Tales of Iraq - Soldier brings treasures, history to school

Ft. Dodge Iowa Messenger News ^ | January 6, 2006 | JOHN MOLSEED

[BykrBayb]

Tales of Iraq

Soldier brings treasures, history to school

By JOHN MOLSEED Messenger staff writer

Fair Oaks Middle School sixth-graders learning about Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization, had a special guest Friday — someone who had been there.

Sgt. Tony Echevarria shared his experiences and visits to historic sites while stationed in Iraq with the students — one of them his son, Zak Echevarria.

‘‘This is believed to be the birthplace of Abraham,’’ Sgt. Echevarria said describing a Powerpoint slide showing the ancient brick structure. ‘‘He is the father of Judeo-Christian belief that we have today.’’

Echevarria has spent eight months in Iraq and was in Fort Dodge for two weeks on leave. He returns to Iraq today. The Fort Dodge native is a first sergeant with a North Carolina unit that provides security for supply convoys.

‘‘We’re the people who move everything up north,’’ he told the class.

As a history major, Echevarria was drawn to the historic sights in the ancient city of Ur.

‘‘It’s very neat to go there and imagine that 5,000 years ago this was a booming city,’’ he said.

Teacher Tamara Boeckman who’s leading the class’s early centers of civilization unit said Echevarria’s experience will bring their studies of the ancient world to life.

‘‘There are still some reminders of the civilizations we’re studying,’’ Boeckman said.

‘‘This building itself is almost as tall as the school building we’re in,’’ he said describing a Powerpoint slide that showed an ancient ziggurat. ‘‘It’s a solid structure.’’

Aside from bringing history alive, Echevarria hoped his talk would show students some of the daily tasks soldiers in Iraq go through and progress being made in rebuilding the war-torn country.

‘‘It’s not all shooting,’’ he told the class.

‘‘Everything I see on the media is negative. It doesn’t show the work we’re doing in Iraq rebuilding schools, the work we’re doing on their infrastructure,’’ Echevarria said before his presentation.

In a quick Powerpoint montage, he showed the students pictures of soldiers from his North Carolina-based unit. A few also showed Iraqi schools. He compared the Fair Oaks classroom with the primitive conditions in most Iraq schools.

‘‘They don’t have electricity, wood floors or anything like that,’’ he said.

He also showed the class everyday items from Iraq including Pepsi cans with labels written in Farsi, the official Iraqi language. He passed out old currency, pamphlets and even a burka — after briefly demonstrating how it’s worn.

‘‘I can’t imagine wearing it. That’d be hot,’’ said sixth-grader Katelyn Sorenson.

‘‘It’s sorta like a blanket,’’ said John Ort, also in sixth grade.

Echevarria’s descriptions of the artifacts found by archaeological expeditions and the prospect of unopened and undiscovered tombs fanned the students’ imaginations.

‘‘I think it’s neat you could find treasure,’’ Ort said.

[ExcursionGuy84]

‘‘Everything I see on the media is negative. It doesn’t show the work we’re doing in Iraq rebuilding schools, the work we’re doing on their infrastructure,’’

Another ".223 tracer of Truth" strikes the old, slow but loud & annoying MSM Brachiosaurus.