Cruelbreed
06-29-2009, 08:19 PM
70 years old and deploying to Iraq
Posted: June 29, 2009 10:20 AM
Updated: June 29, 2009 01:30 PM
Posted by, Jessica Boyd. mail
CHARLOTTE, NC (WCNC)- A 70-year-old veteran from North Carolina is leaving for his fifth tour of duty overseas. Turns out doctors are in short supply in Iraq, so when the Army Reserve called on Colonel Hector Henry, he started packing his gear.
"It's taking me a long time to pack this bag."
Colonel Hector Henry never thought he'd have to pack his army gear again, "I think my wife, my grandchildren, and my children will say you've probably done enough."
As his home movies show, this will be the 3rd time Henry has gone to Iraq, the 5th time he's been deployed with the army overseas.
"You can't do enough for your country, I don't think you can do enough for this country and for this state," says Henry; who admits he'll probably be the oldest guy over there.
And that's something his wife worries about. But she says Henry refuses to act his age, "He runs 4 to 6 miles a day and he works for an hour and a half, he's an animal."
"I do have hair, it's probably all gray by now, so I'm afraid to look at it, that's why I shave it," says Henry.
It's that spunk, and seven decades of, Let's call it experience, that should serve him well as he follows patrols around the battlezone, "I'll be right out there with them, yeah."
Every single day just gets closer to when he's gonna be home,"It won't be long I'll be back soon."
Colonel Henry will be acting as a general practitioner for an entire battalion of soldiers from North Carolina.
He says his tour is scheduled to end in November, and this will likely be his last tour.
http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10611148&nav=menu117_2
I recommend you visit the site and check out the video, pretty neat.
Posted: June 29, 2009 10:20 AM
Updated: June 29, 2009 01:30 PM
Posted by, Jessica Boyd. mail
CHARLOTTE, NC (WCNC)- A 70-year-old veteran from North Carolina is leaving for his fifth tour of duty overseas. Turns out doctors are in short supply in Iraq, so when the Army Reserve called on Colonel Hector Henry, he started packing his gear.
"It's taking me a long time to pack this bag."
Colonel Hector Henry never thought he'd have to pack his army gear again, "I think my wife, my grandchildren, and my children will say you've probably done enough."
As his home movies show, this will be the 3rd time Henry has gone to Iraq, the 5th time he's been deployed with the army overseas.
"You can't do enough for your country, I don't think you can do enough for this country and for this state," says Henry; who admits he'll probably be the oldest guy over there.
And that's something his wife worries about. But she says Henry refuses to act his age, "He runs 4 to 6 miles a day and he works for an hour and a half, he's an animal."
"I do have hair, it's probably all gray by now, so I'm afraid to look at it, that's why I shave it," says Henry.
It's that spunk, and seven decades of, Let's call it experience, that should serve him well as he follows patrols around the battlezone, "I'll be right out there with them, yeah."
Every single day just gets closer to when he's gonna be home,"It won't be long I'll be back soon."
Colonel Henry will be acting as a general practitioner for an entire battalion of soldiers from North Carolina.
He says his tour is scheduled to end in November, and this will likely be his last tour.
http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10611148&nav=menu117_2
I recommend you visit the site and check out the video, pretty neat.