CWO2 ALEXANDER FALLETTA

Good morning my loyal and faithful readers.

The following news report from the local newspaper pretty much summarizes why I came down to Columbia, SC --

"Guard helicopter battalion to deploy to Iraq -- The S.C. Army National Guard’s Apache helicopter battalion will deploy to Iraq this summer.

Guard leaders and family members will say goodbye to the about 500 soldiers at a departure ceremony Sunday at the Army aviation facility at McEntire Joint National Guard Base. It begins at 9 am.

The 1-151st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion and its AH-64 helicopters will first go to Fort Hood, Texas, to make final preparations for deployment to Iraq.

They are expected to return home in about one year.” (The State)

Friends and family from all over the US of A were in Columbia to be with Alex and his wife Gina, including:

Maternal grandmother - Mary Francis

Maternal grandfather - Me

Mother - Kathi

Father - David

Stepfather - John

Uncles - Bill & Ben

Cousin - Nicholas

Gina’s father - David (with his girlfriend Jill)

High School friends - Christian & Kelly

Alex’s younger brother Chris came up to Columbia last weekend for extended time with his older brother.

So ... yesterday, at 12:14:57pm CWO2 Alexander Falletta, Bravo Company, 1-151st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, lifted his Apache “Longbow” Helicopter off the ground at McEntire Air Force Base, Columbia, SC, in the presence of family and friends, and headed Southwest to Fort Hood, TX.

It had begun.

You will remain in our thoughts and prayers, Alex, until your tour of duty is safely completed and you return to us.

Of course, later in the evening came the news that al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, the world’s most wanted terrorist, had been killed in a special forces operation in Pakistan.

No need for me to make a comment on the eerie connection between these two events.

I will leave Columbia early Tuesday morning and return to The Big Apple, The Greatest City in The World.

Thanks so much for all of the supportive emails, posts, texts and messages. They meant so much to me, Alex & Gina, and our families.

Bill