Fathers, Sons And Brothers: The Call

Iowa National Guardsmen Get The Call To Serve In Iraq

(CBS)  Rarely has our country asked citizen soldiers to shoulder so much of the burden of war. One third of the troops fighting are National Guard and Reserve-more than 400,000 soldiers called away from their civilian lives.

In 2005, the call came for a battalion from the Iowa National Guard, a battalion of many fathers, sons and brothers serving together.

60 Minutes and correspondent Scott Pelley have been following the Iowa guardsmen and their families for nearly two years. And on this Memorial Day weekend, you will see and read about the sacrifices made by soldiers and their families over the long months at war.

The soldiers of the 1st Battalion of the 133rd Infantry left their loved ones with high hopes. Most had never seen combat before and some would never see Iowa again.

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In 2005, the call to war spread across the fields of Iowa.

There were about 700 calls to be made: a call to Andy Wendling and his brother, a call to Denver Foote, as he waited in the delivery room for his first baby, and a call to an old soldier, Mike Ites, never sent to war until now.

The battalion is a band of bothers, literally: there’s Ryan and Chris Gericke, a student and an electrician; Tom and Jerry Boge; the Moyers brothers; the Parmaters; the Veveras from Iowa City; the Gingrichs, a medical technician and a paramedic; and the Grieners, Mark, a plumber, and Kent, who wants to be a teacher. The list goes on.

Beyond the brothers, there are fathers, sons, uncles, even a husband and wife-one of 22 women in the battalion. Families have been joining the 1st of the 133rd since the Civil War.

After the call in 2005, there were eight weeks for parties and picnics. That's when 60 Minutes met twin guardsmen Denver and Justin Foote, known jokingly among friends as "the feet." Justin stayed behind for officer school, while Denver prepared to ship out. He's been in the guard seven years.

"Quite a few things I like about it," Denver Foote tells Pelley. "The people I work with. The feeling you get, you know, when you’re at a football game, you know they play the national anthem. It's an awesome feeling."

When 60 Minutes first met Denver's wife Shannon, she was in labor with their first child, Landen, as the deployment call came on his cell phone.

"So he’s shipping out tomorrow. What are you going to do with Landen?" Pelley asks.

"Well I'm just going to turn into 'Supermom.' I’m just doing everything I can to make Landen know who his father is," Shannon Foote replies.

"What are some of the things you’re going to be missing?" Pelley asks Denver.

"Gosh, first walk, first tooth, first words," he replies.

"It's hard to think about," Pelley remarks.

Out on the Wendling farm, Andy Wendling was making a last pass on the fields and putting his dream on hold. He was in law school but withdrew just two days before Pelley interviewed him.

He didn’t have to go to Iraq but he volunteered to be with his kid brother, Adam.

On the porch back in 2005, when 60 Minutes first started this story, their mission seemed clear.

"What does the Iraq war mean to you, what do you think it's all about?" Pelley asks.

"I think it's about stepping into a situation where, a lot of people didn’t have you know, the freedoms that we are afforded everyday. And you know it seemed like basically what they were living under was completely inhumane," Adam Wendling says. "So I think a lot of changes have happened so far and I think the outcome will ultimately be good."

[rxchclt]

As a former Iowan, I was disappointed at the bias evident in this program. Although the interviews with soldiers in the program were thoughtful and eloquent, there was no depiction of the life of female Iowa Guard soldiers in Iraq and the impact on their familes. The progam's emphasis on male soldiers and their children/wives/moms was definitely one-sided. The only thing missing was the apple pie.

[njva17420]

Unfortunately, as I wrote earlier Mike Ites has bought 100% into the Bush's propaganda -- and he IS wrong. One had to feel sad for his son Josh, sitting next to him, because he got it right. And shame on Mike Ites for his rather smug condemnation of the American public as a "gimme" culture. Maybe we are, but we did not ask for this God-forsaken war.

[dbx02]

njva17420: Who are we to say that Mike's opinion is wrong or one that "shouldn't be honored?" Don't you see? It has been men and women like Mike who are willing to fight and lay down their life for me and you to be able to even have this discussion. We have every known freedom or rights because someone in the military since the begining of our country has fought for us. EVEN if they did it for the wrong reason it was for US!! Do you think Josh's work in Iraq is any less or more important than his father's because he has a different opinion? Of course not. Don't you think Brenda would grive the same if (God forbid) one of them was killed? Both were sent to do a job by the President. You and I have the RIGHT to vote him (the President) out in the next election if we disagree with his policy. It's people like Mike who made that possible.

I myself am personaly greatful to them whether they think like me or not.

