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Pictures arrive before war begins

By Clyde Ray

Editor's note: Clyde Ray is a student at Smoky Mountain High School working on his senior project with The Sylva Herald.
Cooper The events of Sept. 11, 2001, renewed Russell Cooper's patriotism and prompted him to re-enlist. He is now serving with the Third Brigade of the U.S. Army's 315th Infantry. Russell Cooper and his wife were in New York during the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center.

Now, this E3 in the Third Brigade of the 315th Infantry has been deployed to Kuwait to fight in the war with Iraq, leaving behind his wife, Monique, and two young sons.

"The events of 9-11 made Russell re-enlist; it renewed his patriotism," said his wife, who recently moved to Whittier to be close to her husband's family. His parents are Boyd and Peggy Cooper; his grandmother, Helen Cooper, lives on Fisher Creek.

Although Cooper had reported in to them on a regular basis, "two weeks ago he went silent," according to his wife. She attributes the silence to the escalation of the war.

But last week, the Coopers got an unexpected surprise when they received pictures of E3 Cooper, who serves with the infantry that accompanies tank units "somewhere" in the Kuwati desert with his fellow troops. The pictures was mailed weeks before the war started.

"Russell is doing what he always wanted to do; he's trained for this all his life," said his wife of 13 years.

Before re-enlisting, as a member of the National Guard he guarded a nuclear power plant in Indian Ridge, N.Y., and JFK Airport.

"When he first left, I thought, 'What am I going to do now?' But being here with his family has been a big help to me, especially his sister, Sherry (Groenewold)," Monique said. "And my son's class at Fairview School is writing him - and other service personnel - letters."

Except for the past two weeks of silence, the family has kept in contact through phone calls and e-mails.

"We missed spending all the holidays together - Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, his birthday in February when he turned 34," said Monique. "But Russell said that's OK; we'll celebrate all the holidays together when he gets home."

Readers with family members serving in the war effort are invited to share their stories with The Herald. Contact the news department at 586-2611.

Support groups vow to assist military families

Paul Fagan, who served with the U.S. Army and Navy's Special Operations Unit, is forming a military support group for families to call up while their loved ones are away at war.

"We are not a formalized organization or a branch of anything, but just concerned volunteers who want to help," said Fagan.

"It could be a wife who needs somebody to change a tire, or it could a parent who needs someone to stay with their child for an hour or so while they run an errand," he continued. "We want to be there, to fill that void for them and to show our support for the military."

For more information or to volunteer your assistance, call Fagan at 497-5384.

In other support action, the American Red Cross, including the Asheville-Mountain Area Chapter, is sponsoring support groups for families of military personnel.

For more information, call (828) 258-3888.

Back to Archive: 03/27/03.