thedrifter
08-27-06, 07:15 AM
Posted on Sun, Aug. 27, 2006
From Kingston to Iraq: Brothers in arms
Three members of the Homza family joined the U.S. Marines out of high school. All will see time in Iraq.
By JOHN DAVIDSON jdavidson@leader.net
KINGSTON – For most people, signing up for the Marines after graduating high school is a tough decision, maybe one that takes some convincing.
Not for Joseph Homza.
Or Jason Homza.
Or Jeffrey Homza.
The three Kingston brothers — 23, 21 and 20, respectively — all joined the Marines out of high school. Come January, all three will either have served or be serving in Iraq.
“I was a recruiter’s dream come true; I went right up to him and said ‘sign me up,’ ” Joseph said. “He didn’t have to sell it at all.”
In May, Joseph completed five years in the Marine Corps, including a seven-month stint in Iraq.
In September, Jason will be deployed to Iraq.
Jeffrey is scheduled to leave for Iraq in January.
Although the brothers don’t come from a military family, their parents, Joe and Joanne Homza, are proud of their sons’ service and completely support their decisions to join.
“Jason surprised us, but when Jeffrey went to Joe’s graduation on Parris Island, he said ‘I’m here, this is where I want to go,’ ” Joanne said Saturday before at party for her sons at their home in Kingston.
The family is together for a few weeks before Jason leaves for Iraq.
The brothers, all graduates of Wyoming Valley West High School, say they haven’t talked much about Iraq. Because his younger brothers will most likely be in completely different parts of the country and be assigned to different duties, Joseph said, there’s not much he can tell them they haven’t already heard.
Plus, Joe doesn’t like to talk about Iraq when he’s home with his family. He was stationed in Babel Province, 60 miles south of Baghdad, where he worked in intelligence. He declined to be specific about what his duties entailed.
But he did say living in Iraq wasn’t all that bad. In fact, he preferred it to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina; the living conditions were better.
“If they had given me an option to go to Iraq for seven months or stay in North Carolina, I’d still have gone to Iraq.”
Jason, who has been stationed in Hawaii since March, isn’t quite as unsatisfied with his current post. All the same, he insists he doesn’t have much time to enjoy the island life or bask on tropical beaches.
Jason and Jeffrey appear undaunted about their upcoming deployments. Jeffrey, like Joseph had been, is stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C. and will be doing intelligence work in Iraq. He says he’s looking forward to his assignment.
“When you’ve been training for it so long, you kind of just want to get over there and get on with it.”
John Davidson, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7210.
Ellie
From Kingston to Iraq: Brothers in arms
Three members of the Homza family joined the U.S. Marines out of high school. All will see time in Iraq.
By JOHN DAVIDSON jdavidson@leader.net
KINGSTON – For most people, signing up for the Marines after graduating high school is a tough decision, maybe one that takes some convincing.
Not for Joseph Homza.
Or Jason Homza.
Or Jeffrey Homza.
The three Kingston brothers — 23, 21 and 20, respectively — all joined the Marines out of high school. Come January, all three will either have served or be serving in Iraq.
“I was a recruiter’s dream come true; I went right up to him and said ‘sign me up,’ ” Joseph said. “He didn’t have to sell it at all.”
In May, Joseph completed five years in the Marine Corps, including a seven-month stint in Iraq.
In September, Jason will be deployed to Iraq.
Jeffrey is scheduled to leave for Iraq in January.
Although the brothers don’t come from a military family, their parents, Joe and Joanne Homza, are proud of their sons’ service and completely support their decisions to join.
“Jason surprised us, but when Jeffrey went to Joe’s graduation on Parris Island, he said ‘I’m here, this is where I want to go,’ ” Joanne said Saturday before at party for her sons at their home in Kingston.
The family is together for a few weeks before Jason leaves for Iraq.
The brothers, all graduates of Wyoming Valley West High School, say they haven’t talked much about Iraq. Because his younger brothers will most likely be in completely different parts of the country and be assigned to different duties, Joseph said, there’s not much he can tell them they haven’t already heard.
Plus, Joe doesn’t like to talk about Iraq when he’s home with his family. He was stationed in Babel Province, 60 miles south of Baghdad, where he worked in intelligence. He declined to be specific about what his duties entailed.
But he did say living in Iraq wasn’t all that bad. In fact, he preferred it to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina; the living conditions were better.
“If they had given me an option to go to Iraq for seven months or stay in North Carolina, I’d still have gone to Iraq.”
Jason, who has been stationed in Hawaii since March, isn’t quite as unsatisfied with his current post. All the same, he insists he doesn’t have much time to enjoy the island life or bask on tropical beaches.
Jason and Jeffrey appear undaunted about their upcoming deployments. Jeffrey, like Joseph had been, is stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C. and will be doing intelligence work in Iraq. He says he’s looking forward to his assignment.
“When you’ve been training for it so long, you kind of just want to get over there and get on with it.”
John Davidson, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7210.
Ellie