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45 °F Forecast | Road Cams Monday, January 24, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend December 12, 2004 Sgt. James Larson of Medford sees his son, 6-month-old Jacob, for the first time during a demobilization ceremony at the Medford Armory. Larson and others in the Oregon Army National Guard�s 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry returned from 14 months in Iraq. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Back here, still there Home from the noise and the heat and the tension, Guardsmen ready to leave Iraq behind By GREG STILES Mail Tribune He’s home for the holidays and not really quite sure what to make of his return from operation Iraqi Freedom. Sgt. John Larsen, a truck driver by trade in Eugene, oversaw a trucking unit in Iraq. "It’s very different driving in Iraq," he said. "You don’t pay much attention to stop signs or obstacles in the way over there. It’s going to be very difficult to adjust." Larsen is one of 32 members of the Oregon Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry officially welcomed home Saturday. They were demobilized during a half-hour ceremony at the Medford Armory following a 14-month deployment in Iraq. "Mentally, you become numbed," said Larsen, 36, of Drain. "You have to be numb when you’re fatigued and it’s 140 degrees. You just ignore the pain and sensations. Your body shuts down without shutting down." Advertisement Larsen returned physically sound but carries emotional shrapnel. "The mortar rounds coming into our camp were pretty random," he said. "You would get three to 10 a day. You’d get used to it, sleep through it and fight through it." On Sept. 25, his convoy was struck by a roadside bomb northwest of Baghdad and the gunner on his Humvee, Sgt. David Wayne Johnson, 37, of Sandy, died. "The biggest thing as a truck commander was to keep my guys alive," Larsen said. "There’s not a day that I don’t wake up seeing his face." A sense of duty and the desire to put mind over matter led him back into action within a day or two. "There was a feeling of what it’s like to be alive and how lucky I am," he said. "The driver didn’t go out of the wire again, but I went out on the next mission. I didn’t have time to feel sorry for myself or the passing of others." Larsen said he plans to visit Johnson’s brother before returning to work for a Eugene company. His wife of just over a year, Jazmin, worked 10 hours a day six days a week at a restaurant while her husband was overseas. "I just worked," she said. From the moment Larsen’s unit entered Iraq, there was a sense of foreboding. "You could feel the tension and danger once we left Kuwait and the sign said entering Iraq," Larsen said. "There’s something called the pucker factor, that strange feeling when you know your life’s in imminent danger." He said the time in Iraq and the Sinai Peninsula was worth it, however. "I’m glad I had the experience and camaraderie," he said. "I got to serve my country, the state of Oregon and do my part in the fight against terrorism." Spc. Rod Burkend, 27, of Gresham, was somewhat light-hearted after being reunited with his girlfriend, Melissa Ulmer. "I think I’ll buy a summer home over there in the Middle East," he joked. Ulmer said following the action from afar was nerve-racking. "I would read the headlines and read between the lines and do a lot of detective work," she said. Sgt. 1st Class Jerry Kinman married a fellow North Medford High School graduate three years ago but has spent just seven months with her in that time. Brittney Kinman, 22, surrounded herself with family to deal with the stress of being apart and alone. "I have lots of family in the valley and I spent time with them," Brittney Kinman said. Worry was a constant companion as well. "The good days were when he would call," she said. "The bad days were when I wouldn’t hear from him." Once the 186th soldiers were headed home, both Kinmans shared heightened anticipation and anxiety. "Friday was the longest day ever," he admitted. Even though much will change, including a move to Bend, Kinman said he’ll pay close attention to what goes on Iraq. "I have friends over there, guys I was fighting with, I’ll be watching it every day," he said. "My brother-in-law — (Sgt.) Kyle Neuenschwander — is still over there." Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4463 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? 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