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| Steve Russell at Home |
| 2004-05-19 |
| More about our favorite Steve ’American soldiers are winning in Iraq’. That from an American hero who was in Tulsa Wednesday to thank BankOne employees for supporting his soldiers. Lieutenant Colonel Steve Russell is from Oklahoma. His soldiers helped in the capture of Saddam Hussein. Barbara Porter of Blue Star Mothers gave an award to Russell. As she did, she said she was proud to shake the hand of a real American hero. Colonel Russell is modest when he talks about his medals of valor and being featured in Time Magazine three times. Lieutenant Colonel Russell is a 19 year veteran soldier, a modest, hands-on leader who would rather focus on the job his soldiers did in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein’s home town, where almost everyone was on the government payroll. "We were battling die hards of the former regime," he says. "Tikrit had no industry, it had no oil industry or anything like that. It was strictly a government town." But, it was the key place to look for a former dictator on the run. His 4th Infantry Division soldiers concentrated on finding Saddam’s former cronies and body guards. The tactic worked. And, the information his soldiers gathered led other infantry soldiers to a spider hole where Hussein was hiding. That capture was one of the things which earned the 4th Infantry the Presidential Unit Citation Award. Colonel Russell says, with the support and prayers of Americans, U.S. soldiers will do the job and win in Iraq. When that happens Americans win also. "What we get is 23 million people that have education, industry, and resources," he says. "Instead of being a pariah on a region in the world, they are now a responsible member of the world community." A third of the book "Hunting down Saddam", features the Oklahoma hero. He wrote letters and journal remembrances while in Iraq. Much of the letters and journal entries have already been read by his brother, Clyde, and his friends here at BankOne. Russell is home on leave from Fort Hood, Texas. He is visiting family members in the Oklahoma City area. He has a wife and five children. He’s also an ordained minister who was so touched by the poverty he saw in Bosnia three of his children came from an orphanage. |
| Posted by:Chuck Simmins |
| #3 His unit got the PUC? THats fantastic! That ribbon stays wiht the unit for all time - and anyone in the unit wears it - and is told the history (at least it was in the Cav). |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2004-05-19 11:11:48 PM |
| #2 Thanks, Chuck... great to catch up with our favorite Col.....I knew about the 5 kids, but not about the adopted three. What a soldier! PS -- he was sent info about Rantburg, and our respect for him.... |
| Posted by: Sherry 2004-05-19 11:02:46 PM |
| #1 I'd like to Paypal the hero a nice dinner with the wife. Welcome home Steve |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-05-19 11:01:32 PM |