Like hundreds of other soldiers, Steve Tidwell of Judsonia, a member of the 1123rd Transportation Company currently
serving in Iraq, leaves his mark on one of the few remaining portraits of Saddam Hussein left in Baghdad. (Submitted photo)

By Janet Wilson
Staff Writer    30 Aug 2003

Morale is high and enthusiasm for the mission remains strong for Steve Tidwell of Judsonia, who is serving in Iraq as part of the 1123rd Transportation Company.

In a letter to The Daily Citizen, Tidwell said his company's first duty station in Kuwait was known as Camp New York. There, the group learned first-hand about the ferocious desert heat and sometimes blinding sandstorms which he said took place virtually every day.

"After adjusting, we started our missions crossing the border into Iraq moving to Camp Dogwood," Tidwell said. "While at Camp Dogwood, we learned what the Army term of 'adapt and overcome' really meant."

He said there were times when the company's water supply got low, but soldiers from the 3rd Platoon took the initiative and drove tractor trailers to Kuwait to retrieve loads of water. When the group realized that ice was non-existent, truck drivers from as many as three platoons found a source for ice, he said.

Another challenge the company encountered at Camp Dogwood was the lack of bathroom facilities. Using what resources they had, Tidwell said one was constructed.

"It was not the fanciest, not the best, but workable and it was a whole lot better than what some soldiers had in the infantry," he said.

Having overcome the many obstacles it faced at Camp Dogwood, Tidwell said the 1123rd Transportation Company enthusiastically continued to operate under the motto "you call, we haul," by delivering everything from parts to food and water, live ammunition and soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division.

"They were the first to cross the brim and to take and hold Baghdad," Tidwell said. "That mission was indeed an honor for this company."

Tidwell's company has since relocated to the Baghdad International Airport, where he indicated that conditions continue to improve. According to his fianc/, Shirley Strickland, the company has received air conditioners for their tents. During a recent telephone conversation, Strickland said Tidwell asked her to help him tune his guitar so he could prepare for an upcoming talent contest.

"When he called, he said, 'I need you to help me with something,' " Strickland said. "He asked me to go in his office and get his good guitar out of the case."

Although separated by thousands of miles, Strickland said she placed Tidwell's guitar in her lap, held the phone up to it and strummed each individual string so that he could properly tune his instrument.

"After I would play each chord, I would pick up the phone and he would say do it again, do it again until he got it just right," she said. "You could hear him tuning his guitar on the other end of the line."

Strickland said Tidwell did not indicate what song he intended to play during the competition, although she speculated that it might be "If I Could Only Fly," by Merle Haggard.

In his letter, Tidwell expressed his appreciation to all of the family members, friends and military comrades in Arkansas for their prayers and support.

"We here on the front-line can tell you with first hand experience that you can be proud of the performances of the 1123rd Transportation Company and also the 296th Medical Unit from Arkansas for we are setting the standard for other Arkansas guardsmen to follow or surpass," Tidwell said.

"Your sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, and your fathers and mothers are true heroes and you should be proud," added Capt. Joe Mike Wilson, who is Tidwell's commanding officer. "The soldiers of the 1123rd have made it possible for thousands upon thousands of soldiers to receive mail, get food and water, protect coalition forces and the innocent Iraqi citizens, and have done so in an honorable way."

In a letter, Major General Don C. Morrow also addressed the harsh conditions soldiers face in Iraq.

"War is not pretty and it is not fun," Morrow said. "The conditions are extremely harsh and the environment is exceedingly austere. Those of us who have the luxury to observe the hostilities from the comfort of our living rooms cannot begin to appreciate the sacrifices the men and women of the U.S. military make on a daily basis."

Morrow continued by saying that when men and women enlist as members of the Arkansas National Guard, they do so voluntarily and are now doing what they signed up to do.

"War is never easy, but I assure you our troops have received the training necessary to prepare them for their mission," he said. "We train day-in and day-out for this very purpose. We are professionals and we are good at what we do."

Within the coming weeks members of the 39th Infantry Brigade, which is headquartered in Searcy and includes companies in Newport, Walnut Ridge, Batesville and Brinkley, could be notified that they are being activated for eventual deployment to Iraq. According to Capt. Kristine Munn, state public affairs officer for the Arkansas National Guard, the 39th Infantry Brigade is on alert. She said it is the largest unit in the Arkansas National Guard and is made up of approximately 3,400 members.

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