It's a Good Thing

Finally, something to feel good about.

I have maintained throughout the war in Iraq that if the media chose to report on some of the good things that happen instead of always focusing on the bad, it might be easier to see the effort hasn't been all for not. And since we, society, rely on the media to get our information for the most part we only ever get their slanted view. Well, today I came across the following article and am pleased someone finally chose to report on something good in Iraq.


Having a ball in Iraq
By Ted Hayes

BRISTOL — For one day at least, there was peace in one tiny corner of Iraq. Soldiers traded their fatigues, weapons and flak jackets for soccer uniforms. Shia and Sunni Muslims came together as friends. And children, many of whom have little to be thankful for, enjoyed a day of fun and play. Through it all, Bristol’s Jimmy Pepoon, 26, smiled.

On Friday, Dec. 26, after nearly a year of planning, the United States Army held a regional soccer tournament in a stadium in the town of Taji, an arid village just north of Baghdad, and invited some 60 players from across the region to play in a four-round tournament against each other and a team made up of American GIs. The Iraqis and soldiers wore uniforms donated by folks back in Bristol and beyond, wearing donated cleats, shin guards and other gear to kick donated balls. When it was over, the winners received donated trophies and each of the hundreds of Iraqis who watched from the stands went home with donated sporting goods and other freebies.

The tournament, the first of its kind and size since the U.S. entered Iraq in 2003, was the brainchild of 2000 Mt. Hope High School graduate Jimmy Pepoon, a member of the United States Army’s 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry, Second Stryker Brigade, 25th Infantry. Since being deployed to Iraq in December 2007, he spent much of his free time on the phone and computer with family and friends back home in Bristol, soliciting donations of everyday items such as clothing and school supplies, as well as soccer uniforms, equipment and other supplies for not only the tournament but for the youth of Iraq.

The effort encompassed much more than the tournament itself, and involved a host of Bristol fund-raisers, volunteer efforts by his mom, Donna St. Angelo, and a huge cast of others from Bristol and beyond. Since it began, hundreds of Iraqi children and adults have been given free equipment, jerseys and other supplies that they otherwise wouldn’t have access to in Iraq, many of them donated by or through Bristol residents.

But the tournament, held the day after Christmas, was clearly one of the most enjoyable parts of the effort for SSG Pepoon, who has loved the game for most of his life. He said it was a huge hit not just because it brought Shias, Sunnis, young and old, and Iraqis and Americans together, but also because it gave everyone a chance to forget the war for a little while and concentrate on having fun.

“It just brought everyone together for a day,” he said during a telephone interview. “It was just, ‘Go out there and have a safe, fun day.’ We had 15 (soldiers) walking around all day with no gear on, just acting like regular people. It was a really good time.”

And it was a long time coming.

Click here to read the full article.