Letter from Iraq

McMicken alumni are scattered across the globe “representing” the college and university, as Dick Friedman has reminded them in countless communications during his 35 years on campus. But to him, “some responses stand out.” One of the most “special” came recently from a student he remembers well, “someone who gives us something to think about as the holidays approach.”

Brad R. Wenstrup, a 1980 graduate, currently serves as chief of surgery at Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq. He wrote the following letter to Friedman.

Greetings from Abu Ghraib Prison! We’ve been here for over two months now. We came here after two months of training at Ft. McCoy, Wis. We are settled in, and we will call this place “home” for now.

I live in a prison cell with bars that are covered with plywood for privacy. It looks eerie from the outside, but it’s not too bad inside. It’s better than the tent at Ft. McCoy.

The war is present around us, above us, and within our walls. The Marines, the cavalry, and the infantry are our mortal guardian angels. And we are there for them as well. Some days leave us with such a great feeling, while other days are filled with sadness from the realities of war. After dealing with the realities, the reward of being here is great. Being away from friends and family is hard.

The support from home is superb. I have received so many encouraging e-mails, letters, and packages. Most recently, I received over a dozen boxes of toys from the staff at the Wellington Orthopedics and PAL Health Technologies. We have started to distribute them to the local children. The gratitude shown by the children and their families is priceless. The families are aware that the gifts come from the American people in a goodwill effort.

We provide health care for the detainees as well as the U.S. troops. We provide in-patient, out-patient, and emergent care around the clock. It’s a pretty fair reformation for an old, dirty, morbid place like Abu Ghraib. It’s fair to say that we are proud of our work here.

I can’t thank everyone at home enough. Please keep a positive thought in your mind and a prayer in your heart and a light in the window.