[aminiowa]

A simple "thank you" is not enough to show the love, pride, and respect I have for the men and women fighting for us. This story was very moving and I think I cried during most of it, because I remember watching my local news when they reported on the deaths. The people I know who have or are fighting are my heroes and not some movie star or athlete.

I'm a 20 year old female Republican from Iowa who is not according to many a "brainwashed, FOX watching, hick" who is made to believe that this war is justified. I'll admit one of the first news stations I turn on is Fox, but I also watch CNN and other cable networks and see just as much Liberal viewpoints on those stations as Fox has conservative. By no means am I trying to make myself sound like a saint, but I honestly feel that people can be to narrow minded in this country. I don't understand why people feel they need to degrade other's viewpoints just because it simply isn't theirs. I have seen many Republicans speak but I have also seen many Democrats as well. I even went and saw Michael Moore a couple years back. I can say he wasn't my favorite speaker, but at least I made an attempt to listen to him no matter how much I disagreed with him. Educating yourself is the first step in understanding the situation so pick up a newspaper or turn on a news program and actually have educated informative conversations with people who believe differently than you.

Ok, I'll get off my soap box now.

[njva17420]

To dbx02 , whoever he or she is, Mike Ites has blindly bought into Bush's nonsense. His son Josh got it right. This war has been a waste for so many young men and women. Just because one believes in something that is wrong on its face doesn't mean that that person's opinion should be honored.

[momofandy]

As the mother of a soldier in the 133d, I'm ashamed of the crazies who have posted comments to this article. Let's focus on the story. There are real people in Iraq fighting for US. I hate this war. But I will support my son and all our soldiers forever.

[strongwife]

My husband is with the 133rd & he was extended until August. There are always 2 sides to a story & of course only 1 side was shown. Why can't the media ever show the wives, mothers, or even friends who understand that extensions are a real possibilty and deal with it with dignity? Nobody wants to see their loved ones stay any longer but these possibilities exist & they did happen. The media only shows the women crying & holding their babies like it is only about them. Yes, I have 2 small children, but when our men enlisted to serve this country there also came consequences. I will stand proud right beside my husband & any other soldier as will our children. There are women out there who are strong, don't cry all the time, aren't on depression medication and live their lives just as usual until their loved ones come home. I want my husband home as much as the next person but right now it's not about any of us. It's about standing strong & making sure those soldiers know that they are appreciated for everything they have sacrificed for their families & their countries. I am a National Guard wife & I am *** proud to be one.

[dbx02]

What about the families? My wife has a cow when I have to travel overnight for my job, can you imagine what it would be like to have to be gone for THREE YEARS!?

I see several people talking about Mike Ites. At least he believes in something and stands up for it! So it's not what you think, what actions have you put behind your words? Stay strong Mike!! Do and say what you know is right. Keep the faith that God put you there for a reason that no one else may ever understand. Josh will be a better man (so will Matt) for what you are doing, even if they don't agree. God's plans and purposes are NEVER WRONG!!

May God keep you all safe and bring you home soon. And all I can say is THANK YOU.

[dbx02]

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!

That doesn't seem enough for the men and women of the 133rd, their families or all the other countless untold stories of our military.

I don't think it matters if you believe in war or not, or if you think President Bush has mislead us or not or if you think what we are doing has any ties to 9-11 or not. The fact still remains that our men and women were called to do a job and they are doing it day in and day out with strength and character! I know I don't want to do it. I dare say that there are millions more out there that complain but never get off their butts to do anything. Whether it's right or wrong (or what you think is right or wrong) they are doing something!

I live a very good life today because of men and women like the 133rd.

[mchs1958a]

Excellent presentation. One of Scott Pelly's very best.

[baskets44]

Although I enjoyed this story, I was deeply trouble but how gender biased it was. As a female member of the Washtingon National Guard, and former active duty Soldier, my sympathies go out to the Mother's, Daughter's, and Sister's of the Iowa National Guard and their families that were so blatantly ignored. You did mention the fact that there are 22 female members of that Battlion, so why did you only focus on the men? And what about the single Soldiers, male or female?
As I stated earlier, I did enjoy the story, and I think it will do a world of good in educating the general public about some of the difficulties faced by Guard Soldiers as opposed to active duty Soldiers. I just wish you had not been so biased.
Sincerely,
A female Soldier trying to do her part.

[rose081900]

I enjoyed the 60 minutes on Sunday, but I wasn't too thrilled with it like I wish I would have been. For once all you showed was brothers and fathers who are serving together. You did not once show any of the soldier's who were not a brother or father twosome. You left out the single soldiers (the one with no family serving with them), that upset me. I'm very close to some of the troops in the 133rd, for one I'm dating one of their soldiers and I'm very proud on what their doing and have been doing for almost 2 yrs now. When you want to do something that special on a Holiday, make sure you include EVERYONE!!...Not just the members of families who are serving together!....

