The following article is about my cousin Jayson. My Aunt Mary is not only my godmother, but one of the best persons I have ever known. I couldn't help but tear up when I read this.

Regardless of how you feel about the war, remember there are hundreds of stories about soldiers just like my cousin.

And I thank God for each and every one of them!


Soldier's gift to students on hold, but still prized
Posted: Saturday, Nov 10, 2007 - 01:51:25 am CST
By Hillary GavanDaily News staff writer

As Newark Elementary School remained under lock down on Friday afternoon because of the Footville bank robbers, the school children missed out on a special gift.

Major Jayson Dodge of the U.S. Army was planning on sending his brother Tom Dodge to deliver a flag to the school in light of the upcoming Veteran's Day.Instead of meeting with the kids, however, Tom Dodge was inside his home as helicopters soared overhead looking for the criminals.

Tom Dodge said he remained hopeful that the school assembly will be rescheduled next week and said his brother was thinking about the children. During his time serving in Iraq, Major Jayson Dodge said he received amazing support from children at Newark Elementary School.

Jayson's mother, Mary Lamm-Feltman, worked with the kids to send 60 pounds of Orbit gum and Nutter Butter chocolate bars to the soldiers as well as letters, cards and pictures.“It was a real morale booster,” Jayson Dodge. “It was a lot of fun, especially the drawings and letters. I'd read them to all the guys and it took our minds off things.”

To thank the children, Jayson Dodge purchased an American flag and took it with him on a mission. After his brother takes it to the kids, there are plans to put it in the school's display case.

Although Jayson Dodge, a former Newark Elementary School student and Parkview High School graduate, wasn't able to get the flag transported to the kids on Friday, he shared with the Daily News how he's served his country.

Dodge got commissioned as an Army officer in July of 1996, after completing an ROTC program at the University of Wisconsin - Stephens Point and was later deployed to Afghanistan in 2004.He worked as fire support officer and was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 4th United States Calvary and later became Assistant Battalion Operations Officer for the Third Battalion 7th Field Artillery Regiment 25th Infantry Division.

“It's not all that much fun when you are there, but once you get back and look back, you realize what you've done,” Jayson Dodge said.Although it was difficult being away from wife Laura and his 10-year-old daughter Emma in their home in Hawaii, Jayson Dodge feels proud of what he helped to accomplish overseas.

Jayson Dodge started his service in Kandahar, a more conservative area of Afghanistan. He said the most rewarding part of his service there was working with the elections. He was one of the few American soldiers with a mostly Afghan Army protecting the city in the days before people had the chance to hold an election.“I remember seeing people come out after voting and they had ink on their finger. People were just overjoyed that they were electing their president,” he said.

Jayson Dodge interacted with the people of Afghanistan on a daily basis. He would go into the villages and see what they needed.“We would see if the Taliban was running around,” he said. “We helped them get the schools and wells rebuilt. We would help with agriculture and help them stand back up. The people were very appreciative. I really enjoyed my time in Afghanistan.”During the last part of his service in Afghanistan, Jayson Dodge was stationed in Herat, a more liberal part of the country.

While he saw women in burqas in Kandahar, the people of Herat were starting to enjoy life without the Taliban.“They had music stores, shops and bazaars,” he said. “Girls were going to school and a lot had changed for the better.”After he returned in 2005 from Afghanistan he was deployed to Kirkuk, in the northern part of Iraq in 2006.

In Iraq he worked in command of AlphaBattery 3rd Battalion 7th Field Artillery Regiment. He patrolled along the oil pipe lines and gas fields and taught Iraqi soldiers how to protect their country's assets. In just four months, Jayson Dodge saw a lot of progress. The number of improvised explosive devices went down and the Iraqi soldiers learned how to man checkpoints, use rifles as well as ride and maintain Humvees.“They kind of got bragging rights about training with the Americans,” he said.

