thedrifter
07-04-08, 06:59 AM
Ex-Marines help interpreter find San Jose home
John Koopman, Chronicle Staff Writer
Friday, July 4, 2008
In a quiet San Jose neighborhood, a 34-year-old Iraqi man opens the door to his new apartment and ushers in his wife and two children. Just days before, they had left their home in Baghdad, on their way to a new life in the United States.
None of them had ever left home before.
Inside the apartment, John and Veronica Jacobs - two former Marine officers - show the new arrivals their new home. There's a TV, a matching sofa and loveseat, clothes in the closet. A ceiling fan stirs the hot air.
The Iraqi man, Haitham, just nods.
"I'm speechless," he says.
Haitham's arrival Thursday marked the successful completion of "Operation Falcon," an effort to help bring the Iraqi family to the United States. Operation Falcon is also designed to publicize the plight of Iraqis who worked for U.S. troops and risked their lives, but are often stymied in their attempts to immigrate here.
The Jacobses started a Web site to collect donations to help Haitham and his family. They collected funds and household items, and started to network with other U.S. troops working for the same goal.
Journalists who have reported from Iraq have taken up the cause, including New Yorker writer George Packer, who has written a play about the topic. U.S. Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., has introduced legislation in Congress to smooth the visa application process for Iraqis who have aided American troops.
Haitham, who speaks English well, worked as an interpreter for U.S. troops in Iraq. He used the pseudonym of "Falcon" to hide his identity from insurgents. It's the same reason he uses only his first name. No one keeps track of the numbers, but many interpreters have been assassinated over the years for associating with Americans.
Falcon indispensable
John Jacobs, 34, a Marine infantry officer who is now a reserve captain, met Haitham on his second tour in Iraq, in 2005 and 2006. The man he knew as Falcon was indispensable to him in dealing with local Iraqis, especially city officials and sheikhs.
"When Falcon was around, everything went more smoothly," Jacobs recalled. "He understood his people and he was more than just an interpreter. He was a facilitator."
More importantly, Falcon cared, Jacobs said. He cared about his people, he cared about the Marines and he cared about making Iraq a better place.
"First and foremost, he's a patriot," Jacobs said. "He believes in a new Iraq."
As the two men worked together, a bond formed. It's the kind of bond formed by men and women who carry guns and live under constant threat of violent death.
The bond got stronger when Jacobs mentioned that his wife, Veronica, was pregnant. Shortly after that, Haitham showed up with a bunch of baby stuff: rattles, baby clothes and the like.
Jacobs responded by giving Haitham a bunch of stuff for Haitham's son and daughter.
Eventually, Jacobs returned to the United States and left active service in the Marines. He's now the principal of a private elementary school in San Jose. He's still in the Reserve, and is the executive officer of Echo Company, of 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines, based in San Bruno.
Jacobs lost touch with Haitham for a time. But about a year ago, he came upon Haitham's e-mail address and sent him a message, just to see how he was doing.
Haitham responded, saying he could use some help getting himself and his family out of Iraq.
"All I need is (help) moving my family ... any place that might be safer than where we live now," he wrote.
Veronica Jacobs, 26, who also served as a Marine officer in Iraq, said her husband took Haitham's case very seriously.
"He's not a very emotional guy," she said. "I have only seen him cry twice. Once was when he met the parents of one of his Marines who got killed, and the other time was when he got Haitham's e-mail asking for help."
John Jacobs considered the Iraqi a brother in arms. The two men didn't wear the same uniform, but they shared the same ideals, and they shared the same hardships, heat and threat of death.
"That's part of the creed; you never leave a man behind," Jacobs said.
Living with troops
Interpreters typically work at U.S. bases away from their homes, sometimes far away. They go on patrol with U.S. troops, eat with them and live next to them. They often wear scarves over their faces to hide their identities. Very often, when roadside bombs or suicide bombers have targeted America troops, interpreters have died alongside them. It happened as recently as June 26, when two interpreters died along with three Marines when a bomb exploded in the town of Karma, just outside Fallujah.
Haitham's father also worked for the Americans. He was kidnapped in 2005 and has not been seen since.
When it looked like Haitham had his paperwork in order and a plane ticket from Jordan to San Jose, the Jacobses went into overdrive to prepare for the arrival. They found an apartment and began stocking it with furniture and other household items.
