Lt. Col. Charles Perenick with Moe Lauzier

Okay good morning Vietnam by the way that hillbilly at least I wonder if they still played that you. To wake people up. I'll never forget that first point oh we'll probably get in tonight good morning -- here with the on Boston talk station in six AD WRKO. Let's ask someone whom. Is in the know on that if you lieutenant colonel. Charles.

Marinate -- he is stationed in the Baghdad we have spoken in the past colonel Billy still use that kind of bugle -- guys out. All I haven't heard that you global Olson I think the Korean war that was all the reruns of those and all didn't go back that far. I can assure you go back to release the sixties I mean up to at least the sixties but I think that and then we've done them we had tapped every evening you still have depth on the -- comes down. You know we don't hear just because -- theater that orient but does that is that the only time -- going to be able play anymore unfortunately and other residents or we're paying homage you know. Then for other reasons good morning again welcome back to WR KOI thank you very much for having me. We'll bulletin have been to -- said you'd be my guest this morning I was I was very pleased because you're one of the really nice guys. That -- that and the others haven't been that your. You -- your clinic -- quite an interesting guy a matter of fact I'm looking forward to that tinkered Sam Adams the -- locally when you come back in June. And the beginning of the radio show or don't you ever supposed to correct the host but it will be more than one I guarantee you. Well I mean I'm being polite and critical for.

Well look -- I want to take just the austerity good thank you for personal setting a personal card over the holiday season I have that posted on our wall of cards. We've been adopted by several schools all through the New England area and some scouting organizations and some adults organizations as a place up in -- called hug -- love. Run by a lady who lost herself over here in she's adopted us and done that card really not an awful lot to me and the soldiers of thank you well.

When you know I didn't realize until. I became friendly with a marine sergeant -- and fellow who's now a a marine sergeant major. Guy's name -- goal but he was stationed in Djibouti India he served in there in Iraq as well both in the first and second gulf wars and I had no idea that these little things he's a little touches that. When were at home and I suspect -- guilty as I am on this one I'm gonna put my guilt I knew that we had no idea that these little things meant so very much. To the fellow in the gallon uniform 10000 miles away from home.

we first got here and got settled then I would say -- may be 45 days into it I'm mandated that every soldier my command. Actually sit down with pen and paper as opposed to text messaging and Internet email and whatnot and write their families a letter. And my wife who's in charge what they call the family readiness group -- on and she just told me is that parents and grandparents have saved those letters and -- and scrap books now. And at the school for the adoptive at first the young kids here's the soldiers under my command were reluctant to get involved intent panels and over the last seven months state correspondent on a regular basis and just enjoy -- they they -- to see the pictures that the kids and over. And they into we've got some graphic design folks here are public affairs section. There their mentoring and advice and some of these second third graders and picked picked us up dispense pills so that you -- really doesn't mean a lot the written word it's nice to get a phone call let's make you an -- vocal about it when it's in writing it's a lot warmer.

Yeah because you both -- to -- number of reasons number one you can read the second time you can only hear a phone call once and the email interest through they usually deleting it in the way it goes and it's new and gone forever but the letters the letters are accumulated at home I know my my daughter I kept all the letters from her husband. In when he returned home she gave them back to him with -- big -- around them so he could you take a look at them whenever he pleased. But it it ought to make permanent record yeah I would became a permanent record ahead and not who served who served at no she didn't serve in the military she was she served in the little sisters of the poor and she was and -- France during World War II behind the enemy lines and the time of the great courage in Leo all -- Jewish people by the Gestapo. -- work that some of the religious organizations did I had no but would never had any knowledge of any of this. Until IE inherited the letters that she had sent to one of my -- who passed away recently a few years ago and I get a chance to step reading them admittedly they were done in pencil. So you can imagine what's happened to the to the text over the text book truck used in the mud and terminology to a letter written in pencil. But the but the the remarkable thing was that we you've got a true sense of what was going on and I think maybe the letters coming home that your getting your -- to do have the same impact will have the same impact down on the road a piece.

Well let -- mentioned the first time we had spoken I have two boys 1514. And I write home as much as -- again and I know that my -- receiving those letters for about we have of course via webcam that you can you know hook up your computer and actually email and see each other but should mention before you know thirty seconds after you. You'll log off its its not about memory but the letters last for a.