After Jayson Dodge got promoted to Major, he worked overseeing others. He finally returned in 2006 to his home in Hawaii. Now he is looking forward to moving to Fort McCoy in Wisconsin to train the national guard units which will be deployed.“I've been gone quite a bit, but I'm used to it. It's part of the job and part of life,” Jayson Dodge said.

This picture is a little expantion on my last post (At least part of it) . . .

Why would the recent fires in SoCal concern me? I guess it's because even though I don't live down there any more, I still feel a little like a SoCal girl.

I had called my dad a couple of weeks ago in San Clemente and talked to my step-mom. She made a comment that her brother and his family had to be evacuated, but they were fine (they live in Malibu, he works at Pepperdine). Of course I asked, "Why? What's going on?" She told me about the fire up there, and that pretty much started it.

The following day was the worst.

I woke up on Monday to hear one of the cable news channels talking about a fire that had been burning in Orange County. When they mentioned the 241 tollway, Foothill Ranch, and started calling it the Santiago fire, I knew exactly where they were talking about.

The fire was burning in my old backyard.

I grew up in an area that used to be El Toro . . . now the city of Lake Forest.

I found out my HS was being used as an evacuation point . . . the fire had burned up to Irvine Blvd./Trabuco Road bordering the old ET Marine base . . . to the east it burned within less than 2 miles from where my dad and step-mom used to live in Tustin Ranch . . . it burned towards Cook's corner which is a motorcycle hangout and hole-in-the-wall place that I last visited with my best friend about 5-6 years ago . . . it burned Modjeska Canyon where the wildlife and bird sanctuary (went there on a great outing with my Kindergarden class) and forced the evacuation of my step-mom's other brother . . . burned through Hangman's Loop where I used to run in HS with the cross-country team . . . lastly, it burned up towards Santiago Peak, the same one I could see from my bedroom window every day from the time I was 5 until I was 18.

Thanks to all the wonderful firefighters, it didn't finish going up the mountain and down the back . . . directly to where my mom lives in Temescal Valley.

Basically, parts of my childhood were going up in smoke.

The above picture was taken by my best friends in-laws from their house (I know it's a little blurred). They live about mile down the road from my HS and about 3-4 miles away from the Marine base . . .

On top of that, Hubby's cousin and his family were evaced in San Diego, they closed I5 where my dad and step-mom live because of the fires at Camp Pendelton, and don't even get me started on what happened in Lake Arrowhead (another place that's dear to my heart).

So that's why the fires got under my skin . . .

Tomorrow I'll talk about a happier subject . . . MY NEW JOB!

Where is it at? You'll never guess . . .

Wait for it . . .

STARBUCKS!!

In fact I'm enjoying an eggnog latte right now because it was the only way I was going to get through writing this post.

So, until tomorrow . . .

Yet again, time has gotten away from me . . .

Just a few reasons why I haven't been keeping up with things:

- I was glued to the TV for a week during the recent fires in SoCal (more on that later).

- Girl Scouts have taken over my life!!!!

- I have a new job! (more on that later too)

- Halloween and my birthday the day after . . . #37! :)

- Hubby has been gone since Sunday at a training in SF . . . but he'll be home tomorrow night just in time for the 3-day weekend!

I'm sure you've noticed my lack of comment regarding the World Series and baseball in general. Well after an EXTREMELY disappointing season for my Giants, I had a least some hope for the Rockies. They reminded me of 2002 and our run. Unfortunately the outcome was the same. I'm just hoping our managment decides to crap or get off the pot as far as which direction they want to go with our team next year. Who knows . . . maybe they might decide to go after A-Rod even though AT&T is not a hitters park (although right-handers fare better than lefties).

Speaking of right-handers, I'm tending to a slightly swollen and bruised nose because Kid #3 (my jock) decided to give me a Marcia Brady moment with a nerf basketball.

Lucky for me it wasn't a real football . . . that kid can THROW!

Hopefully I can expand on my talking points tomorrow . . .