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Impact of Iraq war still felt locally

President Barack Obama reads his speech to photographers after delivering a primetime televised address marking the the end of combat mission in Iraq from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2010.

Susan Walsh/STF/AP Photo President Barack Obama reads his speech to photographers after delivering a primetime televised address marking the the end of combat mission in Iraq from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2010.

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By Matt Sanctis, Staff Writer Updated 7:39 AM Wednesday, September 1, 2010

SPRINGFIELD — On Tuesday, Aug. 21, President Barack Obama delivered a speech to the nation announcing the end of combat operations.

But reminders of the war’s impact locally will remain for years outside two local high schools, and at a local golf course, where memorials honor the memories of local service members who gave their lives for their country.

Three men with local ties died serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, and dozens of others have served in the military as part of the war effort. Charles Foss, a retired principal at Kenton Ridge High School, still remembers when Kevin Smith told Foss about his decision to join the Marines just before Christmas.

“I do remember that he was very happy after he made that decision,” Foss said Tuesday.

Smith, a 2003 Kenton Ridge graduate assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., was killed in action in 2005 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee near the Iraq-Syria border.

Smith’s parents could not be reached for comment, but Foss said he noticed a change in Smith after he decided to serve in the military. Foss described him as a typical student with average grades, but that changed after he enlisted.

“You just noticed a big change in him from a maturity standpoint, an achievement standpoint,” Foss said.

After Smith’s death, local veterans worked with Northeastern schools to create a plaque honoring his memory. It’s located near the base of the high school’s flag pole. Two other service members, Marine Sgt. David Christoff and Army Cpl. Jeremy Greene, are honored with a memorial near the flag at Shawnee High School. A memorial for Christoff also rests at the Reid Park Golf Course, where he often played and worked.

Christoff was killed by a roadside bomb in 2006 in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq. Greene was killed in an accident in 2007 in Afghanistan. Family members for both men could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Nathan Dockter, principal at Shawnee, said students still occasionally view the memorial that honors the men’s service.

“I think our students, even though they didn’t know these two guys, I think they recognize their sacrifice,” Dockter said.

Like the rest of the country, residents locally have mixed feelings about the war in Iraq.

Faith Donovan has a vested interest, as her son Mark served a year in Iraq with the U.S. Army Rangers. She said conditions in Iraq will never be perfect, but she believes the war was necessary. She said she simply hopes those serving overseas will come home safe.

“I’m not sure everything will be completely stable, but hopefully we’ve done our part to help,” she said.

Jack Southern, of Springfield, said while the war in Afghanistan was necessary, the U.S. should have stayed out of Iraq from the beginning. He argued the region is less stable now, and he is concerned about what will happen when U.S. forces leave the country.

The issues that are being debated now are important for the public to consider, but Staci Rhine, chair of political science at Wittenberg University, said until recently the topic has largely fallen out of the news.

“It’s invisible in the news, and while I think it should be getting more coverage, it isn’t” Rhine said.

As the majority of U.S. forces prepares to leave Iraq, the country’s leaders still have not been able to form a government, and the security situation is still tenuous.

In the short-term, she argued the war must be seen as a policy failure. When the war began, she said most people believed it would be over in a few years, but it instead ended in a low-grade civil war. In the meantime, she said many Americans have lost interest in the effort.

“They expected something quick and easy where we would be out five years ago,” Rhine said.

At the same time, there is still a chance the effort could be considered a success in the long-term if Iraq is ever able to form a stable government. Like most, she said there are simply no easy answers.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0355 or msanctis@coxohio.com.

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