Courtesy Photo | Maj. Dave Spies (left), a native of Saint Peters, Mo., who serves as commander of the...... read more read more
By Spc. Douglas York
Multi-National Division - Baghdad
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – One of the most cherished attractions at the Disneyland theme park in California is "It's a Small World." Renowned for its innocence and message of world unity, the ride has been cherished by many generations.
For members of the armed forces, that same message of unity is part of their standard issue and occasionally they are reminded that life in the military is "a small world after all." Such was the case for two Soldiers who serve with 4th Infantry Division and Multi-National Division – Baghdad.
"On Oct. 5th, I had a chance encounter with Army Spc. Mike Green at Joint Security Station Adl, a former student of mine from years past," said Maj. Dave Spies (pronounced "Spees"), a native of Saint Peters, Mo., who serves as commander of the 101st Military History Detachment out of Wichita, Kan., currently attached to 4th Inf. Div., MND-B. "I was Mike Green's 7th grade science teacher (1996-97), when I taught at Warren County Jr. High," he added.
Working with the 101st MHD, a reserve unit that provides military history collection support to Army units, Spies interviews Soldiers and documents many events to be added to the Army's official history. However, this is the first time an encounter like this has happened during his 26 years of service.
"Troop D, 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment picked us up here [on Camp Liberty] and took us out to their JSS Adl," Spies said. "That night, Spc. Teri Bupp [one of his Soldiers] was talking to Spc. Green and discovered that he's from Missouri and she said to him 'My commander's from Missouri.' She calls me over and I start talking to the young guy," he added.
During the ensuing chat, Green, a wheeled vehicle mechanic by trade who is currently serving on the personal security detail of the squadron's command sergeant major, quickly figured out who Spies was but the recognition was not as instant for Spies. Using this to his advantage, he asked Spies a few questions.
"I asked him 'Do you remember a kid named Mike Green?' and he said 'Yeah, a squirrely little guy who was always talking,'" said Green. "I said 'Come into the light,' and when we went into the light the look on his face was one of shock that now he sees one of his old students as a grown man in Iraq," he added.
The trip down memory lane was fast paced for the two as they were eager to catch up on the years that followed their time together at the school. Moreover, they were amazed that they ran into each other in Iraq of all places.
"I believe I was probably one of the first kids he had in detention," Green said with a laugh. "I'm a talkative person. I love to talk; I love to be in the middle of everything and a lot of kids back then weren't, and so I always got in trouble for my mouth," he added, noting that he wasn't in trouble for being disrespectful, just talking too much.
Spies agreed with his young friend and elaborated on his memories of a teenage Green.
"Mike has grown up a lot but still looks like the Mike I remember from the past when he was 13-years-old," Spies said. "He is still very friendly and extremely talkative," he added, noting that the trait seems to be serving his former student well.
After more than 10 years of not seeing each other, there was much to get caught up on.
"Mike [Green] shared with me several experiences from his time in the Army and we discussed and shared memories from his 7th grade school year experience," Spies said. "Mike's narrative and positive outlook is testimony of the American Soldier's warrior spirit and willingness to serve his country. He has asked me to administer his reenlistment oath to him and that is an honor and a privilege for me," he added.
Green was quick to counter his former science teacher's praise with some of his own.
"When we were in school, he wasn't really a disciplinarian. He wasn't one of those guys that would yell at you or anything like that," Green said. "He was one of those guys that would try to get students to go the right direction and I used to think 'Man, why is this guy so mean to me?' but now I realize he did it because he wanted me to do something with my life," he added, talking about the times Spies had placed him in detention and how it has helped mold him to this point and hopefully beyond.
School-time detention aside, neither of these Soldiers has anything to be ashamed of and both are assets to the Ironhorse Division. Additionally, both of them have been previously deployed, with Green having come to the Middle East four times in just six years of service.
"He's unique. You've got this young guy here, in a short period of time in the military, who's done four tours [two in Iraq and two in Afghanistan]," Spies said, conveying his admiration for what Green's accomplished and been through during his six years of service.
"I know it makes him feel good on the inside to know that a student he had in school is doing something with his life," Green said. "I respect the man very much; he's a great guy," he added.
Now that they have had their unexpected reunion, the two plan to stay in email contact at the very least.
With the initial reunion behind them and safely stored in the memory banks of their lives, the two now reflect on the impact each of them has had on the other.
"As far as molding me and shaping me as a teacher, he just reinforced why I enjoy being a teacher," Spies said of Green. "It just reconfirmed the impact you make on kids' lives, not because of the stuff you say in the classroom, but they remember your actions," he added.
"His leadership back then reflects on him now," Green said. "He trusts in his subordinates to do the right thing and he also teaches them what they have to do," he added.
Committed to being "steadfast and loyal" to their day to day missions, the two are also committed to fondly remembering their chance encounter and realize that while military life is a small world, a meeting of their type is very rare.
"The military is a very small world," Green said. "Soldiers over here are so far away from home. We're so far away from our families our friends and our loved ones and when I saw him it was a big uplift in my spirit," he added.
"Out of 14 years of teaching I've had about 2,000 students," Spies said. "The odds of running into one of your former students in the military, especially overseas, covering down on a unit with over 28,000 members, is not very likely," he added.
Likely or not, some moments seem too good to be true. Before they parted ways, the two exchanged many more pleasantries, and in the case of Spies a gift of admiration.
"While I was out there [JSS Adl] I had a nice St. Louis Cardinals 2006 World Series Championship cup that he admired," Spies said. "I gave it to him because I wanted to recognize how proud I am of him for his service, for growing up, maturing and becoming a responsible young man."
When their time here is done in the early part of 2009, the two will temporarily go their separate ways. However, Green would like to eventually change his duty station to Fort Leavenworth, Mo., to be closer to his family and to accept an offer from Spies to come and speak with his future students about military life. Come what may, none of it would have been possible had they not met up again in such an obscure manner.
"You never know who's watching; you never know who's around and he [Spies] told me once 'You'll see me again,'" Green said. "I was thinking I might bump into him in Warrenton or St. Charles, Mo., but instead I bumped into him in Iraq," he added with an ironic chuckle.
"That's the uniqueness of being in the history-business: You get out and about and see many different people and units and you get exposed to a lot of things," Spies said. "That's what makes this a special job," he added about his encounter with Green.
Both of these Soldiers are invaluable assets to their teams, a testament to all that a friendship's unity can transcend years and uniforms. They are prime examples for people everywhere that it is indeed "a small, small, world."
| Date Taken: | 11.03.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 11.03.2008 07:58 |
| Story ID: | 25844 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 176 |
| Downloads: | 150 |
This work, 10th Cavalry Soldier discovers 'Spies' in the Ironhorse Division, by SPC Douglas York, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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