thedrifter
01-02-04, 12:00 PM
Iraq veteran home for the holidays
Plainfield High grad and Marine recalls tough times as a soldier in Middle East
By JUSTIN T. MARTIN
Norwich Bulletin
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While in Iraq, Sgt. Jason Lyons saw some of the worst sights of his life. Home for Christmas, his tattoo-covered arms cradled the best of sights, his newborn son.
"It's amazing," the 24-year old U.S. Marine said Tuesday as he sat in the living room of his parents' Margaret Lane home. "I haven't been home in so long being here to see family and have my mom and dad see their grandson for the first time, it's incredible."
There were times Lyons, a CH-53 Super Stallion helicopter mechanic, thought he'd never set eyes on his son and never see his family again.
"Every Marine is a rifleman," Lyons, a Plainfield High School graduate, said of his time in the Middle East.
Even though he was stationed in Kuwait, Lyons had to fly into places like Tikrit, where Saddam Hussein was caught, and Al Kut, a former Iraqi air base, to repair Super Stallions.
While en route, Lyons would sit on the ramp in the back of the helicopter, night- vision goggles on, clutching his M-16 assault rife.
"We'd fly over a mountain at night and you'd see the bright lights (of a city), it was like flying into Las Vegas," Lyons said. "Then all the lights would go out, it would be pitch black."
The city would remain black until the helicopters flew directly over the darkened city. That's when the Iraqis would light up the night with tracers, laser-guided missiles and anti-aircraft fire.
"It's kind of scary to know you're getting shot at," Lyons said.
Even after he arrived at military bases, Lyons worked with a rifle as much as he worked with his mechanics tools, volunteering for night patrols and POW roundups.
"I haven't told my family or my wife all the things I've seen, and I don't know if I ever will," he said.
Iraqi resistance shot at him. They bombed his airbase every day for a week.
"It's not like the movies," Lyons said quietly. "It's surreal. I was pretty scared. I've never been in an earthquake, but when the bombs hit, the ground rumbles. Then you feel the shockwave. It's like this gentle push against your chest and it's widespread panic. That's when your training kicks in."
That's when Lyons grabbed the gas mask, just as he was trained to do. It's when he jumped into the bunker and readied his rifle, just as he was trained to do.
Lyons, who admits he sometimes has nightmares about his experiences in Iraq, remembers seeing Patriot missiles scream into the sky and thinking in disbelief, "This is really happening?"
All the while, his wife, Michelle, who is also a sergeant in the Marine Corps, was carrying their unborn child. "We found out I was pregnant in January and he left for Iraq in February," said Michelle, who remained at their home at the Marine Air Station in Miramar, Calif., while Lyons was in Iraq.
The Marines sent Lyons home in late August for the birth of his son. Michelle was waiting at the airport. "I was nervous, I was scared to see him," she said. "Then I saw him and I just couldn't believe it was him."
"I made a promise to her that I would return safely and in one piece," Lyons said.
Dillon was born in September and the three of them made the trip to Plainfield for Christmas.
"It's incredible, it's unbelievable," said Robert Lyons, Jason's father. "I mean, how do you explain something like this? I have my whole family together for the first time in six years. I'm walking on clouds."
Robert Lyons, who spent 28 years in the Coast Guard, said he's proud of his son, who now is stationed in California, and nervous about his son's expected redeployment next June.
"I don't want him to go, but I can't tell him not to," said Robert, 52. "It's who he is."
In the meantime, Jason Lyons will spend time with his wife and family, and cradle his newborn son.
http://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/stories/20031231/localnews/139285.html
Sempers,
Roger
:marine:
Plainfield High grad and Marine recalls tough times as a soldier in Middle East
By JUSTIN T. MARTIN
Norwich Bulletin
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While in Iraq, Sgt. Jason Lyons saw some of the worst sights of his life. Home for Christmas, his tattoo-covered arms cradled the best of sights, his newborn son.
"It's amazing," the 24-year old U.S. Marine said Tuesday as he sat in the living room of his parents' Margaret Lane home. "I haven't been home in so long being here to see family and have my mom and dad see their grandson for the first time, it's incredible."
There were times Lyons, a CH-53 Super Stallion helicopter mechanic, thought he'd never set eyes on his son and never see his family again.
"Every Marine is a rifleman," Lyons, a Plainfield High School graduate, said of his time in the Middle East.
Even though he was stationed in Kuwait, Lyons had to fly into places like Tikrit, where Saddam Hussein was caught, and Al Kut, a former Iraqi air base, to repair Super Stallions.
While en route, Lyons would sit on the ramp in the back of the helicopter, night- vision goggles on, clutching his M-16 assault rife.
"We'd fly over a mountain at night and you'd see the bright lights (of a city), it was like flying into Las Vegas," Lyons said. "Then all the lights would go out, it would be pitch black."
The city would remain black until the helicopters flew directly over the darkened city. That's when the Iraqis would light up the night with tracers, laser-guided missiles and anti-aircraft fire.
"It's kind of scary to know you're getting shot at," Lyons said.
Even after he arrived at military bases, Lyons worked with a rifle as much as he worked with his mechanics tools, volunteering for night patrols and POW roundups.
"I haven't told my family or my wife all the things I've seen, and I don't know if I ever will," he said.
Iraqi resistance shot at him. They bombed his airbase every day for a week.
"It's not like the movies," Lyons said quietly. "It's surreal. I was pretty scared. I've never been in an earthquake, but when the bombs hit, the ground rumbles. Then you feel the shockwave. It's like this gentle push against your chest and it's widespread panic. That's when your training kicks in."
That's when Lyons grabbed the gas mask, just as he was trained to do. It's when he jumped into the bunker and readied his rifle, just as he was trained to do.
Lyons, who admits he sometimes has nightmares about his experiences in Iraq, remembers seeing Patriot missiles scream into the sky and thinking in disbelief, "This is really happening?"
All the while, his wife, Michelle, who is also a sergeant in the Marine Corps, was carrying their unborn child. "We found out I was pregnant in January and he left for Iraq in February," said Michelle, who remained at their home at the Marine Air Station in Miramar, Calif., while Lyons was in Iraq.
The Marines sent Lyons home in late August for the birth of his son. Michelle was waiting at the airport. "I was nervous, I was scared to see him," she said. "Then I saw him and I just couldn't believe it was him."
"I made a promise to her that I would return safely and in one piece," Lyons said.
Dillon was born in September and the three of them made the trip to Plainfield for Christmas.
"It's incredible, it's unbelievable," said Robert Lyons, Jason's father. "I mean, how do you explain something like this? I have my whole family together for the first time in six years. I'm walking on clouds."
Robert Lyons, who spent 28 years in the Coast Guard, said he's proud of his son, who now is stationed in California, and nervous about his son's expected redeployment next June.
"I don't want him to go, but I can't tell him not to," said Robert, 52. "It's who he is."
In the meantime, Jason Lyons will spend time with his wife and family, and cradle his newborn son.
http://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/stories/20031231/localnews/139285.html
Sempers,
Roger
:marine: