News 3 Special Assignment: Baghdad
Jan. 16, 2004
Posted: 8:22 am CST January 16, 2004Updated: 1:04 pm CST January 17, 2004
News 3 Returns From Special Assignment: Iraq
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Soldier Describes Scene Where Rachel Bosveld DiedDate: Jan. 16, 2004
From Baghdad BATTLE LOCKED: The hand of SSG Brian Snyder reaches behind his passenger seat to "battle lock" my door. I sensed an urgency when he said, "John, I've got to 'battle lock' your door, I don't like this."
We were traveling down a street about four cars wide and got stuck in a traffic jam .... which is very common when you're on patrol with the 32nd MP Unit out of Madison.Frankly, this time it scared the hell out of me. I looked out the front window. Ahead of the Humvee were dozens of cars. Alongside my window...just inches away on the narrow street...were men walking and many parked vehicles. We we were moving inches at a time.I turned my body to best protect myself. The body armor plates are in the front and rear of the vest I wear. It can absorb the impact.
I turned to face the window and I recalled a comment during a conversation with John Straseski of Beaver Dam(who's son Kirk Died trying to save downed chopper pilots and the first Wisconsin casualty in this war) John, who served in Viet Nam, told me "the problem in Iraq is you don't know who the enemy is...they all look alike"I thought ... could it be him? or Him?-John Karcher, News 3 
'Battle Lock' The Door Date: Jan. 16, 2004
From Baghdad I'm standing in front of the War Memorial for Iraqi Soldiers who died in the Iran-Iraq war. Inside, a floor beneath the turquoise monmument, are walls filled with the names of some 250,000 Iraqis who died in the war. Men who, perhaps willingly, gave up their lives for Saddam Hussein.
It brought back memories from two visits to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. There were no Brians or Jims or Pauls on the walls here. Names were in enscribed in Arabic.I wondered: Do U.S. soldiers whose barracks and offices fill the halls here and see these names 24/7 ever consider they're men who died fighting for their country? Do US troops pay respect to dead Iraqi soldiers?I recall being on the deck of the Battleship Missouri which is moored at the Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. The mighty ship was deeply scared by a Kamakazi Pilot during WWII. As Navy sailors fought to contain the inferno and save the prize of the fleet sailors were bent on "getting rid" of the pilot. You can imagine their thoughts. The Captain of the Missouri told the sailors he'd have none of it. The pilot, he told them, died for his country and is deserved all the respect in the world. The next day the Captain presided over a full military funeral at sea and the Kamakazi Pilot was honored for his service.I wonder. What do our troops think? I know what Saddam Hussein thought of the memorial. The man who designed it was told by Hussein to "make it look like a heart" Does the picture look like a heart to you? Saddam doesn't. He murdered the designer.-John Karcher, News 3 Date: Jan. 16, 2004
From Baghdad KARCHER MEETS THE COLONEL: Colonel Ted Spain/ 18th MP Brigade Commander took time from his busy schedule to visit with me today. Unfortunately, I did not have time to interview him on camera. He had more pressing concerns. During our conversation one of his Bodyguards informed us of another attack on US Soldiers in Downtown Baghdad....an improvised explosive device (IED) went off.
For a few seconds we didn't speak...the enemy had hit AGAIN. Spain got on the phone and demanded to know the extent of injuries, "Who was it?" "How are they?" "I've got to get to the Hospital".As he left, he wanted me to pass along a few sobering statistics. Since the 12,000 Military Police in his command took over Baghdad 13 MP's have been killed in action. 168 have received Purple Hearts for combat wounds. And he added, "Military Police have come under attack 271 times."I corrected the Colonel, "272, Sir."-John Karcher, News 3 Date: Jan. 16, 2004
From Baghdad HEY STARBUCK ... COME GET SOME: SGT Lawrence Pearson of Madison gets his "kicks" out of WISC'S own Rob Starbuck. Pearson, who's part of the 32nd MP unit serving in Baghdad is a Tae Kwon Do instructor in the Capitol City and, several years ago was awarded his Black Belt in Karate at the same time as Starbuck.
Rob, who occasionally rides herd on the rest of the News 3 team ... and is heard saying, "Don't mess with me" (editor's fabrication) might not want to mess with Pearson who now packs an M-16 and sidearm. Pearson instructs at the Hero's Gym in Madison and shared some lighter moments this morning before taking Karcher into Baghdad.-John Karcher, News 3 Date: Jan. 16, 2004
From Baghdad HELP IT'S CRASHED: SSG Brian Snyder of Beloit is one of many troops that uses his own laptop to stay connected. But today he ran into some problems today and didn't have much luck with the company.
Snyder, shown here with his Compaq Presario laptop in his lap, is online live with tech support. The conversation went exactly like this:Snyder: compaq, can you help me?YIKES!Shortly after the last transmission, the lab here went BLACK in a power outage and Snyder lost the live chat with Compaq.It's tough living in a war zone AND owning a computer.-John Karcher, News 3
compaq tech: You have to take it to an authorized service center to get fixed. Since you're in Iraq, I'm afraid you'll have to look for a service center there."
Date: Jan. 16, 2004
From Baghdad
HERE'S THEIR OFFICE: As you get ready to sit in your cubicle at the office today soldiers of the 32nd stand guard in theirs...the DANGEROUS streets of Downtown Baghdad. Troops here provide security for photojournalist John Wacker and myself as we venture out in OUR new "office".The 32nd MP unit is on guard in 3 Humvees and 13 Bodyguards to keep my mission as safe as possible.-John Karcher, News 3 Date: Jan. 16, 2004
From Baghdad WHY ISN'T ROBIN LAWLER WATCHING NEWS 3? It's 10:02 in Madison and Lawler of Evansville has more important things to do. Shown here on her Web cam. Watching intently in Iraq is SSG Brad Lawler a Dane County Sheriff Deputy. The two are connected via computer and chat regularly this way. Unfortunately for Brad, there is no web cam pointed at him...so Robin can only dream of seeing his face.
Robin works at Spring Harbor Animal Hospital and has a present for Brad when he comes home. She's added to the Lawler Pet Menagarie....a new cat to join the two dogs and cat already in their house.
Brad made sure Robin had this technology before he left for war. Too bad the military can't supply him and all the others with a working web cam.The conversation also including typing. It was quite a sight watching this family "connect". I listened in on the conversation and the words I hear and read in emails most often in this war zone are:Brad to Robin: "I love you...I miss you..."-John Karcher, News 3 
