bobdina
08-16-2010, 10:44 AM
In Iraq, bad jokes kept soldier in good spirits
By Rick Harrison - The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday Aug 14, 2010 11:45:15 EDT
WOODBURY, Conn. — Which cows have the smallest legs? The shortest ones.
Perhaps this is not the funniest joke in the world. But when Chief Warrant Officer 2 Matthew Cheatham received one like it each day in Iraq from his son’s first grade classroom, the small moments helped shrink the world and remind him of what matters most.
“That brief instance — a touch of home,” Cheatham said. “You get that connection. It’s magical.”
Cheatham, an officer with the Army National Guard’s 118th Multi-Functional Medical Battalion’s motor pool operations, returned home to Woodbury on July 28, after a one-year deployment, served mostly in Balad, a city about 50 miles north of Baghdad. He papered the walls of his office with the nearly constant stream of mail.
“I’m in my office for 10 hours a day,” Cheatham said. “I wanted to be reminded of home all the time.”
The jokes began with a parent’s suggestion to Marcy Molzon, 7-year-old Tyler Cheatham’s first grade teacher at Bethlehem Elementary School. They sent a package of jokes for Valentine’s Day. Then Molzon sought to extend the project, aiming to illustrate a lesson from “One Smile” by Cindy McKinley, a book telling the story about how one girl’s smile inspires a chain reaction of good deeds.
“We’re changing the world because of our jokes,” Molzon said. “It’s making their day. The kids really understood that. Little actions could change somebody or change the world.”
Cheatham’s wife, Cassandra, enjoyed plenty of little and big gestures from family and neighbors during the deployment, which began just two months after the couple moved into their home. They helped mow the grass, plow the snow and take care of Tyler and his 8-year-old brother, Joshua.
“It was nice to see how much the community cares,” said Cassandra Cheatham, a paraprofessional at Crosby High School in Waterbury. “Every party, every play group. People always asked how we’re doing.”
Born and raised in town, Matthew Cheatham got to know some of his neighbors through coaching soccer and through his mother’s involvement on town commissions. But the depth of community support shown to his wife touched him and helped him focus.
“To me, it’s a job,” said Cheatham, a 38-year-old career guardsman who runs a military maintenance shop in Southington. “You lose sight of the fact people really do care. I felt so much better being deployed, knowing she was taken care of at home.”
Family and friends planned a welcome home party for Cheatham on Sunday, Aug. 8, combining birthday parties for Joshua and Tyler delayed from February and June in anticipation of their father’s return. They’ve already received an affectionate orange kitten named Wally. Tyler said he’s happy to have his father back, complete with wrestling matches and morning waffles.
Cheatham saved every piece of mail sent to him in Iraq, including letters written by Joshua’s class. And of course, he’s got all the jokes — groaners and all.
“I’m a sentimental guy,” Cheatham said. “I save everything. It means something. It means a lot.”
By Rick Harrison - The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday Aug 14, 2010 11:45:15 EDT
WOODBURY, Conn. — Which cows have the smallest legs? The shortest ones.
Perhaps this is not the funniest joke in the world. But when Chief Warrant Officer 2 Matthew Cheatham received one like it each day in Iraq from his son’s first grade classroom, the small moments helped shrink the world and remind him of what matters most.
“That brief instance — a touch of home,” Cheatham said. “You get that connection. It’s magical.”
Cheatham, an officer with the Army National Guard’s 118th Multi-Functional Medical Battalion’s motor pool operations, returned home to Woodbury on July 28, after a one-year deployment, served mostly in Balad, a city about 50 miles north of Baghdad. He papered the walls of his office with the nearly constant stream of mail.
“I’m in my office for 10 hours a day,” Cheatham said. “I wanted to be reminded of home all the time.”
The jokes began with a parent’s suggestion to Marcy Molzon, 7-year-old Tyler Cheatham’s first grade teacher at Bethlehem Elementary School. They sent a package of jokes for Valentine’s Day. Then Molzon sought to extend the project, aiming to illustrate a lesson from “One Smile” by Cindy McKinley, a book telling the story about how one girl’s smile inspires a chain reaction of good deeds.
“We’re changing the world because of our jokes,” Molzon said. “It’s making their day. The kids really understood that. Little actions could change somebody or change the world.”
Cheatham’s wife, Cassandra, enjoyed plenty of little and big gestures from family and neighbors during the deployment, which began just two months after the couple moved into their home. They helped mow the grass, plow the snow and take care of Tyler and his 8-year-old brother, Joshua.
“It was nice to see how much the community cares,” said Cassandra Cheatham, a paraprofessional at Crosby High School in Waterbury. “Every party, every play group. People always asked how we’re doing.”
Born and raised in town, Matthew Cheatham got to know some of his neighbors through coaching soccer and through his mother’s involvement on town commissions. But the depth of community support shown to his wife touched him and helped him focus.
“To me, it’s a job,” said Cheatham, a 38-year-old career guardsman who runs a military maintenance shop in Southington. “You lose sight of the fact people really do care. I felt so much better being deployed, knowing she was taken care of at home.”
Family and friends planned a welcome home party for Cheatham on Sunday, Aug. 8, combining birthday parties for Joshua and Tyler delayed from February and June in anticipation of their father’s return. They’ve already received an affectionate orange kitten named Wally. Tyler said he’s happy to have his father back, complete with wrestling matches and morning waffles.
Cheatham saved every piece of mail sent to him in Iraq, including letters written by Joshua’s class. And of course, he’s got all the jokes — groaners and all.
“I’m a sentimental guy,” Cheatham said. “I save everything. It means something. It means a lot.”