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Virginia Wright-Peterson

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River of Messages

I am numb at the end of a week of relaying many, many emergency messages. It had been quiet around Thanksgiving. A week later, Julie and I are passing record numbers of messages for our time here. Each one is unique: the death of an …

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December 14, 2007February 17, 2013 By Virginia Wright-Peterson

“If You Didn’t Put It Down, Don’t Pick It Up”

When we accepted our deployment assignment, we knew we would probably be in more danger than living at home in Utah or Iowa. When I first heard I was assigned to COB Speicher near Tikrit, I asked an Air Force Reservist who had deployment experience …

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December 7, 2007February 17, 2013 By Virginia Wright-Peterson

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Every week, I download pictures taken on the camera I almost always carry with me, look at what I’ve seen and then try to come up with words to explain my experiences. It is like a photo journal. This week, the phrase “the good, the …

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November 30, 2007February 28, 2013 By Virginia Wright-Peterson

Thanksgiving at COB Speicher

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday. The day encourages families and friends to gather without the complexities of religion or gift giving, and it isn’t overtly patriotic. Good food and fellowship is the focus. Thanksgiving has been a special day here on COB Speicher too. …

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November 22, 2007February 17, 2013 By Virginia Wright-Peterson

Arriving at COB Speicher

13 November 2007 I was struck with an eerie feeling when I walked past the ruin of a tile fountain in on my way into an office building on base. COB (Contingent Operating Base) Speicher has been built on the remnants of one of Saddam …

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November 13, 2007February 28, 2013 By Virginia Wright-Peterson

Being “Processed” at Ft. Benning

We left Ft Benning GA in white chariots, large white buses with school bus interiors. My adrenaline soared as we drove out of the CRC (Continental Replacement Center) after a week of being “processed” there. I was thrilled to be leaving. As we bumped along …

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November 12, 2007February 28, 2013 By Virginia Wright-Peterson

Last Days in D.C.

I ate my last meal at Ebbitt Grill, two blocks from the White House, reputedly the oldest pub in DC. White House staffers and tourists dine and drink amidst décor displaying Teddy Roosevelt’s hunting memorabilia: duck decoys, rifles, vests, mounted heads of a wide range …

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October 30, 2007February 28, 2013 By Virginia Wright-Peterson

Training Begins —

On September 30th, I arrived at the Red Cross National Headquarters in Washington, DC with five other newly hired reservists destined for deployment to Iraq. Two of us will go to Baghdad, two will go to Balad, and two (including me) will go to Tikrit. …

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October 10, 2007February 17, 2013 By Virginia Wright-Peterson

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Meet the Author

Virginia M. Wright-Peterson’s first book, Women of Mayo Clinic: The Founding Generation, was a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award in 2017 and a Chinese translation was released in 2018. Her second book, A Woman’s War, Too: Women at Work During WWII (April 2020) reveals vivid stories of contribution and sacrifice, including women serving in every branch of the military and working in vital roles in factories, shipyards, mines, homes, and communities. Many women relocated during the war years, and they were present at every important battle of the war overseas. Virginia Wright-Peterson has searched for stories that challenge our understanding of ourselves and our world. She has been especially committed to collecting, preserving, and sharing women’s stories often missing in published histories, including the daily news. In her search for a broader perspective, she deployed to a military base in Iraq with the American Red Cross and taught as a Fulbright Scholar at University of Algiers. Virginia Wright-Peterson has a Ph.D. in English and currently serves in administration at University of Minnesota Rochester.

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