Absolutely also the photographs that you can take out there in the sizzle but of course one of the big benefits of the modern world of the electronic camera you can go on take coming -- how many thousands of pictures for about 3040 bucks a chips and the stick kimono stick him on an envelope somewhere when you get home be able to to review them and two to two key to have a picked oral history. What took place I know one of the great satan marvels it was the photographs from the civil war. I don't think you or -- or anyone else would have had to. A sensible the civil war was all about had they not been able to do that and be able to record it and and again the letters home from the civil war. -- in those days -- took how many months ago at home sometimes soldiers went home before the letters get back. He got here whether the good.

We have in the mass army National Guard and military history detachment and -- with the title he pretty much know what they do but they have been deployed quite actively over the last few years. And -- they would see the end result of the work it is it is something to behold they did a phenomenal job and recording at all majority of the offense. You know during the the campaigns here Afghanistan Bosnia ought not you know an ultimate it's a matter of record it is history and in it was a and I guess it was an honor for original history detachment in the state of Massachusetts were the first shot heard from a world -- they were deployed to those locations and and kept the written word -- life and history.

Now the last time we spoke things are still going pretty rough in Iraq and I imagine that not necessarily smooth today but if you had an opportunity to evaluate public -- personal sense of safety your personal sense of how life is becoming a -- changing too in Iraq how would you rate everything I mean I think the last time you we -- acknowledged that it was still a scary place to be -- do you still have those feelings of apprehension.

Yes and I talked doable myself and a couple other soldiers have actually gotten out of what's called the regional the green zone the heavily fortified as well very secure area and we had visited different locations outside the green zone and actually interacted with -- local population it is much. Analysts say it is more secure now majority of our skirmishes still lop nor but the coalition forces the concerned. Citizens groups now have formulated -- working hand in hand. They are dropping a dime on -- Casilla we have actually gone in and and then massive amounts of collections of stockpiled arms and weapons and what not that the government here is trying their attitude -- toward the positive now they were very reluctant when I first got here. Of course you know we had talked before about it you know dictatorship -- these -- not really knowing how to run. Their own government and -- municipalities and how how to get sewer and water and gas and and what not to that the local citizens they are standing up now. Iraqi security forces have got close to half a million people you know between the Iraqi security forces -- of course they have the local police departments now there in the process climbing some of the problems they had with corruption to a point where folks are actually going to be stations in turning in the bad guys. And then of course in -- coalition forces react and if they -- back up but if they know that they can turn to bigger countries that are here are supporting them and it seems to be working much much better than it was -- what we -- three months ago to -- after months ago.

And who didn't just around thanksgiving time he gets a little before thanksgiving -- as I recall. A so leave them the progress has been rapid. I keep hearing aren't seeing stories that make it appear as though David general Petraeus is about to to return and to duty somewhere -- Sutherland in Iraq that would that would indicate to me that that phase lovely -- we refer to -- is the surge is now complete and that year in the final phase of of operations over there which is literally -- turn the government over to the people of Iraq.

Yes so far you know nothing cast in stone. And we have been told that didn't want to way shape or form will be a presence over curable 30 at 32 what it will we don't know while we've been told to -- that you don't know definite basis will be. Will be shut up there there's no intent. Whether it's a rotational system they use over here I don't know myself but it does appear as if they are definitely looking toward the future as far as as the troop withdrawal or draw doubt if you will happening you know a lot a lot quicker. To what degree what percentage what numbers I really don't know but that that is one of the topics on the front burner here a lot of meetings that I it and.

My system interest -- up articles done by some retired military personnel over the last 68 months where they're talking about the possibility of fire beginning to withdraw from Germany the reason we had bases in Germany was set but twofold one of course the German situation itself after World War II and equally important maybe even more important the the Russian -- sitting at the doorstep book over their so that we became the linchpin for for NATO. Will NATO no longer needs us the way they needed us at the end of World War II that there's talked about putting bases in Poland the end in northern Iraq toward Mosul may be a little bit further north and -- putting a permanent basis the if for no other reason than to send a message to -- to a ran and any other people that might have intentions of doing bad things that we're in a position to respond instantly rather than having to build up the force to to come and later I don't know.