But the future is uncertain for Haitham and his family. Haitham has a degree in electrical engineering, but there is no guarantee that he'll find work in that field in the United States. His wife, Jamila, worked as a human rights attorney in Baghdad, but it is unclear what, if any, kind of work she might find here.
Haitham and his family seemed enormously pleased with their new home Friday. The kids checked out the toys and their new beds.
Stunning surprise
Jamila checked out the food in the refrigerator, a variety of meats and canned goods bought at a local halal market. She put her hand over her mouth in surprise.
A tear trickled down her cheek.
"In Iraq, my wife would say to me, 'What are we going to do there?' " Haitham said. "I said to her, 'We will be below zero, but it will be a good start.' Now I see all this and I say, 'We are above zero.' "
John and Veronica Jacobs were a little stunned, too. They had worked so long and so hard for this moment, and everything worked out better than they could have possibly dreamed.
"It's good closure," John Jacobs said. "It's just the beginning for them, I suppose, but at least we accomplished something.
"We got them out of Iraq."
Student documentary
The effort by the Jacobses is the subject of a 16-minute documentary by Stanford grad student Tim O'Hara. The movie, which was O'Hara's thesis for his master's in documentary filmmaking, tracks the Jacobs and Haitham families as they go through the immigration process. O'Hara sent a video camera to Haitham to shoot footage of his family's daily life in Iraq.
In the documentary, Haitham asks his 8-year-old daughter why she wants to go to the United States. She smiles and says in Arabic, "Security."
To help
Cash donations may be sent to help pay for rent, groceries and utilities.
-- Direct deposit to the "Operation Falcon" account at any Washington Mutual Bank branch office. The account number is 088500000676170.
-- Checks can be mailed to: John and Veronica Jacobs, Re: Operation Falcon, 358 Dunsmuir Terrace, Unit 1, Sunnyvale, CA 94085. Make the check payable to Operation Falcon. Checks will be taken to a Washington Mutual branch office and deposited.
-- Gift cards are also useful for buying necessities for Falcon and his family. Those most useful are: Target, Wal-Mart, Safeway, Lucky and Trader Joe's supermarkets.
-- For more information, go to www.operationfalcon.org.
E-mail John Koopman at jkoopman@sfchronicle.com.
Ellie
John Koopman, Chronicle Staff Writer
Friday, July 4, 2008
In a quiet San Jose neighborhood, a 34-year-old Iraqi man opens the door to his new apartment and ushers in his wife and two children. Just days before, they had left their home in Baghdad, on their way to a new life in the United States.
None of them had ever left home before.
Inside the apartment, John and Veronica Jacobs - two former Marine officers - show the new arrivals their new home. There's a TV, a matching sofa and loveseat, clothes in the closet. A ceiling fan stirs the hot air.
The Iraqi man, Haitham, just nods.
"I'm speechless," he says.
Haitham's arrival Thursday marked the successful completion of "Operation Falcon," an effort to help bring the Iraqi family to the United States. Operation Falcon is also designed to publicize the plight of Iraqis who worked for U.S. troops and risked their lives, but are often stymied in their attempts to immigrate here.
The Jacobses started a Web site to collect donations to help Haitham and his family. They collected funds and household items, and started to network with other U.S. troops working for the same goal.
Journalists who have reported from Iraq have taken up the cause, including New Yorker writer George Packer, who has written a play about the topic. U.S. Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., has introduced legislation in Congress to smooth the visa application process for Iraqis who have aided American troops.
Haitham, who speaks English well, worked as an interpreter for U.S. troops in Iraq. He used the pseudonym of "Falcon" to hide his identity from insurgents. It's the same reason he uses only his first name. No one keeps track of the numbers, but many interpreters have been assassinated over the years for associating with Americans.
Falcon indispensable
John Jacobs, 34, a Marine infantry officer who is now a reserve captain, met Haitham on his second tour in Iraq, in 2005 and 2006. The man he knew as Falcon was indispensable to him in dealing with local Iraqis, especially city officials and sheikhs.
"When Falcon was around, everything went more smoothly," Jacobs recalled. "He understood his people and he was more than just an interpreter. He was a facilitator."
More importantly, Falcon cared, Jacobs said. He cared about his people, he cared about the Marines and he cared about making Iraq a better place.
"First and foremost, he's a patriot," Jacobs said. "He believes in a new Iraq."
