Not all soldiers are home yet

By MaryHelen Swanson
President George W. Bush may have called the ìwarî over but many of our local military men and women are still active overseas and need to be remembered.
For their parents, there is plenty of anxiety and uncertainty because many soldiers are still not able to tell their families their exact location or when they will be coming home.
Some have come home.
The families support each other and meet regularly to share their news. In North Branch, they placed yellow ribbons in the park and on downtown poles as a reminder of their children as the community waits for their safe return.
Last week, Rosanne Johnson, Naomi Thelander, Jan Nelson and Julie Solle, and grandma Rosemary Morrison, tied new ribbons to the poles as the others had become frayed and faded.
As they worked, they quietly talked about their children, rejoicing for those who had come home, concerned for those still overseas.
Rosanne Johnsonís son Lance Cpl. Michael Johnson made it back to the states approximately 11 a.m. June 10. Three flights were set to take Marines home that day, and only one showed up in Kuwait to take them out of the desert. The one that showed up was Mikeís plane. His mom said, ìsomeone above is watching over him - but we knew that all along!î
That same night Johnson was dining on a plate of wings and soaking in a hot tub in California with his wife. They will fly home this Friday. Johnson will ride in the Midsummer parade Sunday.
Sgt. Jace Kovarik, son of Julie Solle, will be back in California on July 2.ÝHe left Kuwait on the USS Anchorage May 20.Ý They will have a brief stop in Hawaii then homeward, said his mother.ÝHe will be in North Branch July 11 for about a month.ÝSince he has been on the ship he has been able to e-mail his mother and she said thatís a Godsend.Ý Before that she got very few letters, and when she did get them they were anywhere from four to six weeks old.
Sunday, Mark Thelander got a call from his son Matt, an Army reservist in the 413th Chemical Co., stationed somewhere in or around Iraq. Matt is still not able to tell his parents where he is, but where he is now there is an air-conditioned tent and a television to watch. And his unit was treated to a steak and lobster dinner. He had been eating straight c-rations, his dad said.
Matt was activated out of Fort Snelling and attached to a unit in Florence, So. Carolina.
Mark Thelander said the Fatherís Day from call his son was an extra special gift. He said when Mattís unit is de-activated the family will go to South Carolina for the big celebration.
Mark said his son is in good health, but has lost weight, working in 140-degree heat will do that.
Matt, 24, graduated from college in May 2002, did student teaching in Australia, substitute teaching in North Branch, and got married last October.
Mattís mom, Naomi, said Matt canít wait to come home. He will be looking for a teaching position and he and his wife will need to find a home.
Lance Cpl. Travis Minkeís mother Jan Nelson was also helping with the ribbons last week. She too waits for her sonís return.
Although he is a Marine, he is at an Army base in Kuwait now and just recently was able to start e-mailing home. His family did not hear from him during the height of the war, except for one brief phone call from outside of Baghdad.
Minkeís job now is loading ships with all the equipment that is going back to the states.
They have 10 ships to load, his mom said. They work up to 26 hours straight in heat that can reach 130-degrees. He will welcome winter when he comes back, she said.
He sounds well, Nelson said, but his spirits arenít real high.
Minke is a 1999 graduate of NBHS. He had two years of college and went into the military to help cover education costs.
He was in boot camp on 9/11 and graduated one week later. His family had plane tickets to his graduation - but they drove. They still have the tickets.
Minkeís grandparents are Lloyd and Lucille Nelson of North Branch. Minkeís mother said Grandpa Lloyd was a role model and, in joining the military, Travis wanted to be just like him.
The Post Review is committed to keeping our readers updated on our military personnel, and weíll bring you their stories as we get them.

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