By Dennis Box, The Courier-Herald

Published 3:54 pm Thursday, April 30, 2009

"Welcome to Camp 93 Seabees. Let it roll!"

That was the sign greeting Equipment Chief Petty Officer Steve Willadson on Feb. 28 on the border between Kuwait and Iraq.

Camp 93 was named for the United Airlines flight 93 that crashed in the fields of Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001.

In late January of 2003,Willadson, a maintenance worker for Bonney Lake, was working on a toy at Allan Yorke Park when a message came to call his Naval reserve center.

During the phone call, Willadson was told he had been mobilized for action in Iraq for up to three years.

"I thought, wow. I have less than a week to get ready," Willadson said. "It was very sobering."

Willadson is a Seabee in the United States Naval Reserve. He left Bonney Lake on Feb. 4 and landed in Kuwait three weeks later.

"There was nothing out there but a desolate, sand desert," Willadson said.

The second Iraq war began on March 20 and the Seabee's mission was to break down the lines of berms or mounds of sand on the Kuwait-Iraq border to allow the troops free movement.

The Kuwaitis built the berms at 12 strategic points to slow a possible Iraq invasion force. Between each line of berms were trenches. Down the center of the berms was a high voltage electric fence.

"It was like a power line," Willadson. "We cut the power line, rolled D7 and D8 bulldozers off trailers and pushed the berms into the trenches. The drivers were taking fire from the Iraqis, but no one was hurt. The berms protected them."

Once the berms were down the forces started pouring across the desert.

"It was a big thing for the Seabees to let it go forward," Willadson said.

Willadson was in charge of Naval Construction Force Support Unit 2 with 42 troops in his command. The unit maintained the main supply route to Baghdad and sent supplies when requested.

"The planning of the war was outstanding," Willadson said. "It gave everyone a lot of confidence."

Support from back home had a profound effect on Willadson an his fellow Seabees.

"There was a tremendous outpouring of generosity towards us. Girl Scouts sent us cookies and kids and people we didn't know at all sent us things. It made everyone feel good. People supported the troops no matter how they felt about the war. That's the great thing about a democracy. You can disagree, but still support the troops," Willadson said.

He returned home at the end of July. Like so many who have gone before, Willadson came back from the war a different person.

"Anyone that goes through it is going to change," Willadson said. "When you're sitting in a sandhill bunker with a gas mask, being attacked by Scud missiles, you have a lot of time to think about our life. I think it gives you a lot more appreciation for what you have."

At Camp 93 the troops were allowed to fly a flag and dedicated it a person or a place.

"I chose Bonney Lake," Willadson said. "I wanted to thank all the city staff and people of Bonney Lake that supported me. My neighbors mowed my lawn and helped my wife. People really helped out."

Willadson presented the United States flag flown at Camp 93 to City of Bonney Lake at the Jan. 27 City Council meeting.

Dennis Box can be reached at dbox@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/courierherald