As the two men worked together, a bond formed. It's the kind of bond formed by men and women who carry guns and live under constant threat of violent death.
The bond got stronger when Jacobs mentioned that his wife, Veronica, was pregnant. Shortly after that, Haitham showed up with a bunch of baby stuff: rattles, baby clothes and the like.
Jacobs responded by giving Haitham a bunch of stuff for Haitham's son and daughter.
Eventually, Jacobs returned to the United States and left active service in the Marines. He's now the principal of a private elementary school in San Jose. He's still in the Reserve, and is the executive officer of Echo Company, of 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines, based in San Bruno.
Jacobs lost touch with Haitham for a time. But about a year ago, he came upon Haitham's e-mail address and sent him a message, just to see how he was doing.
Haitham responded, saying he could use some help getting himself and his family out of Iraq.
"All I need is (help) moving my family ... any place that might be safer than where we live now," he wrote.
Veronica Jacobs, 26, who also served as a Marine officer in Iraq, said her husband took Haitham's case very seriously.
"He's not a very emotional guy," she said. "I have only seen him cry twice. Once was when he met the parents of one of his Marines who got killed, and the other time was when he got Haitham's e-mail asking for help."
John Jacobs considered the Iraqi a brother in arms. The two men didn't wear the same uniform, but they shared the same ideals, and they shared the same hardships, heat and threat of death.
"That's part of the creed; you never leave a man behind," Jacobs said.
Living with troops
Interpreters typically work at U.S. bases away from their homes, sometimes far away. They go on patrol with U.S. troops, eat with them and live next to them. They often wear scarves over their faces to hide their identities. Very often, when roadside bombs or suicide bombers have targeted America troops, interpreters have died alongside them. It happened as recently as June 26, when two interpreters died along with three Marines when a bomb exploded in the town of Karma, just outside Fallujah.
Haitham's father also worked for the Americans. He was kidnapped in 2005 and has not been seen since.
When it looked like Haitham had his paperwork in order and a plane ticket from Jordan to San Jose, the Jacobses went into overdrive to prepare for the arrival. They found an apartment and began stocking it with furniture and other household items.
But the future is uncertain for Haitham and his family. Haitham has a degree in electrical engineering, but there is no guarantee that he'll find work in that field in the United States. His wife, Jamila, worked as a human rights attorney in Baghdad, but it is unclear what, if any, kind of work she might find here.
Haitham and his family seemed enormously pleased with their new home Friday. The kids checked out the toys and their new beds.
Stunning surprise
Jamila checked out the food in the refrigerator, a variety of meats and canned goods bought at a local halal market. She put her hand over her mouth in surprise.
A tear trickled down her cheek.
"In Iraq, my wife would say to me, 'What are we going to do there?' " Haitham said. "I said to her, 'We will be below zero, but it will be a good start.' Now I see all this and I say, 'We are above zero.' "
John and Veronica Jacobs were a little stunned, too. They had worked so long and so hard for this moment, and everything worked out better than they could have possibly dreamed.
"It's good closure," John Jacobs said. "It's just the beginning for them, I suppose, but at least we accomplished something.
"We got them out of Iraq."
Student documentary
The effort by the Jacobses is the subject of a 16-minute documentary by Stanford grad student Tim O'Hara. The movie, which was O'Hara's thesis for his master's in documentary filmmaking, tracks the Jacobs and Haitham families as they go through the immigration process. O'Hara sent a video camera to Haitham to shoot footage of his family's daily life in Iraq.
In the documentary, Haitham asks his 8-year-old daughter why she wants to go to the United States. She smiles and says in Arabic, "Security."
To help
Cash donations may be sent to help pay for rent, groceries and utilities.
-- Direct deposit to the "Operation Falcon" account at any Washington Mutual Bank branch office. The account number is 088500000676170.
-- Checks can be mailed to: John and Veronica Jacobs, Re: Operation Falcon, 358 Dunsmuir Terrace, Unit 1, Sunnyvale, CA 94085. Make the check payable to Operation Falcon. Checks will be taken to a Washington Mutual branch office and deposited.
-- Gift cards are also useful for buying necessities for Falcon and his family. Those most useful are: Target, Wal-Mart, Safeway, Lucky and Trader Joe's supermarkets.
-- For more information, go to www.operationfalcon.org.
E-mail John Koopman at jkoopman@sfchronicle.com.
Ellie