Thanks a bunch.
Sara
*Proud ArmyGirlfriend To A Soldier In 133rd*

[szellmer2]

Fathers, Sons and Brothers - how offensive. My sister, from Madrid, Iowa, and thousands of other Mothers, Daughters and Sisters are serving in the military, and, like her, many of them are in Iraq. They've left behind husbands, children, elderly parents and siblings, and in doing so have ripped the very fabric of their communities apart.

The only woman you mentioned was a member of a husband and wife team. It's a real shame that your reporting was so gender-biased, because it
was otherwise an in-depth, heartfelt look at the lives of soldiers in Iraq and their families, and the devastating effects of the Bush Administration's misguided troop-surge, stop-loss policies.

Speaking of misguided, my husband and I have watched 60 Minutes together every Sunday night for years and we've appreciated Scott Pelley's work, in particular. We have never seen anything so blatantly out of touch with the issue of gender in society on your show. The only way to rectify it is to do a story on the effects on women soldiers and their families. You'll find equivalent hardships along with equivalent strength, wisdom, good humor, leadership and esprit de corps.

Sincerely,
A Heartsick Sister in the Heartland

[nene1705]

You ask Why Iowa? Why the 133rd? They are known as the Iron Men for their service in WWII. They hold the record for the longest time in action there. They also now hold the record for the longest troop deployed over in Iraq. They were chosen to stay longer because they do their job and they do it well with something like a 98% accuracy rate. That's why it's Iowa. Not due to our political beliefs. While it's true that Iowa is typically a conservative state, right now we have a Democrat governor, we have 1 Demorcrat as Senator, we have 3 of 5 Democrat Representatives, and in 2000 we gave our electoral votes to Gore.

[pl133]

60 minutes special was only 1 hour out of thousands of hours spent doing a job.
As a soldier we promised our country, citizens, and leaders we would do. We do not have the ability to say, "We do not agree with this conflict, we think we will just sit this one out."
I am in Iraq and this has been an experience of a lifetime, rather I wanted to do it or not; and for the record I did want to. I have seen and done things that have changed who I am but I kept my word to my country.
I hope for the sake of the 133 their commander is smarter than he sounded in his interview, talk about lack of Command Commitment.

[pl133]

60 minutes special was only 1 hour out of thousands of hours spent doing a job.
As a soldier we promised our country, citizens, and leaders we would do. We do not have the ability to say, "We do not agree with this conflict, we think we will just sit this one out."
I am in Iraq and this has been an experience of a lifetime, rather I wanted to do it or not; and for the record I did want to. I have seen and done things that have changed who I am but I kept my word to my country.
I hope for the sake of the 133 their commander is smarter than he sounded in his interview, talk about lack of Command Commitment.

[pl133]

60 minutes special was only 1 hour out of thousands of hours spent doing a job.
As a soldier we promised our country, citizens, and leaders we would do. We do not have the ability to say, "We do not agree with this conflict, we think we will just sit this one out."
I am in Iraq and this has been an experience of a lifetime, rather I wanted to do it or not; and for the record I did want to. I have seen and done things that have changed who I am but I kept my word to my country.
I hope for the sake of the 133 their commander is smarter than he sounded in his interview, talk about lack of Command Commitment.

[ronmwanga]

You are firing on all cylanders, gang. Discovery Times used to do an Iraq Diary show. Alas, it is no more. This was well-timed for Memorial Day. I think we all forget the degree of sacrifice the soldiers --and the small towns make -- in the war effort. This brought it home for all of us.

[shaunar_1999]

Thank you for the excellent broad cast to show people what really happens when your loved one goes to war. My husband served over seas and it is hard for people to understand what the soldiers and families go through during this tough time. I am also from Iowa and am near to this unit. It realy

Thank you for a wonderful story!

Shauna Handsaker

[lars008-2009]

Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves. ~Abraham Lincoln

The patriot's blood is the seed of Freedom's tree. ~Thomas Campbell

No one is free when others are oppressed. ~Author Unknown

Men fight for liberty and win it with hard knocks. Their children, brought up easy, let it slip away again, poor fools. And their grandchildren are once more slaves. ~D.H. Lawrence, Classical American Literature, 1922

Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err. ~Mahatma Gandhi

Order without liberty and liberty without order are equally destructive. ~Theodore Roosevelt

I prefer liberty with danger to peace with slavery. ~Author Unknown
Freedom has a thousand charms to show, That slaves, howe'er contented, never know.~William Cowper

Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it. ~George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, "Maxims: Liberty and Equality," 1905

Freedom is never free. ~Author Unknown