Dear All,

Today is the 158th day of Kris' deployment.

It is with great relief that I'm writing this. There were another two soldiers from Kris's platoon killed, yesterday, in Iraq. Thankfully, through an email from Kris to a close friend, it was confirmed that he is healthy and well. The news media is also reporting that two other National Guardsmen from Oregon were also injured in the attack. The soldiers killed were Spc. Benjamin Isenberg, 27, of Sheridan, and Staff Sgt. David Weisenburg, 26, of Portland. Injured in the attack were 2nd Lt. Peter Wood, 27, of Portland, who has been evacuated to Germany for treatment, and Spc. Michael Johnson, 22, of Monroe, who is being treated in Iraq. Also in the HumVee at the time of the attack was Spc. Albert Morgan, 21, who was not injured. My prayers and deepest sympathies go out to the families of the brave young men who lost their lives, and to the injured soldiers for a speedy and full recovery.

Kris is now back at Camp Cooke, after being deployed to Najaf for over a month. His group saw a great deal of front-line style action. According to the Associated Press photographer, Jim MacMillan, that took the picture of Kris that was in the Oregonian, the 2/162 were really the stars of the siege. There was apparently another picture of Kris that made the national media, but I haven't been able to find it. It was during the battles in and around Najaf. The picture is of a soldier that had just fired a shoulder-launched rocket, with another soldier kneeling on the ground beside him. Kris was the soldier that had fired the rocket. As soon as I can get a copy of that photograph, I will post it on the Pvt Peterson web site. http://www.pbase.com/stuartkpeterson/kris. The picture of Kris from the Oregonian is also posted there, too. Kris has promised more pictures, soon, and I promise, in return, to post them as soon as possible after I get them.

During the Najaf siege, Kris received a slight friendly-fire injury. A small piece of shrapnel from a grenade hit him in the left leg, just above his knee. Kris says that his leg is doing fine, but last word was that the shrapnel had not yet been removed.

For those of you wondering what Kris would like to get in the mail: magazines. Food isn't that important, apparently, although I’m sure he'd still like a few treats. Kris says that virtually ANY type of magazine is greatly appreciated. Reader's Digest, Popular Mechanics, just about anything is great. Kris also mentioned that the "ban" on risqué magazines that I wrote about in early updates is largely fiction. Nobody is stopping any type of magazine from getting through.

That's about all I have to report. On one hand it's very good news to hear that Kris is safe and sound. On the other hand, there is deep pain in the continued loss of life.

Please join me in wishing Kris well. Visit the "Pvt Peterson" web site and sign the guestbook. Leave a message behind for Kris to read. Tell all of your friends about the web site and get them to leave messages, too.

Best wishes to all.

Stuart