NEW SHARON – Toby and Travis Pond haven’t been home from the Middle East for long, but they’re already tired of the way the war is being portrayed in the United States.

The brothers, sergeants with the 1136th Maine Army National Guard Transportation Co., claim the media have distorted the truth.

“They lie. They don’t even know what they’re talking about,” said Travis, 21. “And to top it off, it’s a political year.”

“We don’t even watch the news anymore,” said Toby, 23.

“The news is always talking about how the Iraqis don’t want us there,” Travis said. “But I can show you pictures of the Iraqi children hugging the troops.”

When their company went to An Nasiriyah for escort duty, the children came up to the truck, saying, “Mister, mister, water; mister, mister, food,” Travis said.

It was in the back of their minds, Travis said, that they’d heard about kids stopping convoys that were then ambushed.

But you could tell if they were OK, he said.

“You could see it in their eyes,” he said. “It was kind of different. Kids didn’t have shoes on in the hot sand. It looked like they hadn’t bathed for a while. Their houses were dumps compared to American standards of living.”

Homecoming

The Ponds returned home in mid-April after serving 353 days in northern Kuwait, near Iraq. They helped redeploy troops returning from war in Iraq, making sure that all equipment was thoroughly washed before it was sent back to the United States.

Their last assignment was providing security near the southern border of Iraq.

The reaction to their homecoming has been positive. Yellow ribbons fluttered in the breeze with signs posted along Weeks Mills Road to welcome them back.

The men say it has been difficult to readjust to being back home.

“We like all the thanks,” Toby said. “But we’re not here for the glory. We did what we had to do.”

People back here are operating like everything is the same, Travis said, “While we’re fighting for our freedom.”

Both men say they can relate to veterans of previous wars.

“I have a whole different respect for the veterans,” Travis said. “You can understand them. Maybe we’re the heroes of the day, but don’t forget the veterans of the past and the people still over there.”

Servicemen and women in some other companies have had their tours of duty extended. “I’m glad to be home, but it just doesn’t seem right,” Travis said.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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