Dear Ms. Roberts

Photo: Lt. James Slevin, U.S. Army, evaluates the eyes of a local man seeking medical attention in Gornje Kosce, Kosovo. Source: DoD

 You are like a sweet angel during our most difficult time in our lives...


Contributed by First Lieutenant Geraldine Lubkeman, Ambulance Platoon Leader Kosovo

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
TASK FORCE MED FALCON
CAMP BONDSTEEL, KOSOVO
APO AE 09340

13 December 1999

Dear Ms Roberts

Merry Christmas from the 557th Ambulance Company deployed in Kosovo. I received your letter today and was very touched by your sentiment and caring. My entire platoon consisting of twenty people read your letter. It changed our outlook and brightened our day.

I am an ambulance platoon leader in charge of ten ambulances and twenty soldiers. We transport all soldiers within the peacekeeping service in Kosovo to the Combat Surgical Hospital. This includes a wide variety of American, Polish, German, Russian, Sweden and other European soldiers. We also evacuate civilian Albanians in Kosovo that are injured and need immediate medical care.

This deployment has been very difficult for us. Our job is to transport casualties to the hospital so we see every injury that occurs. Many of them are due to mine fields out side the region of our camp. Yesterday we brought in two polish soldiers that stepped on a mine. One of them was eighteen years old and had his entire hand and leg blown off. My soldiers gave him first aid care but what was so tragic was looking in the eyes and hearing his cries. We will never forget the incident. Of course this is one of many tragedies we have seen. It is so difficult to handle situations like this and every soldier killed takes a part of you. I suppose we realize that this could be us laying there in pain taking our last breath.

I find being here and traveling through the towns with burned buildings and seeing Albanian children waving you realize how precious life is. Often times me and my soldiers sit down and talk about the situation we are in and how one day we will be back in the states enjoying life, having a family, and enjoying the sun set in our backyard. It is sad but this is all we have to hold on to.

Your letter is like a sweet breath of air. You are like a sweet angel during our most difficult time in our lives. I appreciate your letter and further correspondence to us if you wish. If possible I would like you to encourage others to write to my platoon. You would not believe how much hope this would bring us.

I was thinking of writing a newspaper but I do not know where or whom to write to. I was hoping that maybe your hometown would adopt us if it is possible. Maybe you can print our letter in your local newspaper.

Happy holidays from the soldiers of 557th Ambulance Company deployed in Kosovo. Thank you again for caring about us while we are deployed in Kosovo.

Geraldine Lubkeman
First Lieutenant/Ambulance Platoon Leader