I remember reading a book many years ago called future shock and one of the things instead was that the next World War was going to be over here. And I concur with your statements and and you know bases over here whether before Intel monetary union gathering. Weather beaches for the -- force this is a hot spot I mean everybody in your listening audience understands what's going on over here. Gaza and Israel and Iraq the concerns of the diary and whatnot that would -- to me you know common -- graduate hotel restaurant management. But would make sense and I believe that's the wave of the future and I base that belief on the fact that. You know the communications that we're having with the locals in the long term planning that's going two of the troop withdrawal com. However there's definitely going to need to be some monitoring over here for quite some time.

I just on WRKO is lieutenant colonel Charles parent accused such a local guy he's in the National Guard men and therefore army if you will. And by the way -- them -- the situation in North Korea. Would be far more. Egregious had we remove what would we have about 2530000 troops there now. I mean that's on the enough to fight a war but it's enough to send a message to the South Koreans to say stay on your side of the border. And it has worked for the last sixty years hasn't it.

As a matter of fact a couple of months ago mr. on the two over here watching CNN and -- you know the north and south come together for in a couple of days worth elections. And I have battle over -- Korea with the National Guard short term but two worked with the -- troops and that's the ROC troops not the -- and few troops and one of the things I did mention to them farewell speech was the effect that I can now in the plane and travel thousands of miles that. A safe haven where you know every single night you know old divided by I would say no more than a quarter a mile their enemy is right there and I looked through binoculars into the binoculars with a north Koreans and Afghanistan. And you know until you've done that you really don't know what you have back home but you're actually right if we want there and -- had the ability to you know react quickly would have known what we do you now.

Now we look we're the trip -- they are we where the trip wire in in Germany which stopped the Russian bear from taking over at least all of Germany and possibly parts of the all the parts of Western Europe and that would have changed the map entirely from what we know it today and maybe the Soviet Union but never collapse so and we continue we'd still in the middle of that of that Cold War -- might be in the little -- and very shortly with the Russians. But that's another -- of the day that'll be a story for a third Sam Adams that. Yeah so you're you've got another few months and UB UB cycling home I would guess you're you're two boys a listening to you and your sweetheart are an easy 1% of them.

Oh absolutely as a matter of fact they have some difficulties get reception this morning so they are out in the vehicle in the right way home with their coffee and milk and a munchkin Federalist -- on the car radio so I'd like to say I'd wish upon. And Matthew and Connor I don't think pick up the bulk -- a car with a that you never know. And I bring sound very soon I was very fortunate to get home for christmas we had two weeks worth of lead and believe it or not the young soldiers in my charge don't want to go home during spring break time they didn't really want the christmas time this year selected advantage of it and that was home to share in the holiday with them. And they're doing well I know it's difficult on them we communicate to again written E mail telephone. A webcam and they're both the moms little soldiers their stay at home soldiers and doing very well and dousing them very so.

We'll colonel just as -- just for the benefit of -- well your colleagues out there in for your your sweetheart here and go to WRKO dot com. And I click on the little button that says archive and as well but doesn't say your -- and I believe this has archives. And which you get inside that this is the audio vault they should site once you're inside that look for Iraq click on let them look for the interview the and we will be posted their sometime this weekend. Says will be able to hear it on the computer.

Ten mode just selector listening audience know we monitor over here my mission is public affairs. We have created -- monitor web site which is WWW dot embassy Mike Anderson Nancy Mathis and fox trot. -- and direct dot com. And that the web site is updated hourly. And -- one of the things I hear from the soldiers that I have dinner with -- breakfast with the fact that the folks back home complain they don't get the real loose. And if you log on that web -- I guarantee -- is one of my missions here that you will that the real New Orleans at WWW dot MMS hype and direct dot com.

Them and death hyphen a rock all right -- link my website issues of the -- and you and the it'll be there'll from the mansion just click command element Papa. Quick question oh and -- yet Britain and the other effect gonna win another pennant patriots are going to do well and the Celtics one last night. They -- your daughter should -- feedback on training judge she's back home right now and -- she's she's a good -- I certainly will colonel your good man. A look -- it is that a third and a Sam Adams and thank you throw -- you go straight ahead god bless you and thank you for your service. Blitzer thank you can be safe. I'd go to colonel Charles -- he's from Massachusetts cities with a master's National Guard. -- becoming home on June about roughly June 1 you know after the mrs. And he become re acquainted them will go watch them. Oh