable. “Sometimes I was up for 36 hours straight,” he said. “Some days I had 12 * ITALIAN NIGHT - THURSDAYS $10.95 Red or White Sauce (salad & garlic bread included) * Biscuits & Gravy * Pancakes * Eggs * Bacon * Sausage * Coffee, Milk, Juice Adults - $4 Children 12 & under - $2.50 rooftop and talk about what we’re going to do when we get back home, what was going on back home and just hang out and talk about things and enjoy each other’s company, because that was about the only thing we had going on,” said Anderson. Also, in his spare time, he would “go out several times with the civil affair guys.” “Depending on what neighborhood, we’d go through, sometimes the peo- ple would throw stuff at our vehicles; and other times, people, mostly kids with huge smiles on their faces, would come running up to us and want us to play with them,” Anderson said. “Unfortunately I could- n’t play with them because I was on patrol and possibly under enemy attack,” he said, “but I would have loved to play soccer with them and show that we’re just human beings, too.” During his service in Wood stove tips provided Own or use a wood burning stove? Keep these tips in mind. *Install a wood-burning stove that is tested by a na- tionally recognized testing laboratory. *The unit should be installed according to the manufacturer’s detailed in- stallation instructions. *Hire a qualified heat- ing contractor experienced with wood-burner installa- tion to install your unit. *Regular inspections prior to and during each heating season are vital to the safe operation of stoves. They should include looking for cracks or breaks in the joints or welds of the unit, checking the liner, inspect- ing the joints of the stove- pipe, and checking the con- dition of the chimney. If any deficiencies are discovered, discontinue use of the stove. Have all de- fects repaired by a qualified professional. Iraq, he said he has seen much progress. “I think my unit alone has spent nearly $3 million to reconstruct schools and hospitals and make fresh water and sewage facilities available to the people there,” said the sergeant. Despite the progress, “I avoid watching the news and television,” he said. “I maybe watched a dozen news programs when I was over there for a year,” he said. “I didn’t want to watch it, because I was ex- periencing it first-hand, so I didn’t need someone telling me what was going on.” Instead, Anderson looks forward to chatting with his family through e-mail and an occasional phone call. He is set to return home during summer 2005 but, he said, that could change. “I signed up for three years of active service and five years of inactive ser- vice,” Anderson said. “Next summer will be three years that I have been in, but the Army is in need of keeping experienced men in battle, so everything just depends on if they let me out or not,” said Anderson. He looks forward to closing this chapter in his life, too. “I kind of have a been- there, done-that attitude,” said the soldier. “I went to Iraq and then up through the ranks as fast as possible. It’s time to move on and do dif- ferent things in life,” Ander- son noted. “When I get out,” he said, “I’m looking to join the California Dept. of Cor- rections, the Oregon State Police or get an education in wildlife science and get a job with the Bureau of Land Management.” 1660 Foothill Blvd. IMAGINE…..The convenience of living, working and keeping recreational equipment all within your reach! *INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY* CONDOMINIUM CAPABLE. $150k Special. IMPECCABLE VIEWS. (SFR)-MULTI FAMILY, CCRs APPLY, EXTREMELY LARGE LOTS SEIZE THE QUALITY OF LIFE! FOR EMERGENCY CALL 911 FOR NONEMERGENCY DIAL 1-877-504 -8075 Stretcher & Wheelchair Service also available For Paramed Information Phone 1 (800) 228-7601 Ext. 63451 1 3 T H A N N I V ER SA RY ! Fo r e s t r y A c t i o n Co m m i t t e e Ri p ar i a n Re s t o r a t i o n Pr o j e c t The Illinois Valley’s 13th annual Riparian Tree Planting Project is here! Forestry Action Distribution Dates: December 17 th & 18 th January 14 th & 15 th February 11 th & 12 th Volunteer Day is February 26th at 9 a.m. Come join us for this community event Plant some trees, have a great day and share a meal We also look for landowners that have planting sites along the Illinois Rivers, streams, wetlands, and ponds. We offer free riparian consultation & seedlings to riparian landowners of the Illinois Valley. IVCRT Meeting Schedule Making Things Happen! December Day Date Meeting Time Location Thurs 12/2 Workshop 7:00-9:00PM County Bldg Tues 12/7 Executive Comm 5:30-6:30PM IVCRT Wed 12/8 Social Ventures 5:30-6:30PM IVCRT Thurs 12/16 Board Meeting 7:00-9:00PM Selma Community Center Mon 12/20 Community Relations 5:30-6:30PM IVCRT Tues 12/28 Projects & Programs 5:30-7:00PM Canceled To Volunteer or schedule a consultation please call Mike Mitchell or Leeandra Brocker-DiFuria at 592-4098 Email: forestryaction@cavenet.com
