Posted: 7/11/06
Houston man back from Iraq
Allan Wojahn, 52, drove
wrecker truck in convoy
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
A hot and dangerous tour of duty in Iraq didnít phase Allen Wojahn of Houston.
Wojahn, 52, recently returned from the region. He drove a wrecker truck in a convoy that hauled supplies in the Tikrit region of Iraq from January to October of 2005. From then until June of this year he was in Kuwait.
His job was to recover vehicles that were hit by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). It was a dangerous job. Wojahn recalled one stretch of 16 trips that had explosions from 13 IEDs.
But Wojahn, a member of Army National Guard 434th Main Support Battalion based in Austin, Minnesota, doesnít seem fazed by that. He chuckles about it, in fact.
Wojahnís wrecker was not hit while he was behind the wheel, although it was hit after he left Iraq to work in Kuwait.
ìIt could be anybody at any time,î he said of the dangers of an IED or other attack. ìI didnít even worry about it.î
Solders were assigned to respond as carriers for the wounded on each trip. Medivacs and sites for helicopters to land were also arranged, and gun trucks had their positions set.
ìEverybody had their job. You just went and done it,î Wojahn said.
He carried an M-16 in his truck. ìI zeroed it in but I donít think I ever loaded it after that,î Wojahn said with another chuckle. He felt the truck ride was too rough to carry a loaded weapon.
ìWe had our share of troubles being hit and that,î he said. But most of the danger lies in Baghad Mosul, Fallujah, he said.
The heat, which sometimes hit 140 degrees, didnít bother Wojahn either. Itís a dry heat, combined with dusty and dirty conditions, he said, but you get used to it all.
Vehicles, buildings, and tents were air conditioned.
Soldiers wore jackets with bulletproof Kevlar vests underneath. They weighed about 30 pounds. Youíd be soaking wet underneath there, and 10 minutes after you had it off youíd be dried off,î Wojahn said.
Whatís it really like?
After he left Iraq, Wojahn was offered another job in Kuwait driving a shuttle bus. He quickly accepted it. ìI thought it was a vacation compared to what I had been to,î he said. The place, called Camp Navistar, was on the border with Iraq.
So what is it really like in Iraq? ìIt really isnít much different than the states,î Wojahn replied to that question. ìWe can shoot back and here you canít. People that say they want to bring us to a safe place, I donít know what a safe place is.î
Have there been improvements? Yes, somewhat, Wojahn answered. Sometimes they would drive through villages, and kids would stand out and wave.
The news here doesnít report positive things, Wojahn feels, like Programs where people would go out, take kids papers and pencils, visit schools.
Wojahn wouldnít guess at how long the U.S. would be in Iraq. ìThings look good one day and the next they all look terrible again,î he said.
Wojahn has been in the military for almost 34 years. He was in active duty in the Army from 1972-75 and 76-86, including six years in germany, three in Italy, and one in Korea He joined the National Guard in 1989.
Wojahn said his age of 52 hasnít been a hindrance so far. ìI guess I was in good enough health to go.î
Wojahn will soon return to his job at Northern Engraving in Spring Grove. His orders run out on August 5. He isnít ruling out another trip to the Iraq.
Allan is following in the footsteps of his father, Elmo Wojahn of Houston. Elmo spent 21 years in the military. He was in the Navy in World War II, and survived the sinking of his ship, the USS Hornet, on October 26, 1942, in the Battle of Santa Cruz.
Caledonia Argus
314 West Lincoln St.
P.O. Box 227
Caledonia, MN 55921-0227
507/724-3475
E-Mail: editor.argus@ecm-inc.com