---

SEEKONK - Despite the unpopularity of the war in Iraq, local veterans Russ Horsman and Joe Callanan believe the fight is worth it.

Horsman, 31, and Callanan, 29, both served in the Army National Guard and spent a year stationed in Baghdad as military police. Their duties included escorting convoys and guarding roads surrounding the city.

The two men arrived in the country not long after President Bush's "Mission Accomplished" speech in May 2003.

Nonetheless, Horsman said he knew the war was far from over, despite the president's words.

"We were not automatons, believing everything we were fed. We knew securing a city of millions required a little bit of effort," he said. Horsman and Callanan set up camp close to the airport as part of a unit made up of four platoons with 30 soldiers in each platoon, in addition to medics and officers.

The presence of violence and death were constant. On their way to the city, the men saw some roadside explosions and burned-out tanks.

"You heard mortar fire and gunfire almost every day," Callanan recalled.

"One night, they hit the fuel depot and that was spectacular," Horsman added.

Despite the danger that surrounded them, Horsman and Callanan remained focused on their jobs.

"You don't really think about it," Callanan said. "You wake up in the morning, you get ready to go, and you just head out the gate."

Communication with loved ones in the United States at that time was limited because of demands of the job and time differences between the two countries.

"You would get mail, but that took forever," Horsman said. "There wasn't any time (to call or write). We were working round the clock."

Horsman and Callanan interacted with the civilian population every day, and said Iraqis they met were appreciative of the work they did.

"They loved us," Horsman said. "They also knew we were bringing them what they needed. They just wanted to be left alone to live their life, and if that was happening, they were cool with that." Despite the opposition to the war in this country, Horsman and Callanan said U.S. troops must stay in Iraq until the government there is able to function on its own. Withdrawing from the country now would be a catastrophic mistake, they said.

"The worst part about it is we both have friends that are serving over there, and we're not there with them," Callanan said. "If they called me up tomorrow and said I had to go back, I'd definitely go."

JOSEPH S. SIEGEL covers Seekonk for The Sun Chronicle and he can be reached at joesiegel@cox.net.